The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

Lin Ruhai spent more time with the two pregnant women, which meant that he had less time to visit Jia Min.

Even though she knew that the master would devote more and more time to the child after having a baby, when it really happened, Jia Min realized that she had overestimated herself before.
Her heart feels like it’s being gnawed by ants, and she can’t sleep well.

Lin Ruhai noticed her unstable mood and said, “Min’er, Brother Zishi has settled down; why don’t you send an invitation to meet up?”

Yes, now that the New Year has passed, she is in good health, and her friends have settled down. Thinking of this, Jia Min was refreshed: “I will send a letter to Zhao Wu right away.”

When a friend is in mourning, you naturally cannot invite her to a banquet or a party. If you go, it will be a blow to her reputation. However, there is one place that is not restricted, and that is the temple.

Jia Min sent a message to Zhao Yin, asking her to go to Zhutang Temple.

This is the place Jia Min often goes to now. It would be even better if she could meet Master Zhiliao, who has returned from his travels here.

After receiving Jia Min’s post, Zhao Yin immediately replied and had someone send it over.
A few days later, the two parties’ carriages set out from Lin’s Mansion and Liu’s Mansion, respectively, and headed for Zhutang Temple.

The Liu family has now passed the mourning period, so it is not uncommon to go to the temple to burn incense and light candles for the deceased old man.

The highest-ranking official in the Liu family was the late old master, who was a fifth-rank official when he was alive.

From this, we can see how rare it is that Lin Ruhai is already a fourth-rank official, even though he is not even thirty years old.

On the way there, Zhao Yin hugged her youngest daughter and repeatedly reminded the eldest daughter and son in front of her how to talk when they met and not to act on their own.

Her eldest daughter, Liu Rudan, is eleven years old, and her eldest son, Liu Yizhou, is nine years old. At this age, they cannot be said to be ignorant children.

Before Liu Rudan and Liu Yizhou left, their grandmother took them over and gave them many instructions, asking them to please the prefect’s wife, who was going to meet their mother.

Three years later, whether their father can successfully fill the vacancy will most likely depend on the prefect. This is related to the future of the Liu family.

After hearing what their grandmother said, they all became solemn, afraid that they would say something wrong, but what their mother said was… to ask them to talk less?

Zhao Yin smiled slightly: “She and I are friends. I know her better than your grandmother. Just treat her normally.”
Get along with Jia Min with a utilitarian mentality?

Even though they had not seen each other for many years, Zhao Yin could tell from the letter that Jia Min was still the same Jia Min.

They were able to become friends because they were both talented women with common interests and hobbies. If one only looked at their backgrounds, how could she, the daughter of an ordinary old Hanlin, become close friends with the daughter of a duke?

After hearing what their mother said, Liu Rudan and Liu Yizhou looked at each other and hesitated for a moment: “Mom, we know.”

The carriage made a rumbling sound, and for a moment the interior fell into silence, a silence that was not broken until it reached the foot of the mountain.
Zhutang Temple is not very large and is neither too famous nor too unknown. What it is most famous for is not how effective the temple is, but its scenery.

There is a bamboo forest here that stretches as far as the eye can see, and the bamboo forest rustles when the wind blows.

Many men and scholars like to come here to collect folk songs. On the stones along the way up the mountain, there are many impromptu poems, many of which are excellent.

Horse-drawn carriages cannot go up here. If you don’t want to walk, you can change to a sedan.

Zhao Yin came early on purpose because she wanted to take her three children with her.
This mountain road is not steep, and the scenery is nice. It’s a good way to relax by taking a walk.

There is also a small market here where people sell incense, candles, and some sundries.

The three female members all wore veils. Liu Rudan and her sister rarely saw such scenes, and they watched curiously along the way. Zhao Yin also cooperated by slowing down her pace to let them watch.
By the time they reached Zhutang Temple on the mountainside, they were all sweating slightly.

First, go and chant sutras for the old man and light the lamps. When it’s almost done, someone comes in. Zhao Yin looks over and recognizes who the person is at a glance. The moment their eyes meet, she feels mixed emotions.
They haven’t seen each other for ten years.

But Jia Min was no different from the person she remembered. Zhao Yin couldn’t help but want to touch her face. She was two years older than Jia Min, but now, without looking in the mirror, Zhao Yin knew that she looked much older.
She restrained her hands and smiled: “Long time, no see.”

Seeing an old friend, Jia Min sighed, “Sister Yin, I haven’t seen you for many years.”
The two women looked at each other in silence for a while, then went into a side room and sat down.

