Free Web NovelChapter 30: Chapter 32: Resolving Doubts (Part 2)
Inside the open box lay a prepared ginseng root. Zhou Lian could tell with a single glance that it was at least three or four hundred years old.
"How did you get this?"
Seeing his wife’s astonished expression, Li Xiu found it unbearably endearing. He pulled her in for a kiss, not stopping until her eyes grew hazy. He then took a deep breath. ’Right now, I can look but not touch.’ Zhou Lian lightly pounded on his chest a few times before he finally let her go and set the box safely aside.
Then he continued, "Bao’er, your husband can’t just be a vegetarian. My body can’t handle it."
It took Zhou Lian a moment to realize what he meant. ’This man is really something else.’
Seeing his wife’s blushing face, Li Xiu smiled in satisfaction. He loved the alluring look in her eyes at this moment.
"I’ll stop teasing you," he said, holding his wife close. "Keep this ginseng safe. I heard from an old doctor in the city that it can be a lifesaver in a crisis. I saved this one specially for you. I found two large ones in the mountains. I sold one and kept this one for you. I also found four smaller ones."
"The old doctor said they were all over a hundred years old. The large one sold for 1,700, and the small ones for 450 each, so I made 3,500 in total. I’ve gone into the mountains a few more times since then, but I don’t dare to go too often. It would attract too much attention. Building the house, making the furniture, buying the bicycle, sewing machine, and watch... plus our wedding banquet... we spent a lot. We only have a little over six thousand left. Don’t worry, after our daughter is born, I’ll head deep into the mountains again and find some more good things..."
"Just stop talking! Do you think it’s that easy to go into the deep mountains? Are you not thinking straight? This is a lot of money! Don’t be so greedy. What if something happens to you?" Zhou Lian flared up. ’What on earth is this man thinking? People with jobs in the city only make thirty or forty yuan a month, and he thinks over six thousand is too little? Has he lost his mind?!’
"No, Bao’er, don’t be angry. I’m familiar with the path. Nothing will happen. Besides, how could I ever bear to leave you? And we have a daughter on the way. If something happened to me, what would you two do? I’d have to crawl my way back from the grave. Don’t be mad. Just listen to me."
"I suspect that place is a whole patch of ginseng. I won’t wait until our daughter is born. After the autumn harvest is over, you can go stay with your father for a couple of days while I make one last trip. I won’t go into the deep mountains again after that, I promise. Don’t you worry. I trained under my master for six or seven years. He fought the Japanese invaders and survived the battlefield. I learned every single thing he knew. Trust me, I’m not being greedy. I just want to provide a good life for you and our child."
Seeing Zhou Lian open her mouth to argue, Li Xiu cut her off with a quick kiss and continued, "Bao’er, I know you’re not hard to please, but what about our child? Could you bear to see our child endure hardship with us?"
Zhou Lian opened her mouth, then closed it without a word. ’He’s right, there’s our child to think about.’ But this was her husband; she couldn’t help but worry and feel for him. In that instant, Zhou Lian realized she truly cared for him. The man from her past life and the man in this life were slowly merging into the one standing before her now. He was the same person, only more mature and more reliable than he had been at this point in their previous life.
"Li Xiu, I worry about you, and I care about you. Let’s just take things slow. There’s no rush," Zhou Lian said softly. Seeing the look of disbelief on his face, she smiled and reached out to caress his cheek. ’He’s my husband. Of course, I have to look out for him.’
Li Xiu hugged her tightly, a silly grin spreading across his face. ’I knew it. I knew my wife was soft-hearted, that she’d slowly forget all the pain.’ "Bao’er, Bao’er, I’ll treat you well. I promise I’ll treat you well. Don’t go anywhere. Just stay by my side. Wherever I go, you’ll be there with me, alright? I’ll be so, so good to you. Please don’t leave me, okay?"
Hearing his incoherent rambling, Zhou Lian was bewildered. ’Why would he think I’d leave him? I never left him in our last life, even when things were so terrible. Why would I leave now when things are finally good?’ "Where is this coming from? Why on earth would I leave you?"
