Chapter 329: Duan Qinglan

What happened next did not deviate from the original plot.

Not long after Wang Yan and Yang Tao left, Li Zhaoxian brought his good friend, Guo Changshan—Guo's father. The two old men debated back and forth, and under Guo Changshan's urging, Li Zhaoxian still sent Xue Sumei a bouquet of roses. Despite Wang Yan and Yang Tao's prior groundwork, Xue Sumei unsurprisingly refused.

But Li Zhaoxian was not discouraged, because Wang Yan had already warned him: it wasn't that Xue Sumei had other thoughts, but that she was simply too shy. The old man seemed to have rediscovered his youthful passion, studying Xue Sumei intently in the hospital, with Guo Changshan as his sly advisor—quite amusing.

On Xue Sumei's side, the large bouquet of roses sent by Guo Changshan couldn't escape the eyes of Wang Yan and the others; they all united in pressing her.

In truth, Xue Sumei had no other reservations—she was just too embarrassed. Someone so proud couldn't bear the thought of others calling her shameless and improper; it was perfectly normal.

Wang Yan and the others' task was to constantly remind Xue Sumei about Li Zhaoxian, then invite Li Zhaoxian over for meals to dissolve the slight tension between them; the rest would follow naturally. The old man had feelings, the mother-in-law had interest, no external force blocked them, and everyone was actively helping—there was no reason it wouldn't work.

In fact, after so long, Li Zhaoxian had already begun integrating into the five-member family led by his mother-in-law, Xue Sumei; no major issues.

At Lan Weiwei's end, the expected good news arrived. She and Li Kui had been considering adoption, but just as Lan Caiping came seeking a suitable adoptive candidate from her village—targeting Xue Sumei—Lan Weiwei vomited a few times and said she'd had these symptoms for days, feeling nauseous every morning. The whole family went to the hospital for a checkup and confirmed she was pregnant; they happily disbanded, abandoning all talk of adoption.

This time, however, Lan Caiping did not provoke Xue Sumei. With Wang Yan as her precious son-in-law, Lan Caiping had already been utterly crushed; she wouldn't bring herself more pain.

There was simply no comparison: Yang Tao married early, got pregnant early, and Wang Yan was incredibly generous—he gave Yang Tao real estate worth tens of millions, bought Xue Sumei all sorts of expensive things, and even opened a wedding dress shop, losing money every month?

On her side, Li Kui did buy things for Lan Weiwei, and they weren't cheap, but they paled next to Wang Yan's gifts. Moreover, Lan Weiwei had nearly failed to conceive—nothing to compare. No matter how she measured, she lost; she had long given up. Of course, now she outwardly accepted it but inwardly resented it—roughly like the original plot's Xue Sumei, except their roles had swapped; she'd constantly mutter, "What's she so proud of?"

Su Qing, nearing her due date, had not yet gone to the hospital to deliver; she had taken leave to rest at home, under Xue Sumei's care.

Childbirth is a surprise: you know it's coming and have a rough estimate, but plans always lag behind reality—especially with the great miracle of human reproduction.

That night, Wang Yan lay feeling aggrieved in one corner of the big bed, body stiff as if trying to die, while Yang Tao sprawled out and sound asleep beside him. With her massive belly, he dared not move, and Yang Tao mostly slept on her back, so they couldn't embrace; as a result, her sleeping posture grew increasingly unrestrained, leaving him feeling like a mistreated victim. Fortunately, he slept quietly—any spot would do; otherwise, he'd have to sleep on the floor or the sofa…

The house had excellent soundproofing; inside, only the two of them breathed steadily—the sign of deep sleep.

Suddenly, a vibration sounded. Because the phone sat on the bedside table, the vibration's noise was quite sharp—this was only because it was placed on books; if directly on wood, it would've been worse.

Wang Yan hadn't opened his eyes yet, but his hand had already snatched the phone. After adjusting to the light, he saw his mother-in-law's number and answered, puzzled: "Hello? Mom?"

"My sister's going into labor? Has the ambulance arrived? Can my brother-in-law handle it?"

"Oh, they're already in the ambulance? Alright, I'll wake up Taozi and see if she wants to come."

"Don't worry, Mom. If I didn't call her, that'd be the real problem. Goodbye, Mom."

After hanging up, Wang Yan turned on the bedside lamp, turned to her, and gently patted her, calling: "Wife? Wife? Wake up, wake up."

After a long while, Yang Tao finally blinked open her eyes, and without a word, slapped him: "It's the middle of the night, why are you waking me up? So annoying."

"It's serious," Wang Yan smiled, grabbing her soft hand: "Mom just called—your cousin's going into labor, they're already in the ambulance heading to the hospital. Are you coming?"

