A huge thanks to Daiyu13 on Kofi for the support! Enjoy!

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The pain spread throughout his body. With half his body submerged in the water, Luo Xiu felt his body gradually growing cold. Clutching his stomach, he silently repeated in his mind, “May the Bodhisattva protect me—please don’t let anything go wrong, please don’t let anything go wrong…”

Mrs. Zhang Er rushed frantically over from the riverbank, just as Liu Hua was bringing Luo Xiu his meal. Since a life was at stake, she dared not keep it a secret; she stepped forward and stammered, “Luo Xiu fell by the river and is bleeding heavily. You’d better go check on him right away…”

“What?!” As soon as Liu Hua heard this, she didn’t even bother with the bowl and chopsticks in her hands; she dropped them and ran toward the riverbank.

By the time she arrived, Luo Xiu was already on the verge of passing out. The pain and the cold had left his face as pale as gold paper, completely drained of color.

“Xiu, don’t be afraid. Your auntie’s here. Your auntie’s here.”

Liu Hua was small and not very strong; after struggling for ages, she managed only to pull Luo Xiu out of the river but couldn’t get him home no matter what she tried.

“Wait here for a moment—I’ll go get Daqiu!” With that, she hurried off toward Zheng Beiqiu’s place. In her haste, she tripped and fell, but without even stopping to brush the dust off her clothes, she scrambled to her feet and kept running.

“Daqiu, Daqiu—it’s an emergency! Xiu’er is going into labor!”

Zheng Beiqiu was in the middle of eating. Upon hearing the commotion, he put down his bowl and chopsticks without a word and followed Liu Hua as they ran toward Luo Xiu’s house.

“Xiu isn’t home—he’s by the river!”

Zheng Beiqiu turned and ran toward the riverbank. By the time he arrived, Luo Xiu had already completely lost consciousness.

Seeing the pool of blood beneath the figure lying on the ground, a chill instantly ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. He had seen too many comrades fall in battle, all lying motionless on the ground just like Luo Xiu.

It felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his throat, choking him until he could hardly breathe.

Liu Hua, who was following behind, panted, “Don’t just stand there—hurry up and carry him back!”

“Oh, oh!” Zheng Beiqiu snapped out of his daze and hurriedly picked him up. When his hand touched Luo Xiu’s, the icy coldness made him shiver. Tears streamed down his face. “Xiu, I’m here. I’ll take you home!” Those few short steps felt like a lifetime.

Finally, after getting him home, Liu Hua shooed Zheng Beiqiu out. “Go get my aunt next door, then come back and boil a pot of hot water.” 

“Okay!” Zheng Beiqiu dashed out with nimble steps.

Liu Hua stripped Luo Xiu of her wet clothes, covered her with a quilt, and rubbed her icy hands and feet while calling out to her repeatedly, “Xiu’er, wake up! You can’t fall asleep—what will happen to this child if you do?”

Perhaps because his body had warmed up, the pain had eased considerably. Luo Xiu gradually regained consciousness, opened his eyes, and said, “Auntie…” 

“Don’t talk—you’re about to give birth. We’ll have Grandma help you deliver the baby in a moment.”

Before long, Granny Liu from next door came running over in a panic. “Didn’t they say you still had a few days to go? How come your water broke so suddenly…?”

“I don’t know either. I just came over to bring Luo Xiu her meal and happened to run into Mrs. Zhang Er from across the street. She said Luo Xiu had fallen by the river and was bleeding heavily. I was so scared I rushed over and pulled her out of the water.”

“Let me take a look.” Auntie Liu was one of the few midwives in the village; she had delivered all three of Liu Hua’s children. She lifted the blanket and gasped, “The baby’s head is already showing! Quick, prop your legs up and push!”

Luo Xiu gritted his teeth and raised his legs, then began pushing as the two directed him. He’d never given birth before, and a man’s first delivery is usually difficult; the pain made his vision go dark, and his whole body shake.

Zheng Beiqiu had brought the water in the pot to a boil and was standing outside, stamping his feet anxiously back and forth, unsure how Luo Xiu was doing or whether he was in danger. Thinking back to the scene he’d just witnessed, his heart clenched painfully. If anything happened to Luo Xiu, he’d regret it for the rest of his life!

