Beneath the Surface Chapter 69 extra 3

It was spring again, and Gu Fengjian was due to return to the capital to report on his duties.

He Wan had prepared their clothes and food, and chose a day that was neither too cold nor too hot for them to set out.

He Wan still quite liked this place. The people here didn’t know her, nor her past. They only knew that she was a good match for Fu Changjun, and now they were together naturally, and everyone sent them their blessings.

They were quite respected in this place, and their days were peaceful and leisurely.

Master He heard about this and wrote to say he would come to visit. He Wan, of course, welcomed him.

Song Chuzhao had been lacking in energy lately, and everyone thought it was because of the change of seasons. The spring in the south was particularly humid and stuffy, and Song Chuzhao hadn’t experienced it before, so it was normal for her to be unaccustomed to the climate.

Moreover, she was about to leave her parents for a while, and she was reluctant to do so, which led to depression, which was completely understandable. Even Song Chuzhao herself thought so.

This discomfort did not subside until the carriage set off.

Song Chuzhao initially found it uncomfortable to sit in the carriage. The airtight carriage made her feel like she was having trouble breathing, as if her neck was being choked by something, so she went out to ride a horse.

However, the air outside wasn’t much better. She rode for a long time, but instead of feeling better, she felt even worse. Her back ached, and she felt weak and limp.

Song Chuzhao was naturally scared and didn’t dare to act recklessly, so she quickly ran back.

Back in the carriage, Gu Fengjian saw that she was uncomfortable and wanted to hold her, but Song Chuzhao repeatedly pushed him away, saying it was too hot. Then, she slumped in the corner with no energy, resting her head on the uneven cushion, dozing on and off, her expression becoming even more gloomy.

Song Chuzhao was never such a delicate person, nor had she ever been averse to riding horses. Seeing her so unusual, Gu Fengjian felt something was wrong. After the carriage entered the city, he gently persuaded her to see a doctor.

The old doctor carefully took her pulse, then smiled at the two of them and said congratulations, saying that the lady was pregnant.

Such a lighthearted way of knowing such momentous news startled both of them. After the surprise came overwhelming joy, as well as a bit of unprepared confusion.

The timing was too inconvenient. Seeing Song Chuzhao’s current reaction, Gu Fengjian wondered how much hardship she would face later. Thinking that they had only traveled a short distance, he thought it would be better to turn back. But Song Chuzhao inexplicably got angry with him and insisted on continuing their journey. Otherwise, by the time she gave birth and the child grew up, it would be years before they could return to the capital.

While there was some logic to that, she was clearly sulking with him, and Gu Fengjian didn’t know whether to agree.

At night, the two of them rested at the inn.

The inn’s bedboards were cold and hard, and the blankets had a musty, damp smell. Since the weather had started to warm up when they left, and neither of them were particularly fussy, they hadn’t brought very thick blankets.

But now things were different. Gu Fengjian was afraid she wouldn’t sleep comfortably, so he moved all the bedding from the carriage to pad her bed, and then bought two new thin blankets to cover Song Chuzhao.

Gu Fengjian took the opportunity to find a doctor in the city to inquire about the things to pay attention to when dealing with pregnant women, and he also had to write a letter to inform He Wan so she could be prepared. Song Chuzhao felt a bit tired and went back to her room to sleep.

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It’s not clear how long it had been, but the sky outside had turned dark.

Song Chuzhao frowned, her whole body seemed to be bewitched, unable to open her eyes. She could hear the sounds around her, and she knew Gu Fengjian had lain down beside her. She could also feel a source of heat approaching her, and then her hand was grasped by the other person.

Song Chuzhao tried to break free, and then a cool breeze blew down from above. The gentle, warm wind instantly dispelled her irritation and the fear that kept her from moving.

Song Chuzhao gradually calmed down, her breathing became steady, and she finally fell asleep.

When Song Chuzhao woke up in the middle of the night, everything was normal. Not only did she not feel hot, but she also felt refreshed. The difference made her wonder if what had happened before was a dream or real.

Song Chuzhao opened her eyes, turned over, and saw that Gu Fengjian beside her had also opened his eyes. The fan in his hand was still gently waving in her direction. No wonder she had slept so soundly. She wondered if he had been awake the whole time taking care of her.

Seeing that the sleepiness had left her eyes, Gu Fengjian leaned closer, pressed his forehead against hers, and asked in a low voice, “Are you feeling uncomfortable?”

Song Chuzhao shook her head.

Gu Fengjian: “Then are you hungry? What do you want to eat?”

Song Chuzhao asked, “What time is it now?”

“It’s getting late,” Gu Fengjian said. “If you can’t sleep, I’ll accompany you for a walk. The night breeze should be quite pleasant now.”

