Hearing this, Cheng Chi laughed and hugged her lovingly, saying, “There you go talking nonsense again! When did I say I didn’t like it! Go ahead and keep wrongly accusing me!”
As he spoke, warmth surged secretly in his heart.
Shaojin now knew how to act coquettish with him and dared to be willful in front of him!
Cheng Chi rested his chin on top of Zhou Shaojin’s head, saying with emotion, “Silly girl, how old are you? How old am I? Some people my age already have sons about to marry, and mine doesn’t even exist yet. Do you think I want this or not? Have I been hoping for it or not?”
Zhou Shaojin blushed slightly, still dwelling on his earlier reluctance to have children.
Cheng Chi smiled, “If you were a few years older, would I need to make you resent me?”
Zhou Shaojin naturally knew Cheng Chi’s intentions. She only wanted to hear Cheng Chi coax her, which was why she said that. Now hearing Cheng Chi talk about “resenting” or “not resenting,” she felt aggrieved and pouted unhappily, “When did I ever resent you? You’re the one wrongly accusing me!”
Cheng Chi laughed heartily.
The two bantered unreasonably for quite a while before finally settling down with infinite anticipation. Early the next morning, they summoned a physician to check her pulse.
The physician diagnosed a joyful pulse.
Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin would become parents in early May of next year!
Zhou Shaojin wept tears of joy.
Having lived two lives, now in her twenties, she had finally managed to have a child.
This time she would definitely protect him well!
Watch him grow up, accompany him in his studies, see him marry or leave the family home!
She threw herself into Cheng Chi’s arms and burst into tears.
Cheng Chi was astonished.
Shaojin was so young, yet so wholeheartedly wanted to be a mother.
Girls her age were usually somewhat afraid of becoming mothers.
Though she had mentioned it before in front of him, he hadn’t realized Zhou Shaojin’s desire was this intense.
Thinking this, Cheng Chi’s heart stirred.
Could the little girl be hiding something from him?
A glint like snow flashed in his eyes.
But regardless, now that Shaojin was with child and he was going to be a father, it was quite joyful.
Cheng Chi immediately had someone send word to Old Madam Guo.
In less than half an hour, Old Madam Guo came rushing over.
Qiu Shi, who accompanied her, was extremely anxious, constantly urging Old Madam Guo, “Slow down! Slow down!”
But Old Madam Guo could barely contain her excitement, completely ignoring Qiu Shi’s words and walking faster and faster.
Qiu Shi could only stamp her feet in frustration.
Old Madam Guo didn’t wait for the maid on duty to announce her and lifted the curtain to enter directly.
Zhou Shaojin had heard that the first months of pregnancy were when miscarriages happened most easily. Now that she was with child, she had to be extremely careful. After her husband left, she followed her heart’s desire and lay down.
Seeing her face full of exhaustion and thinking of how such a young girl was bearing children for him, Cheng Chi was filled with heartache. Naturally, he indulged Zhou Shaojin’s every whim. Never mind that she only wanted to rest—even if she wanted dragon liver or phoenix gall, he would find a way to get them for her at this moment. Therefore, seeing Zhou Shaojin wanting to sleep a bit more, not only did he not object, he even brought a brocade stool to sit beside the bed, holding her hand and keeping her company.
Though it was a bit cloying, it also felt sweet.
Zhou Shaojin pressed her cheek against Cheng Chi’s hand… then the inner curtain lifted and Old Madam Guo burst in.
She got quite a fright.
But before she could rise, Old Madam Guo took two steps at once to reach the bedside, smiling, “Good child, I know you’re uncomfortable. Don’t get up to greet me. I’m not some outsider. The right thing now is for you to rest well. Don’t bother with those empty courtesies with me.” As she spoke, from the corner of her eye she caught sight of Qiu Shi and made decisions for her as well, “Your second sister-in-law is a steady person who won’t blame you for not welcoming her. Just lie there properly.”
Zhou Shaojin actually felt fine, just a bit drowsy.
Old Madam Guo’s sudden appearance had startled away whatever sleepiness she had.
She still sat up.
But Old Madam Guo pressed her back under the covers, about to say “be obedient.”
Was this the same mother-in-law who wouldn’t yield even half a step in front of the old ancestor Cheng Xu of the second branch?
Qiu Shi watched somewhat dumbstruck.
Old Madam Guo was already asking Cheng Chi, “What did the physician say? How was the pulse? Are there any particular taboos? Have you invited a master from Qingxu Temple to check the Five Elements? Did she vomit this morning? What did she eat for breakfast? Did she eat well? Was it appetizing? Is there anything she particularly likes to eat?”
A barrage of questions came down. Even Cheng Chi had to steady himself before beginning to answer.
Learning that Zhou Shaojin had no abnormalities except wanting to sleep, Old Madam Guo was extremely happy, saying, “Eight or nine out of ten, Shaojin has an easy pregnancy constitution. She can have several more in the future! Not like your second sister-in-law—the moment she conceived, she vomited everything she ate, continuing until the seventh or eighth month, completely exhausted…” Never mind giving birth.
When she gave birth to Cheng Rang and Cheng Sheng, she nearly died.
Qiu Shi naturally knew who her mother-in-law was talking about. Her face reddened, and she couldn’t help thinking: The old lady is desperate to add descendants. Fourth Sister-in-law’s child doesn’t even exist yet, and she’s already thinking about having several more…
Cheng Chi stood up and offered the brocade stool to Old Madam Guo to sit.
Qiu Shi smiled and stepped forward to Zhou Shaojin’s bedside, saying gently, “You rest well. Mother-in-law just discussed with me, having me stay here with her for the next few days so you’ll have someone to look after you…”
“How can that be?” Zhou Shaojin repeatedly declined, “Rang Ge’er is about to marry. You still have a pile of matters to handle. How can you leave your household affairs to look after me?”
But as soon as she finished speaking, Old Madam Guo smiled and said, “The major matters are mostly settled. For those minor things, just have the stewards come for instructions. Don’t worry about this matter. Having your second sister-in-law come was my idea. You’re young and don’t understand. I’m old and can’t always cling to the old almanac—you youngsters should have the say. Your second sister-in-law is very suitable—she’s been in the capital all these years and knows everyone high and low. If anything comes up, whether in the outer or inner courtyards, she has people who can run errands…”
Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin, seeing Old Madam Guo’s firm attitude, guessed this matter had likely already been discussed with Qiu Shi. Further refusal would be inappropriate.
“Very well then!” Cheng Chi agreed readily, respectfully saying to Qiu Shi, “We’ll trouble you for these days!”
“No trouble, no trouble.” Having gained her younger brother-in-law’s regard, Qiu Shi’s eyes and brows were full of joyful smiles. She joked, “Sister-in-law is young—this is what I should do. Don’t take it to heart or I won’t know what to do with myself! Besides, after Mother went over, she helped me tremendously. Otherwise, Rang Ge’er’s wedding wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. Mother’s palms and backs are both flesh. Now that she’s concerned about Fourth Uncle, how can I not come help?”
Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi both knew she was a sincere person. They said no more and quickly instructed the maids and servants to prepare the guest room for Qiu Shi’s move.
But Old Madam Guo said, “Have her stay with me in the east wing of the main courtyard. If anything happens in the middle of the night, we can easily fetch a physician!”
Zhou Shaojin could only instruct them to prepare the east wing of the main courtyard, dispatch people to tell Nanny Lü and others to send back Old Madam Guo’s trunks, and help Qiu Shi organize her luggage.
Old Madam Guo discussed with Cheng Chi about going to Qingxu Temple to invite a Taoist priest: “…She’s carrying a child. We must prevent just anyone from barging in! What if she gets frightened? You may not feel the pain, but I do!”
Cheng Chi, drawing inferences, immediately agreed to go to Qingxu Temple to invite someone.
Zhou Shaojin took this opportunity to say with concern to Qiu Shi, “Second Sister-in-law, arrange your household affairs before coming over. In a few days when I’m better, you can go back home to stay for a while.”
Qiu Shi understood her thoughtfulness and smiled, “It’s fine. My household is small, and your second uncle isn’t home. When all is said and done, these are all trivial matters. It won’t matter if I don’t go back. As for you, being with child at such a young age, you must be careful. I’ll come with Mother to look after you for some days—it’ll put my mind at ease too.”
Zhou Shaojin thanked her repeatedly.
By the time Old Madam Guo and Qiu Shi’s trunks arrived, the Taoist master from Qingxu Temple had also come.
He looked around the front and back of the house, then made hand gestures and calculated for quite a while, saying Zhou Shaojin’s Five Elements were all present, just slightly lacking in Wood. Placing a piece of chicken-wing wood under the bed would suffice.
But Cheng Chi first dispatched an experienced nanny to report to Xingling Alley and Cheng Wen’s place, saying Zhou Shaojin was with child and had many taboos. They would send word again after Zhou Shaojin gave birth. Only then did he have someone open the storeroom to find a piece of chicken-wing wood.
Receiving the message, Yuan Shi was so angry she couldn’t speak for a long while. When she finally spoke, her voice trembled, “What does Fourth mean by this? Is he afraid we’ll go see Zhou Shaojin? Are we some kind of savage beasts?”
She slapped the letter down on the table with a “snap.”
Hearing these words, Min Jia also felt uncomfortable and frowned.
But Yuan Shi’s gaze shot like an arrow onto Min Jia.
Min Jia had been married for more than half a year. Zhou Shaojin was already with child, yet Min Jia showed no signs…
Yuan Shi temporarily forgot about the letter from Chaoyang Gate and began pondering Min Jia’s situation.
Meanwhile, Min Jia, seeing her mother-in-law make such thunder with little rain, felt relieved.
If she truly didn’t have to go to Chaoyang Gate and could avoid Zhou Shaojin, that wouldn’t be bad.
Previously, when she didn’t know what had happened between Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Xu, she could naturally be righteous and confident. But now that she knew, to make her pretend nothing happened and treat Zhou Shaojin calmly—she admitted she didn’t have Yuan Shi’s shamelessness…
When Wu Baozhang received the message, she only froze for a moment before tossing the letter into a corner.
During this period, she had been sitting in hell.
Just as she had worried, Cheng Lu was completely finished—he had become a scoundrel.
He had taken twenty taels of silver from her without a guilty conscience, extorted two hundred taels from her, and now made a new demand—he wanted her to find a way to gather three hundred more taels for him. He wanted to change his name and take the imperial examinations again.
Before going to Jinling City, Wu Baozhang had grown up in the fields of her hometown Mianyang and had seen such idlers and scoundrels before. They had abandoned all propriety and shame, like leeches—once they latched on, they wouldn’t stop until they had sucked you dry.
She had to return to Jinling!
No matter what, she had to return to Jinling!
She couldn’t stay here waiting for death!
But how could she return to Jinling?
Wu Baozhang paced circles in her room, then summoned her personal maid and gave her twenty taels of silver.