Chapter 49

The next morning, Yingxiang washed herself three times inside and out before she felt clean.

It was hot. After washing up, Yingxiang changed into a light green dress she had bought not long before giving birth. The size was just right. She loosened the belt and let the breeze blow in through the window, drying her hair quickly. She sat in front of the bronze mirror to do her hair. She had been cooped up for a month and was going crazy.

She styled her hair in a simple bun, selected a few hairpins and ornaments, and paired them with a white jade bracelet, making her look radiant and beautiful.

Before giving birth, the bracelet on her wrist was already very tight, but now it was much looser and could even be rotated. Yingxiang took the money and happily prepared to go out, of course, she didn't forget her son.

"Sweetie, stay home and behave yourself. Mom will go to the fabric store to buy you some new clothes."

Babies grow up so fast, changing every day. Little Leqian, who is already a month old, is wearing clothes that are a bit too tight. Yingxiang doesn't know how to make clothes, so she can only buy ready-made ones. Looking at the little guy in the cradle, Yingxiang loves him so much. She bends down to kiss him and squeezes his little hand before reluctantly leaving.

With two old women taking care of her at home, there was nothing to worry about. After going out, Yingxiang took a breath, looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, and felt extremely comfortable and at ease.

She first went to the fabric shop not far away.

"We've just received a new batch of cloth; it's soft and smooth, a new material from Jiangnan. Would you like to take a look, Madam?"

The waiter enthusiastically introduced the place to Yingxiang, but Yingxiang shook her head.

Right now, she doesn't have the financial means to buy whatever she wants. Children grow up so fast, and this one is a son, so she won't have any more children. One child is enough; there's no mountain of gold or silver in the house.

Spend where you should, save where you should. Simple cotton clothes are enough. Although ready-made clothes are expensive, they are more attractive and convenient. It's better for boys to dress simply.

"Pack up this black outfit and that blue outfit for me, and bring two hats, the bigger ones."

Yingxiang carefully selected several outfits and socks for her child, but decided to skip the shoes for now, since he couldn't walk yet and there was no need for them.

"good."

After buying the clothes, Yingxiang went to the market. Walking through the bustling crowd, she carefully looked at the vendors on both sides and bought some more things she liked.

The vegetables from our garden are ready, enough for them to eat, so we don't need to buy them separately, but we definitely need rice and flour.

Yingxiang went out empty-handed, but came back with both hands full.

A few of the chicks we brought home died, but most of them grew up safely and were kept to lay eggs. Now we collect at least three eggs a day, and sometimes as many as five.

Everyone says that raising children is difficult, but with help, it becomes much easier.

Yingxiang recalled the wealthy families she had read in books. Although she and Wenshi were not yet at that level, they certainly had no worries about food and clothing, could afford servants, and had someone to help take care of the children, which made things much easier for them.

In the blink of an eye, two months have passed. The sweltering heat has gradually faded, and the weather is starting to cool down in the mornings and evenings. Autumn is just around the corner. That morning, Wen Shi got up and looked at the sleepy person next to him. He couldn't help but lower his head and kiss her.

"My husband, I have something to tell you."

Yingxiang suddenly sat up as if she had just remembered something.

"you say."

"When you take your ten-day break, let's take the kids out for a walk."

Wen Shi glanced at his son, who was chewing on his hand in the cradle not far away, and nodded. The weather was neither too hot nor too cold, so it was time to go out for a walk.

After school, Wen Shi went to the outskirts of the city. This time, he cut down a lot of bamboo and came back. When he rolled up his sleeves, Ying Xiang stood aside holding her child, looking somewhat puzzled.

"Husband, what are you going to do now?"

"Make a small bamboo cart so we can take him out."

Yingxiang was taken aback. She had originally planned to put the child in a basket and have Wenshi carry him, but having a car was also good. It would be more convenient for her to take the child out in the future, as she could push it.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but look at Granny Wen, who was busy in the kitchen.

Another old woman passed away late last month. Her daughter-in-law was heavily pregnant, and she had to go back to take care of her. It was very sudden, and Yingxiang might have tried to stop her from leaving.

She looked down at the fair-skinned little boy in her arms, his arms segmented. He was very handsome, his features beginning to emerge, and he bore a five-tenths resemblance to Wen Shi.

This child is very well-behaved. He won't cry or fuss unless he has a need. Give him a cloth tiger and a small rattle drum that Wen Shi bought for him before, and he can play with it for half a day, humming and laughing, but he won't cry loudly.

"Husband, when you prepare the goat milk tomorrow morning, try feeding him a little with that small wooden spoon. Remember to make it warm, as he is still young and should never drink anything cold."

Wen Shi nodded.

After Yingxiang finished speaking, she sighed. She had been breastfeeding for three months, but now her milk supply was insufficient. She couldn't let her child go hungry. She couldn't help but glance at Wenshi and felt that he had foresight.

Yingxiang intended to keep Granny Wen working long-term, and originally planned to give her more money to keep her working long-term. However, after dinner was prepared, Granny Wen looked at her apologetically.

“Master, Madam Wen, I originally planned to continue working here. It’s not easy to find such good masters like you. But my youngest son is getting married soon, so I’m afraid I have to go back.”

Yingxiang originally thought the holiday would be fine, but she didn't expect Granny Wen to ask to go back. It wasn't a request for leave. She subconsciously glanced at Wen Shi and saw that the small bamboo cart next to her was already taking shape.

