Chapter 14 The Pregnant Girl is Pregnant

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Pei Xiaoyun did not return home.

Mingying seemed to have expected this; she never received his red envelope. He was probably comforting the sick county princess at that moment.

She warmed some sweet wine and prepared a few dishes with the servants who stayed behind in the courtyard, and they had dinner together.

The lanterns on the tree had been scattered by the wind, and now they were few and far between. She and her people picked them up and took them down one by one.

The New Year is over, the fleeting joy has faded, and everything is back to normal.

Until the third day of the Lunar New Year, Pei Xiaoyun returned alone to retrieve the official seal.

When the old lady of Prince Yi's mansion passed away, the Crown Prince, to show his kindness and benevolence, brought a group of royal family members to pay their respects. Since the Crown Prince was stationed at the mansion, he couldn't leave immediately, so he stayed at Prince Yi's mansion for three days.

In the evening, a memorial from the Shanxi government regarding the New Year's riots arrived, and he was about to set off for Shanxi to suppress the rioters.

The Crown Prince is addicted to women and indecisive. Recently, he has taken matters into his own hands and issued several laws that benefit aristocratic families while oppressing the common people.

Therefore, apart from the powerful and influential families, no one submitted to him. This pushed the common people to the brink, leading to rebellions on one side today and riots on the other. Everywhere there were voices opposing his succession.

Pei Xiaoyun often thought that if he could be a crown prince like Xiao Lang, he would have lived a truly pathetic life.

Back in the courtyard, he thought about how he had left in a hurry on New Year's Eve, neglecting Mingying, and wanted to see her one last time before leaving.

The maidservant replied, "Master, Miss Ming went to the storeroom to collect the fabric for her spring dress, and she hasn't returned yet."

He nodded and waited in the room for a while, but no one returned. His brows gradually furrowed.

He was in a hurry to set off and didn't plan to wait any longer. He took his personal seal and other items and left the covered walkway, where he bumped into her at the hanging flower gate.

Mingying brought back a batch of Yusi brocade, intending to learn from the embroidery workshop ladies and make a dress for Pei Xiaoyun. Lost in thought, she bumped into his chest.

"Young master is back." She covered her head, her voice brightening, and the frown that had been on her face for several days relaxed. "This servant has learned to brew a new kind of tea, and I will go and brew it for you to try."

I heard that he doesn't start work until the fifth day of the lunar new year, so he will have two days of free time at home.

Pei Xiaoyun glanced at her, slightly displeased that she was late. "Why are you still making tea? You don't need to go. I have some things to do and won't be back for a few days."

Mingying suddenly looked up.

In a few days? Has the county princess's asthma not gotten better yet?

"Would you like me to fetch a couple of pieces of clothing for you?"

Since we were going to someone else's house, we couldn't be without clothes to change into.

"No need, I'm not here. You should stay in the yard."

Pei Xiaoyun spoke hurriedly and went straight out of the hanging flower gate. With his broad shoulders and long legs, he disappeared from Mingying's sight in an instant.

Mingying stared at the pale blue bamboo pattern on the fabric of her spring dress, her vision blurring.

In the afternoon, Ling Shuang returned, carrying a bundle of snacks and treats for a treat.

Mingying finally smiled.

Looking at the table full of pastries, she couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time: "I was just joking when we played backgammon that day. If I lost, I lost. Why did you actually buy me so many pastries?"

Knowing that she was afraid of the cold, Ling Shuang used the fire tongs to stoke the charcoal and said with a smile, "It didn't cost much. The horseshoe pastry was made at home. The crab roe pastry was a gift from Madam. My mother works in the flower room in Madam's courtyard. Madam was happy during the New Year and gave her a lot of food and supplies. I don't like them, so I brought them to you."

Mingying touched the oil paper; it was still warm. She guessed that Ling Shuang had deliberately heated up the pastries before giving them to her.

Her eyes stung with tears; it was the first time a friend had been so kind to her.

She knew before the New Year that Ling Shuang was leaving to get married in Suzhou with her cousin and then do business there. She had even prepared the travel permit and shown it to her.

Pei Xiaoyun will probably release her from her post.

Mingying felt like a bird clinging to an iron cage, peering out and watching others spread their wings and fly away, leaving her all alone.

Even though she was reluctant to let Ling Shuang go, she hoped that she would have a good life in the future. After all, being a servant in a high-walled compound for a lifetime was not a good life.

She thought about it, rubbed her eyes, and still felt extremely reluctant to part.