After a long moment, Li Xiu finally collected himself and said gently, "It feels like I’m in a dream. I’m just so afraid that I’ll wake up and you’ll be gone."
Zhou Lian nestled in his arms and sighed softly. ’Sometimes, it feels like a dream to me, too. But our daughter is already in my belly. Fate must have already made its arrangements. This can’t all just be a dream.’
"Bao’er, right now I wish I could just meld you into my body, make you a part of me." Li Xiu felt he couldn’t describe his current state with words. He felt dizzy and light, as if he were floating in a warm spring.
Zhou Lian wasn’t quite as emotional. ’Maybe my feelings just aren’t there yet,’ she thought. She smiled and changed the subject. "Have we thought of a nickname for the baby?"
After a moment, Li Xiu said slowly, "Not yet. Let’s think of one together." ’In my past life, our daughter complained about her nickname her whole life, saying it was far too common. What would be a good name for her this time?’
"How about a name from ’Ping’an,’ for ’peace and safety’? Like Pingping or An’an," Zhou Lian suggested after a moment of thought.
Li Xiu blinked. ’Better not.’ His daughter had complained about that name for her entire past life. "Bao’er, let’s call her Nuonuo. It’s the ’nuo’ from ’promise’ and ’vow.’ It can also symbolize my promise to you."
Zhou Lian smiled. ’In our last life, our daughter’s name was Pingping. Li Xiu didn’t like it, but he gave in to me, and she ended up complaining about it her whole life.’ "Okay," she said. "Nuonuo it is."
Looking at his wife’s face, still smiling in her sleep, Li Xiu planted a gentle kiss on her cheek. ’She’s slowly letting go of the past... opening her heart and letting me in.’ He let out a sigh of relief and carefully adjusted her position to help her sleep more comfortably.
He couldn’t see a thing in the pitch-dark room, but he couldn’t bear to close his eyes. He lay there, quietly trying to calm his racing heart. ’I finally have a home again. In two lifetimes, my parents never cared for me, and there was never a place for me in their house. The only home I ever had was the one my wife gave me. But in my last life, I threw it all away. My family was completely torn apart.’
’My wife left and took our daughter with her when she was forty. Three years later, our son tested into university and left as well. I was all alone. The house didn’t feel like a home anymore. Our daughter couldn’t bear to see her father all by himself, so she encouraged me to find work, and I moved to the city where both my children were in school. That way, I could see my wife, too, when I met the kids on weekends.’
’But I could only look at her. She refused to speak to me. I was filled with regret by then, but it wasn’t enough to warm her heart, which had already grown cold. For over twenty years, I could only watch as she drifted further and further away, powerless to do anything about it. Right up until the day she passed away.’
’At the time, I was filled with resentment. I hated her for never forgiving me, for making me live like a lonely old man for over two decades. I forced everyone out of the room, telling them to come back the next day. I just wanted to be alone with her.’
’Lying there on the hospital bed, holding her body, all I could think was, how many years had it been since I’d last held her? I just wanted to hold her forever and never let go. And then I opened my eyes and I was back, back to before we were even married. I was ecstatic. But then came the day of the betrothal gifts, a day filled with a bitter mix of love and hate. From that moment, I knew it would be incredibly difficult to win her heart again. But I also knew she still had feelings for me.’
’And now, she’s already opened the door to her heart for me. It’s up to me to walk through it. I always thought it would take a very long time, that it wouldn’t happen until our son was born at the very earliest. I never dared to even hope for it to happen this quickly. But my dear, foolish wife... she just can’t help but soften when someone is good to her.’
Gazing at her dotingly, Li Xiu broke into a foolish, silent smile. ’This is so good. My wife is in my arms, and our daughter is here, too.’
Vaguely sensing his gaze, Zhou Lian buried her head in his chest and mumbled, half-asleep, "Go to sleep." Her hand patted his side unconsciously. Li Xiu quickly patted her back, lulling her back into a deep sleep. He would listen to his wife. ’Time to sleep,’ he thought. ’From now on, life will only get better.’
