Author Archives: Thandar

Collective Price Increase

Ever since Dr. Ye agreed to help Chang Le with his health, Chang Le’s mood improved day by day, despite the increasingly cold weather. He would be smiling all day long, and the staff at the snack shop and restaurant could sense it.

“Brother Le, you seem to be in a very good mood today!”

“Recently, everything has been going well. Look outside, it’s raining and the weather is gloomy and humid, but it doesn’t affect Brother Le’s mood at all.”

Chang Le nodded with a smile and went into the kitchen.

Yu Qingze closed the umbrella and followed behind, also smiling.

If we talk about Chang Le’s good mood, the credit goes to Yu Qingze the most.

The soups and dishes he cooked were nourishing. Previously, Yu Qingze would tell Chang Le not to waste them, but now without a word, he would just drink them. Even when it came to soaking his feet before bedtime, he didn’t need any reminders. Yu Qingze would just set up the basin, and his feet were already inside. And during those intimate moments at night, he was obedient, tender, and proactive—cooperating in every way.

It was simply blissful!

With warm and sweet feelings and a thriving business, Yu Qingze was living through a period of incredibly wonderful happiness.

Later on, Grandpa Chang learned that Dr. Ye, Young Master Xue, could treat Chang Le’s illness. He was also surprised by this coincidence. It was as if they had been blessed by the heavens.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Now, he couldn’t refuse visitors anymore.

Later, Dr. Xue, along with his wife and son, found a suitable day and went to Niutou Village. They even went up the mountain and specifically went to pay respects at the tomb of Chang Wu and his wife.

Upon returning, Dr. Xue saw Grandpa Chang tending to a medicine pot and asked if he was sick.

Grandpa Chang said it was his old ailment and that he had seen a doctor who prescribed medicine. He was already feeling much better.

Dr. Xue took Grandpa Chang’s pulse and examined the prescription, and he was immediately attracted to it. He quickly called his son over to take a look.

“Do you recognize this handwriting? Doesn’t it look somewhat familiar?” Dr. Xue asked.

Ye Man carefully examined it for a while and asked Grandpa Chang, “Uncle, may I ask the surname and name of the doctor who wrote this prescription?”

In the mysterious workings of fate, it seems that there truly is karmic retribution.

Look, Chang Hao found Dr. He injured, and Yu Qingze carried him down. Later, Dr. He treated Grandpa Chang’s ailment and significantly improved his condition. Nine years ago, Chang Le’s father saved Dr. Xue and his wife, and now Dr. Ye is treating Chang Le.

Good deeds truly bear good fruits.

After these two incidents, the family felt deeply moved and gained insights.

As you sow, so shall you reap. In the future, they would strive to do more good deeds and fewer evil deeds, accumulating good karma to receive good outcomes.

By the end of October, the potatoes they were sprouting had grown enough to be planted. Grandpa Chang asked the villagers for help, and together they plowed the fields and planted all the potatoes, filling an entire plot of land.

The villagers knew that they would also receive some of the potatoes to plant, so they worked diligently and even refused payment when Grandpa Chang offered it.

Now that the temperature has dropped, a few days ago, Yu Qingze had someone bring all the ingredients for making cured meats. He said they could start making them.

As soon as everyone heard, they immediately bought the necessary ingredients and took the pigs from the pig farmers they had previously arranged with for slaughter. They began the process of making cured meats and sausages. Some villagers had raised extra chickens, ducks, and two more pigs to save costs, and now it was time to slaughter them too.

In no time, every household in Niutou Village was busy not only making sweet potato flour but also producing preserved meats. As a result, the nearby villages’ sweet potatoes were completely bought up, and the businesses of chicken and duck stalls and pork stalls in the city improved significantly. The elderly man by the river who used to sell the fish he caught every day no longer needed to go out to the streets to sell them; villagers would simply come and place their orders.

While the village was bustling with activity, there was a problem at the restaurant.

On this day, it was already past the usual delivery time for the vendors who usually supplied shrimp and clams. Normally, they would arrive around half past the hour, but it had been delayed for two or three quarters of an hour and they still hadn’t arrived.

Jiabao, who was now in charge of purchasing and receiving deliveries, quickly informed Yu Qingze.

“They haven’t arrived yet?” Yu Qingze frowned and asked.

Jiabao nodded, “Usually, they should have arrived three quarters of an hour ago.”

Yu Qingze instructed, “You keep waiting, I’ll go and check.”

Clams need some time to be soaked and purged of sand before they can be used. If the goods don’t arrive today, they won’t have anything to work with the day after tomorrow.

Yu Qingze briefly informed Chang Le and then went out.

In Tongshan City, there weren’t many seafood vendors, only around ten or so, and six of them were concentrated in the western section of the market, closer to the pier.

The seafood stall that supplied Yu Qingze and the others was located in the western section of the market. After comparing several vendors, Yu Qingze chose this one. He had gone to buy from different stalls for about ten days initially and found that this particular owner sold his goods quickly and at reasonable prices, so he decided to buy from him. As they became more familiar, Yu Qingze increased his daily purchases from there, eventually setting up regular deliveries.

Yu Qingze walked through the market and arrived at the seafood stall that supplied them. He saw the owner and his assistant busy with their work.

“Boss Luo, busy as usual?” he walked over and called out to the owner.

Upon seeing Yu Qingze, the owner and his assistant were taken aback for a moment, then chuckled and said, “Boss Yu, why do you have the time to come in person?”

Yu Qingze replied, “My younger brother said that the clams and shrimp haven’t arrived, and I was afraid that you might have forgotten amidst your busyness, so I came to check.”

Boss Luo glanced at Yu Qingze, weighed the shrimp that a customer had selected, and announced the weight and price. Then he said to Yu Qingze, “It’s indeed busy here. But Boss Yu, we wouldn’t forget about you.”

Yu Qingze raised an eyebrow and asked, “Oh? What happened?”

Boss Luo pulled Yu Qingze a bit to the side, glanced around, hesitated for a moment, and then said, “Boss Yu, well, here’s the thing. The prices of shrimp and clams have gone up. I was afraid that you might not be aware, so to avoid any trouble, we didn’t deliver them.”

“They’ve gone up in price? How much?” Yu Qingze furrowed his brow. It was normal for prices to increase as the weather grew colder, and clam harvesting became more difficult.

Boss Luo hesitated for a moment, then raised his index finger.

“Has it increased by one coin?” Yu Qingze asked.

Boss Luo shook his head.

“Ten wen?” Yu Qingze furrowed his brow.

Boss Luo continued to shake his head.

Yu Qingze’s heart sank, and he said, “Boss Luo, just tell me, how much?”

“Double… it has doubled,” Boss Luo stammered.

Yu Qingze’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Doubled?!”

Boss Luo reluctantly nodded.

Yu Qingze couldn’t help but burst into laughter from anger. He looked at the expression on Boss Luo’s face, wiped his own face, and said, “Boss Luo, you’re really overcharging. Is this how prices are increased?”

Just then, a customer came up and asked about the price of shrimp. The assistant answered, and to Yu Qingze’s surprise, the price was exactly the same as before!

“It increased in price?” He looked at Boss Luo, speechless.

Boss Luo was very embarrassed but still nodded, saying, “Well, for others, it’s the previous price, but for you, it’s doubled.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingze furrowed his brow tightly and asked, “What’s going on? Boss Luo, we’re on good terms, just tell me.”

Boss Luo rubbed his hands together, looked around anxiously, and remained silent.

Seeing his reluctant expression, Yu Qingze said, “Alright, I’ll go ask elsewhere then.”

Boss Luo quickly stopped him and said, “Don’t bother asking, it’s the same for all the seafood in the whole city.”

Yu Qingze frowned and skeptically went to a few other places to inquire.

Just as Boss Luo had said, the owners of those seafood stalls raised their prices by double when he asked.

After making the rounds, Yu Qingze returned to Boss Luo and asked, “Is this specifically targeting me? Have you been threatened?”

Boss Luo helplessly said, “Oh, Boss Yu, don’t ask anymore. Anyway, if we don’t do this, we won’t be able to get the goods in the future. Please understand, it’s not easy for us to make a living running this small business.”

Understanding the situation, Yu Qingze had no intention of further troubling Boss Luo and said, “Alright, I understand.”

After saying that, he went back.

Jiabao and Chang Le looked at him returning empty-handed and asked what happened.

Yu Qingze explained the situation, and Jiabao and Chang Le were astonished upon hearing it.

Chang Le gestured and asked, “Did we offend someone? Why are they specifically targeting us?”

Yu Qingze shook his head and said, “We haven’t offended anyone, at least not personally. If anything, it might be related to our business. But we don’t know which party is behind this.”

A thought flashed through Chang Le’s mind, and for some reason, the face of Shi Sheng came to his mind. Hesitantly, he gestured, “Could it be Xiang Man Yuan?”

Yu Qingze asked, “Why do you think so?” Although Xiang Man Yuan had strong suspicions based on their past actions, there was no evidence to casually accuse others.

Chang Le thought for a moment and then gestured, “Do you remember Shi Sheng?”

The name “Shi Sheng” was written on Yu Qingze’s hand.

“Shi Sheng?” Yu Qingze furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment before retrieving a distant memory. He said, “The relative of the landlord of the snack shop?”

Chang Le nodded.

Yu Qingze asked, “What’s the connection with him? Didn’t he get married a long time ago?”

Chang Le gestured, indicating that Shi Sheng married the owner of Xiang Man Yuan and is now pregnant.

“What?” Yu Qingze looked surprised. “I remember he was supposed to marry someone else, right?” He distinctly recalled Steward Zhao mentioning that Shi Sheng was going to marry a bedridden young master, and he remembered it quite clearly.

Chang Le clarified that it was the Second Young Master of the Zeng family.

“Yes, the Zeng family’s. How did he end up becoming the wife of Xiang Man Yuan’s owner?” Yu Qingze looked bewildered. This was quite a turn of events.

Chang Le shook his head, indicating that he didn’t know either. Then he gestured, indicating that there was something he hadn’t told Yu Qingze all along.

“What is it?” Yu Qingze asked curiously.

Chang Le then recounted the incident when Shi Sheng came to find him, but he and Brother Chang intercepted him and had their people take him back.

“You did that too?” Yu Qingze raised an eyebrow. His wife had once personally confronted a love rival and even tore him apart. He was quite capable.

Chang Le nodded somewhat sheepishly, concerned. He wondered if it was Shi Sheng who had manipulated things behind to seek revenge on them.

“I’m not sure about that, but that Boss Jia doesn’t seem like someone who would do such things out of personal matters. If he’s involved, there must be a more important reason, such as him wanting to take over our business,” Yu Qingze speculated thoughtfully.

Before they could continue their discussion, Brother Chang rushed over in a hurry and said to Yu Qingze, “Boss Yu, one of the workers from the flour shop just came and said that the price of flour has increased.”

Yu Qingze’s eyebrow twitched, and he asked, “By how much?”

Brother Chang exclaimed in anger, “Double the price!”

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: Why did they hide things from each other? Like as a couple, shouldn’t they be telling each other like “Oh, guess who I met at the clinic today? It’s that freaking Shi Sheng, and you know what he said to me? …” I hate that trait in some novels where they don’t communicate openly between couples.

Surprise

At the snack shop, Brother Chang had prepared the dim sum early and was waiting for Chang Le to finish breakfast so they could set off. However, unexpectedly, Chang Le pulled him into the room and said they weren’t going anymore.

“Not going? Why?” Brother Chang asked in surprise. “Did Boss Yu find out and forbid you from going?”

Chang Le shook his head and gestured to him, recounting yesterday’s events.

After hearing the whole story, Brother Chang was stunned. “Those people are the ones your father and mother saved back then?”

Chang Le nodded.

“That’s too coincidental,” Brother Chang murmured. Now he understood why Chang Le didn’t want to go.

Originally, the people from the Xue family had been told that Dr. Ye was not well and not accepting patients. They didn’t know anyone and hoped that by pleading, they might soften someone’s heart and get a positive response. Even if they were rejected, they could understand, as Dr. Ye had already mentioned the need for rest due to his poor health.

Now, with the additional factor of a debt of gratitude for saving lives, it would complicate things. If they went again, it wouldn’t be appropriate. The other party originally didn’t want to agree, but they probably would have no choice but to agree now.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Wouldn’t they be seeking repayment based on gratitude then?

Chang Le also nodded helplessly. How could things be so coincidental? They had a glimmer of hope, but now it was gone.

Brother Chang held Chang Le’s hand and said, “So what do we do? Do we give up on treatment?”

Chang Le shook his head, looking dejected.

Brother Chang couldn’t bear to see him like that and patted his shoulder, comforting him, “Let’s take another look. Maybe there are other doctors in the future who can help. Or we can wait until Dr. Ye recovers and then go to him for treatment. By then, things won’t be complicated. Besides, didn’t Dr. Li say there’s still hope, just that it might take some time? You and Boss Yu are still young. Let’s wait sincerely, and the baby will come.”

