Good News

During the three days that Yan and Qingsui returned to their Little Fish River Mouth Outpost, they rested well. They hardly ventured beyond the camp. Qingye would bring them some good food every day. Sometimes it was a pot of stewed meat until tender, with a few tender green wild vegetables floating on the surface. The meat chunks swayed gently in the soup, and you could see that the meat was almost falling off the bone. Other times it was a plate of freshly baked rice cakes, neatly stacked, with the edges still bearing the golden-brown color from the pan. When stacked together, you could smell the aroma of rice mixed with the scent of charcoal. Sometimes it was a pot of hot water with a few sweet cakes made with wild jujube paste, the paste still warm when you bit into them. Yan and Qingsui would sit facing each other at the low table in the room to eat, occasionally exchanging a few words, sometimes just eating quietly. At night, the two would lie side by side on their beds, listening to the sound of the river flowing outside and the occasional barking of dogs from the distant camp. Their breathing would gradually become steady, and the day would pass just like that.

The next day, the two walked along the path beside the camp to the riverbank. They stood there for a while, the river breeze carrying the scent of water and earth, ruffling Qingsui that cascaded over her shoulders and the hem of Yan's robe. She stood beside him, her hands resting on the railing in front of her, her gaze fixed on the ripples on the river stirred by the evening wind. She didn't speak, but a slight smile played on her lips, as if the river breeze was slowly carrying away the weariness that had been suppressed for so long. Yan turned his head to look at her, noticing that the skin on her cheekbones was smoother than it had been a few days ago, and the dark circles under her eyes had faded considerably, before turning his gaze back to the river.

On the fourth day, Qingsui felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. That morning, she had just gotten up and walked to the table to pour herself some water. Before her hand even touched the ceramic pot, a sudden churning sensation came from her stomach. The feeling was unexpected, like something was pushing up from her abdomen, making her chest tighten. She bent over abruptly, bracing herself against the edge of the table, making a dry heaving sound. The sound was intermittent, as if something was trying to be vomited but couldn't, stuck in her throat. Her shoulders heaved with the gagging, her fingers clenching and unclenching on the edge of the table, her knuckles turning slightly white from the effort, as if she was using that movement to steady herself. Her breathing became rapid, each breath... After each bout of retching, she would pause briefly to catch her breath, only to be pushed back over by another wave of nausea. This continued for quite a while before the churning sensation gradually subsided. She straightened up, her face pale, her lips bloodless, and fine beads of sweat glistening in the morning light on her forehead. She pressed her hand against her chest, running her palm back and forth against the fabric, as if to confirm that the nausea in her stomach had indeed passed. Then she picked up the earthenware pot, poured herself a bowl of water, and took two small sips, pausing after each sip as if testing to see if her stomach would churn again. Once she was sure the water hadn't triggered any new reaction, she slowly sat down at the table, one hand still resting on it, her fingers slightly curled.

Just then, Qingye pushed the door open and came in. Today she was wearing a dark brown linen dress, her hair was wrapped in a cloth, and she was carrying a bowl of freshly cooked hot porridge. Steam was still rising from the surface of the porridge, the rice grains were cooked until very soft, and there were a few chopped wild vegetable leaves mixed in. She had come to bring food to her son and daughter-in-law. These past few days she had been personally bringing it over several times a day, watching them eat before leaving. As soon as she entered, she saw Qingsui sitting at the table, her face pale, one hand pressed against her chest, sweat on her forehead, and she looked much weaker than yesterday. Qingye immediately put down her bowl of porridge, the bottom of which tapped softly on the table, causing the porridge to sway slightly before settling back down. She rushed to Qingsui's side, bent down to examine her complexion closely, and then touched her forehead. Feeling the warmth of her hand—not hot—she relaxed slightly. Her voice held a hint of concern, already suspecting something was wrong, and she spoke faster than usual, "Qingsui, how long have you been feeling this nauseous and wanting to vomit but unable to? When did it start?"

Qingsui thought for a moment, then tapped her fingers lightly on the table, as if recalling when the symptoms started. "It started these past two days. I felt a little nauseous yesterday too, but not as bad as today. Yesterday I just felt a tightness in my chest, like something was blocking it, but it went down after drinking a couple of sips of water. This morning, when I bent over, it suddenly started rolling over. I wasn't prepared and almost knocked over the kettle."

