Ah Qiao

Part 2

2

Half a month ago, a young woman came to our doorstep.
She wept as she knocked on the door in the light rain, like a pear blossom battered by the rain:

"Brother Meng, Yu Zhe really doesn't know what to do."

Meng He Shu wasn't home; he was at the clinic attending to patients. He was a very responsible doctor, and once he started treating a patient, he wouldn't easily walk away. Sometimes, he would even forget to eat the meals I brought him.

Especially since I had been sick, coughing for three days without getting better.

With silver needles still in my hands, a patient teased him with a smile:
"Divine Doctor Meng, even with you around, your wife still falls ill?"

Meng He Shu could only offer a wry smile:

"My wife is playful. Yesterday, she caught a chill while flying kites with Bai'er."

Just then, Bai'er came running in energetically, grabbing onto Meng He Shu's leg:

"Father! There's a beautiful fairy sister at the door looking for you! She said her name is Yu Zhe..."

Upon hearing that name, Meng He Shu froze, nearly pricking his own hand with the silver needle.

Bai'er, full of urgency, pulled him along, and the father and son stumbled out of the clinic.

Leaving me alone, hands full of silver needles, unsure whether to stay or go.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Meng He Shu rushed back, umbrella in hand.

He didn't come back because he remembered I still had the needles in my hands.

He came back because he realized the house key was still with me:

"I'm sorry, Ah Qiao, I got flustered."

In his haste, he still didn't forget to grab an umbrella to shield her from the rain.
Being kind to Miss Yu Zhe had already become a habit for my husband.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Brother Meng," Yu Zhe said, lowering her head to wipe the corner of her eye. "I had a fight with my husband, and without you, I really don't know where I could go."

A few days earlier, she had argued with her husband and left home in a fit of anger.

"It's a good thing you came to me. How could you not know that you're pregnant!?"

For the first time, the usually gentle and soft-spoken Meng He Shu raised his voice.

"You're carrying a child. I'll go find Lu Yan and have a word with him!"

Bai'er eagerly hovered around Yu Zhe, calling her "Fairy Sister" with every breath.

"Fairy Sister, your clothes are so pretty, and you smell so nice."

Yu Zhe patted Bai'er's head, then looked at Meng He Shu in surprise:

"Wow, how identical—it's like there are two Brother Meng now."

Flattered, Bai'er was even happier:

"When I grow up, I'll marry Fairy Sister as my wife."

Yu Zhe was amused by him and couldn't help but glance at Meng He Shu:

"Indeed, he's your son—he even shares your taste."
As Yu Zhe smiled, old pains stirred in Meng He Shu's heart, so he stepped outside, casually instructing me:

"Yu Zhe is pregnant, so she needs to eat lightly. Focus on fish and shrimp, and don't use yellow wine when cooking."

I wasn't particularly happy, though I couldn't quite say why:

"...How long is she staying?"

"A doctor should have a compassionate heart. She's heavily pregnant; how could you even think of sending her away?"

I pouted, thinking to myself, I'm not a doctor.

Seeing my displeasure, Meng He Shu sighed, gently patting my head as he spoke softly:

"Why don't you go start cooking? Tomorrow, I'll go to the Lu residence to reason with Lu Yan, okay?"

Worried that I might still be upset, he added:

"Half a month from now, it's your birthday. The three of us will celebrate together, and Bai'er has a surprise planned for you."

I glanced through the window at Bai'er, with his round, tiger-like head, and couldn't help but smile:

"That's Bai'er's New Year's money. He said he's saving it to marry a wife someday, and you tricked him out of it?"

"What do you mean, tricked? It's only right that he uses it to honor his mother. But don't ask what it is—I promised to keep it a secret."

I suppressed the sweet feeling in my heart with a smile:

"I wouldn't ask."

Because I already knew.

Bai'er had secretly hidden the silver hairpin under his pillow.