Chapter 4
Ke Jie'er slept for two hours in the afternoon. When Xie Yunchu came back, he brought her to the main room. She and the maids were arranging flowers, and asked Ke Jie'er to watch. Ke Jie'er was plump and fair, and was supported by her wet nurse to stand on a spring stool. She danced and looked curious about everything she saw.
Xia An playfully put a crabapple flower into Xie Yunchu's hair, making the little girl giggle.
Xie Yunchu looked at his silly daughter with mixed feelings.
In her previous life, Sister Ke's temperament was inherited from someone. She was naughty and active. After she could run, she would break everything in the house. Wang Shuhuai was very strict with rules, and Xie Yunchu was afraid of upsetting him, so she naturally kept a close eye on her. She was afraid that she would become spoiled and her in-laws would dislike her in the future. She was also worried that she would act rashly and cause resentment, and so on. She was full of worries, and as a mother she was exhausted, so she became more and more strict with her daughter. Later, after her son was born, she learned her lesson and set rules from the beginning. She raised her two children to be disunited, so that they were poisoned by Xie Yunxiu.
In my previous life, I worried too much and was bound by rules and regulations when raising my children. In this life, I have come to realize that children and grandchildren will have their own blessings, and parents cannot decide their children's fate. No matter what the future holds, let's just live the present well first.
Xie Yunchu was a new mother and had no experience in raising children. At this time, Ke Jie'er was fat and could not roll over at six months old. Xie Yunchu ordered the wet nurse to put the child on the Luohan bed and train her.
When Sister Ke heard that her mother and other sisters were playing in the room, she was so anxious that she wanted to turn over to see. So she waved her arms and feet on the Arhat, shouting "ah ah" and drooling. She looked at the lotus-like arms waving and the calves kicking hard, and the whole room was filled with laughter.
At this moment, the porch suddenly became quiet. Xie Yunchu glanced outside and saw Wang Shuhuai walking slowly towards them along the corridor.
The little maidservants immediately shut up and stood with their heads down, not daring to say a word.
In the past, Xie Yunchu would have immediately and happily gone over to greet him, calling him "husband" affectionately. But not today. She winked at Nanny Lin, signaling her to go and greet him, while she handed a bottle of crabapple and peony to Qiu Sui.
"Give it to my wife."
Only then did he wash his hands and ask someone to clean the table.
Wang Shuhuai walked in at this moment and glanced coldly inside the house. On the north wall hung a picture of snow-capped mountains and green pines, with couplets on the left and right encouraging the younger generations from the ancestors. Below was a long rosewood table with a cloisonné incense burner on it. In this solemn green smoke, there were clusters of flowers and people walking around.
Before Wang Shuhuai frowned, a few clear cries were heard from the corner.
He was soon attracted to Luohan's daughter on his bed.
The little girl was trying very hard to turn over, her little body was already tilted sideways, her chubby face was flushed red, and it looked like she was about to succeed.
Xie Yunchu looked at her without moving, and Wang Shuhuai was also waiting leisurely.
Sister Ke looked silly, and the little maid wanted to laugh but didn't dare to.
Xie Yunchu smiled.
She glanced at Wang Shuhuai calmly. Wang Shuhuai was wearing a moon-white gown, standing with his hands behind his back, looking at Ke Jie'er calmly, with a hint of tenderness in his eyes.
Looking back now, was she afraid of being criticized by Wang Shuhuai in her previous life, or did she really not like her daughter being naughty?
It should be the former. In her previous life, she always took Wang Shuhuai's preferences as her guiding principle and regarded his principles as the law of nature, thus trapping herself in a cocoon.
Rebirth begins with breaking Wang Shuhuai's rules and breaking the faith in Wang Shuhuai in one's heart.
Therefore, even though she knew that Wang Shuhuai didn't like noise, she still brought the children here to play happily.
Wang Shuhuai was very perceptive. When he noticed Xie Yunchu's gaze, he turned his head away.
The two people's eyes met.
After what happened last night, the current situation is naturally awkward.
Besides feeling embarrassed, Xie Yunchu was still a little dazed.
For her, she had to cross an entire lifetime to face this man again.
No matter how good your intentions are, when you really look into each other's eyes, you can't keep your mind calm.
Xie Yunchu tried his best to suppress his turbulent thoughts, knelt down and bowed to him.
"Second Master."
Wang Shuhuai looked at her quietly and hummed lightly as a greeting.
Xie Yunchu didn't plan to explain what happened last night, and Wang Shuhuai didn't ask. The two of them weren't at the point where they could express their feelings directly.
Just a glance and the matter was over invisibly.
Just at this moment, the chubby Sister Ke turned over on the Arhat bed with her back turned, and everyone clapped their hands happily.
Wang Shuhuai also moved his gaze over and smiled slightly.
