Chapter 131 Turbulence

The wind chimes under the eaves jingled cheerfully in the breeze.

Li Rong saw the man who was taking her pulse suddenly break into a bright smile.

"Rongrong, we're having a baby!"

Li Rong's ears suddenly rang, and her pupils contracted slightly.

She didn't hear a word he said afterward.

She's taking medication every day, how could she be pregnant!

In his eyes, her reaction was both cute and adorable.

He took her hand, kissed it hard, and excitedly stood up, wanting to hug her but not knowing how.

It looked clumsy and ridiculous.

His happiness filled every cell in his body.

He just stood there dumbfounded in front of her, scratching his head with a smile: "Rongrong, what do you want?"

Li Rong stood up and looked at him in disbelief: "Did you make a mistake in your diagnosis?"

“Since I started practicing medicine, I haven’t made a single wrong diagnosis. Rongrong, you’re pregnant.” He grinned so wide his eyes disappeared.

"But, but I take medicine every day!"

"Yes, a tonic." Her joy was palpable. "How could I bear to let Rongrong take a contraceptive pill?"

He dreamed of her having a child for him.

But Li Rong was terrified of getting pregnant.

She sat back on the couch in a daze, lowered her eyelashes, and it took her a long time to find her voice.

"I don't want to have children."

His joy was suddenly struck by a heavy blow, and the tingling and numbness hidden deep inside him overflowed from the cracks caused by the heavy blow.

She shattered his dream of a bright future for the two of them, a dream he had held ever since she took the initiative to return.

It's not that she doesn't want to have children; it's more that she doesn't want to have children for him.

Lin Xiaocong squatted down in front of her with a smile: "Isn't it beautiful to see the child smiling by your legs, saying that he likes his mother more than his father?"

They're beautiful, but what kind of parents are they?

“A son from a concubine’s family will be looked down upon. I don’t want him to go to school and suffer the same fate as my fourth sister.”

The more she thought about it, the sadder she became.

This further solidified her decision not to have the child: "I don't want to give birth."

“He’s not a mistress,” Lin Xiaocong corrected.

“He is our child. Since the Marquis’s family does not recognize him, he will be registered in your household.”

He was happy to be treated as a son-in-law.

"As for the problem you mentioned, it's not a problem at all."

"Whether it's a boy or a girl, we can arrange for someone to come to your home for individual tutoring."

Li Rong: "That would cost a lot of money!"

Lin Xiaocong laughed: "Of the ten points of Da Gan Pharmacy, I'll take four and a half."

“I didn’t like memorizing medical books at first, but when I heard that I could earn money by studying medicine, I studied it seriously. My grandfather was right.”

"Even if you have seven or eight children, I can afford to raise them."

“Who would tutor a mistress?” Li Rong shook her head.

"There's no one I, Lin Xiaocong, can't invite."

Lin Xiaocong pulled out his trump card: "Those without marital status are exempt from liability if they have children."

“Rongrong, when you are twenty-three, you must have a child so that your parents can be spared from exile.”

Li Rong is nineteen years old this year. It is early winter, and she will be twenty in a little over two months.

After ten months of pregnancy, whether the baby can survive is also a question.

There are still three years left, and time is indeed running out.

But as long as we reach the south, with my third sister there, everything can be overcome.

Li Rong kept quiet and pretended to agree: "Okay."

He took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, pretending not to notice her perfunctory attitude.

He asked her with a smile and a flattering tone, "What gift would you like?"

"No need for gifts, but when I visited my eldest sister's house last time, her mother-in-law wanted you to take a look at her chronic illness."

"Today happens to be your day off. If it's convenient for you, I'll have Qiu Hui send a message to invite someone over."

Lin Xiaocong took back the handkerchief: "Last time you went to visit my elder sister, I was on duty and couldn't go with you."

"I'll go with you today and take the opportunity to check your older sister's pulse for peace of mind."

"And your two nephews, Qi-ge'er and Bao-ge'er."

When her family members are mentioned, her eyes always light up with joy, and she smiles and replies, "Okay."

"I'll go arrange the gifts, you wait for me."

Li Rong was a little afraid to look directly into his warm, smiling eyes.

Lin Xiaocong stood up, turned around, his smile tinged with helplessness, but mostly with excitement.

The timing of this child's arrival was perfect!

After Lin Xiaocong left, Li Rong took a long time to recover.

She didn't want the child, but she lacked knowledge about abortion and felt lost.

The beauty was filled with melancholy.

When Lin Xiaocong returned after arranging everything, she was still sitting in the same spot, lost in thought.

Only Qiu Hui stood beside her, never leaving her side.

*

Because the Li family doesn't have the custom of sending invitations when visiting relatives, Lin Xiaocong didn't send an invitation to the Zhao residence in advance today.

