Infertility remains a formidable challenge even decades later when medical technology has become highly advanced.
If it were so easily treatable, reproductive hospitals and fertility departments wouldn't be so overwhelmingly popular.
Shu Jin Yue thought her eldest brother and sister-in-law really… trusted her a lot.
"Jin Yue, why are you back so late? Oh, what's that smell?" Shu Wen Yan's nose was like a radar. Hearing the mother and daughter talking outside, he immediately came out following the scent.
Jin Yue pointed to the bag on the ground, "Mangoes."
Although Shu Wen Yan had never actually eaten them before, he had heard of them. "Where did these come from? So many, let me see… hmm, fragrant!"
Jin Yue knew that once he saw them, he would want a share. Although he was a cheapskate who had been mooching off their parents for over thirty years, her sister-in-law was very kind—the ginseng she had given her had helped her save up her first pot of gold. "Mom, get a bag and set some aside for eldest brother and sister-in-law."
Shu Wen Ming and Shu Wen Yun weren't home—one was on night duty, and the other had gone out with a bag of apricots and hadn't returned yet.
Liu Hui Fang stood up, "Your eldest brother has a nose like a dog's. You can't hide anything good from him."
Jin Yue smiled. She really liked this sister-in-law. Not long ago, she had wanted to invite her for a spring outing, but she had been away on a business trip and only returned the day before yesterday.
"Was your trip smooth this time, sister-in-law?"
"Very smooth. I went to Minnan Province and brought back some salted fish for you to try."
Every time she returned from a trip, she would bring back something—sometimes for colleagues, other times just interesting local specialties she wanted to share with family and friends.
"I saw these mangoes being sold in shops down south too, but I didn't know how to eat them. They must be quite expensive here in Shilan, right? Auntie, don't pack too many—just two or three for us to try is enough."
"Don't pack so many. Save some for you, uncle, Wen Ming, and Wen Yun." She took the bag from Zhao Wan Qiu's hands, removed most of the mangoes, and kept only four.
Shu Wen Yan watched from the side, feeling exasperated. Ah, his wife had been favoring others over him for quite some time now.
Such good stuff, so rare—if he had taken more, he could have given a few to his leaders, couldn't he?
Unfortunately, Liu Hui Fang had long seen through his tactic of currying favor with others' possessions. She didn't even glance at him, instead linking arms with Jin Yue, "Let's go talk in your room."
Jin Yue knew this was to avoid the others and let her examine her.
Sure enough, as soon as they entered the room, she asked Jin Yue to take her pulse. "As soon as I got back, your brother told me you're now the little miracle doctor of Liu Ye Hutong, having cured many difficult and complicated illnesses. If we had known you were this skilled earlier, why would we have gone to see so many doctors everywhere?"
Jin Yue quickly stopped her: "Sister-in-law, you can't believe everything people say outside. You know very well how much skill I actually have. If you're willing, I can take a look for you, but I can't guarantee I'll find anything."
After all, they had been married for over ten years and had seen more doctors than she had eaten bowls of rice. She didn't have that kind of confidence.
"Alright, alright, just take a look for me first."
Jin Yue held her radial artery and focused: The pulse was somewhat thin and soft, her tongue coating was thin and white, and her complexion was tanned from years of driving. It was simply a case of qi and blood deficiency, but not a serious condition—she just needed to rest and improve her nutrition.
She then carefully asked about routine matters like menstruation, leukorrhea, diet, sleep, and bowel movements—none showed obvious abnormalities.
"Are you sure you've never been pregnant before?"
"Absolutely sure."
Jin Yue thought for a moment and asked whether her period had been delayed or if there had been unusually large blood clots, to rule out the possibility of a biochemical pregnancy.
"What tests have you done before?"
"Well, those hormone tests, ovarian function tests, and fallopian tube checks—all came back normal."
Shu Jin Yue nodded. Given current technological conditions, these were roughly the only tests available. If everything was fine, then…
She actually wanted to check on her older brother more. "Having a child isn't just the woman's responsibility. I don't think the issue lies with you. What about my brother's side…"
"Ah, your brother is so obsessed with saving face. I've been urging him to get checked, but he kept refusing. Last year, I threatened divorce if he didn't go, and only then did he agree. Nothing wrong showed up in his tests either."
