The whole family is insanely eavesdropping on my thoughts Chapter 543
Chapter 543: Premature Birth
“A gift delivered to our doorstep, why refuse it?”
“This is meat! Meat sent straight to us!”
It was a heartfelt gesture from her dear little brother. Once he was born, she would have to thank him properly.
Jin Tang held up the lifeless wild pheasants and ducks, marveling in her heart.
The Little Master truly lived up to her name—her mind was incredibly strong.
While the rest of the household was on the verge of panic, she regarded it as a divine blessing.
“Then… shall I go and clean them up?” a disciple hesitantly asked.
Lu Chao Chao waved her hand dismissively. “Go ahead, go ahead. Use extra spices when marinating them. It’ll be delicious.”
Rong Che swiftly cleaned the front gate and the bloodstains on the ground, scrubbing until they were spotless. He even washed his own hands thoroughly, leaving behind a faint floral fragrance before turning to carry Shi Yun down from the carriage.
Shi Yun buried her face against his chest, too afraid to lift her head.
Lu Chao Chao took a walk around the small courtyard.
“This is my final warning. If another animal dies at our doorstep, I will make you understand what true cruelty means.” The young girl whispered without a hint of emotion, as if it didn’t matter whether the recipient could hear her or not.
That night, the entire family gathered at the ancestral hall for dinner.
The village chief had already assembled the entire village, waiting respectfully at the entrance.
Each table had a single cut of the immortal peach, each slice no larger than a fingertip. The village chief beamed with joy. He was knowledgeable—the ancient texts passed down in the village had recorded this fruit’s legend.
This was the Immortal Peach, which bloomed once every three thousand years and bore fruit only after another three thousand. In the Celestial Realm, it was only picked for grand celebrations.
Yet tonight, he had the fortune to taste it!
“Little Celestial Lord…” The village chief started, then hesitated.
“Little Master, please, come inside. We’ve prepared dishes unique to the Spirit Realm—do have a taste.” Since the Little Celestial Lord was still young, he respectfully addressed her as Little Master.
Inside the ancestral hall, the villagers drank together, savoring the immortal peaches, a delicacy of the Celestial Realm.
Outside, a brilliant flash of light split the darkness, followed by a deafening thunderclap that seemed to tear the sky apart. Black clouds gathered, and the rolling thunder was deafening. Then, a torrential rain began, with heavy droplets pattering onto the roof tiles.
Gusts of wind howled. A porcelain vase by the window crashed to the ground, shattering into pieces.
Even the ancestral tablets in the hall toppled over with loud thuds.
The village chief stood up as the door rattled violently against the wind. “Close the doors quickly! Why is it raining all of a sudden?”
The raindrops drummed against the tiles, their rhythm urgent and unrelenting.
The welcoming feast for the Little Master had just ended, and now a storm had struck. The village chief felt restless.
Xu Shi Yun’s elegant face creased with tension.
She clutched Rong Che’s hand tightly, the veins on the back of her hand bulging. Rong Che leaned in, his voice laced with concern. “Shi Yun, are you feeling unwell?”
Lu Chao Chao puffed her cheeks, hurriedly swallowing the food in her mouth as she turned to her mother with worried eyes.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Shi Yun steadied herself. “Go and fetch an umbrella. Bring the midwife and the physician. I fear… I am about to give birth.”
Rong Che nearly leaped to his feet.
“Don’t panic. Don’t panic.” Xu Shi Yun, having experienced childbirth before, was far less flustered than he was.
“A-Man, go home and boil water. Prepare the ginseng.”
“Now help me onto the carriage. You must fetch the physician and midwife. Chao Chao, don’t be scared…” Even through her labor pains, Xu Shi Yun still took a moment to comfort her young daughter.
For the first time, Rong Che found himself at a complete loss, his limbs frozen with fear.
On the battlefield, he had taken countless lives with a single stroke of his blade.
