Wish You All the Best - Extra Chapter 2
Extra Chapter - Everyday Life of a Couple (Part II)
During the first period after their arrival, Pei You'an busied himself receiving envoys from the Northern Desert. On behalf of the imperial court, he either bestowed rewards or exerted authority to suppress the Zhamu tribe and other Northern Desert tribes like them.
In addition to these envoys, local garrison generals and city commanders arrived one after another to pay their respects. The days were filled with endless, bustling activity. In the blink of an eye, two months passed, and the Northern Desert frontier turned into a world of ice and snow once again.
Jiafu counted on her fingers, beginning to keep track of her personal cycle once more.
A few days ago, her monthly period had arrived.
This was the third time it had come since the two of them stopped deliberately avoiding intimacy during those particular days.
She felt a slight disappointment.
She truly wanted to bear another child for Pei You'an.
This wish had been lingering in her heart ever since Ci'er was two or three years old.
In the years that followed, she had stopped thinking about it, and the desire had gradually faded. But now that the thought had resurfaced, it was like a fire in an old house—it consumed her thoughts all day long, and she wished she could become pregnant immediately.
Although, in her eyes, Pei You'an remained as he was when they first met: a man of incomparable and radiant beauty. When she looked in the mirror, she never felt she was particularly old either. However, he was now past the age of forty, and while she was significantly younger than him, she was certainly no longer in the first flush of youth. If she wanted to see her wish fulfilled, it seemed she would need to make thorough preparations.
Since her schedule had cleared up recently, she spent her days cooking delicious food and stewing various nourishing meals. Besides eating them herself, every night when Pei You'an returned to their chambers, she would force him to eat them as well, regardless of whether they suited his palate—naturally, these tonic foods were not chosen at random.
Before leaving the capital, she had secretly and specifically consulted an imperial physician skilled in gynecology. The physician told her that her constitution was excellent—neither cold nor dry—and that she needed no medicine. However, at her age, appropriate warm nourishment could make conception easier. He recommended she consume more black beans, ginger, and lotus seeds, noting that black beans helped with conception, while ginger and lotus seeds could warm and nourish the body. As for Pei You'an, he naturally required similar nourishment. The physician suggested several medicinal diets to warm the liver and kidneys and wrote out a long list for her.
The physician’s words were expressed quite cryptically. The saying goes that a woman at thirty is like a tiger and at forty like a wolf, whereas most men, once they pass forty, find their heart willing but their strength lacking. Hence, illicit items like aphrodisiacs were rampant, costing countless lives.
In any case, the physician’s point was that as long as the portions were monitored, such foods were always beneficial for that aspect of a man’s life at his age if consumed regularly.
Although Jiafu had been very satisfied with their intimacy so far and did not feel that Pei You'an was straining himself for her sake, after a gap of sixteen years, if she wanted to have another child, she felt no preparation was too tedious; the more, the better.
Tonight, she began to look forward to it once again.
Her period had always been very regular, with a monthly variance of no more than one day. Based on the physician's instructions and her own experience from all these years with Pei You'an, she knew that starting tonight and for the next few evenings, if they were to share a bed, the chances of conception would be much higher than on other days.
In the past, when these days arrived each month, they would tacitly avoid that kind of intimacy.
But things were different now.
As soon as the sky turned dark, the charcoal fire in the room was stoked to a warm glow. Jiafu bathed early. Afterward, she lay on the chaise longue, letting Tanxiang dry her long hair before applying her favorite jasmine balm—an imperial creation—to her skin. She rubbed it in thoroughly until every inch of her skin from head to toe smelled sweet and fragrant. She then sifted through a pile of clothes, choosing a lotus-root pink silk skirt draped with a gauze robe as thin as a cicada's wing. She dusted her face with light powder, painted her lips with a faint tint, and styled her hair into a duoma (fallen horse) bun, the dark tresses cascading like clouds. She tucked a camellia flower into her hair, slanted at the temple. With a face as delicate as a flower, she appeared both languid and meticulously beautiful.
She had not dressed up like this in a long time. Once finished, she looked in the mirror and found herself incomparably beautiful; she was very satisfied.
Pei You'an would surely love it, Jiafu guessed.
At the end of the You hour (around 7:00 PM), he returned from the front office to the rear hall. Jiafu greeted him with a beaming smile, brushing the snowflakes from his shoulders.
As Pei You'an entered and suddenly saw her, he seemed momentarily stunned, his gaze lingering upon her.
Jiafu was delighted. She urged him to bathe, and once he emerged, she helped him change his clothes. She then had the food she prepared for the evening brought in. She seated him down, stood behind him, and while massaging his shoulders, enthusiastically urged him to eat.
The contents of the bowl were thick, a mixture of meat and rice drenched in broth. Before even tasting it, Pei You'an smelled a faint, medicinal odor mixed with the gamey scent of mutton. He smiled bitterly, "What is this?"
For the past half-month, every other day or so, it had been deer kidney soup, pork kidneys, wolfberry and mutton kidney porridge...
It was fine at first, but now, just the smell made him feel a little nauseated.
"This is the Guiyuan (Restoration) Soup. It hasæ·® (Huai) yam, cistanche, and a small amount of dodder seed, mixed with walnut kernels and japonica rice, all stewed with lean mutton and sheep's spine. I simmered it for the entire afternoon, and finally added a few scallion whites, ginger, peppercorns, cooking wine, chili powder... oh, and star anise. The physician said it is very good for a man's health."
"I already tasted it for you earlier, it tastes very good. Hurry and eat."
Jiafu widened her eyes and lied without blinking.
She had indeed tasted it earlier, but the flavor... was very strange...
In any case, she never wanted to take a second bite.
Pei You'an considered himself free of the various symptoms of middle-aged men—such as kidney deficiency, tinnitus, dizziness, or weakness in the waist and knees. He didn't want to eat this stuff at all. However, under her expectant gaze and remembering the expression on her face when she discovered her period had arrived over the past few months, he could not bear to disappoint her again. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and eat it spoonful by spoonful. By the end, he had skipped the chewing process entirely, gulping it down in one go. He patted his stifled chest and let out a long, relieved sigh.
He truly missed the desserts she used to make for him...
Comparatively, he preferred her feeding him desserts rather than this so-called "nutritional supplement" that was nauseating just to smell.
Seeing that he had finished it in one breath, down to the last drop of broth, Jiafu was joyful. In truth, she also felt a little heartache for him. She rubbed his chest and massaged his shoulders for a moment more. Estimating that the food had settled, she said softly, "Husband, it is getting late, let us retire."
Pei You'an was pulled up by her and led to the bedside.
He looked down, silently watching as she happily stripped him of his clothes piece by piece, only to be pushed down onto the bed by her. He lay there, watching her remove the thin gauze robe she wore over her, then layer after layer of other garments, until she finally slipped under the covers. Her fragrant, soft body pressed against him, and her red lips approached his ear, humming coquettishly, "Big cousin..."
Given their experiences over the past few months, to ensure he would have the stamina for tonight and the following nights, Jiafu had not allowed him to share a bed with her since her period ended this month until this very night.
Pei You'an had not touched her for nearly half a month.
He turned his face, gazed at her for a moment, then rolled over and pinned her beneath him.
The bed curtains were lowered.
As the curtains swayed like waves, halfway through, just as Jiafu’s passion was at its peak, she felt he seemed to lack the strength to follow through. He became increasingly hesitant, and finally, he even stopped, which left her feeling bewildered—
Actually, tonight, Jiafu had felt he was strange from the very beginning. She always felt something was not right, as if he couldn't get his spirits up.
By all accounts, this shouldn't be happening—
She looked so beautiful tonight that even she was tempted, and he hadn't touched her for half a month...
In confusion, she opened her eyes, only to see him suddenly roll off her, throw open the curtains, and reach out, before he began to vomit.
Jiafu was startled, all romantic thoughts instantly vanishing. She scrambled up in a panic to help him hook the curtains back, then knelt by his side and gently patted his back.
Pei You'an didn't just throw up the bowl of Guiyuan soup he had just consumed; he brought up his entire dinner as well.
Jiafu hurriedly put on a robe, got out of bed to fetch him a cup of warm water, and served it to him. Seeing him leaning there motionless and looking extremely weak, she couldn't help but be overcome with worry. She started to call for a physician, but was pulled back by him.
