Chapter 68 My cousin won the prize!
"I like it very much. Thank you, Aunt Lin."
Shen Lingshu had it put away, looked at Lin Baozhu and asked, "Have things at Aunt Lin's house been settled? If it doesn't get better, Aunt Lin will have to send someone to check it out herself."
Shen Lingshu emphasized the pronunciation of the word "personally". Lin Baozhu in the script is very pitiful. She grew up under the control of her stepmother. The only uncle and aunt who treated her well only regarded her as a cash cow.
He vowed to marry her cousin just to make her willingly pay for his education, and he had no romantic feelings for her at all.
"Okay." Lin Baozhu was thoughtful. She sat for a while and then left. If she didn't leave, the prince would come to have dinner with Aunt Shen.
Back at Meixiangyuan, Lin Baozhu asked, "Xiuhua, where did you get the money? Did you see your uncle?"
“No.”
Xiu Hua shook her head and said, "As soon as I arrived at the Wen family, I met Madam Wen. Madam asked me to return home early to serve the master."
Lin Baozhu was lost in thought. Shen Lingshu's seemingly unintentional words reminded her. She said, "Xiuhua, do you remember how much money and gifts we gave you after we entered the mansion?"
"I'll remember this!"
Xiuhua said, holding a small booklet. She had been in the Linwang Mansion for two and a half years. Lin Baozhu didn't know until she saw it. She was shocked. All her silver and money, plus everything she could pawn, she had almost pawned. She actually had a total of one hundred taels...
She was a concubine in the palace. Because of her poor health and lack of favor, her monthly salary plus the prince's annual rewards only amounted to five taels of silver at most.
"Are there so many?" Lin Baozhu asked in confusion.
"Of course there are. The Wen family doesn't ask for much silver each time, just a few dozen or so taels. It's either for my uncle's medical treatment or for Master Wen to buy brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone."
The embroidery notebook was already full, but her master only wanted to help the Wen family. If she said a few words, her master would be unhappy, so Xiuhua kept secretly taking notes in a small notebook.
"Wait a minute, are you remembering this wrongly? I gave you five taels of silver last August, and at the end of August, my uncle fell ill again, and he took another three taels of silver from me? Did he get sick twice this month?"
"Also, my aunt is sick in September, my cousin needs to buy pens and ink in October, and in November..."
The more Lin Baozhu read on, the more frightened she became. In the past, when she received the news, she would send something over immediately, either silver or some good fabrics she could get, and she had never really calculated it carefully.
"That's right, master, this is more than that!" When Xiuhua heard this, she calculated every penny carefully.
Lin Baozhu: “…”
Youlan Courtyard.
"Master, what should we do with the clothes and other things made by Aunt Lin?" Zhu Xin looked at the clothes made by Lin Baozhu. The master had asked her to make them just to give money to Aunt Lin.
"Please give the two maids a look. If there's no problem, wash it and put it in the warehouse." Shen Lingshu ordered. Even though she believed that Lin Baozhu in the script was not that kind of vicious person, it was better to be cautious.
February passed in the blink of an eye, and Shen Lingshu's belly was like a balloon. As she changed from a thick cotton-padded jacket to a thin padded jacket, her belly looked even bigger.
In March, even in the backyard, Shen Lingshu could feel the atmosphere of the Spring Examination. Especially when she heard about the parade of the top scholar, the loud drums and music, and the streets empty of people, Shen Lingshu was even more yearning.
"The parade of the top scholar must be a lively one, but it's a pity that I can't go."
Shen Lingshu sighed, and even her voice was filled with regret as she said, "Ever since I became pregnant, I've been in the backyard. I don't even remember what it's like outside!"
To be precise, after transmigrating into the drama, Shen Lingshu went out twice. One time was to go hunting in Nanyuan, and the second time was when the Shen family tricked her into returning home!
"If you want to go, go. I will take you there."
Chu Cong's cold voice came, and Shen Lingshu turned back in shock, saluted carefully, and then asked anxiously: "Is the prince really willing to take me with you?"
"Of course." Chu Cong stepped forward to support her, looking at her bulging belly, which made her body look even thinner. Doctor Lin said that pregnant women should keep a happy mood.
Two days ago, Ling Zhao dragged him to watch the parade of top scholars. He had already booked a teahouse. By then, the second floor of the teahouse would be closed, and only they would be there.
"Your Highness is so nice." Shen Lingshu praised without hesitation.
That night, when Madam Hua and Madam Liu found out, Chu Cong asked, "Madams, can't Lingshu go?"
“Yes, you can, but be careful.”
As a professional in prenatal care, Aunt Liu quickly said, "Mrs. Chen is in good health now, and the baby is in good condition. She can go out for a walk, and her mood will be good. Walking more will also be beneficial to the delivery."
Aunt Hua was worried, so she asked Doctor Lin for help. Only after she took Shen Lingshu's pulse could she go out.
On March 18, Shen Lingshu, who was more than seven months pregnant, finally went out. She got up before dawn, changed into thick clothes and put on a wide cloak.
Shen Lingshu looked at herself in the bronze mirror and felt that her face had become rounder. She asked, "Zhu Xin, am I fat?"
"Not fat."
Zhu Xin shook her head and said, "Master was too thin before, but now she looks very blessed, with a bright glow in her eyes and eyebrows."
"Yeah?"
Shen Lingshu stood in front of the bronze mirror, wearing a mint green jacket that made her look fresh and lively, like a newly blooming flower. Her hands were placed on her bulging belly, and her determination to protect the child became even stronger.
After leaving the yard, the morning breeze was still a little chilly.
“Zhu Xin, Liu Si, serve Aunt Shen well.”
Before leaving, Aunt Hua reminded her again and again, and stuffed a hand warmer into Shen Lingshu's hand: "Nuan Nuan, don't catch a cold."
"These snacks will fill Aunt Shen's stomach later." Aunt Liu handed the food box to Liu Si. Shen Lingshu eats less now, but she still eats seven or eight meals a day.
"Don't worry, two maids, I will definitely be careful. I will stay in the teahouse and come back after watching the parade." Shen Lingshu felt cared for, even if they were because of the child in her belly.
After leaving the backyard and reaching the front yard, Qingwu came over to lead the way and said, "Madam Chen, the prince has come to pick up the princess from the palace. I will escort you to the teahouse."
"good."
Shen Lingshu responded.
Qing Wu quickly explained: "The princess has just arrived in Beijing, Your Majesty..."
"I understand. Thank you for your hard work, Brother Qingwu." Shen Lingshu said with a smile. She was not angry at all because the prince did not come to pick her up. She is his biological sister, the first princess of Mu Ning Kingdom, and has a noble status.
And she was just a concubine in the palace. If she was not pregnant with the prince's first child, how could she have received such treatment?
"It's good that Madam Chen understands." Qing Wu breathed a sigh of relief. Sure enough, Madam Chen was different from other madams. If it were someone else, wouldn't they turn their backs on him?
“I wonder who are the top three this year?”
On the way to the carriage outside the mansion, Shen Lingshu asked curiously.
Qing Wu readily replied, "The top scorer is Qi Wushu, the second is Zhou Huaili, and the third is Song Yuqing."
As soon as he got on the carriage, Zhu Xin couldn't wait to say, "Master, my cousin has won!"
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