"Pearl?"
"Orb?"
Jiang Yushu murmured it over and subconsciously felt that it was tacky.
"Well. Do you think it's good?" Guo Honglei was very excited, his eyes were bright, but his face was serious.
Their eyes met. Jiang Yushu held her breath, observing the happy light in his eyes. She felt relieved and thought to herself: Fortunately, he is not like Nanny Pan and the others.
Whenever I talk about my daughter, the maids get anxious and always try to interrupt me in a roundabout way, as if the mention of the word "daughter" would scare away my son... Little do they know that once a woman is conceived, the boy or girl is decided and it will never change halfway.
Although she thought "Mingzhu" and "Baozhu" were too vulgar, she couldn't bear to spoil the child's father's mood. After a moment's hesitation, she gently reminded him, "It's a good idea. However, countless daughters in the world are the apple of their parents' eyes. If you name your child 'Mingzhu' or 'Baozhu', wouldn't there be too many people with the same name?"
"Oh? That's right." Guo Honglei thought thoughtfully.
Jiang Yushu cleared her throat and asked in a gentle voice, "Just imagine, on a busy and bustling street, with cars and people everywhere, if you suddenly yell 'Mingzhu' or 'Baozhu' or 'Zhu'er', five out of ten women would probably turn around. Wouldn't that be funny?"
"Hahaha~" Guo Honglei laughed out loud, hugged his wife affectionately, and said seriously: "I was just joking, don't take it seriously."
Jiang Yushu immediately breathed a sigh of relief and gently twisted his arm, "You must be joking. Why are you so stern? You made me take it seriously!"
"It's my fault, ma'am, please calm down."
Guo Honglei raised his head, speaking seriously, and said slowly, "How can we just pick a name for our daughter casually? As far as I know, the proper way to name a child is to wait until she's born, take her birth date and eight characters, and have a fortune teller calculate her horoscope. Then, carefully consider and choose the most auspicious name."
Jiang Yushu smiled happily, "That's what Madam Pan said too."
"That year, my eldest brother's son was born. He was the eldest grandson and was named 'Yu'. I don't know how much effort he put into it! In addition, the names of my eldest sister's daughters were also chosen with great care." Guo Honglei recalled.
Sister-in-law?
Jiang Yushu's eyes turned, and she said, "By the way, my eldest sister sent me a letter a while ago, specifically greeting the old lady and my eldest sister-in-law, and also greeting us all. I have already replied."
Guo Honglei was stunned and silent for a moment, then he perked up and asked with concern, "We are so far apart, I don't know when we can meet again. I wrote to ask about her, but there has been no reply. Is she doing well in the Feng family?"
"Well... she didn't mention her in-laws. She just said that her little niece is one year old and everything is fine, so don't worry. She also told us to take good care of our mother." Jiang Yushu told the truth.
Guo Honglei shook his head, his face filled with worry. He said in a deep voice, "Then, just from my eldest sister's family, we already have four nieces, but no nephews yet. When the Jingyang Marquisate was prosperous, it was powerful and influential. Even if the Feng family was dissatisfied, they couldn't do anything about it and never dared to look down on my sister. Now it's hard to say."
"My mother's family fell into decline, so my second and third sisters married into my uncle's family, and they were close relatives, so they lived a stable life. But my eldest sister married an outsider. She is naturally weak and lacks independent thinking. I am really worried that the Feng family will make her angry."
Jiang Yushu herself is not a son-lover, but she sympathizes deeply with her elder sister-in-law who gave birth to four daughters. In the Qian Dynasty, there are three unfilial behaviors for men, and the worst one is to have no offspring. If the wife cannot give birth to a son, she can only treat the concubine's son as her own to avoid being divorced.
Humph, you can't choose whether to have a boy or a girl in advance, it's ridiculous to blame your wife!
Jiang Yushu was indignant and cursed inwardly, then comforted her, "Don't worry too much. Although we can't do anything for the time being, the Guo family has many relatives. With everyone watching, the Feng family shouldn't treat you harshly."
"I hope so."
Guo Honglei lowered his head, gazing at his palm. The slight bulge beneath it marked the birth of their first child. He sighed, his brow furrowed with regret, and said, "I wonder if I'll be able to be home when the baby is born? If I can't make it back, you'll be wronged."
Jiang Yushu was worried, but she pretended to be calm and said cheerfully, "Don't worry, there's a doctor at home and a midwife in the village. Everything is ready!"
"I'm always away from home, and you have to worry about everything at home...Are you angry?" Guo Honglei felt helpless. Since he joined the army, there have been frequent wars and his return date was uncertain. He often only visited his family once every three or two months.
Jiang Yushu answered frankly: "You have serious business, not out for fun, why should I be angry? However, if you go out for fun, you will force me to be angry."
"How dare I?"
Guo Honglei raised an eyebrow, pushed the man down on the couch, and leaned over to say, "You are the most powerful person in this family now. If Guo doesn't behave carefully, the nanny will scold him for not being considerate. Seeking pleasure? I dare not even think about it!"
"Really?"
"You don't believe it? Just ask it." As he spoke, Guo Honglei grabbed her hand and pressed it against his heart.
Jiang Yushu couldn't help but laugh, "Okay, okay, I believe it!"
The two chatted and laughed, playing and joking around, and Guo Honglei gradually felt hot, but because his wife was pregnant, he endured it. He gritted his teeth, suddenly propped himself up with his arms, and lay on his back, closing his eyes and silently restraining himself, sweating all over.
Jiang Yushu knew it well, and she sat up with a red face, moved to the edge of the couch, and just as her feet touched the ground -
"Where are you going?" Guo Honglei was quick to grab the man. Candlelight shone through the screen, dimming the room between the couches. He stared at the man, his eyes gleaming.
"I'll get the fan."
Guo Honglei was young and strong after all, and he felt uncomfortable and achy all over. He could not bear it any longer. He pulled down the gauze curtain, kissed her deeply, and took her hand again, groping down along his waist, whispering in her ear:
"Help me first...I'll get you the fan later."
Jiang Yushu's wrist was held tightly, she couldn't pull her hand back or speak.
After a long time, when the noise in the tent stopped, she was so tired that her hands ached, her clothes scattered on the footstool, and she was drowsy wrapped in a thin blanket. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew -
"Here, a fan!" Guo Honglei kept his promise and said energetically, fanning himself, "It's getting late, let's go to bed."
Jiang Yushu nodded randomly and quickly fell asleep in the cool breeze.
The next day was August 15th.
Hundreds of birds are singing in the woods on the back mountain, and the sky is clear and the air is fresh.
Jiang Yushu lifted the gauze curtain, and after washing up, she walked into the main room: it was empty.
She glanced around and walked out in confusion.
Nanny Pan and Zhou Yan's wife were discussing something in the kitchen. When they heard the noise, they poked their heads out and called out, "Madam, are you awake?"
"Please go back to the main room and sit down. Breakfast is ready and will be brought in right away!"
Jiang Yushu asked doubtfully, "Where did the others go?"
"Oh, my." Nanny Pan shook her head, patted her apron, and grumbled, "The young master got up early and just after breakfast, the third young master said he wanted to learn horse training. Zou Gui, Hu Gang, Cui Mei and the others always love to play, and even Xiao Tao followed suit. They were afraid that an old woman like me would stop them, so they slipped away as fast as they could. Don't they think about what day it is today? It's Mid-Autumn Festival!"
"While the young master is home, we must prepare a table of offerings for the ancestor worship at the hour of Xu. Look, we've only steamed three baskets of mooncakes, and they've actually abandoned their work and run out to play while we're busy."
Jiang Yushu suddenly realized and smiled, "It's okay. Mid-Autumn Festival only comes once a year, and it's a rare occasion that we don't have to go out to play. Let them play for a while so they don't get bored. I'll prepare the offerings after I finish breakfast."
"How can we let someone with a double body work so hard?" Zhou Yan's wife came out of the kitchen with breakfast. "You can rest assured. There's not much work to do in the kitchen."
Having said that, after Jiang Yushu finished her breakfast, she rolled up her sleeves and the three of them worked together to make mooncakes.
With a "pop", Jiang Yushu lowered her head, tapped the wooden mold, and printed out a round mooncake. She sighed sadly: "Mooncakes are still called mooncakes."
"Ah? If not mooncake, what should we call it?" Zhou Yan's wife moved quickly, knocking on the cake mold with a "knock knock" sound.
Jiang Yushu came back to her senses and answered in a disarming way: "Oh! I mean, I've seen mooncakes of this style before."
Nanny Pan asked with concern, "Madam, do you miss your parents? Is Old Master Jiang still in good health?"
Every festive season brings a yearning for family. Jiang Yushu did miss her family, but not the Jiang Mansion in the capital, but her past life's home. She forced a smile and replied softly, "My father's health is always described as 'strong and healthy' in his letters, but I don't know if that's true."
"It must be true!" Nanny Pan came closer and comforted her, "One day, we will return and then we can serve our elders filially."
"Um."
Jiang Yushu was afraid of revealing the truth, so she rarely discussed the Jiang Mansion in detail. She changed the subject and said, "We received a reward from the army yesterday. It wasn't much silver, so I kept it for my own use, but it was quite a bit of fur. It's only right that we send some to Changping. The Guo family received the reward, so the old lady will be happy too."
"Yes, that's right!" Madam Pan nodded in agreement. "We've already counted them. Most of them are wolf skins, with the rest being sheep and fox skins. Wolf skins are good for mattresses, and the rest for clothes."
Zhou Yan's wife interrupted and said, "I heard from Changrong that there have been several wolf disasters in Xicang. There were too many wolves, and packs of them were rampant. The government was helpless, so they asked the general to come out and suppress them several times. That's why they stockpiled a lot of skins."
"I see. No wonder they gave leather as a reward."
As the daughter-in-law, Jiang Yushu maintained her courtesy and said, "Well, everyone has worked so hard. It doesn't matter if it's a robe or a waistcoat, everyone should get one as a reward."
"Thank you, ma'am!"
"What are you thanking me for? Everyone deserves it." Jiang Yushu had already made plans. She thought: There are too many people in Changping, and there is not enough food to go around. I'll just give one piece each to my mother-in-law, my fourth brother, my eldest sister-in-law and her son, and a few old concubines. That will be acceptable in terms of etiquette.
The next moment, sounds of talking, laughing and shouting were heard at the gate of the courtyard.
The three of them went out and saw the Guo Honglei brothers leading the way, Zou Gui carrying a few fish, and Cuimei and Xiaotao carrying a few bags of cakes.
Jiang Yushu asked in surprise: "Where did the fish come from?"
Guo Honglei strode with his head held high, the corners of his robe fluttering, and answered in a clear voice, "I was out training horses when I happened to meet some villagers returning from fishing. They gave me some warm gifts."
"These packages of mooncakes are holiday gifts from the family of the third young master's students." Cuimei's cheeks were flushed, and she glanced at him frequently, always finding Peng Changrong smiling at her foolishly.
Jiang Yushu's hands were covered in flour, and she smiled as she urged, "We've received quite a few gifts, and we have to return the favor. I've made a list, and we'll go to each family one by one. Don't leave it too late."
Peng Changrong immediately responded, "Me! Madam, can you send me and Cui'er to deliver it?"
Cuimei acquiesced, turned and went into the kitchen, quickly washed her hands, and steamed mooncakes with her companions.
Jiang Yushu answered readily: "Okay, it doesn't matter who sends it."
Guo Honglei approached, and on a whim, he reached out and scraped the flour off her hands, smeared it on her face, bent down slightly, and said majestically, "Cat."
"Hey——" Jiang Yushu turned her head hastily, but failed to avoid it. She simply raised her hand and tried to wipe his face!
Guo Honglei quickly raised his head, grabbed her hands, and easily dodged them.
Jiang Yushu couldn't break free, she laughed in anger, and called for help: "Madam Pan, please hurry——"
Unexpectedly, Guo Honglei interrupted and said calmly, "Look, she wants to smear flour on my face."
"Young Master, please let go!" Nanny Pan rushed out from the kitchen. Seeing this, she was amused and helped Jiang Yushu without hesitation, saying, "Just wipe it off. It's no big deal. Young couple, please stop fighting and make a fuss. Be careful not to bump into anything."
Guo Hongzhe walked out of the main room, holding a teacup, and said righteously: "Hey, I saw it, it was obviously the second brother who started it!"
"that is!"
Guo Honglei smiled, slowly let go of her hand, stopped dodging, held her firmly, and let her wipe it.
At the hour of Xu, a full moon rose, and the bright moonlight illuminated the mountain village.
A table was set up in the yard, filled with offerings, and smoke curled from the incense burner.
Guo Honglei led the crowd, knelt down facing the capital, kowtowed solemnly, and prayed devoutly.
Meanwhile, in the Hechin County dungeon.
"Ah—dog officer!"
"Mr. Pei, you bastard official, you shall not die a good death!"
The whips fell like raindrops, leaving the prisoners' skin torn and bleeding, and they wailed in pain and cursed.
Pei Wenfeng, his official robes straight, sat sipping tea, his face expressionless as he said calmly, "Insulting an official is a heavier crime. Beat him until he confesses."
@Unlimited good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
"Yes!" The jailer rolled up his sleeves, swung his arms, and asked while whipping him.
Pei Wenfeng's eyes were deep and deep. He skimmed the tea foam and said calmly, "If you don't confess, I'll use the branding iron and bamboo sticks. I want to see whether it's his words that are more stubborn or the torture instruments in the prison that are more stubborn."
The author has something to say:
Is it early today? Is it early? Oh my god, it’s so early that I’m shocked myself…┓（???`?）┏
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
