Dou Akou had no idea what she had been through these past few days. She had colluded with Xu Liren to drug everyone in the underground labyrinth, which made Dou Akou extremely disgusted and hate her. But seeing her like this now, Dou Akou suddenly felt sorry for her.
She had never received true, selfless, and pure love. Her relationship with Xu Liren was maintained by a medical book. Whether you call it her own fault or reaping what she sowed, at least at this moment, she tasted the bitterest sorrow in the world.
Finally home
Dou Akou silently stood up and stepped back, giving Ding Zisu her spot by the stream. Fu Jiuxin acted as if he hadn't seen her at all, not even glancing at her once, and calmly gestured to Dou Akou: They should go back.
Dou Akou took a few steps, then couldn't help but turn back to look at Ding Zisu. The pitiful woman was still squatting by the stream, muttering to herself in a mad manner. Her back looked frantic and pathetic.
"Ahem." Dou Akou coughed twice, feigning seriousness, and slowed her pace, trying to slow down Fu Jiuxin's progress: "Sir, I remember, we seem to have that medical book..."
Fu Jiuxin glanced at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, as if in response.
Dou Akou was frustrated. She knew that her little scheme was no secret to Fu Jiuxin, who was always good at seeing the big picture from small details. So she simply resorted to shamelessness: "Sir, she's quite pitiful. Why don't we give the book to her?"
Fu Jiuxin turned to look at her. Dou Akou tilted her slightly upturned, rosy face upturned, her eyes blinking, looking at him with infinite anticipation. The sincerity and expectation in her eyes were incredibly powerful, making even the battle-hardened Mr. Fu soften his heart. He sighed softly, swallowed the words "womanly compassion," took out the medical book from his bundle, handed it to Dou Akou, and gestured to her with his eyes, "Go."
Dou Akou was a little embarrassed. She chuckled for a while, then quietly went over and gently placed the book beside Ding Zisu.
Fu Jiuxin stared blankly at Dou Akou's retreating figure. This was his Akou. He had thought that this adventure had matured her and hardened her heart, but in reality, she was still the same soft-hearted Dou Akou. It wasn't affectation or pretense; her heart was a magical place. It was as if no matter how many things in this world had wronged or hurt her, she could calmly let go, just as she had forgiven him in the past.
Ding Zisu was merely a minor setback on their journey home. After parting ways with her, the two officially began their return journey. Not far from Longfeng Town, and eager to get home, they spotted the tea stall's signboard fluttering in the wind on the outskirts of town half an hour later.
Several days and nights of danger and escape, and a desperate run for their lives, made the two look like two desperados. As they walked on the bustling street, the crowds automatically kept a distance of two feet from them, looking at them with a mixture of contempt and fear.
Dou Akou was so excited that she didn't pay any attention to the reactions of the people around her. She dragged Fu Jiuxin along and ran all the way, and soon they arrived at the gate of the Dou family's small courtyard.
As the saying goes, "the closer one gets to home, the more timid one becomes," and it was certainly true. Dou Akou had already stepped one foot across the threshold when she abruptly stopped, smoothed her hair with her hand, tightened her grip on Fu Jiuxin's hand, and then timidly called out to the inside, "Father, Aunt, we're back!"
Third Aunt's reaction was extremely violent. She stared in astonishment at the young couple, who looked as if they'd crawled out of a pile of corpses, stammered for a long time, then suddenly exclaimed, "Oh dear!" and slapped her thighs hard with both hands: "What have you two been doing?!"
Dou Jincai, who came out after hearing the noise, remained calm: "What's all the fuss about? It's good that the child is back. Hurry up and go inside to clean up. We'll cook some good food tonight, and then everyone can sit down and have a family reunion."
The aunts suddenly came to their senses and scattered to do their respective tasks, some boiling water, some cooking rice.
Dou Jincai glanced coldly at his daughter and son-in-law standing at the door and said indifferently, "Aren't you coming in?" Then he stepped over the threshold first.
Dou Akou chuckled and quickly followed. This meant that Dou Jincai had seen through what the two of them had been up to, and although he was angry, he had forgiven them.
Since Master Dou was deliberately pretending not to know what they had been doing behind his back, the young couple would be even less foolish enough to bring it up. The three of them, understanding each other perfectly, sat down together in a harmonious family atmosphere.
The bathwater was ready, and a large, steaming tub was carried into the house. The young couple were separated and went to take their own baths. Dou Akou immersed herself in the water and suddenly felt the layer of mud covering her body crack open.
She scrubbed herself thoroughly, washing the bucket of water until it turned into the Yellow River, then changed to another bucket before finally getting clean. The warm water comfortably soothed her body.
Dou Akou touched her belly, which was still flat without any protrusion, but a small life was quietly growing inside. The endless flow of life in the world bestowed this blessing upon Dou Akou in an awe-inspiring way.
Dou Akou suddenly remembered the pain in her stomach that night and the bloodstains on her underwear. Although she hadn't experienced any abnormalities in the following days and was in good spirits, she still couldn't sit still. She stood up from the bathtub, hurriedly put on clean clothes, loosely tied her hair into a bun, and rushed outside.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she stepped into the flower hall, she saw a room full of people waiting in a tense atmosphere, as if they were conducting a joint trial. As soon as she appeared at the door, tense expressions appeared on the faces of several people.
