Free Web NovelChapter 31: Chapter 33: Trip to the County Town (Part 1)
That day, Li Xiu borrowed an ox-cart from the village to take Zhou Lian to the county hospital. He had considered taking the bicycle, but Zhou Lian wanted to stop by the scrap station to hunt for some books. Besides, they had to bring Second Brother Li along, which would have been inconvenient on a bike.
Li Xiu drove the ox-cart, taking his wife and father to the hospital. Zhou Lian told him to take Second Brother Li to find a doctor while she went by herself, but Li Xiu refused. He took her directly to the gynecologist, and only after she was settled did he lead Second Brother Li to the internal medicine department.
As Zhou Lian sat on a bench in the hallway waiting for her ultrasound, she saw an expressionless Li Xiu leading a timid-looking Second Brother Li out from the internal medicine department. ’It must be serious,’ she thought, quickly rising to meet them. Seeing this, Li Xiu strode over to support her, chiding with a hint of anger, "Slow down! What’s the rush? Come on, sit down properly."
"I’m fine. What did the doctor say? Is it serious?" Zhou Lian asked anxiously, paying no mind to his tone.
Li Xiu shot his father a light glance and said with a smirk, "His bronchitis is quite severe. But it’s not tuberculosis."
"Huh? Wasn’t it supposed to be tuberculosis? They got it wrong? But Dad’s cough is so severe!" Zhou Lian was dumbfounded. ’In my last life, Father-in-law passed away next spring. Didn’t they say it was from tuberculosis?’
"Oh, a mistake. It’s his bronchitis. He smokes way too much, and the medicine wasn’t treating the right problem. If he keeps this up and the coughing gets worse, his trachea could rupture and hemorrhage. Not even the gods could save him then," Li Xiu said, wiping his face hard, his own expression unreadable.
’That really was his father. Perhaps he had smoked himself to death in the previous life as well. The pent-up frustration he’d carried for two lifetimes stemmed largely from his father’s frailty and early death. He’d told him ages ago, with a cough that severe, to quit smoking, but his father wouldn’t listen no matter what he said.’
’Heh. His father got a clean getaway, leaving him to shoulder responsibilities that never should have been his. It wasn’t that he was trying to shirk his duties—he knew he was mostly to blame for losing his wife and child in his last life. But if his father had been healthy, things would never have gone so horribly wrong!’
"I’ll listen to the doctor. I’ll quit smoking. Don’t be angry anymore, all right?" Second Brother Li said quietly, his head lowered.
’When the doctor had said the cough was from smoking too much, his son’s expression had turned terrifying in an instant. He hadn’t dared to meet his gaze. His son had a volatile temper and was fearsome when angry, but it had never been this bad.’
"I told you to quit smoking before, but you wouldn’t listen. I told you to get a check-up at a proper hospital, but you refused. Dad, for so many years—from the time I was six until I was twenty-two, more than a decade—I’ve been so tired. Now the doctor is saying the same thing. Quit smoking, take your medicine for six months, and you’ll get better."
"You’re not even fifty; you’re not that old. From now on, don’t come to me about matters concerning the old family home. The children you fathered are your responsibility. It has nothing to do with me. Don’t come looking for me unless it’s a matter of life and death. Can you just let me live a quiet, comfortable life in peace? You gave me life—let this be the last thing you do for me. Can you do that? Dad."
Li Xiu’s voice trailed off, weary. ’Truly a father who ruins his son. I’ve heard of sons who are a pain to their fathers, but my situation is great: a father who ruins his son unintentionally and a mother who does it intentionally. What cosmic debt did I rack up in a past life to deserve parents like these?’
"My eldest, I... I didn’t know. It wasn’t on purpose. I thought I only had a few years left, and I wanted to make sure your younger siblings were all settled. I just thought... you’re the eldest brother, and so capable, so I just thought..."
"I know. I don’t blame you. I’m just tired. My heart is tired. Things are fine now. I have a wife and a child on the way. Just let me live a peaceful life with them! No one back at the old house is a pushover. Someone like my wife... she wouldn’t last a single round in their hands. I have to plan for my own wife and child, right?"
"You look out for your wife and children, and I’ll look out for mine. I understand you, so try to understand me. Once you’re healthy, you can do as you please. I’ve already separated my household from the family. Let’s leave it at that."
