The Butcher's Little Husband - Chapter 76

“There is another method—but are you sure he can last until then?”

Doctor Tang picked up a piece of salted vegetable, placed it in his mouth, and chewed slowly.

“Is there something wrong with his body?” Li Yiran asked, concern evident in his voice.

“He’s not very active, easily fatigued, and eats less. These are all obvious symptoms. Ask him if he has not gone to the latrine  for several days. Does he feel dizzy after standing for a short while and can only lie down afterward?” Doctor Tang continued, his voice matter-of-fact.

Lian Meng’s face went pale as he realized that he had been experiencing all of these symptoms. They had been getting worse over time, but he had simply attributed them to his pregnancy.

Everyone saw the change in his expression and understood that Doctor Tang’s diagnosis might be correct.

“Should we start treatment right away?” Li Amu asked, eager to resolve the situation.

“It’s better to start early than late!” Doctor Tang replied firmly.

Since the doctor had said so, Li Yiran was about to ask if they could start today, when Lian Meng suddenly spoke. “After the New Year… let’s wait until after the New Year.” There was a rare vulnerability in his voice.

“That’s a good idea. You can take him back for now. I’ll prescribe two doses of medicine. It’s still early enough to come back after the Chinese New Year,” Doctor Zhou spoke up. 

The Chinese New Year was only two or three days away, a time of great importance.

Li Amu and the others left with the medicine, feeling a sense of relief. Although Doctor Tang had a difficult temperament, they trusted his skills. After all, doctors with great expertise often had eccentricities.

Back home, Li Amu prepared to make steamed buns. Despite the recent turmoil, the Chinese New Year still needed to be celebrated. Maybe, with some good fortune, everything would work out.

Tian Xiaoman sat in the room for a while before coming out. He saw Li Amu kneading dough and hurried to the kitchen.

“Xiaoman, slow down! Have you forgotten that you’re pregnant?” Li Amu heard his footsteps and immediately became anxious.

Tian Xiaoman froze, his foot mid-air, unsure of what to do. Yes, he had momentarily forgotten about his pregnancy. 

He gently set his foot down and carefully took small steps forward, taking a long time to cover the distance of just a few steps.

“Huh~” Tian Xiaoman sighed in relief as he finally made it to the kitchen. After walking just those few steps, he felt completely exhausted. Was this how he would be walking in the future?

Li Amu watched with a smile in his eyes. Tian Xiaoman was being overly cautious. His tiptoe-like movements made him seem like a thief. Li Amu had only asked him not to walk too fast, not to move like that!

Unable to resist, Li Amu chuckled and said, “Don’t be so careful. Just go about it as usual, but remember—no rushing, and no jumping or running.”

“Oh, then I can relax.” Tian Xiaoman said, feeling reassured. “Amu, can I help you with the dough and make the steamed buns?”

“No, no, kneading dough takes a lot of effort. You shouldn’t strain yourself right now!” Li Amu quickly declined.

“Oh, then can I cut the steamed buns?” Tian Xiaoman suggested. Kneading the dough into a ball and rolling it into long strips seemed much easier than the actual kneading.

“No, you should rest well for the first month or so. If you need anything, just ask. Amu will never let you down,” Li Amu insisted gently.

Tian Xiaoman hesitated. “Oh,” he replied, though he wasn’t thrilled about being so idle. He couldn’t help but think he’d be so bored in the future.

Leaving the kitchen, he went to the backyard and sat on a small bench, watching Li Wenxuan chop firewood.

Li Wenxuan’s smooth movements caught Tian Xiaoman’s attention. He couldn’t help but feel that no one in the world could chop firewood as well as Li Wenxuan.

Li Wenxuan noticed him and called out, “Xiaoman, didn’t you say you were going to help Amu? Why are you sitting here?”

“Amu didn’t let me help. He said he could handle it and told me to rest.”

“Yes, yes, you should rest, so you can give me a big fat boy!” Li Wenxuan said with a grin.

Tian Xiaoman paused, pondering his words. “Do you like boys?”

“Yes,” Li Wenxuan answered casually.

“Then, do you like gers?” Tian Xiaoman asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

“I only like you, my gerr!” Li Wenxuan immediately took the opportunity to confess.

Tian Xiaoman stared at him, speechless. What did that have to do with his question? “I mean, if I gave birth to a ger, would you like him?”

Li Wenxuan blinked in realization and nodded. “Of course, as long as it’s yours, I’ll love him no matter what.”

Hearing this, Tian Xiaoman felt his heart warm. 

In truth, his own family adored him, but he had often heard stories about how in-laws didn’t always appreciate families who gave birth to gers.