While others might have their opinions about the Princess of Qinghua and Liu Chang as a couple, Mudan disliked being constantly associated with them alongside Jiang Changyang. Seizing a moment when no one was paying attention, she slipped away under the cover provided by Kuan’er and Shu’er, heading towards the carriage that had been waiting for her. Seeing her safely emerge, Jiang Changyang immediately signaled the driver to head home.
Wu Xilian, meanwhile, was searching for Mudan, hoping to deepen their friendship. After the recent incident, she felt a strange sense of pride that Mudan had shared in her secret and witnessed that her husband wasn’t a scoundrel. When her maid informed her that Mudan and Jiang Changyang had quietly left, she felt a twinge of disappointment.
Time passed quickly, and soon the day of the appointment with Old Doctor Sun arrived. Jiang Changyang sent Shunhou’er early in the morning to fetch him. He had hoped to accompany Mudan to hear the results, but as time wore on and the doctor hadn’t arrived, he had to leave for work. He discussed with Mudan, “I’ll try to come back early tonight.”
Mudan, feeling anxious, squeezed his arm twice, “Go on, but be careful.”
Jiang Changyang smiled, “Don’t squeeze so hard.”
Suppressing her unease and irritation, Mudan rolled her eyes at him, “Stop teasing me, I’m worried. Don’t keep people waiting, hurry up and go.”
It was well past noon when Old Doctor Sun finally arrived, shuffling slowly. He insisted on washing his hands first. Mama Lin quietly scolded Shunhou’er, “Why are you so late? The young master couldn’t wait any longer and had to leave.”
Shunhou’er, looking miserable, complained in a low voice to Mama Lin, “The old man is so particular. He only got up when we arrived, then slowly rinsed his mouth, washed his face, soaked his feet in hot water, and ate. We couldn’t even drive the carriage too fast. It nearly drove me mad.”
Is this how all famous doctors behave? As long as he could diagnose a pregnancy, they’d tolerate even slower behavior. Mama Lin stood carefully by Mudan’s side, not daring to make a sound, her eyes fixed on Old Doctor Sun.
Old Doctor Sun maintained his exasperatingly slow demeanor, his eyelids drooping as he checked first the left pulse, then the right. Mudan’s heart was in her throat, and Kuan’er, Shu’er, and the others watched him expectantly. Finally, he withdrew his hand and smiled slightly, “Congratulations, madam. It’s a pregnancy pulse.”
“Ah…” Mama Lin clutched her chest, nearly fainting with joy. After regaining her composure, her first act was to bow to Old Doctor Sun, “Thank you, thank you so much!” Heaven knew how worried she had been about Mudan. After being ill for so many years and bearing such a reputation, even knowing the truth, she had feared the worst. Now she could finally put her heart at ease. Let those gossips say what they will!
Old Doctor Sun seemed uncomfortable with such enthusiasm. Wasn’t it normal for a young couple to be expecting? Why such excessive joy? But being older and wiser, he didn’t express his surprise. Instead, he asked, “Do you need any medicine to secure the pregnancy? In my opinion, if your health is good, it’s unnecessary. Better to eat well instead.”
The thought of becoming a mother, of having a soft, warm little life completely dependent on her, filled Mudan with tenderness. She couldn’t help but smile, unconsciously touching her belly as she said, “Then I’ll follow the doctor’s advice.”
Hearing that Mudan didn’t plan to take any medicine, Mama Lin quickly advised in a low voice, “Take just two doses, Danniang. We couldn’t afford it before, but now we can, and he’s a famous doctor. It’s good to nourish both mother and child properly.”
Mudan firmly shook her head, “There’s no need. Food is better than medicine. Let’s just make the meals more nutritious.” Coming from a society where people took medicine for every little thing, she was wary of unnecessary medication. Now that she was in a world free from pollution and chemical additives in food, and she was perfectly healthy, why take medicine?
Seeing that she couldn’t persuade Mudan, Mama Lin sighed and gave up. It seemed she’d need to seek help from Jiang Changyang and Madam Cen on this matter.
After seeing Old Doctor Sun, Mudan began a day of helpless despair. When she wanted to walk in the courtyard, Mama Lin, as if facing great danger, had Kuan’er and Shu’er support her on both sides. When she wanted to sit on the veranda to play with Shuaishuai, Little Lizi quickly brought a thick brocade cushion for her to sit on, insisting she couldn’t sit in drafty areas. When she wanted to read or write, Mama Lin hovered nearby, constantly reminding her that the pregnancy wasn’t stable yet and she shouldn’t strain herself. In short, they wanted her to sit quietly, avoid cold winds, watch her diet, and not move around too much. If she wanted to sleep, that would be even better.
Mudan tried to send Mama Lin away, saying, “It’s still early. Why don’t you go to Xuanping Fang? The family would be delighted to hear the news.”
“The family will certainly be happy,” Mama Lin wasn’t fooled. “But this news should wait until the young master returns. He should prepare gifts and send someone to announce the good news. It’s not right for us dowry servants to run back and tell them ourselves.”
Resigned, Mudan could only sit on the veranda, basking in the autumn sun and playing with Shuaishuai as she waited for Jiang Changyang to return home. But this day seemed exceptionally long, and she couldn’t wait for him to come back. She grew tired, and with Mama Lin’s coaxing and persuasion, she finally went to bed. However, perhaps due to her excitement, once in bed, even that slight drowsiness disappeared, and she tossed and turned restlessly. She couldn’t help but wonder: would the little life in her belly be a boy or a girl? Who would it resemble?
In her extreme excitement, she was still awake when Jiang Changyang returned. She heard Mama Lin quietly congratulating him outside, then heard him instructing someone to fetch money and cloth to reward all the household staff, with extra meat dishes and a cup of wine for everyone that evening. Then she heard him and Mama Lin whispering, discussing what gifts to prepare for the He family to announce the good news, and who should go.
To Mudan, their discussion of these trivial matters sounded like heavenly music. She hugged her quilt, feeling happy and sweet. But then she heard Mama Lin say softly, “We should still have Old Doctor Sun prescribe some medicine for Danniang. She’s been through too much lately. Please persuade her, young master, and tell her not to worry so much about Fang Garden. If she continues to work as hard as she has been, it won’t be good.”
Jiang Changyang seemed to hesitate, and Mudan quickly coughed loudly. Sure enough, after a moment of silence outside, Jiang Changyang appeared by the screen. He looked at her with an indescribable, joyful expression and said in a particularly gentle voice, “You’re awake?”
“I never fell asleep,” Mudan said, breaking into a big smile and stretching out her arms towards him. “Come here and give me a hug to celebrate.”
“Danniang, you’re going to have a tough time ahead,” Jiang Changyang said, quickly walking over to embrace her. He wanted to hug her tightly but didn’t dare, instead burying his head in the crook of her neck and chuckling. He was going to be a father. He was going to be a father.
Mudan could feel the intense happiness and joy radiating from him. They would be connected by blood, they would see a little life inheriting their genes being born, growing up happily, becoming successful, bringing them joy and happiness. And when they were old, with white hair and wrinkles, with no teeth left, it would just be the two of them, leaning on each other, sharing each other’s joys and sorrows.
Originally, she had thought she would never meet such a good man, never have such a happy and perfect life. Mudan hugged Jiang Changyang’s waist tightly and said softly, “Dalang, thank you.”
Jiang Changyang smiled gently, “Thank me? You’re the one who’s going to have a hard time.” But then he grinned mischievously, “Guess which time it was? Let me think…”
Mudan’s earlier feelings of gratitude deflated instantly, and she couldn’t help but punch him lightly a few times, “You naughty, improper thing. Don’t say such things in front of my baby, you’ll corrupt them.”
Jiang Changyang looked a bit sheepish, “The baby is still small, it can’t hear, and even if it could, it wouldn’t understand.” He lowered his voice, “Danniang, I’m going to be pitiful in the future too. Pan Rong says he often has to change clothes first thing in the morning these days.”
Mudan didn’t understand at first, but then realized Pan Rong must be suffering from morning sickness. She burst out laughing and teased, “Well, should I keep spare clothes ready for you at all times too?”
There were better solutions than changing clothes. Jiang Changyang suppressed the urge to say what he was thinking and instead pulled out a pair of white jade hairpins from his sleeve. He waved them in front of Mudan’s eyes before quickly hiding them behind his back, “Guess what these are?”
Women are naturally sensitive to jewelry and accessories. With just a glance, Mudan had seen clearly what they were, guessing he must want to give her a gift. Knowing he’d be happier the more she failed to guess, she deliberately made wild guesses, “Gold.”
Jiang Changyang shook his head, “Guess again.”
“Silver.”
“Try again.”
“Pearl.”
He shook his head.
“Crystal.”
“Jade flute?”
“Jade!”
“What kind of jade item?”
“How would I know? There are so many things, I’ve already done well to guess it’s jade so quickly,” Mudan flopped back onto the bed, starting to play coy. “You’re deliberately making it difficult for me.”
Jiang Changyang was completely defeated by her. He put on an expression of helpless resignation, but with a heart full of joy, he brought out the pair of white jade hairpins from behind his back and handed them to Mudan. He couldn’t help but praise himself a bit, “Such high-quality mutton-fat jade is rare and precious. I even had the imperial craftsmen carve them. Look at the jade quality, the pattern, the craftsmanship – it’s impeccable, isn’t it?” His eyes shone brightly as he looked at Mudan expectantly, hoping she would like them.
The hairpins were made of the finest mutton-fat jade, as smooth and delicate as congealed cream. They were carved into a double-pronged style, with cloud and peony patterns on the head. On the inner side were small inscribed characters reading “For my beloved wife Danniang’s peace and health.” Though he hadn’t carved it himself, the handwriting was unmistakably his. Mudan looked at Jiang Changyang with tears in her eyes and smiled, “Let me hug you, you’re just too adorable.” For a man like this, she was willing to bear his children.
“Oh my, just a pair of jade hairpins has brought your tears. You’re easily moved, aren’t you?” Jiang Changyang laughed as he wiped Mudan’s tears. “I’ll tell you more good news – I’ll be finishing up this assignment soon.”