Chapter 99 Whose Son is Being Delivered To: "Whose carriage is this? Why is it here at this hour?" "Replying to your question, sir..."
"Whose carriage is this? Why is it here at this hour?"
"Replying to your question, sir, it was the nun Lan who brought over some lamb, Hetian jade, and goji berries. She's talking to the eldest mistress right now."
Shen Wanlan is the youngest daughter of the first wife, one year younger than Shen Wanqing.
Shen Hongji was much older than Shen Hongshi. When Shen Hongji and his wife Zhao had this daughter, they were not young. It would be an exaggeration to say that they cherished their daughter as a precious treasure.
Her two older brothers and two older sisters all got married when they reached a certain age, but she was different from others from a young age.
When she reached the age of enlightenment, she learned faster than all the other children around her. In terms of reading, her eldest brother Shen Wenbo and second brother Shen Wenyuan combined were not as tall as her.
Both men and women in the Shen family were allowed to study, and all were required to study. Shen Wanlan had her own private tutor in Shengjing. Because she learned so quickly, it was a torment for both sides to have her attend school with boys and girls of similar age.
Geniuses are often precocious. Shen Wanlan knew at the age of seven that no matter how well she studied, she would not be able to pass the imperial examinations. But at that time she was still young and had many books to finish reading, so she asked Shen Hongji to hire a famous female nurse from Liaodong to teach her martial arts while continuing her studies.
Until she was fifteen, after successfully participating in a talent show in Beijing and being chosen as a contestant, Miss Lan suddenly began to believe in Taoism. Every day, she would fill her courtyard with smoke, making it look like it was about to catch fire from afar, and like she was about to become an immortal up close.
Shen Hongji initially thought his daughter was possessed by an evil spirit, so he invited many masters, shamans, and Taoist priests to his home. Unfortunately, none of the masters who came to the Shen family could outwit Shen Wanlan in terms of Taoist magic. Two of them even advised Shen Hongji that his daughter had truly attained enlightenment and that he should not mislead her.
Hearing this made Shen Hongji feel dizzy. He didn't care much whether it was true or false, but if this reputation got out, how could his daughter find a husband?
Every master Shen Hongji invited to his home gave him gold and silver, instructing them not to spread the word. They did not spread it, but good news travels slowly while bad news travels fast, especially something as rare as this. Before long, the whole of Shengjing knew: the Shen family had produced a female Taoist nun.
As a result of this commotion, the matchmakers who used to come to Shen Wanlan's door every few days to arrange marriages disappeared. Shen Hongji and Zhao Shi had no choice but to temporarily accept the fact that their daughter was practicing Taoism at home. At least their daughter didn't say she really wanted to become a nun and go to a Taoist temple.
But Shen Wanlan's plans could not be limited to that. After a year of rigorous Taoist practice at home, this Miss Lan still took a master, tied up her hair, and became a female Taoist priest.
After becoming a lay Buddhist, Shen Wanlan said she wanted to travel the world, which Shen Hongji and Zhao Shi could never agree to. But her parents couldn't persuade her otherwise, and after much haggling and arguing, Shen Wanlan finally gave in and agreed not to travel the world but to go on a journey with the family's caravan.
Shen Hongji's original idea was to let her go out with the caravan and experience some hardship, so that she would learn her lesson when she came back.
Who knew that this female Taoist priestess Lan would be so happy and at ease going out with the caravan? Later, when she was able to lead a caravan out on her own, Shen Hongji finally realized that this was his daughter's plan from the very beginning.
If Shen Wanlan had said from the beginning that she didn't want to get married and wanted to work as a caravan like men, the entire Shen family would definitely not have agreed.
The only way to succeed is to use this more mysterious and extreme method, but not too shocking, to make the Shen family think that Shen Wanlan has already taken a step back.
Shen Hongji realized that his daughter was too opinionated, and forcing her to marry would only harm her. That's why he brought Shen Wanlan with him when he came to the capital at the beginning of the year. The people of the Northwest are known for their fierceness, and Shen Wanlan is highly skilled in martial arts. Having her lead the caravan would be beneficial for both her and the caravan.
