After speaking, Shen Feng immediately headed outside. “I’m going to get Scholar Gu to help, Mother can’t handle this alone.”
Li Shantao was a midwife, experienced with human births, but delivering a sheep was her first time. This was a twin birth with a breech position; no matter how she tried, the lambs wouldn’t come out. Her arms ached from trying to push them into position, and sweat drenched her forehead.
“Why are you getting Gu Yun?” Shen Ruo asked, puzzled.
Was Scholar Gu really needed for a birth?
“Once, when the village head’s ox had a difficult birth, it was Scholar Gu who delivered it. I heard his father, who died young, was a veterinarian,” Shen Feng called back as he hurried away, his voice carried by the wind almost like a shout.
Shen Ruo didn’t know what he could do. He went inside and saw the ram pacing anxiously while the ewe lay on the ground, kicking in pain. His chest tightened with worry.
Li Shantao was still trying to push the lambs into position. Shen Ruo remembered his grandmother telling him that when the village elder’s ewes gave birth, the ground should be kept dry, and a mixture of wood ash and water used for disinfecting as preparation.
Normally, changes in the ewe could be observed at least two days before birth, but this one went into labor suddenly, there had been no signs the night before, catching the Shen family completely off guard.
Shen Ruo first mixed the wood ash water for later disinfection.
Seeing the ewe in pain, he thought of himself. He knelt close and gently held her, running his hands softly along her neck to comfort her.
“Don’t be afraid. Everything will be fine.”
Li Shantao was exhausted and making no progress. Hearing Shen Ruo’s words, she sighed.
“Ruo’er, feed her some fresh grass, or she’ll run out of strength soon.”
Time passed by slowly. The ewe’s condition worsened, and Shen Ruo’s eyes grew red. He could feel the lambs moving inside her and had even thought about building a small shelter just for them…
“They’re here! Scholar Gu is here!” Shen Feng’s voice cut through the tension, and Shen Ruo immediately looked up.
In that moment, Shen Ruo felt like he had seen a savior. He stepped aside. “Gu Yun, come quickly! She doesn’t look like she’ll make it!”
Gu Yun appeared as if he had just finished bathing; his long hair hadn’t even been tied back before Shen Feng dragged him over. He knelt down without a word and immediately reached inside.
Yes, he reached inside. Shen Ruo was stunned.
Can it really be done this way?
Shen Ruo watched Gu Yun’s movements nervously. The ewe let out weak, and strained cries that made his chest tighten with every sound.
“Y-You… be gentle,” Shen Ruo said, watching closely, feeling like his own stomach was starting to ache.
“Gentle won’t straighten her out,” Gu Yun said simply.
After adjusting the position, they soon saw the lamb’s two front hooves. Gu Yun said, “Come over and help me pull. This one is too big, we have to hurry, or the smaller one inside will be in danger.”
Shen Ruo immediately responded. He stepped forward and hugged Gu Yun’s upper body, wrapping his arms across his chest.
Gu Yun stiffened slightly, but Shen Ruo didn’t care.
“Pull together!” Gu Yun grabbed the lamb’s hooves and started pulling down and out. Shen Ruo followed, holding him and leaning back with all his strength.
With a “pop,” the first lamb was successfully delivered. The second one came out easily, a natural birth.
From the momentum, Shen Ruo fell onto the ground, grimacing in pain.
Gu Yun also collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.
Gu Yun’s robe was soaked with amniotic fluid and blood, the original color almost unrecognizable. Shen Ruo, standing behind, only had a bit on his sleeves.
After recovering from the pain, Shen Ruo immediately went to check the newborn lambs. The first one, just born, was wet all over, much like Xiao Yuntun.
“I’ll get some cloth to wipe it,” he said.
“No need,” Gu Yun stopped him. “Let the ewe lick it dry. The umbilical cord usually breaks on its own. If not, cut it with sterilized scissors and disinfect with wood ash water.”
“You prepared this?” Gu Yun asked, noticing the container of wood ash water nearby.
“Yes, I knew to do that much,” Shen Ruo replied, feeling pleased to have learned something new.
They watched as the second lamb emerged. The ewe finally stopped her painful cries, and the ram calmed down.
The second lamb was tiny, only about half the size of the first.
As Gu Yun had said, the ewe began licking the sticky fluids off the lamb’s body.
“Go get a pair of scissors,” Gu Yun instructed.
Shen Feng had been waiting outside the barn; he couldn’t help much inside, and as a large man, it would have been cramped. Hearing the order, he quickly went to his mother’s house to fetch the scissors.
Shen Feng soon returned with them. Shen Ruo watched as Gu Yun skillfully snipped the umbilical cord that hadn’t quite broken, then trimmed the long hair around the ewe’s teats. His movements were quick, precise, and practiced.