He didn’t care if the villagers gossiped or spread rumors—Liu Changfu was dead anyway, so he should live with Luo Xiu and take care of him, no matter what others said!

After waiting nearly an hour, a cry suddenly came from inside the room.

“It’s born! It’s born! Quick, bring some hot water!”

Zheng Beiqiu frantically lifted the pot lid, scooped up a basin of hot water, and handed it to her. The midwife dipped the scissors into the boiling water to sterilize them, snipped the umbilical cord with a sharp cut, tied a neat knot around the baby’s navel with sewing thread, then wiped the child clean with a cloth, swaddled him, and handed him to Luo Xiu.

“It’s a healthy ger—he’s so handsome.”

Tears silently trickled down the corners of Luo Xiu’s eyes. As he gazed at the tiny being in his arms, he felt an indescribable joy. This was his child—a child bound to him by blood.

Outside the door, Zheng Beiqiu heard the baby’s cries and began to cry as well. He tried to push the door open to take a look, but Liu Hua pushed him back out.

“The energy inside is too intense—don’t go in.”

“What’s there to be afraid of? The bloodshed on the battlefield was far worse than this.”

Liu Hua gave him a reproachful look. “You silly brother, Xiu’er just gave birth and is covered in blood. He definitely doesn’t want you to see him looking so disheveled. If you have a moment, head into town and buy him some brown sugar and eggs to help him recover.”

“Got it! I’ll head into town then. Tell Xiu not to worry.”

Liu Hua watched Zheng Beiqiu’s hurried retreat and couldn’t help but smile and shake her head. That clueless kid actually knew how to be considerate. Inside the room, the aunt helped Luo Xiu wipe down her body. Liu Hua poured out the water, replaced it with fresh water, and helped her wash again. “Don’t wear pants for a few days—let them air out so they’ll dry faster.”

“Oh, thank you, Little Aunt, and thank you, Auntie.” Luo Xiu was deeply grateful. If it weren’t for their help, he feared neither he nor the child would have survived…

“Don’t mention it. Even if we weren’t relatives but just neighbors in the same village, we’d still lend a hand if we saw you in trouble—let alone since we’re actual family.”

His great-aunt was getting on in years, and after working so hard all day, her back and legs were giving out. “I’m going to head home now. If you need anything, just come call me.”

Liu Hua got up to see her to the door. When she returned, Luo Xiu hesitantly asked, “Where’s… where’s Cousin Zheng…?” 

“He went to town to buy eggs for you. He should be back in about one hour—don’t worry.”

Luo Xiu nodded and continued to look down at the little baby in his arms. The room was dim, so he couldn’t make out his features clearly; he could only see the little one with his eyes closed, snuggled tightly against him.

Liu Hua also looked at the baby and smiled. “He’s a handsome little ger—he takes after you. Look how striking that pregnancy mole is, right between his eyebrows.”

Luo Xiu looked closely, and sure enough, he saw a red pregnancy mole the size of a pinhead on the child’s brow. He gently touched it with his finger, but the little one shook his head in discomfort and was about to cry.

Startled, he quickly pulled his hand back, his face a picture of panic.

Liu Hua burst out laughing. “It’s like that the first time you have a baby. It was the same when I gave birth to my eldest daughter. No matter how you look at it, it seems so amazing—that you can actually bring a human being into the world.”

Luo Xiu couldn’t help but smile as well; he gently pressed his cheek against the baby’s little face. This was a child connected to him by blood—from now on, he would no longer be alone; he had a child of his own.

Liu Hua went on to teach him how to care for the baby. “Although gers are different from girls, your breasts will still swell after childbirth. Let the baby nurse often—once your milk comes in, you won’t need to feed him porridge, and he’ll grow faster.”

Luo Xiu awkwardly lifted his shirt. A ger’s chest was much smaller than a girl’s, making it difficult for the baby to latch on.

Liu Hua helped by cradling the little one and placing him against Luo Xiu’s chest. With his eyes closed, the baby’s warm little mouth searched around until he finally found the source and latched on to suckle.