Arriving at Qintai Lane, where my eldest sister Li Fu lives, at 9:00 AM.

The courtyard gate was open, and before Li Rong even got close, she heard Zhao's mother's mocking voice:

"I'm not happy when she comes, and you still want to go to her door?"

"If I had known you had such a shameless sister, I would have rather hanged myself than let you into the house!"

"To tell you the truth, if you have a daughter in the future, I will absolutely not let the child recognize an aunt like this."

"They set a bad example for our Zhao family daughter, showing vanity and disregard for reputation."

Then came Li Fu's gentle voice: "Mother, things are not as you think."

"I don't care what you look like, but if you dare to disobey me and leave this door today, don't blame me for saying you're unfilial to your mother-in-law!"

Li Fu's voice: "Didn't you want Young Master Lin to take a look at your persistent migraines? I'll go and ask him for you."

Fearing that Zhao's mother might say something that would offend Lin Xiaocong and make the situation uncontrollable, Li Rong quickly called out loudly, "Big Sister!"

The courtyard fell silent instantly, and then Li Fu hurriedly came out to greet us: "I was just about to come see you."

Li Rong quickly ran to Li Fu and lowered her voice.

"My great-aunt mentioned asking him to help treat her old ailment last time."

“If this isn’t done properly, your great-aunt will inevitably start nagging and bothering you.”

"Today is his day off."

As she spoke, Li Fu caught a glimpse of Lin Xiaocong approaching out of the corner of her eye.

The young master is upright and the gentleman is refined.

Lin Xiaocong smiled and bowed respectfully to Li Fu: "Elder sister, Mingxu greets you."

Li Fu met Lin Xiaocong for the first time.

She concealed her dislike for him and politely returned the greeting: "You flatter me, Young Master Lin, please come in."

If she weren't worried that her younger sister would be bullied if she went back, she would have ordered the servants to serve her with a large broom.

She led Li Rong and Lin Xiaocong into the courtyard.

Zhao's mother has already returned to the main hall.

When younger relatives came to pay their respects, she treated them with a smile and politeness.

There was not a trace of disdain for Li Rong on his face.

Lin Xiaocong took her pulse, prescribed medicine, and used acupuncture, all in a gentle and polite manner.

Zhao's mother smiled so hard her eyes narrowed into slits.

It is not uncommon for sons of noble families to keep mistresses, and they are not looked down upon.

People will only despise the spineless, self-degrading mistress herself.

While Lin Xiaocong was applying needles to Zhao's mother, Li Fu pulled Li Rong back to her room.

As soon as Li Rong closed the door, she asked, "Big sister, do you have any abortifacients?"

Li Fu looked at Li Rong in shock: "Weren't you taking medicine?"

Li Rong lowered her brows, looking as if she had no idea she would be so unlucky.

"I thought it was for avoiding pregnancy, but he told me today it's a tonic!"

Li Fu didn't know what to say for a moment.

Li Rong's eyes showed anxiety, and she asked worriedly, "What should I do?"

Li Fu comforted her, "Don't panic. How many months pregnant are you now?"

Li Rong didn't know and shook her head: "I didn't ask."

Li Fu told her about some of the things her doctor had told her she couldn't do when she was pregnant.

Then he comforted her, saying, "My third sister wrote to me earlier, saying that her people will arrive in the capital in three or four days. This time they will definitely be able to take Mother away."

"Someone will be arranged to pick you up afterward."

"Don't be foolish enough to stay this time."

Li Rong revealed her true feelings: "Once you all leave, I will head south."

The two sisters spoke very softly, and Qiu Hui, who was locked outside, couldn't hear them.

By the time we returned from Qintai Alley, it was already afternoon.

Lin Xiaocong sat properly opposite Li Rong, and the tea that was usually served in the carriage had been replaced with plain water.

He poured water for Li Rong and asked with a smile, "Did you ask your elder sister for advice on pregnancy care?"

Li Rong looked away from his gaze and said, "Mm."

Change the subject: "You had a hard day."

He opened the hidden compartment and picked up a book from it.

“I have already explained it to your great-aunt. It was I who forced you to stay. The fault lies with me, not you.”

"Her expression was priceless right after the acupuncture treatment."

"I don't know if she will use the medicine I prescribed."

Upon opening it, I saw it was the fire-avoidance diagram I had casually placed in the carriage last time.

He closed the book, his face contorted in pain, and tossed it inside.

He straightened his posture and poured himself a full glass of water.

Li Rong: "You're not going to prescribe her a bad medicine, are you!"

"Then she'll have another doctor take a look, and they'll know you did something wrong!"

"Then my older sister is in trouble!"

Lin Xiaocong smiled at Li Rong: "I promised Rongrong that I would protect Rongrong's family."

