The door opened, but Fu Jiuxin, worried about hidden mechanisms, shielded Dou Akou behind it. His tall figure blocked her view, and Dou Akou, anxious, pounded on his back: "Sir, please move aside! I want to see!"
Fu Jiuxin subconsciously turned to look at her, and in that instant, Dou Akou caught the surprise in Fu Jiuxin's eyes. She squeezed through the pitiful gap that Fu Jiuxin had made, staring dumbfounded at the stone chamber before her.
It's no wonder Fu Jiuxin was surprised. They had explored this underground labyrinth for so long, and all they could see were dark blue stone bricks and slabs, without a trace of human presence. But in this stone chamber, everything a living person would need was there, from small items like copper basins and chamber pots to large items like beds and dressing tables—almost everything imaginable. The living conditions were almost comparable to those of an imperial palace.
Dou Akou took two steps forward in disbelief, murmuring as she touched the bedding on the bed: "Sir, these are real."
Fu Jiuxin was much calmer. He glanced around the room to make sure there were no traps or mechanisms, and then checked each of the devices in the room. Finally, he believed that there was no malice in the room's design. On the contrary, it was as if the room was designed to contain the most beautiful and comfortable things in the world. In this gloomy and terrifying underground palace that resembled a tomb, this place was simply a paradise.
No one had entered the room for a long time, and the furniture and bed were covered with a layer of dust. Dou Akou pulled up the mattress, shook it, dusted it again, and sat down comfortably. Her line of sight was right in front of the huge screen in the corner of the room.
This screen also appears to be a luxurious item, with lustrous luminous pearls inlaid in the gold-threaded openwork, giving the room a faint glow even without artificial lighting.
Dou Akou reached behind the screen and saw a trunk in the corner containing clean clothes. The preparations were truly meticulous.
Although Dou Akou felt uncomfortable being dirty and wanted to change into clean clothes, she didn't dare to put them on rashly. She held the clothes up against herself and then skipped over to look at the dressing table.
Fu Jiuxin followed behind her, unconsciously raising the corners of his lips, only realizing he was smiling when he touched them. Akou always had this ability to simplify the complex; no matter how great the storms in the world, as long as they met her smile, they seemed to immediately turn into a pool of gentle, rippling spring water.
For example, right now, she's sitting gracefully in front of her dressing table, combing her slightly disheveled hair. She looks completely at ease, her composed demeanor as if she were sitting in her own home in Longfeng Town.
Dou Akou even suspected that the stone chamber was prepared for him or her by the designer of the underground labyrinth, as the things prepared were too meticulous and complete, even including a comb.
On a whim, Dou Akou figured that since they were trapped in this godforsaken place and the water and food in her pack would last them a few more days, she decided to settle down and actually start looking for treasure.
She casually pulled out a drawer from the dressing table and rummaged through it one by one. The first few drawers were covered with a thick layer of dust and contained only some odds and ends. But the last drawer was filled to the brim with a thick stack of books.
Perhaps because they were well preserved, these books were not damaged, but the paper had yellowed after fifty long years, and made a crisp rustling sound when the pages were turned, like turning a dry, withered, brittle leaf.
Dou Akou carefully turned the title page of a book, her mouth agape, unable to utter a sound for a long time. At first, Fu Jiuxin saw her jumping around and laughing to herself, but when she suddenly quieted down, neither speaking nor moving, he thought she had encountered some kind of poison smeared on the book. His heart skipped a beat, almost unleashing the greatest potential he had ever had. With a slight movement, he had already darted to Dou Akou's side.
Dou Akou looked up and saw Fu Jiuxin. Excitedly, she grabbed his collar and pulled him down: "Sir! Look, this is it! This is it!"
Which one? Fu Jiuxin glanced down and saw a few characters written in small seal script on the title page: "Jinkui Jizhu" (Collection of Commentaries on the Golden Chamber). Turning a few more pages, he saw various illustrations of herbs and acupoints on the human body; clearly, this was a medical book.
In a flash, Fu Jiuxin suddenly understood. This was the legendary book that could cure all poisons; this was the book that could cure Xu Liren's old poison; this was the book that made Dou Akou beam with joy after finding it…
He pursed his lips, raised an eyebrow, and said in a calm, even voice, "You're happy?"
"Dang—" Dou Akou swallowed the word "ran" that was stuck in her throat. She carefully glanced at Fu Jiuxin's expression and said sullenly, "It's alright."
He put the medical book down and touched the cover reluctantly.
Fu Jiuxin glanced at her, then glanced at her again, picked up the book, and explained casually, "Take it back, it'll be useful for treating headaches and fevers in the future."