When Yu Lang first heard that the Shen family had such a daughter, his heart tightened. At the time, he didn't understand why he was so nervous. Later, seeing how Shen Wanqing and Shen Wanlan seemed to hit it off immediately and fall in love at first sight, he realized what he was nervous about.
If Shen Wanqing really wanted to, she could probably find a way not to get married, and I probably wouldn't even be able to see her.
This realization came suddenly and violently, so frightening that Yu Lang clung to Shen Wanqing like a koala that night, refusing to work or pay his share of the grain, just clinging to her until Shen Wanqing was annoyed and about to lose her temper, but he wouldn't let go.
Upon hearing that it was Shen Wanlan who had come, and recalling the Crown Prince's sudden offer to give him a concubine, Yu Lang felt that nothing was going right today. So annoying!
However, the unfortunate Lord Yu changed his expression as soon as he entered the East Courtyard, displaying just the right amount of politeness and attentiveness.
"My brother-in-law is back."
“When did you and your uncle come back? Why didn’t you send a letter to your sister? It’s our turn to go back and see you.”
"I just got back the day before yesterday, rested at home all day yesterday, and brought things to my sister today."
Shen Wanlan always wore riding attire with a female headdress when she was out, which was somewhat incongruous, yet it looked surprisingly harmonious on her.
She has always been passionate about whatever she does. She not only didn't miss out on the Taoist practices she learned in previous years, but she also mastered them. When traveling with caravans, she would occasionally perform rituals for people, which were said to be quite effective.
Yu Lang had always felt that his sister-in-law from the next room must know a little bit about things. People like that have sharp eyes. Afraid that she would realize that he didn't really welcome her, Yu Lang exchanged a few pleasantries and then went to the small courtyard.
"Fifth sister, my brother-in-law doesn't like me very much."
Why?
"He's afraid I'll kidnap you."
"No, if I want to leave, he can't stop me, and if I don't want to leave, you can't take me with you."
In fact, it wasn't just Shen Wanlan who noticed; she had also noticed it when Shen Wanqing brought Yulang back to her parents' home to see Shen Hongji at the beginning of the year.
Every time he saw Shen Wanlan, his back would tense up, and the perfectly timed smile on his face looked so fake, like a dog guarding its food, trying hard not to bare its teeth at people.
"The scenery in the Northwest is indeed very beautiful. Fifth Sister should go and see it sometime in the future."
"Later, after your brother-in-law has conquered all of Galdan's territory and the official roads along the way have been repaired better, I will go then."
Shen Wanqing was self-aware; she wasn't incapable of enduring hardship, but it was best to avoid it altogether. Especially the kind of hardship Shen Wanlan endured, sleeping outdoors in the wind and rain, was something she simply couldn't bear. The most important thing for a person is to understand their own limitations; only then can they minimize suffering.
Yu Lang had no idea that Shen Wanqing was thinking this way. After Shen Wanqing had dinner with Shen Wanlan that evening and then sent someone to bring a carriage to take her back to the Shen family, she saw Yu Lang lying lazily on a chair in the east wing of the small courtyard, with most of his body turned to the side, as if he wanted to turn his buttocks towards her.
"Sir, didn't you go to Tongzhou with the Crown Prince to inspect the river embankment today? Why are you back already?"
"If I don't come back, then Lan Nvguan should stay here and sleep with Grandma today."
“She came to give me goji berries and jade. The Hetian jade there is of really good quality. Even just some of it I brought back is better than what I bought in Beijing for a lot of money.”
"Grandma wants to start this business?"
The jade business is too murky; even the Hesheli family, which is much more powerful and influential than a few years ago, can't control it. Upon hearing this, Yu Lang assumed that Shen Wanqing wanted to start a new business, and immediately sat up straight, forgetting his awkwardness.
"Do I look like someone who doesn't care about anything? What situation do I have now to deal with these things? I just asked her to find some good quality goji berries and Hetian jade production areas along the way. After you finish fighting and come back, I'll send someone over to discuss business."
"What does Grandma mean by that?"
While I was busy these past few years, Shen Wanqing was even busier. I was only busy trying to do my job well in front of the Crown Prince, while Shen Wanqing was busy with her own household affairs first, then external affairs, and gradually all the major and minor matters under her command were reported to her.
