Chapter 637 - 331: The Hardworking Father-to-be

Chapter 637: Chapter 331: The Hardworking Father-to-be

Updating early due to some matters.

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Juhua said admiringly, "That’s still impressive. Doctor Qin, if the martial arts you practice isn’t some closely guarded secret, how about you teach my Zhang Huai? Like you said, it would strengthen his body and let him defend himself. Plus, if he could be like you and catch some game whenever he goes up the mountain, wouldn’t our family have wild game to eat more often? Let Qingmu learn with him, too."

Hearing this, Qingmu and Zhang Huai both laughed.

Qingmu chuckled. "Juhua, after that long speech, I get the feeling that third reason is the most important one to you."

Juhua smiled. "They’re all important. For one thing, if you two knew a bit of self-defense, you wouldn’t come out on the losing end the next time you run into that ’Yan Erhuai’ from the government office, right? Of course, having wild game to eat would be great, too."

Qin Feng nodded with a smile. "In that case, you two can just join me when I practice in the mornings. It’s not very difficult. The most important thing is to be persistent. If you only practice for a few days and then give up, it won’t do any good."

Qingmu and Zhang Huai nodded in agreement but said that mornings wouldn’t work for them. They were too busy, so they would learn the moves from him and then practice at night.

After some more lighthearted banter, Zhang Huai and Juhua went back home for dinner. Puzzled, he asked, "Why did Doctor Qin catch so much live game? He doesn’t kill them to eat. He just cuts their stomachs open and sews them back up. What’s all that about?"

Juhua laughed. "He must be practicing. When doctors set bones or stitch wounds, they need a steady hand. If they were clumsy while working on a patient, they could kill them, couldn’t they? So isn’t it much safer to practice on animals first before operating on people?"

Zhang Huai nodded and sighed. "Every trade has its difficulties. You can’t get anywhere without putting your heart into it. Even with farming, it takes a long time to figure out the right way to fertilize and water the crops. I’ve been working on those wood ear mushrooms for several years, and I still haven’t found a better method. I’ve just gotten more used to the process, that’s all."

Juhua smiled. "What’s the rush? Maybe one day you’ll suddenly realize there’s a simple way to grow bigger and better batches of wood ear mushrooms!"

Huai Zi led her by the hand into the courtyard. Seeing that He had already set out the low table and small stools for dinner, he asked Juhua, "How come I haven’t seen that Yun Ying girl today? Didn’t she say she was going to stay by your side?"

Juhua laughed. "I’m not a child. Why would I need her with me all day? She went into the village to see patients. The more people she treats, the more experience she’ll gain, and the more skilled she’ll become as a doctor. Isn’t that better for us in the long run? People here always go to a midwife for childbirth, but she would actually be the best and most reliable choice. It’s just that nobody really knows her yet, so we need to help spread the word."

Huai Zi pursed his lips. "I don’t know why, but I just don’t feel comfortable with her. I trust Qin Feng more."

Juhua sat at the table and let out a laugh. "You’re just still mad at her for making you trip and fall that one time. As capable as Doctor Qin is, it wouldn’t be proper for him to deliver my baby. It’s much better to have Yun Ying there."

Zhang Huai faltered for a moment, then said, "When the time comes, we’ll hang a curtain in the room. I’ll wait with him on the other side of it, just in case."

Touched, Juhua gently squeezed his palm. "Don’t worry, Huai Zi," she said softly. "I’ll be fine. I promise I’ll give you a big, healthy son."

Just then, He came out with a stack of bowls and told Zhang Huai to call Zhang Dashuan from the backyard for dinner. Juhua bustled about, helping to serve the food, dish out the rice, and arrange the bowls and chopsticks. Qin Feng had been taking his meals at the Zheng Family’s home for the past couple of days, so they didn’t call for him.

After dinner, Zhang Huai held Juhua’s hand as they strolled around the front and back yards. He circled the peach trees, examining them and pointing things out—the peaches on this tree were bigger, that tree had more fruit, the cherries were about to ripen—chatting and laughing endlessly.

Juhua gazed at the peach trees, each one lush with branches and leaves. Their main trunks were only about four feet high, having been pruned at the top to encourage three or four main branches to fork out and grow horizontally. Nestled among the leaves were pale green peaches, already as big as young Hulu’s fist, though they hadn’t begun to blush with color yet. The fruits weren’t clustered too closely together, as Juhua had already thinned them, plucking off some of the peaches where they grew too dense.

The plum and apricot trees had also borne fruit, their tart green orbs making your mouth water just by looking at them.

As night fell, the bamboo grove beyond the courtyard walls rustled in the breeze. The shadows of trees, both near and far, wavered like ghosts. A faint floral fragrance mingled in the air with the scent of fresh grass and even the sharp, green smell of unripe peaches and plums. The only thing missing was a bright moon in the sky—the spring rains had been relentless lately, leaving few nights with clear, moonlit skies.

Huai Zi supported Juhua with an arm around her, feeling her weight grow heavier. "Are your legs getting sore?" he asked softly. "Let’s head back. We’ve been walking for quite a while. You should wash up and rest for a bit. We can have a bowl of vermicelli noodles later before bed."