Wan Qiu was thinking about Shan Yu, but he didn’t say anything.

“Who are you thinking of?” Shan Yu asked again, almost pushing Wan Qiu to the corner of the bed in a half-hug position.

“I…” Wan Qiu blushed, and his gaze was forced to rest on Shan Yu’s smooth mandible: “Think… think about Er Zhu…”

“Oh?” Shan Yu pinched Wan Qiu’s chin and shook it, his tone mixed with a strangeness he didn’t even notice: “Both of you only been apart for a while, and you already think about him? How about I send you over to see him?”

Wan Qiu shook his head hurriedly, put his finger on Shan Yu’s wrist, and explained, “Er Zhu has been talking about marriage recently. If people know that he and I spent the night outside, there will be gossip. I don’t care, but he is different, he wants to get married…”

Wan Qiu was very kind, and these worries were not unreasonable. Shan Yu suddenly felt like a resentful woman. He took back his hand. He didn’t want to say sour words anymore, but he couldn’t control it.

“You still care about him.”

“What are you talking about, husband?” Wan Qiu was very surprised at Shan Yu’s attitude and pursed his lips: “Grandma Wang takes good care of me and the child. If Er Zhu’s marriage is ruined because of some gossip, how could I rest easy? Besides, it is not good for the child.”

“Why would you ride in his ox cart and buy him steamed buns? Why are you not afraid of others talking at that? Did the child call Er Zhu Daddy in front of others?”

“I…I…”

“What? You are not allowed to ride in his ox cart anymore.”

“I just wanted to buy something…”

“I told you before. Just tell Grandpa Yaba and I’ll take it back to you. You still run so far with your child; you are not afraid of catching cold.”

Wan Qiu felt a little aggrieved. How could Shan Yu know the suffering he endured while carrying his child alone? They had separated, how could he still rely on him for everything? If Shan Yu really cared about him and the child, he wouldn’t have separated with him over a prostitute. Who wanted to hear these sarcastic words now?

“Why aren’t you talking?” Shan Yu asked.

Wan Qiu was silent, gathering his clothes and about to get out of bed, when Shan Yu pulled him directly into his arms, in a riding position.

“Where are you going?”

“…To check on the child.”

“I coaxed him to sleep, don’t disturb him.” Shan Yu pointed to a cradle not far from the bed, and they could vaguely see the little baby’s exposed hands. His hands were grabbing each other, and he was sleeping soundly.

“Husband… why is there a cradle here?”

“Didn’t I already say that I wanted to take you and the baby over? I’ve been preparing these things but you didn’t want to come.”

Wan Qiu was speechless for a long time and asked in a low voice, “Husband, what are you doing? When will you marry Lian Zhou?”

Shan Yu was speechless: “Why do you always have such boring questions?”

“Isn’t it because of him that you don’t want me and the child?”

“…”

There were many reasons for the separation, but there was absolutely no such thing as Shan Yu wanting to marry Lian Zhou. He couldn’t explain it clearly. He silently put Wan Qiu on the bed, pulled off the quilt, and said, “Put medicine on your back and sleep on your stomach.”

This was a bit of a shift in topic, escaping the point.

Wan Qiu, still worried, laid on the pillow and turned his head, facing the wall.

“Turn over and sleep on your side.” Shan Yu didn’t want to look at the back of Wan Qiu’s head, so he turned him by grabbing the person’s shoulders and found a very good reason: “Just give me half of the pillow.”

Wan Qiu pursed his lips and directly gave the whole pillow to Shan Yu: “I don’t have to use it.”

“No, how can you sleep without a pillow?” Before Shan Yu realized that his behavior was subconsciously trying to get close to Wan Qiu, he placed the pillow in the middle, pillowed half of it, then patted the other half and said to Wan Qiu: “This half is for you.”

Wan Qiu was so depressed that he thought to himself, who on earth was this person?

Calling him bad, but he was pretty kind. Calling him good, but he did some things bad out of blue.

Wan Qiu really loved and hated Shan Yu. He couldn’t figure out whether Shan Yu cared about him or not. Didn’t the man know this could easily lead to people being sentimental and causing misunderstandings?

.

Shan Yu sent Wan Qiu and Grandpa Yaba home. When they got off the carriage, they saw Grandma Wang waiting at the entrance of the village. There were several women pointing and whispering. They were probably talking about Wan Qiu and Er Zhu not going home all night.

Wan Qiu’s worries came true, but it didn’t matter. With Shan Yu and Grandpa Yaba there, no one would wrongly accuse him.

Grandma Wang looked at the people who got off the carriage and breathed a sigh of relief. She stepped forward and asked, “Shanzi? Why are you back?” After speaking, she hesitated to speak and looked at Wan Qiu. She originally wanted to ask him about Er Zhu, but since the matchmaker was there, she couldn’t speak.

“It’s Wan Qiu who went to town to look for me yesterday. So, I’ll send him back today.” Shan Yu said as he took out a few coins and handed them to Grandma Wang. “The clinic was too busy yesterday, so I forgot to thank Er Zhu for sending Wan Qiu along. It’s the fare for a trip with the child, it’s not much, don’t take it too seriously, grandma.”

This was a side explanation of the issue of staying overnight in the town. Grandma Wang felt relieved, pushed away the money handed over by Shan Yu, and said with a smile, “We are all from the same village, why should you pay for a ride?”

“Why hasn’t he come back yet?” Shan Yu asked in surprise, pretending to be serious. “Hey, don’t tell me the town is lively and he want to wander around. Is this whey he hasn’t come back?”

In ancient times, when there were no entertainment options, what could be so lively that a man would not go home, except for the place of fireworks?

Grandma Wang immediately became a little anxious. Er Zhu’s temperament changed drastically after he fell and lost his memory. He even joked with her as his own mother. If he really went to that place…

Oh my God! How could this happen?

Wan Qiu didn’t understand why Shan Yu said something so easily misunderstood. He looked at the matchmaker’s face, which changed several times. He wanted to explain for Er Zhu, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

Shan Yu stood behind Wan Qiu and moved his fingers on his shoulders twice as if playing a piano. His clear voice had an obvious depth: “Do you want to make him unable to get married for the rest of his life?”

.

Later, Er Zhu’s marriage still ran into trouble, and he caused it himself.

“I have someone I like,” Er Zhu said to Grandma Wang, “I don’t want to marry anyone but him.”

Later…

Er Zhu often came to Shan Yu’s clinic to sell furniture, and he came every time to get his pulse taken. If Lian Zhou happened to be there, there would definitely be a quarrel.

Er Zhu came again that day, bringing Wan Qiu and the child with him.

Shan Yu felt very uncomfortable when he saw the two of them together. He had an indescribable feeling, as if his cabbage was being eaten by a pig, and he was very unhappy.

Furthermore…

The little bun that was getting bigger and bigger was beginning to recognize people. He cried when he was held by Shan Yu, but when he was in Er Zhu’s arms, he was very good. He didn’t say anything and still sweetly said one sentence: “Dad…Daddy…”

Wan Qiu was overjoyed: “Ah! My son can talk now.”

Er Zhu laughed: “Come on! Dear baby, call me daddy again.”

Someone: “…” In a bad mood, mixed emotions, and extremely unhappy.

Note

Er Zhu is such a good guy