Yet now, he could do nothing but follow Shi Yun’s every instruction.
Scooping her up along with Chao Chao, he swiftly placed them into the carriage. Then, entrusting Xu Shi Yun to Xie Yu Zhou, Jin Tang, and the village chief, he turned and bolted into the rain.
“Ah, Brother Che, you forgot your umbrella…” Xu Shi Yun’s breath hitched as another contraction gripped her. Her face paled.
Lu Chao Chao clung to her mother’s left hand, while Xie Yu Zhou held her right.
The two little ones had never witnessed childbirth before and were clearly nervous.
“In a little while, you must wait outside. You must not come in. Do you understand? Children must not witness such things.” Xu Shi Yun spoke through gritted teeth, her words breaking between painful gasps.
By the time the carriage arrived at the doorstep, she was drenched in sweat, her lips bitten until they bled.
Yet she made no sound, afraid of frightening Chao Chao.
The moment the carriage halted, Rong Che arrived carrying the aged physician on his back.
Three midwives, clad in straw raincoats, ran toward them at full speed.
These were the best midwives and physicians in the area. Ever since Rong Che had arrived in the Spirit Realm, he had prepared for this moment.
“Slow down, slow down!” The old physician grumbled. “You have me bouncing around so much, my bones are about to break!”
The young man had run too fast.
Rong Che’s face was ghastly pale, his hands trembling with helplessness.
In that instant, his mind went utterly blank.
“No matter what, prioritize Shi Yun. Remember this—her life comes first above all else.” He had once thought he deeply desired a child.
But now, as the moment of birth arrived, he realized—nothing mattered more than Shi Yun.
If he had known…
If he had known, he would have never allowed this to happen.
He raised his hand and gave himself a slap with full force, his cheek swelling instantly.
“I am a fool,” he muttered. He could not bear the thought of losing Shi Yun. He dared not think about it.
Even the mere thought sent an unbearable pain through his bones.
If anything happened to Shi Yun, he would not survive either.
The midwives and physician rushed inside. Outside, the storm raged on, lightning flashing and thunder roaring.
Lu Chao Chao’s hands were ice-cold. She had not realized childbirth was such a perilous ordeal.
Buckets of steaming water were carried in, only to be brought out moments later, stained a stark red.
Before long, the ginseng slices were also sent in.
A-Man and A-Wu, though young, were resolute and assisted inside.
Rong Che paced outside, his anxiety palpable.
“Why is it so silent inside?” He grabbed A-Man as she stepped out to fetch water.
A-Man glanced at Chao Chao. Lady Shi Yun was likely holding back her cries, afraid of scaring her daughter.
“The lady must gather strength for the final push.” With that, she hurried back inside.
Rong Che clutched his head, despairing.
“No more. Never again. Never again…” The mighty Stabilizing General nearly collapsed at the doorway, his eyes brimming with unshed tears.
“Little one, hurry up and come out! Stop tormenting your mother!”
“Why hasn’t someone invented a spell to let men bear children instead?” Rong Che muttered in a daze. “What use is cultivation if it can’t spare women from suffering?”
Inside, the sound of muffled cries and agonized screams echoed.
This labor was proving far harder than expected.
Xu Shi Yun could feel her strength waning. It was as if the child was draining her very life force.
Her screams merged with the thunder outside. She clutched the bedsheets tightly, veins bulging on her forehead.
“AH!” A piercing scream sent Lu Chao Chao trembling, her legs weak.
The little girl clenched her fists, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.
Rong Che had already fallen to his knees at the courtyard gate. “Bodhisattva, Heaven and all divine beings, I beg you, let Shi Yun be safe. If my wish is granted, I will abstain from meat for life, devote myself to good deeds, and willingly enter the Animal Path after death. Just let Shi Yun survive.”
If one looked closely, they would see his shoulders trembling.
But the heavy rain blurred the lines between raindrops and tears.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation