Chapter 12

Zhan Tingxu came back from picking vegetables in the field and saw that Meng Yingying wasn’t around, so he asked the children:
“Where’s your mother?”

The children replied, “She went to the river to catch shrimp.”

Hearing this, Zhan Tingxu also headed to the river.

But there were quite a few people there, so he had to ask the villagers if they’d seen his wife.

“She went downstream,” someone told him.

Zhan Tingxu hurried to the downstream area and spotted a bucket on the riverbank — it was theirs — but there was no sign of Meng Yingying anywhere nearby.

He immediately jumped into the river.

In the dim light underwater, he saw the outline of an unconscious figure and quickly pulled her to shore.

Sure enough, it was Meng Yingying!

“Yingying, wake up!”

Zhan Tingxu urgently gave her first aid — chest compressions, mouth-to-mouth — but she still didn’t wake.

Other villagers gathered around to watch, exclaiming in surprise.

“What happened? Did Axu’s wife drown?”

“She must have fallen in by accident. We’d all better be more careful in the future.”

Zhan Tingxu carried her home, dried her off, and changed her into clean clothes.

The children crowded around, worried:
“Daddy, what happened to Mommy?”

“Mommy fell into the water.”

“Will Mommy ever wake up?”

The children were finally calling him “Daddy,” but Zhan Tingxu had no time to feel happy about it — all his thoughts were on Meng Yingying.

“Mommy will definitely wake up,” Zhan Tingxu reassured them, though he was also comforting himself.

When word spread, Madam Lü and the older brothers and sisters-in-law came to check on Meng Yingying.

Madam Lü asked anxiously, “Axu, I heard Yingying fell into the water. Did you save her?”

Gripping Meng Yingying’s hand tightly, Zhan Tingxu said, “She still has a pulse — she’s not in immediate danger.”

Madam Lü let out a breath of relief. “Thank goodness. But how did she end up alone at the river in the first place?”

Zhan Tingxu blamed himself. “I should have stayed by her side.”

At this, Li Fang interjected, “She insisted on going to the river for shrimp — who could stop her? And Fourth Brother wasn’t even home at the time.”

Deep down, Li Fang hoped Meng Yingying wouldn’t survive — if Yingying died, her own niece could take her place.

Zhan Tingxu shot Li Fang a fierce glare, and she immediately fell silent.

Li Yanhong, hiding in the crowd, dared not make a move either.

Madam Lü said, “Axu, you probably don’t have the heart to cook right now. I’ll have Fang bring food over for you.”

Li Fang clearly didn’t want to, but she dared not disobey her mother-in-law and reluctantly agreed.

The visitors then dispersed.

After a while, Li Fang arrived with a few steamed buns and some pickled vegetables. It was simple fare, but at least it filled the stomach.

“Be glad there’s food at all — stop being picky!” she tossed over her shoulder before leaving.

The children carried the buns and pickles inside. “Daddy, time to eat.”

Zhan Tingxu frowned at the sight. “Is this all you’re having for dinner?”

The children mumbled miserably, “Auntie brought it. She said we should be grateful to have anything.”

Zhan Tingxu sighed helplessly, left Meng Yingying’s side, and went to cook.

In the kitchen, he noticed the bucket from the river had already been brought back, still full of the shrimp Meng Yingying had gathered. A wave of sadness hit him.

That night, since Meng Yingying still hadn’t woken, Zhan Tingxu didn’t want to leave her side. He set up a bedroll in the room.

The children, watching him bring in a mat, quilt, and pillow, asked curiously, “Daddy, are you going to sleep with us?”

As he spread the bedding, Zhan Tingxu said, “Daddy will sleep on the floor.”

He just wanted to be close in case Meng Yingying woke up.

The children also fell asleep near her, unusually quiet and well-behaved.

In the middle of the night, Meng Yingying finally woke, parched and weak. Seeing her sleeping children, she coughed a few times.

The sound immediately woke Zhan Tingxu and the children.

“Mommy’s awake! Mommy’s awake!” the kids cried with delight.

Zhan Tingxu leaned in with concern. “Yingying, how do you feel?”

“Thirsty… and so hungry…” she whispered faintly.

Zhan Tingxu quickly fetched her a cup of water. After she drank, he asked softly, “Feeling a bit better now?”

Meng Yingying nodded.

“I’ll go make you some porridge.” With that, he headed to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, the children crowded around her, chattering:
“Mommy, you fell into the water — Daddy saved you!”
“Daddy even slept on the floor to watch over you!”

Meng Yingying blinked in surprise. “You’re all calling him Daddy now?”

The children looked a little guilty. “Is that… not okay?”

Meng Yingying patted their heads. “Of course it’s okay. I never said you couldn’t call him Daddy.”

Tingting asked curiously, “So… is he really our daddy?”

“Of course he is.”

The children cheered. “Yay! We thought we didn’t have a daddy. The villagers kept saying our daddy didn’t want us!”

Just then, Zhan Tingxu came back with a bowl of shrimp porridge.

“How could Daddy ever not want you? Daddy would never abandon Mommy or you kids.”

He sat at the bedside and began feeding the porridge to Meng Yingying.

She was a little embarrassed. “I can feed myself.”

“I’ll feed you.”

Zhan Tingxu insisted, and she had no choice but to open her mouth obediently.

“These shrimp are the ones I caught, right? They’re delicious!” Meng Yingying’s eyes sparkled.

While feeding her, Zhan Tingxu scolded gently: “All this trouble over a few shrimp — you nearly lost your life. If you want shrimp, just wait for me to come back and I’ll get them for you.”

Meng Yingying pouted and turned her head away. “I didn’t wake up just to get lectured.”

Seeing this, Zhan Tingxu quickly coaxed her, “Okay, okay, no more scolding. Just promise me you won’t do anything so dangerous again. Come on, one more bite.”

Since his tone was sincere, Meng Yingying continued eating.

After the porridge, the children soon fell asleep again, and Meng Yingying lay back down as well.

Zhan Tingxu washed the bowl in the kitchen, then returned to lie on his bedroll.

Meng Yingying asked, “You’re sleeping here tonight?”

“Of course.”

“You should go to the next room.”

Zhan Tingxu refused immediately. “No. I’m staying right here with you tonight.”

When she couldn’t drive him away, Meng Yingying huffed, “Fine, but you’re not allowed to sleep here tomorrow night!”

Truth be told, Zhan Tingxu rather liked the idea of making this his regular spot — that way, he’d always be able to sleep in the same room as Meng Yingying.