Ch 10: Reborn to Raise My Husband

At year’s end, the county town was decked with lanterns and streamers, bustling with far more shoppers than usual.

From every alley and street corner came the sound of firecrackers being set off.

Hearing the sharp pops, Qi Beinan felt a moment of daze. His body still subconsciously reacted, his chest tightening in discomfort—yet the warmth from the small hand in his own pulled him back from old memories.

He lowered his gaze. Xiao Yuanbao was looking all around with wide, shining eyes, full of wonder—everything was curious, everything was new.

But seeing the sea of unfamiliar faces and bustling crowd, he seemed uneasy about getting lost and clung tightly to Qi Beinan’s hand, staying close.

Qi Beinan smiled and bent down to scoop him up.

It wasn’t easy for a little one to make it to town—he shouldn’t spend the whole visit just staring at grown-ups’ legs and shoulders.

Carrying him, Qi Beinan strolled slowly, pointing to the shops lining the alleys, explaining one by one what each place sold.

“That one on the other side is a porcelain shop. They sell bowls, jars, vases… very pretty but expensive. Usually we buy bowls and jars from the street stalls.”

“And that one up ahead with the long signboard is the salt shop—sells that salty stuff we sprinkle into soup at home.”

“I know! Qin Niazi puts it in a round clay jar—it looks like frosty sugar!”

Xiao Yuanbao chirped proudly.

“Mhm, that’s right. Our Xiao Bao is really clever.”

Xiao Yuanbao flushed slightly with shyness at the praise, but his heart bloomed with joy.

They continued along the road. Qi Beinan bought him a juicy roasted chicken leg from a street-side vendor, then they went into a pastry shop and picked out two kinds of treats—one a spiral-shaped candied treat, the other golden sugar crisps.

They didn’t taste amazing, but their whimsical shapes and colors were eye-catching—just the kind to captivate a child. Xiao Yuanbao’s eyes were immediately drawn to them.

Later, they stopped by a cloth shop and purchased two bolts of fabric—one light yellow with cloud patterns, the other a coarse cloud-blue—and a half-pound of cotton.

By then their arms were full. Qi Beinan spent two copper coins to store the purchases in a shop so they could continue walking unburdened.

But all of that—the food, the cloth—were secondary. The most important reason Qi Beinan had come to town was to take Xiao Yuanbao to the clinic.

Even back when they married, Xiao Yuanbao’s health had been visibly fragile. With every seasonal change, every wind or rain, he’d fall ill with chills.

At the time, the physician had said it wasn’t a serious condition—just chronic weakness from years of hardship. It was common among farming households; strong bodies were rare, early deaths plenty.

Qi Beinan had been pained by how hard life had been for his husband. He did everything he could to improve their diet and nourish Xiao Yuanbao’s body.

During the years he served as an official in Linzhou, their life together had been harmonious, and Xiao Yuanbao’s health had slowly improved.

But after Xiao Hu’s accident and death, Xiao Yuanbao was devastated. He fell seriously ill, and from that point onward, his health began to deteriorate again.

A year later, Qi Beinan was promoted and transferred to the capital. From then on, Xiao Yuanbao’s condition worsened steadily.

Physicians came and went, all saying the same thing—his heart was burdened, his thoughts too heavy.

Qi Beinan had assumed it was grief over losing his father, combined with their years of marriage without children—pressures that had weighed too much on Xiao Yuanbao’s gentle heart.

He often comforted him, saying having children was a blessing, but not a necessity. All he ever wanted was for the two of them to spend their lives together.

But years later, only after they had separated, did Qi Beinan come to fully understand: the burdens weren’t just from grief or childlessness.

Marriage, after all, was expected to match in status. In the beginning, the Xiao and Qi families had been relatively equal.

But after Qi Beinan rose through the ranks, his household’s status grew higher and higher.

Xiao Yuanbao, from a humble farming family, uneducated and unable to read, had fallen further and further behind.

In Linzhou, Qi Beinan had been a low-ranking official, and most of the spouses of his peers had modest backgrounds. Though Xiao Yuanbao was still often looked down upon, he could at least keep up.

But in the capital, surrounded by nobles and powerful families, the gap was too wide. Even being “just a little lower” in status wasn’t enough anymore.

The more Qi Beinan flourished in court, the more Xiao Yuanbao became the target of ridicule.

They mocked him for being illiterate, for being talentless, and questioned why Qi Beinan treasured someone so beneath him.

Faced with that kind of contempt, how could daily life possibly be joyful?

Worse still, Xiao Yuanbao hadn’t just suffered physically in his childhood—he had been emotionally and mentally worn down by Qin Niazi.

