Chapter 69 He inexplicably climbed into my bed
Yan Weijin said helplessly, "A man's belt."
"Huh?" The two couldn't help but burst into laughter, yet they found it unbelievable: "How could this be? Why would a man's belt be placed on the table during a baby's first birthday celebration?"
Yan Weijin said helplessly, "They weren't displayed there. There were hundreds of rare and precious items on display that day, but she didn't take any of them. Instead, she turned around, pulled off her wet nurse's belt, and held onto it tightly."
Yan Wuxin, blushing, lay face down on the table, while Xiang Ruzhen and Lu Jinlan laughed so hard they slapped their thighs, unable to stop. However, the two actually had slightly different points of laughter.
Xiang Ruzhen was laughing at Yan Wuxin for pulling on his wet nurse's belt, while Lu Jinlan was secretly pondering the term "wet nurse".
She had heard before that men here need to take a lactation-inducing drug after giving birth so they can produce milk to feed their babies.
However, this process is accompanied by the pain of blocked and engorged milk ducts, and it doesn't look very aesthetically pleasing.
People often think: "If a man has such big chests, is he even a man? Flat chests are more attractive; otherwise, what woman would like him?"
Therefore, husbands in wealthy families generally do not breastfeed their babies. After giving birth, they are busy recovering their figures and will ask men who have just given birth to act as wet nurses to help feed the infants.
Lu Jinlan suddenly remembered that Yu Mian was about to give birth, and wondered if a wet nurse had been found in Yunzhou Prefecture.
Seeing everyone laughing, Yan Wuxin said embarrassedly, "Mother, let's not talk about me. Instead, tell me about how you were the best student in your school days."
Yan Weijin thought for a moment, "If you study hard, you will naturally do well on the exam, and there's nothing to say about that. However, I did do something out of line back then."
“At that time, I had several close classmates, and none of them came from well-off families. One of them was an orphan, and his life was even more difficult. One year, the school supervisor embezzled the subsidies for poor students. That classmate was already in poor health, and in the dead of winter, he could only wear a single layer of clothing. He caught a cold and died.”
"We were so angry that we set fire to the school supervisor's house."
Unexpectedly, someone like Yan Weijin would do something so impulsive. The three were momentarily stunned, and Yan Wuxin quickly asked, "And then?"
"And then? Ha." She sneered. "Then the school supervisor came to us and demanded that we pay 1,500 taels of silver, or else he would take us to court. Once he took us to court, not only would we lose our school registration, but we would also be arrested."
Lu Jinlan hurriedly asked, "How could this have been discovered? Did you accidentally leave behind some evidence?"
Yan Weijin shook his head, drank a glass of wine by himself, his eyes as cold as an icy pool, "No evidence was left behind, but someone informed on us."
"Huh? How could this happen..." Everyone was at a loss for words.
Yan Weijin sighed, “Back then, I was just as fearful and uneasy as you are today, as if the sky had fallen. In fact, looking back now, 1,500 taels of silver is just a small matter. But I today cannot save myself yesterday.”
"I was trapped there, young and poor, reminiscing about my lost friends, enduring their betrayal, and facing a precarious future with utter helplessness."
"Fortunately, a wealthy merchant from out of town came to the capital that year. She was a young lady who was new to the business world. She was kind and generous. When she heard about this, she generously gave us 1,500 taels of silver."
At this point, Yan Weijin turned to look at Lu Jinlan and said, "That person is your mother, Lu Jinzhao."
“Wh...what?” Lu Jinlan was stunned. “I...I’ve never heard my mother mention this before.”
Yan Wuxin exclaimed with delight, "So Jinlan and I are old friends? Mother, why didn't you say so sooner?"
Yan Weijin forced a smile. "Lu Jinzhao has a wide circle of friends and is a chivalrous person. This kind of thing happens to her often, so she probably doesn't remember it."
At this point, Yan Weijin stopped talking and changed the subject.
"Actually, I'm especially happy to see that the three of you haven't betrayed each other at all today. When faced with choices, people always prioritize themselves, and selfish and cowardly people are always so easy to betray."
"It's not easy to have a friend you can absolutely trust. I envy you two for having two such friends."
She seemed to be thinking of something, and her eyes welled up with tears.
She put her arm around Yan Wuxin's shoulder, moved, and patted it hard. "Mother is really happy today. I almost thought you were a coward, but today I found that you are really brave. You are finally a bit like me. Mother will pour you a glass of wine. I really underestimated you before."
