Extra 2

“Right, that’s it.” Lu Yongzhang’s deep voice held emotions that were hard to hide. “That’s why I asked my mother to find a skilled craftsman to restore this place to how it was when I originally set it up.”

The residence had changed hands several times, and the layout and decorations had been altered a lot in between.

However, he had been involved in every detail at the time and had put in great effort.

During the renovation, he set high standards and spent a lot of money, yet everything was completed successfully.

He had secretly prepared this house for her when she turned twenty-five and left the palace.

He knew he had no right to spend a lifetime with her, but he could be her family if she didn’t want to marry.

All the words left unspoken, and the things left undone were resolved at that moment.

Zheng Xiaorou was aware that the old house had returned to the Lu family, but she had never cared about the specific situation or progress.

Moreover, when Lu Yongzhang intends to give her a surprise, she is even more unclear about the origins of everything.

“Listen to the sound of the car outside. Could it be that they have returned?” Qin Yijun’s voice came through the door.

Mother Zheng responded, “I’ll go take a look.”

The two exchanged a smile, opened the door, and went out to greet them.

“Mom!”

“Mom!”

Mother Zheng was extremely happy, tugging at the apron on her body. “Come in quickly.” She looked at her son-in-law. “Xiao Lu, this house is truly wonderful. Our girl is so fortunate!”

Lu Yongzhang nodded. “Mom, you don’t need to be polite. There are enough rooms in the house. If Tian Lei comes to Beijing for his graduate studies, he can stay here on weekends.”

“That would trouble your in-laws too much!” Although she said this, Mother Zheng’s smile never faded.

“It’s nothing. A house is meant to be lived in. Xiaorou and I…” He looked down at her, “also plan to come back within a year or two.”

The various projects he had been in charge of had all taken shape, and the company he operated under his own name had already grown considerably. Returning to the mainland was something they had discussed long ago.

“Great, that’s great!” Mother Zheng grinned from ear to ear.

Zheng Xiaorou asked with concern, “Mom, how are my brother and sister-in-law doing? And what about Dad? How is Xiaocheng? The last time I came back, she cried and refused to go to school. Is she still making a fuss?”

Mother Zheng beamed with joy. “They’re all doing well! In the new house, your dad doesn’t have his old buddy around, so he can only go out every day to practice Tai Chi, buy groceries, and learn to fish from the old men in the community.

Now, we don’t even have to spend money on fish at home. Your brother is now in charge of two production workshops. Xiao Lu introduced your sister-in-law to the beverage factory, where she’s earning a high salary!

 Don’t worry about Xiaocheng; your sister-in-law is managing her well. Last semester, she got the ‘Good Student’ award!”

After she finished speaking, she unconsciously glanced at Lu Yongzhang, realizing that this son-in-law had gradually become the core of their family.

Now, whenever Father Zheng was in front of outsiders, even if his older and younger sons casually referred to him as “Fat Huo,” his granddaughter would chime in, “Grandpa, don’t brag! Grandma will scold you if she finds out!”

Just then, outside the door, Zheng Tianlei was banging and shouting, “Open the door! It’s me!”

Mother Zheng slapped her thigh. “What’s that little rascal shouting about!”

“It’s nothing.” Lu Yongzhang turned and opened the door.

Zheng Tianlei dashed in like a little cannonball, and when he saw who was in front of him, he suddenly hit the brakes and shouted properly, “Lu… Brother-in-law, what are you doing here?”

Zheng Xiaorou smacked him on the head. “What are you shouting about!”

“Big Sis! I told you, you can’t touch a man’s head and definitely can’t hit it!”

Zheng Tianlei rushed over to Lu Yongzhang and clung to him. “Brother-in-law, you have to manage my sister. She’s so fierce!”

“I wouldn’t dare.” Lu Yongzhang said seriously, and then he pushed Zheng Tianlei toward Zheng Xiaorou, allowing her to hit him more easily.

Qin Yijun called out to them, “Come on, come on! It’s time to eat!”

Just as Zheng Tianlei felt he had been rescued, he raised his head and spread his arms, calling for everyone to wait. “Let’s wait for Uncle Lu! He should be back soon!”

He wore an excited grin on his face. “Today, Uncle Lu took me to meet Professor Bai. He should be taking Professor Bai home right now!”

Zheng Xiaorou looked at Lu Yongzhang.

He had mentioned this briefly before they returned, but it turned out that he had arranged for Uncle Lu to handle it. No wonder she hadn’t heard him mention it in the past few days.

Lu Yongzhang squeezed her hand, and she understood that it was his way of reassuring her that it was fine; they were all family.

They were all luckier than in their previous lives. In this life, they had family, and finding ways to take care of them was also a kind of happiness.

