Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 153

Extra Chapter 3: The Joy of Gaining a Precious Son

“What’s wrong?!” Zhao Beichuan was so startled that he hurriedly stood up.

“Hiss—so painful.” Lu Yao sucked in a cold breath, supporting his waist as he leaned back. Zhao Beichuan quickly moved behind him to support him.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the pain gradually subsided. Lu Yao let out a breath, sat up, and said, “Let’s go back inside and sleep for a while. It’ll be dawn soon.”

Zhao Beichuan was still worried. “Does your stomach still hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore. Maybe I just had a cramp earlier.”

The two of them returned to the bedroom. After lying down for just half an hour, that heavy, aching sensation returned. Lu Yao clutched the blanket tightly, letting out small muffled groans of pain.

“What’s wrong? Is it hurting again?”

“Mm…”

“Are you about to give birth? Let me go call someone over!” Zhao Beichuan hurriedly threw on an outer robe, put his shoes on the wrong feet in his rush, and ran to the front courtyard to call the two birth attendants they had arranged in advance.

“Please, both of you, take a look at whether my husband is about to give birth!”

Upon hearing this, the two birth attendants immediately got up. Over the past few days, the Zhao family had treated them with fine food and drink, all in preparation for this moment. Both the master and his husband were kind and benevolent people—they absolutely couldn’t afford to be careless.

Both attendants were ger who had given birth before, and they had personally delivered nearly a hundred babies over the years, making them highly experienced.

When they entered the master bedroom, they saw that the husband was lying on the bed, his forehead covered in sweat from the pain. They quickly stepped forward, feeling his stomach and checking below.

“The husband is about to give birth, but the pelvis hasn’t opened yet. It may take a few more hours.”

Lu Yao’s head buzzed when he heard this. A few more hours of pain… Dear heavens, this was too terrifying.

After a brief contraction, everything returned to normal again, and Lu Yao started feeling drowsy.

“I’ll sleep for a bit first. Let’s wait until dawn to notify Mother.”

Zhao Beichuan wiped his forehead and neck with a warm, damp cloth. “Sleep. Leave everything else to me.”

Watching as Lu Yao gradually fell asleep, Zhao Beichuan finally walked out of the room and let out a deep breath. Just now, a memory of his own mother had suddenly surfaced in his mind.

It was a morning in June, the sky gray and overcast. His mother had just finished cooking breakfast for him and Xiaonian when she suddenly clutched her stomach, unable to straighten up from the pain.

Zhao Beichuan hurriedly helped his mother into the inner room before running to the fields to find his father.

By the time his father returned, he had also brought the village midwife. The elderly woman from across the way, Granny Zhao, and Granny Qin from the back courtyard had also come. The narrow, stuffy room was quickly filled with people.

Zhao Beichuan was driven out by his father and told to watch over Xiaonian outside.

Dark clouds rolled in, and suddenly, thunder boomed from the sky. The loud noise frightened young Xiaonian, making her wail and struggle to get inside to find their mother.

Zhao Beichuan held her close to comfort her, but after waiting a long time, a woman’s anguished, heart-wrenching screams suddenly came from inside the house.

“This is bad! The baby is coming out feet first!”

At the time, Zhao Beichuan didn’t understand what that meant. He only saw his father carrying out basin after basin of bloody water, and he instinctively held his sister tighter in fear.

As raindrops began to pour down, the entire courtyard was filled with the thick scent of blood. Even now, years later, the memory still made his skin crawl.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before the wailing cry of a newborn suddenly rang out from inside. Zhao Beichuan jumped to his feet in excitement.

But he hadn’t expected Granny Zhao to come out with red-rimmed eyes, patting his shoulder as she said, “Go inside and see your mother.”

Zhao Beichuan carried his sister into the room, the heavy stench of blood making him nearly gag. Finally, he saw the person lying on the bed.

His mother’s face was pale with a bluish tint. She looked as if all the warmth had been drained from her body, leaving her void of life. The newborn brother lay beside her, still covered in blood, which no one had had time to wipe off.

His father hung his head, suppressing his sobs, his entire body trembling.

A terrible premonition settled in Zhao Beichuan’s heart. He softly called out, “Mother.”

The woman on the bed slowly opened her eyes. She parted her lips, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing at all—and then, she was gone…

The memory ended abruptly, like a sharp blade stabbing deep into Zhao Beichuan’s chest, making it hard for him to breathe. He choked back his emotions. He was terrified—terrified that he would end up like his father, unable to keep his beloved safe… Unable to keep Lu Yao safe.

