The newborn baby was tiny, its limbs curled up in the swaddle, like a kitten.

Lu Qiqi unwrapped the baby, lifted the baby's purplish-red little feet, made a small circle with her thumb and ring finger, and flicked the sole of the baby's foot with a clever touch.

A sharp crack startled Huang the midwife so much that she almost knelt down.

Her heart ached terribly at that sound.

How could you hurt such a tiny baby!

Lu Qiqi flicked the sole of the baby's foot and found that the baby opened its mouth in pain and curled its legs back, but did not utter a single groan.

Then she snapped her fingers twice on the soles of the baby's feet.

The midwife, Huang, couldn't bear to watch any longer. Even if the baby's birth was considered an ominous sign, it shouldn't be treated like this!

Just as Lu Qiqi was about to snap her fingers twice more, Huang the midwife slapped her thigh.

"What a terrible thing! My newborn baby can't take this kind of beating!"

As she spoke, the midwife Huang reached out to wrap the baby in a thin blanket to prevent Lu Qiqi from hitting the soles of his feet again.

Lu Qiqi didn't look at her and said coldly, "Babies are easily suffocated and die because they can't hear their cries after birth."

If you stop me again, what Madam Wu will see when you take the baby out is a stillborn infant!

Upon hearing this, the midwife immediately withdrew her hand. It was a grave taboo to show a stillborn infant to the mistress of the house.

Not only were concubines who gave birth neglected, but even the midwives who delivered babies didn't fare well.

After delivering too many babies like this, wealthy families would stop hiring them for childbirth, fearing it would be considered taboo.

Lu Qiqi snapped her fingers on the soles of the baby's feet, switching from the left to the right, and snapped them countless times.

Suddenly, the baby lying on the bed began to cry loudly, filling the entire room.

"Amazing! Amazing!"

When Huang the midwife saw the baby crying loudly, her eyes lit up.

Now that's good, the child cried, so he won't have to bear the reputation of being a jinx anymore.

The child born to Aunt Xiang poses no threat to Madam Wu.

If the lady is pleased, she will surely receive a considerable reward.

The baby cried out, and Lu Qiqi breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, heaven rewards those who persevere, and the child's life was saved in time.

She gently placed the child's right foot down, and the midwife quickly wrapped the child in a thin blanket.

Holding her child, she walked briskly outside to share the good news.

As soon as the door opened, Madam Wu and Granny Gui stared intently at the thin quilt.

The midwife, Huang, grinned from ear to ear and said happily, "Congratulations, General! Congratulations, Madam! Concubine Xiang has given birth to a daughter."

This was a great joy for Mrs. Wu, who had given birth to two sons.

Sons born out of wedlock always get a share of the property, but daughters born out of wedlock are different.

The concubine's daughter will be married off sooner or later. If she marries well, prepare more dowry so that her husband's family will not look down on the general's mansion.

If it's a marriage to a lower social class, just give some dowry and prepare a couple of empty trunks and that's it.

In reality, illegitimate daughters were merely a means to connect with relatives by marriage and consolidate the interests of both their maternal and paternal families.

As long as the illegitimate daughter's birth mother eats a day's worth of food from the general's mansion, she can torment this illegitimate daughter for the rest of her life.

Midwife Huang gently lifted the thin blanket to check on Madam Wu, and then quickly wrapped the blanket back up to prevent the child from getting cold.

Madam Wu was relieved and nodded in satisfaction. "You did a good job. Midwife Huang and Midwife Jin worked hard today. Tell the steward to give them a generous reward."

The midwife, holding the child, bowed repeatedly in gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam."

"After spending half a day in Aunt Xiang's courtyard, I got tired and decided not to go in to see Aunt Xiang."

She just gave birth to a daughter for the general; she's a meritorious person. Let her rest well.

After saying that, Madam Wu turned her gaze to Granny Gui, "Aunt Xiang has worked hard. Granny Gui, go to the storeroom and find some tonics to make medicinal cuisine and send it over so that she can have a good rest."

"Yes, this old servant will take care of it right away."

After giving her instructions, Madam Wu, exhausted and weary, left Aunt Xiang's courtyard with several maids behind her.

Anyone who didn't know better would think that she had done a great service by giving birth to a child.

After Madam Wu left, midwife Huang handed the child over to Aunt Xiang's maid, and then went with midwife Jin to collect their reward money.

Xiangling carried the baby girl back into the house.

As soon as she entered the house and closed the door, she smelled a strong stench of blood, and tears welled up in her eyes.

When she entered the inner room, she saw Aunt Xiang lying on the bed, the purple brocade quilt beneath her covered in blood.

Tears fell like pearls, pattering down their faces.

Her aunt must have suffered so much!

Lu Qiqi cleaned the tools she had just used and put them back in her medicine box. Then she saw a maid dressed in a light orange dress standing in front of the bed, holding a child and crying her eyes out.

She kindly reminded him, "Your aunt isn't dead, there's no need to cry so sadly."

Xiangling cried with tears streaming down her face. She wiped away the tears haphazardly with her sleeve, and when she saw the person in front of her clearly, she hugged the child and knelt down with a thud.

"Xiangling thanks the Township Head Kangle for saving Aunt Xiang!"

Lu Qiqi then remembered that Xiangling had been standing next to Madam Wu just now, so it wasn't surprising that she knew her identity.

She said, "There's no need for that, please get up."

Xiangling knelt on the ground, motionless. At this moment, the baby girl in her arms suddenly cried, and she slowly got up.

Seeing that Xiangling was having difficulty getting up while holding the child, Lu Qiqi stepped forward and reached out to help her.

Then, she placed her index finger on the corner of the baby girl's mouth, and the baby girl twisted her little head and opened her mouth to look for food.

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