Chang Le nodded, realizing that it was their only option.

As they walked out, Chang Le told Yu Qingze that they should return to the restaurant.

“Aren’t you going out to buy things today?” Yu Qingze asked, puzzled.

Chang Le shook his head and gestured, indicating that they had bought everything yesterday.

“Oh,” Yu Qingze glanced at Chang Le with suspicion and held his hand as they walked back to the restaurant.

Why aren’t they going out again?

Yu Qingze thought for a moment. Last night, he had a long conversation with Chang Le about his father and mother. Although Chang Le was emotionally down, it was clear that he had accepted the reality and moved on. It was just that during the day, when his father and mother were mentioned by someone, he felt nostalgic. However, after their conversation, his mood had improved significantly.

If it wasn’t about his father and mother, then the reason they weren’t going to see Dr. Ye must be related to Dr. Xue and his son. Before meeting Dr. Xue and his son, Chang Le and Brother Chang would go out every day to find Dr. Ye. However, they met Dr. Xue and his son yesterday, and today they decided not to go out. So, it seemed that Dr. Ye was indeed connected to Dr. Xue and his son.

Yu Qingze hadn’t expected that Dr. Ye would be a ger or related to Dr. Xue, as it was rare to see gers working as doctors here.

However, after thinking about the possible relationship between Dr. Ye and Dr. Xue as a married couple, Yu Qingze figured out why Chang Le didn’t want to go.

When Yu Qingze saw Chang Le absentmindedly dropping the ladle on the floor again, he sighed and asked Jiabao to come in and cook. Then he pulled Chang Le into the room.

Given Chang Le’s current state, they needed to have a serious talk.

Seating Chang Le on the edge of the bed, Yu Qingze sat beside him, gently cupped his face, and went straight to the point, asking, “Is there any relationship between Dr. Ye and Dr. Xue’s family?”

Chang Le blinked, opened his mouth wide, and was shocked—how did his husband know about Dr. Ye!

Seeing his dumbfounded expression, Yu Qingze pinched his nose and said, “What’s the matter? Did you think I didn’t know? How long did you plan on hiding it from me? Huh?”

Chang Le pursed his lips and nervously gestured, asking, “How did you find out?”

Yu Qingze replied, “I noticed something was off between you and Brother Chang before. So, I followed you to Dr. Li’s place and overheard the conversation.”

Chang Le nodded.

The relationship was even closer than he had thought, no wonder they gave up directly.

“Why didn’t Dr. Ye see you?” Normally, a good doctor wouldn’t turn away patients who came seeking treatment. Moreover, Dr. Li had mentioned that Dr. Ye never refused patients.

Chang Le gestured, indicating that Dr. Ye was said to have overworked and developed health issues, needing rest.

“I see.” Yu Qingze, upon hearing this, held Chang Le’s hand and said, “Initially, seeing you filled with hope, I wanted to suggest that you give it a try and fulfill your wish. But since it’s not possible now, let’s not go through the trouble, okay?”

Chang Le’s eyes flickered upon hearing those words.

Yu Qingze continued, “You know, I don’t mind whether we have children or not. The one I want to spend my life with is you, not a child. Or perhaps, you want the child to accompany you for a lifetime and no longer want this old man.”

Hearing this, Chang Le quickly shook his head and covered Yu Qingze’s mouth, gesturing, “No, I won’t go to see him.”

After gesturing, Chang Le embraced Yu Qingze’s neck tightly, holding him close.

Yu Qingze hugged his spouse tightly and gently stroked the back of his head, saying, “We still have several decades ahead of us. If a child is meant to be with us, they will come. Don’t be impatient, okay?”

Chang Le nodded and nuzzled against Yu Qingze’s neck.

Yu Qingze continued, “Even if we don’t have children, we still have each other. And if you really love children, when our Jiabao and Xiao Hao grow up, get married, and have children, we can help them take care of their kids. If you want, we can also adopt an orphan without parents, okay?”

Chang Le vigorously nodded, tears unconsciously streaming down his face.

Feeling the dampness on his neck, Yu Qingze waited for a while, gently patting Chang Le’s back until he calmed down and voluntarily released his grip.

“Feeling better now?”

Chang Le nodded, his eyes still slightly red.

“You’ve got bunny eyes now,” Yu Qingze teased, gently tapping Chang Le’s nose.

Chang Le broke into a smile through his tears.

After wiping Chang Le’s eyes, Yu Qingze tenderly kissed his eyes and then his lips, comforting him.

The two shared a sweet kiss before going about their tasks.

After their conversation, Chang Le became more accepting of the situation regarding having children—it would happen if it was meant to be.

In the afternoon, when there were no customers in the restaurant, Chang Le was plucking chicken feathers in the backyard. Xiaoshu came in and informed him that someone was looking for him.

Chang Le washed his hands and went out, feeling puzzled. He saw Xue Baizhu standing in the lobby with a man in his fifties.

“Brother Le.” Xue Baizhu called out when he saw him coming out, then he turned to the person next to him and said, “Mother, this is Brother Le.”

Chang Le’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. This person, was it Dr. Ye? How did he come here?

Chang Le took another look at his complexion, pale and weak, with sunken cheeks and a thin figure. Even as a layman, he could tell that this person’s health was truly poor.

“Brother Le, this is my mother, the Dr. Ye you’ve been looking for,” Xue Baizhu introduced them to Chang Le.

Chang Le nodded and slightly bowed his head in greeting.

Ye Man, having learned from his son that Chang Le couldn’t speak, said, “Brother Le, my family didn’t tell me that you came to find me a few days ago because they were worried about my health. They didn’t want you to come all this way in vain. I feel guilty about it.”

Chang Le shook his head and then gestured for them to sit at a nearby table. He went to the counter, brought over a teapot, and poured them both a cup of tea. Then he gestured, asking, “Do you have something you need to tell me?”

Xue Baizhu roughly guessed Chang Le’s meaning and said, “Mother scolded us yesterday after he found out that we had hidden from him that you came to seek medical treatment. Today, he’s in better spirits and wanted to come and see you.”

“Come and see me?”

Chang Le was stunned.

Just then, Yu Qingze came down from the second floor and saw the three of them. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Young Master Xue? Are you here for a meal? It’s still early.”

Xue Baizhu shook his head and replied, “No, Boss Yu. I brought my mother to find Brother Le.”

Yu Qingze looked at the old man next to him and asked, “Are you Dr. Ye?”

Ye Man nodded and said, “Baizhu has told me everything. If you don’t mind, shall I examine Brother Le’s pulse first?”

Surprisingly, Dr. Ye came in person. Yu Qingze glanced at Chang Le and said, “Please wait a moment. Let me discuss with my wife.”

Yu Qingze felt a bit of a headache. It was finally hard to make Chang Le settle down and not worry about things, but now Dr. Ye had unexpectedly arrived.

He took Chang Le to the room and asked without much hope, “Brother Le, do you want Dr. Ye to take a look?”

Chang Le looked at him with eager eyes, neither shaking his head nor nodding, but his anticipation was evident.

Yu Qingze sighed and said, “Then let’s go and have a look.”

With Yu Qingze’s consent, Chang Le happily hugged his husband’s neck and gave him a resounding kiss before quickly running out.

Yu Qingze shook his head and followed along.

They brought Dr. Ye to a small elegant room on the second floor, and Dr. Ye began examining Chang Le’s pulse.

The pulse examination took quite some time.

After it was finished, Chang Le nervously looked at Dr. Ye. Yu Qingze patted his back and asked, “Dr. Ye, how is my wife’s physical condition?”

Dr. Ye took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and then said, “His uterus is cold and has been injured. Did he consume any specific medicines before?”

Yu Qingze proceeded to explain the incident of Chang Le having persistent high fever in his childhood. Chang Le looked at him in shock upon hearing this. His husband even knew about that!

Dr. Ye nodded and said, “That explains it.”

Chang Le hurriedly asked about the possibility of a complete cure, and Yu Qingze translated for him.

Dr. Ye shook his head and said, “It’s not possible to completely cure it. With such a long duration, it can only be gradually regulated. Acupuncture can be used to clear stasis, accompanied by warm tonifying herbs for decoction and medicinal baths to promote smooth circulation of qi and blood. It can make the condition slightly healthier and increase the chances of pregnancy. This process requires considerable effort, a long time, and a significant cost for the required herbs. If you want to pursue treatment, you need to be prepared for it.”

Upon hearing this, Chang Le turned his head and looked at Yu Qingze with anticipation.

Yu Qingze gently stroked Chang Le’s head and nodded, saying, “Dr. Ye, there’s no problem with the finances. Please help my wife with the treatment.”

Dr. Ye responded, “Sure, but you’ll have to wait for a month.”

Yu Qingze and Chang Le looked at him curiously. Yu Qingze asked, “Why is that? Do we need to prepare anything else?”

Dr. Ye shook his head and said, “No need for anything else. It’s just that my own body isn’t currently suitable for providing acupuncture to patients. I need to take good care of myself and wait until I’m in better spirits before I can begin.”

“I see. It’s our fault for not considering your health and still troubling you,” Yu Qingze apologized.

Dr. Ye shook his head and smiled, saying, “It’s alright. If you’re not in a hurry, can you wait for a month?”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “Okay. Thank you very much, Dr. Ye.”

After seeing off Dr. Ye, Chang Le happily jumped up and pounced into Yu Qingze’s arms.

“Hahaha! Dr. Ye is willing to treat him! He’s so happy!”

With this leap, Chang Le pushed Yu Qingze back several steps before stabilizing himself. Yu Qingze almost strained his back in the process.

But seeing Chang Le so happy, his heart also blossomed with joy.

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Thandar: Ancient medicine diagnosing illnesses just from pulses. Here we are in modern day, we need blood works, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound, etc., etc., etc. I wonder how much you can really tell from just measuring pulses.

Past Connections

Grandpa Chang looked at the person in front of him. He was well-dressed and seemed to be of high status. He didn’t recognize him or have any impression of him. He nodded and replied, “My surname is Chang. And who might you be, sir?”

Xue Jingfu’s face lit up with joy, and he asked again, “Is your son named Chang Wu?”

Upon hearing his father’s name, Chang Le turned his head curiously to look at Xue Jingfu. This old man was a companion of Young Master Xue, so how did he know his father?

Grandpa Chang appeared surprised and said, “My eldest son is indeed named Chang Wu. How do you know about him?”

Xue Baizhu also approached, washed his hands, and stood beside his father, listening curiously. Did his father encounter an acquaintance?

Upon hearing this, Xue Jingfu immediately stepped forward and shook hands with Grandpa Chang, excitedly saying, “Uncle, you might not remember, but we met nine years ago.”

They met nine years ago?

Grandpa Chang was confused and couldn’t recall meeting this person at all.

“Father, do you know each other?” Xue Baizhu asked. He observed the expression of the elderly man and it didn’t seem like he knew his father. Could it be that his father mistook him for someone else?

Xue Jingfu turned to his son and said, “Don’t you remember? Nine years ago, when we returned from Qingming Festival to pay respects to our ancestors, our boat was hit by a floating log on the Qing River during the return journey. A big wave tossed us all into the water. Many people couldn’t swim, but it was Brother Chang Wu and his wife who saved us. This is Uncle Chang. Haven’t you met him before? How could you forget? Quickly address him as Grandpa Chang.”

Upon hearing this, Xue Baizhu also remembered the incident nine years ago. If his father hadn’t mentioned it, he wouldn’t have recognized Grandpa Chang. He was still young at that time. However, he respectfully bowed and said, “Grandpa Chang.”

Although Grandpa Chang didn’t recognize them, he understood what they were talking about from what was said.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“You… You were also on the boat at that time?” Grandpa Chang asked with a complex expression.

Upon hearing this, Chang Le understood what was happening. His expression became somewhat sad and desolate, and his fingers unconsciously clutched his own clothes.

Xue Jingfu, who was initially excited to see the two of them, calmed down when he saw the expressions of Grandpa Chang and Chang Le. He nodded and said, “We were on the boat too, and it was Brother Chang Wu and Madam Chang who saved us. Uncle Chang, I’m sorry. I got a little carried away when I saw you, and I didn’t mean to remind you of sad memories.”

Grandpa Chang shook his head and said, “It’s alright, it’s all in the past.”

Xue Jingfu’s expression became somewhat awkward. He was initially excited to meet his benefactor’s father, but now he felt guilty.

During the Qingming Festival that year, he took his wife and youngest son back to their hometown to pay respects to their ancestors. On the return journey, there was some turbulence on the Qing River, but it was still within the navigable range, so they boarded the boat.

Due to continuous rainfall in the past few days, the river current was faster than usual, and there were occasional tree branches floating in the river. The boat they were on was somewhat old, and while they were in the middle of the river, they accidentally collided with a tree that had drifted downstream. Before the boatman could stabilize the vessel, a large wave struck, tossing all of them into the river.

At that time, there happened to be another boat coming from the opposite direction, not far from them. When they saw the capsized boat, four or five people who knew how to swim immediately jumped into the water to rescue the people. Chang Wu’s wife was among them.

The capsized boat had over twenty people on board, but not many of them knew how to swim, so the situation was chaotic. The rescuers would save one person and bring them to another boat. Each person made multiple trips, which consumed a lot of energy.

Xue Jingfu’s family was among the first group to be rescued. They were all frightened as they watched others struggling in the water. Several people were swept away by the river and eventually drowned.

Later, when Chang Wu’s wife was trying to save a young boy, the boy clung onto him tightly. No matter how much Chang Wu’s wife tried to convince the boy to let go and not be afraid, the boy wouldn’t release his grip, even when his hand was forcefully pried away.

The boy was terrified and overwhelmed by fear. When he realized someone was trying to save him, he instinctively held onto Chang Wu’s wife, unable to hear what the people around him were saying.

Chang Wu’s wife was immobilized by the boy’s hold. He had already exhausted a lot of energy from saving so many people earlier, and now he couldn’t free himself from the boy’s grasp. He could only helplessly watch as both of them were submerged by the water.

Chang Wu was also busy rescuing others. When someone on the boat alerted him that his wife was in trouble, it was already too late. His husband had been overwhelmed by the river. Chang Wu immediately shouted and swam over, diving into the murky and fast-flowing water. He couldn’t see anything due to the rain in the past few days, so he had to feel his way through the water.

The people on the boat witnessed the situation over there and shouted for help. However, by the time someone found them from a distance, all three of them had already lost their breath.

Xue Jingfu didn’t know what happened underwater. He guessed that Chang Wu must have finally found his wife but got pulled down by the boy who had previously been drowning, and in the end, all three of them sank together in the water.

Finally, another boat passed by and transported them to the nearest dock in Qingzhou. There happened to be someone on that boat from the neighboring village of Niutou who knew Chang Wu. Seeing the situation, he immediately returned to Niutou village and brought back Chang Wu’s father. That’s how Xue Jingfu and the others met Chang Wu’s father.

At that time, some of the survivors had some money on them and wanted to pool together some silver taels to give to Chang Wu’s father. However, he refused, and instead, he took the bodies of his son and son-in-law back with him.

Thinking about the past events, Xue Jingfu wiped his eyes. That scene was something he would never forget in his entire life. He regretted bringing it up and making the elderly man remember this sad event.

Xue Baizhu also had vivid memories of the events from nine years ago. Seeing the awkward situation now, he looked at Chang Le and asked, “Grandpa Chang, who is this young boy?”

Chang’s grandfather replied, “This is my eldest grandson, Chang Le, the eldest son of Chang Wu.”

Upon hearing this, Xue Baizhu turned to Chang Le and said, “So you’re Brother Le. I didn’t know it was you earlier. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Chang Le shook his head, indicating that it was not a big deal and there was no need to feel disrespectful.

Xue Baizhu, seeing him gesture, realized that Chang Le couldn’t speak. That’s why the other ger had been doing the talking during their previous encounters.

“So, you’ve met before?” Xue Jingfu asked his son.

“Just…” Xue Baizhu was about to speak but was interrupted by a voice.

“Brother Le, Grandpa, Old Madam Cai is here… Oh, sorry for interrupting your conversation. Grandpa, who are these two?” Yu Qingze came out of the kitchen, intending to have Grandpa Chang share some tomatoes with Old Madam Cai but didn’t expect to see two strangers.

“These two are…” Grandpa Chang began to speak but stumbled halfway through. After all this time, he still didn’t know their names.

Xue Jingfu introduced himself, saying, “I am Xue Jingfu, and this is my son Xue Baizhu. We just returned from the capital a few days ago, and today we came to have a meal with acquaintances, coincidentally running into our benefactor.”

“Benefactor?” Yu Qingze curiously glanced at them and greeted, “Uncle Xue, Brother Xue.”

“This is my grandson’s husband, Yu Qingze.” Grandpa Chang briefly introduced the Xue family father and son to Yu Qingze, then turned to him and said, “I’ll tell you about it later. Is Old Madam Cai here? I’ll give you the things, you can take them over.”

Xue Jingfu, seeing that they were busy, quickly said, “You’re busy then. I’ll visit another day. By the way, where do you live, Uncle?”

Grandpa Chang replied, “The matter of my son and son-in-law saving lives was a voluntary act. It’s all in the past, and you don’t need to worry about it anymore.”

Noticing that Grandpa Chang didn’t mention their address, Xue Jingfu sighed inwardly, understanding that Grandpa Chang didn’t really want to see them. However, they couldn’t disregard the debt of gratitude they owed. They had intended to find their benefactors once they settled down after returning this time, but they didn’t expect to unexpectedly encounter them today.

Xue Jingfu said, “Uncle, the debt of gratitude for saving our lives is unforgettable. I have some medical skills, and I plan to open a pharmacy in the city in the future. Our home is at No. 16 Changning Road in the southern part of the city. If you ever need anything in the future, please feel free to visit us. We won’t turn you away.”

Yu Qingze pondered upon hearing this.

They had just returned from the capital not long ago, and now there was another doctor, which seemed similar to what Dr. Li had mentioned. However, the doctor Dr. Li mentioned had the surname Ye, while the one in front of him had the surname Xue. Could they be different people?

Grandpa Chang said, “There’s no need for you to do that.”

Xue Jingfu felt somewhat disappointed upon hearing this, but if the other party didn’t want to disclose their address, he couldn’t force them to do so.

Seeing the disappointment on his father’s face, Xue Baizhu whispered in his ear that Chang Le worked as a cook in this restaurant and they could inquire through him.

Upon hearing this, Xue Jingfu said to Grandpa Chang, “Uncle, we apologize for the disturbance. We will visit your residence another day.”

With that, he and Xue Baizhu left the backyard.

After Xue father and son had left, Grandpa Chang gave the bag of vegetables intended for Old Madam Cai to Yu Qingze, and then explained the recent events to him.

Upon hearing the story, Yu Qingze also felt deeply moved. So, that’s how Chang Le’s parents passed away.

“Xiao Le’s mood might be a little down today, so please keep an eye on him,” Yu Qingze remarked.

“I understand.”

On the other side, Xue Baizhu and his father returned to their private room upstairs, their faces wearing complex expressions.

Seeing their strange expressions, Luo Mingda asked curiously.

Xue Jingfu replied, “We encountered a relative of our previous benefactor, and it brought back some emotions.”

Upon hearing this, Luo Mingda asked with curiosity, “Oh, how coincidental! Are they here to eat as well?”

Xue Baizhu answered, “No, it seems like they work here. I saw Brother Le cooking in the kitchen.”

“Brother Le? You mean the one who doesn’t speak?” Luo Mingda asked.

Xue Baizhu nodded.

Luo Mingda smiled and said, “He is the wife of the owner, Yu Qingze. They, along with their sworn brother, are the ones who cook the dishes in this restaurant.”

Xue Baizhu was surprised and asked, “They opened this restaurant?”

Luo Mingda nodded and said, “Yes. The food tastes great, doesn’t it?”

Xue Baizhu nodded and exchanged a glance with his father. Now they didn’t have to worry about finding them.

Luo Mingda continued, “They not only opened this restaurant but also the Yu’s Delicious Delights a few dozen feet north. The dim sum there is delicious too. You must try it when you have the chance.”

Xue Baizhu became even more surprised. “They make the dim sum there as well?” So the past few days, the pastries that Chang Le and the other ger left at their doorstep was actually made by them.

Luo Mingda said, “Not anymore. Apprentices are handling it now, but it’s said that Brother Le used to personally make the dim sum.”

“Oh…”

On the way back home, Xue Baizhu was constantly troubled by Chang Le’s situation.

It would have been fine if he didn’t know that Chang Le was the son of their benefactor, but now that he knew, he couldn’t just let it slide and pretend he didn’t see anything.

When they arrived home, he thought for a moment and then pulled his father into the study.

“What’s the matter? Why are you so urgent?” Xue Jingfu asked.

Xue Baizhu said, “Father, remember the two gers who came to seek treatment in the mornings these past few days?”

“Yes, I sent them away because your mother’s health is not good. What about them?” Xue Jingfu asked.

Xue Baizhu looked at his father with a complicated expression and said, “Father, the one who came for treatment is Brother Le.”

“You mean Chang Le?” Xue Jingfu widened his eyes and asked, “The Chang Le we saw today? The son of our benefactor, Chang Wu?”

Xue Baizhu nodded and said, “Yes, I happened to be outside that day and saw them. It was Brother Le, and he was accompanied by another young ger. However, the other was younger and had a more vibrant birthmark. It’s definitely Chang Le who needs treatment. His birthmark is lighter in color, so he came to seek treatment from mother.”

Xue Jingfu was left speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.

After a brief silence, Xue Baizhu asked, “Father, what should we do about this? Mother’s health is not good, and treating Brother Le’s condition will take a long time and require acupuncture, which is both physically and time-consuming. But Brother Le is the son of our benefactor, so…”

Xue Jingfu was also worried. On one hand, it was his wife, and on the other hand, it was the son of their benefactor. It was a difficult situation.

They remained silent for a while longer.

Xue Baizhu asked, “Father, should we keep this a secret from mother?”

“What are you hiding from me?” Before Xue Jingfu could answer, the study door swung open, and Ye Man walked in.

“Hey, wife, why did you come here?” Xue Jingfu saw Ye Man and secretly signaled to his son not to say anything yet and let him think it through first.

“I can’t come? What are you talking about behind my back? What are you hiding from me? Tell me about it,” Ye Man sat down on a chair and leisurely spoke.

Xue Baizhu received his father’s subtle eye signal and quickly said, “Mother, we haven’t hidden anything from you. What can escape your discerning eyes? Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, yes, how’s your health? Let me tell you, the food at the restaurant we visited today was really delicious. We brought back two dishes for you to taste later…” Ye Man sat quietly there, watching the father and son pretend as if nothing happened.

Xue Jingfu looked at his wife’s expression and gradually fell silent while speaking. He knew very well how stubborn his wife could be. No one understood it better than him.

He sighed and sat beside his wife, saying, “During our meal today, we ran into our benefactor’s family. Remember Chang Wu who saved us nine years ago on the Qinghe River? We met his father and his son-in-law.”

Ye Man’s eyes lit up at the news and exclaimed, “Really?! That’s wonderful! Why did you keep it from me? Is there something else?”

Sometimes, having a clever wife could also be a headache.

Xue Jingfu held his hand and said, “There’s something I need to tell you. Please don’t get angry.”

As soon as Ye Man heard this, he immediately nodded with a smile and said, “I won’t get angry. Getting angry affects one’s health. So, tell me, what else have you been hiding from me?”

Xue Jingfu felt a chill down his neck when he saw Ye Man’s expression, but he gathered his courage and continued, “These past few days, two young gers came to see you for medical treatment.”

Xue Baizhu touched his nose and secretly thought about preparing a washboard for his father later.

Ye Man raised an eyebrow and asked, “Oh? And then?”

Xue Jingfu paused and said, “…And then, I was worried that you would be too exhausted, so I had Uncle Zheng turn them away and sent them back.”

Ye Man’s temple twitched as he asked, “Oh, and then what happened?”

“…And then, those two young gers have been coming every day these past few days, and they bring two boxes of pastries each day.”

“Pastries?” Ye Man slowly looked up at his son and then said, “And then what happened?”

Sweat streamed down Xue Baizhu’s face: …and he had to prepare a washboard for himself!

Xue Jingfu shrank his neck and said, “One of those two young gers is Chang Wu’s son, Brother Le.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Man couldn’t hold back anymore. He withdrew his hand, stood up, and pointed at Xue Jingfu, saying, “You, Xue Jingfu! You, who is hailed as a compassionate and skilled doctor, where is your compassion? Did your son consume it?!”

Xue Baizhu: …

Xue Jingfu felt very wronged. “Wife, please don’t be angry. I was only worried about your health and didn’t want you to overexert yourself. Besides, I just found out today that he is our benefactor’s son…”

“No matter whether he’s the benefactor’s son or not, you just turned away patients who came to seek medical treatment without even asking me. Do you think this is for my own good? We had an agreement before that you’re not allowed to interfere with my medical consultations. Have you forgotten?” Ye Man said with a pained expression.

“…I haven’t forgotten. I was genuinely worried about your health,” Xue Jingfu replied.

Ye Man felt a pang in his heart and said, “I know you’re concerned about my health, but when you were in discomfort and got up in the middle of the night to set someone’s bones, did I ever stop you? No, I went along with you. I married you at sixteen, and after years of infertility, I understand the pain of not being able to conceive a child. Thanks to my master’s treatment, my body was restored, and I even gained the skill to help others. Yet, you turned away patients who came to me sincerely for treatment. Have you forgotten the joy and excitement you felt when you learned that I was pregnant all those years ago?”

Upon hearing this, Xue Jingfu fell silent.

Ye Man continued, “Tonight, neither of you is allowed to eat. Reflect on your actions in the study. If they come again tomorrow and you still turn them away, don’t expect me to eat with you anymore.”

With that, Ye Man turned and left.

Father and son exchanged a glance, both wearing bitter smiles.

The next morning, Xue Baizhu was waiting by the door. He wanted to make amends and personally bring Chang Le to Ye Man.

However, he waited for a long time, all the way until noon, but there was no sign of Chang Le.

Xue Baizhu: Where is he? Why hasn’t he come?

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Author’s note: Old Xue: Son, let’s share the blame.

Young Xue: …Father!

(By the way, do you remember that Chang Le’s father encountered some trouble when he returned to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors? It was mentioned before, I wonder if everyone remembers?)

Thandar: Now I finally knew how Chang Le’s parents died. I thought it was the war.

Fate

Xue Baizhu carried the snacks and returned to the backyard, where he saw his mother digging in the small garden. He quickly placed the snacks on the stone table and walked over to snatch the garden hoe from his mother’s hand, saying, “Mother, Father asked you to rest quietly, but you took the opportunity while he was out to come and dig the ground. Sit down and take a break.”

“Ah, it’s not a problem. I only dug for a little while. I’ve been lying down for long enough, I need to come out and move around. You see, if a person doesn’t move, their spirits will become listless.” Ye Man stood up, clapped his hands, and had his son support him to sit by the stone table.

There was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, his face was pale, and his lips were faint, giving him a weak and sickly appearance.

“You only dug for a short while, and you’re already sweating. If you want to grow medicinal herbs, let your son do it for you. You should rest properly, right? You’ve been working hard for decades. Father said you’re exhausted, and he brought you to Tongshan to let you rest. But look at you, you can’t sit still.” Xue Baizhu asked the servant to bring water to wash his hands and took a towel to wipe the fine sweat from his mother’s forehead.

Ye Man took the towel and wiped it himself, laughing, “Oh, so I’m that weak, huh? I know my own body. How come you’re as nagging as your father? No ger will dare to marry you.”

Xue Baizhu didn’t mind and said, “I care about my own mother. How can that be called nagging? Come on, wash your hands.”

Ye Man washed his hands and looked at the two packages on the stone table, with the words “Yu’s Delicious Delights” printed on them. He asked, “What’s this?”

Xue Baizhu didn’t dare to let his mother know that someone had come to seek medical advice. If he found out, he would definitely ignore his own health and attend to the person.

“Oh, this? I bought these snacks from the street,” he casually came up with an excuse. After all, he loved eating snacks, and his mother wouldn’t suspect anything.

Ye Man took the towel to wipe his hands and responded, “Oh, then go ahead and eat. It’s been a while since I’ve been back, and I don’t know what changes have happened on the streets. When I feel better, I’ll go out for a stroll.”

As Xue Baizhu opened the snack box, he said, “I went out to take a look yesterday, and there have been quite a few changes, especially on North-South Street. It’s bustling with more people than before. Mother, you should try these snacks.”

“I don’t like sweet things. You eat them yourself,” Ye Man shook his head and said.

As he spoke, Xue Baizhu had already opened the snack box, which contained a total of five different small snacks, each with a unique design.

His eyes lit up, and he took a flower-shaped snack and said to his mother, “Mother, look, it’s like a flower. Would you like to try it?”

“Oh, these snacks look quite beautiful,” Ye Man exclaimed as he was also amazed by the exquisite shape of the snack. The white dough resembled five petals of a flower, with a deep red filling in the center. It looked incredibly appealing.

“Indeed, try this flower-shaped one, and I’ll have this soft and fluffy one. It seems to have a filling inside too,” Xue Baizhu handed the flower-shaped snack to his mother and took a bite of a round white ball himself.

The chewy outer layer was filled with crushed peanuts and sesame seeds, sweet and fragrant. Xue Baizhu nodded repeatedly, squinting his eyes in satisfaction, and finished the remaining half in one go.

The texture was delicate, and the taste was sweet and delicious. This snack was excellent!

“It’s quite tasty,” Ye Man commented as he tasted the flower-shaped petal in his hand. He then turned the shell of the gift box to read, “Yu’s Delicious Delights? I haven’t heard of it before. It’s probably a newly opened shop, not one of the old well-established ones.”

“We haven’t been back for nine years, and we didn’t stay long last time. I definitely have no idea how many new snack shops have opened,” Xue Baizhu said, taking another slightly browned snack and eating it.

As he took a bite, his eyes widened, and he looked at the cross-section of the snack, just as his mother did. “Look, mother, there are two types of fillings inside. One occupies one side, it seems to be red bean paste and lotus seed.”

Seeing his son enjoying the snacks, Ye Man smiled and asked, “Do they suit your taste?”

Xue Baizhu nodded and said, “They taste great, and they look appealing too. It’s called Yu’s Delicious Delights, right? Next time, I’ll visit the shop and who knows, they might have many other types of snacks.”

He thought about what the young man who gave him the snacks had said, that they were made in their own shop?

“Aren’t you supposed to go with your father to the herbal shop today?” Ye Man, who usually didn’t like sweets, ate the snack slowly, thinking about how his son had said he would go out in the morning but was now distracted by the snack. He was worried that it would delay his son from attending to important matters.

Xue Baizhu nodded. His father wanted to open a medicine hall in the city, and they were currently surveying the situation everywhere. He replied, “Hmm, I’ll go after finishing this. I was thinking of going out to stroll around the streets earlier. By the way, mother, Lord Luo invited us to have lunch together the day after tomorrow. Will you go?”

“Lord Luo? Oh, the third son of the Minister of Rites?” Ye Man thought for a moment and asked.

“Yes, he is now the magistrate here. Father used to help him with his bones, and you have treated his grandfather before. I heard that when he found out we had returned, he sent an invitation to have a meal together. Will you go?”

Ye Man shook his head and said, “You can go. I don’t like joining in such gatherings.”

“Alright. Then I’ll be going. Please don’t continue digging in the ground, okay?” Xue Baizhu replied.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Ye Man nodded and said, “Alright, I got it. Let’s go, let’s go.”

Xue Baizhu took a snack and placed it in his mouth, then he packed up the snack box to continue eating later, and he went out.

On the other side, before Chang Le and Brother Chang went back, they deliberately went to the cloth shop and bought a piece of fabric. Their excuse for going out was to buy fabric, and it wouldn’t be satisfactory if they didn’t bring one back.

In the House of Prosperity building, Yu Qingze noticed that Chang Le had returned so quickly and his expression wasn’t happy, probably because he didn’t see Dr. Ye.

He said, “Brother Le, Grandpa is here in the backyard.”

As soon as Chang Le heard that his Grandpa had arrived, he hurriedly rushed to the backyard. He had arranged for his Grandpa to come today through someone else.

Afraid that Yu Qingze might hear, he specifically took Grandpa Chang to a room and then asked him if he had taken any cooling medicine when he was young.

Grandpa Chang furrowed his brows and asked suspiciously, “Why are you asking about this?”

Chang Le paused for a moment, but still mentioned his own visit to the doctor, but didn’t mention seeing Dr. Ye. If he did, Grandpa would definitely go to see Dr. Ye himself, and he didn’t want Grandpa to exert himself.

Grandpa Chang’s expression turned solemn as he asked, “Is it because of that reason?”

Chang Le nodded.

After a moment of contemplation, Grandpa Chang said, “When you were young, we were still in Qingzhou. You had a high fever that lasted for several days and we couldn’t bring it down. It was chaotic at that time, and we couldn’t find a doctor. The only person in the village who knew a little about medicine was Grandpa Mu. He tried many methods but couldn’t bring down your temperature. Seeing that you couldn’t hold on much longer, Grandpa Mu made a tough decision and suggested trying many cooling medicines, hoping that it might bring down your fever. After discussing it, we thought it was worth a try. Grandpa Mu took your father and mother up the mountain to gather a lot of herbs. You drank the medicine for three days, and miraculously, your temperature started to drop, which saved your life.”

Chang Le listened and realized it was like that.

Actually, his memories of that time were very vague, and he didn’t remember much. Only in extremely intense moments would he recall fragments of scenes, like when Xiao Hao was in danger before. But he knew that his father and Grandpa had told him about the incident and how his younger brother was lost because of it.

Grandpa Chang sighed and said, “So it was because of that incident? Xiao Le, it was our fault. We let you down.”

Chang Le grabbed Grandpa’s hand and shook his head, then gestured, “Grandpa, don’t blame yourself. It was an accident. If we hadn’t done that, I might not have survived.”

“Oh, it was hard on you…” Grandpa Chang lovingly patted Chang Le’s head.

Chang Le shook his head and gestured, “Not hard, Grandpa. I’m doing well now.”

Upon hearing this, Grandpa Chang nodded, and a tear glistened in his eyes.

Chang Le gestured again, “Do you remember which herbs they were?”

Grandpa Mu and his father had already passed away, so he could only ask his Grandpa.

Grandpa Chang shook his head and said, “There were many herbs, I don’t remember them all. They gathered herbs from the nearby mountains and quickly boiled them.”

Hearing this, Chang Le didn’t ask further.

After leaving the room, Chang Le went busy with his tasks, and Yu Qingze took Grandpa back to the storage room to inquire further.

Grandpa Chang repeated his explanation once again, then looked at Yu Qingze with suspicion and asked, “Why are you asking again? Did you have a disagreement with Brother Le?”

Yu Qingze shook his head and said, “Grandpa, no. Brother Le didn’t tell me about his visit to the doctor because he didn’t want me to worry. So, I had to pretend not to know, otherwise he might become more concerned about his health.”

“Oh,” Grandpa Chang looked at him and said earnestly, “Do you remember the promise you made to me before?”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “Of course, I always keep my word. Grandpa, don’t worry, I’m just concerned that Brother Le might overthink things. Trust me, I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Grandpa Chang looked at him for a while, then sighed and said, “As long as you remember.”

On the second and third days, Chang Le and Brother Chang went to Dr. Ye’s house after breakfast, but they received the same answer and were stopped by Uncle Zheng (Lao Bo).

“I’ve already discussed this matter with the family head, and he said it’s not possible. Both of you, our madam is truly unwell now, suffering from long-term exhaustion that has taken a toll on his health and spirit. The family head doesn’t want him to strain himself any further, so please go back,” Uncle Zheng said and closed the door.

Chang Le and Brother Chang had no choice but to leave the pastries by the door and return home.

“Uncle Zheng, what’s the matter? Did they come again?” Xue Baizhu was in the courtyard, digging the ground for his mother. When he saw Uncle Zheng coming in with two familiar boxes of pastries, he asked.

Uncle Zheng nodded helplessly and said, “Yes, they came again, but they just left the pastries at the door and went away.”

Xue Baizhu sighed and said, “If only my medical skills were as good as my mother’s, I could go and help them. Unfortunately, my father is not well-versed in this field either. I visited Dr. Li yesterday and discussed this matter with him. He said he couldn’t find a solution, let alone me.”

Xue Baizhu’s father was also a doctor, specializing mainly in trauma and orthopedics. He was equally helpless when it came to issues like infertility in Chang Le.

Uncle Zheng replied, “Young Master, please don’t underestimate yourself. Your medical skills are already quite impressive. Given time, you will surpass both the Lord and the elder master.”

“Sigh…”

During lunchtime, Xue Baizhu and his father went to House of Prosperity to have a meal in response to Lord Luo’s invitation.

The waiter led them to a private room.

When they entered the room, Lord Luo and Madam Luo were already there.

“Lord Luo, Madam Luo,” Xue Baizhu and his father, Xue Jingfu, greeted them with cupped hands.

Upon seeing the two, Luo Mingda stood up and gestured with his hands, saying, “Dr. Xue, Brother Xue, it’s been a long time. I didn’t expect you both to return to Tongshan. Come, please have a seat.”

Xue Jingfu led Xue Baizhu to sit down, then waved his hand and smiled, saying, “I’m no longer a doctor now, Lord Luo. You shouldn’t address me that way anymore.”

Luo Mingda smiled and said, “You’re being modest. With your medical skills, if it weren’t for Dr. Ye’s poor health and your insistence on coming back, how could the emperor allow you to leave? Oh, why didn’t Dr. Ye come together?”

“Well, his health isn’t good, and it’s inconvenient for him to go out. He asked me to convey his greetings to the two of you,” Xue Jingfu sighed and explained.

“In that case, it was our oversight. We disturbed Dr. Ye’s rest. Our family has always kept your kindness in mind, and we must express our gratitude to both of you,” Luo Mingda said.

“Don’t mention it. It’s the duty of a physician. Lord Luo, there’s no need to worry about it,” Xue Jingfu replied.

After a few more polite exchanges, they began chatting. The dishes arrived quickly, and they ate and talked, enjoying themselves.

In the latter half of the meal, Xue Baizhu stood up and went downstairs to use the restroom.

As he passed by the kitchen, he casually glanced inside and caught sight of a familiar figure.