Shen Ruo was so absorbed that he didn’t snap out of it until a lamb was placed in his hands.
“?” He held the lamb’s head awkwardly, not sure what to do.
“Let the lamb take a sip of milk, otherwise it won’t come out properly,” Gu Yun said, then got up and brushed off the dust from his robe.
For some reason, Shen Ruo felt an almost embarrassingly voyeuristic sensation.
Just a moment ago, Gu Yun had been trimming that area!
Shen Ruo was about to follow the instructions, but Gu Yun added, “…Forget it, that’s too slow. Do it like this: first wash with wood ash water, dry it, then use your hand to squeeze out the first few drops of milk. The lamb will feed on its own.”
Shen Ruo nodded and immediately followed the instructions.
Afraid of hurting the ewe, he washed carefully and gently squeezed a few times.
From above, Gu Yun’s voice came softly: “It’s milking, use a bit more force.”
Anyone who didn’t know might have thought Shen Ruo was just massaging the ewe.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Shen Ruo applied a little more pressure.
The ewe bleated uncomfortably, so he dared not push too hard.
“Gu Yun, maybe you should do it,” Shen Ruo said nervously, his palms sweating.
Seeing Gu Yun agree, Shen Ruo immediately stepped aside.
Gu Yun quickly expressed the milk in just a few moves, and the two lambs immediately lifted their heads to drink as soon as they smelled it. He checked each one briefly and then stepped aside, letting the lambs feed.
Shen Ruo spoke sincerely: “Thank you so much today. Last night it looked fine, no sign of giving birth at all, and I didn’t expect it to go into labor today. I’m really glad you came to help.”
Gu Yun asked, “It’s a premature birth. Did something frighten it or cause stress?”
Shen Ruo wasn’t sure, but his brow furrowed.
“My mother said the ewe suddenly went bad this afternoon. It kept calling, and then its water broke,” Shen Feng, who had been listening outside, quickly explained.
Shen Ruo nodded. Fortunately, both lambs were safely born, and the ewe was fine too. Otherwise, he would have investigated to the end to find out who, or what, caused the premature birth.
He already had some preliminary ideas. It could be checked: if it were a snake, there would be traces; if it were a person, there should be witnesses. After all, during the day, the village children were always running around.
“I’ll head back first,” Gu Yun’s clear voice pulled Shen Ruo’s attention back.
At this moment, Gu Yun was truly a bit messy. His scholar’s robe was stained with half-dried blood, and some strands of his dark hair were stuck together with the mess.
“Let’s get you cleaned up first,” Shen Ruo said, noticing the pot of boiling water his mother had prepared. He invited Gu Yun to wash up before leaving.
Gu Yun valued cleanliness and was somewhat averse to close contact with others. Having his body in such a mess must have been extremely uncomfortable, though he didn’t say so.
Shen Ruo scooped a ladle of water, mixed it, and cleaned himself first. He rolled up his sleeves to scrub off the dirt, then used wood ash water to disinfect himself.
“I think I still have a set of new clothes. I’ll get them for you to change into,” Shen Ruo said, then turned and headed to his own room without waiting for Gu Yun’s response.
Xiao Yuntun was inside, and Shen Ruo stood at the door to avoid bringing bacteria in.
Newborns have small stomachs and get hungry easily. Li Shantao would feed him seven or eight times a day. After Gu Yun finished cleaning up, she would come over to feed Xiao Yuntun rice soup.
“Mother, is the set of new clothes you made for me still here? Gu Yun is covered in blood; I want him to wash up and change before he leaves,” Shen Ruo asked.
Li Shantao was reluctant. “That set was made for you to wear when you got married,” she said. It was brand-new cotton, the only proper set of clothes in the house, specially made for Shen Ruo. The thought of giving it to Gu Yun made her uneasy.
Shen Ruo asked, “Are there any other clothes that are clean?” By clean, he meant clothes without too many patches, ones that wouldn’t tear easily.
Shen Dashan’s family had always been very poor. Everyone in the household had to wear their clothes for a long time, and only Shen Ruo, being favored and fond of beauty, had a few extra sets to change into. Even so, the clothes had patches in inconspicuous places, but since his mother and sister-in-law could embroider, the patched areas were decorated with patterns, so they didn’t look so worn out.
“It seems we do have some, though they’re a bit old,” Li Shantao said as she got up to look for them.
Shen Ruo stood at the doorway, calling to Xiao Yuntun to play with him.
Xiao Yuntun was still tiny, but his little hands and feet were surprisingly strong. When he heard his father’s voice, his little hands waved back and forth, as if greeting Shen Ruo.
Gu Yun stood at the doorway of the straw-sheltered kitchen, watching Shen Ruo.
