Wei Lanxiang delighted in praising her grandson’s strength, while Ji Qiuyue had no choice but to break off a piece of her steamed bun and hand it to him to keep him occupied so they could eat in peace.
With food in hand, Zhao’er finally sat quietly, though his chubby little hands were soon covered in drool.
Lu Gu’s belly was big now, even though he could still hold a child, Zhao’er loved kicking. Despite being so small, his limbs were strong, and the family worried he might accidentally kick Lu Gu’s stomach, so they rarely let him hold Zhao'er. The plump, fair child with big eyes was utterly endearing, but since Lu Gu couldn’t hold him, he could only play with Zhao’er when someone else was carrying him.
Not long after lunch, Lu Gu had already washed up. While Ji Qiuyue and Shen Yaoqing were washing their faces, he entertained Zhao’er with a rattle, spinning it to produce a rhythmic dong-dong-dong. The child giggled happily in his cradle.
“The water’s ready.” Shen Xuanqing came in with a foot-washing basin.
Lu Gu’s finger was tightly gripped by Zhao’er, who was enjoying their game, so he replied without turning, “I know.”
If the water cooled, it’d be wasted, so he didn’t linger. Once Ji Qiuyue finished washing and came to take Zhao'er, he turned and entered the bedroom, where Shen Xuanqing was making the bed.
A faint, beautiful smile curved Lu Gu’s lips.
When Shen Xuanqing turned and saw it, he smiled back, then helped Lu Gu sit on the bed to remove his shoes and socks.
They always washed their feet together, and today was no exception. Since Lu Gu didn’t work in the fields, there wasn’t much to scrub. After soaking for a while, Shen Xuanqing dried his feet first and urged him to bed.
The bamboo mat felt cool at first, but soon warmed from body heat. Lu Gu shifted to a cooler spot, picked up a palm-leaf fan, and gently waved it as he watched Shen Xuanqing still scrubbing his feet. Softly, he said, “If only I could give birth right now.”
Pregnancy and childbirth were never easy. Ten months of carrying a child brought constant discomfort, and the summer heat felt more oppressive than ever.
Shen Xuanqing looked up with a reassuring smile. “It won’t be long now.”
Seeing Lu Gu’s slight frown, he changed the subject. “Earlier, Shen Yan asked if it’s a boy, girl, or shuang’er. We can’t know for sure, but what would you like?”
The question eased Lu Gu’s worries. He smiled faintly, pondered, and replied, “I’m not sure. A boy would be a playmate for Zhao’er. A girl would be nice too, Shen Yan always says she wants a niece. A shuang’er would also be good.”
But the dilemma brought its own concern.
Amused, Shen Xuanqing wiped his feet and said, “While you were napping at noon, I went to Wangli Village and confirmed with Granny Li. We’ll have her assist with the delivery.”
Granny Li was the midwife who had delivered Ji Qiuyue’s baby. Experienced and skilled, she was the obvious choice to ensure Lu Gu received the same care.
“Mm.” Lu Gu nodded. Early in the pregnancy, Wei Lanxiang had instructed Shen Xuanqing to hire Granny Li, so this wasn’t a surprise.
Shen Xuanqing added, “On the way back, I ran into Xia Ahma. I’ve also arranged with him, your confinement will likely overlap with the autumn harvest, so we might be short-handed. Sister-in-law and Mother will handle cooking, so I’ve hired him to wash clothes and diapers for a month. You just focus on recovering, don’t worry about anything else.”
[阿嬷 (āmā): a respectful term for an elderly fulang]
Lu Gu had heard Shen Xuanqing mention hiring help during the busy season but hadn’t taken it seriously. He hadn’t expected arrangements to be made so soon.
After dumping the foot-washing water outside, Shen Xuanqing returned, closed the door, and said, “It’s not too expensive. I agreed with Xia Ahma on one qian of silver for the month, and he’s already agreed.”
[1 tael of silver = 10 qian of silver]
Xia Ahma's family was relatively well-off. Though he loved to gossip and had a big mouth, he was clean and diligent—otherwise, Shen Xuanqing wouldn’t have chosen him. One qian was a significant sum for villagers, and since the job only involved laundry and postpartum care, Xia Ahma had no reason to refuse.
Since it was settled, Lu Gu didn’t argue. Shen Xuanqing was stubborn, and trying to dissuade him would only lead to frustration.
With a gentle smile, Lu Gu nodded. “Alright.”
Just as Shen Xuanqing was about to speak further, Lu Gu let out a soft hum and lifted his inner robe, revealing his round, pale belly. In the fading sunlight through the window, a small bulge appeared - perhaps the baby’s hand or foot.
Lu Gu patted his belly lightly. He and Shen Xuanqing watched as the spot bulged again, as if responding. Since the first fetal movement, they’d been fascinated by this interaction, marveling at how the baby could “play” with them from inside.
Shen Xuanqing reached out to touch the spot, grinning foolishly. Lu Gu also smiled dopily until the movements subsided, and they finally settled down to sleep.
The window was half-closed as the sun set and darkness fell. Shen Xuanqing fanned Lu Gu with the palm-leaf fan. Tonight was relatively cool, unlike the previous sweltering nights when Lu Gu had been drenched in sweat, unable to sleep. On those nights, Shen Xuanqing had fanned him until midnight and even brought water to wipe him down.
After whispering a few intimate words, they drifted into dreams.
Time passed swiftly. Lu Gu had likely conceived around mid-November, so by late August, it was almost time. But no one could predict the exact day. These past few days, not just Shen Xuanqing but even Wei Lanxiang was on high alert, keeping a close watch on Lu Gu. The whole family was tense.
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