Song Chuzhao had taken several naps throughout the day, and Gu Fengjian guessed she was awake now. He reached out to help her up.

“Don’t you think I was being unreasonable just now?” Song Chuzhao asked. “I just feel like getting angry about everything.”

Gu Fengjian chuckled. “Tell me whenever you feel unhappy. Don’t be afraid.”

Song Chuzhao remained silent for a moment, then whispered, “I don’t even know how to take care of a child.”

“I don’t know either, so I’ll go find someone to teach me,” Gu Fengjian said. “I learn things quickly, so I’ll figure it out eventually.

Song Chuzhao: “I’m quick too.“carpreads.pages.dev

Gu Fengjian smiled. “Of course, you’re so intelligent.”

As Song Chuzhao chatted with him, her anxieties gradually subsided.

The next day, after taking the doctor’s prescribed prenatal medicine and receiving Gu Fengjian’s attentive care, Song Chuzhao felt much better. She insisted on returning to the capital while her body was still relatively comfortable. Gu Fengjian couldn’t persuade her, and seeing that she truly seemed fine, he agreed.

The journey was smooth sailing. However, as they neared the capital, perhaps due to the fatigue of travel, Song Chuzhao began vomiting again.

Thankfully, they were almost home.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Gu Mansion, and Madam Gu came out to greet them. Gu Fengjian stepped out of the carriage and was about to turn back to help Song Chuzhao down, but she rushed past him, unable to hold it in any longer, and leaned against the doorway, feeling dizzy and vomiting uncontrollably.

Madam Gu was startled and rushed over, helping Song Chuzhao catch her breath. She asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Quickly send for a doctor to take a look. This is serious and cannot be ignored.”

Gu Fengjian held Song Chuzhao, his voice laced with worry. “I was just about to tell you, Zhaozhao is pregnant. She was fine for a while, but she’s been feeling very uncomfortable these past few days. She’s already vomited several times.”

“You see, she’s pregnant, how could you…?” Madam Gu choked on her words, then screamed, raising her hand to strike Gu Fengjian hard, scolding, “How could you let her travel with you while she’s carrying a child? Fifth Son Gu, you have no sense of propriety! You’ve completely disgraced the Gu family!”

Gu Fengjian said, “We only discovered it after we set out.”

“I was wondering why you were traveling so slowly,” Madam Gu muttered. “Fifth Son Gu, I really need to have a word with you.”

Song Chuzhao lifted her head and said, “I insisted on coming. Otherwise, it would have been a long delay, and I don’t know how much longer it would have taken. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to return to the capital for the next two years.”

Madam Gu held her, her voice filled with heartache. “If you’re not able to come, Mother can naturally go see you. Look at you, you’ve lost weight. Sister He Wan will blame me when she sees it.”

Song Chuzhao laughed and said, “Why would she?”

Madam Gu led her carefully inside, saying, “Don’t worry about those bothersome things. Now that you’re home, everything will be fine.”

Song Chuzhao thought to herself, there wasn’t anything to worry about in the first place. She turned to look at Gu Fengjian, a helpless expression on her face.

Once they arrived at the Gu Mansion, Song Chuzhao truly didn’t need to worry about anything. Madam Gu had experience herself, and she had many reliable doctors around her.

She had prepared everything the child and the expectant mother might need, whether they were useful or not, filling several rooms with supplies.

Not long after, Master He learned of the news and personally drove over, bringing a mountain of food. Fourth Son Gu was even more extravagant, having already bought toys for his nephew or niece from infancy to adulthood, even though the child hadn’t been born yet.

Song Chuzhao used to be a big eater, but since becoming pregnant, her appetite had decreased. She would only take a couple of bites of food before losing interest, just tasting it and giving the rest to Gu Fengjian.

Gu Fengjian was called away by everyone to learn various miscellaneous knowledge, while Song Chuzhao only cared about her own happiness. If she had any questions, she would simply ask Gu Fengjian to remind her later.

Life was indeed quite comfortable.

Upon learning of the news, Tang Zhanglian offered his summer villa to his little sister Zhaozhao, located on a mountain outside the city. He also lent her several imperial physicians to stay at the villa and take care of her daily life.

Tang Zhirou went to the Gu Mansion to find someone, but she came up empty. She then changed course and went to the Summer Retreat Villa to find Song Chuzhao.

“Third Girl Song!”

Tang Zhirou saw her and called out from afar, rushing towards her. As she got closer, she quickly stopped and finally gave her a gentle hug.

“You’re back! I missed you so much!” Tang Zhirou was so overjoyed that her words were jumbled. She repeated herself over and over, then hugged her again. “Congratulations, you’re going to be a mother soon!”

