Chapter 54 [VIP]

The sudden appearance of the child shocked both of them, and they were still in shock even after everyone had left.

Wang Ying reached out and touched her lower abdomen. "Could the old doctor have made a mistake?"

Chen Qingyan quickly sat down by the bed and took his hand. "It should be right. His medical skills are very famous in the town. He wouldn't make a mistake about a simple pulse like pregnancy."

"What the fuck..."

"Wang what hair?"

Wang Ying rubbed her forehead and said, "It's nothing... I just can't accept it right now."

"I also feel like I'm dreaming..."

Chen Qingyan was excited at the thought of becoming a father, but he was also filled with trepidation. Could he be a good father?

Thinking back to my father, I remember how loving and caring he was to me from the time I could remember.

Perhaps because he married late, Mr. Chen was more patient than other men and also liked his child more.

People say that men should hold their grandchildren but not their sons, but Chen Qingyan remembers that when he was four or five years old, he often rode on his father's shoulders. Some people jokingly said that Chen's father spoiled his child too much.

At that moment, Chen Xian stroked his son's hair and said, "This is my son. As long as I can carry him, I'd be happy to carry him until I'm eighty."

Unfortunately, her father passed away early, and she could no longer rely on his shoulder.

Chen Qingyan's eyes welled up with tears, and her resolve gradually strengthened. "Don't worry, Aying, I will definitely take good care of you and the child!"

This isn't a matter of taking care of her or not; in Wang Ying's heart, she hasn't truly come to terms with it. At most, she feels like she's become a lesbian, but she still can't quite accept the idea of ​​having children.

After struggling with the question for three or four days, Wang Ying finally gave up on thinking about it.

Let nature take its course. If you can have a child with blood ties to you, it's not a bad thing. At least he will have his first relative in this strange world.

On the fifth day, the two prepared to return to the estate, but Li sent her son back, leaving Wang Ying to take care of him.

"Wait until the baby is settled before going back. Besides, you men don't know how to take care of people. Let Ying'er stay at home."

"Mother, I can take good care of Aying."

"No, how can you study if you're taking care of him? You can't do two things at once, don't waste such a good opportunity!"

Chen Qingyan's attempts to persuade him failed, so he had no choice but to leave dejectedly. Fortunately, the experimental field could now be opened in a different location, and the two could meet there that night.

Back at the estate, he told the others about Wang Ying's pregnancy.

"Big brother, am I going to be an uncle?"

Chen Qinghuai clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "Congratulations, cousin."

Old Liang coughed and said, "From today onwards, you must set an example by studying hard and be a good role model for your children in the future."

"Um!"

Perhaps because of the increased burden on his shoulders, Chen Qingyan studied even harder, starting at dawn every day and not resting until sunset.

The first thing I did after resting was to quickly open the experimental field and go in for a date with Wang Ying.

Because the experimental field could only be used for a limited time, for a fixed two hours each day, the two agreed to meet at 5 PM every day to avoid wasting time.

As soon as the experimental field was opened, Wang Ying also came in, and the two hugged each other upon meeting.

"How are you today? Is your stomach upset? Have you vomited?"

"No, but how have you been? What have you eaten?"

Chen Qingyan said, "Today's meal was cooked by Uncle Chen and me. Although it's not as delicious as yours, it's still quite palatable. It's just that Master kept saying he missed you while we were eating."

Wang Ying couldn't help but laugh out loud. Old Master Liang had no other hobbies, and even his favorite food had been taken away from him.

“Mother said I’ll be fine in three months, and then I can go back to the village. Today she went to the Taoist temple and got me a peace charm.”

"My third aunt even said she wanted to make clothes for the baby, and she got anxious even before she knew whether it was a boy or a girl."

"It doesn't matter, boy or girl is fine."

Wang Ying also felt that both boys and girls were fine. He had always embraced modern ideas and did not have any preference for boys over girls.

