Chapter 7 The Temptation of Returning to the Village
Su Mu was shocked.
It felt like being struck by lightning, a deafening roar that shook the very foundations of one's worldview.
He sat blankly on the hospital bed.
The man's pregnancy, family tradition, his parents' calm acceptance, his ignorance of his own body for over twenty years...
He even began to question the meaning of life.
Oh, so that's how it is... men giving birth is a long-standing family tradition in the Su family.
Other families might have ancestral skills or family precepts as their traditions. But this family is different; they don't pass on gold or silver, they don't pass on medicine or martial arts, they only pass on this, and only to sons, not daughters... their reproductive ability?
What kind of inheritance is this?
He had lived for over twenty years and always thought of himself as an ordinary man, at most with a slightly unusual sexual orientation. But now he was told that he was fundamentally different from others.
It took him a long time to process this before he slowly regained some sense of reality: "Why...why didn't you send me something else? Why did you...send me this?"
His tone carried a childlike accusation.
Upon hearing this, Su's father frowned, his face showing a serious expression mixed with disappointment: "Who told you to sleep with other people so casually? I've told you so many times to be reserved, to be steady, and to be responsible for yourself. But you, without saying a word, have caused such a big problem."
Su's mother quickly tugged at her husband's sleeve, looked at Su Mu, and softened her tone: "Yes, Mu, seeing how quiet you are usually, we thought you were too dull to even think about this. But suddenly... you're pregnant! It really scared us to death. Your father and I were picking corn in the field when we got the call. We were so shocked that we dropped the corn cobs, threw on some clothes, and ran to the station... We couldn't calm down the whole way."
“Actually… this isn’t entirely my fault,” Su Mu said. “If you had… told me earlier that our family… has this tradition, I wouldn’t have…”
He would never be so impulsive, he would never... sleep with Jiang Ran.
That was like walking into a trap, a lamb entering a tiger's den, or rather, like she'd packed herself up and delivered herself right to his doorstep. And now, she's pregnant, with the child of the very person he least wanted to have anything to do with anymore.
Seeing his frustrated expression, Su's mother asked, "So what are you planning to do now? Who is the child's other father or mother?"
Su Mu stared at the snow-white bed sheet: "Anyway, we're no longer together. Even if I tell him... I'll tell him he won't want this child."
Jiang Ran's family background, his future, the marriage he is about to face, and the chaotic and non-existent relationship between them.
Jiang Ran might cling to him out of guilt or something else, but she could never, and should never, accept a child born to a man with such an awkward origin.
"And what about yourself?" Su's father asked. "Do you... want to keep this child?"
The parents' attitude was clear, Jiang Ran's reaction was predictable, and the outside world's opinions and the real difficulties were foreseeable... But in the end, the decision-making power seemed to have fallen back into Su Mu's own hands.
To stay or not to stay?
Su Mu looked at his father, his lips moved, and he asked a question that sounded a little silly, but was incredibly real.
"Dad...does childbirth...hurt?"
Mr. Su was taken aback by the question. Then, a very faint, almost imperceptible, arrogant look, typical of someone who had been through it all, appeared on his usually serious face.
He cleared his throat, straightened his back, and said in a nonchalant tone, "Modern medicine is quite advanced. I'm a grown man... of course I'm not afraid of pain."
"However, things might be different if your mom gave birth to you, so I think... this is actually quite good."
Does this mean that the men in the Su family are fertile and share the risks of childbirth with women? There was indeed a strange, mixed feeling in Su's father's tone, a mixture of pride and relief.
As Su Mu listened, a corner of his heart seemed to be gently touched.
"Alright then, I...I'll have one too."
Hearing this from the side, Su's mother was both amused and exasperated. She reached out and gently patted his arm, saying, "What are you saying, child? Do you think having a child is like having a radish? So easy? Once a child is born, you have to raise it. That's a lifelong commitment, a responsibility."
Su Mu licked his lips, looked up at his mother, and the confusion and panic from before had faded from his eyes, replaced by a stubbornness and seriousness.