Song Chuzhao smiled, “I missed you too. Next time you go to the south, I’ll take you around properly.”

“Maybe I won’t have the chance to go anytime soon.” Tang Zhirou mumbled, then asked, “Can I be the godmother of your child?”

Song Chuzhao replied, “I’ve already agreed. You should ask Fifth Son as well. If he agrees, then naturally you can be.”

Tang Zhirou grabbed her loose hair, a little embarrassed. “You’ve come back at the right time. I’m getting married soon. You must come. I’ll arrange a quiet spot for you, so they won’t disturb you.”

Song Chuzhao was delighted to hear such good news. She took Tang Zhirou’s hand and asked, “When? And who is it?”

“That silly fellow, Fan Chongqing.” Tang Zhirou said, “It’s a pity he’s not in the capital these days. If he knew Fifth Son was back, he’d be so happy. He always talks about Fifth Son. When Fifth Son’s not around, he feels like he’s missing a companion.

Song Chuzhao smiled, “This time, Fifth Son will be staying in the capital for a long time. The two of them can go out and play together.”

Tang Zhirou said, “I can tell he’s been looking forward to it!”

The two of them chatted for a long time, talking about everything under the sun. This familiar feeling made Song Chuzhao relax.

Tang Zhirou asked cautiously, “Can I touch your belly?”

“There’s nothing there yet.” Song Chuzhao said, “You’ll only feel fat. Go ahead and touch it.”

Of course, Song Chuzhao didn’t have any fat. Tang Zhirou only felt a firm muscle. She didn’t dare press too hard, so she looked up and burst into laughter with her friend.

Tang Zhirou said, “My mother said that pregnancy is very hard, but men don’t take it seriously. If you’re suffering, don’t try to bear it alone. You should tell him, let him know.”

Song Chuzhao thought for a moment and said, “He probably knows.” In fact, he knew more than Song Chuzhao.

For the past two days, Gu Fengjian had been tossing and turning at night, often getting up in the middle of the night to check on her. He even remembered everything she ate.

“If he’s not good to you, you’re not able to move around easily now, but I can!” Tang Zhirou showed off the thin muscles on her arm. “You don’t know, I learned two moves from Fan Chongqing! They’re pretty powerful!”

Song Chuzhao reminded her regretfully, “Fifth Son has been learning martial arts with fathe… that is, General Fu, for a year now. Your current skills…”

Tang Zhirou immediately became dejected.

Just then, Gu Fengjian walked in, carrying a bowl of freshly boiled medicine. He nodded to Tang Zhirou as a greeting, then went straight to Song Chuzhao’s side.

Song Chuzhao frowned, not liking the strong smell of the herbal medicine.

Gu Fengjian reassured her, “After you finish this dose, you won’t need it anymore.”

He picked up a spoon and brought it to Song Chuzhao’s lips.

Seeing that someone else was present, Song Chuzhao felt embarrassed. She reached out to take the bowl. Gu Fengjian carefully avoided her hand, saying, “The bowl is hot, don’t touch it.”

Tang Zhirou: “…”

She was standing right there, a whole big person!

Tang Zhirou coughed. Gu Fengjian turned his head and glanced at her, his expression calm. He simply said, “I won’t send you out.”

Tang Zhirou: “…”

Fine. It’s her own fault.

It’s impossible to escape this wave of dog food.

Not long after, He Wan and Fu Changjun returned to the capital. They spent some time handling official matters. By the time they returned, Song Chuzhao’s belly had already grown large.

When the time came for her to give birth, it was the heart of autumn. The wind was crisp and refreshing, the sky clear and bright, it was truly comfortable.

Song Chuzhao moved back to the Gu Mansion. She had people to take care of her inside and out, so she wasn’t as anxious. In fact, she felt that everyone around her was being overly cautious. When the time came for her to give birth, she was in good health and didn’t suffer too much.

Gu Fengjian carefully held the child, sat in front of Song Chuzhao, and lowered the swaddling cloth in his arms for her to see.

He lowered his brows and eyes, his expression gentle, his eyes shimmering with water, and said to Song Chuzhao, “It’s a son. Look, he looks just like you. Both of you are so adorable.”

Song Chuzhao glanced at him.

“It’s not necessary…” Song Chuzhao said weakly, “I’m not that ugly.”

Gu Fengjian: “…”

His words were abruptly cut off. Gu Fengjian didn’t know what to say in response.