Dou Akou was too happy to utter a single word of dissent. In her heart, she thought it was a waste to use such a book to treat headaches and fevers, while obediently accepting Fu Jiuxin's awkward and childish explanation.
The underground darkness made the passage of time imperceptible, yet it gave the two ample time to be together. It was only a day, but the many twists and turns that had separated them made this hard-won reunion all the more precious. Even though the future remained shrouded in mystery, even though they would soon die unnoticed in this quiet underground place, at this moment, they leaned on each other, like two trees that had grown together, their toes touching, their roots intertwined, their branches embracing. Yes, they were two trees, not a single dodder flower blooming on a large, leafy tree.
Dou Akou's stomach promptly reported the time, for she was starting to get hungry.
In the empty stone chamber, the rumbling of her stomach was particularly noticeable. Fu Jiuxin smiled at her, and Dou Akou blushed instantly. Oh dear, they were clearly husband and wife, had done the most intimate things, and had explored each other's most private parts. Yet, seeing Fu Jiuxin's smile, Dou Akou still felt her heart flutter and her mind race. She felt hopeless.
The two opened the package and ate. Love makes even water taste sweet; their hard-won reunion made them feel that even eating coarse food was as good as drinking tea, let alone the fact that there was some edible food in the package.
Not knowing how long they would be trapped here, Dou Akou deliberately controlled her food intake, only eating until she was about half full. Having eaten and drunk her fill, Dou Akou was about to tell Fu Jiuxin to rest when he kissed her without a second thought.
Fu Jiuxin was always passionate in bed, but Dou Akou had never experienced such fiery passion before. He held her so tightly that it made her bones ache slightly. His demands were insatiable, and his lips and teeth intertwined, biting and nibbling fiercely as if he wanted to devour Dou Akou whole.
Dou Akou struggled painfully, but she vaguely sensed a hint of fear, helplessness, and apprehension hidden beneath Fu Jiuxin's fervor. Her heart softened, and all her struggles vanished like water as she let him do as he pleased.
Overwhelmed with emotion, both of them were slightly breathless. Fu Jiuxin pressed his forehead against hers and whispered, "Akou, let me hold you..."
Dou Akou's face flushed crimson. Just as she was about to nod, a sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen, her body stiffened, and she struggled to lift her head: "I—"
Conjoined branches
"Hmm?" Fu Jiuxin immediately noticed her unusual behavior and became anxious. "What's wrong? Where are you hurt? Let me see!"
Fu Jiuxin was so nervous that he lost all composure. He touched Dou Akou all over with his hands, but he couldn't find the right spot.
Dou Akou felt a dull, cramping pain in her lower abdomen, and a warm flow was slowly seeping out between her legs. She squeezed her legs together, suddenly remembering her child and the collision with Ding Zisu when she got to the underground. At the time, she felt fine, and focused on finding Fu Jiuxin, so she hadn't thought much of it. But now, thinking back…
Suddenly, she felt a chill run through her body, and a suffocating, overwhelming sensation washed over her. Dou Akou broke out in a cold sweat, struggling to grasp Fu Jiuxin's sleeve, and managed to utter a few words: "Sir, the child!"
Fu Jiuxin didn't react at first, and was stunned for a moment. Then he saw Dou Akou's ashen face and reddened eyes, and repeated incredulously, "Child?" His voice trembled at the end.
Dou Akou burst into tears: "My child, my husband's child, my child! Ding Zisu... I was bumped by Ding Zisu when I came down, my stomach hurts so much!"
She cried uncontrollably, filled with fear and regret, trembling as she huddled on the bed, protecting her stomach.
Fu Jiuxin froze for a moment, then suddenly jumped up. He wanted to hug Dou Akou, but he was afraid that he would hurt her. He was flustered and clumsy, like a young man who hadn't even grown his hair yet.
He was always calm and composed in the face of adversity, but he had never experienced anything like this before, especially since the other party was his wife and children. This strong man, who could stand tall in other aspects, was completely helpless and at a loss when it came to things related to his beloved.
All he could do was clumsily pull Dou Akou into his arms and pat her back repeatedly, but he didn't know how to comfort her.
At this moment, any words are pale and powerless. The sense of despair is enough to overwhelm a person, like a drowning person who opens their eyes and sees only a vast expanse of white water; opens their mouth wide and water with the smell of seaweed rushes into their chest. Dou Akou almost experienced that immense sorrow and the pain of the water squeezing her lungs to burst.