Sister Ke seemed very proud as well. She climbed up by grabbing the fence, then she saw Xie Yunchu and Wang Shuhuai at a glance. Her rolling eyes looked around at her parents and she began to think about who to reward.
Those eyes look very much like Wang Shuhuai.
Wang Shuhuai always has a gentle expression, but his aura is extremely powerful.
The child didn't understand the aura, and her mother always looked fierce at her, so Sister Ke smiled and opened her arms towards Wang Shuhuai.
The room was silent.
Wang Shuhuai had no habit of holding children. There was a saying in the streets that one should hold grandchildren rather than children, let alone a girl, who should be raised by her mother. Wang Shuhuai was not close to the child.
In the past, Xie Yunchu would have picked up Ke Jie'er for him, but she didn't move today.
She wanted to see what Wang Shuhuai would do.
There was no clue on Wang Shuhuai's face. He was silent for a moment, then bent down, stretched out his hand, and picked up his daughter.
In Ke Jie'er's mind, the only concept she has is her mother, and she doesn't have a deep impression of her father, but this doesn't stop her from expressing her love. She hugged Wang Shuhuai and gave him a fierce kiss on the cheek.
Wang Shuhuai froze for a moment.
Xie Yunchu was also surprised.
For eight years in her previous life, let alone her children, she had never kissed Wang Shuhuai. This man was too handsome, like a green pine on the top of a snowy mountain, making people dare not desecrate him. If Wang Shuhuai did not take the initiative, she would not dare to kiss him. Her daughter and son were well-behaved by her and had never behaved like this.
And now, Sister Ke kissed Wang Shuhuai.
Wang Shuhuai obviously hadn't expected this, and a crack appeared on his perfect expression.
Xie Yunchu was worried that Wang Shuhuai would show resistance and dampen the child's enthusiasm, so he quickly took Ke Jie'er out of his arms.
With his back to Wang Shuhuai, he secretly gave his daughter a thumbs up.
Encouraged, Ke Jie'er's eyes lit up, she giggled, and then she kissed her mother.
Compared to Wang Shuhuai who stood there motionless, Xie Yunchu returned a kiss to his daughter.
Wang Shuhuai: …
He just wasn't used to being so intimate with people.
Dinner was placed in the west wing, and Nanny Lin came over to invite the master to have dinner.
Xie Yunchu handed the child to the wet nurse and walked out of the door with Wang Shuhuai. She glanced at Wang Shuhuai's face from time to time. She believed that Wang Shuhuai must not be used to it or even disliked it. She suddenly found it very funny.
For a full eight years in her previous life, this husband who was like a mountain to admire had never gotten angry with her, nor had she ever seen him get angry with anyone or anything. He was calm and composed, neither arrogant nor impatient, never ostentatious in good times nor complaining in bad times. His emotions were incredibly stable.
A malicious thought suddenly flashed through Xie Yunchu's mind. He wondered if he would ever have the chance to see him change his expression in this lifetime.
It was just a change of thought. What did it have to do with her whether he changed his attitude or not?
Don’t talk while eating and don’t talk while sleeping.
The meal went smoothly.
At the end, Nanny Lin considerately brought a bowl of medicine and placed it in front of Xie Yunchu, saying in a soothing tone,
"Second Madam, the imperial physician said that you were ill during childbirth, so you have to drink this medicine even if it is bitter."
Nanny Lin had a purpose for doing this. Last night, Wang Shuhuai was embarrassed, and Xie Yunchu refused to explain. The servants should hope that their masters and masters can get along well, so they have to find a way to turn things around.
Nanny Lin was Xie Yunchu's teaching nanny and also her roommate. Xie Yunchu had nothing to say and drank the medicine in front of Wang Shuhuai.
Wang Shuhuai was wiping his hands slowly. His hands were very beautiful, with distinct joints, slender and white, like a fine sculpture. He asked at the right time, "What did Doctor He say?"
On the surface, Wang Shuhuai has always been a good husband.
After Xie Yunchu finished drinking the medicine, he turned around and replied,
"The doctor said that I was suffering from a deficiency of Qi and blood and overwork, and told me to rest well."
Xie Yunchu expressed two meanings in just one sentence. First, it was very hard for her to run the household business. Second, she was not suitable for having children now and should not have sex for the time being.
Wang Shuhuai was a man of great character and he immediately understood what was going on.
He had nothing to say about the latter meaning, but the former meaning...
He recalled the comments of everyone in the mansion about Xie Yunchu: clever and perfect.
If a person wants to achieve perfection, he must work hard.
Offspring are obviously more important than busy housework.
Wang Shuhuai pondered and said, "You have two younger brothers and sisters at home. You can ask them to help you on weekdays. Don't take on everything by yourself."
Xie Yunchu achieved his goal and smiled, "Second Master, since that's what you said, I'll listen to you."
