Chapter 55: 54, Widow Neighbor

54, Widow Neighbor

In the evening, Chen An personally cooked.

Song Huaying and Gu Xinyue were helping out.

Wen Zhiyun was playing with Chen Yuejian in the courtyard, having a great time.

About an hour and a half later.

The dishes were all ready.

Eight dishes and one soup.

Plus a few plates of appetizers.

In the hall.

Song Huaying looked at the lavish dinner on the table and couldn't help but ask curiously:

"Husband, what occasion is it today? Why did you personally cook so many delicious dishes?"

"There's a happy event to celebrate."

"What happy event?"

Song Huaying asked like a curious child.

Chen An glanced at Wen Zhiyun beside him, smiled, and said:

"Yun'er, you tell her."

Upon hearing this, Song Huaying and Gu Xinyue both turned their gazes to Wen Zhiyun.

The only exception was Chen Yuejian, sitting in Song Huaying's arms, straining his short arms to reach the large chicken leg in front of him.

Unfortunately, his hands were too short—no matter how he stretched, he couldn't reach it, and his little brows furrowed in frustration.

"Sister Wen, what exactly is the happy occasion?"

Seeing Wen Zhiyun still hadn't spoken, Song Huaying asked impatiently.

Wen Zhiyun brushed a strand of black hair from her ear, smiled somewhat embarrassedly, and said:

"Well... I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant?"

Song Huaying froze for a moment, then reacted, her large, doe-like eyes widening with delight as she exclaimed: "Sister Wen, is this really true!"

Wen Zhiyun took a sip of chicken soup, nodded, and said: "Yes, really."

Hearing this, Song Huaying was utterly delighted.

She looked at Chen Yuejian in her arms, grabbed his two short hands, shook them playfully, and asked with a smile:

"Little Yuejian, your Aunt Wen is now pregnant—do you want a little brother or a little sister?"

"Chicken! Chicken leg! I want chicken leg!"

Chen Yuejian looked anxiously at his mother, wanting her to help him get the chicken leg.

Everyone at the table burst into laughter at her antics.

"Come on, Aunt Wen will get you a chicken leg."

Wen Zhiyun picked up the large chicken leg, smiled, and placed it in Chen Yuejian's bowl, saying: "When Aunt Wen's baby is born, as the older sister, little Yuejian, you must take good care of your younger brother or sister."

"Okay, I'll take care of the... little brother and sister."

Chen Yuejian's speech was still a bit hesitant; after speaking, he reached for the chicken leg, brought it to his mouth, and started gnawing.

Unfortunately, his mouth was too small and he had few teeth, so the chicken leg was hard to chew, and he ended up with oil all over his face.

Wen Zhiyun smiled, stroked his head, her eyes full of affection.

At this moment.

The dining table was filled with warmth and harmony.

Everyone wore smiles.

Among them, Gu Xinyue's smile looked a bit forced, a sign of feigned cheer.

Under the table, she reached down and touched her flat belly, a wave of worry passing through her heart.

Even Wen Zhiyun, who had only arrived a year ago, was now pregnant.

Yet her belly remained still and unchanged.

This made her feel deeply depressed.

Chen An keenly noticed her unusual state.

But he didn't say much, continuing to eat and laugh with the others.

After the meal.

The family of five took a walk in the courtyard.

Feeling mostly digested, they each went about their own tasks.

Wen Zhiyun returned to her room to cultivate.

Song Huaying took her daughter back to her room to put her to sleep.

Gu Xinyue went into the alchemy room to sort herbs, preparing for her husband's alchemy work the next day.

"Yue'er, don't sort the herbs yet—come to the bathroom and bathe with me."

Chen An entered the alchemy room and said to Gu Xinyue, who was carefully sorting herbs:

Gu Xinyue was very obedient, responded with an "uh," and followed him out toward the bathroom.

Chen An had already heated the water in advance.

Now arriving at the bathroom, they quickly removed their clothes and stepped into the wooden tub filled with floral fragrance.

"Yue'er, are you unhappy tonight?"

Chen An gently massaged Gu Xinyue's back while speaking softly.

In the past, it was always Gu Xinyue who massaged his back.

But today is a special situation; he needs to comfort this icy little concubine.

Gu Xinyue shook her head and said: "Husband, I am not unhappy."

"You're lying."

Chen An pulled Gu Xinyue into his embrace, pressed his face to her ear, and said: "As a husband, my five senses are comparable to a Foundation Establishment expert; just now, while eating dinner, I noticed Yue touching her belly."

Having said this much, Gu Xinyue trying to hide it would be futile.