In those years that shaped a person’s very nature, he lived under constant belittling. She mocked him for being useless, incapable.

Never praised, never loved, it was no wonder he grew into someone sensitive, self-doubting, and timid.

Even after escaping Qin Niazi’s shadow, his temperament had been formed.

After their marriage, when the mocking voices returned, Xiao Yuanbao had no way to defend himself. He truly believed he was worthless, a burden to Qi Beinan, someone who cost him face and standing. That guilt ate away at him until it became illness.

Qi Beinan had been young and ambitious then, consumed with his path in the bureaucracy, convinced that rising high would bring Xiao Yuanbao a better life.

But he wasn’t flawless. He had no way of foreseeing the subtle cruelties of high-society life, or just how difficult it would be for Xiao Yuanbao to survive in it.

After years of maneuvering through officialdom, Qi Beinan had seen far too much. Only then did he come to understand these truths—unfortunately, far too late.

But now, everything was still in its early stages, and he could not afford to repeat old mistakes.

Still, temperament and insight born of family upbringing weren’t things that could be changed overnight. Xiao Yuanbao was still young—now that Qi Beinan was by his side, time was on their side.

For now, nothing was more important than building a strong and healthy body.

Qi Beinan spent three copper coins to find a street runner in the busy part of town and asked where he could find the best clinic.

The runner, a boy of about twelve or thirteen with a black mole on his nose, was easy to talk to once paid, and even personally led them there.

“For children’s illnesses. Just a few days back, the county magistrate’s young son fell ill. They brought in several doctors who couldn’t cure him—only this clinic’s Dr. Yang managed it. The magistrate was so pleased, he even had his own carriage take Dr. Yang back.”

“There, that’s the place. Dr. Yang isn’t out visiting today—he’s in the clinic.”

Qi Beinan looked up at the signboard. It was indeed correct.

But the clinic was tucked away in a quiet alley, not along the main market streets—if he weren’t familiar with the county, he wouldn’t have found it.

He thanked the boy, who said if they ever needed another errand run, they could find him in the same busy square. Despite his young age, he was born and raised in the county and knew everything.

Qi Beinan promised he would.

He led Xiao Yuanbao into the clinic. Despite the secluded location, there was a steady flow of people—clearly a place with a good reputation.

“Here to buy medicine or see the doctor?” asked a young girl at the counter. She had a round face, wore twin buns, and was wrapping up herbs while speaking in a practiced manner.

She looked no more than six or seven, about the same age as Xiao Yuanbao.

“We’re here to see Dr. Yang,” Qi Beinan replied. “We’d like a consultation.”

“Dr. Yang is seeing patients right now. Please wait a bit.”

Noticing how small Xiao Yuanbao was and how tightly he clung to Qi Beinan, she added, “There are benches over there. I’ll call you when it’s your turn.”

“Thank you.”

Qi Beinan lifted Xiao Yuanbao onto a tall wooden bench. The child’s legs didn’t even reach the floor.

“Tired?”

He adjusted the boy’s round deerskin cap and wiped his mouth, which was still stained from the roast chicken leg earlier.

The scent of medicinal herbs made Xiao Yuanbao nervous. He tugged at Qi Beinan’s sleeve and whispered, “Why are we here?”

“You’ve got chilblains. We’ll ask the doctor to take a look so we can get you some ointment.”

Xiao Yuanbao pressed his lips together and didn’t answer, still clearly uneasy.

Just then, a woman exited the consultation room with a crying child in her arms. The little one sobbed bitterly.

“We don’t need to see the doctor anymore,” Xiao Yuanbao whispered, trying to slide down from the bench, scared.

“Xiao Bao~”

Qi Beinan hurried to catch him, afraid he’d fall. But Xiao Yuanbao mistook the movement for restraint, pouted, and his eyes filled with tears.

Before Qi Beinan could think of how to calm him down, a clear, gentle voice piped up from behind.

“He’s only crying because he’s feeling unwell.”

The young herb girl had come over again. Holding a large steaming cup with both hands, she offered it to Xiao Yuanbao.

“Warm ginger tea—it’ll warm you up.”

Xiao Yuanbao peeked at her from behind Qi Beinan’s chest. She was barely taller than the counter, not much older than him.

He instinctively shrank away from strangers, but something about her made him glance over curiously—and he saw a small stool behind the counter, just like the one he used at home.

He blinked. This little herb girl also used a stool to reach higher places!

Qi Beinan, seeing the boy still clinging to him, accepted the tea on his behalf and thanked the girl.

Xiao Yuanbao calmed down and quietly climbed back onto the bench. Qi Beinan blew on the tea and fed him a few sips.

The ginger tea was a bit spicy but sweet. He had eaten a salty chicken leg earlier, so he was thirsty—he ended up drinking two large sips. The warm liquid flowed into his belly like a gentle current.

The little herb girl stood beside them, chatting again as soon as she saw he finished: “Dr. Yang is really kind. He’s not scary at all. The kids aren’t afraid of him.”

Xiao Yuanbao still looked unsure but nodded slowly and didn’t try to run again.

Qi Beinan let out a breath of relief.

The little girl peeked into the consultation room and waved to them: “You can go in now.”

Inside sat a bearded doctor in his fifties. Perhaps because he specialized in pediatrics, he had a particularly kind and gentle demeanor.

Seeing two children walk in, his tone was even more soothing. “Come sit with Grandpa. Where does it hurt?”

Xiao Yuanbao, seeing the doctor wasn’t scary—more like Grandpa Fang—relaxed and sat obediently on the stool.

“This younger one has a weak constitution and catches cold easily,” Qi Beinan explained briefly. “We’d like the doctor to check his pulse and see if there’s any underlying issue.”

The doctor nodded and took Xiao Yuanbao’s wrist.

The child’s pale little arm was thin and frail, almost no flesh to it.

The doctor examined him and said, “He is indeed a little frail.”

Then, smiling kindly, he gently coaxed Xiao Yuanbao, “Grandpa will take a look at you, Xiao Bao’er—don’t be afraid.”

Qi Beinan stood quietly, awaiting the verdict, closely observing the doctor’s expression as he checked the pulse. His heart was full of unease, afraid that even at such a young age, Xiao Yuanbao’s body would already be as weak as in the past.

“Qi deficiency, cold constitution.”

The doctor finished feeling the pulse and examined Xiao Yuanbao’s eyes and mouth. He slowly said, “There’s no major illness. But children are delicate, not as resilient as adults, so they require more attentive care. In this cold weather, he must stay warm and not indulge in cold food or exposure. Repeated cold invasions can leave lasting problems.”

He looked over the two boys—though not rich, they didn’t seem to be so poor they couldn’t afford meals—so he added, “It’s best to enrich the child’s diet a bit. A stronger body will naturally resist wind-cold illnesses more easily. He’s still young, so with proper care, his health can improve quickly.”

Qi Beinan felt a heavy weight lift from his chest and quickly said, “Yes, we’ll certainly follow your advice.”

The doctor prescribed some herbs to treat cold and qi deficiency, and also gave them two small round porcelain jars of ointment for chilblains.

Qi Beinan went to the front hall to fill the prescription. Since the child was young, the dosage wasn’t large—just one package of herbs.

But the two ointment jars were hefty in his hands.

Xiao Yuanbao clung close to Qi Beinan as he got the medicine, his wide round eyes scanning the entire shop.

Dr. Yang really wasn’t scary at all—seeing a doctor wasn’t so frightening after all.

Xiao Yuanbao wanted to tell the little medicine girl from before, but she was nowhere to be seen.

He squeezed the bag of snacks Qi Beinan had bought for him, suddenly looking a little down.

Qi Beinan, having finished picking up the medicine, looked down and noticed the small one was silent.

He crouched down in front of him, facing the little fellow who was pursing his lips and drooping his eyes, and said gently, “That little medicine girl gave you warm ginger tea and told you Dr. Yang wasn’t scary. But our Xiao Bao hasn’t said thank you to her yet.”

“Mm.”

Xiao Yuanbao wanted to say it, but it had been so long since he had any playmates. He was shy by nature—though he knew what he should do, he just didn’t know how to say it aloud.

Now that Qi Beinan reminded him, he quickly acknowledged his mistake.

“Then, shall we give her something to thank her?”

At this, Xiao Yuanbao immediately whispered, “Snacks.”

Qi Beinan asked, “Then will you give her the preserved fruit or the sugar threads?”

“I don’t know which one big sister likes.”

Xiao Yuanbao looked at the two bags of treats with distress—he liked both, and couldn’t decide which would be best to give.

Qi Beinan asked the pharmacist for a clean piece of paper used to wrap medicine and handed it to Xiao Yuanbao. “Then take a bit of both.”

“Okay!”

Xiao Yuanbao cheerfully took the paper.

He carefully unwrapped both snack packages and picked out the prettiest preserved spirals and the most intact sugar threads, wrapping them up nicely.

When the two of them left the clinic, that small packet of treats was neatly placed on the little square stool beside the counter.

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