After the Crown Princess returned to the capital, another Crown Princess was added to the list of people to deal with, and at the beginning of this year, the business of running caravans was added as well.
The caravan never returned to the capital empty-handed. Yu Lang was in charge of procuring supplies, while Shen Wanqing was responsible for deciding what to do with the goods brought back from outside and those to be taken away on the next trip.
Yu Lang had asked her several times how she could handle so many things in just twelve hours a day.
Shen Wanqing always smiled but didn't answer, or she would say that if she really couldn't handle it, she would beg the old man to help her. However, they had been married for three years, and she had never had to ask him for help.
Sometimes Yulang would secretly wonder if the reason they hadn't had a child after being married for so long was because they were too busy.
Even if she was too busy, what could she do? When she married him, her family was in such a mess, and they couldn't find a single capable person. When trouble arose, she had to rely on others and do everything in her power, but what else could she do?
Neither he nor she were the type to live at someone else's beck and call. There's no such thing as a perfect life; Yu Lang didn't need anyone to teach him that. Therefore, Yu Lang had never considered asking his wife to change her attitude, but hearing her say this now, he couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.
"What do you mean? I was going to ask you that too, sir. Why didn't you say anything when you came back from the loss of a child in Yuqing Palace? I was completely unprepared when I arrived in front of the Crown Princess, and I couldn't say a single word of comfort."
Shen Wanqing told Yulang everything about her visit to the palace that day. She said that everyone had been urging her and Yulang to have children for the past few years, from the Tongjia clan to the Niohuru clan and even her own mother, Xu. Everyone who met her would bring up this topic within three sentences.
In particular, Niohuru clan had already brought back a statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, from the temple last year. At first, she placed it in her own courtyard, but later, she heard someone say that the position of the Bodhisattva was not right and insisted on moving the Bodhisattva to the east courtyard.
If there is a Bodhisattva, there must be a place for the Bodhisattva to live. In the past, when office space was so limited, we still set up a proper Buddhist shrine and altar. Now that I live in a separate courtyard house, I can't let the Bodhisattva suffer any more.
After much deliberation, they finally set up a room in the sunny side room of the east wing and respectfully invited the Bodhisattva from the Niohuru clan's courtyard. Regardless of what the Bodhisattva was in charge of, it was always right to maintain a sense of awe towards gods and Buddhas.
Perhaps Shen Wanqing's previous methods were too forceful. Seeing her suddenly become so obedient in this matter, her whole demeanor became much lighter, and for nearly a month she spoke in a louder tone, as if Shen Wanqing had done what she wanted and she, as the mother-in-law, had her daughter-in-law under her thumb.
The Bodhisattva's relocation that year did indeed have an effect, but unfortunately it didn't work on Shen Wanqing. Instead, the several fat cats and two pine trees kept in the east and back courtyards all gave birth.
Two female cats, one gave birth to three and the other to four. The yellow and white female cat, Tu Song, was even more impressive, giving birth to six puppies in one litter. The chubby puppies lay in a row, suckling milk until the mother cat was completely drained.
Seeing this, Yu Lang specially assigned a sweeper to bring several bowls of meat soup from the kitchen to feed the cats and dogs every meal.
With three meals a day of rice soaked in meat broth, the mother dog and mother cat visibly grew fatter day by day, and the kittens and puppies also grew better and better. Later, after the kittens and puppies were weaned, Shen Wanqing kept one from her litter for herself, while the rest were taken back by Dai Jia and Zhao Jia with fresh fish and big bones.
Everyone was quite happy except for Niohuru, who was furious, feeling that the cat and dog had stolen Shen Wanqing's unborn child.
It wasn't appropriate to say this in front of outsiders, so she could only stop her son, who had long since become estranged from her, and launch into a long tirade. The gist of it was that Yulang should throw away all the cats and dogs he kept in the East Courtyard, otherwise he would try to steal Shen Wanqing's baby again.
Those words made Yu Lang laugh in anger. What did he mean by saying that the cat and dog had stolen his and Shen Wanqing's unborn child? Didn't that sound awkward? Besides, if even cats and dogs can steal things, then maybe they weren't originally his to begin with.
