When Jiang Lizhu fully woke up, it was already broad daylight.
For the first time in over three months, she had slept in until she naturally woke up. Jiang Lizhu sat up, smoothing her hair. “Hmm, where’s the baby?”
Parting the mosquito net, Jiang Lizhu quickly crawled to the foot of the bed and pushed open the window. Sure enough, she saw Gu Mingyan holding their son, basking in the sun in the courtyard, along with Granny Li and others who were watching Gu Mingyan with the baby.
As if sensing her gaze, Gu Mingyan turned his head back. Meeting Jiang Lizhu’s slightly widened fox-like eyes, he smiled softly. Then, with a nod to Granny Li and the others, he carried their son, who had had enough sun, and walked back.
“You must be hungry. Go wash up, and I’ll get your breakfast,” Gu Mingyan said, stopping in front of the window. At the same time, he turned their adorable, milky-scented son around for Jiang Lizhu to see.
“Okay,” Jiang Lizhu nodded obediently, then beamed sweetly at her son. “Baby is so cute. Wait for Mama to brush her teeth, then I’ll come give you kisses, okay?”
“Ah wu wu!” The little one clearly recognized Jiang Lizhu, wriggling and whimpering until Gu Mingyan turned him back around and carried him towards the shared kitchen.
Jiang Lizhu’s eyes curved into smiles. Having slept well, she was in a great mood. She nimbly got out of bed and went into the bathroom to freshen up. By the time she came out, Gu Mingyan had already returned with her breakfast of brown sugar and eggs.
Gu Mingyan had prepared the brown sugar and eggs early in the morning and kept them warm in the shared kitchen, waiting for Jiang Lizhu to wake up and eat.
“I asked Dr. Han, who lives in our courtyard. We just need to arrive at the vaccination clinic before eleven,” Gu Mingyan explained. Not needing to rush, he hadn’t woken Jiang Lizhu, letting her sleep until she naturally woke up. It was just past nine-thirty now; they had plenty of time to leave after she finished breakfast.
“Mm-hmm,” Jiang Lizhu nodded obediently, naturally appreciating his thoughtfulness. Grinning, she leaned over and kissed her son’s chubby cheek. “Good morning, baby. Mama loves you so much.”
“Ah ah,” the baby babbled excitedly at Jiang Lizhu, earning another kiss from her.
Having interacted enough with her son, Jiang Lizhu slowly walked to the desk, sat down, picked up her spoon, and ate her brown sugar and eggs one mouthful at a time.
Gu Mingyan watched quietly the whole time. His gaze seemed to inadvertently sweep over Jiang Lizhu’s rosy, full lips before quickly looking away. He paused, then looked back at her again.
“What about me?”
“Hmm? What about you?” Jiang Lizhu blinked, a bit confused by the question. Bowl in hand, she turned sideways, her eyes meeting Gu Mingyan’s. In an instant, she had a vague understanding.
Her eyes darted around for a moment. She put down her empty bowl and beckoned to Gu Mingyan. He leaned in cooperatively, turning his cheek towards her.
“Mwah~” Jiang Lizhu planted a loud, resounding kiss on Gu Mingyan’s cheek. For this breakfast she could wake up to and eat, he deserved a kiss as a reward.
If she wasn’t mistaken, he was asking for his good morning kiss.
Of course, making such a production of the kiss was deliberate on Jiang Lizhu’s part. Since Gu Mingyan was so easily embarrassed, it would be a waste of his pure-hearted nature not to tease him a little more.
Gu Mingyan lowered his gaze slightly, his earlobes uncontrollably warm. But prepared for this third kiss, he finally didn’t just stand there stunned. Instead, he turned his head.
At that moment, however, Jiang Lizhu, still intending to tease him, leaned in for another kiss without warning. Their eyes met, and her slightly puckered lips stopped just a hair’s breadth from Gu Mingyan’s lips.
Her fox-like eyes widened. Jiang Lizhu clearly hadn’t anticipated Gu Mingyan suddenly turning his head. This kiss on the cheek nearly became a kiss on the lips.
Gu Mingyan’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. He instinctively held his breath, trying not to reveal his suddenly racing heart.
