Counting from the date of conception, Xie Zhaozhao is seven months pregnant.

These days, the baby in her belly is moving more and more frequently.

The shape of the belly is often irregular, with a bulge here or a hard lump there, and the little bottom is trying to expand its territory.

My abdominal skin felt like it was being pricked with needles, and my belly and thighs were covered in stretch marks that looked like the tracks left by snails.

My weight has increased by more than ten kilograms compared to two months ago.

She asked Aunt Chai, "Am I carrying twins?"

"One," Aunt Chai and Uncle Chai said firmly.

I don't know which part of the baby it is, but it keeps poking a "bump" out on her belly.

Overwhelmed with maternal love, she gently stroked the "bag" and tenderly asked it, "What are you doing?" Often, the bag would respond with even more care, as if playing with her and interacting with her.

Lu Feiyan curiously touched the "sac" with her hand and asked, "Is this the baby's finger?"

Aunt Chai smiled and said, "These are the young master's heels."

Xie Zhaozhao and Yuan Yuanman were both surprised: "Your heels are so small?"

"When a baby is born, its feet are about the size of a date, and that's about the size of its heel," Aunt Chai joked. "You think they're as big as an adult's feet?"

Xie Zhaozhao suddenly thought of someone saying, "Being tall means everything about you is big"...

When he was around, he would talk about "cases from the Dali Temple," which always made her incredibly embarrassed. But it was precisely his tireless and down-to-earth approach that gradually made her feel more connected to him, gradually lower her guard, and gradually trust and rely on him.

She wrote him another letter, sharing the interesting stories of the baby's growth.

"Aunt Chai and Uncle Chai both say it's a boy."

"Only boys are mischievous and unwilling to admit defeat. If you touch their little feet, they will press even harder. But if you touch a girl's little feet like that, she will dart away like a fish."

"Aunt Chai is very experienced. She said that if you are pregnant with a boy, the mother will become ugly, but if you are pregnant with a girl, you will become much prettier. Now I look as strong as an ox, it's unbearable to look at."

She wasn't ugly, but she certainly had a憨态可掬 (endearing and simple-minded) appearance.

He wrote a long, rambling piece of paper, without mentioning a single word about the floods in the south or the situation in Dongli.

After the beef sauce cooled, Aunt Cui and Manman put it into a jar and sealed it.

They used five-pound jars, and filled four jars.

Three messengers helped deliver the message to Gu Shaoyu. Aunt Cui reluctantly promised that they could eat one jar of the four jars of beef sauce on their journey.

On the night before he left, while patrolling the yard with Yuanyuan, Nanxing secretly gave her a wooden hairpin that he had carved himself in the dark.

“Your birthday was a few days ago, but I missed it… This wooden hairpin was carved by me in my spare time, please don’t mind it…”

He was blushing furiously, but he spoke with absolute clarity.

When it comes to courtship, males have to be shameless; they learn that from their masters.

These days, hairpins and purses are not things you can just give away as gifts; the meaning behind such gifts is self-evident.

Yuanyuan looked at the hairpin; it was smooth and delicate to the touch, without any roughness, which showed that Nanxing had polished it for a long time.

What's even more beautiful is that this hairpin is unlike any hairpin you've ever seen in a jewelry shop or stall; it's an exquisitely crafted swan looking back.

Whether it's the swan's head and neck or its wings, this hairpin is exquisitely dreamlike, noble and beautiful.

Nanxing's skills are superb, and she puts her heart into it.

Round-faced, she took the hairpin and asked softly, "You...carved it for a long time?"

"I started thinking about it the year before last, and I finally got this piece of cherry wood last year. I carve it whenever I have free time, and then I slowly polish it after carving it."

As Yuanyuan listened to him, she felt an indescribable surge of emotion and said, "I'll accept this hairpin now. Don't worry. The front lines are fraught with danger, so don't let your mind wander..."

Nanxing was thrilled to know that Yuanyuan had agreed, and said with a heart full of joy, "When I return, I will inform my wife and ask for your hand in marriage."

"No, Madam is about to give birth to the young master. Let's wait until the young master is a little older." Yuanyuan's own affairs were not urgent; she still needed to take care of Madam and the child first.

"Yes, I'll do as you say. You and your wife need to be careful in the manor. I only found out about all the things that happened in the capital after I came back. They even dared to harm a prince."

"When you return to the Northwest, you must protect Grand Secretary Gu. Tell Grand Secretary Gu that we will all protect Madam. Do not tell Grand Secretary Gu about certain matters in the capital, as it will only cause him unnecessary worry."

Nanxing smiled like a fool, her eyes sparkling, and she nodded at everything she said.

The two whispered to each other in the lotus pond, while Xi Luo secretly sneaked into the island in the middle of the lake again to "poison" the lotus.

“My lord, a few days ago, Princess Yu Rong went to the estate to escape the summer heat, and I and three other guards accompanied her at the same time.”

Xi Luo said that thirty miles outside the city, they encountered an unmarked carriage on the main road, which was heading west onto a side road.

Although there were no markings, Xiluo noticed that the carriage was made of nanmu wood, so he made an excuse to the princess and followed it.

The carriage traveled another twenty li westward before stopping in front of a village.

The plaque, written in clerical script, reads "Huiyue Mountain Villa".

Standing on the road, one can see that this village is surrounded by high walls, and both inside and outside the walls, thorny roses are planted.

Xi Luo discovered that there was a lot of hidden information about this manor, including two guards near the entrance alone.

The carriage we encountered on the road arrived at the gate of the manor, and a quick-witted waiter immediately came forward and said respectfully, "Please come in, sir."

The people inside the carriage didn't make a sound. The carriage entered the courtyard, and the gate closed again.

Xi Luo stood on a nearby lush tree and saw the carriage stop outside the second gate. A person got out of the carriage and entered the second gate.

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