Chapter 138
Life was plain and unremarkable…
Along the way, Ji Yunqi had indeed witnessed many things.
Now, on a mountain outside the suburbs, Ji Yunqi was enjoying this moment of peace.
Several months had passed in the blink of an eye, but the events that had occurred in just half a year far exceeded Ji Yunqi’s expectations.
She had thought that after marrying Ye Mingkong, they would begin a new chapter for them, but who would have thought that so many things would still happen.
On one hand, she was nearing her due date and about to give birth; on the other hand, Ye Lingyu’s health had visibly deteriorated over the past six months.
His already sparse black hair had now almost completely turned white.
Regarding this, Ji Yunqi could do nothing but watch Ye Lingyu’s health worsen.
It was as if, between her, Ye Mingkong, and Ye Lingyu, his energy had been completely depleted.
Ye Mingkong stood behind Ji Yunqi, his eyes filled with worry as well.
“Husband, Dad, he will definitely be alright, right?”
Ye Mingkong remained silent…
He didn’t know how to respond to Ji Yunqi. Over the decades, although he hadn’t personally witnessed the interactions between Ji Yunqi and Ye Lingyu,
He was well aware of how the three of them interacted. Perhaps, to both of them as a couple, Ye Lingyu was equally important.
“Dad, he will definitely be alright.”
Despite saying this, both Ji Yunqi and Ye Mingkong knew very well that Ye Lingyu’s health was only getting worse, and it wasn’t due to any injuries.
They both knew the reason for this situation…
It was just that no one dared to say it.
It is worth mentioning that during these six months, they had initially planned to stay in Kyoto. However, as Ye Lingyu’s health continued to decline, their family decided to move to Rongcheng…
Here, they could stay away from the disputes and entanglements of power and money. The good living atmosphere and environment could also help Ye Lingyu recuperate better.
Especially during this period, although Ye Lingyu’s health was still not good, her mental state was exceptionally vibrant, and she could even play Mahjong with some of the old men in the residential area.
This could perhaps be a good sign.
Glancing at the time, Ji Yunqi knew it was time for them to head to school for exams.
At this time, they rarely went to school, after all, Ji Yunqi was pregnant and her pregnancy was showing, which was somewhat conspicuous.
Therefore, under the operation of You Wei, they only needed to take the exams, and nothing else mattered.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay, come, Wife, I’ll help you walk.”
Faced with Ye Mingkong’s kindness, Ji Yunqi had no reason to refuse and naturally went along with him.
Her belly was a little big now, and she was close to her due date, so moving was somewhat inconvenient. Originally, You Wei had said he would just give her full marks.
However, Ji Yunqi felt that this was somewhat inappropriate, so she politely refused.
After all, Ji Yunqi thought, it was just an exam, what was the big deal?
She knew everything the school taught anyway, and it wouldn’t take long to finish the test, which wouldn’t interfere with her prenatal care.
Supported by Ye Mingkong, they arrived at a shady spot downstairs…
“Crack!”
“Oh!”
“I’m going crazy!”
“Tsk tsk, I’ll eat!”
A few sounds reached everyone’s ears. Looking sideways, Ye Lingyu was happily playing Mahjong with several elderly gentlemen.
Ji Yunqi covered her face, not knowing where to start complaining…
How long had this old man been living in Rongcheng?
He had only learned to play Mahjong recently, so how could he be so easily able to compete with these old men?
Ji Yunqi was stunned.
“Still playing?”
Ye Lingyu was startled by this question. He was afraid of no one now except his daughter-in-law!
Heaven knows that since his health deteriorated, Ji Yunqi had not allowed him to do anything. She didn’t let him do anything, but she said everything.
He couldn’t be spoken to, couldn’t be touched, couldn’t be scolded, he could only listen, feeling very wronged.
“Daughter-in-law, I’m just playing Mahjong, don’t look at me like this.”
“It’s not that. You’ve been playing all day, haven’t you had enough?”
“This…”
Ye Lingyu looked at the Mahjong table, feeling very indignant. Damn it, he had only played for half a morning, how had it become a whole day?
However, looking at Ji Yunqi’s glare, Ye Lingyu could only swallow back the words he wanted to retort, not daring to meet Ji Yunqi’s eyes.
“Okay, okay, I’m going home first, guys. Let’s meet again next time.”
“Alright, alright…”
“Go on, go on…”
“Hehe heh.”
The group watched Ye Lingyu with playful and sympathetic eyes, without any trace of mockery. For the men in Rongcheng, this was a normal occurrence—
Controlled by their mothers when they were young, ruled by their wives when they grew up, and managed by their daughters and daughters-in-law when they were old.
