Hong'er smiled, her eyes crinkling, her voice sweet and soft, and clapped her hands, saying, "Haha! I'm going to be a big brother!"
"Then you'd better behave, or your little brother and sister will laugh at you!"
With a chubby little face, he nodded earnestly: "Yes! Mother, Hong'er will be a good boy!"
Hua Weixin, upon finishing his court duties, saw his wife and children there and walked over with a beaming smile.
He winked at Li Yunyan, signaling her to keep quiet, and then suddenly picked Hong'er up in his arms.
"Ah! It's Father!"
Hong'er showed no sign of nervousness as Hua Weixin tossed him up and caught him.
This is Hong'er's favorite game!
The child's clear laughter echoed in the air, the cheerful sounds reaching all the way outside the courtyard. The servants in the manor, hearing the young master's laughter, all smiled with delight.
Because Li Yunyan was pregnant with triplets, Madam Mei began to worry again.
While carrying triplets is certainly a blessing and something to be proud of, it takes a heavy toll on the mother's body. Madam Mei, feeling sorry for Li Yunyan, began preparations well in advance.
She made a special trip to the palace to request a royal chef from the Empress to come to her residence. This royal chef was known for preparing pregnant ladies in the palace for health maintenance and had a knack for caring for pregnant women.
The royal chef strictly controlled Li Yunyan's diet during her pregnancy, ensuring she could absorb sufficient nutrition without causing the fetus to grow too large and affect delivery.
Hua Weixin's nerves tightened again.
Ever since he learned that Li Yunyan was pregnant with triplets, he refused to touch her again, even after three months, he resolutely refused to touch her, as if he were about to become a monk.
Li Yunyan regretted it. She shouldn't have tried to save trouble by getting pregnant with multiple children at once. Not only did it cause her family worry, but she also couldn't eat meat!
I secretly decided that I'd only have twins next time!
Thanks to the royal chef's meticulous care, Li Yunyan experienced no morning sickness throughout her pregnancy, and her baby remained healthy until nine months into the pregnancy.
On a sunny morning, Li Yunyan gave birth to three children: one son and two daughters.
Having both a son and a daughter, they have achieved the perfect balance of good and bad fortune.
Overjoyed, Madam Mei held a grand baby shower for the child, which was attended by all the prominent figures in the capital.
The emperor and empress also sent congratulatory gifts.
Many women in the inner quarters of the house openly and secretly inquired with Madam Mei about whether her daughter-in-law had any secret formula for being so fertile.
Mrs. Mei looked at her three grandchildren lying in a row with pride, and held her lively and healthy eldest grandson in her arms, her smile so wide that her eyes disappeared.
He smiled modestly and said, "There's no secret recipe; it's all thanks to my daughter-in-law!"
The congratulations poured in, but only Ye, from the Grand Secretary's residence, tore her handkerchief to shreds.
If she had known that Li Yunyan was so fertile, she shouldn't have broken off the engagement in the first place!
It's all that bitch Li Yunwu's fault! She made me lose such a good daughter-in-law!
That wretched woman has been in the manor for over two years, and there's still no news of her!
Ye returned to the mansion in a huff, and as soon as she got into her room, she sent someone to fetch Li Yunwu.
Li Yunwu was still lying in bed, unable to move.
For more than two years since she entered the manor, she has suffered inhuman abuse from Yun Ruoyan almost every day. Yun Ruoyan beats her and whips her at the drop of a hat, and there is no good skin left on her body.
Her mother-in-law, who used to be kind to her, no longer says a good word for her and always stirs up trouble.
Li Yunwu was exhausted. She thought that after marrying into the Zhongshu Ling Mansion, she would live a life of luxury, but she did not expect to marry a cripple and be beaten and scolded every day. She wanted to go out to ask for help, but she was watched closely and was not even allowed to leave the mansion!
She regretted it!
If she had known this would happen, she shouldn't have tried to steal this marriage!
Upon hearing from the nanny that Madam Ye was looking for her, Li Yunwu was too weak to get up and replied in a weak voice, "Nanny, I can't get up. Please fetch a doctor for me!"
The old woman glanced at her and said, "Young mistress is really pampered. She's lying in bed in broad daylight. It's only because our young master is kind-hearted that he married such a lazybones like you!"
Li Yunwu no longer enjoys arguing with people as much as before. She knows that arguing will not yield any results, and no one in the entire Grand Secretariat will stand on her side.
She pleaded softly, "Granny, I really can't get up. I didn't mean to neglect Mother."
The old woman covered her nose with a handkerchief and walked over to her side. She looked her up and down a few times, thinking to herself that she might really be seriously injured this time. She snorted coldly, flicked the handkerchief, and left.
Upon hearing the news, Madam Ye coldly remarked, "It would be better if a hen that doesn't lay eggs died! I fear the scourge will live on for a thousand years!"
She stood up impatiently. "Let's go take a look!"
Ye went into Li Yunwu's room and covered her nose with a handkerchief.
Li Yunwu was not qualified to live in the same room as Yun Ruoyan. It was always Yun Ruoyan who would have someone drag her over whenever she wanted to hit her, and then drag her back after hitting her.
There was a foul, rotting smell in the room. Ye waved her hand in front of her nose and stood at the door without going in.
"Li Yunwu! What trouble are you causing now? I can't get you to come here?"
Hearing Ye's voice, Li Yunwu, still half-asleep, gritted her teeth and squeezed out a few words: "Mother, please forgive me, I am not feeling well and really cannot get up."
She couldn't afford to upset anyone, or she would be beaten, scolded, and even starved.
Ye Shi got angry as soon as she heard that voice. She used to use that same voice to slander Li Yunyan in her ear. After hearing it so many times, Ye Shi started to believe it.
"This is outrageous! You're a daughter-in-law, and your mother-in-law is standing right in front of you, why don't you go up and greet her!"
"If you're so arrogant, why don't you just fly to the moon?"
"You ill-mannered brat!"
"A pheasant that doesn't lay eggs!"
The angrier Ye became as she cursed, the more offensive her words became. The servants around her would occasionally chime in with their contempt and disdain.
Even though Li Yunwu is now a pushover, she was still furious when she heard that.
She was tricked into this marriage! The Yun family not only show no gratitude, they don't even treat her like a human being!
She burst into tears, feeling that there was no point in living any longer, and that she might as well fight them!
She didn't know where the strength came from, but she shouted at Ye Shi in a shrill voice, "What do you mean, a hen that doesn't lay eggs? It's your son who's no good! Your son is a cripple! He never even touched me!"
She cried hysterically, "Yun Ruoyan is a useless person! He beats me, bullies me, and humiliates me every day! But he has never touched me!"
"You're talking nonsense!"
Ms. Mei couldn't stand her slandering her son like that and swore at her.
"Yan'er has already been examined by the doctor. He has lost both legs, but he can still have children! It's you, you worthless woman, who can't hold onto your husband's heart and makes him unwilling to touch you!"
Li Yunwu felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and the last bit of self-respect in her heart was crushed.
She always thought that Yun Ruoyan didn't touch her because he was impotent.
But to my surprise—even after he became a cripple, he still refused to touch her!
Is she really that bad?
In what ways is she inferior to Li Yunyan?!
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