“I’ll raise it, of course I’ll raise it. It’s my own child, of course I’ll raise it.”
Su's mother: "Alright, alright... as long as you've thought it through."
Su Mu's original plan was to stay in City B and give birth to the child. He had decided that once the child was a little older, he would take him back to his hometown, Phoenix Village, and tell the villagers that the child's mother had run away because she thought he was useless, leaving only the two of them to depend on each other.
Although this explanation is bound to attract gossip, it is still more normal than explaining something as shocking as male pregnancy, and it saves a lot of real-world trouble.
However, as soon as she mentioned this plan to her parents, her mother strongly opposed it.
“No,” Mrs. Su said, her brows furrowed. “How can we feel at ease with you here all alone, especially with the baby? What if you get sick or have a fever, and there’s no one to help you? Or…”
She looked at her husband, then at her son: "We'll stay here and take care of you. As for the land and the little food we have, your father can go back and deal with it."
Upon hearing this, Su Mu felt a surge of intense guilt.
His parents are getting old and should be enjoying their retirement at home, but because of this incident, they have to travel thousands of miles to an unfamiliar city, and may even have to sell their food and property to take care of and support him.
What kind of son is he?
He lowered his head: "Mom and Dad...I...am I being too willful? You're both so old, and you still have to worry about me and run around for me..."
“Don’t talk about being willful or not. You’ve always been a good boy since you were little. You’ve never caused us any trouble with your studies. We know you must be unhappy working here all by yourself. You sound so down when you call us.” Mr. Su looked at his son’s drooping head and continued, “How about… coming back to our hometown with us? Huh? Go back to give birth, go back to raise your child. Although we’re not rich, it’s still our own place, and we’ll be more comfortable there.”
go back.
Back to Phoenix Village.
This was an option that Su Mu had never really considered before.
He felt that it was an escape, an admission of his failure outside, and a worry that it would embarrass his parents and bring more gossip to his family.
But at this moment, listening to her father's simple yet understanding words, and looking at her mother's undisguised worry and persistence, she felt a deep sense of peace and hope.
Going back to my hometown.
He neither said it was good nor bad, but just sniffed hard to suppress the sour feeling that welled up inside him.
Su Mu was silent for a while: "Actually... I resigned a long time ago, not because of pregnancy, but even earlier. That job... I was really unhappy with it."
He expected his parents to be surprised or questioning, or even a little disappointed. After all, a decent job in a big city is a stable life that many people long for.
Upon hearing this, Su's mother showed no surprise in her tone: "I already knew. You used to call us around 9 or 10 pm, and you sounded so tired. Later... you started calling during the day, sometimes even on weekdays, and you sounded weak and listless. If you're unhappy, just don't do it. It's so hard to keep it bottled up."
She didn't explain why they hadn't told us before, nor did she ask what to do next. She simply accepted her son's belated confession with the most basic understanding.
"Don't you guys feel disappointed? Since graduation, it seems like I haven't achieved anything at all, unlike some of my classmates who are rising through the ranks in big companies or starting their own businesses and thriving. I... it seems like I haven't accomplished anything, and I even lost my job."
Success and fame, bringing glory to one's ancestors—these words are too far removed from him. He even feels that he hasn't been able to achieve a stable life.
Su's father was puzzled: "We haven't achieved anything yet, so why should we make demands of you?"
“Your mother and I have spent our whole lives toiling in the fields. We haven’t had much education or seen much of the world. We’re supporting your education not because we expect you to become a high-ranking official or make a lot of money to bring us honor.”
"We just want you to be safe and sound, to finish university, to see the world, to find a job you enjoy, and to live a happy life. Whether you make a lot of money or a little, life goes on. If you don't like it, then don't do it. You can't force things. You'll only make yourself sick if you force yourself to work. I just think... you've lost weight since the last time we saw you."
Su Mu muttered under his breath, "I've gained several pounds recently."
After two more days of observation at the hospital and several routine tests, it was confirmed that apart from the special circumstance of pregnancy, there were no other major health issues, and Su Mu then completed the discharge procedures.
