Chapter 144
The weather was comfortable, neither too hot nor too cold, and the banquet hall doors were open.
A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers from the garden in the distance, and the hall was adorned with even more fresh blossoms.
Everyone was drinking and laughing, and seemed to be having a great time. Yingxiang watched several song and dance performances and was in a good mood. After today, she would be going back tomorrow.
Of course, she also needed to go to the shop to buy some newborn clothes for the baby in her belly. The prefectural city was definitely better than the county. After that, she could stay at home and rest during her pregnancy. The gifts had already been sent out, and her good intentions had been conveyed.
I also ate during the welcoming ceremony. The food was delicious. There's no need to be reserved. Just eat what you want and be generous. There's nothing wrong with that.
The banquet lasted from noon until evening, when the last juggling act ended.
The prefect's wife has two sons and a daughter. Her daughter looks like a true lady from a prominent family. Every word and gesture she makes is very proper, and she appears very composed. It is said that the governess the prefect's wife hired was from the palace.
That really cost a lot of money, but it was very effective.
Her youngest son is exceptionally handsome and elegant, greeting everyone in a friendly manner without any hint of arrogance.
The eldest son was away on assignment, but I heard he was very capable, so it's no wonder the prefect's wife was happy from beginning to end.
Her husband respected her, and the concubines were afraid of her. Her family was well-off, and her children were successful. She really had no worries.
The ideal of most officials' wives and noblewomen is this: their families prosper, their children are ambitious and sensible, and their husbands' careers get better and better.
"Tomorrow we'll go shopping, and after we get home, bring me a pen and ink, and I'll make a list."
Both children were her biological children, and Yingxiang wanted to treat them equally. The older one was born in the prefectural city, and at that time, her and Wenshi's lives had improved and were not as difficult as before. Therefore, she gave him the best she could afford.
Whether it's clothing or food, there's no need to skimp on the little things right now; life is much better than before.
If she sees suitable clothes tomorrow, she'll buy a few more to take home. Her baby will be born at the end of the year, so it's better to be prepared.
The next morning, after being seen off by the steward, Yingxiang immediately led her people to the busiest street in Yunzhou.
She went straight to the clothing store, where, of course, there were ready-made clothes.
"Sir, look at this outfit. It would be perfect for a newborn baby. Look at the patterns and stitches; they're all embroidered with coins."
Upon hearing the final words, Yingxiang, who had initially been quite satisfied with the outfit, suddenly felt it wasn't quite right because it was made with gold thread.
Such a young child will only wear this set for ten days or half a month at most. When he grows up, he won't be able to wear it anymore. She's not so rich that she can afford to spend tens of taels of silver on such a set for her child. It's not appropriate.
Yingxiang shook her head. Now that she was wealthy, she couldn't afford to waste money. Seeing that she was dressed appropriately, the shopkeeper started recommending other things.
Yingxiang focused on the patterns, and as for the fabric, cotton was fine, something durable to wash. In the end, she picked out nearly thirty sets, enough for the child to wear from birth until he was two or three years old.
This wasn't her first time being a mother; she had raised a child herself before, and this time, she bought only useful items.
After going outside, Chunyu put the bags and packages into the carriage.
"Let's not leave the city yet. Let's find a jewelry store. I want to buy two gold locks for peace."
"yes."
Looking at the list, she had bought almost everything, just these two.
Gold isn't cheap, so Yingxiang carefully selected the same gold for both children after arriving at the store. Although the older one was too big, she couldn't afford to buy it for him before, but now that she could, she could get him another one.
These things have a good meaning, and gold is valuable. When she returns to the county town, she will first go to a nearby temple to have these two peace locks blessed so that the children can carry them with them in the future.
After buying the items, she got into the car and went home.
With Yingxiang absent, Wen Shi focused on official duties, occasionally going to check on the county soldiers' road and bridge repairs. The progress was good, and he was quite satisfied.
This is something that benefits the people. Sometimes the river is very rapid, and if someone accidentally falls off the bridge, the chances of survival are slim.
Some were dilapidated and didn't need repair, so he directly ordered new ones to be built.
Last year, thanks to the Emperor's great favor, taxes were reduced by half. Most of the money has already been spent on repairing the dikes, and there is still some left, which is enough.
Wen Shi did not embezzle, and he was the highest-ranking official in the county government. With his subordinates watching, no one dared to line their own pockets, and those who had ulterior motives temporarily put them away.
Wen Shizai Neng can only stay here for five years at most, and then he will definitely be replaced. There is no hope in the next few years, but it is hard to say what will happen in the future.
It was three days later when Yingxiang returned to the county, and she didn't rush to go to the city.
She first went to a temple in the suburbs, where she donated some money for incense and offered incense with great piety. After both peace locks were consecrated, she left with them.
Not long after they got back, Wen Shi came over. Looking at the large and small bags placed aside, Wen Shi didn't seem to care much.
"Don't worry, my husband. I didn't drink any alcohol. The banquet was very thoughtful. They even gave me water from the wine pot. It wasn't embarrassing at all."
"That's excellent."
When he heard that his wife's complexion was rosy and she showed no signs of discomfort, he was relieved.
Yingxiang took out two peace locks from her money bag. They were glittering with gold, and Wen Shi was stunned when he saw them.
“This is for the two children. You can send this to Leqian later and tell him to wear it properly.”
"They are all our sons, so we must treat them all equally."
Wen Shi held it in his hand and examined it for a while. The design was exquisite, and it must have been expensive. He didn't object, and Yingxiang was right.
Regardless of whether this baby is a boy or a girl, they are all his children, and he will naturally treat them all equally.
Parental favoritism will inevitably lead to discord within the family; he has felt this deeply since childhood, without even looking at other families.
