Chapter 51: A New Life, A New Venture

Cai Zhen was pregnant.

That day, Cai Zhen was rushed to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with a pregnancy, though the fall had caused a threatened miscarriage. Fortunately, her health was good, and the baby was saved.

When Xiang Chen heard the news, he could barely believe it. He secretly grumbled to Xu Hengzhou, “Aren’t those two always fighting? I heard they were on the verge of divorce, so how did they end up having a baby?”

Xu Hengzhou curved his lips into a smile, glancing at him before replying, “Chen Guoliang was the one who wanted a divorce, not Cai Zhen.”

“So?”

“Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘quarrels at the head of the bed are mended at the foot’?” Xu Hengzhou playfully ruffled Xiang Chen’s hair, then shooed him away to play. “Don’t concern yourself with their family’s affairs; it’s too vexing.”

Xiang Chen still didn’t quite grasp it, but since his brother told him not to ask, he ran off to find his friends.

Xu Hengzhou watched him scamper away with his short legs, *dada-da*, before casting a look at the neighboring house. A sneer then escaped his lips.

‘What was there to not understand?’ he mused. ‘Sleeping in the same bed, if the woman doesn’t want a divorce and wishes to mend the relationship, is there any simpler method than getting intimate?’

‘If the situation were reversed, the outcome might be worse, but in their case, Cai Zhen’s chances of success were exceedingly high.’

‘Chen Guoliang, despite appearing honest, possessed a rather strong sense of male chauvinism. Even if he harbored thoughts of divorce, if Cai Zhen actively approached him—his own wife—why wouldn’t he sleep with her?’

‘Thinking this way, Cai Zhen’s pregnancy was hardly accidental; it was inevitable. And with this development, the couple next door was almost certainly not going to divorce.’

****

Indeed, by the time Cai Zhen was discharged from the hospital, Chen Guoliang’s attitude had taken a distinct turn. While he hadn’t fully reverted to his old self, he no longer openly challenged Cai Zhen or sought trouble.

Chen Guoliang had been disappointed too many times to harbor much hope this time. He simply cared for her as usual, delegating most household chores to their daughters.

Chen Fen’s entrance exam results were poor, and her parents had argued fiercely over her grades, almost causing her mother’s miscarriage. How could Chen Fen dare to throw tantrums now? She spent the entire summer walking on eggshells, doing whatever she was told with utmost obedience.

Chen Fen harbored a deeply complex mix of emotions regarding her mother’s pregnancy. On one hand, she knew that if her mother hadn’t conceived, her parents might have divorced.

Divorce! How mortifying would it be if people gossiped about her parents divorcing? She worried that she would be looked down upon when seeking a partner, which would be truly miserable. Therefore, she certainly didn’t want them to separate.

Yet, she had no power to change her parents’ minds. Fortunately, her mother’s pregnancy meant she no longer had to worry.

On the other hand, Chen Fen was terrified that her mother would give birth to a boy. Her parents no longer doted on her as they once did, and if another brother arrived, they would undoubtedly lavish all their affection on that little one.

‘So, please let it be a girl,’ Chen Fen would secretly pray to her mother’s belly every day.

Cai Zhen, resting in bed, also carried a burden of worries. Such a severe conflict with her husband was not what she desired, and divorce was something she dared not even contemplate. However, Chen Guoliang seemed resolute in their estrangement, and after enduring it several times, Cai Zhen could no longer bear it, ultimately leading to this outcome.

Fortunately, she had been clever, coaxing Chen Guoliang to be intimate with her a few times. She wasn’t sure which encounter led to the pregnancy, but it seemed fate was on her side.

Cai Zhen felt that this child was a gift from heaven, making it highly probable to be a boy! However, she dared not voice this hope, fearing she might deliver another girl and disappoint Chen Guoliang once more, which could truly lead to divorce.

With these worries weighing on her mind, Cai Zhen found herself increasingly irritated by her children. She had heard people say that during pregnancy, one should frequently look at handsome and intelligent boys, as this would result in giving birth to a similar intelligent and good-looking boy.

Cai Zhen glanced at her daughters again, then closed her eyes in distress. ‘It’s all their fault,’ she thought. ‘With so many girls around, how can I give birth to a boy?’

‘If only that little boy next door were here,’ Cai Zhen mused silently. ‘He’s so handsome and clever. If I looked at him more, I’d definitely have an even more outstanding baby.’

****

Unaware that someone was thinking of him, Xiang Chen was busy acting as a little teacher, giving lessons.

Thanks to his excellent performance in the recent entrance exam, Xiang Chen’s reputation as a prodigy was firmly established. The adults in the family compound looked at him with immense affection, and many pleaded with him to tutor their own children.

When he went to play with his friends, he found Little Tiger hunched over a stool, sobbing pitifully. It turned out Little Tiger had failed his final exams and had been rewarded with a thorough beating by his father.

Despite Little Tiger’s tragic wails, his parents were exceptionally warm towards Xiang Chen, quickly offering him snacks. Little Tiger’s grandmother’s homemade melon seeds were incredibly fragrant, usually reserved for guests, but Little Tiger’s mother scooped a large handful for Xiang Chen.

Xiang Chen’s hands were filled to the brim as the couple spoke kindly to him, asking him to teach Little Tiger more.

Xiang Chen already got along well with Little Tiger, so it was a natural thing to do. He was certainly willing to help his friend.

And so, the matter was settled. The class, upon its opening, had six students: his friends Liangliang and Little Tiger, Wang Peng, and Zhao Qiqin. Zhao Qiqin was only starting primary school in September, but Granny Zhao had heard about the class and decided to let her start learning early.

