Chapter 174
Zhao'er lay in the cradle, his little hands and feet moving. Though he couldn’t speak yet, he occasionally made meaningless babbling sounds, as if trying to imitate speech. Seeing drool on his chin, Lu Gu wiped it with a handkerchief, only for Zhao'er to grab it tightly. Pulling it away might make him cry, and soothing him would take a while, so Lu Gu let him keep it to play with.
Shen Xuanqing came over and sat by the bed. The two were close, their legs touching.
When his hand was held, Lu Gu didn’t pull away. The faint smile on his face grew even more charming. Noticing Shen Xuanqing’s hair was still damp from washing, he said cheerfully, "Let’s sit outside while the sun’s still up and dry your hair."
"Alright." As long as he was with his fulang, Shen Xuanqing would never refuse.
Lu Gu glanced at the cradle and added, "I’ll carry Zhao'er. You bring the cradle to the yard so he can sleep or play in it. Otherwise, we’d have to hold him all the time."
He spoke casually, but it was the truth. Zhao'er was actually quite well-behaved—when asleep, he required no attention. But once awake, Lu Gu had to carry or hold him while working, which eventually left him feeling exhausted. Fortunately, when not working, he could rest and place Zhao'er in the cradle to sleep or play.
Shen Xuanqing’s expression flickered slightly. "When did the family start transplanting rice seedlings?"
Why the sudden question?
Lu Gu was puzzled but answered honestly, "Early yesterday morning. Mother and Eldest Brother went with the others. Even Yan Yan came back covered in mud these past two days."
So it had already been two days.
Seeing the occasional weariness in Lu Gu’s expression, Shen Xuanqing felt a pang of displeasure. Though rural fulangs weren’t treated as delicately—in nearby villages, it was common to see pregnant women or fulangs still laboring in the fields, but he couldn’t help feeling irked.
Lu Gu, having grown up in such an environment, saw nothing unusual about it. Aside from these two days of spring plowing, he hadn’t needed to cook, wash dishes, do laundry, or cut grass. Once his belly grew, Wei Lanxiang wouldn’t even let him feed the chickens and ducks. Perhaps because he hadn’t done much work since becoming pregnant, the sudden labor left him unaccustomed.
Shen Xuanqing was no saint. His displeasure stemmed from two things: first, his own delay in the mountains causing him to miss spring plowing, and second, his family’s oversight. Before leaving, he had explicitly told them to take care of Lu Gu and not overwork him. Yet here they were, having let him exhaust himself.
"What’s wrong?" Lu Gu noticed his expression and grew puzzled.
Shen Xuanqing sighed softly, his earlier irritation fading as he understood. With so many livestock at home now, fieldwork took priority. His mother and the others would naturally focus on the land first. Had they not raised so many animals, Lu Gu would’ve only needed to cook and care for the child.
He knew the reasoning and couldn’t rightly blame anyone. Busy times meant some things slipped through the cracks. When he went to the fields earlier, the whole family was sweating, covered in mud, how could he hold any resentment? Seeing Lu Gu’s concern, he forced a smile and said, "It’s nothing. I just regret coming back so late, leaving you to do so much work at home."
So that was it. Lu Gu immediately brightened, his eyes shining. "It’s really nothing. Just feeding the livestock twice a day, and I can rest when free. Sister-in-law comes back often to nurse the baby, and she carries the water jug herself, so I don’t have to deliver water to the fields."
Feeding the animals and carrying grass weren’t too bad, but hauling water buckets was strenuous. Still, seeing Lu Gu’s cheerful demeanor, Shen Xuanqing’s lingering displeasure gradually faded. Now that he was back, Lu Gu wouldn't have to overwork. No need to dwell on it and add unnecessary worries to Lu Gu.
"Let’s go sit outside." He stood, lifting Zhao'er for Lu Gu to carry, then followed behind with the wooden cradle.
The sun hadn’t set yet, and the wind was mild today, but they still chose a sheltered spot - the child was too small.
Zhao'er lay in the cradle playing with the handkerchief, his chubby little hands tugging at it before stuffing it into his mouth to chew, leaving it soaked in drool.
With no one else around, Shen Xuanqing held his fulang's hand and cheered up again. "Once we’re done with these busy days, I’ll go to town and buy some nice fabric. I’ll have Mother make you two new outfits and a pair of shoes."
In his eyes, Lu Gu had suffered exhaustion and hardship. Since he couldn’t offer much else, new clothes were the least he could do to make up for it.
"I already have clothes," Lu Gu said, eyes curving into crescents.
"Have what? Those are from last year." Shen Xuanqing frowned slightly, pinching his cheek. He found an excuse and added, "You’re not plump yet, but once your belly grows bigger, last year’s clothes won’t fit. They’ll probably be too tight."
"If it were just you being uncomfortable, fine. But if my son gets squeezed and something happens, how will you make it up to me?" His tone carried a hint of frustration at Lu Gu’s reluctance to ask for anything.
Lu Gu grinned, his smile so wide his teeth showed, understanding his concern.
Shen Xuanqing wanted to keep a stern face to show his displeasure, but seeing Lu Gu’s radiant smile, all reproach vanished. Gazing at that warm, joyful expression, he could only release a nearly inaudible sigh before smiling himself. Unable to resist, he leaned in and kissed his fulang.
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