After wringing out the towel with ginger water and wiping herself down, although her skin smarted a bit, it was still better than feeling all sticky before. Cheng Su felt so hot she wished she could just lay there with no clothes on.
"Hang in there, in a few more days youâll be able to take a bath. Iâm doing this for your own good, afraid youâll get postpartum illnesses," Qi Taiguo said.
"Giving birth is hard enough, but I didnât expect recovery to be even more uncomfortable. Itâs too hot," Cheng Su pouted, "If I had known, I would have called in favors to get an air conditioner, even if I had to import one from abroad."
She knew about window air conditioners, but after asking Luh Kai, she found out that the supply and marketing cooperatives in Qing City didnât have any, and she wasnât sure about other places, so she eventually gave up.
Thinking about it now, if Qing City doesnât have it, maybe big cities like Guangcheng or the Capital do? Surely they have it abroad!
Ah, now the baby is born, and sheâs already in postpartum recovery. Itâs too late for regrets; she would just have to endure it patiently.
"Thank you for your hard work," Qi Taiguo said, tucking her sweat-damp hair behind her ear. "But this time, I mainly listened to my mother-in-law. She has been through this more than us, and as the elderly do, she knows a lot. I just want you to get through this period well, so we can have a long life together."
Cheng Suâs complexion was still sickly pale, which made Qi Taiguoâs heart ache, leaving him feeling inexplicably anxious.
Hearing his affectionate words, Cheng Su teased him, "Your mouth is getting sweeter."
"Youâre my wife, of course I want the best for you. Weâre supposed to be together for a lifetime!" Qi Taiguo said.
Cheng Su scoffed lightly, her eyes moved to his arm, and she was momentarily stunned.
Following her gaze, Qi Taiguo raised his arm and said, "Iâm afraid it will leave a scar!"
It was where Cheng Su had bitten him during her labor pains. It was now scabbing over, but the circle of bite marks was still very apparent. It was likely to leave a scar even after healing.
"Does it hurt?" Cheng Su touched it gently.
Qi Taiguo shook his head: "It doesnât hurt. I actually hope the scar stays, so it can constantly remind me of the responsibility I bear and the hardships and sacrifices youâve made."
Cheng Su rolled her eyes at him, feeling a lump in her throat.
Not wanting to make her tear up, Qi Taiguo changed the subject, asking, "Have you thought of a name for the baby?"
Cheng Su was indeed distracted by the topic change and said, "Havenât you thought about it?"
Qi Taiguo just smiled, "Iâll go with what you decide."
Cheng Suâs heart felt as sweet as honey. After thinking for a moment, she said, "When I went into labor, I had a dream. It was so beautiful..."
She recounted the dream she had.
Qi Taiguo was a little puzzled: "So what do you mean?"
Cheng Su laughed: "All the flowers in full bloom, I thought I might be giving birth to a big cabbage. Who knew it would be a little pig instead? Looking at him now, he sure is fair-skinned..."
She rambled on, and Qi Taiguo coughed, "Youâre not planning to give our son a girlâs name, are you?"
Cheng Su scolded, "Nonsense, didnât I say, all flowers bloom, so letâs call him Qi Fang."
Qi Taiguo was taken aback for a moment but then smiled wryly, "You sure have a straightforward approach."
"What else then, should it be some patriotic name? I donât want that," Cheng Su pouted.
Qi Taiguo immediately said, "No, Qi Fang is simple and easy to remember. Letâs go with that!"
Cheng Su laughed, feeling completely satisfied, but hesitated for a moment and said, "But what if my father-in-law also wants to name the baby?"
"No worries, weâve decided on this one. So, what about a nickname for the baby?" Qi Taiguo said, "He was born on July 7th, the day the Cowherd and Weaver Girl meet..."
Cheng Suâs hairs stood on end immediately, "Youâre not planning to give him the nickname Cowherd, are you?"
"..."