Is this one of the two gers who came to seek medical treatment at his house recently? So, he’s a cook at this restaurant?

Xue Baizhu didn’t pay much attention and went to the outhouse in the backyard to relieve himself. When he came out, he happened to see that kid and an old man talking by the well in the backyard.

He stood aside and planned to wait until they finished their conversation before washing his hands.

At that moment, his father also came down to relieve himself.

“Baizhu, what are you standing there for?”

“…,” Xue Baizhu paused for a moment, seeing both of them looking over, he quickly said, “Nothing, I’ll wash my hands and go up.”

When Chang Le saw that it was Xue Baizhu, his eyes widened in surprise.

Grandpa Chang asked, “What’s wrong? Do you know him?”

Chang Le nodded but didn’t specify who it was.

On the other hand, when Xue Jingfu passed by, he saw Grandpa Chang and stopped in his tracks. After looking at him for a while, he hesitantly asked, “Old brother, may I ask if your surname is Chang?”

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Dr. Ye

Yu Qingze took a shortcut and returned to the snack shop ahead of time.

When Chang Le and Brother Chang returned, they had smiles on their faces that they were desperately trying to hide. Seeing this, Yu Qingze’s lips curved slightly, but he quickly composed himself and asked, “How did it go? What did the doctor say?”

Chang Le and Brother Chang exchanged a glance and then gestured that everything was fine.

Brother Chang added, “Dr. Li said there’s nothing to worry about. Just be careful not to catch a cold in the future, especially in cold weather. This time it was just vomiting, but if it develops into a fever due to wind-cold infection, it would be troublesome.”

Yu Qingze raised an eyebrow. He thought Chang Le would come up with an excuse to say that he wasn’t well, so they could conveniently avoid going out these days. But instead, Chang Le claimed there was nothing wrong? Could it be that they hadn’t planned to go out during this time?

“That’s good to hear. After drinking medicine for a few days, your complexion turned pale. You don’t need to take medicine today. Have a good meal for lunch. I bought a mother hen. Drink plenty of soup.” Yu Qingze gently touched Chang Le’s chin, feeling sorry for him. He had been drinking herbal medicine for days, eating light food, and still had to work. He seemed to have lost weight.

Chang Le pulled his hand away and gave him a stern look. After all, Brother Chang was still there beside them.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Brother Chang chuckled and said, “Brother Le is fine, Boss Yu, don’t worry. I’ll go and attend to other matters.”

“Okay, thank you, Brother Chang,” Yu Qingze expressed his gratitude.

The two returned to House of Prosperity. Chang Le remained silent throughout the journey, but there was a constant smile playing at the corners of his mouth, clearly indicating that he was in a good mood.

Yu Qingze pursed his lips, waiting to see what excuse Chang Le would come up with to ask him to go out.

Originally, he had planned to wait for Chang Le to return from Dr. Li’s place so that he could have a good talk with him about the issue, reassure him, and advise him to take care of his health and not exert himself. But now, seeing the smile on Chang Le’s face and his hopeful expression, Yu Qingze couldn’t bring himself to dismiss that thought.

He didn’t know if the doctor who returned from the capital could cure Chang Le’s condition of coldness in the uterus, a troublesome illness related to infertility that he had encountered in his past life as well. He was actually not very optimistic about it, but this issue was not his primary concern. His focus had always been Chang Le, the brother who would accompany him for a lifetime.

Since Chang Le didn’t want him to know, he would pretend not to know for now. He had to let Chang Le give it a try, or else he wouldn’t be content. After Chang Le visited that doctor with the surname Ye, they could have a conversation.

Upon returning to the restaurant, Yu Qingze first prepared the old hen and put it in the stew. He added some medicinal herbs that could nourish qi and blood, intending to give Chang Le a good nourishment.

In his past life, his master, who was getting older and paying more attention to self-care, often took him to attend various health-oriented tea gatherings, where they would exchange knowledge on health maintenance. There was a female traditional Chinese medicine practitioner among them who had once educated a few female tea friends on how to take care of their bodies. During that time, someone asked about the issue of coldness in the uterus, and he couldn’t avoid hearing a bit about it.

He remembered that this issue required gradual adjustments. It involved keeping warm, exercising, avoiding cold food, consuming appropriate Chinese herbal medicines to nourish qi and blood, and soaking the feet in hot water every night.

Although the individuals in this world, including Chang Le, were different from the females in his past life, since Dr. Li mentioned the term “uterus,” it should be similar to the female uterus, right?

Moreover, those methods of health maintenance were applicable not only to women but also to ordinary people. They weren’t exclusively for females; anyone with a cold constitution could benefit from them. So it should be fine to provide some nourishment for Chang Le as well.

By taking care of their bodies, they could spend more time together.

In the evening, when Chang Le finished bathing and was about to sleep, Yu Qingze brought him to the hall, placed a large foot basin there, poured in half a bucket of hot water, and intended to soak Chang Le’s feet. “Soak your feet before sleeping.”

Chang Le gestured, “Didn’t I just take a bath?”

“I want to soak my feet to warm them up, relieve fatigue, and have a good sleep,” Yu Qingze poured two scoops of water into the basin and brought a chair over for himself. He took off his shoes and placed his feet in the basin.

Chang Le looked at Yu Qingze, not knowing what was going on with him today.

Seeing Chang Le hesitating, Yu Qingze held his hand and said, “Come on, you’ve been standing all day. Soaking your feet will be very comfortable.”

Chang Le sighed and reluctantly took off his shoes, placing his feet in the water.

As soon as his feet were in the basin, Yu Qingze immediately reached over and covered Chang Le’s feet with his own, using his soles and heels to massage him.

Chang Le grinned and also extended his feet to massage Yu Qingze. The two of them happily played and soaked their feet for a while. After soaking, their feet turned red, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on their foreheads. Their bodies felt warm.

When they lay down, Yu Qingze was about to reach out to blow out the oil lamp on the bedside table when Chang Le grabbed his hand.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Qingze asked.

Chang Le pulled him down and then wrapped his body around him with exceptional enthusiasm.

Yu Qingze felt delighted. In the past few days, he hadn’t wanted to bother Chang Le while he was feeling unwell. But now, seeing that Chang Le was giving him signals, he tightly embraced his waist and kissed him.

The two of them kissed passionately for a while, their breaths growing heavy. With emotions stirring, Yu Qingze whispered, “Is it alright? Shouldn’t we rest for another day?”

Chang Le nodded and shook his head, reaching out to hold Yu Qingze’s neck. His legs wrapped around his husband’s waist, clearly inviting him.

Given Chang Le’s agreement, Yu Qingze immediately took action. However, this time they dared not engage in any fancy maneuvers. They covered themselves with the blanket and engaged in intimate activities in a straightforward manner, so as not to accidentally catch a chill again.

The next morning during breakfast, Yu Qingze saw Chang Le’s eyes darting around, glancing at him and taking a bite, then looking again and taking another bite… Breakfast was almost finished, and he still couldn’t say it.

Yu Qingze stifled a laugh, knowing that Chang Le was definitely thinking about how to tell him about wanting to go out. He touched his face and said, “Darling, is your husband exceptionally handsome today?”

Chang Le blinked and nodded slightly.

Yu Qingze smiled as he looked at him.

Chang Le swallowed the meat porridge in his mouth, put down the spoon, and gestured, “I want to go out with Brother Chang this morning… to stroll around and buy some fabric for winter clothes. I should be back before noon.”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “Sure, no need to rush. Since we have Xiaoma to take care of the billing now, me and Jiabao can handle the cooking. It’s fine for you to spend more time with Brother Chang.”

A few days ago, Yu Qingze had asked Xiaoma, who worked as an accountant in the Cai Family, to help them out for a few days. After seeing his capable work, Yu Qingze inquired with the head of the Cai Family if there were any other arrangements for Xiaoma in the future.

The head of the Cai Family knew that they were short-staffed and had no trustworthy person other than themselves to handle the accounting. So he brought up the idea of having Xiaoma work at House of Prosperity.

Xiaoma immediately agreed.

There were a total of three apprentices under his master, and he was the youngest. With his two senior brothers and his master, they were already managing the accounts of the Cai Family in Tongshan quite well. He was actually worried about not having a place to showcase his abilities in the future.

Yu Qingze had a close relationship with the Cai Family, and he had even opened two shops. It was possible that there would be more in the future, so going to work for him was considered a good opportunity. Moreover, based on his observations over the past few days, Yu Qingze treated his subordinates well, and the food in the restaurant was delicious. How could he refuse?

Thus, Yu Qingze gained Xiaoma as the new accountant. Of course, initially, he would only be responsible for handling the billing at the counter. Once they confirmed that he was a trustworthy associate, they would let him manage the accounts.

Upon hearing Yu Qingze’s agreement, Chang Le immediately smiled and nodded, gesturing that they would come back early.

After breakfast, Chang Le and Brother Chang set off, carrying two gift boxes of pastries that Brother Chang had specially made in the morning.

The doctor recommended by Dr. Li was named Ye Man. He lived at No. 16 Changning Road in the southern part of the city, right next to the Cai Family.

They found No. 16 and saw that the outer walls of the courtyard had just been renovated.

They approached and knocked on the door, and after a while, a man in his fifties came to open the door.

“Who are you looking for?” the old man asked.

Brother Chang replied, “Sir, may I ask if Ye Man, Dr. Ye, lives here?”

The old man nodded and said, “Yes, he lives here. What’s the matter?”

“Well, sir, we heard that Dr. Ye has returned to Tongshan and we would like to seek his medical advice,” Brother Chang explained.

Upon hearing their request, the old man frowned and looked at the two of them, saying, “Oh, I’m sorry. The master has instructed that Dr. Ye is resting due to his poor health and is not seeing any patients. It would be better for you to find a doctor in the city.”

Brother Chang added, “We have already visited a doctor in the city. It was Dr. Li from Jiren Hall who recommended us to come here. He said he didn’t have a good solution for this illness and suggested we visit Dr. Ye. Sir, please help us deliver a message. Perhaps Dr. Ye would be willing to see us? Here, these are some pastries made in our shop. Please take them with you when you pass on the message.”

Saying this, Brother Chang tried to hand over the pastries to the old man.

The old man felt embarrassed and quickly declined, saying, “Oh, young man, it’s not that I don’t want to help you. It’s just that the master has specifically instructed due to the poor health of the old master. He cannot handle prolonged exertion. That’s why he gave such instructions.”

“Sir, please help us. We have no other options, that’s why we came here…”

“Just what is all this commotion, Lao Bo?” As they were speaking, a young man in his twenties emerged from the courtyard gate. He had a refined appearance.

(T/N: Lao Bo = Old Uncle).

“Third Young Master,” the old man addressed him and then explained, “Two young gentlemen have come to see the old master for medical treatment, causing some disturbance. I was just about to send them away.”

As soon as Brother Chang saw that he was the young master of the household, he quickly approached him and said, “Are you Young Master Ye? Could you please help us? We have no other choice but to seek treatment from Dr. Ye. Can you please ask him to see us and examine our condition?”

The young man was taken aback for a moment, and the old man beside him was about to step forward to stop Brother Chang, but the young man waved his hand to stop him.

Seeing the earnest expressions on the faces of the two young men and noticing the red birthmark on the silent one’s forehead, he could probably guess what was going on.

He said to Brother Chang, “Young man, I am not Young Master Ye.”

“Oh? You’re not Young Master Ye?” Brother Chang was taken aback, looking at Lao Bo and then at the young man. He said, “Didn’t Lao Bo just call you Third Young Master? Isn’t this Dr. Ye’s house?” If he’s not Young Master Ye, then who is he?

The young man nodded with a smile and said, “This is indeed Dr. Ye’s house, and I am the Third Young Master of this household. However, Dr. Ye is my mother. My surname is Xue, Xue Baizhu.”

“Ah?” Both Brother Chang and Chang Le were surprised. “Dr. Ye is your mother?”

Third Young Master Xue, nodded and said, “Yes.”

So, Dr. Ye is his mother. They had misunderstood! They both thought that Dr. Ye was a man since most doctors in the city are men.

Chang Le and Brother Chang felt a bit embarrassed.

However, Brother Chang quickly regained his composure and said, “I’m sorry, Young Master Xue. We didn’t know. Could you please help us ask Dr. Ye if he is willing to see us? We won’t take up much of his time, truly.”

Third Young Master Xue, shook his head and said, “My mother’s health is not good, and he should avoid exertion. I apologize, but you should go back.”

Brother Chang and Chang Le exchanged a disappointed glance. But since the young man himself said so, they knew they wouldn’t be able to meet him today.

However, Doctor Li had mentioned before that it might not be possible to see him, so they were prepared for rejection. If one attempt didn’t work, they would come again every day to plead. Who knows, maybe if Dr. Ye saw their sincerity, he would soften his heart and agree?

“I see. Thank you, Young Master Xue. We apologize for the disturbance. We’ll come back tomorrow,” Brother Chang said.

“There’s no need to come back tomorrow or any other day. It’s pointless,” Third Young Master Xue, advised.

“Thank you, Young Master Xue.” Brother Chang turned around and saw the box of pastries in his hand. He turned back and swiftly stuffed the pastries into the young man’s arms, saying, “These are pastries made at our shop. Please give them to Dr. Ye to taste.”

After saying that, he turned around and pulled Chang Le away, running off.

“Hey, you…” Third Young Master Xue, held the box of pastries in his arms, looking bewildered. These two brothers were too fast, he couldn’t even refuse in time.

Looking at the box of pastries in his arms, Third Young Master Xue, shook his head and went back into the house.

Coincidentally, he quite enjoyed eating pastries, so he might as well give them a try.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Author’s Note: Bai Zhu, a type of Chinese medicinal herb.

As for this Third Young Master Xue, hehehe…

Thandar: Is he gonna be a match for Brother Chang?

“Is that all?” Yu Qingze asked.

Brother Chang nodded, “Yes.”

Yu Qingze went back with suspicion.

The next day, when Chang Le told Yu Qingze that he wanted to go to Jiren Hall with Brother Chang, Yu Qingze said, “I’ll accompany you.”

This time they were specifically going to address the pregnancy issue, so how could he let Chang Le go alone?

Chang Le quickly gestured, indicating that they were just going for a check-up and would be back soon. He insisted that he and Brother Chang could go, and Yu Qingze should go back and focus on work.

Brother Chang added, “Yes, I’ll accompany Brother Le. You’re so busy, Boss Yu, stay at the restaurant.”

Yu Qingze looked at the two of them, sensing something fishy. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Alright then, tell me when you come back.”

Both of them nodded.

After they left, Yu Qingze also went out. He secretly followed behind them, observing as they indeed entered the medicine hall. Then he went around to the back of the medicine hall, entered the backyard, and knocked on the back door of Dr. Li’s consultation room.

Dr. Li was surprised when he opened the door, “Boss Yu, why are you here?”

“Shh,” Yu Qingze whispered, “Dr. Li, come out for a moment, I want to talk to you.”

Dr. Li accompanied him to the backyard and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Yu Qingze asked, “Is there something wrong with my wife’s health?”

Dr. Li looked puzzled and shook his head, “No, he came to see me a few days ago because he caught a cold, but it wasn’t a big issue.”

Yu Qingze furrowed his brow and continued, “But he has been acting strange these past few days.”

Upon hearing this, Dr. Li pondered for a moment and said, “Ah, I might know the reason.”

Yu Qingze asked, “What’s the matter?”

Dr. Li shook his head and said, “If your wife doesn’t want to tell you, I cannot disclose the patient’s privacy.”

Yu Qingze:…

After some persuasion and back-and-forth with Dr. Li, Yu Qingze finally figured out the issue concerning Chang Le.

“So that’s it,” Yu Qingze murmured. No wonder Chang Le has been acting strangely these past few days. He was preoccupied with this matter.

After thinking for a moment, Yu Qingze said, “Dr. Li, I have an unusual request. When my wife comes in for a consultation later, could you please open the window slightly? I would like to listen in.”

Dr. Li sighed and said, “If he doesn’t want you to know, why bother…”

“Dr. Li, to be honest, I don’t care whether we have a child or not, but I care about my wife. I don’t want him to be too fixated on this issue and ultimately harm his own health,” Yu Qingze said sincerely.

Dr. Li looked at his serious expression, sensing his genuineness, and was moved by his feelings for his wife. He nodded in agreement.

When it was Chang Le’s turn for the consultation, Dr. Li opened the window. The chilly northern wind blew in through the window, causing Dr. Li to shiver.

“Dr. Li, it’s windy. Let me close the window for you,” Brother Chang said, noticing Dr. Li’s shivering.

Dr. Li quickly stopped him and said, “No need, no need. I just wanted some fresh air. It feels a bit stuffy. I’ll close it later.”

Upon hearing this, Brother Chang stepped back.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Dr. Li first asked if Chang Le’s vomiting symptoms had improved and then proceeded to pulse diagnosis.

After a while, Dr. Li finished taking the pulse, his expression becoming solemn.

Chang Le and Brother Chang felt their hearts sink at the sight.

Brother Chang hurriedly asked, “Dr. Li, how is it?”

Dr. Li looked at Chang Le and asked, “Brother Le, have you ever taken any cold medicines before?”

Cold medicines?

Chang Le shook his head and gestured, indicating that he had not taken any. He rarely fell ill since he was ten years old.

Dr. Li furrowed his brows and said, “That’s strange…”

Brother Chang asked, “Why is it blamed?”

Dr. Li said, “A few days ago, when Brother Le caught a cold, I wasn’t sure. But today, based on the pulse diagnosis, Brother Le’s body is fine in other aspects, but the uterus is indeed colder. It should be due to some medicine he took in the past, which has harmed the uterus, resulting in deficiency of Qi and blood, stagnation of Qi and blood circulation, and an obstructed flow. That’s why the birthmark on his forehead appears lighter than usual, making it less easy for him to conceive.”

“Ah?” Brother Chang turned to Chang Le and asked, “Have you taken any medicine in the past?”

Chang Le was also shocked and shook his head. He didn’t have that memory.

Brother Chang said, “Dr. Li, but Brother Le’s birthmark has been like this since childhood.”

Chang Le nodded.

Dr. Li pondered for a while, rechecked the pulse, and said with certainty, “Then it must be because he took some medicine when he was young, and he doesn’t remember. He can go back and ask the older family members if they remember.”

Chang Le and Brother Chang looked at each other.

“Do you remember? Have you ever had a serious illness?” Brother Chang asked.

Chang Le shook his head. After a while, he suddenly remembered something. He grabbed Brother Chang’s hand, his hand trembling a bit, and gestured: Grandpa said that when I was a child, at the age of seven, I almost didn’t make it.

Brother Chang widened his eyes and said, “Is it about that time?”

Chang Le hesitated and nodded, gesturing: It might be.

“Let’s go back and ask Grandpa again,” Brother Chang said, then turned to Dr. Li and asked, “Dr. Li, can his condition be cured?”

Dr. Li sighed and shook his head.

Both of them felt their hearts sink once again.

Brother Chang furrowed his brow and asked, “…Can’t it be cured?”

Dr. Li replied, “I, as an old and inexperienced doctor, am not well-versed in this field and don’t have any good solutions.”

Chang Le, upon hearing this, instinctively tightened his grip.

Brother Chang winced in pain and let out a hiss. Chang Le quickly released Brother Chang’s hand.

Seeing their disappointed expressions, Dr. Li hurriedly said, “However, I know of a doctor who has just returned from the capital. He specializes in studying various illnesses in children and is very knowledgeable in this field. He has successfully treated many children.”

Both of them felt a glimmer of hope. Chang Le gestured eagerly: Who?

“Which doctor? Can Dr. Li introduce us to him?” Brother Chang also asked urgently.

Dr. Li said, “I can do that, but he has recently returned to Tongshan and his health is not very good. He has no plans to see patients, so I don’t know if he will meet with you.”

Brother Chang said, “It’s okay. Please introduce him to us. We can figure out a way ourselves. We have to give it a try.”

Chang Le also nodded.

Dr. Li, seeing this, said, “Alright. I’ll give you his address. You can go and give it a try.”

Then, Dr. Li told them the name and address of that doctor.

“Thank you, Dr. Li. Thank you, Dr. Li,” Brother Chang thanked repeatedly, and both Brother Chang and Chang Le bowed to Dr. Li.

“Oh, no need to thank me, no need to thank me…”

The two of them happily took the address and left the clinic.

Yu Qingze thanked Dr. Li and quickly left through the back door.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: Scientifically, I really wonder the connection between the birthmark and fertility. Like how is it related?

The Crux

After receiving the medicine, Chang Le and Brother Chang returned to the snack shop. Chang Le cautioned Brother Chang not to tell Yu Qingze about this.

Brother Chang nodded and agreed.

“Big Brother, Brother-in-law is back!” Jiabao saw them return and immediately shouted in the backyard. Then he turned around and asked with concern, ” Brother-in-law, how’s your health? Are you okay?”

Chang Le shook his head, indicating that he was fine.

Jiabao felt relieved upon seeing this.

When Yu Qingze heard Jiabao’s shout, he immediately ran out and took Chang Le to the backyard, asking, “How is it? What did the doctor say?”

Chang Le gestured that he caught a cold and just needed to take a few doses of medicine.

Yu Qingze then turned his gaze to Brother Chang.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Brother Chang nodded and lifted the medicine package in his hand, saying, “I’ll go prepare the decoction.”

“Okay, thank you for your hard work,” Yu Qingze expressed his gratitude as he saw Brother Chang nodding. Feeling relieved, he thanked him.

“You don’t have to be polite, Boss Yu,” Brother Chang replied and then headed to the kitchen to find the medicine jar.

Yu Qingze pulled Chang Le to the stone table, placed a cushion for him to sit on, and poured a cup of warm water, asking, “Are you still vomiting? Did the doctor say if you can eat anything?”

Chang Le took a sip of water and gestured, indicating that he was no longer vomiting and could eat.

Yu Qingze quickly brought over some porridge and steamed buns. He cooled down the porridge a bit and fed it to Chang Le, saying, “Have some food to soothe your stomach.” Vomiting can be extremely hard on the stomach, especially when Chang Le even vomited bile, making him feel very uncomfortable.

Chang Le looked at Yu Qingze and opened his mouth to eat, enjoying the gentle feeding from his husband.

“It’s all my fault for not being careful and letting you catch a cold,” Yu Qingze said apologetically.

Chang Le gestured, indicating that it was his own fault for not paying attention.

Yu Qingze shook his head and whispered, “It must be because we were at it for too long last night, causing you to catch a cold.” The nighttime temperatures have dropped now, and it’s easy to catch a cold if one is not careful during intimate activities. Yu Qingze felt regretful.

Chang Le blushed and remained silent, not responding.

He had thought about this when Dr. Li said it was a cold. He had been dressing warmly lately, and during the day, he was mostly in the kitchen cooking, so there was no way he could have caught a cold. The only possible reason he could come up with was their activities last night when they weren’t on the bed and went on for quite a while. That was probably the reason he caught a cold.

After finishing a bowl of porridge, Chang Le waved his hand, indicating that he was done eating. He gestured, saying, “Let’s go back to the restaurant; it’s about time for customers to start arriving.”

“You don’t have to work today. Switch with Jiabao,” Yu Qingze said.

Chang Le shook his head and gestured, saying, “I’m fine. Jiabao is still young and it would be too strenuous for him.”

They used a large wok to stir-fry the dishes, and they usually cooked multiple portions at once. With Jiabao’s current strength, he wouldn’t be able to handle it for long.

“It’s okay, let him give it a try and get some exercise. Besides, I’m here too. If he can’t handle it, then we’ll switch to you. You can go rest for a while. I’ve borrowed the apprentice of the Cai family’s accountant, and he will be in charge of settling the accounts,” Yu Qingze explained.

Seeing that Yu Qingze had made all the arrangements, Chang Le reluctantly nodded.

At that moment, Brother Chang finished washing the medicine pot and brought it to the backyard to brew the medicine.

Yu Qingze told him, “Brother Chang, we’ll take the medicine to the restaurant to brew. You go and replace Jiabao. Let him come with me to stir-fry the dishes.”

Brother Chang nodded and said, “Alright, in that case, you both take this small stove with you. The medicine needs to be brewed with three bowls of water until it reduces to one bowl. It should be served hot after meals, not on an empty stomach. One packet of medicine can be brewed twice.”

“Good, I’ve noted it,” Brother Chang replied.

Yu Qingze held the stove in one hand and held his wife’s hand with the other, while Jiabao followed behind, carrying the medicine package and the medicine pot, and they returned to the restaurant.

“Boss, the servant from the Luo family has come to buy vegetables. The order has been placed. Also, there are two tables of customers waiting for you. They’re just waiting for you to come back and cook,” Xiaoshu reported as soon as they returned.

Yu Qingze and the others looked over to the tables and indeed saw the servant named Yuan Bao from the Luo family sitting there with a three-tiered food container on the table. There were already customers seated at the two tables by the window.

Upon seeing him return, the customers immediately said, “Boss Yu, we’ve been waiting for you.”

“Alright, sorry for keeping everyone waiting. I’ll get to it right away,” Yu Qingze replied with a loud laugh. Then he turned to Chang Le and said, “You go and rest for now. I’ll call you when the medicine is brewed.”

Chang Le gestured, saying, “I’ll go brew the medicine.”

As he spoke, he was about to take the small stove from Yu Qingze’s hand.

“Brother-in-law, it’s fine. Let me brew the medicine. You go and rest,” Jiabao said, taking the small stove from Yu Qingze’s hand and heading to the backyard.

Chang Le, feeling helpless, gestured to Yu Qingze, indicating that he was feeling much better now. He had regained some strength after drinking the congee, and it wasn’t that serious.

