Chapter 407 Mutual Assistance

Li San Niang, Ling Lan, and Qiu Xiang followed Qi Zhi Die into the building. At this time, Jin Zhen Bao had just finished dinner with the eldest daughter of the Jin family and was eating fruit with his two older brothers, Jin Da Xiong and Jin Er Xiong, who had returned home from the academy for the holidays.

As for the Jin family's master?

Jin Jialang has been back in his hometown of Qizhou for about a month due to some clan affairs.

Brother Jin is just approaching adulthood, and he is indeed a man of refined taste and broad-mindedness.

Jin Er was less than a year younger than Jin Da, and was shorter and less robust.

However, both of them doted on Jin Zhenbao, after all, Jin Zhenbao was the son of the eldest daughter-in-law of the Jin family after many years, so they cherished him very much.

In addition, Jin Zhenbao has been beautiful and lovely since childhood, and has a lively, cheerful and confident personality like a little sun. Who wouldn't love her?

"Bao'er, how's the school you're attending? Can you understand it?"

When Brother Jin asked this question, Brother Jin the Second didn't speak, but his expression towards Jin Zhenbao was also questioning.

Jin Zhenbao looked at the two of them without saying anything, then suddenly got up and walked out. After a while, Jin Zhenbao returned with several pieces of paper with writing on them.

"Eldest brother, second brother, this is the homework assigned by the teacher last time."

The copy I submitted was one I made a special transcription of later; this one I kept at home.

Brother Jin didn't look at the content, but first looked at Jin Zhenbao's calligraphy. He then smiled and said, "Bao'er must have been practicing his calligraphy diligently lately."

Jin Zhenbao raised his chin, looking pleased with the praise, as if to say, "I worked hard and deserve this praise."

Brother Jin laughed and then looked at the contents of his homework. But the more he looked, the redder his face became. Brother Jin Er, who was standing next to him, was curious about what Jin Zhenbao had written that could make Brother Jin, who was usually a proper young master, lose his composure like this.

Brother Jin wanted to put down the paper, but he was also curious and wanted to see if Mr. Jin Zhenbao would corrupt Jin Zhenbao, so he gritted his teeth and continued reading.

At the end, Jin Zhenbao wrote, "I knew how hard it was for my mother to give birth to me before I became a mother myself. I think I should thank my mother."

“Bao’er, you, you’ve grown up.”

Brother Jin felt something, put down Jin Zhenbao's studies, stood up and bowed solemnly to Madam Jin. Facing Madam Jin's questioning gaze, he said, "Mother, I have indeed grown up to be so many years older than Bao'er."

I understand my mother's love for me, and I am grateful for her kindness in giving me life and raising me.

"I will remember this in my heart. I will definitely take the imperial examination in the future and bring glory to my mother!"

This outpouring of genuine emotion suddenly reminded Madam Jin of the incident a few days ago when Jin Zhenbao, with his disheveled hair, had hugged her affectionately early in the morning. At that time, Jin Zhenbao had also spoken such tender words, clenching his little fist and saying, "I must make a name for myself so that everyone knows I am my mother's child."

"Good, good, good, you are all your mother's good children."

As she spoke, tears welled up in Madam Jin's eyes, as if all the bitterness she had accumulated since marrying into the Jin family had been released in that instant.

Just then, Jin Erxiong finished reviewing Jin Zhenbao's homework. Jin's eldest daughter-in-law, receiving Jin Erxiong's gaze, quickly said, "Your mother knows how good Erlang is. There's no need for further words. You are all my good children."

"The gentleman also talked about other things today."

Brother Jin became interested and asked, "Oh? What did you talk about today?"

When Jin Zhenbao saw that her elder brother was asking her questions, she didn't feel that there was anything she couldn't say, so she simply told him everything that Li Sanniang had told her that day.

The room fell silent, except for the sound of Jin Zhenbao drinking tea as he spoke until his mouth was dry.

What Jin Zhenbao said reminded Jin's eldest daughter-in-law of herself. She said slowly, "After giving birth to your eldest brother, I thought about having another child after a year or two."

But your father, sigh, let's not talk about him anymore.

So, I got pregnant with your second brother right after I finished my postpartum confinement. My body hadn't fully recovered, so giving birth to your second brother was a bit difficult.

So, before I was even out of confinement, I asked your father what he thought and bought two maids from outside to come to our house to serve him.

Your third brother and eldest sister were born around that time.

The three siblings of the Jin family stared at each other with their mouths agape, never having imagined that it would be like this.

“I can’t control your father.”

Eldest brother, second brother, after you marry, you must cherish your wives and not neglect their health, causing them to give birth repeatedly and deplete their energy.

When Bao'er gets married in the future, she should let go when it's time to let go. She shouldn't let her hands and feet be tied by a man and children, nor should she risk her life for her children.

"You three are all my biological children, siblings from the same father and mother. From now on, you must look after and help each other."

The Jin family presents a touching scene of maternal love and filial piety, while Li San Niang is now in a difficult situation.

“Mrs. Li, this is my fault. I had to beg Mother Qi to let me meet you.”

However, since Aunt Qi didn't allow it, I came here on my own initiative this time.

Looking at the woman in front of her, who appeared to be in her early forties and whom she introduced as Mama Shen from the Orchid Troupe, Li San Niang felt somewhat helpless.

Earlier, Li San Niang, Ling Lan, Qiu Xiang, and Qi Zhi Die were walking across the backyard towards the building when they were bumped into by Shen Mama, a young maid from Shi Hua Lou who was running from the front yard and chasing after them.

Li San Niang quickly lowered her head, afraid that someone would see her face. However, Mama Shen directly called out to Li San Niang, "Li San Niangzi, please save my life!"

Qi Zhidie's face immediately darkened, and with a shout of "Someone come here!", two strong old women who had been chasing after the little girl stepped forward, grabbed Mama Shen who was still trying to shout, and covered her mouth.

Qi Zhidie was going to subdue the person and throw them out the door, but Li Sanniang thought that since they had already called out her name, she should ask whose life this "help" was.

So Qi Zhidie called for the old woman and dragged Mama Shen to the second-floor room. Mama Shen was no ordinary person; as soon as she entered the room and was thrown to the ground, she began to cry softly.

Li San Niang knew that this was mostly an act, but she still couldn't bear to watch it like this.

He then asked, "Madam, since you know my name, you must know I'm a female doctor. And you cried out for help, is there something wrong?"

Through Mother Shen's account, it was then learned that in the past, when Li San Niang came out of the back door of Shihualou at dawn, she had been seen by Mother Shen, who lived on the second floor of the Lan Hua Ban troupe, which was directly opposite the back door of Shihualou.

After one, two, or three times, Mother Shen took it to heart.

"At first I thought it was just a maid from the building being called out, but later I realized something was wrong. Then one time I kept watching and saw Madam Qi waiting at the back door. I knew then that this was definitely not a maid from the building."

"Then how do you know I'm Li San Niang?"

Sitting on the ground, Mama Shen wiped away the tears that had just fallen from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, then smiled and said, "I found out from the old woman who washes clothes for Shihualou."

That old woman had a good drink, so I found out by giving money to one of her neighbors, and then, emboldened by the alcohol, I got the information.

At this moment, Madam Shen looked at Li San Niang with shining eyes: "I never expected that it would be Li San Niangzi, the famous female physician in Chang'an City!"