Chapter 44: Yi Zhonghai's Past

"Ping'an, you've finally returned. What's there to see in catching fish? Isn't fishing every day enough for you? Come and eat quickly."

"Hehe, San Jie Fu, it's a pity you didn't have time today. We caught several big fish weighing nearly a hundred jin today."

"Nearly a hundred jin? That must be huge. It's probably over a meter long, right?"

"It is, one point four or five meters long. It took three or four people to subdue it; it was very fierce."

"It's good that this big fish was caught, as it leaves more living space for the small fish, but I'm afraid there won't be many big fish over two jin left after this autumn catch."

"That's true. I checked the mesh size; only fish under one jin can escape."

"Then in the future, you..."

"Go to the countryside to collect them. Dongxu can use Qin Family Village and Jia Village as the center and slowly expand outward."

"I'll go to my hometown and the villages of my second sister and the others. It might not be as relaxing as fishing, but it's still not bad."

"Watching you fish before, I even wanted to transfer to the Procurement Department," Lao Jia laughed.

"San Jie Fu, you have a technical trade; it will be very popular in the future."

Lao Jia and Yi Zhonghai are both fitters. Currently, in the factory, there are only distinctions between Low-level Worker, Intermediate Worker, High-level Worker, and Master Worker. They are at the intermediate level. Once the Eighth-Grade Worker System is implemented, they will likely both be around level six.

"Hahaha, I was just saying. How could I really transfer? You eat first; I'm taking the kids out to cool off."

"I'm going too." The couple each held a child and went out with palm-leaf fans.

"Uncle, you keep eating, I'm going out to cool off too."

"......"

However, it was indeed stuffy in this room, and it was even hotter while eating. People of this era were tough regardless of whether it was heat or cold.

Zhang Ping'an watched Lao Jia and his wife holding the children; it wasn't easy in this sweltering weather. He would go find a craftsman tomorrow to make a baby carriage so they could push them out for a stroll from time to time.

After finishing the meal and washing the bowls, Zhang Ping'an also brought a stool out to enjoy the cool air. Compared to inside the house, it was indeed much cooler outside, even though the wind was also hot.

The veranda in the Front Courtyard was already crowded with people, but the topic was all about the two babies. Yi Zhonghai was not there, but Yi Zhonghai's wife was looking on with a face full of envy.

"Sister-in-law, your twins are so chubby; they are truly adorable, just like the porcelain dolls from a New Year painting."

"Don't say it, it really is true."

"Hahaha." Having his own children praised, Lao Jia laughed so hard his mouth almost reached his ears.

"San Jie Fu, take a break, give the little girl to me." As soon as Zhang Ping'an took the little girl, she giggled.

"It seems our Xiao Zi really likes her uncle."

"A mother's brother is a true uncle, how could she not be close?"

"Isn't that so? They say a nephew takes after his uncle. Look at these brows and eyes, they really do look somewhat similar."

Zhang Ping'an couldn't see it. He didn't know how those elderly people could tell at a glance whether a child looked like an adult; it was very strange. It was the same in his past life.

"Hehe, our Xiao Zi is just well-behaved."

Meanwhile, in the Back Courtyard, at the doorway of the Deaf Old Lady, Yi Zhonghai was fanning her with a palm-leaf fan.

"Old Lady, I am truly envious of the Jia Family. They have both a son and a daughter now, and I... sigh, why is Tan Cuicui's belly so uncooperative?"

"Zhonghai, sometimes whether a piece of land grows crops or not, the seed is also very critical. If the seed is no good, no matter how fertile the land is, it won't grow crops."

The Deaf Old Lady was old and experienced; what hadn't she seen? She had seen plenty back when she was in the prince's mansion and the yamen.

"Old Lady, what... what do you mean by that?"

Yi Zhonghai felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He had never thought that his wife's inability to conceive was his own problem. All these years, whenever the neighbors mentioned children, he never gave Tan Cuicui a good look.

Now, thinking about it, if it were his own problem, then Tan Cuicui had been wronged by him for over ten years. But they had clearly conceived a child before, only for it to be miscarried due to an accident.