Jia Min held Liu Ruqi, who was only five years old and looked at her apple-like face, unable to let go. “Is this your little daughter, Ruqi? She is so cute and adorable.”

Zhao Yin smiled and introduced her proudly, “Yes, this is my eldest daughter Rudan, and this is my eldest son Yizhou.”

Jia Min praised: “He’s already this tall, and he looks like a good and stable child.”

Zhao Yin couldn’t help but smile: “They can’t be called children anymore; they have grown up.”

Indeed, compared to Liu Ruqi, who was only five years old, these two were already grown-up kids. They were starting to grow up, and their behavior was no longer childish.
Jia Min was very moved, “The child has grown so big already.”

Zhao Yin felt that she had made a mistake. Normally, it would be fine for her to introduce her child like this, but the other party was Jia Min, and being childless was her pain. It was inappropriate for her to say this. She immediately changed the subject: “Yes, I wanted to ask you something. When I just came back, I hadn’t sent you a message yet, but I received your message. How did you know I was back home?”

Jia Min smiled slightly: “My master got the news first.”
Seeing the pure joy on Jia Min’s face when she mentioned her master, Zhao Yin suddenly realized, “So that’s it.”
Then the two were speechless for a moment.

This was the first time the two had met since Jia Min got married.

The two sides staggered their schedules. When Jia Min followed Lin Ruhai to work in the capital, Zhao Yin took her children to serve the elderly at Xingtai Mansion. When Jia Min followed Lin Ruhai to work at Xingtai Mansion, Zhao Yin took her children and her family to the capital. The two sides staggered their schedules perfectly.

They had so much to say, but they didn’t know where to start.
Ten years is a long time, but fortunately, they have been in correspondence, and after a few chats, the sense of familiarity returned.

They had a vegetarian meal together here before going back. Both of them were the ones in charge of household affairs at home and could not leave for a long time.
On the way back in the carriage, Jia Min felt a little disappointed.

Judging from her face, Sister Yin has not had a very comfortable life these years. She gave birth to two daughters and one son, while her husband has three sons and three daughters. The other three children are all born out of wedlock, and one son and one daughter are born to her concubine, who is a blood relative niece of her mother-in-law.

From that aunt’s identity, you can tell how busy her life is.
Having a child does not mean that you will live a comfortable life.

Jia Min smiled bitterly. Every family has its own problems.
On the way back to the Liu family’s carriage, Zhao Yin was also thinking about Jia Min. She touched her little daughter’s hand and smiled bitterly. The feeling in her heart made her unable to tell what she was feeling for a moment.

You can tell from a woman’s face whether she is living a good life. Jia Min’s eyes were as bright as before, but there was a layer of sadness between her brows. Zhao Yin knew that this sadness was caused by her childlessness, but other than that, she had nothing to be unhappy about.
But… that was in the past.

Thinking of the news she had heard after she came back, Zhao Yin closed her eyes tightly.

She also has to deal with concubines and illegitimate children.

Is she going to follow in her footsteps? Thinking of the expression on Jia Min’s face when she talked about Lin Ruhai and the letter that Lord Lin wrote to her, Zhao Yin smiled bitterly and thought that she would not do that.

If Liu Zishi was half as good as Lin Ruhai, her life would not be so numb.

When she returned home, Zhao Yin discovered that her master was actually drinking tea in her yard at this time, waiting for her to come back.

She paused for a moment and was noticed by Liu Rudan. She looked at her in confusion and said, “Mom?”

Zhao Yin shook her head to indicate that it was okay.
She just realized once again the utilitarianism of her husband.

If it weren’t for the fact that her father, although he didn’t get promoted, had a stable position and had several powerful friends, her position as the legal wife wouldn’t be as secure as it is now.

Jia Min’s mood was indeed much better now that she had this friend to contact and meet, and they had many topics to talk about.

Zhao Yin only had to take care of the family’s little land. Because of the mourning period, she had nothing to do. And because of Jia Min’s husband’s current status, her family supported them to keep in touch.

Zhao Yin was able to put aside the trivial matters at home and chat with her friends, which she took advantage of.

They would meet at Zhutang Temple every once in a while and regain the long-lost mood of playing in the poetry club with their sisters when they were young.
Lin Ruhai was relieved to find that her mood had improved.

If he doesn’t see her go out for a long time, he will ask her why she doesn’t go to Zhutang Temple.