"I am fine."
"Fu'er, could you... please stop forcing me to eat those things..."
He said, weak and drained of energy.
"I can perform just fine without eating those things,"
As if afraid she would be unhappy, he added another sentence.
Jiafu was stunned. Looking at his expression of lingering fear, she glanced down and saw that he had already gone limp. She found it both funny and infuriating. She pulled the quilt over him to let him lie down, lowered the bed curtains, and dressed to get out of bed. She opened the door to call people in to clean up the bedside, then had hot water brought in and urged him to wash up with her. When they returned to the bed, she once again crawled into his arms, embraced his body, and looked up at him, breathing softly like an orchid: "Big cousin, it is all my fault for pushing you too hard. From now on, you don't have to eat those awful things! I'm not in a hurry; let nature take its course. You must be tired tonight? Get some sleep. I will sleep too."
After she finished speaking, she affectionately rubbed her cheek against his chin, nestled against his side, and obediently closed her eyes, remaining perfectly still.
Pei You'an gazed at her face, suddenly sat up, dressed, and dragged her out from under the covers. He hugged her to the edge of the bed and began to put her clothes on one by one.
"It's snowing outside! Where are you taking me?"
Jiafu was puzzled and asked him several times, but he only smiled and didn't answer. Finally, he put her shoes and socks on, draped a fur-trimmed Zhaojun cloak over her shoulders, and took her hand, smiling: "It is only good that it's snowing. You will see once we get there."
Jiafu went out with him, sitting backward on the back of Ta Xue (Treading Snow). Wrapped head-to-toe in his fur cloak and clinging tightly to him with both arms, they galloped away. After a journey that felt like riding through the clouds, they left the city and seemed to be climbing a slope. Finally, they stopped. Peeking her head out from his cloak, she realized they were in front of a mountain pass standing in opposition to another.
With the reflection from the snow, she saw a gate wall built at the entrance, which appeared to have been finished not long ago.
Jiafu had a faint impression of this place. She remembered having been here over a decade ago, also brought here by Ta Xue. Because this mountain hollow was different from the mostly barren rocky cliffs surrounding Suye City, the ground in winter was wetter and warmer than elsewhere. It did not accumulate snow, and sometimes there was even green grass. However, because the terrain was steep and bordered by weathering cliffs several dozen yards high, there were no ready-made trails to climb up, so it was rarely visited. Ta Xue had been very naughty back then; one day, no one knew how it managed to get here, but afterward, it often came here to find fresh, tender grass to eat.
Jiafu glanced at the gate wall, still puzzled.
Pei You'an carried her off the horse's back and brought her inside the gate, latching it behind him. He then guided her to stoop and carefully pass through a narrow crevice in the rocks. Finally, they emerged, and her field of vision suddenly opened up.
From the outside, one couldn't tell, but inside was a hidden world—a small, circular valley resembling a well, with a crescent-shaped pool of water in front of them.
White snow drifted down from the mouth of the valley, continuously piling up on the banks, yet the surface of the water was steaming with white mist. It was a hot spring!
What was even more surprising was that right beside the hot spring, a small wooden cabin stood quietly, also appearing recently built.
Jiafu was pleasantly surprised. She ran to the edge of the spring, crouched down, and reached out to test the water.
It was warm and extremely comfortable.
Pei You'an smiled: "I recall that over a decade ago, this spring did not exist. Two years ago, I remember the Imperial Observatory received a report from the Suye Commander's office stating that an earthquake occurred here in August of that year. Fortunately, it was not strong and caused no major damage. But I suspect this spring emerged at that time. It is also thanks to Ta Xue. Last month, there was a day it was late to return, and Yang Yun found it here, discovering this hidden world. I went down to check its depth and took water samples, letting livestock drink it after it cooled; there were no abnormalities. Seeing it was safe to use, and thinking that if it were snowing, it would be nice to bring you here to soak, I had this place built for you. It was finished just a few days ago. I remembered it just now, so I brought you here, which can be considered..."
"Making amends to you."
He paused, speaking softly.
However, Jiafu had long since stopped listening to what he was saying. With a cheer, she dragged him into the small wooden cabin. Lighting a candle, she saw that although the space was not large, it was fully equipped with a bed, table, and chairs. A soft, white fur rug was spread on the floor in front of the bed. Most wonderfully, there was a stove in the corner, with a pile of split firewood beside it.