Well, his turning his head was only meant to give her a little “taste of her own medicine,” to startle her. But obviously, he wasn’t the only one who got startled.
Kiss? Or not kiss? Jiang Lizhu hesitated only for a moment before continuing, pressing a kiss to Gu Mingyan’s lips. It was silent, very, very light, a brief touch before she pulled away.
Jiang Lizhu sat back up properly, casually smoothing the hair that had fallen over her chest. She glanced sideways at the baby and smiled slightly. “Baby, wait just a little longer for Mama.”
Jiang Lizhu got up nimbly, went back to the bathroom to brush her teeth again, then came back and took her son into her arms. “I’ll nurse him a bit, then we’ll go out.”
If she didn’t feed the baby now and they were out for a while, the one who would end up uncomfortable and embarrassed would be her. Life for a breastfeeding woman was truly not easy. Jiang Lizhu sighed over this for what felt like the umpteenth time.
“Okay,” Gu Mingyan nodded gently. He gathered the empty bowls and went out, casually closing the bedroom door fully behind him.
About ten minutes later, Jiang Lizhu opened the door holding their satisfied, milk-drunk son. Gu Mingyan was sweeping fallen leaves in the courtyard.
“Go wash your hands quickly and take him. We still need to burp him,” Jiang Lizhu beckoned to Gu Mingyan.
“Right away,” Gu Mingyan said, putting the broom and dustpan back against the wall. He went to wash his hands, then took the baby from Jiang Lizhu’s arms.
“I’ll be quick too,” Jiang Lizhu said, gently tapping her son’s nose. She walked briskly to the wardrobe, chose clothes to change into, and styled her hair in a side fishtail braid.
The hospital they were going to today was just in front of the family compound. If they walked quickly, the round trip wouldn’t even take ten minutes. They didn’t need to pack too many things in the small cloth bag.
After getting herself ready, Jiang Lizhu picked up the water bottle and small cloth bag. She walked over to Gu Mingyan, bent down, and rubbed her cheek against her son’s. “Let’s go.”
Closing the window, locking the door, and leaving, Jiang Lizhu led Gu Mingyan out through the small eastern gate. In less than ten minutes, they arrived at the vaccination clinic on the second floor of the hospital’s outpatient building.
Jiang Lizhu pulled a small blue booklet from her cloth bag. It was a vaccination record she had prepared for the baby herself. She had already brought him once when he was two months old.
Before the baby got his vaccines, they first registered at the pediatric clinic next door. Then came the measurements: height, head circumference, weight, checking his reactions…
Overall, the little one’s development was extremely balanced and excellent. With proper care, traveling by train wouldn’t be a problem.
Jiang Lizhu also took the opportunity to ask the doctor to prescribe some emergency pediatric medications. Only then did they move from pediatrics back to the vaccination clinic next door.
Amidst the little one’s belated and utterly aggrieved wails, he received his second and third vaccinations in his short life – one shot in the thigh, one in the arm.
“Wah wah wah,” the little one’s mission at the hospital was complete, but his natural fondness for Gu Mingyan had also shattered. He buried his face against Jiang Lizhu’s shoulder, refusing to give his father so much as a glance.
Jiang Lizhu held her aggrieved, sobbing son, comforting him. “There, there, don’t cry. We’re leaving right now. We won’t come back ever again.”
The next time for vaccines would definitely be at the military hospital.
“Be good, baby,” Gu Mingyan said, leaning somewhat awkwardly towards Jiang Lizhu’s shoulder, lowering his voice to soothe the crying infant.
The baby peeked at Gu Mingyan. His cries, which had been subsiding, suddenly grew louder. He squirmed and pressed himself against Jiang Lizhu’s other shoulder, continuing his sobs.
Well, having endured two shots, the little one had suddenly unlocked the innate skill of “holding a grudge.”
Jiang Lizhu couldn’t help but smile, her eyes curving. She hadn’t been treated like this when she brought him for his last shot. It seemed that for future vaccinations, she’d need to schedule them for when Gu Mingyan was free.
What could Gu Mingyan do with his barely three-month-old son? He could only temporarily accept his son’s sudden cold shoulder while Jiang Lizhu made no effort to hide her amusement.