The courtyard was larger than the Shikumen houses. Zheng Tianlei jumped and laughed in the central courtyard, and it was then that Zheng Xiaorou finally heard the whole story.

Professor Bai, whom Uncle Lu had arranged to meet, was a renowned expert in optics in the country. He taught at Tsinghua University while also being in charge of a national-level laboratory specializing in laser projects.

When Zheng Tianlei filled out his college applications, he considered that his Chinese and Chemistry scores were holding him back, and he was still quite far from the cutoff for Tsinghua University. Lu Yongzhang suggested that he apply to another engineering university in Beijing.

Once in college, he indeed showcased a remarkable talent in physics, achieving impressive grades in his major courses.

Additionally, with Lu Yongzhang occasionally bringing him foreign physics papers, Zheng Tianlei made significant progress and became much more composed.

Today, Uncle Lu had taken him to meet Professor Bai. After testing him on his knowledge, the old professor was pleasantly surprised to find that the boy’s understanding was far beyond that of the average college student. He invited him to take the entrance exam for his graduate program.

Just how valuable was this invitation?

As long as he took the exam and surpassed the baseline, Professor Bai would help him get in.

It could be said that Zheng Tianlei had nearly secured his ticket to graduate school at Tsinghua.

How could he not be happy?

He felt like clinging to Lu Yongzhang’s shoulders and not letting go!

Qin Yijun came over and took Zheng Xiaorou’s hand. “Xiaorou, today I tried making Cantonese steamed pork ribs from the recipe. Come and see how it compares to what you had in Hong Kong! Oh, and I also made your favorite steamed perch with ham; you should try it too!”

The kitchen was even hotter than outside, and as soon as Zheng Xiaorou stepped in, she felt a bit suffocated.

The courtyard kitchen had two large stoves, and a chef hired from outside was currently using one of them to stir-fry at high heat.

She paused her steps, watching her mother-in-law walk to the stove and take a deep sniff. “It smells wonderful!”

Qin Yijun excitedly lifted the lid off the large steamer on the other stove, and the aroma of black bean sauce mixed with the fragrance of fish and meat rushed toward her, filling the entire room.

She used chopsticks to pick up a piece and placed it in a small bowl, turning to look at Zheng Xiaorou expectantly. “Xiaorou, come and try!”

Zheng Xiaorou couldn’t tell if the smell of cooking oil or the steam made her throat feel tight; a wave of nausea rushed to her throat.

She covered her mouth and didn’t have time to say sorry before rushing outside.

In the backyard were a pomegranate tree and an osmanthus tree, which had only recently taken root and began sprout new leaves.

The wind blew gently, bringing with it the fresh scent of grass and trees.

Zheng Xiaorou leaned against the tree, taking several deep breaths until she managed to suppress the wave of nausea.

If it hadn’t been for the lunch box she ate at the construction site, she wouldn’t have thrown up just now since there was nothing in her stomach.

She probably had heat exhaustion.

She regretted not drinking some salt soda that her assistant had bought earlier.

Once she felt steady again, she straightened up, intending to apologize to her mother-in-law. She realized that her mother-in-law had worked hard on the dishes, and her earlier behavior had been quite rude.

But when she turned around, she saw her mother-in-law standing in the kitchen doorway with tears in her eyes, cautiously asking, “Xiaorou, are you… expecting a child?”

Mother Zheng had urged her to have a child, but her in-laws had never brought it up in front of her. It seemed Lu Yongzhang had used their careers as a shield.

Seeing her mother-in-law like this, Zheng Xiaorou understood that it wasn’t that her in-laws didn’t want to see a third generation; it was that they were afraid.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she replied, “No, it’s probably just the heat from the construction site today. I think I’m a little overheated.”

“Oh, then go sit in the front,” Qin Yijun quickly adjusted herself and handed the small bowl to her. “Sit by the fan and try it later. Anyway, we still have to wait for your dad. If the flavor isn’t right, I can discuss it with the chef.”

Holding the bowl of fish in her hand, the once-refreshing breeze now felt nauseating again. Zheng Xiaorou thought the tight sensation in her throat threatened to return.

She quickly turned and held the bowl farther away.

In the front courtyard, Lu Boshi pushed the door open, and amidst Zheng Tianlei’s jubilant welcome, his first sight was of his pale daughter-in-law, whose lips had lost color. “What happened to Xiaorou? Is she unwell?”

At the mention of her, Lu Yongzhang frowned and looked over. He supported her arm and reached out to touch her forehead. It felt slightly sticky but not hot. Looking down, he saw her face was indeed pale and couldn’t help but worry, “What’s wrong?”

Lu Yongzhang’s hand rested on her arm, and the bowl she had held at a distance was brought back close, allowing the fishy smell to waft insistently toward her nose.