Yu Qingze pulled him towards the room, not allowing any objections, and pressed him down on the bed, saying, “You’re not allowed to get up until noon.”

Chang Le:…

Helpless, Chang Le had no choice but to take off his shoes and outer clothes and lie down.

“Rest well.” Yu Qingze kissed his forehead and tucked him in before leaving the room.

Once Yu Qingze was gone, Chang Le extended one hand to gently touch the spot on his forehead that his husband had kissed, while his other hand unconsciously rested on his abdomen.

He wanted a child.

Husband and their child.

He had never yearned for something so intensely before.

Before this incident, he had never paid much attention to this matter. But when Brother Chang mentioned the possibility of being pregnant, he realized that he cared, cared very much! That’s why he felt so disappointed when Dr. Li said it was just a cold and not a pregnancy.

Even though Brother Yu said he didn’t mind whether they had children or not, he really wanted to have a child with him.

In his consciousness, the faded birthmark on his forehead, symbolizing his inability to conceive, had been deeply imprinted in his mind. But today, Dr. Li mentioned that there was still a possibility, which sparked a glimmer of hope in his heart.

As expected, Chang Le had caught a cold, but after taking the medicine and paying attention to keeping warm, he quickly recovered.

However, with a heavy heart, Chang Le often found himself drifting off into space during his free time these past few days. Sometimes he would space out while looking at Yu Qingze, and other times he would stare blankly without knowing what he was looking at.

Yu Qingze noticed it several times and asked him, but Chang Le just said it was nothing.

Yu Qingze took the opportunity to visit the snack shop and asked Brother Chang, “Is there something Chang Le is hiding from me?”

Brother Chang had promised Chang Le not to reveal anything, and if he told Yu Qingze, it would only add to his worries and regrets. It might even make him care about something he didn’t care about before, and that would be troublesome.

He could only help cover for Chang Le and said, “There’s nothing.”

Yu Qingze replied, “Lately, he’s been daydreaming and spacing out.”

“…” Brother Chang paused for a moment and said, “Dr. Li said to wait until he finishes taking the medicine and then go check on him. Maybe Brother Le is worried that his body isn’t fully recovered and it might affect his work?”

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Provocation

Chang Le and Brother Chang arrived at Jiren Hall together.

Jiren Hall had two rooms on the west side of the lobby specifically designated for doctors to see patients. Usually, there were two doctors available for consultation. Outside the consultation rooms, there were many chairs for patients waiting. At this moment, there were already many patients sitting outside Dr. Li’s consultation room, all hoping to be seen by him.

The staff at Jiren Hall asked about the purpose and symptoms of the two individuals and found that it was not an emergency. They also asked which doctor they wanted to see and arranged for them to sit on chairs on the side to wait.

While waiting, Chang Le went to the back of the pharmacy to vomit again. He hadn’t eaten anything, yet he kept vomiting. His stomach felt like it was burning, and the sour and bitter taste lingered in his mouth, making his face pale.

Brother Chang supported him back and asked the pharmacy staff for a glass of water, which Chang Le drank. Then Brother Chang said, “We’ll have to wait a little longer. Rest against me for a while.”

Chang Le was feeling very uncomfortable, so he held his stomach with one hand, frowned, and leaned against Brother Chang, closing his eyes to rest.

They waited for a while longer.

“Next.” Dr. Li’s voice echoed from inside the room.

“It’s your turn now, both of you. Please go in.” The pharmacy staff told Chang Le and Brother Chang.

Upon hearing this, Brother Chang shook Chang Le gently and said, ” Brother Le, it’s our turn.”

Chang Le opened his eyes. He had accidentally fallen asleep just now. Hearing Brother Chang’s words, he stood up and entered the consultation room with him.

After they left, Shi Sheng entered the shop with a servant and happened to see Chang Le and Brother Chang entering the consultation room. He quietly moved over to eavesdrop.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Young Master Sheng?” The servant called out in confusion upon seeing him.

“Shh…” Shi Sheng raised his index finger to signal the servant to be quiet and quietly stood outside the consultation room.

The pharmacy staff hurried over and whispered, “Young Master Sheng, this is the consultation area. Let me take you to get the medicine.”

Shi Sheng smiled and replied, “I know these two inside. They are my good friends, and I’m concerned about their health. It’s alright, you can go attend to your duties. I’ll come get the medicine later.”

The pharmacy staff looked hesitant and said, “It’s not appropriate.”

Shi Sheng slipped a piece of silver into the staff’s hand and said, “It’s fine. The one inside is Chang Le from the Yu family, and I truly know him. You can go about your work.”

The staff looked at the silver in his hand, realized he wasn’t mistaken, and said, “Since you know each other, then it’s alright.” With that, he returned to the counter to attend to his tasks.

Inside the consultation room:

“Dr. Li,” Brother Chang called out, helping Chang Le sit down.

Dr. Li looked up in surprise upon hearing their voices and saw Chang Le and Brother Chang. He quickly assessed their complexion and asked, “Is Brother Le feeling unwell?”

Chang Le nodded and made a few gestures.

Brother Chang explained, “He has been vomiting several times since this morning, but nothing comes out. He also feels chest tightness.”

“Oh? Come, place your hand here, and I will feel your pulse,” Dr. Li said.

Chang Le placed his hand on the pulse position, and Dr. Li covered it with a silk cloth from the side. He proceeded to feel Chang Le’s pulse.

Chang Le nervously clutched his own clothes and watched Dr. Li intently. When he saw the doctor’s brow furrow, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of anxiety.

Brother Chang reached out and gently patted Chang Le’s hand, comforting him.

After a while, Dr. Li finished feeling the pulse and examined Chang Le’s eyes and tongue coating. He pondered for a moment and began writing a prescription.

Chang Le’s heart sank when he saw Dr. Li’s expression. He knew it wasn’t what he had hoped for.

“Dr. Li, how is it?” Brother Chang asked.

Dr. Li replied, “It’s not a big problem. Brother Le has caught a cold, and the upward reversal of stomach qi has caused discomfort. I’ll prescribe a few doses of medicine. Just pay attention to keeping warm and taking the medicine, and he’ll be fine.”

Brother Chang furrowed his brow upon hearing this. “Caught a cold?” he questioned.

Dr. Li nodded while continuing to write the prescription. “The temperature has dropped abruptly recently, and many patients are experiencing similar symptoms. Some have a wind-cold condition with dizziness and fever, while others have vomiting and diarrhea.”

Chang Le lowered his eyes, concealing the disappointment in his heart.

Brother Chang held his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, and then leaned in close to his ear, whispering softly, ” Brother Le, since we’re already here, do you want to ask Dr. Li to take a look? You know, to see why you haven’t been able to conceive even after being married for over half a year, and if there’s any way to help.”

He gestured towards Chang Le’s abdomen and birthmark, indicating that they wanted Dr. Li to examine and provide any possible treatment.

Chang Le paused for a moment, glanced at his own stomach, and bit his lip before nodding.

Brother Chang squeezed Chang Le’s hand and said, “Shall I ask on your behalf?”

Chang Le nodded. Brother Chang was the only one who could ask because Dr. Li wouldn’t understand Chang Le’s gestures.

After Dr. Li finished writing the prescription and gave them some instructions, Brother Chang asked, “Dr. Li, we would like to have a consultation as well.”

Dr. Li was puzzled. “Are you also feeling unwell?”

Brother Chang shook his head, paused for a moment, and said, “It’s Brother Le. He has been married to Boss Yu for over half a year, but they haven’t received any good news yet. We would like you to take a look, please.”

It was quite embarrassing for Brother Chang, an unmarried ger, to ask such a question, but for Chang Le’s sake, he mustered up the courage to inquire.

Dr. Li nodded and said, “So that’s the matter. Alright, Brother Le, extend your hand to me, and I’ll take another look.”

Chang Le extended his wrist once again.

This time, Dr. Li took a longer time to feel his pulse. Afterward, he carefully examined the birthmark on Chang Le’s forehead, furrowing his brows and contemplating for a while. Then he shook his head and said, “This shouldn’t be the case.”

“Dr. Li, how is it? What shouldn’t be the case?” Brother Chang asked. Chang Le also anxiously looked at Dr. Li.

Dr. Li stroked his beard, shook his head, and furrowed his brows as he said, “It’s peculiar. In Brother Le’s case, there’s something unusual. His kidney energy is abundant, and his qi and blood are vigorous. Aside from today’s vomiting symptoms, his overall health is quite good. However, his birthmark appears to be relatively light in color. The color of the birthmark reflects the condition of the uterus, indicating that Brother Le’s uterus might be colder, making it more difficult to conceive. But this doesn’t align with his previous pulse condition. It’s truly quite strange…”

Chang Le and Brother Chang didn’t quite understand what was being said.

Brother Chang decided to ask directly, “So, is it possible for him to conceive?”

Dr. Li was still contemplating the inconsistency between the appearance and the pulse condition. Upon hearing the question, he reassured them, “Yes, it is still possible to conceive. Don’t worry too much. Just because it’s relatively more difficult doesn’t mean it’s impossible. It may take a bit more time compared to others. Relax and the child will naturally come.”

Chang Le gestured a couple of times.

Brother Chang looked at Dr. Li and asked, “Is there any way to treat this? Will taking medicine help?”

Dr. Li shook his head and replied, “In Brother Le’s case, I can’t make a definite conclusion at the moment, so I can’t prescribe medicine hastily. Here’s what we’ll do: once Brother Le’s vomiting symptoms improve, come for another check-up, and I’ll reevaluate the situation.”

Upon hearing this, Chang Le and Brother Chang nodded.

Dr. Li reminded them, “In the meantime, you can drink nourishing soups that are suitable for ordinary people. Such soups generally have benefits for the body. However, Brother Le should wait until he recovers before consuming them.”

“Okay, thank you, Dr. Li,” Brother Chang and Chang Le said as they took the prescription and left.

As they stepped outside, they noticed that Shi Sheng was standing by the door curtain, wearing a disdainful smile as he looked at them.

Brother Chang furrowed his brow and asked, “What are you doing here?”

Shi Sheng sneered and replied, “Oh, can’t I be here? Is this pharmacy yours?”

Chang Le tugged at Brother Chang’s sleeve, signaling him not to engage with Shi Sheng.

Brother Chang nodded and went to the counter to collect the prescribed medicines with Chang Le.

Shi Sheng also approached the counter, snatched the prescription from the attendant’s hand, and then handed it over, loudly saying, “Attendant, prepare five sets of fetal stabilizing medicine for me.”

After speaking, Shi Sheng looked particularly smug and gave Chang Le a triumphant glance.

Fetal stabilizing medicine?

Brother Chang and Chang Le exchanged a glance, their gazes involuntarily shifting towards Shi Sheng’s belly.

Was Shi Sheng pregnant?

“Oh, what are you looking at? Even if you keep looking, you won’t be able to get pregnant,” Shi Sheng’s face lifted with a mocking smile.

Chang Le was startled by his words, his hands instinctively clenching his clothes.

“What did you say?!” Brother Chang became annoyed as soon as he heard it and retorted, “Even if you are pregnant, you wouldn’t become a legitimate wife. What are you so proud of, Madam Shi!”

Since July, Brother Chang had been investigating and gathering information about Shi Sheng. Although Shi Sheng had married Boss Jia from the neighboring restaurant, he was not a legitimate wife but a concubine. Brother Chang didn’t know how he managed to marry Boss Jia, but simply exposing his status as a concubine was enough for Brother Chang to fight back.

As expected, when Shi Sheng heard Brother Chang’s words, his face immediately changed. He reached out to cover Brother Chang’s mouth. Brother Chang dodged, causing Shi Sheng to stumble and almost fall.

“Hey, hey, hey, you two, stop it! Why are you fighting? Aren’t you all acquainted?” The pharmacy assistant quickly shouted, trying to intervene.

“Oh, oh, Madam Shi, are you alright? Be careful, you’re pregnant!” The servant next to Shi Sheng hurriedly approached, assisting him, and then turned to Brother Chang and said anxiously, “What are you doing? Madam Shi is pregnant. If anything happens to him, can you afford the consequences?”

Brother Chang sneered, “Then tell him not to provoke us. He brought this upon himself.”

“You! I’ll tear apart that vile mouth of yours!” Upon hearing this, Shi Sheng was about to rush forward. The servant quickly grabbed him from behind and exclaimed, “No, Madam Shi, please be careful! Master is eagerly anticipating the baby’s birth. Can’t you think about him?”

Upon hearing this, Shi Sheng immediately stopped and coldly said to the servant, “Let go, I’m fine.”

The servant hesitated for a moment and then released his hold.

Shi Sheng chuckled, straightened his clothes, touched his belly, and then turned to the stunned pharmacy assistant, saying, “Are my anti-miscarriage pills ready?”

“They’re ready, they’re ready.” The pharmacy assistant quickly handed him the medicine package.

Brother Chang rolled his eyes at the sight.

Chang Le tugged at Brother Chang’s sleeve and shook his head at him. Brother Chang nodded in response and turned back to the counter, waiting to collect their medicine.