Chen Xiaohua should have also joined, but because Cai Zhen was pregnant and became the ‘shopkeeper’ of the household, she no longer paid much attention to Chen Xiaocao. Chen Xiaohua had no choice but to stay home and care for her younger sister, Chen Xiaocao.

Xiang Chen’s little classroom was set up in his family’s living room, which was spacious enough. Unlike other homes, where placing a table meant no room for people, their living room accommodated them comfortably. Song Wenbin also expressed his support, only cautioning Xiang Chen not to overexert himself.

As for Xu Hengzhou, it was his idea to set up the small classroom at home. He had enthusiastically suggested that Xiang Chen be a little teacher and tutor his friends, especially since Xiang Chen found the material simple.

Others’ homes weren’t suitable, and even if they were, he didn’t want Xiang Chen running around in the summer heat. If there wasn’t enough space, they might have had to move tables and chairs outside, and in such strong sunlight, Xiang Chen’s tender skin would surely get sunburned.

Moreover, Xu Hengzhou didn’t plan to idle away his summer. He intended to travel around Qingjiang City and the surrounding townships. Even if for nothing else, scouting out routes would be beneficial.

Indeed, Xu Hengzhou always returned with items after his trips: seasonal vegetables from the countryside, a few eggs, and occasionally wild game. Some were from his spatial ability, while others were genuinely bartered with locals.

Initially, he went alone, but later, a few more joined him. One was Li Ming, Li Liang’s fifteen-year-old cousin. Another was Wang Dong, Wang Peng’s seventeen-year-old elder brother. The third was Zhang Xingye, a fourteen-year-old boy from the family compound who was a classmate of both Xu Hengzhou and Xiang Chen.

Among the boys, Wang Dong was the oldest. Like his younger brother, he was tall and robust, appearing no different from an adult. He wasn’t good at studying and couldn’t get into the factory. Since his father was the only worker in the family, there was no position he could inherit. Consequently, he could only take on odd jobs, running errands for people and such.

Li Ming was Li Liang’s cousin, and the two brothers had a good relationship. Xiang Chen had met him a few times. Li Ming had a cheerful disposition and, knowing Xiang Chen was good friends with his brother, even offered to look out for him. Xiang Chen had heard from Li Liang that his brother was an excellent fighter, and no one dared to bully him if he invoked his brother’s name.

Zhang Xingye was a neighbor of Xiang Chen’s classmate; their family lived on the second floor, and they sometimes met on the way to school. To be honest, he wasn’t a very noticeable child and had little presence in class, being merely average in everything. It wasn’t until Xu Hengzhou started taking him along that Xiang Chen realized Zhang Xingye had connected with his brother at some point and was quite well-regarded, praised for being intelligent.

Xiang Chen was busy tutoring his friends, and by the time he came to his senses, his brother already had his own loyal group.

He wondered how Xu Hengzhou had managed to win over these boys. Whether it was the towering Wang Dong or the unruly Li Ming, they all listened to Xu Hengzhou, even though he was the youngest.

Xu Hengzhou, accompanied by the boys, traveled between Qingjiang and several surrounding towns. With their help, he was able to acquire even more goods. The parents of these children were naturally overjoyed to see what they brought back, caring little where they had gone.

At this time, while private buying and selling were not permitted, exchanging one’s own goods for necessities was harmless. Furthermore, Xu Hengzhou and his group kept their activities small-scale: fine grains for coarse grains, coarse grains for vegetables, in small quantities. Distributed among them, it amounted to roughly one meal per family, so no one bothered to make trouble for the children.

Indeed, Xu Hengzhou and the others didn’t just exchange these items. Once, he saw a boy carrying more than half a bucket of crawfish. He traded a yellow steamed bun for the entire catch.

The others were puzzled. Li Ming asked him, “Why did you trade for these? They have so little meat, are hard to roast thoroughly, and are a hassle to prepare.”

Xu Hengzhou merely smiled, saying only that they would understand once they got back.

Upon their return, Xiang Chen was overjoyed to see the crawfish, circling his brother excitedly.

Xu Hengzhou invited his friends to stay for dinner. Their relationships had grown stronger during this period, and occasionally, they would share meals like this. However, it wasn’t frequent, as food was scarce, and they were cautious about freely eating at others’ homes.

When these boys had an appetite, no amount of steamed buns at home seemed sufficient. Fortunately, when they stayed for dinner, they never came empty-handed; the ingredients they had gathered that day were all kept for the meal.

With a large pile of ingredients, the corn on the cob was boiled directly and could be eaten first once ready. Radishes and vegetables were cut into pieces and added to bone broth, creating a large pot of soup that smelled incredibly fragrant. The radishes and vegetables, when eaten, were bursting with flavor.

Each of them held a large bowl, drinking several bowls without pausing for breath.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes were roasted directly. Dug out of the stove, they were still scalding hot, so everyone blew on their hands while peeling, eating them with great relish.

Song Wenbin ate happily with the boys. Xiang Chen, holding a corn on the cob, gnawed on it while glancing towards the kitchen, knowing that the real treat hadn’t been served yet.

By the time the aroma wafted from the kitchen, most of them had finished eating. The scent, in waves, permeated their nostrils, and the boys all craned their necks towards the kitchen.

Before Song Wenbin could even stand up, Xiang Chen had already darted inside. Xu Hengzhou stood by the stove, where the bright red crawfish simmered in the pot, their intoxicating aroma filling the entire kitchen.

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