0p0 Chapter 500: The Sister-in-Law in Uncle-Sister Literature (Bonus Chapter 2)
Chapter 500: The Sister-in-Law in Uncle-Sister Literature (Bonus Chapter 2)
"child?"
When Duan Yiyuan saw Qi Ning suddenly ask this, he pulled her into his arms and said, "What? When did I say I was in a hurry to have a child?"
He seemed to realize something, and his expression became more serious.
"What gossip have you heard outside? We haven't been married long, who's been talking behind our backs?"
Qi Ning clutched her handkerchief: "No, I was just asking casually."
No one dares to gossip about her in front of her.
Duan Yiyuan looked at Qi Ning and said, "Don't say we haven't been married long. Even if we never have children, it should be my problem."
"Your question?" Qi Ning raised her eyes in surprise.
“Yes,” Duan Yiyuan said, “Perhaps I am destined to be childless. After all, I once had the idea of becoming a monk. Now I have not become a monk, and I am married with a wife. I have already made a great profit. I am very satisfied.”
He took all the blame in just a few words.
"We're perfectly happy living our lives like this. As for children, having them would be a bonus, but not having them would be a great regret. I'm actually worried that pregnancy will be harmful to your health."
These words were extremely considerate and made Qi Ning happy.
After discussing it, the two agreed that they should let nature take its course regarding the child.
To everyone's surprise, less than two months after they said that, Qi Ning suddenly felt unwell one day. Then she remembered that she hadn't had her period last month. She took her pulse and found that she was indeed pregnant.
Upon receiving the news, Duan Yiyuan rushed back to his residence, still wearing his official robes.
When he entered the room, he was still out of breath when he saw Qi Ning sitting on the small couch, so he strode over to her.
"Oh dear, why are you sweating so much?"
It's early spring now, and the weather is still cold, yet he's sweating, which shows how quickly he got back.
Qi Ning complained, got up, and took a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Duan Yiyuan's forehead.
But Duan Yiyuan took her hand and carefully supported her.
"Ning'er, are we having a baby?"
"Yes." Qi Ning nodded with a smile.
Duan Yiyuan had already prepared himself to never have children, but he never expected that Qi Ning would become pregnant.
He helped Qi Ning sit down and began to give her a long, detailed instruction: "Now that you're pregnant, leave the affairs of the inner quarters to Zixin. As for the shops outside, I'll have Xia Rong keep an eye on them. You just need to rest well. Also, I'll have Aunt Luo come over to take care of you tomorrow; she's experienced, and..."
"Alright, alright," Qi Ning interrupted Duan Yiyuan, "Why have you become so long-winded?"
Duan Yiyuan chuckled and shook his head: "I'm just... nervous."
He was more nervous than happy.
Qi Ning found it amusing: "I'm not nervous at all, why are you nervous?"
Duan Yiyuan reached out and stroked Qi Ning's still flat stomach: "No matter what, we still need to be careful."
Normally, Duan Yiyuan would grant Qi Ning's every request. But since she became pregnant, he treated her even better than before, afraid that she would get tired in the slightest. He practically held her in his hands and carried her with him at all times.
However, Duan Yiyuan was busy with official duties and could not possibly stay by Qi Ning's side at all times.
Previously, Qi Ning would wait for Duan Yiyuan to come back before going to sleep, but after she became pregnant, she became sleepy and often fell asleep before Duan Yiyuan even returned.
When Duan Yiyuan returned and arrived at the door, he learned from Zixin that Qi Ning was asleep, so he quietly entered the room.
He walked to the bedside, lifted the bed curtains, sat on the edge of the bed, and looked at her for a long time.
She gained some weight after becoming pregnant, and her face became rounder than before, making her look exceptionally lovely.
Duan Yiyuan couldn't help but lower his head and gently kiss her on the cheek.
Qi Ning felt a tickle on her face, and groggily opened her eyes to see Duan Yiyuan sitting by the bed. She muttered, "Don't you dare steal a kiss from me."
Duan Yiyuan chuckled: "Okay, I won't steal a kiss from you, go back to sleep."
Seeing that Qi Ning had fallen asleep again, Duan Yiyuan went to take a bath, then tiptoed to bed and carefully pulled her into his arms.
At the end of the same year, Qi Ning finally gave birth to a daughter.
Duan Yiyuan was overjoyed. He sat on the edge of the bed, holding the swaddled baby, and watched with Qi Ning, who was lying on the bed.
"Look, this little nose and eyes look just like yours, so cute and lovely."
Qi Ning said, "People always say that daughters resemble their fathers."
Duan Yiyuan didn't refute, but simply said, "She's our child, so of course she looks like us."
As he spoke, Duan Yiyuan looked at Qi Ning with heartache.
"Does it still hurt?"
Before giving birth, Qi Ning took the pills provided by the system, which were more effective than an epidural, so she didn't feel any pain.
She shook her head: "Much better."
Duan Yiyuan held her hand: "We only need one daughter, we won't have any more children."
Qi Ning hummed in agreement: "Have you chosen a name for the child yet?"
“I’ve already decided,” Duan Yiyuan said. “How about Duan Qiqing? Her nickname will be Qingqing.”
The character "绮" replaces the "戚" in "戚宁", and the character "青" is taken from Qingzhou, where they met.
"Duan Qiqing?" Qi Ning nodded. "That's right."
She gently touched her daughter's little face: "Qingqing, do you like this name?"
Duan Yiyuan looked at the mother and daughter with gentle eyes and a smile on his face.
With the governor overjoyed at the birth of his daughter, officials and noble families of Qingzhou City naturally sent their congratulatory gifts, and Qingqing's full moon celebration was exceptionally grand.
Just as Duan Yiyuan had predicted, the child born into love grew increasingly beautiful and lovely, and Duan Yiyuan doted on his only daughter immensely.
The family of three spent a happy and fulfilling time in Qingzhou.
However, five years after Duan Yiyuan and Qi Ning left the capital, when Qingqing was three years old, Duan Yiyuan received an imperial edict from the current emperor, ordering him to return to the capital to report on his duties.
Upon receiving the news, Duan Yiyuan immediately went back to find Qi Ning, intending to tell her the news.
When he entered the courtyard from outside, Qi Ning was chasing butterflies with Qingqing in the yard.
Duan Yiyuan subconsciously stopped in his tracks and stood not far away watching the mother and daughter.
Until Qi Ning noticed Duan Yiyuan: "Why are you back so early today?"
"Daddy!"
Qingqing also saw Duan Yiyuan and immediately ran towards him, throwing herself into his arms.
Duan Yiyuan bent down and picked her up, lifting her high in the air, which made Qingqing giggle nonstop.
"Did Qingqing catch a butterfly?"
Qingqing shook her head and said with a troubled expression, "No, the butterflies flew too fast."
"Hmm, then let Aunt Zixin take you to catch butterflies again, and Daddy and Mommy can have a few words, okay?"
Qingqing nodded obediently in agreement, and Duan Yiyuan handed her over to Zixin before going inside with Qi Ning. The two sat down together.
"Speak, what is it?" Qi Ning asked directly.
Duan Yiyuan didn't hide anything and told her that he was going back to the capital.
"This is not just a simple matter of returning to the capital to report on my duties. His Majesty's intention is probably to have me stay in the capital to serve in the future and not return to Qingzhou."
------