If a boy was born, Chen Qingyan would teach him to read. If he was promising, he could take the imperial examinations; if he was not, he could stay at home and be a good son. If a girl or a boy was born, she would teach him to run the shop.

Limited by the times, women and men could not achieve much. To be able to choose a good man and live a peaceful and smooth life was the best life.

Chen Qingyan hugged him, and the two sat under the peach tree, looking through the amulets. Suddenly, they felt a surge of anticipation for their unborn child.

Chen Qingyan also shared what she learned today, including making popsicles. "I followed your method and poured the prepared popsicle liquid into molds and froze them in the experimental field. Uncle Dunzi will deliver them to town on time tomorrow."

"Thank you for your help."

"How can this be called trouble? It's just what I should do."

Wang Ying changed her position and rested her head on his shoulder, saying, "We need to save more money. If we can participate in the imperial examination next year, it will cost a lot of money."

"I'm afraid it won't be that quick. Back then, the teacher's fame came from a combination of favorable timing, location, and people. Jiangnan is full of talented people, with a strong scholarly atmosphere. People often organize poetry gatherings and debates. Their poetry gatherings are different from those in the town. There are dedicated pageboys who record the poems and songs at the gatherings and then compile them into a book to be circulated."

“I’ve bought a few books myself. Those that are available are generally quite knowledgeable. Back then, my teacher was young and talented, and he happened to have the great scholar Bai, who appreciated his talent, debating with him. That’s how he became famous overnight. I’m not as naturally gifted as my teacher, and I don’t have the right opportunities. I need time and opportunity to become famous.”

Wang Ying nodded, but Chen Qingyan was still young, only eighteen years old. In her previous life, she had only graduated from high school at that age.

"Don't rush. Just calm down and learn from Master Liang. He's very capable."

"From my province."

"You should also take care of your health and not overwork yourself to the point of getting sick."

"Don't worry, I practice the Five Animal Frolics with Master Liang every morning now, and I feel much stronger than before. You can feel it if you don't believe me."

Wang Ying reached out and touched his abs. They were indeed quite well-built; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to pin him down so he couldn't move at all.

Time was running out, and Chen Qingyan gave him a reluctant kiss on the corner of his mouth. "It's time to go back. See you at this time tomorrow."

"Okay, you should get some rest and stop staying up late to read; it's bad for your eyes."

"Okay, I understand."

The scene flashed, and the two returned to their respective bedrooms. Wang Ying hugged the quilt and felt for the first time that her bed at home was so big. The thought of having to stay for another two months before returning to the manor made her feel unbearable.

Chen Qingyan, on the other side, was also suffering. Smelling the scent left by her brother on the quilt, she tossed and turned until dawn before finally falling asleep.

*

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and Li invited a doctor to help take her pulse again.

"The pregnancy is stable, so it's definitely a positive pregnancy."

Li clasped her hands together and chanted a Buddhist prayer, "Amitabha, may Buddha protect me!"

The doctor prescribed two prescriptions to help with the pregnancy and then left. Chen Rong and Li Shi came to his room with fabric to choose from. "Which color do you like? Mother will make you some clothes."

"There are plenty of clothes in the closet, enough to wear."

Chen Rong laughed and said, "Silly child, when your belly gets bigger, you won't be able to wear your old clothes anymore. We'll have to make you a few more spacious ones."

Wang Ying scratched her head awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable at the thought of her pregnant belly. "Anything is fine, you can make it however you like."

"Then let's choose this lilac and this crimson."

Chen Rong held up a piece of cloth to Wang Ying's body and said, "Ying'er is fair-skinned, she looks good in any color."

Madam Li said, "I hope the child in my belly will have the same skin as Ying'er, and definitely not like Qingyan."

Wang Ying said, "Qingyan isn't dark either."

"He's not dark-skinned, but he was prone to rashes when he was little. Whenever it got hot, his body would be covered in red rashes, and the itching would make him cry incessantly."