“You’re going the wrong way. The pharmacy is on the first floor,” Jiang Lizhu called out to Gu Mingyan, who had stopped at the upstairs stairwell, waiting for her.
“We’re also getting you checked by a doctor,” Gu Mingyan said. He was still haunted by the thought of Jiang Lizhu going through pregnancy and childbirth alone, afraid she might have lingering health issues.
Even if they hadn’t brought the baby for vaccines today, he had planned to bring Jiang Lizhu to see a doctor anyway.
“Alright,” Jiang Lizhu wasn’t one to hide from doctors. She had seen doctors both after giving birth and after her postpartum confinement, diligently following their advice and working hard to regain her strength.
But her body wasn’t something that could be fully healed just by a proper confinement month. The original owner had a poor constitution from a difficult childhood, and the depression during pregnancy had further drained her body and mind.
If Jiang Lizhu hadn’t transmigrated, the original owner wouldn’t have had the strength for a vaginal delivery. After a failed vaginal attempt turning into a forceps delivery, her body would have been truly broken. It would take at least three to five years of careful nurturing to truly recover.
The head gynecologist carefully took Jiang Lizhu’s pulse and asked several questions before nodding slightly. “You’re somewhat better, but you still need to be careful, especially with the heart palpitations. If they become more frequent, that’s not normal. Come to the hospital promptly.”
Dr. Wang recognized Jiang Lizhu. It wasn’t just because Jiang Lizhu, a former colleague, was the subject of much gossip, but also because Jiang Lizhu was one of the few patients who followed instructions most diligently.
She had consistently followed Dr. Wang’s advice on eating, drinking, and sleeping well, and avoiding any strenuous physical labor. Dr. Wang had even clarified the rumors about Jiang Lizhu being “lazy and gluttonous,” but prejudice runs deep, and people only believe what they want to.
Dr. Wang turned to look at Gu Mingyan, who stood attentively by Jiang Lizhu’s side. “Comrade, her health wasn’t good during pregnancy, and she suffered greatly during childbirth. As her family, you need to cooperate with the treatment as well.”
“Tell me what to do. I will cooperate fully,” Gu Mingyan said. He had quickly gleaned information from Jiang Lizhu and Dr. Wang’s conversation. Jiang Lizhu’s health was even worse than he had imagined, and the childbirth situation had been far more critical – she had truly had one foot through the gates of death.
It was nearing the end of the workday, and Jiang Lizhu was the last patient of the morning. Given their former colleague relationship and Jiang Lizhu’s status as a military spouse,
Dr. Wang meticulously explained the key points for Jiang Lizhu to recover her health: eat well, drink well, no heavy lifting. Most crucially, Jiang Lizhu should not become pregnant again within three years.
Gu Mingyan’s expression remained unchanged; he simply carefully noted down Dr. Wang’s instructions. “We will follow that.”
Dr. Wang was reasonably satisfied with Gu Mingyan’s attitude. She wrote a prescription for one month’s medication, along with the backup medications Jiang Lizhu and Gu Mingyan had specifically requested.
Leaving the gynecology clinic, Gu Mingyan suppressed the slight heaviness in his heart and stepped in front of Jiang Lizhu. “Let me carry him.”
“Okay,” Jiang Lizhu carefully handed the now-sleeping baby to Gu Mingyan.
A sleeping infant naturally couldn’t maintain a grudge. Feeling Gu Mingyan’s higher body temperature and more secure hold, he fell into an even deeper sleep.
“Sister Ali, wait a moment! Dean Qin wants to see you both. Is that convenient?” A round-faced young nurse came rushing over, automatically lowering her voice.
“Alright, lead the way,” Jiang Lizhu’s eyes darted thoughtfully for a moment before she nodded. She and the baby had eaten just before leaving home, so she wasn’t hungry at all and wasn’t in a hurry for lunch.
As they walked, Jiang Lizhu took a small oil-paper package from her cloth bag. She raised her hand and brought it right up to Gu Mingyan’s lips. “Mung bean cakes. Have something to tide you over.”
Gu Mingyan hesitated only slightly before opening his mouth and taking the cake. One by one, the four mung bean cakes in the oil-paper package were soon finished, all fed to him by Jiang Lizhu.