Yan Wuxin's nose suddenly stung, and tears welled up instantly. She dared not look her mother in the eye, silently drank the wine, and hurriedly stood up, saying, "I'm going to the restroom."
Xiang Ruzhen: "I'll go too."
Just as Lu Jinlan was about to get up, Yan Weijin suddenly called out to her.
"Jinlan, wait a moment."
Lu Jinlan turned around in confusion, and Yan Weijin said, "You and your mother don't look alike. Looking at your profile reminds me of another old friend."
Lu Jinlan was stunned, suddenly remembering the scene she saw when she first entered the book. She smiled and asked, "Who do you think I resemble?"
Yan Weijin chuckled softly, "That old friend has passed away; you didn't know him. But I'm curious, do you look more like your father than your mother? What was your father's name?"
Lu Jinlan said, "My father's surname is Yan, but I don't think we look alike..."
As she spoke, she suddenly noticed a subtle change in Yan Weijin's expression. Although she tried her best to hide her nervousness, Lu Jinlan could sense that she cared a lot about her answer.
Lu Jinlan suddenly realized that perhaps she shouldn't tell the truth. She was cautious and said vaguely, "But people say that my father and I look alike. We're family, how could we not look alike? Sometimes we can't see the resemblance ourselves, but outsiders can. Some people even say that my father and I look like we were made from the same mold."
Yan Weijin hummed in agreement, then asked, "What month is your birthday?"
"The sixth day of the ninth month is only one day different from Wuxin."
"Oh." Yan Weijin finally nodded and said nothing more.
This matter became a source of doubt in Lu Jinlan's mind. After leaving the Prime Minister's residence, she absentmindedly returned to the academy to check the list.
This ranking is indeed fair; she is still first, Xiang Ruzhen is second, and Yan Wuxin has improved slightly to forty-sixth.
The exams were over, and summer vacation had arrived. Lu Jinlan packed some things and prepared to go home.
"Ruzhen, come home with me."
"No, although Zhongyong Garden is large, it's outside the city. Hanlin Academy has many ancient books, and I plan to spend more time there during the summer vacation. Living at school makes it much closer to Hanlin Academy. But I'll visit you every now and then, so you won't miss me too much."
Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "Alright, I'll head back now."
Xiang Ruzhen watched her leave, but as soon as she turned around, Lu Jinlan returned.
"What's wrong?"
"Can you find the list of students from the Hanlin Academy from 25 years ago?"
Xiang Ruzhen hurriedly asked, "Why are you investigating this?"
Lu Jinlan didn't know what to say, so she just said, "I'm very curious. Today, the Prime Minister said that she was number one twenty-five years ago. I want to know who her classmates were back then, and whether I've heard of any of them."
"Actually, my mother has a friend who may have also attended the Royal Academy. She is about the same age as His Excellency, and I guess they might have been in the same year, or a few years earlier or later."
Xiang Ruzhen asked, "What's your mother's friend's name?"
“His name is…” Lu Jinlan tried hard to recall, “His name is Fei Qing.”
"What's your surname? What are the two characters?"
Lu Jinlan sighed. The fragments in her memory had no subtitles, so she didn't know which two words they were.
"I don't know her surname, or even her given name. Never mind, it's not important. Maybe I'm overthinking it. Just pretend I didn't say anything, and don't tell anyone about this."
*
Lu Jinlan wondered if she was being too sensitive. In fact, it was possible that Yan Weijin had just asked casually and it might not have anything to do with her background.
She tried to comfort herself, thinking that even if she was a child adopted from outside, it didn't necessarily mean she wasn't Lu Jinchao's daughter. Maybe she was born to Lu Jinchao's other man?
But she was also keenly aware that, given the nature of male-oriented novels, the possibility was extremely slim.
Her biological mother is most likely someone else, but who could it be?
She returned home and, preoccupied, had a meal with Rin-chan and Qi-lang.
Both of them were heavily pregnant, and she had no interest in fooling around with them. She locked herself in the study and silently pondered things.
After some time, someone came in to bring tea and light a lamp.
The handsome young male servant said gently, "My lord, these are freshly made pastries, please have a taste."
Lu Jinlan waved her hand, "Put it there."