“Xiao Yuntun, Papa’s here,” Shen Ruo said with a smile, waving his hand like Xiao Yuntun.
Perhaps it seemed a bit childish to a normal child, but for him, as a new father, it was just right.
Shen Ruo felt that he was having a lot of fun playing with Xiao Yuntun.
Gu Yun’s lips also lifted slightly in an involuntary smile. He said, “You’ve changed a lot.”
“After facing death’s door, some change is natural,” Shen Ruo replied.
No matter how much he tried to imitate, he could never be exactly the same as the Shen Ruo of the past. After going through the major ups and downs of the original life, and almost dying on the birthing bed, his personality had naturally changed, and it wasn’t without reason.
Gu Yun wanted to say something to comfort him but realized that Shen Ruo’s mood was calm; he didn’t need any extra words.
Li Shantao brought out some clothes. The family only had two sets of clothes to change into. The ones recently washed hadn’t dried yet, and the old set, once found, had several large holes gnawed by mice and couldn’t be worn anymore.
In the end, they gave Shen Ruo the new clothes Li Shantao had made for him.
“Scholar Gu, here. These clothes are new. You should wash up and change,” Li Shantao said, handing them over with a resolute heart, thinking that she would make an even nicer set for Shen Ruo in the future.
Shen Ruo touched his nose, feeling a little embarrassed.
Gu Yun also felt awkward when he received the clothes.
Li Shantao went straight into the house, leaving the two of them standing there in silence. A crow flew overhead, cawing loudly.
Shen Ruo had completely forgotten that the original owner’s sense of aesthetics had always been rather average, otherwise, he wouldn’t have managed to make his face look so pale and miserable.
And…
Gu Yun shook out the long robe.
It was a pale yellow robe, styled like what a scholar would wear, exactly the same design as the ones Gu Yun usually wore.
Li Shantao had done this entirely because Shen Ruo wanted to match Gu Yun’s style.
Shen Ruo covered his eyes, inwardly screaming: No, don’t look.
Just seeing it made his scalp tingle. He blushed in embarrassment, took a deep breath, and wished he could faint on the spot.
Life was too long.
Could he just move to another planet to live?
What could be more mortifying than accidentally revealing his secret little crush to the very person who had been pursuing him?
Gu Yun noticed his complicated expression and movements and said, “If you really don’t want it, I’ll take it back.”
Shen Ruo was just starting to think up some excuse, about how the robe’s design was purely coincidental and just happened to look like Gu Yun’s usual style…
And then he heard Gu Yun’s question, turns out Gu Yun hadn’t even noticed! Thank heavens!
“No way, of course I don’t mind. It’s just a robe, I’ll wear it.”
What a perfect male lead, he even helped Shen Ruo save face.
Shen Ruo’s impression of Gu Yun changed completely.
A male lead could be so caring: a clean-freak scholar, yet he didn’t hesitate to get covered in blood just to help a mother sheep give birth.
This must be what “cold on the outside, warm on the inside” really meant.
Since the story could be altered, helping to break up the official pairing shouldn’t be a big deal, right?
Shen Ruo had read less than a third of the book, but judging by the heroine’s nature, she’d probably cause plenty of trouble later. Gu Yun, being a scholar, would definitely get dragged into it.
It didn’t matter who Gu Yun ended up with in the future, as long as it wasn’t Shen Ziying.
Gu Yun soon took a quick shower and changed into the long robe. The pale yellow actually suited him perfectly, he usually wore blues or grays, rarely anything bright.
Their builds were different, so Shen Ruo’s robe looked a bit short on him and was slightly form-fitting. But compared to the usual loose scholar robes, it looked neat and clean.
It was quite fitting.
Shen Ruo silently thought, “This [1]Ning Caichen is the classic male scholar hero from the Chinese ghost story Nie Xiaoqian, known for being kind, brave, and scholarly. Nie Xiaoqian is the beautiful female ghost he helps and eventually … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1842817_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1842817_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });Ning Caichen really lives up to the name.” Sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, lightly red lips, hair like a waterfall, he simply radiated scholarly charm. No wonder Nie Xiaoqian liked him; Shen Ruo found this type appealing too.
“Thank you. I’ll head back for now, and tomorrow I’ll wash it properly and bring it to you,” Gu Yun said.
Shen Ruo waved generously, “No need. I think it suits you, so consider it a gift.”
Gu Yun gave him a serious look and rolled up his sleeve.
Revealing a huge embroidered “Ruo Yun.”
Gu Yun asked, “Are you sure?”
The embroidery was terrible, obviously Shen Ruo’s handiwork.
Shen Ruo: “…”
Sss, Is it too late for me to move to another planet?!
References[+]