When Chen Qingyan's childhood was mentioned, Wang Ying couldn't help but become interested, "Did he cry a lot when he was little?"

"She's a crybaby!" Li and Chen Rong said in unison.

When Chen Qingyan was born, Chen Rong was not yet married, and she helped take care of her for a few days.

"When Qingyan was a child, he had a nickname called the Night Cryer. As soon as it got dark, he would start crying. Unlike other children who would yell and wail, he would sob softly, which was quite heartbreaking to see."

Li said, "That's right. At first, I thought this child was naturally prone to crying, but who could bear to keep going like this? Back then, Tian's mother watched over him all night long, and she was so tired that she couldn't straighten her back."

Upon suddenly mentioning Mother Tian, ​​Mrs. Li couldn't help but sigh...

"Later, a few monks came to town begging for alms. They said that Qingyan had not yet resolved his past life's issues and could not let go of his relatives from his previous life, which was why he cried every night. They recited scriptures for the child for a day, and strangely enough, from that day on, he never cried at night again!"

This is one of the reasons why she is so superstitious about monks and Taoist priests.

Wang Ying listened with amazement, but she also learned a little more about her young master.

Bored at home during the day, he would go to the shop at noon to deliver lunch to his younger siblings. Li Shi was worried about him being alone, so she insisted that Er Shun come with him.

When she arrived at the shop, she happened to run into Cao Kun, who was also there. He had an ice pop in his mouth and immediately stood up to greet Wang Ying, saying, "Greetings, sister-in-law."

Wang Ying was amused by him, "You're quite diligent, aren't you? Why are you here again?"

"Hehe, I missed Xiao Qiu, so I came to see her."

Lin Qiu blushed with embarrassment, stomped on his foot, and ran away.

Wang Ying couldn't help but burst into laughter, "You're not even married yet, watch your words."

“I did it on purpose. I sent him away so I could say a few words to my cousin’s wife.”

Seeing his serious expression, Wang Ying knew it was something important and quickly asked, "Has something happened in the county town?"

“My sister-in-law is smart; she guessed it right away—it was Xiao Qiu’s father.” Cao Kun recounted his encounter with Lin Changbin after the New Year to Wang Ying. “I was afraid he would come looking for Xiao Qiu and the others again, so I left him at the porter’s shop and gave him a bookkeeping job.”

"That's thoughtful of you."

“This is what I should do, but these past few days he has learned from someone that I am going to marry Qiu’er, and he has started to act like an elder in front of me, demanding a raise and expecting me to serve him food and drink.”

Wang Ying clicked her tongue. This shameless old man doesn't even know if he's qualified.

Cao Kun is no ordinary person either. He started out in the world at the age of sixteen. What kind of people hasn't he seen? If it weren't for the fact that he is Lin Qiu's father, he would have already had someone beat him up.

“I found two lads to scare him, and they really frightened him.”

Wang Ying: "Serves him right. Don't spoil him. If he dares to cause you trouble again, just beat him up with a big stick and send him away."

"Oh, I know. By the way, his son from his mistress's affair doesn't seem like a normal child. He's almost seven or eight months old and can't even roll over. He doesn't respond when called; he's probably mentally challenged..."

Wang Ying clicked her tongue, not expecting retribution to come so quickly.

A short while later, Lin Qiu returned from outside. Cao Kun stood up and said, "I should go now. I'll come see you again next time."

Lin Qiu hummed in agreement, and seeing that he was about to take out money again, he quickly waved his hand and said, "I don't want your money. My sister-in-law gives me a share of the profits from the shop, and I can get seven or eight taels of silver a month!"

"Then save it for me, I'm afraid I'll lose it as I travel all over the country." He said, tossing him a bag of loose silver, about twenty taels, and waved goodbye.

Wang Ying felt a pang of sadness watching the young couple's reluctant parting. Thankfully, she could meet Qingyan that evening; otherwise, she really wouldn't have been able to endure it!

A note from the author: