Chapter 172: Another Pregnancy
In the Capital City, it was customary to visit relatives and friends in the twelfth lunar month, exchange New Year’s Gifts, and have end-of-year tea.
Wen Mingqian was staying at Wu Qiu Nunnery, so it was inconvenient to entertain guests. Thus, she made extra gifts and delivered them to each household, which was considered fulfilling her propriety.
The weather was clear and pleasant that day, and Wen Mingqian sat by the window reading.
Ao Shuang, smiling, brought in a pot of narcissus, wrapping it in several layers of cotton wadding for fear of freezing the flowers.
“It smells so good!” Wen Mingqian said, putting down her book scroll with a smile, and asked Ao Shuang, “Why did you come back so soon after only going home for a day?”
“My mother and them sent me back, saying they had enough people at home and didn’t need me!” Ao Shuang placed the flowers on the desk and said with a giggle, “They told me to come and serve Madam well.”
It turned out that Wen Mingqian had thought that with everyone busy in the twelfth lunar month, she had nothing much to do, so she had let Ao Shuang go home to help her mother.
Moreover, she hadn’t been home much during her time here, so she must have been homesick, and her family must have missed her too.
So she had sent Ao Shuang home, but who would have thought she would return after only one night at home.
“Is everyone at home well?” Wen Mingqian asked her.
“Everyone is well, and they asked me to send their regards to Madam.” Ao Shuang said as she unwrapped the cotton wadding, revealing a cluster of vibrant narcissus flowers, and the fragrance in the room instantly intensified.
“These flowers are truly well-tended,” Sang Er said, leaning closer to examine them, and couldn’t help but praise, “I’ve seen many narcissus flowers, but never one that bloomed as beautifully as this pot.”
“My Daddy personally tended to them; he loves growing flowers the most. Knowing I was coming back, he picked the best pot and asked me to bring it to Madam,” Ao Shuang said. “I thought that since there wasn’t much to see in winter, having a pot of flowers in the room would add some scenery.”
The three of them admired the flowers, when they heard footsteps outside the window.
Sang Er asked, “Who is it?”
Ao Shuang went to greet them and lifted the curtain, but she didn’t recognize the person.
“It’s Granny Zhao,” Sang Er quickly said with a smile. “Ao Shuang, this is Granny Zhao from Yongqing Earl’s Mansion, the companion of the First Madam who came last time.”
“Greetings, Granny Zhao, please come in quickly.” Ao Shuang said with a smile, “I’ve only been serving Madam for a short while, please forgive any impropriety.”
“What an intelligent young lady,” Granny Zhao praised Ao Shuang as she entered. “You are truly someone trained by Madam.”
“Granny Zhao, please have a seat. Is it cold outside?” Wen Mingqian asked, gesturing to a seat with a smile.
“The weather is nice today, not very cold,” Granny Zhao said with a smile. “I’ve come today specifically to invite Madam to be our guest at our mansion tomorrow. Our Miss is eagerly awaiting you!”
“Is that so? I haven’t seen her in quite some time either, I miss her dearly,” Wen Mingqian said. “I wonder what she’s been busy with at home? I imagine she’s busy entertaining guests, right?”
“In previous years, our Miss handled these matters, but this year, Madam has been busy,” Granny Zhao said. “Madam, you probably don’t know yet? Our Miss is pregnant again. She’s currently resting and nurturing the fetus, and not concerned with other matters.”
“Cuiyi is pregnant again? How many months?” Wen Mingqian was very happy, then couldn’t help but worry, “It’s only been a little over three months since her last miscarriage. How is her health now? Is she stable?”
“She seems well now, not much vomiting, just a bit drowsy, but her appetite is surprisingly good. You’ll know when you see her tomorrow. Our Miss doesn’t see anyone unrelated to her now, she just wants to have a heart-to-heart talk with Madam, so please do come.” Granny Zhao said, “Our mansion will send a carriage to pick Madam up tomorrow, and you can bring these two young ladies along too.”
Wen Mingqian naturally wouldn’t refuse, and replied with a smile, “We will certainly all go, as long as Cuiyi doesn’t mind the noise.”
The next day, Wen Mingqian indeed brought two maids and took the Zhou Family’s carriage.
Upon arriving at the Zhou Family’s mansion, they learned that the Master, Madam, and Zhou Jing San were all out visiting guests, leaving only Liu Cuiyi at home.
“Let me see, your complexion is very good!” Wen Mingqian couldn’t help but examine Liu Cuiyi closely upon seeing her.
To her surprise, Liu Cuiyi’s complexion was indeed very good, very different from her previous pregnancy.
“Elder Sister also thinks my complexion is good,” Liu Cuiyi said happily. “Can you tell if I’ve gained weight?”
“You seem to have gained a little,” Wen Mingqian looked again. “You’ve become even more beautiful.”
“Elder Sister, don’t tease me. I’m afraid I’ll become too fat if this continues.” Liu Cuiyi sighed. “But I can eat so much, five or six meals a day. During my previous pregnancy, I couldn’t eat anything, and even drinking soup made me feel nauseous. This time, I don’t know why, but everything I smell seems delicious, and I can’t stop eating.”
“That means the child is healthy, but you shouldn’t eat too much. If the baby is too big, you’ll be the one suffering,” Wen Mingqian said.
“Who says not? I thought it would be good to eat more in the first few months, but later I’ll have to eat less.” Liu Cuiyi said. “It’s very dangerous to have a difficult labor if the fetus is too large.”
“Miss, our Old Madam has sent Granny Li to bring the Taoist nun Yu. She said she’s here to ward off evil spirits and stabilize the fetus god,” Granny Zhao said as she entered.
Liu Cuiyi frowned slightly upon hearing this and said, “My mother wants to do these things again. Don’t let them in, just send them away!”
Seeing Granny Zhao standing there motionlessly, she said, “Just tell them I’ve already invited someone, why would I invite them a second time? Give them some money and send them away!”
Liu Cuiyi was no longer as obedient to her biological mother as she used to be.
“The hairpin on your head is so beautiful, is it new?” Liu Cuiyi asked, looking at the twisted silk white jade hairpin on Wen Mingqian’s temple.
“It was a gift from the Grand Princess. If you like it, you can have it.” Wen Mingqian said, taking it off her head.
“This is not acceptable. It was a gift from the Grand Princess, and if you give it to me, wouldn’t that be disappointing Your Highness’s kind intention?” Liu Cuiyi quickly waved her hand. “However, I can borrow it to try on. If it suits me, I’ll buy one just like it.”
“Sang Er, come here. Re-style Cuiyi’s hair; her current hairstyle isn’t suitable,” Wen Mingqian said.
Sang Er came over and gently unpinned Liu Cuiyi’s hair bun, letting her hair fall loose. Sang Er couldn’t help but freeze for a moment.
“What’s wrong?” Liu Cuiyi asked with a slight smile, turning her face towards her.
“Nothing… nothing…” Sang Er collected herself and said, “I’ll do a simple hair bun for you!”
“Okay, thank you for your trouble.” Liu Cuiyi’s lips curved into a smile, with a hint of depth.
Sang Er quickly finished styling her hair bun and then placed the white jade hairpin in it.
Liu Cuiyi looked at herself in the mirror from various angles, very satisfied. “Indeed, white jade is more elegant; jade always seems a bit common.”
Sang Er, standing nearby, couldn’t control her distraction.
A blurry profile kept flashing in her mind, and inexplicably, it overlapped with Liu Cuiyi’s profile before her.
She secretly pinched herself, telling herself not to overthink it, it was probably just her eyes playing tricks on her, that she had seen incorrectly.
