Courtyard House: Starting by inheriting the tradition and suppressing the barbarians.

Corridor of the obstetrics and gynecology department, Hongxing Hospital.

The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant, which made people feel uneasy.

Sha Zhu carried Qin Huairu on his back and ran all the way here.

His forehead was covered in sweat, but he didn't bother to wipe it away.

He's now completely obsessed with Li Xuan's words "growing a tumor," and he's terrified.

"Doctor! Doctor!"

"Help...help me!"

As soon as Sha Zhu entered the examination room, he shouted, "My wife... oh no, my girlfriend might have a tumor in her stomach!"

"Please take a look at this!"

The elderly doctor, who was writing a medical record, frowned and adjusted his glasses: "What are you shouting for?"

"This is a hospital, please be quiet!"

"Please sit down. Where does it hurt?"

Qin Huairu sat on the stool, her whole body trembling like a leaf.

She kept her head down, not daring to look at the doctor or Sha Zhu, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.

It’s over.

This time it's really over.

"She...she's been feeling nauseous lately, wants to vomit, and has an upset stomach."

Sha Zhu stood anxiously wringing his hands, "I thought I was pregnant, but someone said it might not be..."

"It could be a gynecological tumor. Doctor, you'd better examine it carefully!"

"If there really is a tumor, we'll treat it no matter the cost!"

The old doctor glanced at Qin Huairu's pale face, then at Sha Zhu, who looked anxious.

Then, pointing to the examination bed inside, he said, "Go, lie down on it."

"Get an ultrasound and a blood test."

For Qin Huairu, the next half hour was even more unbearable than being fried in a pan of oil.

Every examination felt like peeling off her skin.

......

"Family member, please come in for a moment."

The old doctor, holding the lab report, called out indifferently.

Sha Zhu bounced in like a spring and scurried to the table: "Doctor, how is it?"

"Is it a tumor? Is it serious?"

"Does he/she need surgery?"

The old doctor gave him a strange look, then slammed the lab report on the table: "What kind of tumor?"

"Who told you you had a tumor?"

"Huh?" Sha Zhu was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. "No tumor? That means...that means you're pregnant!"

"Oh, thank goodness!"

"I knew it! That kid Li Xuan was just trying to scare people! He's talking nonsense!"

"Doctor, how many months pregnant? Boy or girl?"

The old doctor looked at Sha Zhu as if he were a fool and coldly uttered a sentence.

"I haven't even finished speaking, why are you in such a hurry?"

"Who told you she's pregnant?"

"Her endometrium had atrophied, and her ovarian function had declined."

"This is a classic case of menopausal syndrome, compounded by endocrine disorders caused by long-term malnutrition!"

boom!

This sentence was like an atomic bomb, exploding right on top of Sha Zhu's head.

Sha Zhu's smile froze instantly.

He froze on the spot, as if struck by lightning.

"Wha...what does that mean?"

Sha Zhu stammered, "Menopause?"

"So that means menopause??"

"That's right." The old doctor said impatiently, "She's almost fifty years old, menopause is normal."

"As for nausea and vomiting, that's a menopausal reaction."

"In addition, this patient is somewhat anemic and has a bad stomach."

"Go back and eat something good to replenish your energy."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Sha Zhu suddenly snapped and grabbed the lab report.

Although he couldn't understand the data above, he recognized the last two words—"not pregnant".

"She's pregnant! She's even craving sour foods!"

"How could she not be pregnant?"

With red eyes, Sha Zhu roared, "Quack doctors! You're all quacks!"

"I want to switch hospitals! I want to see a specialist!"

"He Yuzhu! Haven't you caused enough trouble?!"

Qin Huairu, who had been huddled in the corner, suddenly screamed.

She knew that if she didn't act soon, Sha Zhu would go crazy, and then she would really have no way out!

"thump!"

In front of the doctor and the onlookers in the corridor, Qin Huairu knelt down directly before Sha Zhu.

"Pillar...I'm so sorry!"

"Waaaaah..."

Qin Huairu hugged Sha Zhu's leg and cried her heart out, her heart breaking.

"I didn't mean to lie to you... I didn't know either, I thought I was pregnant too."

"Before, I clearly felt something moving inside my belly... I thought it was our son!"

Sha Zhu was stunned by the kneeling, and the test results in his hand fluttered to the ground.

"Sister Qin, what...what do you mean by this?"

"So, you knew all along that you had gone through menopause and that you couldn't get pregnant?"

"I can't believe it," Sha Zhu asked in a trembling voice.

"No...it's not what you think..."

Qin Huairu raised her head, her face covered in tears, her eyes filled with despair and deep affection.

"Zhu Zi, do you know how much I want to have a child for you?"

"You were so good to me, you gave your all for our family, yet you bear the stigma of having no descendants..."

"I'm heartbroken!"

"I've been dreaming of giving you an heir! I'm desperate!"

"Maybe I'm overthinking it, which is why this illusion is happening... It's called a false pregnancy."

"Didn't the doctor say it himself? It's a psychological problem!"

"Pillar, if you blame me, then just kill me!"

"I love you so much, and I want to repay you so much, that's why I got this disease!"

Qin Huairu cried as she grabbed Sha Zhu's hand and slapped it against her own face, yelling, "You hit me!"

"Just kill me, you worthless woman! It's all my fault!"

"It's because I can't give birth!"

These words were truly heart-wrenching and piercing.

They attributed all the deception to "loving Sha Zhu too much" and "wanting to have his children too much."

This is hardly a scam.

This is an absolutely touching love story!

The onlookers, who had been watching the spectacle, were initially pointing and whispering.

Now, upon hearing these words, their expressions changed.

"Oh dear, this woman is a pitiful person too."

"Yes, they're obsessed with having a child."

"That guy is something else. People are already in this state, what's he complaining about?"

Listening to the surrounding chatter, and looking at Qin Huairu kneeling on the ground, crying so hard she was almost fainting.

Sha Zhu's heart, which had just hardened, shattered into pieces in an instant.

His son is gone.

His dream was shattered.

But can he blame Qin Huairu?

She pushed herself to this point because she was so determined to have a child for him!

"Sister Qin...stop talking...stop talking..."

Sha Zhu squatted down and helped Qin Huairu up, tears welling up in his eyes.

He reached out his rough, calloused hand and gently wiped away Qin Huairu's tears.

But the light in those eyes was gone.

"It's not your fault."

"It's fate."

"It's all fate!"

Sha Zhu gave a bitter laugh, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant. "Let's go home."

"Zhu Zi, you're not angry with me anymore?"

Qin Huairu looked at him cautiously.

"I'm not angry."

Sha Zhu shook his head. "As long as everyone is alright, that's good."

"If we don't have children, we don't have children. We'll just... make do."

Sha Zhu helped Qin Huairu walk out of the hospital step by step.

The wind outside was strong, making my face sting.

Qin Huairu leaned against Sha Zhu and breathed a long sigh of relief.

I finally got through this hurdle.

But she didn't see the blank expression on Sha Zhu's face...

Those eyes, which were once clear and bright and always full of energy, have now become cloudy and dim.

It's like a stagnant pool.

Trust is like a piece of paper.

Even if you smooth it out, it's still full of wrinkles.

That thorn has been deeply embedded in Sha Zhu's heart.

It can't be pulled out, and it hurts when touched.

When they returned to the courtyard house, they happened to see Li Xuan pushing his cart out.

Li Xuan glanced at the dejected Sha Zhu.

She glanced again at Qin Huairu, who, though still feigning weakness, had clearly breathed a sigh of relief.

Their eyes met.

Li Xuan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a knowing and sarcastic smile.

Without saying anything, he walked straight over.

But Sha Zhu felt that this silent smile hurt more than two hard slaps.

"I'm an idiot."

Sha Zhu said to himself.

"A complete idiot."

......