“Ugh…” Zheng Xiaorou could no longer hold back and vomited. She shoved the bowl into Lu Yongzhang’s hands and stepped back, supporting her waist. “It’s nothing; I think it might be because of the hot weather. I feel a bit nauseous.”

“Nauseous…” Mother Zheng exchanged a glance with her in-law, who had hurried over upon hearing the commotion. In that instant, they shared an unspoken understanding and simultaneously told the two men in the courtyard, “Let’s take her to the hospital for a check-up.”

“Okay.” Lu Yongzhang stepped forward and held her hand, his expression serious. “Let’s go; we’re heading to the hospital.”

However, Zheng Xiaorou shook off his hand, covered her nose, and pointed at the bowl. “You quickly eat that piece of fish. Don’t wave it around in front of me.”

Innocent Lu Yongzhang had no choice but to hurriedly eat the fish before pulling Zheng Xiaorou to leave quickly.

“Slow down! Don’t run!” Mother Zheng called out loudly behind them. Then, thinking about her son-in-law’s lack of experience, she grabbed the apron and tossed it to Zheng Tianlei. “I’ll go with you.”

After the piece of fish was gone, the nausea in Zheng Xiaorou’s chest had already subsided, but she still dragged her feet at the door, unwilling to go. “Dinner is about to be served; I’m not going to the hospital.”

“Just a moment.” Lu Yongzhang pulled out his car keys. “We’re not going to the hospital; we’ll just make a trip to Tian Xiao’e’s uncle’s house.”

Zheng Xiaorou looked at the family gathered in the yard. “But I’m hungry.”

Hungry?

“Then finish eating before we go. Anyway, we’re not rushing to the hospital; it’s just a visit to relatives.” Qin Yijun said, quickly heading back to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

The table was filled with dishes, but except for Zheng Tianlei, no one seemed to care about eating. That pot of steamed perch, which should have been the most favored dish, was left in the kitchen and not brought out.

Lu Boshi had a habit of saying a few words before every meal, but today, he made an exception and remained silent.

The entire family quietly observed which dishes Zheng Xiaorou was reaching for with her chopsticks, but they were disappointed to find that aside from not being able to eat fish, her appetite seemed about the same as before; she was able to eat and drink without issue.

—o—o—o—

After the meal, she no longer had any excuses to refuse her mother-in-law’s arrangements. When she and Lu Yongzhang arrived, Director Tian from the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery was already at their home waiting for them.

After some casual greetings and a small gift from Lu Yongzhang, he got straight to the point. “Uncle Tian, I’m really sorry. Xiaorou just suffered from heatstroke; my mom and the others were a bit too anxious, fearing she might have other discomforts.”

Zheng Xiaorou added, “I felt nauseous for a little while, but after eating, I didn’t feel anything at all. It really was just heatstroke, not… pregnancy!”

She knew what her mother-in-law and mother were thinking.

They might not be aware that it was easy to buy various contraceptives in Xiangjiang. She and Lu Yongzhang had always been very careful, and such a disruption to their life plans was impossible.

Director Tian had already received a call from the Lu family and was smiling as he said, “Let’s take your pulse; I’ll see what the situation is.”

He was one of the few doctors who had transitioned from traditional Chinese medicine to Western medicine, and taking a pulse was second nature to him.

He motioned for Zheng Xiaorou to sit down, gently placing his hand to check her pulse. After a moment of examination, he lowered his head and smiled.

Lu Yongzhang remembered that Tian Xiao’e had mentioned that this uncle enjoyed being mysterious. He helplessly said, “Uncle Tian, this suspense is killing us. You’re making us anxious.”

“It’s confirmed; she is pregnant, less than eight weeks along.” Director Tian retracted his hand. “The expectant mother’s health is pretty good, but she needs to pay attention to rest. She should get at least seven hours of sleep each day. There’s no need to worry about nutrition, but do be careful not to over-supplement.”

“…What?!” Zheng Xiaorou shook her head in denial. “That’s impossible; we’ve always been using contraception.”

“Tell me how you were practicing contraception.”

Lu Yongzhang reached out and held her hand, quickly answering, “We’ve always used condoms, but there was one time when we didn’t have any, and we used… withdrawal.”

Though it was extremely embarrassing to say, he forced himself to answer due to the seriousness of the situation.

Director Tian appeared unfazed. “Well, that’s how it happened, isn’t it? There’s no such thing as a safe period.

One time without protection, and hey, here comes the baby!

From what I can see, the pregnancy looks quite good. If you’re still worried, you can go to the obstetrics department tomorrow for a check-up.

Also, doesn’t the mother keep track of her menstrual cycle? It’s been a while since her last period, and she didn’t think about the reason?”

Zheng Xiaorou’s expression turned blank. It did seem like it had been quite a while since her last period, but she had been too busy with work to pay attention.

Seeing the two of them looking rather shocked, Director Tian seemed to be in a better mood. “Since it has come to this, let’s accept it. You two are running around, and the baby hasn’t gone anywhere, which means it’s meant to be. Just take good care of yourselves. Next year, I’ll prepare a big red envelope for the baby as a welcome gift.”

Although they were extremely reluctant to accept it, Director Tian was the youngest surgical director at the hospital, and if he weren’t fully confident, he wouldn’t be joking around like that.

—o—o—o—

After leaving the Tian family’s house, Lu Yongzhang tightened his grip on her hand. “It’s my fault; it’s all my fault.”

While others were busy celebrating, he understood all too well that this would greatly disrupt her plans.

The timing of this child was not ideal.

Although having or not having the baby would harm her body, he hoped that she would be in a positive state of mind to welcome a child.

When they returned home, everyone was indeed in a festive mood, but the two of them didn’t join in and hurriedly washed up before going to bed.

Lying on the bunk bed, Lu Yongzhang massaged her somewhat swollen calves and said softly, “Once you finish your work, we’ll return to Xiangjiang. I’ll find the best doctors for you. Though it might be a bit hard on your body, luckily, the baby is still small.”

The light on the ceiling was blocked by the upper bunk, casting Lu Yongzhang’s profile into a clear silhouette.

It reminded her of when he was just over ten years old, ragged but with clear eyes, his forehead similarly smooth.

She saw him politely asking the steward through the carriage window curtain, “Excuse me, sir, is there any room on your carriage for me to ride a bit?”

She caressed her flat abdomen and suddenly felt a strange bond with the child inside her, who had yet to take shape.

If it were a boy, would he be as polite and handsome as Lu Yongzhang?

If it were a girl, would she be as intelligent and strong as he was?

Zheng Xiaorou felt a warmth in her eyes as she held his hand. “When Juanjuan came today, I thought about it. The opportunity the teacher provided is great, but I still want to create my own brand.”

“Okay.” Lu Yongzhang tightened his grip on her hand. “Then let’s build your brand. I’ll take care of the business and factory side for you.”

“What I mean is, since I’m going out on my own, I need to save up money and not rush back to work… so I want to keep the baby.”

Lu Yongzhang stopped massaging her legs. “You mean, you want to keep this child?”

“Exactly…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Lu Yongzhang gently but firmly rolled over and pulled her into his embrace as if he were afraid of startling the baby.

They stayed silent for a long while.

When Zheng Xiaorou looked up, she saw the usually calm and composed man intently gazing at her belly, his eyes filled with unspoken excitement and affection.

Upon closer look, she noticed that his eyes were red.

That night, Zheng Xiaorou dreamed of a little boy.

He was dressed neatly, sitting by the window, his small body bathed in the morning light.

He was reading with perfect diction. He looked at her and asked in a sweet, childish voice, “Mother, do you think Tianci reads well?”

She heard herself reply: “You read beautifully.”

As the dream began to fade, she was reluctant to wake up, but she sensed some commotion outside the main room, as if the two mothers were discussing something.

Lu Yongzhang said, “Uncle Tian mentioned that the food doesn’t need to change. She doesn’t have to eat what she doesn’t like; right now, she just doesn’t eat fish.”

“Lu Yongzhang.”

After she called out his name, the door was quickly pushed open. She heard footsteps approaching, and Lu Yongzhang rushed to her side in a few quick strides, bending down to ask her, “Are you feeling nauseous? I just called a gynecologist, and she said it might be more severe in the morning. Do you have any appetite?”

Zheng Xiaorou studied his face and suddenly asked, “If it’s a boy, what name do you think would be good?”

Lu Yongzhang paused for a moment, and then a smile appeared on the corners of his lips. “Regardless of whether it’s a boy or a girl, this child seems like a gift from heaven. If it’s a boy, we can name him Tiāncì; if it’s a girl, we can call her Tiāncí. What do you think?”

Tianci… Tianci… ^[1]The two Chinese names 天赐 and 天慈 have different meanings: The first one means “Heavenly Gift” or “Bestowed by Heaven.” the latter means “Heavenly Kindness” … Continue reading

Zheng Xiaorou gradually smiled and nodded. “Good.”

Life is so magical.

She and he carry the memory of their past lives.

Is there a possibility that she and he did not enter the palace in a gap in time and space, and maybe they will be together without regrets like in her dream?

Who knows?

There will always be someone who will fight for you—crossing vast expanses and overcoming countless obstacles just to reach you.

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T/N: Sadly, this is the last chapter! I really like this short story~ Thank you for reading~ See you on my next project~