Yu Lang's few words left Niohuru Shi speechless with a heartache, and that very night she claimed to be ill from anger and needed to call a doctor. She even sent her personal nanny to report to Shen Wanqing, as if Niohuru Shi, the mother-in-law, wouldn't dare send someone to fetch a doctor without the approval of her, the head housekeeper.
Anyway, this kind of thing happens every now and then. It's not very harmful, but it's just annoying. Shen Wanqing hadn't taken it to heart, but today when she went to the palace and was dragged into the comparison by Shi Qionghua, Shen Wanqing finally made up her mind to take advantage of the opportunity that Yulang is going to war next year to slow down her pace.
"Let's try to get pregnant before you go to war. By then, when the emperor personally leads the expedition to the capital, most of the shops will be empty. Once everyone is gone, business in the shops will be so-so. There will only be some women and children left at home under the command, so nothing serious will happen."
"I'll take advantage of this time to have the baby. By the time you come back, the baby might already be born. When you come back, you'll most likely be busy again. Don't you think this timing is perfect?"
"Are you so sure that Grandpa can get you pregnant during this time, Madam?"
"I'll try my best. I never put having a baby on my mind before. Sometimes it really matters whether you want to or not. Now that I'm seriously thinking about it, maybe the baby will come tomorrow."
It was clearly baseless nonsense, yet Shen Wanqing made it sound so convincing. Yu Lang couldn't help but sigh, life was going so well, and suddenly the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were inexplicably pressuring him to have a child; the feeling was truly strange.
Fortunately, the strangeness did not prevent the two from doing things that night. Shen Wanqing even vented all her dissatisfaction about being inexplicably dragged into the control group in the afternoon on Yu Lang. Her smooth, fair and slender legs tightly gripped Lord Yu, pressing him down and not letting him move, almost torturing him half to death.
After tossing and turning for most of the night, the sturdy four-poster bed creaked and groaned every time they turned over.
The next morning, Yu Lang stubbornly lay on top of Shen Wanqing and refused to move. Shen Wanqing pushed his arm a few times but couldn't budge him. Instead, she pushed until her wrist hurt, so she just let him be. If he was so capable, he could just stay on top of her and see who couldn't take it anymore.
The usually considerate Madam Shen and Lord Yu were somewhat childish at this moment. The maid Chunxian pushed open a crack in the door and peeked into the side room twice. Both times, she could only see a large group of people inside through the curtain, and she couldn't tell who was who. So she closed the door completely and left them alone.
The two of them seemed to be discussing something that could be done on a whim, almost signing a document to guarantee that they were fully prepared to have a child, as if they had forgotten that this was not something they could simply decide to have or not have.
In the past three years, the two of them have had many impulsive and impulsive encounters. It's utter nonsense to say that whether or not someone wants to have a child can actually affect whether or not they get pregnant. It's just that the two of them were indifferent to having a child before, so they didn't think it was a big deal.
Now that I'm actually planning to have a child, I'm belatedly wondering if there's something wrong with not having a child for so long.
Shen Wanqing spoke first. Three months had passed since the two had spoken openly. Outside the window, everything was covered in silver, and inside the house, it was warm and cozy. A circle of pomelo peels surrounded the incense burner, and the whole house was filled with a faint pomelo fragrance.
Several sweet potatoes, taro, and chestnuts were buried under the brazier. The aroma of pomelo was mixed with the unique sweetness of sweet potatoes, but what she said was more chilling than the cold wind outside the window, making Yu Lang, who was sitting on the other side, feel uneasy.
"Why don't we just forget about it? If we don't have children, we don't have children. We were doing just fine without children a few years ago."
“A few years ago was a few years ago, and now it is now. Qiuwen, go to that mirror and let the old man see for himself. Let him see clearly what he sees in his eyes. Is it a good look?”
Of course, a married couple's life can't be all about love and affection. Since Shen Wanqing herself doesn't experience that, there's no reason for her to force Yulang to.
Yu Lang wanted to say something more, but Shen Wanqing interrupted him forcefully, "The New Year is coming soon. If there is still no sign of it after the New Year, we should call the imperial physician to find out whose fault it is before we decide what to do."