"Going into labor?" Yang Tao's eyes widened, fully awake: "Then what are we waiting for? Help me up, let's go quick."

Wang Yan nodded, pulled her up, helped her layer herself in three or four layers of clothing, and after a flurry of activity, they went downstairs, got in the car, and sped toward the hospital along the wide road…

Supporting Yang Tao to the delivery room's entrance, Xue Sumei paced back and forth, while Duan Xifeng sat on a chair, hands tightly clasped, fingers bluish-white, his heart churning with anxiety.

"You're here?" Seeing Wang Yan supporting Yang Tao, Xue Sumei hurried forward and helped her daughter sit: "Why didn't you just stay home? Why wake Taozi up at this hour? Seriously."

Yang Tao shook her head: "I can't miss my sister giving birth—I'm worried."

Wang Yan stepped forward and patted Duan Xifeng's shoulder: "Don't worry. Your cousin's having a natural delivery—it'll take hours, probably not until tomorrow morning."

"I know, but I'm still scared. What if something goes wrong? What would I do?"

Without hesitation, Xue Sumei slapped the back of his head: "Pfft, pfft, what nonsense are you talking? Who talks like that?"

Duan Xifeng winced, rubbing his head: "I'm just nervous, Auntie."

"Does being nervous help? Can you go in and give birth for her? Just wait calmly." Xue Sumei had completely forgotten she'd been pacing anxiously just moments ago.

Wang Yan shook his head and smiled, saying no more—he'd felt the same when he became a father for the first time. He leaned against the wall and looked at Yang Tao: "Should I find you a place to lie down?"

Yang Tao shook her head firmly: "No, I'll just rest leaning here. It's no big deal."

Nodding, they fell silent, waiting for news. Xue Sumei kept pacing, resting briefly before pacing again; Duan Xifeng clutched his hands tightly; Yang Tao dozed off intermittently—quite unnecessary…

Dawn arrived. Wang Yan went out and bought breakfast. Xue Sumei ate a couple of bites; Duan Xifeng didn't touch his; Yang Tao ate heartily, unaffected—though she was forcing herself, for the baby's sake. The rest was devoured by Wang Yan—he was truly unaffected.

At noon, the delivery room door finally opened. Duan Xifeng rushed to the doctor stepping out: "How's my wife? Is she okay? Doctor?"

"Relax. You have a healthy baby girl, seven pounds nine ounces. Mother and child are both fine. They'll be moved to the ward shortly."

Duan Xifeng stood frozen, overwhelmed with emotion, momentarily stunned.

"Oh, wonderful! Now I can finally relax," Xue Sumei beamed, nudging the dazed Duan Xifeng: "Why aren't you reacting? Are you stunned with joy?"

"Huh? Oh! Auntie, I'm so excited—seven pounds nine ounces, mother and child safe! Auntie, Taozi, Wang Yan—I'm a father!" Duan Xifeng burst into loud laughter, overcome with joy.

Yang Tao grinned, hugging her mother's arm: "Seven pounds nine ounces? Mom, what did you feed my sister? She's so fat!"

"Whatever you ate, your sister ate the same. Judging by this, your baby won't be light either."

Duan Xifeng hugged Xue Sumei tightly: "Thank you, Auntie. You've been so much trouble these past days—I'm truly grateful."

"Family doesn't say thanks. What's there to thank for?" Xue Sumei couldn't stop smiling: "Besides, you're thanking too soon—Su Qing still needs to sit the month, doesn't she? That's still my responsibility. Honestly…"

Duan Xifeng nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, Auntie, it's my fault—I'm just too happy."

"Brother-in-law, you must never treat my sister badly. Think of how much pain she went through giving birth to your child."

"Don't worry, don't worry—she's my goddess now. I'd even worship her."

Wang Yan stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and smiled: "Live well together…"

"Absolutely!" Duan Xifeng understood what he meant. His expression turned solemn, and he nodded firmly, then grinned: "I'm finally free. Now it's your turn—go for it."

Yang Tao stuck out her neck, flashing her white teeth: "Of course."

With their burdens lifted, everyone cheerfully followed the weak, pale-faced Su Qing as she was wheeled into the ward. After much bustle, they finally looked at the baby.

"She's so ugly," Yang Tao stared at the sleeping infant and blurted out the truth.

Xue Sumei frowned at her daughter: "What are you saying? All newborns look like this. You looked worse when you were born—how dare you call her ugly? Besides, in two months, it'll be your turn. If you insult my future grandson, I'll beat you."

Su Qing smiled faintly and whispered: "Auntie, Taozi and Wang Yan's child won't be inferior. Look at how beautiful Taozi is, how tall Wang Yan is—combined, they'll have a handsome boy or beautiful girl."