When Mr. and Mrs. Su arrived, they were in a hurry and brought almost nothing with them except a small bundle.
Su Mu led them back to his rented small single room.
The room was small; a bed, a desk, and a simple wardrobe almost filled all the space.
There were some delivery boxes piled up in the corner that hadn't been thrown away yet. The window wasn't big, so the lighting was poor, and the lights had to be turned on even during the day.
As soon as Su's mother entered the room, she couldn't help but frown. She walked to the bedside and touched the not-so-thick quilt.
She didn't say anything, but silently began to tidy up the books and miscellaneous items scattered on the table.
After tidying up for a while, she turned her back to Su Mu, raised her hand, and quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
"You know... this place is so tiny, it's hard to even turn around, and you're afraid of bumping into something if you move your foot... and you're all here, doing that unhappy job... what's the point of being happy?"
Su Mu: "Mom, everyone here is like this."
He thought of his hometown, of Phoenix Village.
I remembered their big courtyard. Half of the courtyard was dirt, where grass would grow in the summer. There was a chicken coop in the corner, and dried corn and peppers hung under the eaves.
The yard is very big. When I was little, my mother raised a snow-white little rabbit in a bamboo cage.
He would let the rabbit out and watch it hop and skip around the yard, then he would chase after it, his laughter startling the sparrows that flew over the yard wall.
The sunlight is warm, the wind carries the scent of grass and earth, and the world is vast. When you're tired from running, you can lie down on the ground and see the clear blue sky and the slowly drifting clouds.
Now, he lives in a tiny corner of the city, where even sunlight seems scarce, like an insect trapped in a transparent jar, struggling, confused, and even... carrying a completely new and fragile life that he was not prepared for at all.
So, Su Mu said goodbye to the convenience store owner, quit his short-term night shift job, and settled his wages. Then, he and his parents embarked on their journey back to their hometown.
The journey was long and arduous.
First, they departed from the high-speed rail station in City B, taking a bullet train for several hours to reach the provincial capital. From there, they transferred to a long-distance bus, which swayed and rattled towards the county town. Once there, they squeezed onto a noisy, stop-and-go rural bus, bumping along the way to the town. Finally, it was Sumu's uncle, who ran a small shop in the town, who drove his peeling, sputtering tricycle to pick up the family of three, along with their luggage, and drove them all the way back to Phoenix Village.
The wheels rolled over the familiar, somewhat bumpy country road, bringing with them the smell of dust.
Su Mu leaned against the slightly uncomfortable railing of the tricycle, watching the fields and farmhouses rushing past on both sides, and the distant, undulating Phoenix Mountain silhouetted in the twilight. The expansive scenery and the earthy fragrance of the wind soothed his heart.
On the way, Su's mother asked, "Xiao Mu, Mom is asking you... do you like... that child's... other relative?"
A blush of embarrassment and slight bitterness rose on Su Mu's face: "...He likes me. He's actually quite good to me, but...it's unlikely we'll ever get together."
Upon hearing this, Su's mother frowned slightly, seemingly disapproving of her son's attitude of retreating before even trying: "How do you know it's impossible if you haven't even tried? Maybe..."
"Oh, Mom, I just know that we... let's not talk about this."
Back in the village, Su Mu discovered that Phoenix Village had indeed changed quite a bit over the years.
Because Phoenix Mountain is beautiful with clear waters and lush mountains, a few years ago some outside businessmen came to invest and started small-scale tourism development. The village was connected by a wider cement road, and several farmhouses and shops selling local specialties were built along the road. It looks more modern than I remember.
But there seem to be even fewer people in the village now.
Most young and middle-aged people still choose to go out to work and seek opportunities in bigger cities, leaving behind mostly the elderly, children, and some villagers who stay in their fields and are unwilling to leave their hometowns.
Walking on the familiar village road, the road has been repaired and some houses have been renovated.
On the way, he met several uncles and aunts whom Su Mu still remembered and who had watched him grow up.