Through her teary eyes, she kept blaming herself. When she looked up at Fu Jiuxin, she was shocked by his scarlet, watery eyes.
Her husband, a man who had endured such hardship in his childhood without shedding a tear, and who had never been moved by her separation and reunion, shed tears in front of her for the first time.
Fu Jiuxin's voice was a little hoarse: "Akou, I'm sorry."
Dou Akou opened her mouth but couldn't say a word. She should have been the one to say "I'm sorry" because of her carelessness and recklessness.
Fu Jiuxin was still murmuring. He hugged Dou Akou, buried his head in her arms, and said to himself, "I'm sorry, I dragged you into this. I'm sorry to you and the child."
Sometimes, intense emotions are too difficult to express and can only be conveyed through tears.
Dou Akou was shocked and moved by Fu Jiuxin, but she quickly came to her senses. Now, at this moment, she had to say or do something. She couldn't let Fu Jiuxin bear all the mistakes and burdens alone and swallow all the bitterness.
She hugged Fu Jiuxin like she was hugging a spoiled child, tears still on her face, but the corners of her mouth had already turned up slightly: "Axin, don't be afraid. Our child will be alright, feel it if you don't believe me."
Fu Jiuxin looked up in surprise: "Really? Are you kidding me?"
In fact, Dou Akou was also very uneasy. It was her first time being a mother, and she didn't know that she needed to protect her baby when it was a few months old. She only felt blood gushing out from her lower body and thought that she was going to lose the baby. In a moment of panic, she lost her mind and started crying.
But the dull, throbbing pain had passed, and she was now perfectly fine, as if nothing had happened at all. So she felt a little relieved, thinking that she had probably made a mountain out of a molehill.
Since Fu Jiuxin had already asked that question, Dou Akou had no choice but to grit her teeth and reassure him, so she said softly, "It's true."
Fu Jiuxin hesitated for a moment, then slowly placed his hand on Dou Akou's still flat stomach. Dou Akou couldn't resist the tickling sensation and involuntarily moved. Fu Jiuxin's hand immediately recoiled like lightning, and he stammered, "He...he...he moved!"
Dou Akou couldn't help but burst out laughing. Although she didn't understand much, she knew that at such a young age, the baby hadn't even grown arms and legs yet. She laughed and said, "Sir, that's me moving."
"Huh? Oh?" Fu Jiuxin repeated like a fool, then hesitantly withdrew his hand. He looked up at Dou Akou with a soft gaze.
Dou Akou felt the tears she had just managed to hold back welling up again, and her eyes seemed to be moist again. She choked out as she asked Fu Jiuxin, "Sir, if... if I can't keep the child, will you blame me?"
She turned her head away, not daring to look into Fu Jiuxin's eyes, her heart pounding with anxiety.
Without the slightest hesitation, Fu Jiuxin's sharp edges softened into flowing water as he softly said, "Having children is certainly good. But the only person who will accompany me through life is you. If I had to choose between the two, I would be happier to see you safe and sound."
Dou Akou blinked, then lowered her head to wipe the tears from her eyes. It was good. He said he didn't blame her; he said his choice of her was the same as hers when she insisted on coming down to find him even while pregnant. They had both made the same choice: that the other was the most important person to them.
However, this tender affection did not last long. One of them was a mother having a child for the first time, and the other was a young father. Neither of them knew how urgent Dou Akou's situation was, or whether the child was sleeping peacefully in her womb or had already died. So, a cloud of sorrow slowly spread.
Fu Jiuxin held Dou Akou for a while, then suddenly made up his mind, and laid Dou Akou down on the bed, and then went to take off her underpants.
"Hey—" Dou Akou waved her hands, hurriedly trying to stop him. She quickly understood Fu Jiuxin's intention and became even more anxious: "Don't look!"
How could her petty antics possibly restrain Fu Jiuxin? He pinned Dou Akou's hands in his palms and pleaded softly, "Akou, just let me see, let me see how badly you're injured, just a look."
When Dou Akou met Fu Jiuxin's clear, bright eyes, she was immediately speechless.
She hung her head dejectedly as Fu Jiuxin fiddled with her. Her underpants were pulled down halfway. Dou Akou had been covering her eyes, but she couldn't help but peek through her fingers. In that glimpse, she saw a spot of scarlet on the white silk underpants, which was particularly glaring.
That one glance chilled her to the bone.
Fu Jiuxin silently straightened her clothes again, then silently hugged her and buried his head in the crook of her neck. At that moment, Dou Akou could even feel Fu Jiuxin trembling.