He was not the kind of person who would object to his wife going out, but Madam Qian felt that this was not right, “Madam! The time that the master has to come to Bi Tao Courtyard is already short, and Madam is not focusing on how to win back the master but instead blindly meeting people outside? You have to hold the master’s heart!”

She was just the wife of a minor Hanlin. When she finished mourning, it was not certain where Liu Zishi would be assigned to.
Moreover, there is no one else from the Liu family in officialdom.

How could a wife from such a small family be equal to their wives? And call them sisters?
It’s a pity that the lady didn’t like to hear what she said. It was useless to say it, and it made Madam Qian very depressed.

This is also what Yun Shuyao likes to see.

Facts have proven that if you only stay on a small piece of land and are trapped in self-pity, it is easy to get stuck in a rut, and getting stuck in a rut can easily lead to paranoia.

But having other things to do would divert some of her attention. In addition, Jia Min was also responsible for the Lin family’s finances. As Lin Ruhai’s wife, she had to socialize with other officials’ families. Now she had good friends to relax with, and she could also go to Zhutang Temple to inquire about the master she was looking forward to meeting… Under such circumstances, it would not be easy to get stuck at a dead end.

In such a “beautiful” atmosphere, as time passed, Yun Shuyao’s belly grew bigger and bigger.
Aunt Mei had been kept in the dark about the fact that Yun Shuyao was pregnant with twins. She seldom went out, so she couldn’t hear other people’s discussions or see Yun Shuyao’s obvious big belly.

Gao hesitated for a long time before making the decision to hide the truth from her daughter.

If her daughter was in better health, she would tell her that, and there would be no problem. However, this pregnancy was full of trouble. If she stimulated too much and the fetus was lost, all her plans would be in vain.

Gao didn’t dare to gamble, so she kept it a secret.
If Aunt Mei had stayed in Meixiangyuan all the time, with everyone keeping it a secret from her, she might not have known about this until after she gave birth. However, she went out when she was eight months pregnant.

Since she entered the late stage of pregnancy when she was seven months old, Gao knew that giving birth required strength and that lying in bed all the time would not give her that strength, so she often coaxed her out of the room and took a walk in Meixiangyuan.

Aunt Mei was reluctant to move because she was pregnant, but after being persuaded many times, she would force herself to walk.

On this day, Aunt Mei looked at the scenery that she was tired of seeing and didn’t want to walk around Meixiangyuan anymore. She wanted to take a walk in the garden outside.
Gao did not hesitate and agreed immediately.

With so many people around her daughter, she didn’t believe anyone would dare do anything to her at this time.
No one indeed did anything to her, but unexpected things still happened.

They were walking peacefully when a mouse jumped out from the bushes in front of them, scaring them.

Aunt Mei immediately didn’t want to take this road anymore, so she took another path. As she turned a corner, she heard someone passing by say, “I heard four wet nurses come into the mansion today?”

Another person replied: “Yes, they are all from Lanxinyuan.”
Aunt Mei was stunned when she heard this. Meixiangyuan also had wet nurses, two of whom were already on standby at Meixiangyuan, waiting to take up their posts as soon as her child was born.

She also visited them specially, asked about their situations, and was basically satisfied.

The baby in Lanxinyuan is now seven months old. It is not surprising that they have decided on a wet nurse, but what is strange is the number.
Why does she have four wet nurses, twice as many as she has?

Aunt Mei’s face changed immediately.

Gao saw this and secretly said that it was not good. She held her back and said, “I will tell you about this later.”
Does Auntie know about this?!

Aunt Mei’s face fell: “Let’s go back now.” She wanted to know now, and she didn’t like her aunt hiding things from her.
After returning, Gao sent the others away and asked her to calm down before talking to her.

This situation calmed Aunt Mei down a little. Could it be some terrible news that irritated her?

She remembered the stomach pain she had experienced before, took a deep breath, and put her hands together on her bulging belly. She was already eight months pregnant, and if she held on a little longer, the baby would be born. She couldn’t get too excited; she had to control her emotions.

After taking a few deep breaths, Aunt Mei said, “I know, Aunt, just tell me; I will be calm.”

After hesitating for a while, Gao finally said, “Madam Yun… is pregnant with twins.”

Even though Aunt Mei was mentally prepared, she was still shocked by this and raised her voice: “What?! Aunt Yun is pregnant with twins; this is impossible!”

Gao nodded bitterly, carefully observing her daughter’s condition: “It’s true, Ruixue, you have to be careful of this, Aunt Yun.”
In Gao’s opinion, Aunt Yun is no simple person.

