Chapter 48
"The portal has been opened. Would you like to return? If so, the system will be activated immediately to send you back."
Yingxiang, who was in excruciating pain, was momentarily dazed upon hearing that cold yet familiar electronic voice. For a fleeting instant, she thought she was dreaming.
"Can I go back?"
She asked somewhat uncertainly.
At the beginning of her transmigration, Yingxiang's life in ancient times was extremely uncomfortable. She had to fight wits with her stepmother and was afraid that her biological father was heartless. Life has not been smooth sailing. At that time, she dreamed of waking up and going back to her hometown.
If she could return to the highly developed modern world, she would be overjoyed. She could use her phone, work freely, play games, and live a vibrant and fulfilling life.
"It's a boy, that's great."
As soon as Granny Wen said this, Yingxiang gradually regained her senses. It was a son. Yingxiang was conflicted. She thought of Wen Shi and the newborn child.
If there was anything she still cherished in this era, it was the child she had carried for ten months and who had finally been born, and her husband.
"Host, would you like to go back?"
The system repeated itself.
"If I choose to go back, then this ancient body..."
"You will die immediately."
The electronic voice came through, and Yingxiang was stunned. Not only did she feel physical pain, but she also felt a pang of heartache.
"Can I take them with me?"
She asked cautiously, "Wen Shi might not be able to adapt to modern life, but he is smart, studious, and hardworking. With my help, he will definitely be able to adapt."
In modern society, everyone is equal and there is no oppression in life. Even if Wen Shi's path to the imperial examinations was cut off, the couple could still do business and make money and survive.
"People from ancient times cannot go to the modern era. Host, don't joke around. You have transmigrated, but your soul has returned to the modern era. If you choose to go back, then when your descendants mention you in the future, they will say that you gave birth to a child and died in childbirth."
Yingxiang immediately understood that if she went back, she would have to abandon her husband and children, but she couldn't do that right now.
"Madam Wen, look, this is your son, isn't he wonderful?"
Yingxiang slowly turned her head and looked at the child in the red envelope with complicated thoughts. It was a boy, which was good. In ancient times, at least he wouldn't have to suffer a lot, and his father was a respectable man.
The newborn baby had bright red skin, its eyes were not yet open, and it was huddled in a red swaddle, not crying.
"Please make your choice quickly, host."
The system started urging again. Granny Wen had already taken the child and was walking out. Yingxiang watched her back, gritted her teeth, and then said, "I'm not going back."
"good."
The system disappeared the next second. Yingxiang didn't feel relieved. The opportunity was hard-won, but she couldn't give it up.
Thinking of Wen Shi, her newborn child, and herself, she felt a mix of emotions and then fainted.
When he heard this outside, he was initially shocked. After a moment, he was about to push the door open, but then he remembered what Granny Wen had said and dared not push it open rashly. When he saw Granny Wen carrying the child out, he immediately went forward.
"Congratulations to the family, mother and child are safe and sound."
Granny Wen was overjoyed. Wen Shi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, thinking, "That's wonderful!"
Yingxiang and the child were both alright, and he took the child from the swaddled blanket.
"Madam Wen has just given birth and probably needs to rest. Let's put the baby in the cradle first. If the baby gets hungry, we'll have to ask Madam Wen to breastfeed the baby."
Wen Shi nodded. He looked at the tiny baby in the swaddling clothes and for a moment, he was very excited. He carried the child and hurried into the house.
Looking at the sleeping Yingxiang, he checked her breathing with his hand again. It was fine, everything was alright.
The two old women began tidying up the house. Wen Shi gently placed the child next to Yingxiang and watched the mother and child with satisfaction.
At that moment, his joy was palpable, and he felt that his life from now on would be wonderful and happy.
He stood guard like that all night, and the next morning, after washing up, he went to the academy to study.
Of course, before that, he gave the two old women some copper coins as a reward, and he would still have to rely on them to take care of Yingxiang and the baby during her postpartum period.
Yingxiang woke up slowly around noon and, with the help of Granny Wen, fed the baby.
"My wife took excellent care of herself during her pregnancy, and her milk supply is plentiful."
Yingxiang nodded but didn't say anything. Compared to yesterday, the pain had eased a lot. Thinking about what happened yesterday, she felt a mix of emotions. In the end, she made her choice, and that was the end of it all.
When Wen Shi arrived at the school, it was midday and the sun was blazing, but he was visibly happy. When asked, he told the truth.
The arrival of a new family member is a joyous occasion, and with him now having an heir, almost all his classmates came to congratulate him.
"Brother Wen, when is the full moon celebration? You have to invite us to the feast, it's such a joyous occasion."
"No problem, everyone will come."
He was overjoyed when he heard this. He certainly wouldn't let his child suffer. He would just find a restaurant and set up two or three tables. It wouldn't cost much.
"Okay, we'll definitely go."
After school, Wen Shi rushed home and saw Yingxiang trying to get out of bed. He strode over to her and tried to help her.
The smell of blood in the room had disappeared. Because of the hot and humid weather, Yingxiang had specially asked someone to open the windows so that she wouldn't get cold during her postpartum confinement.
"My lady, how are you feeling now? Should I go and fetch a doctor?"
Seeing this, Yingxiang looked worried and shook her head.
