After the engagement with the Li family, the two families began to visit each other as proper relatives.
Xu Di, who used to only give good things to his younger sister, now also knows to share some with his wife in the Li family. Xu Di's wife often makes him shoes and clothes. Normally, the two shouldn't meet, but the Xu family isn't an ordinary family, and the Li family isn't a rigid family either. They often exchange a few words or chat about interesting things when they exchange gifts.
Xu Di repeatedly instructed Li Yuexi to study. Li Yuexi originally only knew a few characters from her father, so she wasn't completely illiterate. After Xu Di told her to study, Li Yuexi couldn't understand why. She asked her mother, Madam Li, who hadn't received much education. She only knew a few characters after getting married and learning from Lord Li. Madam Li thought that it was enough for a girl to know a few characters. But she couldn't understand why her future son-in-law was telling her to study. Her daughter didn't need to take the imperial examinations, so what was the use of studying a lot?
Li Yuexi knew that Xu Di must have his reasons for making her study, but when she asked her mother, she couldn't understand, so she went to ask her father.
Seeing that Lord Li had left the yamen, Li Yuexi took a bowl of soup and went to her parents' room.
When Lord Li heard Li Yuexi's confusion, he thought for a moment and said, "Reading makes one wise and broadens one's horizons. Yuexi, since Xu Di wants you to read more, then you should read more books in the future. Spring plowing is a bit busy now, so you can read on your own. If there's anything you don't understand, just wait until I get off work tonight and come over to ask me. The Xu family is not an ordinary family; they don't believe in those nonsense stories about women being virtuous because they lack talent. Study hard and fill your mind with useful things."
From then on, besides helping her mother manage household affairs and doing needlework, Li Yuexi spent the rest of her time reading. The more she read, the more she felt that she knew too little, and the more she wanted to read more books to enrich herself.
Xu Di's wife began to arm herself with knowledge, and Zhang Zhaoci was indeed pregnant.
Two months after Zhang Zhaoci stopped taking the herbal medicine, she began to lose her appetite. As a doctor herself, she was still relatively new to the practice and didn't notice it until she had been experiencing loss of appetite for quite some time. Only then did she detect the slippery pulse.
Calculating the dates, the baby will be born in the first month of next year. Since the baby is not yet three months old, Zhang Zhaoci only told her family and not outsiders.
Xu Zhi was overjoyed to learn that her mother was going to have another baby. She grabbed Granny Lu and asked, "Granny, do you think my mother will give me a little brother or a little sister this time? Should I start making little clothes for my little brother or sister now?"
Granny Lu smiled and said, "Well, we'll have to wait and see. Does Ninth Miss want a little sister or a little brother?"
Xu Zhi said with some distress, "I think they're both fine, Granny, I want them both."
Upon hearing this, Granny Lu laughed heartily and said, "Ninth Miss, this is no simple matter. Dragon and phoenix twins are extremely rare. Our capital is so big, we do have twins, but dragon and phoenix twins are truly unheard of among the noble families."
Xu Zhi said, "No, that's because they can't have children. My mother can have children, she'll definitely be able to give birth."
Granny Lu didn't know where Xu Zhi got her confidence from, insisting that her mother could give birth to a younger brother or sister for her, or even both. Even Zhang Zhaoci felt it was a bit difficult. She was getting old, and it was already difficult to conceive even one child. If she were to conceive twins at once, with the current level of medical care, it would be hard to guarantee her safety during pregnancy, and even during childbirth, there was no guarantee that she would be absolutely safe.
It was almost time for the wheat harvest, and Zhang Zhaoci, who was more than three months pregnant, looked very listless. Xu Di decided to take Zhang Zhaoci and Xu Zhi to the estate. Zhang Zhaoci thought about the fresh vegetables on the estate and how it was cooler than home, so she decided to go with Xu Di.
The eldest daughter-in-law of the Li family gave birth to a boy a few days ago. Madam Li is now at home helping her daughter-in-law make leaf tea and taking care of her grandson. She is extremely busy every day. When Xu Di went to the Li family to deliver something last time, he saw that Madam Li was so busy that her feet barely touched the ground, but she was in very good spirits.
Zhang Zhaoci lay listlessly on the kang (a heated brick bed), watching Qingmiao and Qingsui pack her things. Xu Di came over and said, "Mother, it's still a bit chilly at night over there, so please bring a slightly thicker quilt."
"We're already using a thin blanket at home these days," Qingmiao said. She quickly opened the box and found a thicker blanket. Zhang Zhaoci waved his hand and said, "I always feel hot at night now. Maybe we should bring the thinner one."
Xu Di helped stuff the quilt into the bundle, saying, "Anyway, you don't have to carry it yourself. If you feel too hot while you're there, we can just leave it on. By the way, have you written to the manor to let them know you're pregnant?"
Zhang Zhaoci said, "No, why don't you mention it when you write to the old lady?"
Xu Di said, "Let my father write a letter to the Marquis to say something. That would be more formal and see if the manor will send us anything."
The Zhang family already knows about Zhang Zhaoci's pregnancy, and Zhang Zhaozhi will be coming over with the business people in a while.
Zhang Zhaoci said, "I still feel a little embarrassed about getting pregnant and having a baby at my age, so I'd better not make a fuss about it and let people laugh at me."
Xu Di laughed and said, "Look at you, you're getting upset again. The reason you can get pregnant again at your age is because you and Dad are both in good health. Who doesn't want to be healthy? If you tell others, they'll only be envious and jealous. The more they laugh at you, the more jealous they'll be."
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