The person who came did not leave. He reached out and tugged at her sleeve, saying softly, "My lord, you must take good care of your health while you are studying. If you feel tired, let me give you a massage."
Lu Jinlan frowned and sighed inwardly.
In this gender-swapped world, most of the servants serving you are the opposite gender of the master.
The front courtyard was mostly populated by female servants, who worked as guards, gatekeepers, and attendants—jobs that required them to be out in the public eye and interact with the outside world. The male servants, on the other hand, worked within the mansion. In the inner quarters where Lu Jinlan and her husbands lived, apart from her and the steward Xi Mo, almost everyone was a male servant.
Firstly, there is a clear distinction between men and women, and the husband cannot casually interact with other women. Secondly, these male servants are also a potential sexual resource for the wife.
Just like the palace maids in the ancient imperial palace, who were all the emperor's women, the men in this mansion were also considered her men, as long as she took a liking to them.
Perhaps others thought that way, but Lu Jinlan never did. She had worked odd jobs, and she thought that being treated like a slave was hard enough; to have to do this and that on top of that, wasn't it going too far?
She had no such intention, but unexpectedly, some men took the initiative to come to her and fawn over her.
Lu Jinlan glanced coldly at the male servant, then grabbed his wrist with her hand. With a slight exertion, the man cried out in pain and knelt down at her feet.
Lu Jinlan said coldly, "I remember your name is Yanshi, and you were part of the dowry of the Grand Master. Your young master is kind and treats you well, so why are you so restless?"
Yan Shi hurriedly begged for mercy, saying, "My lord, spare my life! It was my young master who sent me... to serve you."
Lu Jinlan was taken aback, let go of his hand, and strode into Lin Cheng's courtyard to confront him.
*
Song Lincheng has gained some weight recently, and when he looks at himself in the mirror, his expression becomes increasingly dejected.
Men dress up for women they want to please, and today, as soon as Lu Jinlan returned, he specially changed into the clothes she had said looked good last time and dressed up carefully. But she didn't say anything when she saw him, and it was unclear whether she thought he had gained weight or looked ugly.
Song Lincheng sensed a crisis; perhaps she was tired of him. He had no choice but to ruthlessly send Yan Shi to serve her, in order to demonstrate his thoughtfulness and magnanimity.
Yanshi was a dowry girl personally chosen by his father. She was quite beautiful so that she could serve his wife when he was pregnant.
Song Lincheng thought that Yan Shi was good at talking, and Lu Jinlan would probably like him.
He should be happy, lest all the noblemen in the capital gather together and say that he's so stingy because he's favored by Lu Jinlan. He's pregnant and unable to serve his wife, yet he doesn't even try to find her a suitable husband.
Now that he's offered to send someone over, he can finally earn a reputation for being virtuous, right?
But for some reason, he couldn't feel happy at all. His eyes grew redder and redder, and tears streamed down, quickly soaking his clothes.
"Song Lincheng!" Lu Jinlan pushed open the door and rushed in.
Song Lincheng quickly wiped away his tears and stood up, asking, "Wh...what's wrong?"
"What do you mean, 'what's wrong'?" Lu Jinlan said irritably, "Who told you to make these arbitrary arrangements?"
Seeing her anger, Song Lincheng quickly explained, "Qilang and I are both pregnant, so it's inconvenient for us to take care of you. My father said that we should put someone capable in your room, so I..."
Lu Jinlan glared at him and sat down. "Your father always teaches you these useless things. The person who serves me all day long suddenly climbs into my bed. How can I not feel awkward?"
Song Lincheng lowered his eyes, "That was because I didn't think it through. I was just looking from the outside, not knowing their background, and I was afraid they might not be clean..."
Lu Jinlan frowned and said, "Don't worry about that. I'll find the kind of man I want myself. I don't need your help."
Song Lincheng said aggrievedly, "You're so good to me, I'm just afraid that I'm not a good enough husband and that I'll make you feel bad."
"Would I make myself feel wronged?" Lu Jinlan was so angry that she raised her voice, but when she saw his red and swollen eyes, she sighed helplessly, took his hand, and softened her tone: "Don't I know you? You don't need to pretend to be virtuous and generous with me."
Song Lincheng was still holding back, but after hearing her say that, tears streamed down his face, and he choked out, "I saw you weren't very happy. It's finally summer vacation, and I didn't want you to be running around all the time, so..."