Luo Xiu blushed and felt completely uncomfortable. “I—I’ll do it myself.”

Liu Hua taught him how to hold the baby. “Don’t be shy—every father has to go through this. Since your mother isn’t here and your mother-in-law doesn’t care, I, your nosy aunt, will have to teach you.”

“Auntie, please don’t say that. If it weren’t for you, neither the baby nor I would have survived. I’ll remember your kindness for the rest of my life,” Luo Xiu said, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Don’t cry. Look at you—you mustn’t shed tears while you’re in your postpartum confinement. Be careful, or you’ll end up with health problems later on.”

“Uh-huh.”

The baby must have gotten tired from nursing and fell asleep in his arms; Luo Xiu, exhausted, closed her eyes as well.

Liu Hua tucked the blanket around him, then got up to cook some rice porridge. When Daqiu returned later, she’d boil a few eggs to help Luo Xiu regain his strength. An hour later, Zheng Beiqiu returned from town in a hurry, carrying a pile of things on his back. The first thing he did upon entering the house was to check on Luo Xiu.

The room had already been cleaned up, but as soon as he stepped inside, he could still smell the strong scent of blood. Just how much suffering had he endured? His heart ached terribly for him. Seeing that Luo Xiu was asleep, Zheng Beiqiu cautiously stepped forward to take a look at the child in his arms.

The little one looked almost exactly like Luo Xiu—a sight that filled him with tenderness. From now on, this would be his child; he would take the child in, give him his surname, and raise him.

Liu Hua helped boil four eggs and added a piece of brown sugar to the congee—it was best to eat this after giving birth to replenish blood and energy. There were also two old hens that she hadn’t had time to stew today, so Liu Hua tied them up in the kitchen; she’d slaughter them and make soup tomorrow when she had a chance. By the time they finished tidying up, it was already late. “Daqiu, make sure Luo Xiu eats his meal. I have to head home now.”

“Auntie, take this bolt of cloth.” Zheng Beiqiu picked out a roll of brightly colored fine cloth from the items they’d just bought. “What are you doing?”

“I know you wouldn’t accept money, but you have to take this cloth home. If it weren’t for your help, I wouldn’t have known what to do.”

“No, no, it’s not just for your sake—it’s mostly for my nephew who passed away so young. Your cousin has a bad back, and when Changfu was alive, he came to help us farm every year. He deserves to have an heir, even if he doesn’t join the Liu family…”

Zheng Beiqiu understood her thoughts, but he still insisted on giving her the fabric. “Take it. My eldest niece is about to get married—use this fabric to make her a couple of new outfits.”

Liu Hua tried to refuse for a long time, but when she couldn’t refuse any longer, she had no choice but to accept it. “Well, I’ll be going now. Please take good care of him. I’ll come by again tomorrow.” 

“Take your time, Sister-in-law.”

After seeing her off, Zheng Beiqiu sat on the edge of the kang, watching the father and son. The longer he looked at them, the more he marveled—how could there be such adorable little ones?

Luo Xiu slept for a while but couldn’t settle down; worried about his child, he woke up soon after. Seeing Zheng Beiqiu sitting beside him, he felt reassured.

“You’re back…”

“Lie back down and don’t move. Are you hungry? The food’s warming in the pot—I’ll go get it for you.”

Before long, Zheng Beiqiu returned with a bowl of thick, simmered foxtail millet porridge and a few shelled eggs.

Luo Xiu was indeed ravenous; he hadn’t eaten since noon, and giving birth had taken a heavy toll on his strength. By now, he was so hungry he could feel his stomach press against his back. He took the bowl and began to eat.

The moment the little one was no longer in the warm embrace, he began to wail.

Zheng Beiqiu quickly and carefully cradled the baby. The little one wasn’t even as long as his forearm and was as light as a kitten, causing him to stiffen up and dare not move a muscle, afraid he might accidentally hurt the child.

“There, there, don’t cry. Let Daddy eat something.”

Luo Xiu watched from the side, amused—he hadn’t expected his cousin to have such a tender side beneath his tough exterior.