"I've considered the relationship between my eldest sister and her mother-in-law."

"There's nothing wrong with the prescription, so you can rest assured."

Li Rong breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Xiaocong held up a cup.

There was something wrong with the injections he used today.

We can't send that old hag to her death right away; we can let her suffer for a while.

She glanced at him as he drank water, and blushed as she thought of what her older sister had said about the risk of miscarriage in early pregnancy.

*

Upon returning to Chuntang Garden, Li Rong discovered that Chuntang Garden had changed.

All plants in the garden that could be harmful to pregnant women were removed.

New faces were added to the courtyard. When they saw Lin Xiaocong return, they all bowed respectfully and said, "Young Master."

Then he bowed to Li Rong and said, "Greetings to the Second Miss."

Lin Xiaocong explained, "They are not from the Marquis's residence, so they are trustworthy."

Li Rong always followed his arrangements.

Under the eaves of the main house, Lin Xiaocong lagged behind and let her go first.

Li Rong was dazzled by the golden color on the table as soon as she entered the room.

Gold cakes, gold jewelry inlaid with various gemstones, gold bowls, gold chopsticks, gold bottles...

The table was completely covered!

Li Rong picked up the golden spoon and swallowed.

Although she wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she can still eat with one.

She touched this and that, without even glancing at the money exchange seal placed on the mahogany box in the center of the table.

The seal was too ordinary; it was an ugly piece of jade that was neither red nor gray.

He smiled and stepped forward, took her hand, and placed the seal in her palm.

"The money I deposited for you, you can check it yourself at the bank when you have time, it's much more than what's on this table."

Li Rong forgot about the baby in her womb that had been troubling her just a moment ago; now she was thinking about:

How can I take all this gold and silver treasure, along with the money from the bank, with me?

It's not her fault that she loves money, because money is just too adorable.

Lin Xiaocong saw the light in her eyes.

I decided to give her a little gold every morning from now on.

That would probably make her happy all day.

He picked up a kingfisher.

If you give her gifts for the rest of her life, wouldn't she be happy until she's old?

Ah, I'm really clever.

*

The clever young master Lin never expected that he had been targeted.

Lin Xiaocong was a man of few desires. After Li Rong finished her bath, he went to the bathhouse to wash up himself.

Normally, Li Rong would at most take the initiative to put his robes away, and then leave as if fleeing.

Today, Li Rong put away her clothes as usual, but instead of running away, she went to Lin Xiaocong's side to help him take off his undergarments.

Lin Xiaocong was flattered and covered his collar to avoid her hand.

With an air of seriousness: "Please have some self-respect, young lady."

Li Rong blushed unconsciously, but still tried to remain calm.

"Since you gave me so much gold, I'll give you a bath tonight."

Between the two of them, it was always Lin Xiaocong who took the initiative.

Something unusual must be going on.

Lin Xiaocong smiled knowingly: "Rongrong, you can't enjoy my pampering during the early stages of your pregnancy, so you can't seduce me."

Li Rong felt embarrassed that her thoughts had been exposed, fearing that he would realize her intentions.

Her face flushed, she stared straight at him: "I just wanted to thank you!"

"Thank you, all I need to do is give birth to this child."

“That’s different!” She stepped forward, and he ran away.

She rushed forward, but he ran even faster!

"I'm going to thank you today!" she said, chasing after him.

He was afraid she would hurt herself if she ran too fast and get caught.

He clutched his collar tightly, pleading, "Please let me go, Rongrong."

Li Rong tried to help him take off his shirt, but couldn't pry his hands off, so she grabbed his pants instead.

"Okay, okay, I'll let you thank me!" He was afraid that he might accidentally bump into her.

Li Rong was satisfied and reached out to help him take off his clothes.

Lin Xiaocong solemnly reminded her, "Don't look at what you shouldn't see."

She ripped the shirt off his shoulder.

Lin Xiaocong hissed, crossed his arms, and looked like a huge man about to be bullied.

Li Rong couldn't help but laugh.

Taking advantage of her inattention, he put on his pants, strode into the bathtub with his long legs, and quickly submerged himself in the water.

Then, he would sneakily take off his pants in the bathtub and throw the soaking wet pants out.

He said to Li Rong, somewhat embarrassed, "I'm a shy person, please step aside, Rongrong."

Li Rong was about to burst out laughing.

She had long forgotten her initial purpose. She picked up a handkerchief and threw it at his face, then snatched it back from his hand.

"I'm really shy," he said, trying to avoid the question.

She twisted him: "Don't dodge!"

She clearly slipped and twisted, but he acted as if he'd been twisted by a goose, grimacing and accusing her, "Rongrong, you're abusing me!"

"You used to want me to bathe you, so why are you hiding now?"