Colloquially known as being henpecked~
“Let’s go.”
As Ji Yunqi walked into the campus with her big belly, coupled with her rather aged face, people could tell at a glance that she was a relatively young pregnant woman.
Her age wasn’t exactly young, after all, she was 19 years old~
Under everyone’s burning gazes in the school, Ji Yunqi and Ye Mingkong arrived at the examination room together…
“Sit down properly, we’re about to start, come earlier next time,” the invigilator’s impatient voice was heard as Auntie stepped into the crowd.
“Okay, teacher.” Ji Yunqi had no objections; they were indeed a little late.
“Here, wife, slowly,”
Hearing Ye Mingkong’s murmur, the invigilator frowned, looked up, and asked them, “I say, you two, here…”
Before the invigilator could finish, he noticed Ji Yunqi’s bulging belly.
Ji Yunqi was indeed too petite, which made her more conspicuous than ordinary pregnant women once her pregnancy showed.
“Student, you are…”
“Oh, it’s nothing, teacher, I’m just pregnant.”
“Ah?” As soon as she said this, the invigilator was startled. That big belly must be close to delivery! Is she still taking the exam?
“Then…”
“Come, come, come, you can write properly here at the front. The space here is more spacious.”
Seeing the invigilator tidy up her seat and the podium, Ji Yunqi was stunned. Was this possible?
“Sit down quickly, it’s more spacious here.”
Ji Yunqi turned to Ye Mingkong, seeking her husband’s opinion.
Ye Mingkong nodded, “Go ahead. Since you’re pregnant, it’s naturally inconvenient, and the podium is indeed more spacious.”
“Okay.”
Then, Ji Yunqi sat at the front of the podium under the stunned gazes of many students in the examination hall.
“Teacher, thank you, you are so kind.”
“Heh heh, no need, no need…”
Heaven knows how scared she was just now. Taking an exam with such a big belly, was that cool?
Shouldn’t she prioritize her own well-being at this time?
……
As the exam progressed, the invigilator’s gaze almost never left Ji Yunqi, for fear that something might happen to this esteemed person in the examination hall.
If anything happened, she would be in deep trouble!
Fortunately, the exam went smoothly, and Ji Yunqi was fine.
“Husband, let’s go~”
“Okay.”
The invigilator’s heart finally relaxed as she watched the couple leave the examination hall.
“Mom, that was really exciting…”
……
After finishing the exam for the day, Ji Yunqi intended to return home and lie in bed. However, things often don’t go as planned…
A contraction suddenly came from her abdomen, and Ji Yunqi squeezed Ye Mingkong’s hand tightly!
“Wife, what’s wrong?”
Seeing Ji Yunqi’s pained expression, Ye Mingkong immediately panicked.
“Husband… I think, I’m going to give birth…”
“What?!!”
Ye Mingkong looked around and happened to see Tang Yun’er approaching them. At this moment, he couldn’t care less.
“Tang’er!”
“Ah? Tang’er?” Tang Yun’er, who had just seen a familiar face and wanted to say hello, was startled by the sudden roar.
“Help me call an ambulance, my wife is about to give birth.” As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Mingkong directly lifted Ji Yunqi by her waist and walked towards the school gate.
Tang Yun’er, ignoring her scattered thoughts, immediately took out her phone and dialed the ambulance number without hesitation.
She also rushed to accompany Ji Yunqi and Ye Mingkong. After all, as a friend, it was natural for her to check on them.
……
Time ticked by…
Ye Lingyu and a large group of people also rushed to the hospital.
The first thing they saw was Ye Mingkong anxiously pacing outside the delivery room.
Supported by Jiang Hua, Ye Lingyu slowly walked to Ye Mingkong and sat on a chair: “Don’t worry… don’t worry, the child is blessed, you don’t need to be afraid, it will definitely be a safe delivery for mother and child.”
“Dad, I know… but…”
Seeing that Ye Mingkong was too anxious to speak, Ye Lingyu spoke again: “You’ve given birth before, haven’t you? I believe she will be fine.”
“This is different!”
Her body is petite, and her pelvis is small, so the difficulty of childbirth is much greater than it was for me back then!
Creak…
The tense atmosphere that had been building up was completely dispelled as the delivery room door opened. Almost everyone rushed forward to check on Ji Yunqi’s condition.
The doctor who came out was also startled. This scene was quite spectacular.
“Doctor, how is it, how is it?” Seeing everyone’s anxiety, the doctor had no choice but to directly inform the family.
“The mother’s pelvis is relatively small, and she bled quite a bit, but fortunately, it was a safe delivery for mother and child in the end.”