"Everything is fine, go and see the child."
Lying like this isn't very comfortable. Since Yingxiang is giving birth, Wen Shi won't be able to go to bed for at least a month. He can only sleep on the floor. In this hot weather, he's not afraid of catching a cold. He can just put on more thick blankets.
The baby in the cradle was still sleepy. Wen Shi stared at him for a moment, and then saw the little guy suddenly open his eyes.
Wen Shi smiled and gently patted him.
"I wrote home to share the good news."
Yingxiang nodded. She took a few steps slowly and didn't feel uncomfortable. She then drank several more glasses of water.
In the kitchen, Granny Wen was preparing food. The two old hens she had bought earlier would definitely be killed, as women lose a lot of energy after childbirth and need to be nourished.
Wen Shi wrote a letter home. After finishing the letter, he began to recall the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu). In the end, he wrote down several names. In fact, he had thought about them before, but had not made a final decision. Now that the child was born, he had to come to a conclusion.
"Wife, which one do you think is better?"
The child has been born, and we need to choose a name. We will also need to register the child with the government and obtain household registration documents, otherwise it will be inconvenient in the future.
Yingxiang looked at the words on the white Xuan paper without much hesitation and finally chose the two characters "Leqian," meaning a humble gentleman, which was also her expectation for her son's future.
He repeated it once, then smiled.
“Very good, Wen Leqian.”
The child's name has been decided.
“Now all my classmates know that we have a baby. I plan to hold a banquet at a restaurant for the baby’s one-month celebration. You and the baby don’t need to go. The baby is still small, and the weather is unpredictable. You need to take good care of yourself. You’ve just finished your postpartum period, so you can’t be careless.”
Yingxiang nodded; she hadn't planned on going.
Wen Shi took Yingxiang's hand and then looked very serious.
"My wife, you've worked so hard."
After Yingxiang reacted, she felt a warmth in her heart. It seemed that her choice might not have been wrong. Wenshi looked at his wife's face with deep affection. Suddenly, the baby in the cradle cried. Yingxiang immediately asked Wenshi to bring the baby over.
"We have enough milk now, but we'll keep the goat milk. You can drink the goat milk first, and he can drink it when he's older."
Wen Shi nodded. Even if he didn't need it, he didn't intend to sell it. Goat milk was a good thing, and he had clearly felt much better since he started drinking it.
Children can drink it too in the future.
The weather is getting hotter and hotter. If it doesn't rain in the evening, it will be very humid and stuffy. Yingxiang also felt a little uncomfortable indoors.
She counted down the days, eagerly awaiting the end of her postpartum period.
With two people helping to take care of the child, she spends most of her time breastfeeding and lying down. Occasionally, when she feels like it, she'll hold the baby or walk around the house. Food and drink are readily available, so she has no worries.
That day, Yingxiang felt that the weather outside was not very good. She sipped her chicken soup slowly and couldn't help but look out the window.
Normally, the windows are open, but if it gets windy, they have to be closed. Soon it started to get windy and rainy, and Granny Wen hurriedly came in to close the windows.
The drizzle gradually turned into a moderate rain, and finally into a downpour. When Wen Shi returned, his clothes were already mostly soaked.
The rain gradually stopped in the latter half of the night.
When Wen Shi stood in the yard early in the morning, the sky was misty and the air was damp. He couldn't help but look at the sheep pen not far away, where the ewes were also staring at him lazily.
The goat milk was plentiful, and we milked it twice a day. Since we couldn't finish it all when we smelled it, we gave it to the two old women.
Although nominally servants, Wen Shi and Ying Xiang were not stingy and did not deliberately make things difficult for them. The two old women also took good care of Ying Xiang and the child.
They prepare three lavish meals a day and keep their house spotless.
For Old Man Wen, receiving this letter the day before his grandson's one-month celebration made him laugh heartily in his shop.
"That's great! The third son's wife gave birth to a son."
As he spoke, he stood up and paced back and forth in the room. Liu hummed in agreement, "This isn't my eldest grandson." Everyone else was happy for Yingxiang.
Xiuyu pursed her lips but didn't say anything.
"Our family has gained another member. It's so good, so good."
After Old Man Wen finished speaking, he burst into laughter, his face crinkling with wrinkles.
At the academy, Wen Shi had booked a restaurant. He planned to take his classmates there today. He studied hard and had never made enemies, so everyone gave him face.
All the classmates were present in the classroom; not one was missing.
You can't be stingy when you need to be generous. Booking the best restaurant is unrealistic, so Wen Shi didn't go to those small eateries either. He chose a mid-range one, and the food and drinks were quite good.
When entertaining someone, you should treat them well. Spending a little money is fine; it makes him happy. He has class tomorrow, so no one in the private room drank excessively. Everyone just had a few sips, exchanged pleasantries, ate some food, and enjoyed the atmosphere.
After the banquet, Wen Shi went home, smelling slightly of alcohol, but not completely drunk.
At night, Yingxiang lay in bed, already thinking about how many baths she should take the next day and what clothes she should wear. But then she started talking in her sleep. When Yingxiang heard her clearly, she couldn't help but smile, her fair face full of joy.
Let life go on like this; it's not like there's no hope at all.
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