Fang Zichen blinked. "His belly was so big—why was he still working in the fields?"
His question seemed amusing. The woman laughed. "Oh, we’re country folk. Unless you’re truly bedridden, who can afford not to work? Being pregnant isn’t a big deal. Plenty of women go into labor right in the middle of work—some even give birth in the ditches, then get up and keep working afterward."
Fang Zichen: "..."
The woman continued. "You youngsters have no experience. The first birth is always harder. After a few more, the baby just slips right out."
Fang Zichen: "..."
Hey, could you not make childbirth—such a sacred and serious matter—sound as easy as taking a dump?
This could be life or death.
Before the baby was born, Wu Ger ran out of strength. The midwife came out and told them to cook something for him.
Wu Ger’s mother-in-law hobbled into the kitchen and, after some effort, brought out half a bowl of coarse grain porridge.
The midwife assumed she was mistreating her daughter-in-law and immediately scowled.
"Wow, you old hag, your daughter-in-law is risking his life to give your family a grandson, and this is all you can spare?"
Wu Ger’s mother-in-law panicked. "No, there’s no food left at home... this is all we have."
The Wu family was dirt poor. Remembering they still had some brown sugar at home, Zhao Ger sent Fang Zichen to fetch it.
"..."
Fang Zichen was speechless. Someone else’s fulang was giving birth, yet here he was, running around like a busybody.
Brown sugar wasn’t cheap. When Fang Zichen returned with a sizable chunk of it for Zhao Ger, the women couldn’t hide their astonishment.
Good heavens, this man is ridiculously generous, they thought. That big piece of brown sugar had to be worth over twenty copper coins, yet he handed it over without a second thought.
If they had been the ones holding that brown sugar, they wouldn’t have let go of it for anything
But then again, it made sense. With a monthly income of three taels of silver, such a small sum probably meant nothing to him. Unlike them, who barely earned a few coppers all year and had to pinch every penny.
When Zhao Ger asked him to fetch the brown sugar, Fang Zichen went without hesitation - clear evidence of a husband who respected his wife's wishes. The watching mothers with marriageable daughters sized him up with renewed interest. Their minds raced with possibilities - if their girls married this filial young man with no living parents... surely all his devotion would go to his in-laws instead?
Wu Ger's elderly mother-in-law accepted the precious brown sugar with trembling hands, showering Zhao Ger with grateful thanks
After drinking the brown sugar water, Wu Ger regained some strength. Soon, a baby’s cry came from inside.
"It’s born! It’s born!"
The midwife carried the baby out. She was from the neighboring village. With only Fang Zichen as the sole man in the courtyard, she assumed the baby was his and deliberately brought it over to him, flattering him for a red envelope. "You’re a lucky man! A son on your first try! Look at those features—so handsome, just like you."
Zhao Ger: "..."
Fang Zichen: "..."
He backed away, shaking his head. "That’s not my baby!"
And it looks like me?
You’ve got to be kidding.
He'd barely glimpsed the newborn - all wrinkled, beet-red, with patchy fuzz for hair and puffy, squinted eyes. The thing resembled a hairless monkey more than a human child. There was absolutely zero resemblance!
If someone claimed the baby looked like that scabby Liu Laizi, he wouldn't have been half as insulted.
The midwife froze. "Ah?"
The women burst into laughter.
Since everything was fine now, Fang Zichen pulled Zhao Ger away. On the way back, he sighed deeply. "Zhao Ger, you all have it so hard."
Zhao Ger looked at him.
Fang Zichen spoke sincerely. "Not only do you get pinned down, but you also have to give birth—it’s so painful. Ah, it’s not easy. Really not easy. But it’s also incredible."
"..." Zhao Ger’s face darkened, and he changed the subject. "Why did you come back so early today?"
Fang Zichen took his hand, rubbing his thumb gently over the back. "The boss is back. He invited people to dinner, so we didn’t have to greet customers."
"Oh!" Zhao Ger smiled. "Let’s hurry home. I have a surprise for you."
Back home, Fang Zichen was delighted to see the chili sauce. Seeing his reaction, Zhao Ger felt inexplicably fulfilled.
Making the chili sauce had been time-consuming and exhausting—his arms had ached from chopping peppers and garlic. But now, seeing how much Fang Zichen liked it and how happy it made him, all the effort felt worth it.
For dinner, they had noodles. Zhao Ger had rolled the dough into thin, long strands. After boiling, they were topped with bone broth, greens, scallions, a fried egg, minced meat, pickled beans, soy sauce, and a spoonful of chili sauce. The taste was incredible—Fang Zichen wolfed down three heaping bowls, leaning back afterward with a contented sigh as he patted his full stomach
Guaizai loved it too. After a full bowl, his belly was round, yet he asked for more. Kids often had eyes bigger than their stomachs (think they can eat more than they actually can). Back at the Ma family during festivals, Ma Xiaoshun and the others would gorge themselves until they vomited. When Guaizai eyed the remaining half-bowl of noodles, Zhao Ger refused to serve him more, saying he hadn’t eaten his fill yet.
Hearing this, Guaizai immediately said, "Then Guaizai no eat more. Give to Daddy."
After finishing their meal, father and son stepped outside. Guaizai clung to Fang Zichen’s neck and whispered his "report": earlier, while lurking near the Ma family, he noticed their rice had already been dried.
"Oh?" Fang Zichen raised an eyebrow.
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