Jin Yue frowned. It wasn't that she was being unkind, but Shu Wen Yan was such a sly old fox that it was hard for her to trust him. She tentatively asked, "Did you accompany him to the tests?""
"He wouldn't let me. He went alone. I saw his report when I got back from a business trip. The doctor said his sperm count and motility were both good."
Hmm, since she hadn't accompanied him personally and there was a time gap, Jin Yue still felt uneasy. "Bring the report over another day. I want to take a look."She'd seen on TV how some sneaky men, clearly having issues themselves, would delay going for checks, hide problems if found, or even swap reports with others." Then they'd gaslight their partners into believing it was the woman's fault, leading to years of unnecessary medication and injections, suffering for nothing.
She needed to see her brother's test results herself.
Shu Wen Yan was no honest man.
Liu Hui Fang, however, didn't think that much into it. Instead, she felt her sister-in-law was very responsible, wanting to check both sides right away, unlike those quack doctors who immediately blamed her for kidney deficiency or poor ovarian function.
"Alright, I'll bring it over tomorrow."
Liu Hui Fang still had several days of leave left. The next day, she brought over all the test reports they'd accumulated over the years. After work, Jin Yue sat on the kang, carefully examining each one.
Liu Hui Fang indeed had no issues—both functionally and organically, everything was fine. Her periods were regular, and she'd even undergone ultrasound monitoring of ovulation, showing that follicles grew, matured, and ruptured on schedule.
As for Shu Wen Yan's reports, Jin Yue cross-checked the name, age, consultation time, hospital department, and even had Shu Wen Yun discreetly ask a colleague to verify the archived copies to ensure they were his. They also showed no problems.
Both of them were fine, yet they'd been married for over a decade without children. That was the biggest problem.
Jin Yue quietly asked Liu Hui Fang, "Sister-in-law, how often do you two have intimate relations?"
Liu Hui Fang blushed. "It's alright."
"What does 'alright' mean? Do you time it around ovulation days?"
"Yes, I follow all the doctor's advice. I even prop up pillows or do handstands. You have no idea, I specifically learned how to do handstands for this."
Ah… Shu Jin Yue almost laughed.
It's normal for sperm to miss the egg once, twice, or even ten times. But after over ten years, even if it's only ten times a year, that's over a hundred attempts. If natural conception rates were that low, humans would probably be extinct by now.
"Sister-in-law, how's your mood? Do you often dwell on this matter?"
Liu Hui Fang thought for a moment and shook her head, "You know how careless I am. Your eldest brother always says I'm thoughtless. Although I'm a bit anxious, I don't think about it every day. There's no time to dwell on such things when you're on the road."
Spending over ten hours daily in the vehicle required complete concentration while driving, leaving no room for distraction.
When Jin Yue took her pulse, the pulse wasn't wiry, and she had no symptoms like breast tenderness before her period, which indeed indicated she didn't have liver qi stagnation.
Having ruled out both physiological and psychological factors, Jin Yue couldn't think of any other reasons. "In that case, have your husband come over. I'll check his pulse too."
Liu Hui Fang looked slightly troubled. "You know how stubborn your brother can be. But don't worry, I'll drag him here even if I have to force him."
Liu Hui Fang stayed for dinner. Zhao Wan Qiu steamed a plate of the salted fish she brought, picked two clean white bones with no trace of meat left to make a radish soup, smashed two small cucumbers, and steamed a pot of mantou buns. It was considered quite a feast.
"How's your father's health? Did you visit him during the New Year?" Teacher Shu asked. Liu's mother had passed away several years earlier.
"Yes, I went back. He's doing well, just still has his old habit of drinking. He complained about toe pain – the hospital diagnosed it as gout and told him to quit drinking, but he's being stubborn."
Teacher Shu was well aware of her father-in-law's drinking capacity. "You should advise him more often. Health is the foundation of everything. If needed, have Jin Yue examine him. She can diagnose many illnesses now."
Shu Jin Yue: "…" He never missed an opportunity to promote her.
Liu Hui Fang happily agreed and began sharing stories from her business trips. Having traveled to many places with broad experience and a cheerful personality, everyone enjoyed listening to her tales from the road.
In the Shu family, she was the most popular member, even surpassing other family members with the Shu surname.