Upon hearing the words “safe delivery for mother and child,” everyone finally felt relieved. As long as the person was fine, nothing else mattered.
Ignoring everyone’s objections, Ye Mingkong rushed into the delivery room.
……
Looking at Ji Yunqi lying on the hospital bed, Ye Mingkong felt an unprecedented pain in his heart!
Wife! Wife!
Wife, are you okay?
Hearing Ye Mingkong’s call, Ji Yunqi slowly opened her heavy eyelids. She felt nothing but pain!
It hurts so much!
I’m doing alright…
Where’s the child?
Ah? That’s right, where is the child?
Go quickly and see.
Receiving the instruction, Ye Mingkong turned his head and saw Ye Lingyu, holding a small, wrinkled baby with a benevolent smile.
Dad…
Ye Lingyu seemed not to have heard Ye Mingkong’s call and was only focused on teasing the little one in his arms.
Look…
This is his grandson…
His second grandson~
Good… that’s great…
Seeing this scene, Ji Yunqi’s heartache vanished. The new member of the family had arrived, and she had given birth to him personally…
Those who haven’t experienced it can’t understand any of this. Seeing that her family liked the child, Ji Yunqi’s heart was greatly satisfied.
Isn’t this what it means to have great joy for everyone?
Ye Lingyu looked at the little one in his arms, his feelings surpassing everything in his life. However, he seemed to sense something… a flicker of reluctance flashed in his eyes, and then he continued towards Ji Yunqi, placing the child beside her.
The child needed to have contact with the mother as soon as possible after all.
Ji Yunqi looked at the little white but wrinkled creature beside her, and a trace of displeasure suddenly flashed through her heart.
How… could this be?
How come he’s… ugh, so ugly…
This is so different from when Ji Chengyun was born. Back then, Ji Chengyun was fair and tender, so why wasn’t this second child as good-looking?
What kind of mother dislikes her son for being ugly? Besides, he was just born, and it would get better after a while.
Alright…
As the days passed, Ji Yunqi’s body gradually recovered.
From being unable to even get up at first to now being steady, isn’t the so-called forty to fifty days of postpartum confinement inaccurate? She had completed forty to fifty days of recovery in just one month, or twenty days. Doesn’t this prove that her physique is actually quite good?
Where did Dad go?
Dad took the child for a walk in the residential area.
Let’s go see too.
Okay.
As Ye Mingkong and Ji Yunqi arrived downstairs, they saw Ye Lingyu walking the child around the residential area.
Ye Lingyu’s name was no longer the one given by Ji Yunqi and Ye Mingkong. Instead, it was named by Ye Lingyu.
Ye Lingyu, perhaps not wanting to bother too much, gave the child a simple name—Ye Yu, a very simple name…
Dad, why are you still here?
Ye Lingyu held Ye Yu and looked back at his son and daughter-in-law with a slight smile: “It’s good to take the child out for walks.”
It’s almost dark, let’s go home.
Alas, okay.
As Ye Lingyu handed Ye Yu, who was in his arms, to Ye Mingkong, he himself did not stay with Ye Mingkong and his wife. Instead, he withdrew from the residential area and headed in another direction. As for what he was doing…
Ji Yunqi and Ye Mingkong exchanged glances; they knew perfectly well.
During this time, Zhang Xinrou had also given birth to a little daughter, who was Ye Lingyu’s great-granddaughter. He was now commuting between two places, watching his grandson during the day and his great-granddaughter at night.
His entire demeanor seemed to have become decades younger.
Bang!
The glass cup in his hand fell to the ground, the crisp sound echoing around.
What did you say?! Dad is in trouble!
Although she had expected it, Ji Yunqi never thought that this day would come so suddenly…
At this moment, she couldn’t care about anything else; she dropped what she was doing and rushed to the hospital. She hoped that what Old Biden had said back then wouldn’t come true.
Perhaps it was thinking about what she feared, and at this moment, Ji Yunqi’s mind recalled what Ye Lingyu had said not long after they had recognized each other.
Back then, Ye Lingyu had said that he had no other desires in this life. If he hadn’t found her and reconciled with Mingkong, perhaps he would have lived his life in a daze.
With Ye Lingyu’s presence, he had rediscovered his purpose. As long as he could hug his grandson and great-grandson during his lifetime, it would be enough.
Now…
This wish had been fulfilled. Was he satisfied just like that?
The anxiety in her heart caused Ji Yunqi to rush towards the hospital against the wind. When she arrived, the figures of others in the ward were already gone.
The girl is here? Come and let Dad see you again.
Ji Yunqi looked at the aged person on the hospital bed, who looked like a deflated old man, and walked towards him with heavy steps.
Dad…
Ye Lingyu reached out and stroked Ji Yunqi’s head, a gentle smile on his face. What a good child…
Looking at the two little ones beside him, Ye Lingyu extended his hand. Cheng Yun also understood Ye Lingyu’s intention and held the two little ones in his arms.
Looking at his grandson and great-granddaughter, Ye Lingyu, an old man who had lived for nearly a hundred years, finally shed two lines of tears…
“I’m sorry… Grandpa (Great-Grandpa) is incompetent and cannot accompany you as you grow up… In the future, be good, okay?”
“Uh?”
“Ababa…”
Although Ye Lingyu knew that the children couldn’t understand yet, he was still willing to speak.
“Dad, please don’t say that, lie down quickly. What did the doctor say?”
Ye Lingyu shook his head: “What the doctor says is useless…”
“I know my body best… My health is deteriorating, which is a sign that my life is coming to an end. Actually… before I reunited with you, I had already anticipated this day…”
“I didn’t expect it to be later than I anticipated… Being able to hug my grandson and great-granddaughter at the end of my life, I am already very satisfied.”
At the last moment, Ye Lingyu held Ji Yunqi’s hand: “Child, in the future, you must treat yourself well. Although Dad is gone…”
“But! The entire Ye family in Kyoto is still your strongest backing. Dad has no other wishes. As long as you are well, that is enough.”
The atmosphere in the ward was incredibly oppressive, and Ji Yunqi was already sobbing uncontrollably, only able to nod repeatedly and remember everything Ye Lingyu said.
Finally…
Ye Lingyu’s gaze swept over everyone present. These were the people he loved most in his life. To have his family see him off…
This life…
Is enough…
As Ye Lingyu’s lips curved into a final smile, his eyes slowly closed at this moment…
“Dad!”
“Maternal Grandfather!”
…
“Let’s go in…”
Ye Mingkong really couldn’t bear to watch anymore.
His father had passed away, and he was very sad, but what about Ji Yunqi in this state?
It was dark, and it had even started to rain. She sat alone on a bench in the residential area, not holding an umbrella, nor finding a place to hide.
She was naturally getting drenched by the rain…
Ye Mingkong, you tell me…
Am I a very incompetent person?
Why would she think of herself this way?
Ji Yunqi looked up at the pitch-black sky: In the past few decades, she had never had a face-to-face conversation with her dad, nor had she truly visited him, yet he desperately needed this companionship.
Ye Mingkong simply threw away his umbrella and sat with Ji Yunqi on the bench in the residential area.
Am I not the same? For decades, I haven’t been by my father’s side. Until… my father passed away, and I didn’t accompany him for too long.
“Alas…”
We only reunited recently, why did we separate so quickly?
We only just reunited, why did my father leave us so soon?
In the rainy night, Ji Yunqi no longer knew if the moisture on her face was tears or rain. She only knew that such a kind elder who truly cared for her had left her, and there would be no more meetings in the future!
As the raindrops fell one by one onto the ground, Ye Mingkong was quite philosophical…
He wasn’t as heartbroken as Ji Yunqi, nor as indifferent as Luo Yao.
Not because he didn’t care, nor because Ye Mingkong was cold, but because he saw through the superficiality.
Look, this rain falls from the sky, dissolves upon landing, and becomes one with heaven and earth…
Rain is born in the sky and dies on the ground. After a series of changes on the ground, it will eventually turn into rain and fall from the sky again. Isn’t this like a person’s life?
Ji Yunqi also stopped crying and started to ponder.
Yes…
Rainwater is like life. It is generated in the sky, which is new life. The process of falling is hardship, and landing is the end of this life!
However, not every drop of rainwater is so fortunate. It will inevitably encounter obstacles, but this does not prevent it from having better experiences in repeated cycles.
People… are perhaps the same.
“Wife, don’t be sad. Although Father has passed away, perhaps he has entered the cycle of reincarnation and started a new round of life.”
“Perhaps… we might even meet again in the future.”
“Hahaha…”
Even though she knew Ye Mingkong was just comforting her, Ji Yunqi accepted it!
“Then perhaps in the future, when I meet Dad, he won’t be Dad anymore. Who knows, he might even turn into a little girl like me.”
“Hahaha…”
The rainy night continued, and Ji Yunqi’s own new life should also continue…
Having been reborn, they should have been prepared long ago. The people around them would leave them step by step as time passed.
They were powerless to change anything.
The only thing they could do was to accompany each other and move forward steadfastly!
In the future, we will move forward steadily, not dwell on the past!
Our future, right now!
It’s just beginning…