Wen Shi was very focused, afraid of not doing a good job. He made a two-layer bamboo cart with four wheels underneath. The bamboo panels in the middle could be spliced ​​together. Now the child is lying down, but when he grows up, it can be disassembled and he can sit inside, which is also very convenient.

He can use this thing until he's three years old without any problems.

Wen Shi recalled that his family had one when he was a child, but later his older brother's two sons broke the car when they grew up.

"Oh well."

Helpless, Yingxiang could only calculate the amount of money for her.

Both old women left quite suddenly. It's not that you can't let Yingxiang take care of the child herself for now.

Wen Shi glanced at Granny Wen and nodded.

The baby can sleep in the cradle now, but he definitely won't be able to in a few days. He's growing very fast. An hour later, looking at the little bamboo cart that Wen Shi had made, Ying Xiang felt that the baby could sleep in it until he was at least one year old.

Late at night, the couple lay on the bed. Wen Shi remained silent for a long time, then took his wife's hand and said, "I'll go find another old woman later."

"I'll take care of them myself first. If I encounter a good one, that'll be fine, but if I encounter a bad one, it will be a headache."

Yingxiang sighed after speaking. The difficult phase of taking care of both sides was over. It wasn't that she couldn't handle it. She wasn't too sad that the plan was disrupted. Wen Shi hadn't been idle before, and she would definitely help take care of her in the future. At least she could sleep until she naturally woke up every day.

Having a child means having to raise it. Since it will just be the mother and child in the family from now on, she can still sign in without any worries.

Several months have passed in the blink of an eye, and she hasn't dared to sign in yet. Better safe than sorry.

Wen Shi pulled his wife into his arms, lowered his head and kissed her cheek, his breathing becoming somewhat heavy.

Yingxiang snuggled closer to him and said, "Be gentle."

He smiled gently and bent down to kiss her cheek. Lately, he had been getting up early every morning to bring the baby over for breastfeeding, which was a bit of a struggle, but he was worried about Yingxiang's health and didn't dare to do anything. He had been very well-behaved at night.

There are two important reasons why couples are loving and harmonious. One is that they don't have much financial pressure. Although Yingxiang is reluctant to admit it, it is true.

What are you thinking about?

Noticing that his wife seemed a little absent-minded, Wen Shi kissed her earlobe. By the moonlight, he looked at his wife's luscious red lips and kissed them repeatedly.

Yingxiang touched his handsome face to stop him, and then said, "Husband, I feel that you have gained a lot of weight recently."

Although it wasn't very noticeable, at this moment, he was truly pressing down on her, and he was noticeably different from before; he had become much stronger.

"I will not drink goat milk anymore; I will give it all to my son."

In the dead of night, when all was quiet, the cicadas chirped intermittently outside the window. Yingxiang leaned against Wenshi's chest, her hair disheveled, her face flushed, her slender arms wrapped around his waist.

Wen Shi held his wife in his arms and fell asleep contentedly.

He habitually gets up early and doesn't feel any discomfort. Before leaving, he feeds his son goat milk with a wooden spoon and finds that the little guy eats well, leaving only a small half bowl. He changes the diaper before going out.

Yingxiang woke up a little late, and the child was quiet, which meant he didn't have any needs.

Thinking of her system, Yingxiang was filled with anticipation and silently signed in.

Once inside the sign-in shop, Yingxiang's eyes were fixed on the silver option on the third page, and she chose it without hesitation.

With thirty taels of silver in hand, she smiled slightly and counted the money several times. Although her body was still a little sore, she was overjoyed to see the gleaming silver.

After washing up and eating her fill, Yingxiang carried her son from the cradle to the bamboo cart outside.

Let him breathe in some fresh air and get used to it. After a while, let him lie on the bamboo cart that was just made last night and try to look outside and practice lifting his head.

Yingxiang sat to the side, picked up a storybook, and started reading.

At midday, as the sun gradually rose, the sunlight was no longer as glaring and hot as before. Looking at her drowsy child, she held him and coaxed him to sleep. After that, the mother and son went back to the room for a nap. This time, she put the child on the bed and let him sleep there.

Inside the academy, in the afternoon, after finishing his class, the teacher solemnly spoke to the students about next year's autumn imperial examination.

He knew each of his students well. Their current level was naturally still a bit lacking, but the autumn examination was held only once every three years. Even if they couldn't pass, it was good to let them register and try. The exam questions were different every year, and the difficulty level was uncertain. As long as they had the title of Xiucai (a scholar who had passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations), they were all qualified to take the exam.

The exam could only be taken in the prefectural city where one's household registration was located. One had to register in advance and verify one's identity. It was not surprising to hear the teacher finish speaking.

Many students are not registered residents here. Now, the classroom next door is almost full. The advantage of having more people is that meals are provided, so they don't need to bring their own food anymore, which saves Wen Shi a lot of trouble.

Half the year has passed, and he plans to take the exam next year. The exam will last for nine days, with one session every three days.

Passing the exam is a cause for celebration, but if you don't, there's no real loss; you can simply continue studying. Over the years, those who have achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations have been extremely rare.

Wen Shi doesn't put too much pressure on himself. This year, he and Yingxiang will take the children back home for the Spring Festival. It's good to see the elders.