As Pei You'an was still starting a fire to warm the room, Jiafu had already stripped off her clothes, stepped barefoot into the warm spring water, and immersed her entire body from the neck down. Leaning against the stone seat built by the edge of the pool, she looked up at the night sky above, watching the drifting snowflakes, and sighed in comfort.
Pei You'an finished tending the furnace and came out of the wooden cabin. He did not go in but squatted by the edge of the pool, watching Jiafu.
Jiafu opened her eyes, wiped her wet face, and beckoned to him: "Big cousin, come down too."
Pei You'an smiled and shook his head, waving his hand: "I will not go down. When you are finished washing, I will carry you in."
Jiafu swam to his side like a mermaid, reached out, grabbed his sleeve, and gave a hard pull. With a splash and Jiafu’s laughter, Pei You'an was dragged into the pool.
Jiafu embraced him in the water for a long time. Only when she felt her body becoming limp and weak did he carry her out and return to the small wooden cabin.
Pei You'an dried Jiafu's hair and body, laid her on the bed, his gaze and fingertips lingering on her tender, delicate skin, which was pink from the hot spring water.
"Fu'er, are you tired?"
His lips reached her ear as he asked in a low voice, his raspy tone carrying a hint of lingering tenderness.
Jiafu’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. She slowly opened her eyes, gazed at him for a moment, then sat up and pushed him down onto the bed. Under his astonished gaze—filled with indescribable, extreme excitement—she climbed onto his body with a blushing face, her cherry lips pressing against his ear as she whispered: "Big cousin, whatever you want me to do, I will listen to you..."
Snowflakes fell silently. Amidst the pleasant crackling and popping of the burning wood, this winter night in the cabin was as warm as spring.
...
The month after returning from the cabin, Jiafu’s period stopped. By the next month, she began to experience vomiting and sleepiness, confirming her pregnancy.
Jiafu finally achieved her wish. Although she was tortured by pregnancy symptoms and had lost weight, her mood was excellent. From then on, she began to focus on nurturing the fetus. Every day, with nothing else to do, she would count on her fingers, beginning to calculate the due date.
Pei You'an’s mood, however, was somewhat different from Jiafu’s.
He was no longer young. In a few more years, frost might inevitably touch his temples.
Over the past decade or so, he had assisted the young emperor with unwavering devotion, exhausting his heart and strength. He had never thought he would have a child of his own in this lifetime.
Now that his young, delicate wife was pregnant again, seeing her joyous and not feeling any hardship at all, his inner heart was naturally happy and moved. But behind this joy and emotion lay hidden concerns.
Even now, more than a decade later, every time he recalled the suffering and risks she endured during her first labor, he still felt a lingering fear.
As Jiafu’s belly grew day by day, Pei You'an became increasingly nervous. In addition to accompanying her on walks every morning and evening and personally attending to her diet and daily life, more than a month before she was due to give birth, the imperial physician from the capital, skilled in obstetrics and gynecology, arrived in Suye City to stay in case of any need for the Princess’s delivery.
Compared to Pei You'an’s nervousness, Jiafu was much calmer.
Having endured the difficulties of the previous time, this round, she did not feel a sliver of fear.
She had already experienced the worst; what was there left to fear? Every day, she ate when she should eat, slept when she should sleep, and went for walks when it was time for a stroll. With eating and drinking, she grew plump and content. In the autumn of the following year, one evening while Pei You'an was accompanying her on a walk, labor suddenly began. After only a little over two hours, she successfully gave birth to a baby girl.
Seventeen years later, now in middle age, he had unexpectedly become a father again, fortunate enough to be the father of this beautiful baby girl who had arrived in the world.
Pei You'an carefully held the soft, small body of the baby girl who was destined to gather thousands of favors in one person. As she entered his arms, the excitement and ecstasy in his heart were simply beyond words.
He named his daughter A-Yuan.
Yuan means "the beginning," and also carries the meaning of goodness and auspiciousness.
He wished for this beloved daughter, gained in their middle years, to be like the meaning of her name: a new beginning, and a life of goodness and auspiciousness.