Fu Jiuxin rushed forward and anxiously supported her: "Akou, how are you?" He hesitated for a moment, as if hesitant, then leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Are you still bleeding?"
Dou Akou blushed and shook her head.
Fu Jiuxin was clearly relieved, but he didn't loosen his grip on Dou Akou's hand at all.
Dou Akou turned her head and glanced at him, moved. The man had obviously just washed his hair hastily, and his hair roots were still damp. He had heavy shadows under his eyes, and his handsome face was somewhat pale, which made his slanted eyebrows, which flew into his temples, look like raven wings.
Third Aunt hurried over and led Dou Akou to a stranger sitting inside the room, nagging, "Akou, how could you be so careless? I was wondering why Jiuxin rushed out to fetch a doctor after only a short time of washing. Don't worry, Jiuxin has invited a renowned doctor from Huichuntang, famous throughout Longfeng Town. You should have him examine her quickly."
This stranger was the renowned physician from Huichuntang, a kind-faced man with a long beard, who was smiling at Dou Akou. Behind him followed a young apprentice carrying a medicine chest. Upon seeing the pregnant woman in question, the apprentice solemnly and formally lined up a long array of tools, including gleaming silver needles, ceramic cupping jars, moxibustion tubes, and mugwort leaves, all laid out in front of Dou Akou.
Fu Jiuxin was stunned. What was he going to do? His face darkened and his expression became serious. He tightened his grip on Dou Akou's wrist, firmly holding that small piece of thin flesh in his palm.
The old doctor glanced at his clueless apprentice, reached out to take Dou Akou's pulse, stared at Fu Jiuxin's obstructive hand and waited patiently for a while, then looked at him again and again, finally unable to help but cough heavily twice.
"Huh? Oh?" Fu Jiuxin let go of his hand in a daze. Ever since he learned that Dou Akou was pregnant and was startled by her bleeding, his intelligence had plummeted, heading straight for dementia. He hadn't really noticed it while fleeing for his life, but now his dazed state was on full display.
As usual, the old doctor asked about the symptoms and then took the pulse for a while. Despite the various gazes of the people present, which could poke holes all over his body like a storm of needles, he remained unmoved, his face expressionless, showing no trace of anything.
After a while, his face relaxed, and he stroked his beard with a cheerful smile: "It's nothing, both the baby and the mother are fine. The little bleeding earlier was because someone bumped into her, and the anxiety caused her blood to rush to her head. Fortunately, the little girl has a good constitution, and the pregnancy is stable. I'll prescribe a few more doses of medicine to help with the pregnancy. Just keep an eye on things, and everything will be fine."
Fu Jiuxin's taut body gradually relaxed as he listened intently to the old doctor's instructions. His earnest and attentive gaze almost made the old doctor succumb.
Dou Akou turned her head away in anguish, unable to bear seeing this shrewd Dou family accountant completely degenerate into a complete idiot, but a sweet smile still appeared on her face as she turned away.
Night fell. Dou Akou was surrounded by several aunts who poured a sackful of information about pregnancy guidelines into her before she was allowed to return and reunite with Fu Jiuxin.
Fu Jiuxin had already taken another thorough bath. Lying next to Fu Jiuxin, Dou Akou could smell the faint fragrance and moisture from his bath. The baby in her belly was growing steadily. A stream of clear moonlight streamed in through the window like mercury. All of this made Dou Akou feel like it was a beautiful but unreal experience.
Dou Akou recalled the life-and-death adventures of the past few days and nights. Several times she thought she would die, several times she thought the road to her death was over, but in this quiet night, everything she cherished was lying safely in her palm. This was truly a kind of happiness.
Fu Jiuxin, despite his seemingly foolish heart, was also filled with excitement—though he remained expressionless. Just yesterday at this time, he was still hating himself for not being able to protect Dou Akou and her child, but fate had smiled upon them. The situation had taken a dramatic turn for the better, and the feeling of having regained what they had lost made him cherish Dou Akou even more.
Each with their own thoughts, their gratitude for surviving the ordeal deepened their feelings for each other. That night, neither of them felt sleepy; they cuddled and intertwined, seemingly unable to get enough of each other's company. This intimacy, pure and untainted by lust, was all the more profound.
Dou Akou held Fu Jiuxin's arm, thought for a moment, and said softly, "Sir, I am actually quite regretful that we did not find the Chu Shi Sword."
She searched every nook and cranny of the secret room, finding the medical book she had given to Ding Zisu and many martial arts manuals, but she couldn't find Chu Shi anywhere. There was a weapon rack in the room, but it only displayed ordinary knives and spears, and there was no sign of Chu Shi.
Could it be that Chu Shi wasn't actually in the ruins of Hao Hui City? Or was Chu Shi buried underground forever along with the destroyed and burned-down Hao Hui City? Regardless of the outcome, Dou Akou felt a sense of regret.
Fu Jiuxin didn't care: "Whether Chu Shi is there or not doesn't matter. You know what I care about is..." He didn't say anything, but Dou Akou knew what he was going to say. She was secretly pleased, which made her less concerned about Chu Shi.
Those memories of blood and tears, fear and despair, are now in the past, sealed away. With the grass growing and birds singing, spring has finally arrived for the young couple.