Li Xiu cut his father’s explanation short. A man’s heart aches for his own wife and children. No amount of explaining could undo what had happened. The damage was done, and the affection had been worn to nothing. It was best to just keep their distance and wish each other well from afar.
Second Brother Li looked at his son’s indifferent eyes and habitually reached for his tobacco pouch. Catching his son’s blank stare, he gave a sheepish smile and dropped his hand. ’So be it,’ he thought. ’If I push him any further, he probably won’t even carry my coffin or funeral banner when I die.’
He lowered his head and said softly, "All right. You and your wife live a good life. I’ll take care of things at the old family home." Seeing his son’s impassive expression, he continued, "Your mother and your siblings... I’ll handle them. I won’t let them meddle in your life."
As he watched his son and daughter-in-law being called into the examination room, Second Brother Li squatted on the floor and buried his head in his hands. ’My son, my most loyal and devoted son, has finally been pushed away for good. I knew it all along—my wife’s favoritism and scheming, my own permissiveness, the selfishness of my other children... step by step, it all drove the family’s eldest son and brother to his breaking point.’
’He should have understood when the family property was divided. But he’d been deluding himself, thinking his eldest was just being difficult and throwing a tantrum. His son’s heart must have died back then. After that, he refused to let the family get involved in any of his affairs. Even at his own wedding, he accepted the ceremonial gifts alongside his own uncles, not his father.’
’His son was already on guard, wasn’t he? Guarding against his parents using their status as in-laws to manipulate his wife. Second Brother Li gave a bitter laugh. His son showed more respect to his own uncles than he did to his father. Wiping the tears from his face, he sighed. ’Forget it. Let him be.’’
Li Xiu emerged from the examination room supporting Zhou Lian, a goofy grin plastered on his face. ’A daughter,’ he thought ecstatically. ’My daughter has come back to me.’ The doctor said her due date was at the end of the twelfth lunar month and that she was growing very well. If they just kept this up, both his wife and daughter would be perfectly fine.
Seeing his son’s beaming smile, Second Brother Li rushed to ask, "You saw the baby? Is it a boy?" When his son’s expression flickered, he quickly added in a whisper, "Is it... a girl?"
Li Xiu shot his father a sidelong glance, then turned to gently guide Zhou Lian away. "See, honey?" he said softly. "The doctor said you can’t be a picky eater, or our little girl will have a tough time in there."
’So, a girl,’ Second Brother Li thought, sneaking glances at his son. ’But is he happy about it or not? One minute he’s smiling, the next his face is a stone wall.’
Li Xiu shot his father an exasperated look. ’I’m too happy today to argue with him,’ he thought. "Stop guessing," he said aloud. "It’s a girl. A beautiful little girl!"
Seeing that his son was truly happy, Second Brother Li relaxed and said, "A girl is good! First comes the blossom, then comes the fruit!"
Li Xiu pursed his lips. ’It’s no use trying to explain it to him.’ He carefully helped his wife onto the ox-cart, set the large bag of his father’s medicine beside her, and waited for Second Brother Li to climb aboard. Once they were all settled, he flicked the reins and said excitedly, "Honey, let’s go get lunch! After that, I’ll take you wherever you want to go!"
Zhou Lian, who had been quiet for some time, smiled and agreed. She was excited too, but seeing her husband’s behavior at the doctor’s office had filled her with a gentle warmth. ’Even the doctor was jealous I found such a good man,’ she thought. ’Yes, the second he heard it was a girl, his joy was completely genuine. He kept pestering the doctor, asking if his daughter was pretty, if she looked cute right away. The poor doctor didn’t know how to explain you can’t tell if a four-month-old fetus is cute!’
’He also kept asking what she should eat that would be good for both her and the baby. What kinds of food were even available now? This wasn’t the future, after all. But the doctor was very responsible, suggesting more chicken, fish, meat, eggs, and fruit, just not to overdo it. The earnest way Li Xiu listened was exactly how he looked when he poured over those old medical texts at home. In both lifetimes, he adored his children. He didn’t have that old-fashioned preference for boys over girls; he cherished both sons and daughters, perhaps his daughter even more so. In both lifetimes, he was a good father!’
