Chapter 152: The Culinary Tycoon

Steamed Buns in Progress 2

Brother Chang knew how much Chang Le had suffered due to his pregnancy mole since childhood. And for the past year, he had been by Chang Le’s side during acupuncture sessions, witnessing the hardships he endured to restore his health. Seeing Chang Le’s tears now, Brother Chang understood his emotions in this moment.

“Alright, this is a joyful occasion. We shouldn’t shed too many tears. Mother said that the mood of an expectant mother should remain stable and cheerful, which is good for both the baby and the mother,” Brother Chang said, comforting Chang Le.

Brother Chang stretched out his hand to wipe away Chang Le’s tears. Immediately, new tears welled up, and he reached out to embrace Chang Le’s shoulder. Although he was clearly smiling and comforting him, he unconsciously felt his nose tingling and tears welling up in his eyes.

Chang Le nodded. He was happy and didn’t want to cry. He just didn’t understand why tears were flowing on their own.

Dr. Ye watched the two of them crying and laughing, shaking his head with a smile.

He had seen this situation too many times and had experienced it himself. He understood this feeling, which was why he never refused any ger who came to him for help. It was also why he was so persistent and dedicated in helping them take care of their bodies and try to conceive a baby.

“Alright, both of you are pregnant now. Take good care of yourselves,” Dr. Ye said when he saw that the two of them didn’t seem to show any signs of stopping. “Brother Le, I still have some pregnancy precautions to tell you.”

Upon hearing this, Chang Le quickly snapped out of his previous surprise, wiped his tears hastily, and then turned around to attentively listen to Dr. Ye. He wanted to listen carefully.

Brother Chang pulled him back down to sit and handed him a handkerchief, gesturing for him to wipe his face. He also wiped his own tears, then sat down on another chair, listening together.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Dr. Ye began to explain to Chang Le in detail about the possible pregnancy reactions, symptoms, and coping methods that might occur in the early stages of pregnancy. Then he briefly mentioned some symptoms that may occur in the middle and later stages, preparing Chang Le mentally. Additionally, he informed Chang Le about some preparations that can be done during pregnancy and for the baby’s arrival.

Chang Le listened attentively, his eyes fixed on Dr. Ye, occasionally nodding to indicate that he remembered everything and asking questions about any areas of uncertainty.

Brother Chang helped translate for them and listened again to the instructions given by Dr. Ye.

After leaving Dr. Ye’s pharmacy, Chang Le had a conversation with Brother Chang about some things related to the early stages of pregnancy, sharing his own experiences.

“Anyway, pay more attention during this period. Don’t scratch your mole if it itches. If you have any questions or don’t understand something, come and ask me. In about seven or eight days, I can go out, and I’ll come find you. We can make little clothes and shoes for the baby together,” Brother Chang said with a smile to Chang Le.

Chang Le nodded, feeling excited and thrilled at the thought of making clothes and shoes for the baby. His hand instinctively touched his abdomen.

The baby…

“You should go back now and share this good news with Boss Yu and Grandpa. They will definitely be very happy,” Brother Chang said.

Chang Le nodded and bid farewell to Brother Chang before boarding the carriage to return home.

As he sat in the carriage, his hand instinctively rested on his abdomen. He lowered his head, looked down, and a gentle smile formed on his lips. He felt incredibly happy.

There was a baby inside him, their first baby together with his husband. What would his husband’s reaction be if he found out? And Grandpa and the others, they should be delighted, right?

He couldn’t wait to go back quickly, to the restaurant, and share this good news with them…

Time seemed to pass slowly. Finally, they arrived at the restaurant. Although Chang Le was eager, he remembered that he was carrying a baby now. He suppressed his excitement and didn’t jump off the carriage as he used to. Instead, he used a footstool and entered the kitchen at a normal walking pace.

“Oh, Brother Le, why are you back so early today?” Uncle Min noticed Chang Le and curiously asked.

Normally, when Chang Le returned after acupuncture, it was usually around noon. Today, there was still half an hour before noon.

Chang Le smiled and gestured to indicate that he didn’t need acupuncture today.

Not seeing Yu Qingze in the kitchen, Chang Le looked around.

“Are you looking for Boss Yu?” Uncle Min asked.

Chang Le nodded.

“He and Jiabao are in the storage room. We received a new batch of rice, and they’re counting it.”

Chang Le thanked Uncle Min and headed towards the storage room at the back. As expected, he saw Yu Qingze and Jiabao inside.

Both of them were surprised to see him coming back at this time. Yu Qingze asked, “Why are you back so early today?”

Chang Le walked over with excitement in his heart. His eyes were bright as he looked at them, and then he gestured, saying, “Dr. Ye said I’m pregnant. I have a baby in my belly.”