"Alright, alright," Lu Jinlan hugged him and said gently, "My unhappiness has nothing to do with you, it's about something else. You're pregnant, don't overthink things. I'll stay here with you tonight and keep you company."
Rin finally smiled. "Then I'll go wash my face first."
The two lay in bed, Lu Jinlan still thinking about her origins. Song Lincheng said softly, "Although I don't understand national affairs, if you have anything troubling you, feel free to tell me, and I can offer some advice."
Lu Jinlan sighed, "It's not a matter of national importance, it's just that I suddenly had some thoughts, and my mind is in a mess."
Song Lincheng said, "Go ahead and say whatever you want. It's our private conversation as husband and wife. You can say whatever you want, and I'll understand. Let's just treat it as a secret between the two of us and not tell anyone else."
Lu Jinlan thought about it and agreed, so she turned to him, looked into his eyes and said, "If there were a baby who was being chased from birth, what do you think her identity might be?"
Song Lincheng said, "Then her parents must have offended someone, so they wouldn't even spare a newborn baby. Or perhaps, this baby is related to someone else's interests, so they have no choice but to kill her. In any case, she is very important, which is why she is being hunted down. As for her identity, it's hard to say."
Lu Jinlan nodded. "Forget it, there's too little information. It's hard to guess. Let's not waste our brains on it. We'll talk about it later."
She blew out the light. "Go to sleep."
In the middle of the night, Lu Jinlan was awakened by a series of joyful ringtones from the system in her mind.
"Ding! Congratulations, host! You have gained one more offspring, a daughter, and your HP has increased by 100,000! One hundred new items have been unlocked in the system shop, and the system is gifting you a 'First Time Mother' gift pack!"
Lu Jinlan sat up abruptly. Song Lincheng, still half-asleep, asked, "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
Lu Jinlan shook his head. "No, it was... a beautiful dream. I dreamt that Yu Mian gave birth to a daughter."
Lin Cheng smiled, then said jealously, "You're just thinking about him all the time. You haven't seen him in so long, you're always missing him. He is about to give birth, but maybe he'll have a son."
Lu Jinlan chuckled, pinched his cheek, and coaxed, "Whether he has a daughter or a son, I love you and our child the most. Don't be jealous. Go to sleep."
Lu Jinlan was overjoyed to have a daughter, which dispelled the doubts about her birth and allowed her to start thinking about what name to give her.
She had even planned how to reward everyone in the manor, but Yunzhou hadn't sent any news, so she had to pretend she didn't know.
After a month of silence, Yunzhou remained completely still. Lu Jinlan began to doubt the system's accuracy. What was going on?
Lu Jinlan didn't want to wait any longer. "Pack your things. I'm going back to Yunzhou tomorrow."
Rinjo and Shichiro glanced at her with concern and began to offer words of comfort.
Lin Cheng: "Don't worry, Yu Mian is a martial artist and has a strong body. She will definitely be fine. The news is probably on its way and will arrive in the next day or two. If you go there, you'll miss it."
Qi Lang also said, "Our Lu family is extremely wealthy, with the best doctors and the best medicines. We will definitely ensure the safety of father and daughter. Just wait patiently."
Lu Jinlan thought for a moment, "I'll wait two more days. If I don't hear anything, I'll go back to Yunzhou. Nobody can try to stop me."
The situation changed just one day after those words were spoken.
The next day, Yan Wuxin and Xiang Ruzhen came to Zhongyong Garden.
Lu Jinlan and the two were riding horses in the garden when Xi Mo suddenly came galloping over to report: "Congratulations, Young Master! Congratulations, Young Master!"
Lu Jinlan's eyes lit up. "News from Yunzhou?"
Xi Mo laughed and said, "They've arrived! I've brought Young Master Yu Mian and the young master with me, and we're waiting for you in the front hall."
Lu Jinlan was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Ruzhen, Wuxin, come with me to see my child!"
*
Lu Jinlan hurried to the front hall, where Lu Jinzhao was standing at the door. Lu Jinlan quickly ran a few steps and almost threw herself into Lu Jinzhao's arms to bow to her, "Mother, it's been a long time. Your child greets you."
Lu Jinzhao laughed and said, "Get up quickly. You're a mother now, yet you're still so clumsy. Go see your daughter; she's absolutely adorable."
Lu Jinlan entered the hall, where everyone was congratulating her.
Rinjou Shichiro was there, and there were a few unfamiliar faces who were probably babysitters brought from Yunzhou.
It had been almost a year since they last met. Yu Mian had gained some weight. He had finished his postpartum confinement early and had been traveling for days, so his face was a little pale. When he saw her for the first time, he was quite excited. His eyes were moist as he took the baby and said with a smile, "Greetings to my wife."
Lu Jinlan touched his hand. "Yumian, you've worked hard."
Yu Mian shook her head. "Hold your daughter. Look how much she looks like you."
The newborn baby was white and soft, pink and tender, with only a pair of big, clear black and white eyes that blinked and looked at her.
Lu Jinlan smiled slightly, touched her little face, and carried her back and forth.
She was mentally calculating what was in her new motherhood gift package, which she hadn't opened yet. She'd check later to see what was inside and if there was anything for the baby. Becoming a mother so easily had left her feeling a little overwhelmed.
Just then, Lu Jinzhao arrived, and she had a chance to ask Yan Weijin about it. As she was thinking this, Yan Wuxin walked up to her and said, "Give me a hug."
Lu Jinlan handed the child to her. Yan Wuxin liked the child very much. Watching her babble, she took off her jade pendant and let her play with it.
Yu Mian hurriedly reminded her, "Young Madam Yan, please put it away quickly. This child is very quick. What if he grabs it and breaks it?"
Yan Wuxin didn't take it to heart and laughed, "So what if it's broken? It's just an object."
Xiang Ruzhen said, "This child looks a bit older than the average child; he'll definitely be a martial arts prodigy in the future."
Lu Jinzhao said happily, "She weighed a full eight pounds at birth, and her cries were louder than other babies. But considering she'll be a month old tomorrow, she should be bigger than a newborn."
She turned to Lu Jinlan and said, "Yu Mian wanted you to see the baby directly. He's recovering well, so I didn't tell you right away. I thought he'd finish his confinement a few days early, so I brought them over to surprise you. By the way, the baby's almost a month old and we haven't named him yet. You, as the mother, should hurry up and choose a name for him."
Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "I've thought of a name. Tomorrow is the full moon, so we'll have a celebration for the baby, and I'll officially announce the name tomorrow. Ximo, hurry up and get people to prepare the banquet. Ruzhen and Wuxin, you two have to be my child's godmothers."
Xiang Ruzhen hesitated and said, "Isn't this inappropriate? If we become your daughter's godmothers, what if we have a son in the future? How will we arrange a marriage between our children then?"
Yan Wuxin said urgently, "Being a godmother and arranging a marriage between children don't conflict. A godmother can also become a mother-in-law. Besides, you don't even have a husband yet, so where would you get a son? You're thinking too far ahead."
Everyone burst into laughter. Just as they were chatting animatedly, a servant suddenly came to report: "There is a young lady outside the door who claims to be the young master's classmate and says she has urgent business to discuss with him."
Lu Jinlan hurriedly asked, "What's her name?"
She said her name was Yan Yu.
The three of them were taken aback and looked at each other, wondering to themselves: Why is she here?
Lu Jinlan hurriedly said, "Quickly invite her in... no, I'll go greet her myself."
Xiang Ruzhen and Yan Wuxin followed her out to greet them. Zhao Zhiyu, dressed in white, stood at the door with only two palace guards in plain clothes by her side.
Lu Jinlan cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Your Highness. I was delighted to have a daughter, and we're having her full-month celebration tomorrow. I was just thinking about how to send an invitation to the palace when I didn't expect to be blown here by the wind."
Zhao Zhiyu was taken aback, and patted himself down. "Congratulations! I'm sorry, I left in a hurry and didn't bring a gift with me. I'll make it up to you tomorrow."
Lu Jinlan quickly said, "It's alright, let's talk in the study."
Upon arriving at the study, just as tea was served, Zhao Zhiyu couldn't help but say, "It's a joyous occasion that your family has welcomed a new member, but I have some bad news to tell you."
Lu Jinlan was taken aback: "What is it?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Lu Jinlan: I'm overjoyed to have a baby girl! Please, all you aunties, come to celebrate her one-month birthday. No need to bring gifts, just bring a bottle of nutritional supplement if you have any. (If you do, thank you all; if not, that's fine too. Oh, why is the baby crying? Oh, stop crying… What? You want nutritional supplement…?)
I'm sorry, the author isn't feeling well...
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