Chapter 102 Why are the shepherd's purse and groundhogs fighting again?
Dinner was a feast prepared by Feng Gui himself. Yu Yan cooked dumplings and brought out some brewed sorghum liquor, which she poured for everyone.
Now, whenever he raises his glass, everyone else does the same, and they clink glasses together.
"The new year is almost here, cheers!" Yu Yan said with a smile.
The others laughed and said, "Cheers!"
Outside the window, the snow had stopped sometime earlier, and the bright moon, like a round plate, hung in the sky, casting its pure white light upon the snow-covered earth.
Inside the room, the oil lamp flickered, its warm light illuminating the table and the smiling faces of everyone.
The family ate hot dishes and dumplings, clinking glasses and laughing loudly.
We bid farewell to the joyous old year and welcome the harmonious new year.
...
After the full moon festival, the earth showed signs of revival, changing almost every day.
Yu Yan gradually got busy.
In addition to preparing for spring harvesting and planting, he also led people to repair pottery kilns, charcoal kilns, and so on, so that the tribe could have a stable output this year.
The weaving workshop has started a new round of recruitment. As he expected, there are still many people who want to learn this year.
The peninsula tribes receive traders almost every few days.
The ship built last year also needs to be properly maintained.
When he has some free time, he will go to the beach with Lanxiu, sometimes to go beachcombing, sometimes to take a walk.
He felt incredibly content simply sitting on the shore with his loved one, watching the waves crash against the shore.
In addition to the above, he also did something crucial—expanded the surgical equipment.
He commissioned the creation of tools such as forceps and episiotomy scissors, and also stocked up on plenty of alcohol, gauze, sutures, and so on.
As for practicing surgical techniques, he never slacked off.
He also gave Lanxiu, his "assistant," special training, and Lanxiu is now almost as good as a doctor.
Just as the spring grass was sprouting, news came from the Chongchong tribe that Huaxi was about to give birth.
Yu Yan checked the prepared items again to make sure nothing was missing, then handed them to Lan Xiu to carry.
The two bid farewell to the tribe and headed to Chongchong tribe again.
The journey was smooth, and the tribes they passed through all sent people to escort them.
As soon as they set foot on the territory of the Chongchong tribe, Chief Hongyong led a group of people to greet them.
The beastmen transformed into groundhog-like creatures, with the sub-beastmen and their offspring sitting on their shoulders.
Everyone greeted Yu Yanlan warmly.
Lan Xiu carried Yu Yan, following them back familiarly.
At this time of year, the grass on the grassland is still withered and yellow.
Yu Yan didn't see Ge Meng in the group, so she asked Xin Chen, "How is Hua Xi now?"
Xin Chen frowned, her tone revealing her worry, "I can't really explain it... you'll see when you see it."
The person traveling with him said, "Gomon does nothing now but take care of him."
Upon arriving at the tribe's settlement, Yu Yan went directly to Gomon's house.
Unlike last year, Gomon built a rectangular thatched hut outside the cave. The hut was made of wooden walls on all four sides, with a window on the north and south sides, and the door was also made of wooden planks.
Yu Yan saw him waiting outside the door; he looked thinner and more haggard than last year.
"Doctor Yu Yan, Lan Xiu, you've arrived," he greeted them.
Yu Yan nodded: "Where's Hua Xi?"
A clear, melodious voice came from inside the thatched hut: "I'm inside~"
Hearing that he sounded quite energetic, Yu Yan felt a little relieved.
Gomon led the two into the thatched hut and explained, "He wanted to come out to meet you too, but I stopped him."
Hua Xi lay in bed and complained to Yu Yan, "I said it would be fine to walk a few steps, but he wouldn't let me."
With the windows and doors open, the room wasn't dark.
Yu Yan immediately noticed his belly, which was shockingly large.
"Dr. Yu Yan," Hua Xi said, getting out of bed.
Yu Yan quickly stopped her, saying, "No need, you can just lie down."
Lan Xiu brought over a stool, and Yu Yan sat down by the bed.
Seeing Yu Yan gave Hua Xi a sense of security, and her tone unconsciously became dependent on her.
"Was your journey smooth?"
Yu Yan nodded, "It went quite smoothly."
Hua Xi glanced at Lan Xiu and said regretfully, "I heard from Ge Meng that your wedding ceremony was very lively and interesting. It's a pity I couldn't go."
“You’re pregnant, so your health is the most important thing. When the baby grows up a bit, bring them to our tribe to play. I’ll take you up the mountain and to the beach.”
Hua Xi's eyes lit up. "Okay, okay!"
Yu Yan looked around and asked with concern, "It's still quite chilly outside. Aren't you cold with the doors and windows open?"
"Fortunately, I just took off the quilt before you came. This thatched hut was built by Gomon to make it easier for me to move around. My nose is more sensitive than before now, and with the doors and windows closed, I always feel like I'm going to vomit because of the strong smell in the hut."
He paused for a moment, then asked, "Are you cold? If you are, I'll close the doors and windows."
"It's not cold," Yu Yan stopped him.
Currently, due to insufficient materials, the tribes have not been able to build a large number of houses, but almost all of them are now wearing clothes made of hemp.
Last year's cotton harvest wasn't enough; not everyone can afford a cotton quilt.
But Yu Yan noticed that Hua Xi was wearing cotton clothes and her bedding was made of cotton, while Ge Meng himself was wearing linen clothes.
The affection between the two deeply moved Yu Yan. He resolved to do his utmost to help the couple.
Yu Yan turned his head, signaling Lan Xiu and Ge Meng to leave, as he needed to examine Hua Xi.
This time he inspected very carefully and learned a great deal about the situation in Huaxi.
Seeing how swollen his feet and calves were, Yu Yan looked distressed.
Hua Xi reassured him, "It's okay, it just looks scary, it doesn't actually hurt. Oh, and the food you asked Gomon to bring back, after eating it for a while, my leg doesn't hurt at all anymore. I've been taking that 'calcium' supplement you mentioned since winter!"
Yu Yan smiled and gently reminded him, "You need to keep taking calcium supplements, even after you give birth."
"Uh-huh."
“Your condition isn’t such that you can’t get out of bed. Let Gomon help you walk around every day. It’s not good for you to always be lying down.”
"Okay."
Yu Yan and Lan Xiu settled down in the cave that Ge Meng and the others had dug.
The cave must have been uninhabited for a while; it smells clean and is very tidy.
When not looking after Huaxi, Yu Yan would have Lanxiu carry her around the Chongchong tribe's territory, or have her work and chat with everyone.
Everyone enjoys listening to Yu Yan speak, even if he's just telling a short story about an idiom, a large crowd will gather around him.
With him around, Ge Meng and Hua Xi were noticeably less tense, and their complexions gradually improved.
That morning, Yu Yan had just finished breakfast and was taking stock of the medicinal herbs he had brought.
A furtive voice rang out: "Brother Yu Yan~ What are you doing?"
Another furtive, scurrying voice followed closely behind: "What are you doing~"
Yu Yan turned her head and saw two adorable groundhogs stacked on top of each other, blinking their big eyes at him.
"Yan Sha, Leng Fei, I'm checking the medicinal herbs. What brings you here?"
Yansha nestled against her younger brother and whispered, "We wanted to ask if you wanted to go dig for wild vegetables~"
Leng Fei: "It's delicious."
Yu Yan thought for a moment and said, "Sure, I don't have anything planned for today, but I can't go too far."
Yan Sha: "Yeah, yeah, let's dig around here."
Yu Yan: "Let me tell Hua Xi and the others."
After giving the instructions, Yu Yan carried her basket and tools on her back and walked forward with the two groundhogs.
They've both grown up a lot since we last saw each other, but their charm remains just as endearing as before.
As they walked, they started to get restless and began bickering and fighting.
Yu Yan smiled helplessly, "Weren't you all being quite well-behaved just now? Why did you start fighting again?"
Yan Sha pinched Leng Fei's neck with her little paws: "I was afraid of scaring the baby in Hua Xi's belly."
Leng Fei angrily pinched him, "Me too!"
Yu Yan shook her head: "Don't hit me anymore. Weren't you going to take me to dig for wild vegetables?"
Upon hearing this, the two brothers, unconvinced, released their claws and snorted at each other.
Before long, they found the wild vegetables they wanted to dig, and the two brothers hugged each other tightly.
"Brother Yu Yan, look, this is the vegetable we need to dig up."
Yu Yan squatted down, parted the withered grass beside her, and saw the strips of vegetables the two were talking about.
Isn't this the shepherd's purse that his grandma always took him to dig when he was little? In some places, it's called ground vegetable or black-hearted vegetable.
When plants revive in spring, shepherd's purse is one of the first wild vegetables to sprout. It has a refreshing taste with a hint of bitterness. Yu Yan doesn't like to eat it raw, but he loves to eat it when it's stir-fried with eggs or used in dumplings.
Later, when he grew up, went to school, and worked in the city, he never ate shepherd's purse again. He missed the taste, which was much more fragrant than vegetables grown in greenhouses.
Moreover, he remembered that shepherd's purse also has medicinal properties!
Yu Yan's eyes lit up, and she asked Yan Sha and Leng Fei, "Does your tribe also like to eat this dish?"
Yan Sha nodded: "Yes. My brother and I have been looking forward to it. As soon as we saw the shepherd's purse, we came to find you right away."