The ignorant parents had a very uneasy night, both of them unable to sleep due to the tragic loss of their child. Much later, when the third aunt heard Dou Akou recount this story with endless emotion, she laughed so hard she almost passed out—but that's another story.
That night, Dou Akou slept in Fu Jiuxin's arms all night. Their embrace reminded Dou Akou of something else. It was like two trees. When the entire plain and forest were burned to ashes, and the wildflowers all over the mountains had withered and turned to ash, only they were still leaning on each other, their feet firmly gripping the soil, growing upward together tenaciously.
Because of this sudden accident, the somewhat leisurely confinement instantly turned into a complete predicament. Dou Akou knew she could no longer comfort herself by saying that there was still enough food and water, and that they could continue living in this "world for two" bestowed upon them by heaven. She could afford to wait, but the child in her womb could not.
Fu Jiuxin was clearly more anxious than she was. He started going out every day to search for escape routes and forbade Dou Akou from going with him. Dou Akou could only stay in her room and wait for him, hoping that Fu Jiuxin would return with good news.
But what he brought back was one bad news after another. Fu Jiuxin had explored almost every side road, and the map he had drawn himself was covered with red crosses. He encountered traps and accidents several times, and escaped death several times, which made his mood heavier and heavier.
In their desperate predicament, the only comfort they find is in each other. Only in the dead of night, when they embrace each other, feeling each other's body temperature, heartbeat, and breath, can they temporarily escape the suffocating despair of the moment, recuperate, and then look for a way out with renewed hope the next day.
For three consecutive days, Fu Jiuxin had not found a way out. This was almost impossible. The designer of this underground labyrinth was meticulous. From that eerie passage that resembled a sinister path, it was clear that he was adept at manipulating people's minds. Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows, let alone someone as skilled in strategy as him. He would never leave only one entrance and exit for such a vast labyrinth. Fu Jiuxin was certain that there must be another exit, but he just hadn't found it yet.
Time was running out, and their food and water were dwindling. Dou Akou kept complaining that she hadn't had a good appetite lately and refused to eat more than half her usual amount. Fu Jiuxin knew she was deliberately saving food, letting a woman with a child go hungry. Fu Jiuxin couldn't forgive himself. He was frantic, repeatedly retracing the steps they had already taken, wondering if he hadn't found the key or switch, feeling every inch of the walls and floor with his hands. But perhaps it was fate, destiny had decreed it; no matter how hard he searched, he simply couldn't find it.
That day, they finished their last pastries and drank their last drop of water, knowing that if they couldn't find a way out, they would only face death. Fu Jiuxin leaned against the bed, Dou Akou resting her head on his chest, lazily playing with a strand of his black hair.
"Are you afraid?" Fu Jiuxin asked in a deep voice.
Dou Akou knew he hadn't said the word "fear" followed by "death," probably because he couldn't bear to bring it up, but she felt calm and shook her head: "I'm not afraid."
At this point, my mind became strangely peaceful. All the worries, fears, anxieties, and anxieties from the previous days had vanished, leaving only a deep, still feeling.
She gently touched her belly: "It's just a little regrettable that I didn't get to see our child born."
Fu Jiuxin remained silent, only holding her even tighter.
Dou Akou thought, that's enough. To be able to marry Fu Jiuxin in this life, to spend a period of peaceful and quiet life, and to have a child whose birth is uncertain—she has already had enough in this life. More than enough, she has made a fortune. So even if fate were to take away her happiness or even her life at this moment, she already has enough to accept it calmly without blaming heaven or others.
Perhaps without the care and nourishment of sunshine and rain, the two trees would never be able to grow in the barren mountains, but as long as they stand side by side, even watching each other gradually wither, she knows that even after they die, their roots will be tightly intertwined, inseparable.
The deepest, most profound love, in the end, is nothing more than two people holding hands, laughing and saying to each other, "Okay, we can die together now."
Author's Note: Updates have finally resumed!
Here, love is shown in the gift of three hundred taels of silver for a medical book.
Dou Akou and Fu Jiuxin lay side by side on the bed. Every piece of furniture in the room was luxuriously furnished. In addition to the screen inlaid with colored glass and stones, there were also several luminous pearls embedded in the ceiling. At this moment, they were shining brightly with the light of the colored glass and gold and silver, making the ceiling look like a starry night sky.
Dou Akou comforted herself, even if she was waiting to die, in such a beautiful setting, going to the underworld with her beloved would not be such a bad thing.
She turned slightly, wanting to grab Fu Jiuxin's hand for comfort, but Fu Jiuxin suddenly sat up, startling Dou Akou.