Marriage and perseverance

On September 29, 2014, the family gathered in the private kitchen for dinner. The mahogany table was laden with dishes. The sweet aroma of squirrel mandarin fish, the rich flavor of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and the crispness of osmanthus wine mingled. The atmosphere, which should have been lively, was instead weighed down by Xiaofeng's silence. Her fingertips unconsciously traced the glass, her brow furrowed from time to time, her attention completely absent. Wenqing offered her a piece of fish belly, but she waved her hands away repeatedly, not even touching her favorite squirrel mandarin fish with her chopsticks.

"Today's fish is cooked to perfection, and the sweet and sour taste is just right. Why don't you eat it?" Wen Qing's voice was filled with concern as he pushed the fish pieces back into her bowl.

"It smells a bit fishy..." Xiaofeng covered his nose, his throat tightening.

"Then try this asparagus and lily bulb dish? It's very refreshing." Wen Qing pointed to another dish. As soon as he finished speaking, Xiaofeng suddenly covered his mouth, leaned forward suddenly, and retched.

The chatter at the table suddenly stopped, and the crisp sound of chopsticks hitting dishes also stopped abruptly. Jiang Wan was the first to put down her chopsticks and reached out to touch Xiaofeng's back. "What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"

"Is she pregnant?" Jiang Wenfeng suddenly put down his chopsticks, his tone tentative. His words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing ripples.

Wenqing raised his eyes to look at his brother, his eyes were heavy and contained an indescribable meaning.

After dinner, Wenqing accompanied Xiaofeng to Zhou Yong's hospital, while the others returned home. While waiting for the results in the office, Xiaofeng clutched Wenqing's arm tightly, her knuckles turning white, and she muttered quietly, "Just that one time... Really just that one time, how could it be..."

Wen Qing's mind was a tangled mess. That time? Was it in the wee hours before he went home? Or... He didn't dare think about it anymore. His fingertips dug into his palm, leaving a few red marks.

"Wenqing," Xiaofeng shook his arm, his voice trembling, "Don't you think it's too hasty to have a child now? I haven't graduated yet, and I still have competitions to compete..."

"No rush." ​​Wen Qing replied calmly, but his eyes drifted out the window.

The sound of Zhou Yong pushing the door open interrupted their conversation. He was clutching the test results in his hand, a smile plastered on his face. Wen Qing understood immediately and unconsciously clenched his fists, his knuckles turning pale from the force.

Xiao Feng took the test report, stared at the numbers for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Tens, hundreds, millions, tens of thousands...what does 80,000 mean?"

"Silly girl," Zhou Yong smiled and patted her shoulder, "You are pregnant. The gestational age is almost 6 weeks, and the HCG value is very healthy."

Xiaofeng bit her right index finger, her eyes reddening. She grabbed Wenqing's shoulders with her left hand and cried, "Wenqing, I'm pregnant... We have a baby..."

Wenqing's body swayed gently as she rocked him, but his face remained expressionless, like a wooden statue. Zhou Yong quipped, "Is the future father thinking about the baby's name?"

Two flowers bloom, each with its own beauty. Elsewhere, Jiang Wenfeng, returning home, locked himself in his room. The cheerful strains of "You Never Can Tell" suddenly blared from the speakers, and he paced around the room to the beat, his steps a bit unsteady. Downstairs, the Jiang family sat at the dining table. Wenqing and Wenfeng's unusual behavior had already made them nervous, and the noises upstairs only confirmed their suspicions. No one spoke, only the ticking of the wall clock.

"If it's really like what we think... Xiaofeng she..." Jiang Wan's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, and she stopped talking before she finished. The others also lowered their heads, not daring to think too much.

Xiaofeng was still immersed in joy when she returned home, chattering non-stop: "I hope it's a girl so we can play with dolls together in the future." "I'm going to the boxing gym to find Uncle Ming tomorrow and ask him to get me a super VIP membership in the maternity and baby store." "The due date seems to be May 6th next year, Wenqing... Wenqing, are you listening?"

Wenqing sat on the sofa, his soul dazed, his car keys still tightly clenched in his hand, his knuckles red. Xiaofeng called out to him, trying to pry his fingers apart: "You're holding them so tightly, don't your hands hurt?" Seeing that he didn't react, she touched his forehead with the back of her hand and asked, "Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

She squatted down and pressed her face against his, trying to get closer. Wenqing suddenly stood up, and Xiaofeng lost her balance. She fell to the ground with a yelp, hitting the back of her head on the corner of the coffee table, causing her to gasp in pain. But Wenqing slammed the door and walked out without looking back.

Xiaofeng sat on the ground, looking at the empty doorway. All the grievances in her heart suddenly turned into tears, dripping down her cheeks onto the floor, leaving a small wet mark.

Wen Qing stumbled outside the door, as if being pulled by some force, walking faster and faster, finally rushing into the house and kicking open Wen Feng's door. Before Wen Feng could react, he had already punched him. With a dull "bang", Wen Feng stumbled and hit the wardrobe, and blood instantly seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Jiang Tao, who came up from the first floor, and Jiang Heng, Jiang Wan and Jiang Hui, who came out from the second floor, rushed into the room upon hearing the noise and quickly grabbed the two brothers who were fighting.

"What are you doing!" Jiang Heng's voice was not loud, but it carried an aura of majesty without even getting angry. He glanced at the two of them, causing them to stop temporarily.

Jiang Wenfeng licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, with a stubborn look in his eyes.

"Wenqing, please explain clearly." Jiang Heng looked at Wenqing with a calm tone.

Wen Qing stood there, his chest heaving violently, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, but he couldn't utter a word.

Instead, Jiang Wenfeng moved his lips. His voice was not loud, but it sounded like thunder exploding in everyone's ears: "Is Xiaofeng pregnant?"

Everyone's eyes turned to Wen Qing.

Wenqing's teeth were clattering as he squeezed out a few words: "He fucked my wife."

With a "slap", Jiang Wan slapped Wen Feng in the face. Wen Feng's face turned to the side, but then turned back suddenly, staring at Wen Qing stubbornly with provocation in his eyes.

"Do you understand?" Jiang Wan walked to Wen Qing with a trembling voice.

"He has never touched Xiaofeng," Jiang Wenfeng's voice sounded softly, with a hint of pride and madness, "I am Xiaofeng's first man."

"You're looking for death!" Wen Qing, like an enraged bull, broke free from the crowd's hold and lunged forward, his fists raining down on Wen Feng. Jiang Wan was so frightened by the scene that she nearly fell. Jiang Heng caught her and shouted, "Stop!"

Wen Feng, held tightly by Jiang Hui, curled up on the ground, clutching his chest and groaning. Jiang Wan hurriedly called out, "Wen Feng? Wen Feng, how are you?" But he didn't respond. "Call an ambulance!"

Before Wen Qing left with the ambulance, Jiang Heng held his shoulder and warned him, "This is a serious matter. Don't be impulsive."

The sirens of the ambulance, blaring from near and far, drew Xiaofeng out from her home. Seeing the paramedics carrying Wenfeng onto a stretcher, she suddenly covered her mouth with her hands, stumbled back two steps, and rushed back into the house. Seeing the panicked crowd in the living room, her voice trembled, "What's wrong? Mom, what happened to Wenfeng?"

Jiang Wan held her arm and pretended to be calm: "It's okay, Wen Feng is feeling a little unwell, Wen Qing has taken him to the hospital. Mom will go back with you to rest first."

"Should I give Uncle Zhou a call and ask?"

"Wenqing will tell him. Don't worry, the baby in your belly is the most important thing right now."

"Shall I go to the hospital with you?"

"Just wait at home and we'll tell you as soon as we have any news."

At the hospital, Jiang Wenfeng's condition stabilized after emergency treatment. Zhou Yong, holding the medical report, said solemnly, "It's suspected to be Long QT Syndrome, an ion channel disorder associated with a gene mutation. Emotional agitation or strenuous exercise can easily trigger arrhythmias. He needs hospitalization for further examination. If you wish to transfer to a more specialized hospital, we will fully cooperate."

Wenqing sat on a bench in the hallway, ripping his hair with both hands. Hearing the word "heart attack," he abruptly stood up and punched the wall with a dull thud, his knuckles instantly turning red.

The Jiang family returned home and sat in the living room. No one spoke for a long time. Finally, Jiang Heng sighed and said, "This seems to be a curse for this family."

Wenqing stayed in the hospital all night. At dawn, he called Xiaofeng and said in a hoarse voice, "Wife, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Xiaofeng's voice was soft, with a hint of sleepiness. "Don't worry too much. Uncle Zhou is so good, he will definitely be able to cure Wenfeng."

"Um."

After Wenfeng was discharged from the hospital, life seemed to be back on track. Xiaofeng saw Wenqing's calm demeanor and assumed she was just worried about her brother's illness. She didn't think much of it and just rubbed her belly every day, anticipating the baby's arrival.