"Zhonghai, have time to go to the Hospital and get checked. Perhaps everything can still be saved."

The couple had been very good to her ever since they moved in, and the Deaf Old Lady didn't want their family line to end.

The Deaf Old Lady herself had no descendants; she understood this pain too well, so if she could help them, she wouldn't be stingy.

"Old Lady, I understand."

Yi Zhonghai returned home in a daze. Ever since he heard the Deaf Old Lady's words, his brain had been buzzing, unable to believe it was his own problem.

"Lao Yi, are you asleep?"

Yi Zhonghai's mind was a mess, so he didn't respond. Tan Cuicui thought he was asleep and also got into bed quietly.

The next morning, Yi Zhonghai was woken up by Tan Cuicui. He had been lost in thought all night and only drifted into a hazy sleep at dawn.

"Lao Yi, Lao Jia is waiting for you outside."

"Mm, okay." Yi Zhonghai washed his face to clear his head, grabbed his steamed bun and identification papers, and went out.

At the entrance of the Siheyuan.

"Brother, help me ask for a half-day leave. I have an urgent matter."

"Sure, just say the word if you need anything." Seeing Yi Zhonghai's haggard face, Lao Jia thought something urgent had happened and didn't ask for details.

"Okay." Yi Zhonghai said, then hurried toward the Hospital.

After a series of examinations, Yi Zhonghai was completely devastated. He walked out of the Hospital building in a trance. The sunlight, which should have been blinding, looked gray in his eyes, and the doctor's words kept echoing in his ears.

"Your testicles suffered severe trauma in the past, and parts have already necrotized. Didn't you notice they were already so obviously different in size?"

"You still retain some male function, but it will be very difficult to conceive in the future."

Only then did Yi Zhonghai remember that when he was forced to transport supplies for the Japanese, he slipped while crossing a single-plank bridge and caught his crotch. At the time, he only felt piercing pain and lay on the ground for a long time, for which he was also beaten black and blue by the Japanese who thought he was slacking off.

The pain in his head and face eased the pain in his lower body. After he recovered, he didn't take it seriously. It was just that because he was late getting home after bandaging his wounds, his six-month-pregnant wife was hit by a rickshaw while out looking for him. She bled heavily at the time, and it was only thanks to being sent to the hospital in time that her life was saved, but the child was not.

It was since then that they never conceived a child again, and Tan Cuicui had always thought it was her own body's fault.

Yi Zhonghai sat blankly on the hospital bench for a long time before coming to his senses. He rubbed his face, tried hard to calm his emotions, tore the lab report to shreds, and threw it into the trash can.

Yi Zhonghai returned to the Rolling Mill. Seeing his complexion was still bad, Lao Jia comforted him:

"Lao Yi, are you okay? I saw your face didn't look right this morning."

"It's nothing, it's all resolved." Yi Zhonghai forced an ugly smile.

"It's good that you're fine. We've been neighbors for so many years; if you need anything, just speak up."

"Alright."

Yi Zhonghai felt a bit moved; Lao Jia and he had joined the Rolling Mill one after the other, and both had learned from the same Master Worker, so they could be considered fellow disciples, and later they even became neighbors living across from each other, getting along harmoniously for all these years.

But at the thought of Lao Jia's family of five living in harmony, while his own household was still just the two of them, he felt a bit bitter inside.

After getting off work and returning to the Siheyuan, Yi Zhonghai went straight to the Back Courtyard to see the Deaf Old Lady.

"Old Lady, I..." Yi Zhonghai truly had unspeakable suffering.

"What did the doctor say?" From Yi Zhonghai's expression, she knew she had guessed correctly.

"Old Lady, I'm afraid I'm fated to have no children in this life."

"Zhonghai, it's been hard on you and Xiaocui." The Deaf Old Lady felt his pain as if it were her own; although she had once had children, they were all gone now.

Yi Zhonghai truly had not expected that a moment of pain back then would have such serious consequences; if he had known, he should have just taken a look when he was bandaging the wound back then. Yi Zhonghai regretted it deeply.