After this child was born, it was unclear if he was easy to take care of. When he was with Song Chuzhao, he didn’t cry or fuss, he was well-behaved and sensible, and he didn’t disturb anyone at night. But when he was in someone else’s arms, he became a bit shy. He would pout with a look like he was about to cry. He liked the smell of her, and whenever he was near her, he would sniff her with his nose, looking very clever.

After a month, the child had grown completely beautiful. His skin was white and tender, his face was round and chubby, his eyes were dark and bright, and his eyelashes were thick and long. His features were delicate, and at first glance, it was hard to tell if he was a boy or a girl. Whoever carried him out would always receive gifts in return, he was so endearing.

But he liked to spit out drool bubbles.

Whenever Song Chuzhao saw him drooling, she would think of what Fourth Son Gu had said about Fifth Son chasing after him and spitting drool. Looking at her son, she felt like she was looking at Gu Fengjian from back then, and she found it incredibly amusing. Upon learning her thoughts, Gu Fengjian’s eyes gradually took on a different look.

Gu Fengjian named him Gu Xu¹.

Fortunately, after he turned one year old, Gu Xu gradually stopped spitting drool after he started learning to speak, and he became even more well-behaved.

Little Master Gu Xu didn’t cry often, nor was he picky about food. He would listen attentively to Song Chuzhao’s words. Although he couldn’t express himself freely yet, he would stare at you with his big eyes, all his complaints and desires clearly written in them, making it impossible for you to pretend not to notice.

Madam Gu said that this child was exactly like Gu Fengjian when he was young, well-behaved and sensible, quiet and reserved, and loved to cling to his family. The only difference was that Gu Xu disliked strangers touching him, he wouldn’t let them kiss or hold him, and his refusal was cold and aloof. Besides strangers, he also disliked Duke Gu and Master He.

Actually, he disliked Duke Gu and Master He’s long beards. Every time they got close, Gu Xu would start crying, making the two elders very heartbroken. Later, Gu Xu would pull at their beards whenever he saw them, no matter how much they tried to stop him. Only then did the two finally understand.

Duke Gu had thought it was because he looked fierce. Master He also had thought it was because he was old and had many wrinkles on his face, making him look ugly, which was why the child disliked him. The two discussed it several times, with tears in their eyes, learning from their colleagues how to make themselves look kind and gentle… It turned out that all they had to do was shave their beards.

When Gu Xu could finally drool on them, the two elders were almost overjoyed. From then on, they both stopped growing beards.

Madam Gu and He Wan would laugh uncontrollably every time they mentioned this, they couldn’t stop themselves.

After Gu Xu learned to walk, the little baby finally had the power to make his own choices, and he would tirelessly follow Song Chuzhao around, left and right.

When Song Chuzhao stood, he would hug his mother’s legs, transferring his entire weight onto them, clinging to her tightly.

When Song Chuzhao sat, he would rest his chin on his mother’s legs, then tilt his head back and smile foolishly at Song Chuzhao. His two hands held her tightly, his eyes filled with filial affection and closeness.

Every time, Song Chuzhao was afraid that she would accidentally kick him, so she even changed her bad habits of shaking her legs and crossing her legs for him. She also loved how this child clung to her. Whenever she saw him smile, she felt like spring had arrived, and a thousand flowers were blooming.

Unfortunately, Gu Fengjian was the one who held Gu Xu the most. Because the little baby was getting heavier and heavier, Fifth Son Gu always felt that this chubby boy would crush his wife’s small waist.

When Gu Xu turned two years old, He Wan became pregnant. Song Chuzhao told him that he was going to have a smaller friend, and he needed to help take care of him.

Many children of the same age in the capital had younger brothers and sisters. When Gu Xu learned that he would have one too, he couldn’t help but be happy. He was initially very excited, but when he unexpectedly learned that He Wan could only give him a younger uncle or aunt, and after he figured out their generational relationships, it was as if his world had crumbled. He wailed and cried, tears streaming down his face.

To be honest, since his birth, Song Chuzhao had never seen him cry so miserably. It was as if he was releasing all the tears he had held back for years.

“Why are those younger than me bigger than me!” Gu Xu clung to Song Chuzhao’s legs, his words jumbled, “Why am I the smallest?”

He couldn’t accept that others could be born and become elders, while he could only be a younger brother.

Song Chuzhao couldn’t help but laugh and cry, unable to answer this question. She could only hold him and comfort him.

Gu Fengjian was also quite bothered by his cries.

Gu Xu cried pitifully, “I want a smaller one. I want to be a big brother.”

When Gu Xu turned three years old, his wish finally came true. Song Chuzhao became pregnant with their second child. A year later, she gave birth to a baby girl.

Holding his little uncle’s hand on one side and his little sister’s hand on the other, little Gu Xu lived a happy and fulfilling life.