Around the hour of the Rabbit (5–7 a.m.), Lu Yao woke up in pain again. This time, the pain was even worse than before. He was not someone with a particularly high pain tolerance, and this kind of suffering was sheer agony.

“Master, take a deep breath, then slowly exhale. This will help relieve the pain,” the elder birth attendant instructed.

Lu Yao could only endure the pain as he took a deep breath and slowly let it out. After following this rhythmic breathing for a while, the pain lessened somewhat.

“Where is my husband?”

“He sent someone to fetch the madam.”

“What time is it?”

“Just past the hour of the Tiger (3–5 a.m.),” a servant said as they wiped Lu Yao’s forehead with a cloth.

Before long, Zhao Beichuan entered the room with careful steps. Seeing that Lu Yao was awake, he quickly strode over. “Does it still hurt?”

“It hurt just now, but it’s a bit better now.”

Zhao Beichuan reached out and touched Lu Yao’s back. As expected, his inner robe was soaked with sweat, so he quickly took a clean one from the wardrobe and helped him change.

“Did you notify Mother?”

“Mm, I sent Beidou to fetch her.”

As they spoke, Xiaonian also knocked on the door and came in. Her face was pale—when she heard that her sister-in-law had gone into labor, she had rushed over without even taking the time to brush her hair.

“Sister-in-law…”

Lu Yao smiled. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

Xiaonian’s eyes reddened. She sat by the bed, holding Lu Yao’s hand. His hand was warm, radiating comforting heat—not cold like their mother’s had been.

Xiaonian had long since forgotten what her birth mother looked like, but she still remembered that icy touch.

Lu Yao reached out and ruffled her messy hair. “Go tidy your hair. Everyone will be arriving soon.”

“Mm.” Xiaonian nodded with red-rimmed eyes, then hurried back to her room to freshen up before returning again.

In the kitchen, breakfast had already been prepared—all of Lu Yao’s favorite foods. A bowl of meat-braised tofu pudding, freshly fried red bean pastries, and a plate of soup dumplings.

Today, he finally didn’t have to control his food intake anymore. He could eat as much as he wanted. Lu Yao downed an entire bowl of tofu pudding in one go.

Before he could finish his meal, the carriage bringing his family arrived. Madam Lu, Lu Lin, and Hu Chunrong had all come. Not long after, Lu Yun and Lu Miao, along with their husbands, also arrived one after another.

The men waited in the courtyard while the others entered the room.

As soon as Madam Lu stepped inside, her eyes reddened. Zhao Beichuan quickly moved aside to give her a seat.

“How are you feeling? Has the pain started?”

“There was a wave of pain earlier, but it’s gone now.”

“Then it’ll probably still be a few hours before you give birth. Did you eat breakfast?”

“I ate quite a lot.”

Mother Lu touched his face and said, “Eat more, it’s fine. Otherwise, when the pain gets worse, you won’t be able to eat, and then you won’t have the strength to give birth.”

“Mm.”

“Are all the things for childbirth prepared?”

Lu Yao had Zhao Beichuan take out two bundles from the cabinet. The larger one contained silk clothes to wear after giving birth, finely cut cloth for wiping the body, and several prepared mattress pads for the bed. The smaller bundle held the baby’s items—diapers, tiny clothes, little socks, and a small hat.

Lu Miao had also obtained two peace charms to place inside, praying for the safety of both the mother and child.

“Ah—” A sharp pain struck suddenly, and Lu Yao couldn’t help but cry out.

Mother Lu quickly grasped his hand, rubbing the back of it gently. “Don’t tense up. Breathe in and out slowly.”

The birth attendants had taught him earlier. Lu Yao tried to adjust his breathing, but the pain was so intense that he couldn’t calm himself. Zhao Beichuan stood beside him, clenching his back teeth tightly, wishing he could bear the pain on Lu Yao’s behalf.

Although the pain only lasted a short while, it felt like an eternity. Once it subsided, the two birth attendants shooed all the men out of the room to check Lu Yao’s condition.

“The area has softened. He should be giving birth soon.”

Lying awkwardly on the bed, Lu Yao stared up at the beams, thinking that if this were modern times, he’d probably be taken to a research institute and studied from head to toe.