"The letter Xiao Wu wrote a few days ago has arrived. All three children have gone back to take the exams. He and his eldest brother plan to set off for the prefectural city in mid-June to prepare for this year's provincial examinations."
Hearing this, Yingxiang didn't seem particularly concerned and simply nodded.
"You should take good care of yourself and focus on your pregnancy."
"How about we buy another ewe? Or we can find two wet nurses."
Things are different now. He didn't want his wife to suffer, but unexpectedly, Yingxiang refused first.
“My husband, I’ve thought it over. There’s no need for a wet nurse. We have maids at home who can help take care of the baby. I fed the baby myself at first. You know, a newborn doesn’t have many needs.”
Yingxiang thought of the ewe from before. This time the situation was different. She wasn't tired or uncomfortable, and her milk supply was definitely plentiful. She decided to feed her herself if she could.
When they were older, they had maids to take care of them, and time passed quickly.
"I'll listen to you."
"This is good for the child."
Yingxiang added a sentence.
Wen Shi nodded without saying anything, gesturing for her to go to bed and rest.
After Yingxiang fell asleep, he covered his wife with a blanket before going to the front yard.
Not long after, Wen Shi heard that a new clause had been added to the law regarding the arrangement of wives and daughters if a husband died without a son to inherit the family property.
The people were discussing it extensively, but not many were dissatisfied.
The news was delayed in reaching them; only those in the capital could get firsthand information, since they were closer to the emperor.
Thinking back to the memorial he had written, Wen Shi was still very happy. Emperor Jingyuan was truly thinking of the people. To some extent, it provided a guarantee for women who had lost their husbands, preventing them from becoming homeless and starving, and from having to rely on remarriage to survive.
You have to understand that ordinary families don't have that much surplus grain, so the bride's family can't continue to help their married daughter, let alone help raise her children.
As summer approaches, the weather gets hotter and hotter, though it does get a little cooler in the mornings and evenings.
Some families in the county knew that Yingxiang was pregnant, but no one bothered her, and she was quite content with her pregnancy.
She would read storybooks, stroll through the garden, and eat her favorite foods when she had nothing to do. Watching her belly slowly grow, she didn't feel any discomfort.
Business continued as usual, and her daily check-ins were unaffected. Before she knew it, her system inventory had accumulated many more items.
That day, Yingxiang sat on the bed as usual and began cleaning. She definitely wouldn't drink the pregnancy milk powder. Before, it was because her living conditions weren't so good, and she thought she couldn't lack nutrition, but now she didn't need it as much.
She took out an adorable tiger-head hat, along with some delicious treats, including durian ice cream, which she immediately started eating.
I looked at the rest, but they wouldn't fit easily if I took them out, so I decided to leave them inside.
Ice cream is refreshing and delicious. Pregnant women are supposed to avoid it, but the weather is hot, so it's okay for her to eat one without additives occasionally.
Wen Shi told his family that his wife was pregnant again, and by then, Wen's father and the others also found out.
"It's a good thing. The third son has a wife again, and Leqian will have another brother in the future."
"What if she gives birth to a daughter?"
Liu was not afraid of any of her daughters-in-law, except for Yingxiang, who was uncontrollable yet capable of standing on her own, so she dared not bully Yingxiang.
"That doesn't matter. The third son has become an official, and I've heard that daughters of officials are not like the money-losing girls from the countryside; they are much more useful."
Old Man Wen looked at Liu Shi and became even happier as he spoke.
“Her marriage will not only bring in a large dowry, but it may also help the third son’s future.”
"I miss the children a bit; I wonder if they've arrived yet?"
Thinking of her grandsons, Liu felt a little lonely. The house was much quieter now. Although there were still two younger ones, she couldn't get close to the other one, except for Ma's son.
Xiuyu was also at home. She and her husband, Amian, were really incompatible, with Amian constantly finding fault with her.
But Ah Mian is capable, and Old Man Wen usually pretends not to see it unless he says anything. When Wen Chuanzong comes back, he always argues with Xiuyu about it. Of course, he won't make a fuss, but he gets really angry every time.
Xiuyu was even more reckless, and would often threaten to kill herself at the gate of his academy.
"There hasn't been much rain lately, so let's not sit idle for the sake of the harvest. Let's go water the fields together tomorrow."
"Irrigating the land?"
Liu didn't really want to go, but Old Man Wen dragged her along. Under the scorching sun, she could only wear a straw hat and follow her two sons to fetch water to irrigate the fields.
This is the family's livelihood all year round; we can't let the crops die of drought, or all our hard work will be for nothing.
The second and fourth brothers are not afraid of hardship and have been farming for the past few years. These ten acres of land are enough to keep them busy. Both of them are shirtless, sweating profusely, and they are still working.
Yuqin and Ma would come over whenever they had free time, bringing water and food, and helping to water the fields.
This summer, not only in Beijing, but also in Ping County, there has been little rainfall.
The people were in a panic, and many even went to pray for rain. In the palace, the emperor learned of this and made a special trip to Huguo Temple to pray for rain.
If the farmland is close to a water source, it's not so bad; people just have to work hard to irrigate it themselves. But if it's far away, it's even more tiring. They have to water it bucket by bucket, running back and forth, and many people even suffer from heatstroke.
If you can't afford medical treatment, you can only wait to die.
The weather was hot and dry, and Yingxiang also felt a bit annoyed. She went to the temple to pray for rain and to find the river god, but to be honest, it was mostly just for her own comfort.
Artificial rainmaking is out of the question, so we can only pray to God for rain to come soon.
Many ordinary people rely on the weather for their livelihood, and when the weather turns bad, it can really hurt them.
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