Chapter 182
The morning mist hung thickly over the village, and amidst the crowing of roosters came the occasional bark of dogs. As the sounds around him grew clearer, Lu Gu woke but did not get up immediately, instead turning over to look at the child sleeping between them.
Little Lingjun, also disturbed by the noise, fussed restlessly in his sleep, whimpering but never opening his eyes. Lu Gu instinctively patted him a couple of times to soothe him. Without realizing it, he had grown accustomed to caring for the child. Knowing Lingjun wouldn’t wake just yet, he sat up and began dressing.
The morning was chilly, and leaving the warm bedding was a reluctant act. But the thought of the chores waiting at home quickly chased away any lingering drowsiness. He climbed down from the foot of the bed and noticed Shen Xuanqing, who slept on the outer side, opening his eyes. "Sleep a little longer," Lu Gu said. "I’m just going to boil water."
"Mm," Shen Xuanqing answered hoarsely, then turned his head to look at the child, reaching out a hand to pat him gently.
Lu Gu carried firewood from the woodshed into the kitchen, filled the pot with water, and set the steamer basket inside. As he struck a flame, he heard movement from Wei Lanxiang’s room.
He was the earliest to rise today - dawn hadn’t even broken yet, and the mist cast a white haze over everything. The flame caught, and he cupped the tinder in his hands, placing it beneath the stove before adding kindling and thicker logs. Soon, the fire burned steadily.
The glow warmed his face slightly as he sat dazedly by the stove, until Shen Yan came in.
"Brother Guzi, you’re up so early," Shen Yan said, then yawned widely.
Lu Gu smiled faintly, adding two more sticks to the fire. "I wasn’t tired today. I’ve got this, once the water’s boiled, I’ll call you."
Shen Yan nodded. "Alright, I’ll sweep the yard first."
Listening to the rhythmic swish of the broom outside, he stood to tidy the kitchen. Before long, he heard Lingjun crying from inside the house.
He woke early today, he thought, hurrying toward the room.
When he entered, Shen Xuanqing was already holding the child, trying to soothe him. Seeing Lingjun’s cries gradually quiet, Lu Gu stepped closer, smiling. "What’s there to cry about? Everyone’s home."
Little Lingjun couldn’t understand, but the gentle rocking and patting eventually calmed him. Nowadays, Shen Xuanqing had grown much more skilled at comforting the child, no longer as stiff and clumsy as before.
Lu Gu glanced up at him, grinning. "Since you’re up, I’ll go wash a milk fruit. You keep soothing him."
Holding his little Shuang’er, Shen Xuanqing was more than happy to oblige. Since he was the one who had managed to calm Lingjun this time, he was brimming with pride. "Don’t worry," he said with a laugh. "With his own father here, I’ll make sure he’s fine. Go on with your tasks, no need to fret."
Seeing his confidence, Lu Gu chuckled. "Then I’ll leave him to you today. Mother and I will go feed the rabbits."
"Sure," Shen Xuanqing agreed readily, gazing down at the soft, small Shuang’er in his arms.
So well-behaved, truly our little Ling ger. Even the red mark between his brows made him prettier and more delicate than other babies.
Once Lu Gu left to wash the milk fruit, Shen Xuanqing cradled the child with a face full of smiles, murmuring soothing sounds and even pressing a kiss to Lingjun's cheek.
The baby, who had finally stopped crying, frowned slightly at the kiss. Lu Gu usually kissed him lightly, but Shen Xuanqing, overwhelmed with affection, pressed harder. The stubble on his chin and cheeks - unlike Lu Gu’s smooth skin, prickled the baby’s tender face, though he remained blissfully unaware, too caught up in the joy of his son being so close to his child today.
Seeing Shen Xuanqing in such high spirits while feeding Lingjun the milk fruit, Lu Gu left them be and went about his tasks outside. It was good for father and child to bond, it would only strengthen their relationship later.
The rest of the family gradually woke. The water in the kitchen had boiled, so Lu Gu lifted the lid and retrieved the steamed buns and eggs from the steamer basket. Steam billowed up as Wei Lanxiang entered with a wooden basin to scoop water for washing before breakfast.
In the yard, Lu Gu cleaned his teeth with green salt and rinsed his mouth, then cupped a handful of warm water to wash his face. Before he could finish, Ji Qiuyue came out with a bowl of water to clean her teeth.
Wei Lanxiang wiped her face with a warm cloth and said, "We didn’t confront her on the spot yesterday, so it’s too late to catch her in her mistakes now. From now on, if that old hag starts gossiping and stirring up trouble again, don’t be polite with her. So what if you argue? It’s not like we haven’t done it before. I’ll back you up, let’s see if Zhou Yunzhi still has the face to keep it up."
"The things she said, if word got out, she’d be the one losing face."
Ji Qiuyue, having received Shen Yaoqing’s reassurance yesterday, had mostly let go of her anger. But since it had only just happened, mentioning it still stoked some resentment. She huffed and said quickly, "If I hadn’t been foolish yesterday, remembering she’s Eldest Uncle’s wife and thinking we’ve started interacting with their family again, wanting to keep things peaceful and respect her as an elder, why else would I have tolerated it? I was stupid not to see through her."
"You’re right," Wei Lanxiang sighed. "People often say it’s better to avoid trouble, and with relatives, especially from the same clan, some things are just hard to handle." Then she added, "We gave her face this time and didn’t argue, but there won’t be a next time. If she dares spout nonsense again, don’t hold back."
"I know exactly what Zhou Yunzhi is scheming. As long as we live well and ignore petty, lowly people, the better our lives are, the more she’ll seethe with envy. Let her choke on it."
Wei Lanxiang chuckled, tossing the remaining water from her basin onto the vegetable patch. "Zhou Yunzhi’s green with jealousy, let’s just keep doing what we’re doing. Why bother with her? Putting effort into our own lives is what matters. Let her stew in her bitterness."
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