Ling Shuang comforted her for a while, "Master dotes on you and will make you a concubine in the future. If you have another child, you won't have to worry about food and clothing. Isn't that how a woman's life is?"

Mingying was stunned for a moment by her words.

She actually felt that Ling Shuang was right, and she couldn't even explain what else she was dissatisfied with.

She's more subdued; staying by his side seems like a good thing.

The two chatted around the fire, and since it was still early, they stopped talking about leaving.

Ling Shuang then thought of something else: "I heard that because the county magistrate's grandmother passed away, she has to observe mourning, and her wedding with the master has been postponed by half a year."

Mingying was surprised and almost dropped the pastry.

The wedding was postponed for six months, which would have been around the time of autumn.

She suddenly remembered Pei Xiaoyun's gloomy expression and displeased tone when she saw him earlier.

It turned out that his frown was because the wedding date had been postponed, and he could not marry his beloved as promised.

Her eyes dimmed, the pastry in her mouth tasted like wax, she tried to swallow it, but her stomach churned and she vomited, bending over.

"What's wrong?" Ling Shuang poured her a cup of tea to rinse her mouth.

Mingying vomited until her face turned pale, and it took her a long time to calm down.

"You've been wearing too little clothing these past few days; you must have caught a cold again."

She often sighed, saying that she wasn't some delicate young lady, yet she had developed a sensitive body, and even a minor cold would cause her to vomit everything she ate.

Those crab roe pastries are made with dough coated in lard; no wonder the smell is unbearable.

Seeing her like this, Ling Shuang sent her back to her room: "Then go and rest. Since the master isn't here, everyone can slack off."

—

For several days in a row, Mingying often felt sleepy.

She liked playing backgammon, but she was always tired and couldn't muster the energy. In the afternoon, when Ling Shuang and the others played backgammon, she would stay in her room and sleep.

I can't really eat much of the meat dishes prepared in the kitchen; I can only feel better by eating some stir-fried vegetables.

She had no idea what was wrong with her; she couldn't take any fever-reducing pills unless she developed a high fever. As a servant, no matter how unwell she was, she couldn't get a doctor to come and treat her unless she was on the verge of death.

On the Lantern Festival, the Lan family took pity on everyone and gave all the servants in the mansion a night off so they could go out and visit the temple fair.

Hearing that she could go out, Mingying perked up a bit.

She remembered Pei Xiaoyun's words and originally dared not leave the mansion at will. She was relieved after hearing that he had gone to Shanxi, and at the same time, a strange feeling spread in her heart.

So he was on official business in Shanxi.

This time when she left the manor, she didn't wander around or talk to anyone else, so he probably wouldn't know.

On the night of the Lantern Festival, the streets were ablaze with lights, and the city was deserted as everyone flocked to see the spectacle.

She went out with Ling Shuang as usual. The streets were filled with lanterns, fireworks, and people of all kinds walked hand in hand. Talented men and beautiful women were boating on the lake, and the whole capital was filled with cheers.

The bright lights reflected in her eyes, and she suddenly remembered that two months ago, Pei Xiaoyun had taken her to a lantern festival. Although it was not as grand as the Lantern Festival, she could never forget that night.

Although it ended with the usual disappointment, she was still able to savor a hard-won sweetness.

The Lantern Festival is always a festival for lovers, and sure enough, Ling Shuang's cousin came to see her again.

Not wanting to disturb them, Mingying followed them at a distance, enjoying the dragon and lion dance on her own.

The old acrobat could breathe fire. Several children crawled through the ring of fire beside him, and after a thunderous cheer, she smiled and clapped her hands, dropping a few coins into the money box.

Walking along the river, she bought many novel trinkets. Her legs were sore and she could hardly walk anymore, so she sat down in front of a clinic to wait for Ling Shuang and the others to return from guessing riddles.

The crowd was sparse, and a cold wind blew. She covered her mouth and nose and sneezed. The clinic behind her was brightly lit, and her shadow was clearly reflected on the ground.

Thinking about how I haven't been feeling well for the past two weeks, and how I couldn't seek medical help while at home, I figured since I've finally come out, I might as well get some medicine to take home, brew, and drink, so I can recover faster.

The doctor in the clinic was a young woman. Mingying went in and had her pulse taken by her. Seeing that she was a female doctor, she didn't have many reservations.

"Sigh, I can't get a fever, and the discomfort won't go down. I don't know what's wrong. Could you prescribe some strong medicine to treat it?"

After taking her pulse, the female doctor said to her, "Young lady, you can't take even the strongest prescription. You're pregnant, almost two months along."

A note from the author:

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After another round of attacks, I'm about to run away.