Chapter 178
Since having the child, Lu Gu had been sleeping more carefully at night, afraid to move around too much for fear of crushing the child sleeping between them. Shen Xuanqing was even more cautious. He knew he was a big, burly man, tall and heavy, while their little Lingjun was so small and soft. He wouldn’t dare rest even a palm on the child, let alone an arm. The two of them now slept more carefully than ever, turning over with the utmost caution.
After autumn arrived, even the rain became fine and drizzling, carrying a faint sense of early autumn’s desolation.
Little Lingjun was even easier to look after than Zhao’er. When hungry, he’d cry a little, and after being fed, he’d go right back to sleep. The only other times he cried were when he was uncomfortable from wetting himself. He rarely fussed endlessly, often just sleeping with his eyes closed. Even Wei Lanxiang joked about it, and sometimes even Lu Gu would mutter about how such a lazy child could exist, loving to sleep all day long.
Shen Xuanqing was quick to make excuses for his little shuang’er, saying that sleeping was how children grew, and that Lingjun needed plenty of rest to become strong and healthy later on. Though the sight of such a tall, sturdy man holding such a tiny infant was somewhat comical, his eyes were full of adoration when he spoke.
Of course, Lu Gu doted on his own child. Hearing Shen Xuanqing speak so seriously, he nodded deeply, convinced it made perfect sense - children really did need more sleep. Besides, it made tending to the child much less exhausting.
The window was left slightly ajar for ventilation. Outside, the autumn rain fell in a continuous drizzle, slanting with the wind. Lu Gu walked around the room and the main hall a few times, stretching his legs, and even went to Ji Qiuyue’s room to play with Zhao’er. Though postpartum women were strictly advised against exposure to cold wind and rain, he was bundled up thickly and had wrapped his hair before stepping out, so he wasn’t exposed to much wind under the eaves.
Wei Lanxiang was in the main hall stitching shoe soles. Seeing him return from Ji Qiuyue’s room, she said, “A little stroll is fine, but it’s cold outside. Even if the wind doesn’t hit you directly, the chill can seep right into your skin and bones. Best go back to bed and rest, keep yourself well-covered.”
“Understood, Mother.” Lu Gu nodded obediently and returned to his room.
Little Lingjun was fast asleep. Their family wasn’t short on cotton quilts, and the child’s cheeks were rosy, there was no worry about him catching a chill.
Lu Gu climbed onto the bed and leaned against the headboard, covering his legs with the quilt and propping himself up with a soft pillow. Once comfortably settled, he reached for the bamboo basket on the chair beside the bed. Inside were two milk fruits the child had already eaten, their juices sucked dry. He used scissors to peel off the skin, leaving the hollow white flesh, which Shen Yan could later slice and boil.
He had once curiously tasted the milk fruit and found it rather bland. The broth made from boiling the flesh was similarly tasteless, but everyone said it was good for health, so he drank it nearly every day. Since the child ate several milk fruits a day, it would be wasteful to throw the leftovers away, so they were all boiled into soup. Even the rest of the family drank it, sometimes even feeding a little to Zhao’er. Yesterday, when Xia Fulang came to wash diapers and saw him drinking it, he even asked for half a bowl.
Rain made it difficult to go to the fields to pull weeds. Early in the morning, Wei Lanxiang and Ji Qiuyue stayed home while Shen Yan and her two brothers went to the new house to chop grass for the chickens and ducks. Shen Xuanqing and Shen Yaoqing took care of feeding the other livestock and cleaning up manure.
The three of them hadn’t returned yet, but Guaizi had slipped out, tracking muddy paw prints all over the main hall. After shaking off the rainwater at the doorway, he dashed straight into Lu Gu’s room.
“That damn dog, running off so fast!” Wei Lanxiang leaned back, nearly splashed by the water he shook off. Seeing the muddy footprints, she couldn’t help but scold. Ever since Zhao’er was born last year, she had stopped using the word “dead” when cursing the dogs, afraid of invoking any ill omens around such a young child.
“Ah!” Lu Gu looked up to see Guaizi squeezing through the door, his fur drenched and paws filthy. He couldn’t help but let out a soft exclamation.
Guaizi wagged his tail excitedly. He had been keeping watch at the other house all night and hadn’t seen Lu Gu, seeming almost nostalgic. A dog used to running wild in the mountains, he had grown restless staying home lately. Without hunting or roaming the hills, he sometimes howled at the sky out of boredom, sounding almost like a wolf.
Covered in filth, he tried to approach the bed, making Lu Gu quickly straighten up and push him back. Guaizi thought it was a game, playfully resisting and even gently clamping Lu Gu’s hand in his mouth to tease him.
Lu Gu was both exasperated and amused. He had no choice but to get out of bed and fetch an old handkerchief to wipe Guaizi’s head and body, which were damp with rainwater.
Wei Lanxiang had initially wanted to chase the dog out, worried his barking might wake the child. But seeing Lu Gu busy, she held her tongue and sat back down to stitch shoe soles. She ran the needle through her hair to oil it, then pierced it through the sole and asked, “Guzi, what would you like for lunch? I’ll cook for you.”
[In traditional shoemaking/sewing, people would often run needles through their hair to coat them with natural scalp oils, reducing friction when stitching tough materials like leather or layered cloth - a practical, time-honored technique before modern lubricants were available]
Lu Gu made Guaizi sit still as he wiped his head clean. “Didn’t Yan Yan mention yesterday that there’s still a handful of long beans left? How about braised long beans in red sauce?”
Lately, he had been eating rather bland food and was craving something more flavorful to go with rice.
“Alright.” Wei Lanxiang agreed with a smile, well aware he was just craving something tasty. She added, “Later, I’ll go over and have Erqing catch an old duck to stew with yams. Once the weather clears tomorrow, I’ll buy two pig’s trotters and simmer them with soybeans to nourish you.”
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