Yu Yan patted each of their heads and said, "Hmm, these shepherd's purse leaves are very tender, it's the perfect time to eat them. Come on, let's dig some!"
He took a sickle blade from the basket. The blade had no wooden handle, and the back half of the blade was wrapped with strips of cloth to prevent him from cutting his hand when using it.
Simply poke the sickle under the shepherd's purse, then dig upwards, and you can easily dig out a whole plant.
The two brothers use the beast form, and their claws are very useful.
Unlike Yu Yan, they really enjoy eating shepherd's purse raw.
When they crunch on shepherd's purse, their fuzzy cheeks puff out, which is quite adorable.
The three of them chatted and laughed as they dug for half the morning, and after the two brothers ate some, they got a whole basket full of shepherd's purse.
Yu Yan took the shepherd's purse to the water's edge to wash it clean, then returned to Gomon's thatched hut. She steamed two large sweet potatoes, made a dish of bird eggs stir-fried with shepherd's purse, and a shepherd's purse and tofu soup.
The tofu was delivered by Xinchen early this morning.
Lan Xiu went hunting, and Ge Meng wanted to help him, but Yu Yan refused.
"These are just two dishes, I can make them quickly. Go and ask Huaxi to come and eat."
Hua Xi is pregnant and gets hungry quickly, so she needs to eat at least four meals a day.
Yu Yan brought the dishes to the table outside.
Gomon helped him slowly walk over and sit down at the table.
He exclaimed in surprise, "Even stewed vegetables and tofu smell this good?"
Yu Yan smiled and said, "Try it."
"Thank you, Yu Yan! The cabbage isn't as tasty when it's old; I've been craving it for so long."
Gomon served soup to Yu Yan and Hua Xi. After letting it cool slightly, Hua Xi couldn't wait to drink it.
"It's delicious! So refreshing!" Hua Xi called to Yu Yan, "You should have some too."
"I'm not in a hurry, just be careful not to burn yourself."
"Uh-huh."
Yu Yan took a bite of the stir-fried bird eggs with shepherd's purse. The bird eggs were crispy and fragrant, complementing the rich flavor of the dish perfectly. He showed a satisfied expression.
"Why don't you trade some flour with us this year? Make dumplings with shepherd's purse; they'll taste even better than this."
Yu Yan gave a brief description, which made Hua Xi swallow hard: "I think it tastes great even like this."
That night, Huaxi and Gemeng lay in bed together.
His belly was so big that he needed Gomon's help to turn over.
Although his bones no longer hurt, his legs would occasionally cramp, and Gomon would massage them to help him get rid of the cramps.
He was lying on his side, his legs draped over what Yu Yan had taught Gomon to do... a pregnant man's pillow, staring blankly at his partner beside him.
Gomon opened his eyes, his gaze clear, and asked gently, "What's wrong? Can't you sleep?"
Hua Xi smiled and said, "Tell me, what do shepherd's purse dumplings actually taste like?"
"...You're up all night thinking about this?" Gomon chuckled. "Are you hungry?"
"I'm not hungry, I'm just craving something."
“Hahaha,” Gomon reached out and gently stroked his cheek, “When autumn comes, I’ll change the flour, and we’ll make dumplings.”
Hua Xi nuzzled against him and mumbled in a very soft voice, "I wonder if it will be...until autumn."
Gomon's fingers trembled violently, and his expression changed.
He said seriously, "Don't think about these things. With Yu Yan here, you and Zai Zai will definitely be fine."
Hua Xi hummed in agreement, her eyes lowered, her nose stinging with tears.
He knew he shouldn't think like that, but he just couldn't help it; he was just... scared.
He couldn't bear to part with Gomon, he couldn't bear to part with their baby, and he wanted to live.
Noticing his sadness, Gomon felt very sorry for him and pressed his forehead against Gomon's.
He apologized in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry, I wasn't being mean to you."
Hua Xi spoke, her voice already choked with emotion: "I know, I know how hard you've worked to take care of me."
“We are partners, this is what I should do. Huaxi, Doctor Yu Yan also said that you should think more positively. Doctor Yu Yan is such a good doctor, staying by our side, the Beast God must be protecting us.”
"Yes." Hua Xi nodded with tears in her eyes.
After he fell asleep, Gomon watched him for a very long time in the darkness.
Only at this moment did he dare to expose his vulnerability.
He was also afraid that his lover would leave him.
Gently kissing Huaxi's forehead, Ge Meng closed his moist eyes, unsure whether to say to him or to himself, "Everything will be alright."
The next day, Huaxi got up, washed up with Ge Meng's help, and took a slow walk, enjoying the warm spring breeze.
Gomon's gaze swept over his legs and feet: "Hmm?"
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