She didn’t have her mother to guide her, but she was so calm. And her body was not like her daughter’s, who got pregnant from taking medicine and had a stronger physical reaction.

Aunt Yun conceived naturally and gave birth to twins. Faced with such a happy event, she was able to stay in the courtyard and was not frivolous at all.
Her mind is more profound than her age allows.

And she didn’t know how she would win the heart of the perfect. The prefect said that he treated everyone equally, but from the information she had heard, he clearly stayed in Lanxinyuan longer.

If she was lucky and gave birth to two sons at once, given the Lin family’s small number of descendants, wouldn’t they have to make her their own?
This is a big worry for my daughter, and we have to guard against it! If the Lin family hadn’t been so defensive, Gao would have wanted to do something.

Aunt Mei still couldn’t believe it and murmured: “How come she is so lucky that she can get pregnant with twins?”
Twins are very rare. Aunt Mei has only encountered one case in her life.

She paid such a huge price, used the only pill to get pregnant with this child, and suffered so much, while the other party didn’t have to pay anything and got two children at once?!

Moreover, the probability of twins giving birth to a son is higher than hers, and twins may be born prematurely. If she gives birth to a son first, wouldn’t her son have to be the second son?

It was obviously she who got pregnant first, so why did Lanxinyuan do that?

The more she thought about it, the more unbalanced Aunt Mei felt. She felt like there was a fire burning in her chest, and it was burning more and more vigorously.

Gao saw that the situation was not good and became anxious: “Rui Xue, calm down; think about the child!”
Her daughter is really too impatient.

If something happens after hearing this news, it will not only be bad for her daughter’s health but what will the old ladies think of her?

Gao repeatedly reminded her daughter to keep calm and comforted her, “You are eight months pregnant now and are about to give birth. I have drawn a lucky charm for you and a fortune for you. It is very good fortune. Ruixue, listen to your aunt. Nothing is more important than your health. Other things can be taken care of later.”

“…I know, but Auntie, what if she gives birth to the eldest son first?”
Gao was silent for a long time: “…It’s hard to say.”

Aunt Mei held her breath. At this moment, the fetus in her belly stretched out its hand, as if to say hello. Aunt Mei felt the child’s movements and stroked them slowly: “My child, Auntie, is not angry anymore. Auntie will give birth to you safely.”

“Good boy, you think so too, right? Be good and don’t make trouble for your aunt.”

“Auntie won’t let you be inferior to others.”

“If you live for seven or eight, there is still half a month left. For your sake, Auntie will definitely wait until nine months.”
As she spoke, her eyes were filled with determination.

Gao’s heart skipped a beat when she saw this, and she began to regret having suggested going for a walk today.

Aunt Mei didn’t have an attack for the time being, but some things can’t be put aside just like that. That night, she almost didn’t sleep all night, and the next day she looked haggard, which made Gao angry, and she quickly asked Doctor Zhou to prescribe a pregnancy-preserving medicine: “Doctor, please take a look; she was frightened by a mouse that suddenly jumped out of the garden.”

Doctor Zhou secretly groaned: “…”
The baby was about to be born, so why did something go wrong?

After taking her pulse, Doctor Zhou heaved a sigh of relief and prescribed a prescription: “Auntie Mei, get some good sleep, be careful not to be arrogant or impatient, and you’ll be fine.”

Gao breathed a sigh of relief: “Excuse me, Doctor Zhou. I would also like to ask, how is she doing now?”

Doctor Zhou thought she was worried about whether she could give birth safely: “Don’t worry too much, Aunt Mei is a little weak, but it’s nothing serious.”
Hearing this, Gao felt relieved, and Aunt Mei smiled.
When the child was nine months old, Aunt Mei went into labor.

Although Meixiangyuan and Lanxinyuan are not adjacent to each other, they are not far apart. As soon as the old ladies and wives over there got the news, they rushed over. Because Yun Shuyao was already pregnant, they were asked to keep it a secret. However, the noise was too loud to be concealed, and Yun Shuyao also knew that her colleagues had started the pregnancy.

If she listened carefully, she could still hear the shrill howl belonging to Aunt Mei.
Full of pain.
It was a sudden roar that sounded a bit creepy.

Yun Shuyao, who was pregnant and about to give birth, felt her stomach tighten when she heard this.
She quickly tried to comfort the two little ones in her belly by transferring her supernatural powers.

Little ones, it’s very lively over there right now; don’t be anxious; come out and meet me slowly, okay?
The child said: I don’t listen.
Half a day after Meixiangyuan started the movement, she also started to move.