Upon hearing this, Qingye's expression froze for a moment, her eyes widening slightly before the initial surprise slowly faded, replaced by a joyful relief at the confirmation. Her lips curved into a smile, and the lines around her eyes smoothed out, as if her entire face was acknowledging the thought that had just crossed her mind. She grasped Qingsui's hand tightly, the warmth of her palm seeping through her skin. Her fingers curled slightly, as if pressing her words into Qinghui's palm as well. Her voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, rising a notch above her usual pitch, even trembling slightly at the end. "There's a very high chance you're pregnant! You're going to be parents!" As she spoke, she gently patted the back of Qingsui's hand twice, a light pat, as if confirming the news or soothing the hand from trembling too much with excitement.

Yan Zheng emerged from the inner room and paused at the threshold upon hearing these words. He still held an outer robe he hadn't had time to put on, his fingers tapping the fabric. His gaze first fell on Qingsui's face, noticing her sitting at the table, her hand held by her mother's. Though her complexion was still somewhat pale, color was slowly returning to her lips. His gaze then shifted to his mother's face, seeing her beaming smile and the smoothing lines around her eyes. When he spoke, his voice held a joy that hadn't quite caught up yet, as if the words had circled in his mind before landing, each syllable carrying a lightness as if suddenly pushed aside. "Mother, is what you said true?"

Qingsui also looked up, her hand held by Qingye, her fingers tightening slightly. Her gaze lingered on her lower abdomen for a moment before she looked up at Qingye again. When she spoke, her voice trembled slightly, a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, like a gently plucked string. "I'm pregnant?"

Qingye nodded, her voice carrying the certainty of someone with experience. She slowed her speech, as if carefully uttering each word. "Based on your description, it's definitely true. I had the same symptoms when I was pregnant with Yan'er and the others. I felt nauseous in the mornings, the smell of oil made me nauseous, and I craved sour foods but couldn't eat much. You've been married for about two months, so it's perfectly normal for you to be pregnant." She released Qingsui's hand, took a half-step back, and examined her complexion. Her gaze moved from her forehead to her cheekbones, then from her cheekbones to her jawline, as if confirming something in her own way. Then she nodded, her voice now carrying a hint of caution, and her speech even slower, "If I had known you were pregnant, I wouldn't..." You've been traveling with Yan all these days, from the Valley Tribe to the Willow Vine Tribe, from the Willow Vine Tribe to the Greater Qing Tribe Greater Qing Tribe, and back again. The boat rides have been rough, and the food hasn't been timely. You must have suffered a lot. The boat's planks are hard, and sitting for long periods makes your back ache. The wind on the river is strong, and prolonged exposure can cause headaches. It was your first time doing this, and you didn't know how to handle the pressure. Qingsui, you need to rest for a while and not go anywhere. I'll make you some of your favorite foods. You're not alone anymore; you're pregnant. You can't keep running around with the fleet like before. The boat rides are bad for your health, and the wind at the docks can easily make you catch a cold. You haven't been eating or sleeping well either. What you need now is to stay put, eat well, and sleep well. That's more important than anything else."

Yan stood to the side, listening to his mother's instructions point by point. His fingers tapped at his side, his outer robe still in his hand, as if he were incorporating those instructions into his upcoming arrangements. He truly didn't know much about such matters. Although he had heard about women's pregnancies before, he had no idea what to do or what precautions to take. When he spoke, his voice carried a sense of relief at being entrusted with something, as if he were handing over a heavy Shitou to someone else. "Yes, Mother. I don't know much about these things either. I'll leave Qingsui to you. I'll probably be busy for a while. The relocation of the management center isn't completely finished yet, and there are still some outpost handovers and personnel reassignments to handle. I can't leave."

Qingye immediately took charge, waving her hand in front of her as if to take over all the other matters as well. Her movements were swift and decisive. "Yan'er, don't worry. While you're away, just leave Qingsui in my care. I'll make sure she's well taken care of. I'll cook her soup and her favorite dishes every day, and make sure she gets enough sleep. Our Fire Tribe's management center is about to relocate to the Valley Tribe, but we shouldn't let Qingsui travel too much during this time. Although Qingsui is young and healthy, the first three months are the most crucial. She can't be jostled, can't get tired, and can't catch a cold. Let's wait until she's three months pregnant before going to the Valley Tribe. The houses and food there are already prepared. Going a month later won't cause any problems."

After listening, Yan nodded, his gaze lingering on Qingsui's face for a moment, as if confirming her agreement. Qingsui nodded slightly, saying nothing, but her hand unconsciously rested on her lower abdomen, her fingers gently touching the fabric that showed no signs of change, as if greeting the Xiaosheng within her. A slight smile played on her lips, deeper than before, like a gently plucked string finally finding its place.

Then Qingye gave her son some more instructions. She mentioned a few things to be careful about—don't let Qingsui lift heavy objects, don't let her bend over for too long, don't let her smell cooking fumes, and don't let her eat cold or raw food. She also said that Qingsui would move to her room for a while, as it was more comfortable there than Yan's little house. As she spoke, she gestured with her fingers in the air, as if counting each detail carefully, making sure nothing was missed in the process. Yan listened attentively, one by one. He agreed without asking further questions. After Qingye finished speaking, he glanced at the sky. The sun was already high in the sky, and the sunlight outside the window was brighter than before, making the floor inside the room appear whitish. He walked towards Qingsui, stopped in front of her, looked down at her, and said softly, "Then I'll go to the council hall first to see what Father wants to see me about. You go with Mother first and rest well. If anything happens, have Mother send someone to the council hall to find me." Qingsui nodded and gave him a slight smile, as if to tell him with that curve that she was alright.

Yan turned and walked out of the house, heading towards the council hall of the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost. His steps were quicker than usual, but each step was firm. The guards at the entrance of the council hall saw him and stepped aside to let him through. Yan stepped over the threshold and went inside. Jianshi was sitting in the main seat, looking through a wooden tablet. Hearing the door open, he looked up, saw it was Yan, and quickly invited him to sit down. "Yan'er, come in and sit down. How have you been resting lately?"

Yan sat down opposite him, his voice still carrying a lingering joy, as if he were placing newly confirmed good news on the table. "You've been resting well these past few days, but Qingsui has been nauseous and vomiting. Mother said Qingsui might be pregnant. This morning she vomited for quite a while again, and Mother happened to come over and saw her. She said that based on the symptoms, there's a high probability she's pregnant."

Upon hearing this, Jianshi paused for a moment, the wooden tablet in his hand hovering in mid-air. Then, a smile slowly spread across his face, and the lines around his eyes smoothed out. He placed the tablet back on the table, pressed his palm against the edge of it before releasing it, and spoke in a slightly louder voice, filled with barely suppressed joy. "This is wonderful news! You're about to become a father, and I'm about to become a grandfather!" He stood up, took a few steps around the table, then sat back down, patted the table once, and withdrew his hand. His gaze lingered on Yan's face for a moment, then shifted away, as if looking at something far away. "When your mother was pregnant with you, I was the same way. At first, I didn't know anything, but I gradually learned. Your mother has experience; you can leave this to her. She's more attentive to people than anyone else."

Yan nodded. "Yes, Mother told Qingsui to rest well during this time and not to go anywhere. She also said that Qingsui should move to her place for a while; it faces the sun there, and I think that's a good idea. I'll be busy later, and it won't be convenient for me to take Qingsui with me, nor will I be able to take good care of her." He paused, bringing the topic back to the main point, his gaze lingering on his father's face for a moment. "Father, did you send someone to find me just now with some kind of mission?"

Jianshi nodded, placing his hand flat on the table. His voice became more formal as he spoke, but the smile on his lips hadn't completely faded, as if a lingering warmth from earlier still remained on the edge of official business. "Don't worry, with your mother taking care of her, Qingsui will definitely be comfortable. I had someone call you here because I have a task for you to complete. Most of the day has passed, and the relocation of our Fire Tribe Management Center is almost finished. I plan to have you take some people to settle in the Valley Tribe. These people have already gathered at the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost. You just need to prepare to take them away in two days. Then, settle the remaining 10,000 or so people from the Bear Tribe and 10,000 from the Greater Qing Tribe with your Uncle Jianya Ya. He sent someone with news that they can accommodate another 20,000 people there. They've also cleared out a batch of houses. The houses at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost and Fire Creek River Middle Outpost have been cleared. First, settle the people in the Valley Tribe, and then settle the people from the Bear Tribe and the Greater Qing Tribe."

After listening, Yan nodded and said, "Okay, no problem."

The two then discussed the details, including the order of stops and supply arrangements along the way, and set the timeframes for each location. After finishing their discussion, Yan stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute to his father, and then turned and walked out of the council hall. The sunlight outside was perfect, warming his shoulders and arms and illuminating the short distance from the threshold to the steps.