"I only found out after returning this time that Wen Yan borrowed money from you again. Don't pay him any mind – he's just obsessed with official positions. Whenever he hears about an opening, he gets restless. How many times has he been stood up over the years?"
Teacher Shu nodded.
"Honestly, he should just focus on doing his job well. Always thinking about becoming an official – if he actually became one, he'd have more worries and responsibilities. Being a regular employee is better."
Teacher Shu sighed. Both he and his former wife were honest, unambitious people without much desire for fame or gain. He didn't know how they ended up with a son so obsessed with officialdom.
After chatting a while longer, when night had fully fallen, Teacher Shu asked Shu Wen Ming to escort his sister-in-law home. Jin Yue remained inside, continuing to teach Zhao Wan Qiu about Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Recently, she had completed another course and was full of enthusiasm, identifying herbs everywhere according to the black-and-white illustrations in her TCM book. She would try to identify anything she saw while walking, and within days had learned all the common herbs growing along Shu City's roadsides.
Jin Yue waited for her brother to come, but he never showed up. She temporarily set the matter aside and continued pondering what Hu Nainai had mentioned last time.
The elderly lady was the daughter of a pharmacy owner and knew many methods for processing and preparing medicinal herbs – enough to be her teacher. But Jin Yue had her pride too, still remembering how she'd been scolded last time.
Lately, the old lady hadn't been coming to sunbathe in the neighborhood committee courtyard anymore. Jin Yue had wondered whether she should offer assistance if they met on the street, but it had been quite a while since their last encounter. She realized the old woman was deliberately avoiding her too.
Speak of the devil—no sooner had she mentioned him avoiding her than a commotion erupted at the old lady’s doorstep.
The loudest and most grating voice belonged to Hu Laizi, whom she had encountered the other day.
Jin Yue’s feet carried her involuntarily toward the scene. A crowd had already gathered outside the Hu residence—some were neighbors, others passersby drawn by the spectacle—but without exception, none dared intervene.
Rumor had it that a previous tenant renting from Hu Nainai had kindly tried to block Hu Laizi from entering, only to be ambushed and beaten with a sack over his head later. Even the local police could do nothing. With Hu Nainai herself penniless and unable to cover medical expenses, people gradually stopped offering help.
“Auntie, you’re my own flesh and blood! I only want to take you home to care for you—don’t think ill of me,” Hu Laizi declared shamelessly, his words too audacious for anyone to bear.
“Since so many neighbors are here today, you can all bear witness. My aunt’s health is failing—I heard she can’t even walk out to sunbathe anymore. I’ve come all this way to bring her home and attend to her properly. She’ll want for nothing under my roof! As for this house, just leave it be. Any future rent payments can go through me—I’ll manage them for Auntie.”
Shu Jin Yue cringed at his brazenness.
Yet Hu Laizi showed not a hint of shame.
Everyone knew: if Hu Nainai left with him today, she would never return. A nearly centenarian with limited mobility wouldn’t be going to a life of comfort—she’d be imprisoned. He’d pocket the rent while she survived on scraps, potentially dying of illness or starvation without anyone’s knowledge. Then he’d forge a will or statement claiming she’d willingly bequeathed him the property. Who would investigate?
After all, the Hu family had no descendants left.
What venomous scheming!
Shu Jin Yue clenched her fists, quietly retrieving a silver needle from her backpack. Last time, she’d been too lenient—she should have crippled one of his arms outright.
Pinching the needle between her index and middle fingers, she began pushing through the crowd when a heavy hand landed on her shoulder.
Jin Yue turned. “Uncle Xu? What are you doing here?”
Xu Duan frowned. Had he not spotted her in time, would she have repeated her reckless stunt? Hu Laizi, a seasoned troublemaker, had grown suspicious after the last incident—he’d questioned everyone present and was closing in on her. Did she truly think she could act unnoticed in broad daylight?
Youth and inexperience had made her overconfident with her modest skills.
Keeping his expression neutral, Xu Duan felt unease settle in his chest. Some matters would need advancing sooner than planned. “Focus on your job.”
Shu Jin Yue blinked. “Then why aren’t you focusing on yours?” The Municipal Materials Bureau wasn’t anywhere nearby.
He didn’t argue, simply grasping her needle-holding hand. When she resisted, he deftly twisted his grip and disarmed her.
Deprived of her primary weapon, Jin Yue felt uncomfortably empty-handed—and irritated. She retaliated by scratching his palm sharply. That’ll teach you to steal from me!
But she’d underestimated their physical disparity. Her effort was no more than a kitten’s playful swipe, leaving the man unscathed but for a faint, warm itch in his palm.
"Stop fooling around." He firmly grasped the mischievous little cat paw.
Her hand was small with a soft back, yet her palm and fingertips bore many calluses. He wondered if they would ever soften with time.
Shu Jin Yue's face flushed red. How dare he still be holding her fingers? A young woman's fingers shouldn't be casually handled like this. With so many people around, had he no sense of propriety?
"My apologies for the offense." The man quickly released her hand, pushed through the crowd, and approached the man who was dragging Grandma Hu away.
"Let go." His voice was cold.
"Who do you think you are? None of your damn business!"
His stern expression set him apart from ordinary people. Hu Laizi paused, then laughed upon noticing his crew cut. "You're just a soldier. Don't try to act tough in front of me, or you'll regret it later."
Without further words, Xu Duan placed his hand on the man's shoulder and applied pressure. A distinct "crack" sound was heard, followed by Hu Laizi's piercing howls.
"Ah! It hurts so much!"
"You damned soldier, what did you do to me?"
"Help! The soldier is hitting people!"
The crowd had clearly seen Xu Duan merely pat the man's shoulder without using any real force. Such dramatic wailing had to be an act—after all, he had pulled the same stunt last time at the neighborhood committee compound. Rumor had it he even went back later to demand compensation for medical expenses. Only a fool would pay him.
"Enough, Hu Laizi. Cut the act."
"We all saw it with our own eyes—he didn't hit you at all. Just a pat, and look how pathetic you are."
"What, have you developed a habit of faking injuries?"
Hu Laizi was sweating from the pain, but no one believed him. They even commented that he was putting on quite a performance, having honed his acting skills specifically for such scams.
Hu Laizi: "…"
Xu Duan couldn't be bothered to spare him a glance. He helped Grandma Hu up and escorted her to her doorstep.
Seeing that no one would speak up for him and with his arm hurting unbearably—he even feared it might be broken—Hu Laizi didn't dare linger any longer. He needed to get to the hospital immediately. "You little brat, just you wait!"
As the onlookers gradually dispersed, Jin Yue hesitated for a moment before stepping through Grandma Hu's gate.
She had always accompanied people only to the doorway before; this was her first time entering the Hu residence. The layout was similar to No. 16 Courtyard, but it was cleaner and more organized, with fewer unnecessary items cluttering the space. Of course, there were no exotic flowers, rare plants, or pavilions either.
She heard this house was rarely occupied by the Hu family, likely because they considered it too small and humble for their taste.
"Thank you, young man." Grandma Hu looked at Xu Duan, then at Shu Jin Yue who had just entered, seemingly having forgotten that she had scolded Jin Yue not long ago. "Does the girl know how to make Xiaoyao Pills now?"
"Yes. The three herbs—Bupleurum, Chinese Angelica, and White Peony Root—need to have their volatile oils extracted first. Then the herb residues are ground into powder and mixed with White Peony Root into the pill excipients."
Grandma Hu nodded. "Explain the extraction process."
Shu Jin Yue paused. This question had indeed troubled her for a long time. She had even tried experimenting at home. The most primitive method involved crushing fresh herbs to extract the juice, but the freshness or dryness of the herbs affected their potency, especially when making pills that required slow, gradual effects. Fresh herbs always seemed to lack something.
She had pondered for days without finding an answer, thinking she should borrow more books from the library. Coincidentally, when Qin Haiyang heard she wanted to borrow professional books on medicinal processing and dosage form preparation, he asked what she needed them for.
So, he immediately introduced her to an old professor in the Chinese Medicine Department.
The professor not only had a solid theoretical foundation but also rich practical experience. He even provided technical guidance for pharmaceutical companies outside and suggested she could use the distillation method.
Distillation could extract volatile oils to the greatest extent while preserving medicinal efficacy. The professor, who had a good relationship with Qin Haiyang, directly lent her the distillation equipment, though it couldn't be taken out of the laboratory.
Jin Yue ended up making several trips to the medical school for this.
Only then did Hu Nainai nod in approval, "Not bad. Shame leads to courage."