Mr. and Mrs. Su greeted them with smiles and exchanged a few pleasantries. Naturally, the other party asked curiously why Su Mu had suddenly returned. Mrs. Su said that her son had been working hard and came back to rest and recuperate for a while.
The other party was sensible enough not to ask too many questions, and just said a few words like it's good to be back, and that they feel at ease to be back.
When I got close to my house, I ran into my neighbor from next door.
It was just a simple greeting; we didn't chat much.
I returned to my long-lost home, but the yard was still spotless.
The days after I returned were peaceful and uneventful.
Jiang Ran stopped harassing him with different numbers.
At first, Su Mu was not used to the sudden tranquility, but he was soon surrounded by the slow pace of his hometown and the love of his parents, and gradually put that person and those things behind him.
That day, his parents were going to harvest the last of the corn. Su Mu felt that he was fine and insisted on going to help.
Su's mother initially disagreed, worried that he would get tired, but Su Mu insisted, saying that he wasn't that fragile and that some exercise would be good for his health. Unable to persuade him otherwise, his parents had no choice but to let him come along, but only allowed him to hand things to them and not to do any heavy work. They even brought him snacks to the fields, treating him like a child.
The autumn sun shone brightly, casting its golden rays upon the cornfield. The air was filled with the dry, warm scent of ripening plants, and the comforting aroma of sun-dried soil.
Wearing a straw hat and gloves, Su Mu followed behind his parents, listening to the rustling sound of corn leaves rubbing against each other, and watching his parents skillfully break off plump ears of corn.
Just then, his cell phone, which was in his coat pocket at the edge of the field, suddenly rang. The ringtone sounded particularly jarring in the empty, quiet field.
Su's mother: "Xiao Mu, the phone's ringing! Go answer it quickly! It might be something urgent!"
Su Mu responded and jogged back to the edge of the field, pulling his phone out of his coat. A number without a contact name appeared on the screen, but its location was listed as Lin City.
This moment of lapse in concentration led to the attack.
"Hello?" His voice was slightly out of breath from walking.
There was a moment or two of silence on the other end of the phone, and then Jiang Ran's familiar voice, which seemed to be suppressing some emotion, came through, carrying a hint of probing and grievance.
"...Are you...back from your trip?"
Jiang Ran has even borrowed phone numbers from other provinces; her connections are just too extensive.
Su Mu held his phone: "...Actually, I moved to another city."
There was another silence on the other end of the phone.
This time the silence lasted even longer.
"...You lied to me, just because of that time...you hate me that much? Hate me so much that you want to quit your job, lie to me, and avoid me?"
Su Mu tugged at the fuzzy corn silk hanging from the corn stalk next to him.
"Young Master Jiang, is this really the right thing to do? What happened that night was just an accident. Let bygones be bygones, okay?"
“Su Mu,” Jiang Ran interrupted him, her voice suddenly rising, unusually carrying a kind of gritted teeth and provoked toughness, “What I hate most is someone lying to me. Don’t let me catch you.”
"I just want to have a good talk with you about what happened that day. I'm so confused... You know, I'm still a virgin, and you took my first time... just like that, so unclearly... and then you ran away, lied to me, and avoided me..."
Su Mu's ears burned as he listened to the increasingly outrageous and outrageous words coming from the other end of the phone.
Especially the word "virgin," and his mind flashed through some chaotic, painful, and out-of-control images, as well as... some technical, crude, and rough details.
I see... no wonder...
Their skills are so poor.
But he is too.
What's so noble about being a virgin?
Su Mu thought to himself, how could Jiang Ran possibly know that he was in Phoenix Village? He would have to transfer by plane, taxi, bus, public transport, and then private vehicle to get here.
However, this was the first time he had ever seen Jiang Ran angry. Her tone sounded so strong. Su Mu rubbed his ears.
A note from the author:
Young Master Jiang: I can't find my wife, and lately I keep having strange dreams. [rainbow fart][rainbow fart][rainbow fart]
Little Wood: Still infatuated with her husband.
I just remembered that meme I saw recently, it said that even if you open my box, you'll only get a remote, underdeveloped village, hahaha.
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