She pursed her thin lips, her tone despondent:

"Husband, Wen Zhiyun came a year later than me, and now she's pregnant, while my belly has remained still—is my body unable to bear children?"

"You will."

Chen An comforted her, suspecting Gu Xinyue might be infertile, but he did not say it aloud.

Gu Xinyue's disappointment did not lessen; her voice sounded somewhat depressed:

"Husband, if I truly cannot bear children, will you still want me?"

"Why would I not want you?"

"Because I cannot give you children..."

"As a husband, I love Yue herself—whether she can bear children or not, I will always love her."

"But... but I want a child."

Gu Xinyue spoke and could not help but cry; tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping patter onto the water's surface, splashing delicate ripples.

When everyone still had no children, she felt nothing much.

But now Song Huaying has given birth to a daughter, Wen Zhiyun is also pregnant, and she is the only one without a child.

She truly finds it hard not to feel distressed.

Seeing Gu Xinyue weeping in his arms, Chen An did not know how to comfort her; he could only do his best, hoping to help her conceive.

After the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

【You have done your best to let your wife Gu Xinyue become pregnant; Divine Sense intensity +3.】

In the blink of an eye.

Nearly half a month passed.

This day.

Chen An sat in the Alchemy Room cultivating, skillfully practicing the Qi Refining Technique, drawing in the Spirit Qi contained in the air and refining it meticulously into Spirit Power.

About three hours later.

With a heavy exhalation sound.

Chen An slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile appearing on his face.

He had broken through.

In half a month, through his own effort, he broke through from Qi Refining Layer 7 Great Perfection to Qi Refining Layer 8.

Only one step remains to become a Qi Refining Layer 9 expert.

"Having reached Qi Refining Layer 8, will Qi Refining Layer 9 still be far?"

"With the current cultivation speed, at least ten times faster than before."

"Plus, Zhiyun is pregnant; once the child is born, learns to walk and speak, I will gain various system rewards."

"By then, not to mention Qi Refining Layer 9—even breaking into the Foundation Establishment realm will be easy."

"Reset the goal: achieve Foundation Establishment within two years."

Chen An gazed at the bright sunshine outside the window, feeling indescribably content.

Soon, he gathered his thoughts and began preparing pills.

All morning, he stayed in the room with his little wife, being affectionate, striving to increase his Alchemy Experience.

This afternoon, he deliberately spent over an hour cultivating, pushing his breakthrough to Qi Refining Layer 8.

As a result, even now, he has not yet refined a single batch of pills.

He must start rushing production.

Otherwise, he will fail to deliver the goods to the Bamboo Leaf Gang tomorrow.

The next day, early morning.

Chen An woke up from his little wife's room.

He wiped the saliva from the corners of the mother and daughter's mouths.

He covered them with the quilt properly.

Soon, he left the room.

He went out to deliver pills to the Bamboo Leaf Gang's logistics.

Along the way.

Chen An saw many widows seeking shelter.

In the past half month, many residents of Green Willow Alley could no longer cope.

Their savings were exhausted; they had no money to pay rent.

Thus.

Some chose to flee at night, only to be caught by the Bamboo Leaf Gang and executed on the spot.

Someone chose to become a mercenary, only to die miserably on the battlefield under the great saber of Black Iron Villa.

As a result, many low-cultivation widows remain in Green Willow Alley today.

These widows were previously kept by late-stage Qi Refining male cultivators in Green Willow Alley, needing only to please these male cultivators daily and bear them heirs to obtain cultivation resources.

With these late-stage Qi Refining male cultivators dying one after another, the entire Green Willow Alley is now filled with widows everywhere.

Many single male cultivators who previously could not find wives are now taking this opportunity to take in widows and marry them.

Some attractive widows have even drawn the attention of cultivators from the Bamboo Leaf Gang, who come to take them in.

Many widows of decent appearance specifically target auxiliary professions with cultivation status, such as Alchemists, Artifact Refiners, Talisman Makers, and Array Masters.

They often create opportunities to display their unique mature charm in front of these men, enticing them to take them in.

As an Alchemist, Chen An finds himself approached by at least three or four widows each time he goes out.

Soon.

Chen An arrived at the Logistics Department of the Bamboo Leaf Gang.

He did not linger there to chat.

After handing over the pills, he left immediately.

On his way home, Chen An encountered a young and beautiful widow living not far from his residence.

This widow was leading a two- or three-year-old boy; upon seeing Chen An return with his medicine box, she immediately walked up to him, stopped, and asked with a hint of shyness:

"Alchemist Chen, that…… I dare to ask, do you have any intention of taking a concubine?"

……

PS: Setting out bowls, asking for monthly votes and recommendation votes!