Just then, the damp wood in the stove suddenly let out a loud BANG, like a firecracker, startling Xu Yulan from her emotional whirl.
She hastily began preparing the meal, trying to busy herself and forget what had happened.
Back at the dining table, Liu Ergou also felt a flicker of an unusual feeling.
My sister-in-law… I mustn't… But my sister-in-law is so…
The thought startled him.
How could I think such a thing? That's my brother's wife!
Xu Yulan placed the finished dishes on the table and said softly, "Er Gou, what are you so lost in thought about? Time to eat!"
Liu Ergou mumbled an absentminded reply and lowered his head, shoveling rice into his mouth. Even as he ate, his mind was a tangled mess, and he had no idea how to face his sister-in-law.
"Er Gou, Er Gou! Are you home?" a frantic shout came from outside.
A dark-skinned man hurried in.
"I'm here, I'm here!" Liu Ergou quickly replied.
"Er Gou, you have to come with me, quick! My wife Huilan's milk has dried up again! My poor son is only a month old and he's wailing with hunger. He'll starve if he doesn't get any milk soon!" the man said, already pulling Liu Ergou towards the door.
This man was Luo Kang, Li Huilan's husband.
Taken by surprise, Liu Ergou could only call out, "Sister-in-law, I'm going with Brother Luo Kang for a bit! I'll be right back!"
"It's dark out! Be careful on your way back!" Xu Yulan shouted after him.
"Got it!" Liu Ergou responded.
It was only a five or six-minute walk to Huilan's house. Standing at the doorway, Liu Ergou could already hear a baby's cries from inside. The sound made the already anxious Luo Kang even more agitated.
"Brother Er Gou, please, hurry and check on my wife!" he pleaded. "This child is the treasure of our Luo family! If anything happens to him, our whole family won't know what to do!"
Liu Ergou nodded and immediately stepped into the house, heading straight for Li Huilan's room.
Once inside, he saw Li Huilan with a cloth strip wrapped around her head, a sign that she was still in her postpartum confinement.
"Er Gou, you're here?"
Even though Li Huilan was a mother now, she couldn't help but blush at the thought of Liu Ergou, who was barely in his twenties, examining her for such an ailment.
"Wife, hurry, stick your arm out so Brother Er Gou can take your pulse!" Luo Kang urged.
Li Huilan nodded and, with a crimson face, cautiously extended her arm. When Liu Ergou's fingers touched her fair wrist, she trembled slightly.
This is the first time a man other than my husband has ever touched my hand. The sensation is so strange… I should be embarrassed! And yet… it feels somehow different!
Liu Ergou already had a general idea of Li Huilan's condition.
Anxious, Luo Kang couldn't help but press, "Er Gou, how is she?"
"Brother Luo Kang, Sister Huilan's condition isn't too serious. I have two treatment options. The first is acupuncture. It's slower, and you'll only see results after at least three sessions—one a day for three days straight. The second is massage therapy. This requires direct physical contact… but the effects are practically immediate."
Hearing this, the couple exchanged a look and fell silent. They both understood what Liu Ergou meant by "massage therapy." It meant he would have to personally massage Li Huilan's breasts.
Seeing them hesitate, Liu Ergou said, "Actually, I'd recommend the acupuncture, even if it's a bit slower. But… ahem… it's more convenient for everyone involved." He gave a slight, embarrassed cough.
Luo Kang and Li Huilan said nothing, remaining in their heavy silence. After several minutes, Luo Kang finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
"Er Gou, tell me… exactly how fast is the massage?"
Honestly, what man would want his wife touched by another? Especially right in front of him! Even for medical treatment, it felt wrong.
"Once I finish the massage, you just have to wait ten minutes or so and she'll be fine," Liu Ergou explained.
Just then, the baby, who had been quiet for a moment, began to wail loudly again. A hungry baby is a crying baby, and the sound nearly broke Luo Kang's heart.
Li Huilan was also worried sick about her child, but the thought of a young man like Liu Ergou massaging her chest as a treatment made her burn with embarrassment.
Luo Kang rushed to pick up the infant. Looking at the child in his arms, he gritted his teeth and made his decision.
"Er Gou, your big brother trusts you! Acupuncture takes too long, and my son can't wait! He's the sole heir of the Luo family, and nothing can happen to him! So, Er Gou, you massage Huilan. I trust you!"
The words left Liu Ergou completely stunned. He had never imagined Luo Kang would choose the second option. He had assumed he would pick the first, since the second was just too… it was nothing to him personally, but Li Huilan's reputation was at stake.
"No, no, no, Brother Luo Kang, you can't be serious!" Liu Ergou said, his words rushing out. "I still strongly recommend the first option. It takes a little longer, but after three acupuncture sessions, the problem could be solved for good! The massage, by comparison, is only a temporary fix… so you really should choose acupuncture!"
Liu Ergou thought his detailed explanation would surely make Luo Kang change his mind, but Luo Kang just shook his head decisively.
"Er Gou, say no more. I'm choosing the second option. Even if I can wait, and my wife can wait, my son can't! He's the sole heir of our Luo family. I can't let anything happen to him!" Luo Kang said with finality.
Hearing her husband's decision, Li Huilan lowered her head and said no more. At the same time, her face grew an even deeper shade of red. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel·fire.net
Oh my goodness! She was actually going to let Er Gou, a young man like him, massage her chest? But it was all for the baby. No matter what, she had to endure it.