He was making a fuss, and she was laughing.

After taking a shower, he ran away.

Li Rong chased after him to the corridor and saw his snow-white undergarment disappear around the corner.

His voice was carried on the autumn wind.

"Rongrong, a gentleman takes revenge even after ten years."

"I will be back!"

Li Rong's laughter was crisper and more melodious than the wind chimes under the eaves.

He hid at the end of the corridor, around the corner, clutching his clothes, leaning against the wall, smiling as he looked at the moon that simultaneously enveloped him and her.

He was very happy today.

*

Lin Xiaocong ran away, taking away a large amount of dopamine from her brain.

The anxieties about pregnancy welled up in Li Rong's heart again.

The thought of activities that could easily lead to miscarriage in early pregnancy flooded Li Rong's mind: lifting heavy objects or engaging in strenuous labor.

She entered the room and reached out to lift a chair.

Before her hand even touched the chair, Qiu Hui had already pulled it out: "Would the Second Miss like to sit for a while?"

Qiu Hui: "Second Miss is pregnant. Young Master has instructed us to work in groups of four, with someone looking after you every moment of the day."

Li Rong silently walked to the bed, got in, lowered the curtains, and lay down.

The gap in the bed curtains indicated that the candles in the room had been extinguished.

Li Rong touched her lower abdomen, thinking of Zhao's mother's words, her fourth sister's plight, and her third sister's current status as the matriarch of a high-ranking family...

Their reputations will all be tarnished by her in Chuntang Garden.

Having children creates an indelible memory of Chuntang Garden.

She suddenly felt a little sad.

She really wanted a child.

She's almost twenty, well past the age to become a mother.

But she can't have this child.

Tears silently seeped into the pillow from the corners of her eyes. She raised her fist and slammed it into her lower abdomen.

The fist that was about to fall was suddenly grabbed by a hand that reached in from outside the bed curtains.

Qiu Hui's voice rang out at the same time: "Second Miss, are you having a nightmare?"

Li Rong was startled and sat up: "What are you doing here!"

"Young master has gone to the study, and I will stay in the room to look after you."

Li Rong suddenly lifted the bed curtain and found Qiu Hui squatting by the bed.

Are you staring at me?!

"Noticing that your breathing was a little unusual, I lifted the curtain with my fingers and took a peek, and there you were having a nightmare."

Li Rong's gaze fell on another person behind Qiu Hui.

The woman knelt down and kowtowed respectfully: "This servant is Qiu Shuang, working with Sister Qiu Hui to take care of the Second Young Lady."

"I only need the two of you to watch over me!"

"To prevent Sister Qiuhui from going to the toilet, Second Miss, you are all alone."

Li Rong collapsed onto the bed.

Death.

*

The moonlight was bright and clear, yet chilly.

The emperor was buried seven days after his death and seven months after his death.

Princes and nobles from all over the country were rushing to the capital day and night.

Preparations for the imperial mausoleum have been completed, and the transition of power has become more stable.

A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day. According to the astronomical calculations, the auspicious day for the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne is October 12th.

The situation between the North and South suddenly became tense due to the announcement of this time.

In the deep courtyard of Tongbao Money Shop's backyard.

Xiao Cong sat at a mahogany table by the window, setting a gold-inlaid jade hairpin in his hand.

On the table, thin sheets of pure gold, drawn gold wire, yellow wax, copper gauges, twelve kinds of chisels and other items were piled up.

Right now, he holds the finished Hetian white jade hairpin head in his left hand, while his right hand is carefully sketching the outline of the inlay pattern on the jade surface with a needle-like chisel.

Making jewelry is his recent hobby for passing the time.

His aides stood at the table and had a deep conversation with him.

"The Crown Prince is now able to get out of bed and walk around to manage state affairs and read reports."

"If an action cannot be successful in one strike, then it must be well guarded against."

The staff members' eyes involuntarily fell on the tasks being carried out by Xiao Cong.

He kept talking: "We have everything ready now, except for the wind blowing from the Crown Prince."

"The Seventh Young Master Lin is a real challenge."

"With him around, the outcome on the Crown Prince's side is uncertain."

"I beg Your Highness to personally take action and keep him trapped for the night."

Xiao Cong picked up a brush and cleaned up the jade shavings from the flat chisel.

The moonlight peeks through the window, and it shines even brighter than the moonlight itself.

"good."

A clear, deep voice rose, but he didn't even look up.

Upon seeing this, the staff member offered a few words of concern, then bowed and withdrew.

I caught a glimpse of the object in his hand out of the corner of my eye.

It's hard to imagine what kind of woman could have won the heart of Yan, no, the future most noble and unparalleled man in the entire North, by personally presenting him with this hairpin.

The night heron's fishing broke the tranquility, stirring up waves.