Chapter 29: Taking Care of the Child

Jiang Chuan had promised to accompany Du Wanqiu on a shopping trip to the city during his leave, but due to recent rumors, he ultimately backed out.

He didn’t dare confirm whether Du Wanqiu had actually troubled Xiao Qingru because even if he confirmed it, he couldn’t do anything about it. It was as if by not looking or listening, he could pretend nothing had happened.

He never thought he could be so cowardly. If Du Wanqiu wasn’t as gentle as he had imagined, then what did everything he had done before mean?

Jiang Chuan couldn’t face himself perhaps it was his former self he found hard to look at.

Though he didn’t go with Du Wanqiu to the city, he still prepared. He took some money and ration tickets from his coat pocket.

“Here, take these to buy yourself something nice,” he said.

Du Wanqiu, who had been excited about Jiang Chuan’s promise to accompany her, was disappointed but unwilling to let go completely.

“We’re getting married tomorrow,” she said. “Why don’t we go to the city today to take a photo?”

“A wedding doesn’t have to have photos,” Jiang Chuan thought, feeling that was something reserved for couples in love.

They were only together because of circumstance. Those formalities seemed unnecessary.

Du Wanqiu quickly tried to cover up her disappointment. “I mean, we could take a family photo with Xiao Bao. You’ll be his father soon, and when he’s older, he can look at it and hear about our story.”

Jiang Chuan’s throat tightened. He wanted to say that he wasn’t really the child’s father and that when Xiao Bao was older, he should know the truth. He had no intention of claiming the child as his own just to raise him for his late friend and help him succeed.

Yet seeing the spark in Du Wanqiu’s eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to voice these thoughts. He didn’t want to ruin her happiness. He decided to let her think whatever she wanted.

“The family photo can wait,” he said, gently. “The child is still young, and traveling back and forth for hours wouldn’t be good for him.”

Du Wanqiu knew he was making excuses. If Jiang Chuan came with her, she wouldn’t have to ride her bike she could go in style in a Jeep. But since their wedding was tomorrow, she didn’t want to cause any additional drama.

“Then I’ll leave him with you for today,” she said.

Jiang Chuan reassured her. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him.”

Du Wanqiu smiled teasingly. “You’ll have plenty of chances to help. Think of today as practice.”

Jiang Chuan nodded eagerly. “You should go the sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll be back.”

Du Wanqiu left on her bike, thinking about the new clothes she wanted to buy to make an impression at the wedding tomorrow. She wanted to appear in style, letting everyone admire her.

As soon as she left, Jiang Chuan sat by the window, absent minded. He saw Xiao Qingru approaching in the distance and wanted to open the window to greet her but didn’t want her to see him at Du Wanqiu’s place.

He his from her view instinctively as she walked by, mistaking it for Du Wanqiu watching her. With a frown, Xiao quickened her pace, not wanting to let someone like that ruin her good morning. Her path to work went past this house, and she wasn’t about to change her route because of some busy body.

Jiang Chuan leaned back into his chair. Recently, although he hadn’t seen Xiao Qingru in person, he’d heard plenty about her. Rumors claimed she might be seeing Xu Muzhou, and the two seemed very happy. Word was that the Xiao family even invited Xu Muzhou for dinner the other day.

The more he thought about it, the more envious he became. He didn’t have the right to involve himself in her affairs anymore, but he couldn’t help wishing she wouldn’t accept another man’s courtship so quickly. He knew her well enough to know that if she did, she no longer held a place in her heart for him.

Lost in these thoughts, he was pulled back to reality by the sound of a child crying. He hurried over, but lacking experience, he only made the baby cry harder in his attempts to comfort him.

Feeling helpless, he asked his neighbor, Sister Wang, for help. “The baby probably just needs changing,” she said. “Clean him up and give him something to eat.”

Jiang Chuan was flustered. “But what do I feed him? Du Wanqiu isn’t here.”

Sister Wang shrugged. “Ask around for some milk, or give him some rice water until she gets back.”

Doubting that rice water would be nutritious enough, Jiang Chuan asked, “Is there anyone nearby who just had a baby?”

Sister Wang pointed downstairs. “The family there just had one, but these days everyone’s rationed tightly. Milk is precious it depends if they’re willing.”

Jiang Chuan wasn’t about to let the baby go hungry, so he went downstairs, hoping to borrow some milk.

At first, the neighbors seemed friendly, but once they heard the milk was for Du Wanqiu’s child, they refused.

“She’s so protective of her son,” they said. “What if our milk doesn’t sit well with him?”

“It’s just a small amount,” Jiang Chuan insisted. “It should be fine.”

But they were unmoved. “Babies are delicate. Diarrhea could be serious, and we don’t want her blaming us.”

Jiang Chuan had no choice but to bring the child back to his own parents, asking his mother to help.

“We agreed we wouldn’t care for this child,” his mother said harshly. “Did you bring him here on purpose to upset us?”

“Mom, I know you have your issues with Wanqiu, but this child is innocent,” Jiang Chuan said. “He’s my friend’s only son. Please, can you help me?”

His mother huffed, “What did you do in your past life to deserve being controlled like this?”

Jiang Chuan softened his tone, “Mom, I wouldn’t bring him here if I had any other option.”

His mother’s heart softened. She muttered under her breath, “I must’ve wronged you and your father in a past life,” but she took the baby and made him some milk.

“This was the milk powder Xiao Qingru bought me from the city. I hadn’t even touched it, and now it’s going to this brat,” she muttered.

Jiang Chuan looked down. He knew Qingru was good hearted, always respectful toward his parents and thoughtful with holiday gifts. His parents had even praised him for having such good taste in a fiancée.

But he had lost her.

Seeing her son’s mood fall, his mother sighed. Life was unpredictable, and they could only accept it as it came.