Shi Sheng picked up the medicine package and handed it to the servant, then said, “Let’s go. When we get back, we’ll stew that hen that can’t lay eggs. If it can’t lay eggs, why keep it? It’s a waste of food!”

“You!” Brother Chang was about to get angry again upon hearing this, rolling up his sleeves and wanting to step forward. This Shi Sheng was truly insufferable with his foul mouth.

Chang Le quickly grabbed Brother Chang and held him back.

“Brother Le, don’t hold me back. He deserves to be taught a lesson!”

Shi Sheng glanced at Chang Le, sneered, and arrogantly walked away with his servant.

Once the two of them were far away, Chang Le let go of Brother Chang and gestured, saying, “If he falls and has a miscarriage, even if we’re in the right, we won’t be able to explain it clearly. It will become our fault.”

“You… sigh, I understand.” Brother Chang sighed and said, “Don’t mind what he said. Dr. Li said it will happen sooner or later. And didn’t Boss Yu say he doesn’t care about having a child? Don’t worry, don’t think too much, okay?”

Chang Le nodded and gestured that he understood.

He understood, but hearing Shi Sheng’s words and seeing him touch his belly, Chang Le was still struck by a sense of envy.

He lowered his gaze, not letting Brother Chang see the longing in his eyes.

If he could have a child with Brother Yu, how wonderful would that be…

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: It’s ok. Let him give birth first and you go beat his ass, Brother Chang. *smirk

Is It Ready?

After Lord Cai and the others left, on the same evening, Yu Qingze went to the village chief’s house and informed them about the matter.

“Great news!” The village chief exclaimed, slapping his leg in excitement.

Usually, rural folks rarely had the chance to meet anyone of high status. Perhaps the most important official they would encounter in their lifetime was a county magistrate, and there were even some who had never seen a county magistrate. If it weren’t for the lord governor coming to find Yu Qingze, they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet him. Not only did the lord governor come today, but he also spoke to them and asked about their lives. Moreover, the lord governor was Lord Cai, who was well-liked by the common people, which made them even more excited.

Now, suddenly, they were told that this threshing machine thing could be presented to the Emperor to see. This news excited them so much that they were almost beside themselves.

Dajian asked somewhat skeptically, “That’s right, Brother Yu, can it really be shown to the Emperor and receive praise from the current ruler?”

Yu Qingze replied, “That depends on the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works. According to Lord Cai’s estimate, the current ruler pays great attention to the lives of the common people, so there shouldn’t be any major issues with this kind of agricultural tool.”

Upon hearing this, the village chief, Dajian, and Dayong all chuckled. The Emperor…

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “Village chief, in my opinion, most farmers can’t afford the threshing machine. If the wind valley cart is expensive, there might not be many buyers. It would take several households pooling their money to buy one. How about we submit the blueprints to Lord Cai?”

The village chief nodded and said, “You have the final say on this. Originally, you came up with these blueprints and drew them up. We are already very happy that you came to discuss it with us. Besides, this is a good thing. We wouldn’t be able to sell many of them even if we made them. Perhaps people from other places can afford to buy them. Threshing grain is such hard work, it would be nice if others could do it more easily.”

“Alright, I’ll reply to Lord Cai then.”

That evening, Yu Qingze went home and drew up the blueprints for the foot-operated threshing machine. He also made some adjustments to the original data based on Dajian’s input. After that, he drew up the rice bed, wind valley cart, and hand-pushed cart.

The next day at noon, after finishing his lunch, Yu Qingze went to the city. When he arrived, the governor hadn’t returned home for his meal yet, so he waited for a while until he finally saw Lord Cai.

Lord Cai and Master Sun were both delighted when they saw the blueprints. Master Sun took the blueprint of the wind valley cart and started studying it.

After explaining everything to them, Yu Qingze returned home. He still had to thresh the grain in the afternoon.

After finishing harvesting the rice, Yu Qingze and Grandpa Chang started sprouting the potatoes. Once the sprouts grew well, they would ask the villagers to cut the seed potatoes into small pieces and help plant them. However, they only had a small quantity of seed potatoes, so they could only plant them in their own fields for now.

Four days passed, and most of the employees’ rice had been harvested. The remaining small amount could be harvested by their own family members. Two of the vegetable-cutting employees asked other villagers who had finished their harvest to help with the final bit of rice. On the fifth day, they arrived at the store on time to work.

After harvesting the rice, the villagers started digging sweet potatoes and making sweet potato flour. When the temperature dropped a bit more, Yu Qingze said they could start making cured meat.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

In the past, winter used to be a leisurely season, but now it has become the busiest time of the year. However, everyone is happy because there is money to be made.

In the city, both the snack shop and restaurant have opened simultaneously, and everyone is busy following their routines.

After entering October, the temperature suddenly dropped, and the previously cool weather started feeling cold.

In the morning, when Chang Le was brushing his teeth, he felt a wave of nausea in his stomach. He frowned and pressed his stomach, wanting to drink some water to relieve the discomfort, but he couldn’t hold it back and vomited.

Poor Chang Le hadn’t eaten anything in the morning, so his stomach was empty. There was nothing much to vomit except for the acidic gastric juice.

“What’s wrong? Why are you vomiting? Is your stomach not feeling well?” Yu Qingze came out of the room and heard Chang Le vomiting, quickly approaching to pat his back.

Chang Le shook his head and handed the toothbrush to Yu Qingze, indicating that he should hold it. Then he bent over and vomited again, this time even yellow bile came out.

“Did you catch a cold these past couple of days? Or did you eat something bad?” Yu Qingze took the toothbrush and placed it on a nearby stool, continuing to pat Chang Le’s back.

After a while, Chang Le finished vomiting, drank some water to rinse his mouth, and raised his head. His eyes were red, with tears welling up in the corners, making him look pitiful. He didn’t know why he suddenly vomited; it didn’t seem like he caught a cold or ate something wrong.

Yu Qingze wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and said, “Come on, I’ll take you to see a doctor.”

Chang Le shook his head and gestured that it wasn’t necessary. He indicated that he just felt chest tightness and nausea earlier, but now he felt much better after vomiting.

Yu Qingze worriedly said, “Still, let’s go and get it checked.”

No need, I’m fine now. Chang Le gestured a few times, took a moment to relax, and then picked up the toothbrush from the stool to brush his teeth.

Seeing that he indeed seemed fine now, Yu Qingze went to freshen up as well but kept an eye on Chang Le, thinking that if it happened again, he would take him to Dr. Li’s place for a check-up.

Once both of them finished their morning routines, they closed the shop and went to a snack shop for breakfast.

Yu Qingze specifically served a bowl of plain congee for Chang Le and went to get some snacks for himself. However, before they could start eating, Chang Le covered his mouth and ran to the backyard.

Seeing this, Yu Qingze quickly put down his plate and followed after him.

Brother Chang was puzzled but followed them to the backyard as well.

When Yu Qingze arrived at the backyard, he saw Chang Le leaning against the corner of the wall, one hand supporting himself against the wall, and the other covering his stomach, dry heaving without actually vomiting.

Brother Chang asked, “What’s wrong with Brother Le?”

Yu Qingze shook his head and said, “I don’t know. He also vomited this morning, probably caught a cold. I’ll take him to see a doctor later.”

“Oh, make sure you remember to go,” Brother Chang reminded.

“Yeah, you go ahead and take care of things,” Yu Qingze said.

Brother Chang arrived at the kitchen door and happened to meet his mother.

Brother Chang’s mother stopped him and asked, “What happened? Is something wrong?”

Brother Chang replied, ” Brother Le vomited, but nothing came out. He dry heaved, and it looks uncomfortable. Boss Yu said he will take him to see a doctor later.”

“Vomited? Dry heaved?” Brother Chang’s mother was initially taken aback but then burst into laughter.

Brother Chang frowned and asked, “Mother, why are you so happy when Brother Le is sick?”

Brother Chang’s mother chuckled but didn’t say anything.

After Chang Le finished vomiting, Brother Chang’s mother made an excuse to take Chang Le to their room. Brother Chang followed suit and squeezed in as well.

Chang Le looked at the two of them with confusion and gestured, “What’s going on?”

Brother Chang shook his head and also looked at his mother.

Brother Chang’s mother asked, ” Brother Le, besides dry heaving, do you have any other symptoms?”

Chang Le gestured, indicating that he felt a little chest discomfort.

Brother Chang’s mother explained further.

Then, Brother Chang’s mother asked, “Have you recently caught a cold or eaten something unusual?”

Chang Le thought about it and realized that he had been eating the same as usual these past few days. As for catching a cold, the temperature had dropped, so he had been wearing more clothes and didn’t feel cold.

He shook his head.

Seeing this, Brother Chang’s mother smiled and then looked at the red birthmark on Chang Le’s forehead. He reached out and touched it, asking, “Have you felt any itching sensation on your birthmark recently?”

Chang Le touched his forehead and shook his head, indicating that he hadn’t felt any itching.

Brother Chang looked at the two of them with suspicion, and when he saw his mother touching Chang Le’s birthmark, a thought crossed his mind. He asked his mother in surprise, “Mother, are you suggesting that Brother Le is pregnant and has a baby?”

Brother Chang’s mother nodded and said, “That’s what I think. They’ve been married for over six months, so it’s possible. But his birthmark doesn’t itch.”

When a ger is pregnant, during the first three months when the fetus is not yet stable, the birthmark on the forehead may feel itchy. The more vibrant the red color of the birthmark, the itchier it becomes. After three months, when the fetus stabilizes, the itching subsides. This is a distinct characteristic during a ger’s pregnancy.

Upon hearing this, Chang Le was taken aback and instinctively looked down at his abdomen.

Is there a baby?

He couldn’t help but reach out and touch his abdomen, feeling flat and no different from before.

Is there a little baby inside here? A baby with my husband?

At the thought of this, Chang Le felt a wave of joy in his heart.

However, his birthmark was too faint, which makes it difficult to conceive, right? And his birthmark didn’t itch. It shouldn’t be, right?

He had never seen any a ger with a birthmark as dull as his. On the other hand, he knew someone whose birthmark was even darker, but they couldn’t conceive.

With these thoughts in mind, Chang Le’s hand that was touching his abdomen curled up slightly and quietly withdrew.

Brother Chang thought for a moment and also reached out to touch Chang Le’s birthmark, saying, ” Brother Le, maybe your birthmark’s color is still light, and it hasn’t fully manifested yet. Or maybe you just haven’t noticed it?”

Brother Chang’s mother, upon hearing this, also found it reasonable and said, “That’s also possible. When I was pregnant before, I didn’t feel my birthmark itching until after three months.”

“Yes, that’s possible,” Brother Chang agreed.

Upon hearing this, Chang Le’s heart skipped a beat, and a glimmer of hope emerged.

“We won’t figure anything out by speculating here. Let’s go see a doctor quickly. The doctor’s diagnosis will give us the answer,” Brother Chang’s mother suggested.

Brother Chang nodded and said, “Yes, yes, we shouldn’t guess randomly. Let Boss Yu take you to see the doctor.”

Saying that, Brother Chang turned to open the door, but Chang Le grabbed his arm.

“What’s wrong?” Brother Chang asked.

Chang Le gestured a few times to communicate.

Brother Chang looked surprised and said, “You want me to accompany you to see the doctor?”

Chang Le nodded and gestured, “Come with me, but don’t tell Brother Yu about this for now.”

Brother Chang held Chang Le’s hand and hesitated, “Are you worried?”

Chang Le’s eyes flickered, and he nodded gently.

He didn’t want Brother Yu to be disappointed. If he never knew about this, it would be fine. But if he found out, got excited, and later confirmed it wasn’t true, Brother Yu would definitely be disappointed. Going from hope to disappointment would also be hard for him to bear.

Brother Chang nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll accompany you.”

The three of them walked out the door.

Yu Qingze was waiting under the osmanthus tree, discussing something with Jiabao. When he saw them coming out, he quickly said, “Let’s go, we’re going to see the doctor.”

Chang Le shook his head and gestured, “You go and take care of the restaurant’s breakfast. We can’t all leave. What if we have to wait for a long time? Someone needs to cook.”

Yu Qingze replied, “It’s still early now. We can come back after seeing the doctor. Besides, the restaurant is not as important as your health.”

Upon hearing this, Chang Le blushed.

Brother Chang’s mother and Brother Chang exchanged a glance, both with a hint of amusement in their eyes.

Chang Le gestured, “Just let Brother Chang accompany me. As for the snack shop, Jiabao can settle the bill first.”

Yu Qingze furrowed his brow.

Brother Chang also said, “Boss Yu, let me accompany Brother Le. It won’t delay both sides. I promise to take him to Dr. Li’s and bring him back safely!”

Yu Qingze looked at the two of them and nodded, saying, “Alright then. Whatever the doctor says, make sure to tell me everything when you come back.”

Chang Le nodded.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: Oh ho, the old vomiting + dry heaving = pregnancy lol