Yang Tao's eyes sparkled: "You're right—I already think this baby looks pretty. She definitely takes after you, but her eyes? Definitely from her dad. So tiny."

"It's my fault, all my fault," Duan Xifeng beamed, squinting happily, barely seeing anything.

Wang Yan teased: "When you're bored, stare at her a lot. They say environment shapes people—maybe you can make your niece's eyes bigger that way."

"Get lost. I'm going to be a good father—I can't just stare at my kid all day?" Duan Xifeng tenderly held Su Qing's hand: "Small is fine. As long as she's healthy and safe, we're content."

"Alright, stop chatting and get to work." After a bit more talk, the mother-in-law issued her orders: "Miss Taozi, you didn't sleep well last night—your sister's baby is born, you've seen it, now go home and rest properly. Xifeng, Su Qing still needs to stay in the hospital for two more days; hurry back and pack your things. We already prepared everything—just bring it over. Wang Yan, your task is the heaviest—you know how to make medicinal cuisine—get everything ready for your eldest cousin. She's drained a lot of her Yuan Qi; she needs serious nourishment. Did you all hear that?"

The three laughed and agreed, exchanged a few more words with Su Qing, then left…

Cooking a meal? Wang Yan had no complaints. For the next few days, he did almost nothing but shuttle for Yang Tao and cook at home. After all, Yang Tao needed it—and her meals differed from Su Qing's. Medicinal cuisine required slow-simmering, batch-cooked in large quantities, which wasn't tiring but tied him down. Overall, it was manageable.

Of course, Wang Yan didn't cook daily. His skill was sufficient—in just five days, he had Su Qing's regimen nearly complete, and her Yuan Qi visibly recovered. The rest was handled by the mother-in-law, the elder aunt—no need for him anymore.

During this time, Duan Xifeng, after much pacing and consulting experts, settled on a beautiful name for his newborn daughter: Duan Qinglan—elegant, evocative. He'd originally wanted the "lan" from orchid, but remembered the Immortal's words about her destiny lacking water, so he chose "lan" meaning "rippling waves." The "qing" came from Su Qing's name. Yang Tao envied the name and urged Wang Yan, soon to be a father, to think of a good name for his unborn child.

Wang Yan sighed and agreed. Honestly, he was tired of naming—good names had all been used already. He'd named not just his son, but his grandson, and even his great-grandson. The problem? He refused repeats. Even with his deep cultural cultivation, he was now struggling…

When all this was done, it coincided with Yang Tao's birthday. Nothing special—just the family shared a meal, and Wang Yan bought her a watch. She lacked for nothing, and she was pregnant, so no need for extravagance—a gift to show thoughtfulness was enough.

Two days later, Li Zhaoxian recovered and was discharged. As in the original plot, Lan Weiwei enlisted her mother to persuade Xue Sumei to date Li Zhaoxian. The reason remained the same: Lan Caiping didn't want Li Zhaoxian living with her daughter. But it wasn't just Lan Caiping—Lan Weiwei, though she'd readily agreed to Li Kui's plan, also didn't want to live with the old man. It was normal—few women liked living with in-laws; too many complications.

Coincidentally, the neighbor across from Xue Sumei was moving abroad and wanted to rent out her apartment. Though a crowd kept nagging, Xue Sumei still couldn't overcome herself—she finally rented it out and let Li Zhaoxian move in. It felt far more natural than in the original plot—perhaps Wang Yan's Dao had helped. The rest was left to time.

Now, except when sleeping, Li Zhaoxian was inseparable from Xue Sumei—they ate all three meals together. Harmonious.

Wang Yan had barely escaped this chaos when, resting in his shop, his phone rang. He pulled it out, glanced at it, turned to Yang Tao, who blinked her big eyes, smiled faintly, then answered: "Hello? Guoran?"

Yang Tao didn't need to think—Guoran calling meant drinking. She rolled her eyes, jabbed fruit with a toothpick, and ate.

After Wang Yan hung up, Yang Tao didn't even look at him. "Go. Drink yourself into a coma."

"You know my drinking capacity. If it's a fight to the death, they'll collapse first."

"You're proud of yourself?"

"Of course. Ask Duan Xifeng if he disagrees."

"Whatever…" Yang Tao said. "Drop me off at Mom's, then go. Drink less."

"Don't worry—I won't drink much." Wang Yan pulled Yang Tao close, one hand resting on her swollen belly. "Since the first time I came to your house, and our wedding—when have I ever gotten drunk?"

"Drink yourself to death, I don't care." Yang Tao shoved his hand away. "Move. I'm busy."

Wang Yan laughed, got up, and went upstairs to attend to his own matters…