Shu Jin Yue was exasperated, "Hu Nainai, you really have a way with words—sharp tongue and a sharp heart."
"Sharp-tongued." But Hu Nainai still smiled. She didn't necessarily intend to test Jin Yue; she just wanted to temper her impetuousness, and it seemed to be working.
"Do you two know each other?" She glanced at Xu Duan, then at Jin Yue.
"Yes, he's my little uncle."
Xu Duan gave her a helpless look, as if wanting to explain but ultimately giving up.
Hu Nainai noticed this and smiled faintly, "Alright then, I'll thank you both together. Come by alone sometime when you're free—I have something for you."
"What is it? Can't you give it to me now?"
"See? Impetuous, just as I said."
Jin Yue pouted and had no choice but to leave with Xu Duan. The moment they stepped out, she started muttering, "Hu Nainai is really something, not giving me any face at all. I'm practically the famous little miracle doctor of Liu Ye Hutong now…"
After chattering for a while, she suddenly remembered something crucial: "Hu Laizi has taken note of you. What if he comes to cause trouble for you?"
That kind of ruffian might even go to his workplace to make a scene, file false reports, or even follow him home. "There's nothing he wouldn't do."
"That depends on whether he gets the chance."
"What do you mean?"
But Xu Duan didn't answer and instead lectured her, "Hu Nainai wasn't wrong. You need to think twice before acting from now on and consider the consequences more carefully. Some consequences are beyond what you can handle."
Shu Jin Yue wasn't foolish. After he took the needle from her, she had calmed down and actually broke out in a cold sweat. With someone like Hu Laizi, unless you could finish him off in one move, it was best not to provoke him lightly.
"Alright, alright, I've got it."
"But it seems your memory isn't that great." Xu Duan looked at her meaningfully.
"How could it not be? You have no idea—when I was an A Piao… my memory was terrifyingly strong."
"I told you that you could come to me for anything, but it seems you didn't remember." Instead, she went to that student.
It was just a set of distillation equipment. If she needed it, he could borrow ten sets for her.
But she just wouldn't ask him.
"Do the shoes fit?"
He changed the subject so quickly that Jin Yue couldn't keep up. "They fit, very well."
She rarely found half-size shoes and had no idea where he'd gotten them. Actually, her feet used to only need size 35, but after losing her left toe, she initially felt her grip was slightly off when walking. She needed shoes a bit larger to exert force properly, so she switched to size 36.
But the most comfortable fit was still 35 and a half.
As it turned out, Shu Jin Yue was worrying over nothing.
That evening, as soon as she returned home from work, the neighbors in the compound were buzzing about explosive news—
"Did you hear? Hu Laizi got arrested."
"Who? That so-called grandnephew of Hu Nainai from Huai Shu Alley?"
"Indeed, it's him. I heard the police went directly to his home and dragged him right out of his bed. He was still groggy with sleep!"
"What on earth did he do? Wasn't it just this morning that we heard he went to harass Hu Nainai?"
"I heard it's theft, stealing from some public institution. The police had already caught wind of it, but just hadn't made the arrest yet."
Everyone went "Oh," thinking he truly deserved what was coming!
These days public security was excellent, with very few homicide cases—only petty theft remained. Yet ordinary people hated petty thieves the most. Today they'd steal half a pound of grain and three eggs from your home, tomorrow a pair of socks, and the day after they'd take a wheel off your bicycle. Wasn't that infuriating?
"Does anyone know what he stole and how much?"
"Who would know? They just arrested him this afternoon. The police station's interrogation room isn't made of sieves."
Everyone laughed, though slightly disappointed.
Shu Jin Yue got the news faster than the others. Early the next morning, just after arriving at work, Qiao Dajie and a few others gathered to discuss it.
Qiao Dajie's husband worked at the district Public Security Bureau. "I heard the arrest order came from the municipal bureau, bypassing our local station entirely without using any of their personnel."
Clearly, this showed great dissatisfaction with their local station, which had allowed such a local ruffian to run rampant for years.
"Before it was just minor thefts. The station would arrest him, of course, but he actually looked forward to going in for the free meals. He'd commit crimes again soon after being released, and the station couldn't do anything about it."
"This time he's really kicked an iron plate!"
"Old Qiao, stop keeping us in suspense. Tell us what he actually did to make the municipal bureau arrest him so suddenly?"
Qiao Dajie lowered her voice, "I heard—and this is just hearsay, not confirmed—that he stole oil. Not cooking oil, but the kind used in cars. And he stole this much." She held up a hand with all five fingers spread.
Everyone was shocked. Stealing that much gasoline—a strategic resource—
"The key is he sold it all."
Well then, that firmly constituted theft with a huge amount, plus Speculation and Profiteering and illegal business operations. If he couldn't pay a fine of one to five times the amount, combined with his multiple prior convictions and cumulative sentencing for multiple crimes… well, he needn't think about getting out in this lifetime.
"Good riddance! With this troublemaker gone, our neighborhood can be peaceful for years!"
"Yes, and Hu Nainai will be most at peace. She won't have to worry about him coveting her house anymore."
"I wonder how long the authorities have been watching him. They couldn't have just discovered all these crimes yesterday, right? Maybe he offended some important person."
Hearing this, Shu Jin Yue remembered what Xu Duan said yesterday. He'd been so certain Hu Laizi wouldn't have a chance to seek revenge—had he known about these arrangements all along? But he didn't work in the public security system, so how would he know?
Jin Yue couldn't figure it out, but she knew Uncle Xu was very capable.
"Hey Jin Yue, if Xiao Qin comes around again, why don't you ask him? His father would definitely know," someone said, winking at Shu Jin Yue.
She pretended not to understand. "I'm not that curious."
"Come on, their system has strict work discipline, unlike our neighborhood office that's like a sieve."
Everyone finally dropped the subject and returned to their respective Offices to work.
That evening at home, everyone was still discussing the matter with various sources of information, though the accounts differed. Some said it was theft, others said it was hooliganism. Jin Yue felt Qiao Dajie's version was more reliable.
"People really shouldn't do bad things. How does that saying go? The net of justice has large meshes, but it lets nothing through."
"Everyone used to say there was nothing we could do about such a person, but who would have thought he'd already been targeted by the authorities."
"When do you think the police started watching him?"
Jin Yue listened for a while but didn't hear any new developments, so she didn't pay much attention and went inside to tidy up before settling down to read.
"Has your elder brother not come yet?" Teacher Shu stood before Jin Yue with his hands behind his back, his brow furrowed with worry.
"Not yet." Shu Jin Yue had considered that Shu Wen Yan valued his pride, but she never expected him to be this concerned about it. Despite Liu Hui Fang's persistent persuasion over three days, he still hadn't come to see her.
In his view, infertility was embarrassing enough, but having to seek help from his stepsister for such an issue was utterly humiliating.
Like father, like son. Teacher Shu pondered for a moment. "Your elder brother's pride might be one aspect, but there's another side to it…"
Father and daughter exchanged a glance, both seeing the same thought in each other's eyes—what if it really was Shu Wen Yan's problem?
Logically speaking, someone who wanted children as much as he did would have rushed over immediately upon hearing about any doctor or remedy that could help him… Yet this time, he remained inactive.
This was a clear case of avoidance.
He was evading reality, unwilling to let Jin Yue trace the issue back to him. This proved he knew he had a problem but refused to admit it, dragging Liu Hui Fang along all this time, subjecting her to injections and medications, enduring so much suffering. Such behavior was utterly unacceptable!
Teacher Shu didn't consider himself a man of high moral standing, but at the very least, he wasn't a despicable person. Who would have thought the son he raised would turn out to be such a scoundrel? He was so enraged that his chest heaved, and a surge of blood rushed to his head.
"Wan Qiu, my medicine."
Zhao Wan Qiu quickly soothed him while fetching water and his blood pressure medication. "We don't know anything for sure yet. Don't jump to conclusions and blame the child."
"Would I wrong him? Hasn't he done enough dishonorable things over the years? What a disgrace to our family!"
The thought of him deliberately delaying Liu Hui Fang's treatment for so many years filled Teacher Shu with such shame he could hardly bear it. Whose child isn't born of parents? Did Liu Hui Fang deserve to be treated this way? The Liu family owed him nothing!
Zhao Wan Qiu thought of all the "good deeds" Shu Wen Yan had done over the years and found it impossible to continue defending him.
But she couldn't just stand by and watch the old man work himself into a state. After a moment's thought, she timidly said, "Ah, if it really is like this, the child probably didn't want it either. Think about it—if a man has such a condition and others find out, how could he ever hold his head up? No matter how angry you are, you still have to consider your own child."
"I'm not saying Huifang deserves this. If it's true, our eldest son and our family have indeed wronged her. We should find ways to make it up to her. If she doesn't want to stay in this marriage, we can't stop her, right?"
Teacher Shu let out a long sigh. "You're absolutely right. If she decides to leave, we must prepare a grand dowry for her. Back then, her father entrusted her to our family—it was clearly a marriage beneath her status."
Thinking of Liu Hui Fang's parents made Teacher Shu even more ashamed. They had raised their daughter so well, never looked down on their family's poverty when they married, and had continuously supported them over the years, treating their son-in-law as their own. Yet their worthless son had trapped her for so many years, wasting her youth and likely ruining her health with all the medications.
"Even if I were to die, I wouldn't have the face to see them."
Shu Jin Yue quickly stepped forward to comfort her, "It's not that serious yet, let's not jump to conclusions."
Although she said this, even Jin Yue privately believed that Shu Wen Yan was the one who had caused trouble for their sister-in-law.
Therefore, the next day, Teacher Shu went straight to the school and gave Shu Wen Yan a thorough scolding, insisting that he must come home after work so Jin Yue could check his pulse.
Shu Wen Yan agreed with a bitter expression, but after work, he didn't dare go home directly. After much hesitation, he trudged like a snail to a store and reluctantly bought half a catty of tofu and a few wrinkled, soft oranges.
After psyching himself up for a full three hours, he finally crept into Liu Ye Hutong like a thief after ten o'clock at night, as timid as a bride being carried to her wedding.
After finishing her bedtime routine, Shu Jin Yue saw Shu Wen Yun still reading by the lamplight, her pale face marked by two dark circles under her eyes, yawning repeatedly, looking utterly pitiful.
Lately, besides becoming more silent, she had also started working harder. Previously, not being professionally trained, she had little presence in her department. Unless it was a cultural performance, her looks weren't much use in clinical work—if she administered the wrong injection or dispensed the wrong medication, the supervisor wouldn't go easy on her just because she was pretty.
Only by improving her professional skills could she get ahead.
So, every day after work, she spent two or three hours studying, asking Zhao Wan Qiu whenever she didn't understand something. It seemed she was aiming to get a professional certification.
Although Shu Jin Yue didn't like her, she still hoped she would improve—as long as her progress didn't threaten Jin Yue herself.
The two sisters exchanged a glance, neither speaking, the atmosphere slightly tense. Just as Jin Yue was about to go to bed, she heard hushed, agitated voices from the next room. She initially didn't want to get involved, but fearing her cunning older brother might upset their elderly father, she quickly threw on some clothes and went over.
"Big Brother, why are you here so late?"
Shu Wen Yan looked sallow. "Jin Yue, you know why, don't ask—it's so embarrassing…"
He placed the tofu and oranges on the table. Teacher Shu waved a hand dismissively, "I don't want them, take them away."
Jin Yue twitched the corner of her mouth. She had work the next day and just wanted to get this over with quickly—check his pulse and send him home so he wouldn't disturb her sleep. "Sit down. Let's finish this so you can go home and rest early. Don't bother Mom and Dad."
Shu Wen Yan hurriedly put the items back on the table and sat down awkwardly, shooting meaningful glances at their parents. Zhao Wan Qiu took the hint and excused herself to check on something in the kitchen, but Teacher Shu remained unmoved.
He kept signaling until his eyes nearly twitched, yet Teacher Shu stood firm like a mountain.
"Dad…"
"What 'Dad'? Can't I listen?"
Shu Wen Yan stammered, not daring to argue further. He'd feel terrible if he really upset the old man.
Jin Yue took his wrist and began feeling his pulse.
Typically, men with infertility issues tend to have some degree of kidney deficiency. However, surprisingly, the pulse at both his chi positions showed no abnormalities.
Jin Yue didn't believe it and focused on checking for another three minutes, but still found no signs of kidney deficiency.
In fact, Shu Wen Yan's pulse was even better than Liu Hui Fang's—it was longer, without her soggy weakness, though slightly slower, which is a normal difference between men and women and nothing unusual. At the same time, his pulse was somewhat floating, likely because he was thin with little muscle, making the pulse more apparent.
In short, based solely on his pulse, Shu Wen Yan was as healthy as any normal person could be.
Jin Yue refused to believe there was no solution and decided to start with the consultation: "Big brother, you must answer my next questions honestly without the slightest concealment. Can you do that?"
Her tone was extremely serious, and Shu Wen Yan gradually shed his slight discomfort. "Alright, I'll definitely tell the truth. Just ask."
"First, is your marital life with sister-in-law normal?"
Shu Wen Yan's face, usually thicker than a city wall, actually flushed slightly. "You're a young lady, what are you talking about? This isn't something you should be concerned with."
Shu Jin Yue looked utterly righteous, as if the red scarf around her neck was fluttering in the wind. "We're discussing reproductive issues now. This matter isn't something shameful—it's human nature, understand?"
Shu Wen Yan, having studied physiological sciences, knew this well enough, but knowing it himself was one thing; discussing such matters with his unmarried sister was another. "Why are you asking this? It's not…"
Teacher Shu slapped him on the back. "Stop the nonsense."
"Normal, normal. I think it's perfectly normal."
"Good. Now answer me: how often do you have marital relations, how long does it last each time, is there pleasure, is the semen normal afterward, and what's the semen volume like?"
Shu Wen Yan swallowed hard, thinking to himself, Good grief, what kind of outrageous questions are these? This adopted sister of mine must be a female ruffian!
His old father shot him a look: "Tell the truth."
"I'll talk, I'll talk. The frequency isn't fixed—definitely not when she's on driving duty. When she's back, it's about seven or eight times a month, half an hour each time. The feeling is certainly good, semen is normal, volume is about the same—not small, anyway."
Jin Yue raised an eyebrow. "Seven or eight times a month, each lasting over half an hour? Are you sure?"
She was no ignorant young girl. Frequency was hard to judge—it depended a lot on how long they'd been married—but a middle-aged man lasting half an hour every time? This was clearly—bragging!
Shu Wen Yan's face reddened. "Well, it's five or six times, ten minutes. I remembered wrong."
Jin Yue nearly choked. Big brother was still big brother—even about this he had to boast.
"Just keep this to yourself. I've got a reputation to maintain."
Teacher Shu remained calm. Perhaps he had already prepared for the worst in his heart, so hearing these relatively normal answers actually made him feel somewhat relieved.
"Any blood streaks in the semen?"
"No."
Shu Jin Yue thought for a moment, then asked if he usually experienced soreness, numbness, or pain in the lower limbs, or any abnormal sensations like redness, swelling, heat, pain, itching, or numbness down there. He said no to all.
Shu Jin Yue was completely out of ideas. The pulse and symptoms seemed perfectly normal for his age and length of marriage—not pathological at all. So why the infertility?
Having ruled out every possibility she could think of, Shu Jin Yue was baffled. Where else could she even start?
She concentrated for a while, watching Shu Wen Yan across from her, who didn't dare meet her eyes. Suddenly, inspiration struck. "You haven't been messing around outside, have you? Have you been checked for sexually transmitted diseases?"
Shu Wen Yan immediately jumped three feet high. "Shu Jin Yue, don't talk nonsense! If your sister-in-law hears this, I'll be in deep trouble. During her absence, I've been living like a recluse, avoiding female companions like the plague—there isn't even a single female mosquito around me! I swear, if I'm lying, may I never get promoted in my career and remain a pathetic schoolteacher for the rest of my life!"
He, Shu Wen Yan, was the very model of male virtue.
Well, if he was willing to stake his career advancement and wealth on an oath, it must be true.
Shu Jin Yue looked him up and down, left and right. It seemed he didn't even have the qualifications for an affair. After all, he wasn't particularly handsome, lacked remarkable talent, and had no power or influence. The only thing women might be interested in was money, but he was the stingiest member of the Shu Family, absolutely unwilling to spend a single cent on women.
With such behavior, if he could still have a mistress outside, it would be the biggest joke in the world.
Could it be that I've wronged my elder brother? Maybe there's really nothing wrong with him.
But if there's nothing wrong with him, and nothing wrong with my sister-in-law either, then why have they been infertile for so many years? Even if you buy lottery tickets for this long, you'd probably win a few dollars by now.
Could it truly be that the time for a child just hasn't come yet?
After all, some say that the end of medicine is metaphysics.