Chapter 473: I Have a Matter to Ask of You

"This— this— this…"

Cai Yong'an held Zhu Lancui's wrist pulse for a long while, then his complexion suddenly changed and he let out a startled cry; before he could finish his words, Li Ping, who was especially concerned about Zhu Lancui, asked beside him:

"Cai Yishi, our Lancui, is she alright?"

During this period, her Lancui had no serious ailments and could handle the heavy chores at home; suddenly her face turned rather pale, but she didn't think it was anything serious.

It should be a minor issue, yet seeing Cai Yong'an's shocked expression, she couldn't help but feel some worry deep down.

Cai Yong'an is a veteran physician who has treated countless people; he used to be a small-town doctor in other villages, but now, thanks to his skill, he can afford a house in Qingyang County's city and has opened his own medical hall.

Without any skill, how could one reach such a level?

"Mother, don't scare my sister-in-law; my sister-in-law is robust, as strong as an ox!"

Zhang Chengyong hurriedly stepped forward. Since Zhu Lancui married into their family, he has taken good care of her; his relationship with Zhu Lancui is unusually close. Though he said that, he was still a bit nervous, and he shifted his tone to continue:

"Cai Yishi, what exactly is the condition of my sister-in-law? Just tell us directly, don't scare our whole family here!"

Wang Ping'an hid behind his mother, standing at her feet, looked up at the shocked Cai Yong'an and said oddly:

"Did he detect a problem, or not?"

"Zhang Li, it's a good thing, a great good thing!"

Cai Yong'an recovered his composure from the shock, looked at the worried crowd, smiled and said a sentence; seeing their bewildered faces, clearly not knowing what good thing he meant, he continued:

"Your daughter-in-law is expecting!"

"Expecting?"

Li Ping was first stunned, then recovered, her eyes widened as she glanced at Zhu Lancui and then at Cai Yong'an; the surprise on her face was hard to hide, yet she still couldn't believe it, and said:

"Cai Yishi, you, you aren't joking, are you? Our Lancui really is expecting?"

Unlike the gossiping women in the village who know that her eldest son and his wife cannot conceive and that it has nothing to do with them, she does not, like those gossips, have any designs on Zhu Lancui.

She never even thought of having Chengze divorce Zhu Lancui and remarry a fertile maiden so that the Zhang Family could continue its lineage.

She didn't blame Zhu Lancui, but to say she had no thoughts about her own grandchildren in her heart would be impossible.

She didn't know how many times in her sleep she heard joyous news from her eldest son and daughter-in-law, saying their fate had arrived, and soon after they gave her a plump grandson.

But each time she woke up, she heard no such news, and she dared not ask Zhu Lancui for fear of hurting her feelings.

Now that she finally knows her eldest son and daughter-in-law's fate truly arrived and Zhu Lancui is indeed pregnant, how could she not be happy?

"Cai Yishi, you aren't teasing me, are you?"

Hearing this, Zhu Lancui was extremely excited; pregnancy had become an obsession for her, yet she quickly recovered and asked in confusion:

"I've heard that early pregnancy brings all sorts of symptoms, but these days I have none; how could I be pregnant?" Though she said that, Zhu Lancui still looked at Cai Yong'an with hopeful expectation, as if wanting him to refute her with one argument after another, to make it clear that she was indeed pregnant.

"Let me check again!"

Cai Yong'an frowned slightly; after so many years of practice, he had examined countless joyous pulses and knew what early pregnancy entails. In theory he shouldn't make a mistake, since detecting a joyous pulse is easy, but after hearing Zhu Lancui's words, he couldn't help checking again.

"Cai Yishi, I think you should stop checking; my aunt really is expecting!"

Wang Ping'an chuckled softly. Not long ago, using his innate talent—inspection of sight, smell, inquiry, and pulse—he examined his aunt's body and wondered what the sun‑like blaze in her abdomen was. Unexpectedly, his talent also revealed Zhu Lancui's pregnancy, and he said:

"I just don't know what that sun‑bright blaze in my aunt's abdomen actually is!"

In an instant, countless conjectures flooded Wang Ping'an's mind.

Suddenly, a flash of insight flickered in Wang Ping'an's mind, and he mused: "Could that sun‑bright, hard‑to‑see blaze in my aunt's belly actually be the fetus?"

Indeed, the possibility is great, but due to the terrifying intensity of that sun‑like blaze in his aunt's abdomen, he couldn't continue examining, so he couldn't obtain absolute certainty and had to rely on his conjecture, though the odds are high.

If.

If that sun‑bright blaze in his aunt's belly is the child she carries, that child—his cousin—might be exceptionally extraordinary, perhaps a natural talent for martial arts and cultivation, though its exact special constitution or spiritual root is unknown.

"Child, my examination is correct; I truly am expecting!"

This novel you

Cai Yong'an finished the re‑examination quickly, confirming the joyous pulse; Zhu Lancui was undoubtedly pregnant. Seeing her open her mouth, anticipating what she might say, he preemptively spoke:

"As for why you don't experience the usual discomforts of pregnancy, it may be because your body is healthier than anyone else's, so you show no early‑pregnancy symptoms!"

Cao Nainai agreed, "Lancui, you know, in our village there once was a woman of robust health; not only could she become pregnant, even giving birth was as easy as using the restroom. People were amazed at how simple it was for her to have children. Other women, when giving birth, almost have to pass through Guimen Guan. Your case is clearly due to your strong body; when you deliver, nothing serious will happen!"

After speaking, Cao Nainai gave Li Ping a meaningful glance.

Li Ping instantly understood, took a purse from her pocket, was about to open it to give Cai Yong'an some diagnostic fees plus a few celebratory coins, but Cai Yong'an hurriedly refused:

"Zhang Li, no need for money; taking the pulse and confirming a joyous pulse isn't difficult, why would I charge?"

"Cai Yishi, you can't speak like that; charging for treatment is a natural principle, how can you diagnose without a fee..."

Just as Li Ping was about to forcefully hand the diagnostic fee to Cai Yong'an, before she could finish, Cai Yong'an declined and interrupted:

"Zhang Li, no need for money, but I do have one matter that I need to trouble you with!"

(End of chapter)