Both of them stared at Chang Le’s gestures, their mouths agape, momentarily stunned.

Then, Jiabao quickly reacted and asked in astonishment, “Really?”

Chang Le nodded.

“That’s fantastic! Congratulations, Brother-in-law! Congratulations, Big Brother!” Jiabao exclaimed happily. Then his eyes shifted to Chang Le’s belly, and he excitedly said, “Does that mean I’m going to be an uncle?”

Chang Le nodded, his face slightly blushing. Why wasn’t his husband saying anything?

Jiabao was always someone who could sense the atmosphere well. After congratulating Chang Le, he happily and conscientiously found an excuse to leave, giving the couple some space.

Chang Le glanced nervously at Yu Qingze and noticed that he had been continuously staring at his belly. Chang Le hesitated and reached out his hand, waving it in front of Yu Qingze’s eyes.

Yu Qingze immediately snapped out of his daze and asked excitedly, “Is it really true?”

Chang Le nodded and gestured, asking, “Are you happy?”

Yu Qingze nodded, embraced Chang Le, and planted a kiss on his lips. He said, “I’m thrilled! It’s a mix of surprise and joy!”

Indeed, it was a huge surprise that left Yu Qingze a bit dumbfounded.

Originally, he didn’t have high hopes for this matter. He was only going along with Chang Le to fulfill his wishes, thinking that even with treatment, they might not be able to conceive, and that was fine too.

After all, in his previous life, the field of medicine was much more advanced than here, and infertility was still an important topic in the medical community.

Moreover, he had never thought that as a gay man, he could have children, and he had truly given up on that idea. Dr. Ye had mentioned earlier that Chang Le’s condition was quite serious, and based on that, Yu Qingze didn’t have much hope.

Little did they expect that Chang Le was actually pregnant!

They were going to have a baby!

Now that it was really happening, Yu Qingze didn’t know how to react. Besides being surprised, he was also dumbfounded.

After embracing Chang Le for a while, he finally regained his composure as a normal person. Suddenly, he chuckled, and as he laughed, his laughter grew louder and turned into hearty laughter.

“Hahaha, hahaha, we have a child! We have a child! I actually have a child…”

He joyfully lifted Chang Le and spun around, then spun around again. Finally, he stopped and held Chang Le’s face, showering him with numerous kisses, making cute “muah muah muah” sounds, and then chuckled foolishly.

Chang Le watched and couldn’t help but join in his silly laughter. The two of them remained locked inside the storage room, laughing happily for a long time.

After the excitement subsided, Yu Qingze bombarded Chang Le with numerous questions. He asked about what Dr. Ye said, whether Chang Le felt any discomfort, experienced morning sickness, what precautions to take, and even asked if their intimacy two days ago had any impact. He also inquired about how to take care of a pregnant spouse and more.

Chang Le patiently answered each question.

When noon arrived, Chang Le changed into different clothes and prepared to cook.

Upon seeing this, Yu Qingze and Jiabao quickly intercepted him, insisting that he should not cook and instead go sit outside and rest.

Da Song and Da Zhi were a bit puzzled. Chang Le didn’t have acupuncture today and came back early, so why weren’t they allowed to cook? Just as they were about to ask, Uncle Min interrupted them, saying, “Don’t ask, just focus on cutting your vegetables.”

Uncle Min had observed that Chang Le came back early without receiving acupuncture, then saw Jiabao emerge with a smile on his face, and later heard Yu Qingze’s joyful laughter from the storage room. He figured that Chang Le must be pregnant. According to custom, the first three months of pregnancy should be kept a secret to protect the fetus, so Uncle Min stopped them from asking further.

During lunchtime, Grandpa Chang arrived, and the two of them shared the good news with him.

Upon learning the news, Grandpa Chang remained silent for a while. Eventually, tears welled up in his eyes as he exclaimed, “Good, good, good! It’s truly a blessing from heaven!”

Yu Qingze responded, “Grandpa, this wouldn’t have been possible without Dr. Ye.”

Grandpa Chang nodded and said, “Yes, yes, yes, it’s all thanks to Dr. Ye. We must express our gratitude to him.”

Yu Qingze agreed, “Yes, I’ll buy a gift this afternoon and thank the Xue family tomorrow.”

Grandpa Chang affirmed, “Yes, we’ll go tomorrow.”

In the evening, when Chang Hao came home and heard the news, he was overjoyed. His eyes widened as he asked excitedly, “Am I going to be an uncle?”

Chang Le smiled and nodded.

Chang Hao grabbed Jiabao’s hand and exclaimed, “Brother Jiabao, I’m going to be an uncle!”

