Chapter Eight
Yan Zhili didn't really like to manage things in the backyard. He was now focusing more on the court, but he couldn't ignore these matters: "I've already mentioned it to my sister-in-law, and we'll select a suitable person to send over in the next couple of days."
Liu Qin put some cabbage on Gui Ge's plate and said, "That's great."
After the family finished eating, Yan Zhili looked at the expectant expressions on her daughter and son's faces and smiled, "How about we go pick out a name?"
"want."
Bao Jie and Gui Ge said in unison.
Yan Zhili led them into the study, which was filled with books. Gui Ge was immediately attracted to them. Yan Zhili patted his son's head and said, "These are for others to see. You are not old enough to read these."
Gui Ge nodded and said, "I'll be able to see it after I finish a few more years of schooling."
Yan Zhili said, "Yes, I'll give them all to you then."
Brother Gui nodded with a serious expression.
Yan Zhili came up with a lot of names, all on paper, and the family of four leaned over the table to choose one. Actually, the most important thing was that Bao Jie and Gui Ge liked them.
In the secluded courtyard, Madam Xu looked at the maid and asked, "You're saying the master refuses to come?"
The maidservant lowered her head and said, "They told the madam to fetch a doctor."
Madam Xu touched her belly and said after a long while, "In that case, let's go and fetch a doctor."
The maidservant quickly agreed.
Granny Sun brought over some bird's nest porridge and advised, "Miss, have a little."
Xu responded, took a few bites, and then refused to eat any more.
Granny Sun asked, "Should we ask the kitchen to make some noodle soup for the young lady?"
Just as Xu was about to refuse, Granny Sun advised, "Even if you don't care about yourself, you should still take care of the child in your womb."
"Then make me a bowl of noodles," Xu said. "Don't make it too oily."
Granny Sun thought for a moment and said, "For the chicken noodle soup, I'll have the kitchen carefully remove the oil and add some cabbage."
Xu nodded in agreement.
Granny Sun quickly told the kitchen to prepare.
In the study, Baojie and Guige were hunched over the table, carefully looking at the names. They would occasionally huddle together to discuss them, and for a moment they were overwhelmed by the choices, thinking that every name was good: "Dad, we can't choose. I wish I had many names."
Yan Zhili was amused: "No, you can only choose one."
"It's so hard to choose," Baojie sighed. "Dad, let us choose."
Yan Zhili glanced at it and said, "Does Sister Bao like the name Yan Shujin?"
"Yan Shujin." Baojie murmured to herself, then smiled, "I like her."
Yan Zhili looked at his daughter. This was his child. When he left, she was just a tiny little thing, crying and needing to be held and comforted when she fell. Yet, after he left, she was able to support a family: "I only wish you a lifetime of comfort and wealth."
It's not that there's no need for a better name for Yan Shujin, but this name is Yan Zhili's deepest wish.
Baojie silently repeated her name a few times, then looked at the three characters Yan Zhili was pointing to and carefully memorized them: "A life of comfort and wealth..."
Liu Qin also likes the meaning of the name. Her biggest wish in life is for her two children to have a happy life.
Gui-ge looked at Yan Zhili expectantly and asked, "Father, what's Gui-ge's name?"
Seeing that Gui Ge was anxious, Yan Zhili stopped keeping him in suspense and said, "Yan Qiyu, may you be as bright as the morning star and as beautiful as jade."
Ultimately, Yan Shujin had different expectations for her son and daughter. She liked her own name very much, but felt that her younger brother's name was different from hers.
After all that commotion, Yan Qiyu was also sleepy. Yan Zhili said, "Brother Gui, why don't you go to sleep first?"
Yan Qiyu nodded. Liu Qin glanced at her daughter with some concern when her husband didn't mention her.
Yan Zhili said, "Qinniang, you take Guige to rest first."
Liu Qin bit her lip and said, "Husband..."
Yan Zhili smiled and said, "I'll have a chat with Sister Bao."
Yan Shujin also laughed and said, "Mom, you should take your little brother to sleep. Dad is whispering something to me."
Seeing that her husband's expression didn't seem to blame their daughter, and that he had indeed been happy to hear what their daughter had said at dinner, Liu Qin said, "Okay, don't stay up too late, Baojie should rest early too."
Yan Shujin readily agreed, and Liu Qin then led her son out of the study.
Once outside, Yan Qiyu said, "Mother, don't worry."
Liu Qin smiled upon hearing this, took her son's hand, and said, "Okay, Mom needs to get good too."
She can't let her daughter always stand in front of her in the future; she also needs to be someone her daughter can rely on.
Liu Qin took a deep breath and looked in the direction of Youlan Courtyard. Returning to the capital to see her husband was not the end, but only the beginning. She still had many things to do.
In the study, Yan Shujin sat in a chair, tugged at her sleeve, and said, "Father, I want men's clothes. These dresses are pretty, but they're just in the way."
Yan Zhili readily agreed and asked, "Can you tell your father what you think about what happened today?"
“Sure,” Yan Shujin answered without hesitation. “If someone comes up and tries to cause trouble, I’ll fight back. To be honest, Dad, I think she’s a bit boring.”
Yan Zhili asked, "Why do you say that?"
Yan Shujin rested her chin on her hand: "She just wanted to give my mother and me a hard time. It's like when we arrive in a new place, some people want to put us down first. If we give in once, it will be hard for us to stand up again in the future."
Yan Zhili frowned and asked, "Has anyone bullied you?"
“Of course.” Yan Shujin didn’t take the past seriously, after all, those things happened a long time ago, and she was doing better than those people now: “Many people in the village are kind, but there are also those who like to take advantage of others. Grandma and Mother are not the type to hold grudges, but those people just take advantage of us.”
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