Although she was under pressure from her parents-in-law, the person who had the final say in the second house was Wang Shuhuai. As long as Wang Shuhuai agreed that she should put her health first, she would not be afraid of her parents-in-law's interference.
It’s a pity that she was so blind in her previous life that she was always tempted and hard-working, always demanding perfection and blaming others.
In this life, as long as she does not commit the seven offenses for divorce, Wang Shuhuai will never divorce her. Then in the future she will be the wife of the Prime Minister. Even if she does nothing, it will not affect her honor and wealth at all. Why bother? Isn't it good to be a rich and idle person?
Wang Shuhuai didn't pay attention to Xie Yunchu's expression at this time, but noticed Xie Yunchu's way of addressing him. She didn't call him "Second Master" before, but "Husband".
Never mind. It doesn't matter.
Wang Shuhuai stood up and returned to the study.
There are four rooms in the Duke's Mansion. In addition to the household supplies, each room has its own small accounting office. Although small, it has all the necessary facilities. Third Grandma Dou Keling was busy in the accounting office all day "on the orders" of her mother-in-law, Madam Jiang. After going to the upper room to have dinner with her parents-in-law, she thought for a while and then came to Chunjing Hall to visit Xie Yunchu with the fresh fruits distributed by the Duke's Mansion today.
The visit was fake, the purpose was to spy on the enemy.
She and Xie Yunchu have been sisters-in-law for nearly two years. Xie Yunchu has been working hard and never complains, rain or shine. Why didn't she go to the accounting office all day today? Dou Keling wanted to know how serious Xie Yunchu's illness was.
Before Xie Yunchu came into the house, Dou Keling was in charge of the household chores of the second house. As soon as Xie Yunchu arrived, Madam Jiang, remembering that Xie Yunchu was chosen by the eldest princess, immediately handed over the power of household management to Xie Yunchu. Dou Keling was naturally unhappy. It would have been fine if she had never tasted meat, but after being the head of the household, she knew that there were many benefits.
For example, the stewards below would show their respect to her when they were seeking jobs; when the allocations from the Duke's Mansion and the palace came down, she could secretly pick out the good ones. After Dou Keling got married, she gave birth to a son as her first child. She felt a little proud in her heart and thought she was more qualified to be the head of the family than Xie Yunchu.
No matter what the three sisters-in-law of the second room felt in their hearts, they often visited each other.
Xie Yunchu quickly welcomed Dou Keling into the east room and sat down.
Dou Keling is not as open-minded as Jiang and Xu Shiwei. She finds that Xie Yunchu is a little different.
In the past, whenever she came, Xie Yunchu would come to greet her in person, but today he was putting on airs and waiting in the east room. From her understanding of Xie Yunchu, Xie Yunchu was not a proud person, and it seemed that he was seriously ill.
Dou Keling and the other maids served tea, and while looking at Xie Yunchu's face, they asked with concern,
"I heard that my sister-in-law was not feeling well, so I came to check on her. It just so happened that the public had distributed food today, so I picked out some of your favorite dishes and sent them to you."
There were several fruit boxes on the table. Xie Yunchu was like Wang Shuhuai, not concerned about food, clothing and daily necessities. The so-called "favorite foods" were just a selection of a few of each.
Xie Yunchu and Dou Keling have been together for eight years. Just by the curl of her lips, Xie Yunchu knew what she was thinking.
Seeing through the situation but not saying it out loud, she smiled and said, "My sister-in-law is thoughtful. The imperial physician came to see me today. The illness is not serious, but it cannot be taken lightly."
"Oh, what do you mean?" Dou Keling took it to heart.
Xie Yunchu put down the needlework in his hand and sighed, "Sister Ke must have been ill when she was a child. She needs to be healed before she can give birth to another child."
Dou Keling suddenly understood Xie Yunchu's concerns.
Xie Yunchu was anxious to give birth to a son, but her health was not good. Everyone made a living in the aristocratic family, and everyone understood the rules and regulations. Without a son, they could not make a living. What's more, Xie Yunchu was the eldest daughter-in-law, and she had a heavy responsibility to carry on the family line.
Dou Keling really wanted to sympathize with Xie Yunchu, but she found that she couldn't. She was very happy, but pretended to sigh, "It's not easy for us women."
Xie Yunchu naturally knew what Dou Keling wanted. Managing the household was actually a thankless job. She had worked hard in her previous life to manage the household and it was her responsibility, while Dou Keling was short-sighted and only cared about the benefits.
She plans to let go in this life, and Dou Keling is the best successor.
There is the pressure from the eldest princess and the duke above her, and the other families are also watching. Even if Dou Keling wants to make some money, she dare not go too far. It won't hurt her, so just let her go.
Xie Yunchu was plotting in his mind, but he didn't immediately give in. Instead, he said, "It just so happens that I caught a cold last night. I have two illnesses at the same time. I can only trouble my sister-in-law to take care of me. I will apologize to my sister-in-law when I get better."
Only by giving the bait slowly can you arouse the opponent's desire to win.
When Dou Keling heard these words, Xie Yunchu had no choice but to retreat due to his physical condition.
Dou Keling was very happy.
"We are one family, so I am your sister-in-law and a member of the second branch. I should be helping you."
These words paved the way for him to follow Xie Yunchu in managing the family for a long time in the future.
Xie Yunchu smiled but said nothing.
Women have been bound by the harem for too long, and can only see the small piece of land in front of them. In fact, there is a lot of room for women to do. She thought of what the eldest princess did in her previous life...
Xie Yunchu had experienced life and death, and her state of mind was very different. She didn't care about what Dou Keling had worked so hard for. After all, she didn't want it anymore. Whoever wanted to be a virtuous daughter-in-law could do it.
Dou Keling saw Xie Yunchu remained silent. When she realized what she was thinking, her face flushed. She glanced at Ke Jieer who was sitting on the bed playing with a rattle, and immediately changed the subject.
"Sister Ke is really good looking, even stronger than our brother Xuan."
Where is the word strong? It's just fat.
Speaking of this, Xie Yunchu also had a headache. She looked at her daughter and said worriedly, "I have to control her diet."
Speaking of this, Dou Keling thought he had experience and talked endlessly,
"Xuan'er used to be fat, but later on, his mouth smelled bad after he ate. I was so annoyed that I asked a doctor to come. He said that the child had indigestion. Sure enough, he developed a fever and coughed badly afterwards. So, sister-in-law, you really have to pay attention to these things and not let my sister eat too much."
When talking about children, there are always endless topics to talk about.
The topic diverged and somehow ended up with the topic of concubines. Dou Keling's face turned a little ugly, and he talked to Xie Yunchu,
"Did the parents-in-law say anything about arranging a concubine for the Second Master?"
Xie Yunchu was unable to serve, so she had to arrange for someone to serve her husband.
According to the rules of the Duke's Mansion, a concubine cannot be taken before the birth of a legitimate son, but this does not prevent the arrangement of a concubine. As for the concubine, she can be fed contraceptive soup.
Xie Yunchu naturally understood what this meant. In her previous life, after she gave birth to her son, Wang Shuhuai, her mother-in-law, Jiang, immediately picked out two beautiful concubines for him. These concubines were all from Jiang's family.
But Wang Shuhuai refused.
He is not interested in women.
This was the case in her previous life, let alone the fact that she has not yet given birth to a son.
At that time, Xie Yunchu's heart and eyes were all filled with Wang Shuhuai. She was very happy that Wang Shuhuai did not take a concubine, but in this life, she didn't care anymore. Not caring didn't mean she had to ruin the girl's body for nothing. After all, contraceptive soup was not a good thing.
"Wait until I give birth to a legitimate son."
We will arrange it when the time comes. It will be up to Wang Shuhuai whether to do it or not.
Dou Keling could understand. She pouted and grumbled, "After I gave birth to Xuan'er, my mother-in-law forced me to have two concubines. At first, Third Master refused. I thought he was a good person. You know, we have always had a good relationship. But who could have expected that he would get together with that maid after getting drunk one time?"
Dou Keling's chest felt tight as he spoke up, and he snorted with disdain, "Yun Chu, let me tell you, there is no man who doesn't like women. If he refuses, it only means that the woman is not to his liking."
When Xie Yunchu heard this, his heart trembled violently.
Is that really true?
So, does Wang Shuhuai really like someone like Xie Yunxiu?
A dense mass of sadness surged in his heart, but Xie Yunchu quickly interrupted his thoughts.
They agreed not to get involved anymore, and let him choose whoever he likes. After all, she didn't like him anymore.
Xie Yunchu's expression darkened for a moment, and he smiled at Dou Keling and said, "Let men deal with their own affairs. It's not easy for us women. We have to help each other on a daily basis."
In her previous life, Dou was both jealous and in awe of her, and had often tried to take advantage of her in secret.
In fact, there is no need for women to make things difficult for other women.
People must learn to integrate the people and things around them. Sometimes people who are diametrically opposed to each other may not be unable to cooperate.
Dou Keling is actually very good at taking care of housework, and Xie Yunchu is willing to give way to her.
These words were from the heart. Dou Keling felt a little uncomfortable when she thought about how she had guessed about Xie Yunchu. She immediately changed her tone to a more intimate one, "As long as sister-in-law is willing, I will naturally be happy to help you."
If you don't serve your mother-in-law, someone else will do it for you. However, the household chores involve hundreds of people, big and small, in the entire second room, so you can't be careless.
Xie Yunchu finally felt relieved and smiled from the bottom of her heart.
"good."
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