Yu Lang didn't dare ask what to do, but fortunately, God or the Guanyin Bodhisattva who brought back the child didn't intend to make things too difficult for them.
On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the day of the Kitchen God Festival, the meat used for the sacrifice is traditionally distributed to each household and courtyard. The meat used for the sacrifice is simply boiled in plain water without any salt. In previous years, it was just placed on the table as a symbolic gesture.
For some reason, as soon as the meat was brought into the house that day, Shen Wanqing covered her nose and said it smelled fishy. Biyun was so frightened that she quickly took it out, but Shen Wanqing still felt that the whole house smelled of fishy meat.
Even on such a cold day, you can't keep the windows open for ventilation all the time. Shen Wanqing waved her hand to stop the maids in the courtyard from busying themselves, and got up to walk into the small courtyard herself.
This is her third year managing the Hesheli family. Time flies. When she married into the family, she had nothing except Yulang, who was a big spender and had nothing but good looks and strong arms.
Now, three years have passed. The servants below are busy with their respective duties during the New Year. Yu Lang is still his own, and he has also saved up quite a bit of private money besides him.
Whenever Shen Wanqing lamented how quickly time had passed, she would open the box where she kept her silver notes and jewelry to take a look. All that gold and silver had witnessed her journey.
The small courtyard is far from the main courtyard, so the lively atmosphere of the New Year's Kitchen God Festival doesn't reach here. Shen Wanqing leaned against the warm couch and fell asleep in a daze. When she woke up again, she saw Yu Lang's face, which was both happy and anxious.
"What's wrong? What time is it? Why didn't you wake me up?"
"I called out to him, but he wouldn't wake up. I was so scared my legs went weak."
Shen Wanqing disliked the strong smell of meat from the Kitchen God Festival and often came to the small courtyard. Yu Lang, wanting to give her more peace and quiet, didn't allow the servants to disturb her. It wasn't until all the afternoon's work was finished and it was almost dark that Yu Lang came to fetch her.
The usually decisive and efficient Grandma was now curled up on her side, sleeping quietly on the warm couch in the small courtyard. The quietness made Yu Lang feel both tender and bittersweet.
Everyone is just an ordinary person. Shen Wanqing has been eager to have a child lately. Even if she doesn't say it, does she not know it in her heart? But even if he knows, he can only pretend not to know. Not only does he have to pretend not to know, but he also has to put on an indifferent attitude towards everyone.
She didn't care that everyone outside was staring at Shen Wanqing's belly, but if she showed even the slightest abnormality, her grandmother-in-law would be in for a world of hurt.
Thinking this, Yu Lang felt even more sorry for his grandmother. He originally wanted to stay with Shen Wanqing for a while while she slept fully clothed, but as soon as he lay down, he sensed that Shen Wanqing had a fever and was breathing rapidly.
"You're so happy that I'm sick?"
"It's not that I'm sick."
"No, it is an illness, but it's just a slight cold. The doctor said I don't need to take any medicine. I just need to rest well for the next few days, drink more hot water, and sweat it out."
"Alright, then you can have Fangyi keep an eye on things at home."
Shen Wanqing did feel weak all over. Hearing what Yulang said, she simply lay back down on the bed, hugged the quilt, and looked at Yulang: "Even a minor illness is still an illness, so you can't be this happy."
"Grandma, please let me finish what I have to say."
Yu Lang took Shen Wanqing's hand and rubbed it in his own palm. "The doctor just took my pulse and told me that Grandma is pregnant. Judging from her pulse, she should be more than two months along."
"Huh? You're pregnant?" Shen Wanqing's mind raced for a moment before she realized what was going on. "But last month my period was late, so I asked a doctor to come and see me, and he said I wasn't pregnant."
"Last month was only one month, so we couldn't tell anything by taking the pulse. Now that two months have passed, we can be pretty sure."
Shen Wanqing suddenly let out a long sigh. This was the first time in so many years that she had been so passive and reliant on fate and luck to get what she wanted. This feeling was so frustrating and uncomfortable.
"Oh my god, she's pregnant!"
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