Jiabao smiled and said, “Yes, yes, yes! You’re going to be an uncle, and I’m going to be an uncle too!”

The two teenagers looked at each other and laughed foolishly.

Their excited outburst made everyone in the kitchen and backyard aware of the news!

Da Song and Da Zhi glanced at each other, finally understanding the reason. However, they were also happy for Boss Yu and Brother Le.

Upon hearing this, Uncle Min hurriedly rushed to the storage room and said, “Oh dear, Chang Hao, your shout made everyone aware! You’re not supposed to tell outsiders during the first three months. Do you understand? You might offend the God of the Womb!”

Chang Hao and Jiabao were stunned. They had no idea about this rule. Chang Hao asked, “No, we can’t tell anyone?”

Uncle Min nodded and said, “That’s right. Remember, after three months when the baby in your brother’s belly is safe, you can tell others. Understand?”

The two boys quickly nodded.

Chang Hao asked anxiously, “But what do we do now that everyone heard? Uncle Min, will the God of the Womb be angry at me? Will it harm the baby? Should I apologize to him?”

Uncle Min sighed and said, “Don’t worry too much. Just be more careful in the future. I’ll pray for the baby’s well-being and ask for forgiveness. Remember, it’s important to follow the customs and traditions during pregnancy.”

As Chang Hao spoke, he didn’t wait for Uncle Min to respond. He clasped his hands together and bowed towards the sky, saying, “Oh, God of the Womb, I didn’t know the rules earlier. Please forgive me for my ignorance. Please bless my brother and my little nephew, keep the little nephew healthy, and let my brother have a smooth delivery. Thank you so much. When I go home, I will offer you delicious snacks and meals. Please bless us…”

Jiabao quickly followed suit and began bowing, even Grandpa Chang and Chang Le joined in.

Yu Qingze watched with a mix of amusement and exasperation. He felt powerless against the various superstitions of this ancient era. The belief that the pregnancy should not be disclosed to outsiders for the first three months had a scientific explanation: during this period, the fetus is still unstable and is at a higher risk of accidents leading to miscarriage. That’s why most people wait until after three months to inform their relatives and friends.

However, to put their minds at ease, he let them follow their beliefs.

While it was still not dark, Chang Hao and Grandpa Chang actually went out to buy a figurine of the God of the Womb and offered it at home, with three incense sticks and offerings, displaying devoutness.

The next day, Yu Qingze brought gifts and went to personally thank Dr. Ye. He also asked Dr. Ye for advice on how to take care of a pregnant ger.

Dr. Ye was very pleased to see this.

Because Chang Le was pregnant, Grandpa Chang and Yu Qingze were concerned about overworking him, so they reached a unanimous agreement: Chang Le was not allowed to do any strenuous tasks, not even to carry a basin of water for washing his face.

“Brother, I’ll do it. You go and sit.”

“Wife, let me light the fire. You rest quickly.”

“Xiao Le, this bucket is heavy. I’ll carry it.”

Watching one task after another being taken away from him, Chang Le felt quite helpless. It’s just an empty bucket! It’s not much heavier than when he carries a bowl of rice!

At home, he wasn’t allowed to light the fire or carry water. He couldn’t wash clothes or weed the tomato plants. Even sweeping the floor was taken away from him along with the broom in his hand…

At the restaurant, he wasn’t allowed to enter the kitchen to cook, help wash vegetables because the water was cold, or serve dishes. He wasn’t allowed to go up and down the stairs, and he couldn’t go to the crowded area of the dining hall for fear of being bumped into…

Chang Le realized that he could only stay in front of the counter outside. However, the accountant was already there, swiftly calculating bills without giving him a chance to serve the customers. So he could only sit there daydreaming…

This made Chang Le, who was used to being industrious, feel extremely uncomfortable. Suddenly, he felt like he had become useless.

Chang Le couldn’t bear the boredom after just one morning. In the afternoon, when there were no customers, he persuaded Yu Qingze to accompany him to the fabric market to buy some fabric. He planned to make clothes for the baby to pass the time.

However, when they returned, they were informed by the older relatives that he couldn’t touch knives, scissors, or even needles and thread for the first three months. They had to wait until after three months.

Chang Le: …No wonder Brother Chang always complains to him about how boring it is at home.

Seeing him worried and genuinely bored, fearing that he might fall ill from the monotony, Yu Qingze went out and bought a set of calligraphy tools. He set up a table for Chang Le in the storage room and even prepared a charcoal brazier for him. This way, Chang Le could sit there, roast charcoal, and practice calligraphy to pass the time.

Chang Le looked at it and felt quite happy. He had been writing in the sand tray before and hadn’t really used a brush much. Now he happily started practicing calligraphy.

Finally, there was something to do.

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