The labor pains lasted from morning until noon. Lu Yao, who had initially been trying to endure them, became increasingly irritable. During one particularly severe contraction, he punched the bedpost so hard that it cracked, and his hand started bleeding—one could only imagine how excruciating the pain was.

Mother Lu stood by, shedding silent tears. For a ge’er (a man capable of childbirth), giving birth was already more difficult than for a woman. This was also his first child, and at an older age, making it even harder—this was truly like passing through the gates of death.

Zhao Beichuan had someone call for a physician, and soon, two doctors borrowed from the Chi family arrived. They did not serve in clinics but only treated noble clients.

When the two physicians arrived, Lu Yao was in the middle of another contraction. One of them opened a medical case, took out a silver needle, and inserted it into the Hegu point (on the hand between the thumb and forefinger). Instantly, the pain eased somewhat.

“Thank you, thank you!” Lu Yao gasped, full of gratitude.

The physician replied, “This needle can only temporarily relieve the pain. You’ll still feel it later.”

“It’s okay. As long as it’s milder, at least I can catch my breath.”

Hu Chunrong took advantage of the lull to bring over a bowl of chicken soup. “Drink this while it’s hot. It’ll give you strength.”

The soup had been skimmed of oil, making it clear and fragrant. Lu Yao picked up the bowl and drank it in a few gulps. Suddenly, he felt a warm rush between his legs.

“Oh no…”

“What happened?” Everyone rushed over in alarm.

Lu Yao’s flushed face turned almost purple. “I think I wet the bed…”

The birth attendant lifted the blanket and checked. “It’s not urine—the water has broken. It’s time!”

Outside, the servants began boiling more hot water. In the courtyard, Zhao Beichuan paced back and forth anxiously. Wang Youtian tried to comfort him. “Brother-in-law, stop pacing. Third Brother will be fine.”

Xiaodou and Xiaonian were also at the door, nervously listening for any sounds from inside. Every time they heard Sister-in-law’s cries, their hearts clenched.

Before long, the servants started carrying in basins of hot water.

Zhao Beichuan stopped in his tracks, eyes fixed on one of the basins. His heart clenched violently, and he almost rushed inside.

Inside, Lu Yao’s groans escalated into full-on screams.

“Zhao Beichuan! You dog-bastard, you son of a bitch! If I ever have another kid for you, I’ll take your surname!”

Zhao Beichuan dropped to his knees with a thud, tears streaming down his face. “I was wrong, A-Yao! We won’t have any more children! Never again!”

“Aah—this little brat is killing me…!” Lu Yao clawed at the bed canopy, tearing through the thick embroidered fabric with sheer force.

Mother Lu, standing nearby, pinched his arm to stop him from thrashing. “Stop shouting! Save your energy for giving birth!”

“I can’t! It hurts too much! Mother, I don’t want to do this anymore… Mother, help me…”

Mother Lu had no time to wipe away her tears. She clenched her fist and punched him. “What nonsense are you saying?! Push harder!”

Lu Yao gritted his teeth and bore down with all his might. He bit down so hard that his gums started bleeding, filling his mouth with the taste of iron.

“Just a little more, Lord. Almost there!”

Zhao Beichuan shut his eyes. The air was thick with the scent of blood. The overwhelming fear made it hard to breathe, and he couldn’t stop the tears and snot from running down his face.

Finally, a piercing wail filled the air.

“Congratulations, Master! Congratulations, Lord! It’s a boy—a healthy ge’er!”

Lu Yao was drenched in sweat from head to toe. He lay exhausted on the bed and suddenly let out a weak chuckle.

He was amazing. He had actually given birth to a person.

“赵北川！你个狗日的王八蛋，老子再给你生娃我随你姓！”

“Zhao Beichuan! You dog-bastard, you damn turtle! If I ever have another kid for you, I’ll take your surname!”

• “狗日的” (gǒu rì de) is a strong insult, often translated as “dog-fucker” or “dog-bastard.” “Dog-bastard” keeps it strong without being overly crude.
• “王八蛋” (wáng bā dàn) literally means “turtle egg,” a strong insult implying illegitimacy. A common equivalent is “bastard,” but to retain the original flavor, “damn turtle” works.
• “老子” (lǎozi) is a cocky way to refer to oneself, often translated as “I” or “your daddy.” Keeping “I” but with a defiant tone works here.
• “随你姓” (suí nǐ xìng) means “take your surname,” which is a sarcastic way of saying I’d rather change my family name than go through this again. The emphasis on “your” helps keep the tone.