Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Fang Ying sighed, "You didn't do it...
Ji Yanlang and the maids in the room were very happy. Hong'er was already four years old, so it was the perfect time to have a second child.
Fang Ying herself was a little annoyed - during the pregnancy and the confinement period, she had no good days for at least a year.
"You can't go anywhere now," she said unhappily.
Ji Yanlang held her in his arms and coaxed her, "When the baby is three months old and stable, I'll go with you wherever you want to go."
Fang Ying glanced at him and said, "I want to go see the Longmen Grottoes."
"..." Ji Yanlang smiled apologetically, "That will have to wait."
Of course Fang Ying knew that this would have to wait, she just said it on purpose to embarrass him, so she snorted coldly and didn't answer.
Ji Yanlang quickly hugged her and admitted his mistake, coaxing her by saying that traveling far away would be inconvenient, but he would definitely take her for a walk around the city. "Don't worry, I'll talk to Mom."
Fang Ying felt a little relieved, and she pushed him away and said sternly, "Don't just coax me. Pay more attention to Hong'er."
"I know……"
Fang Ying interrupted him, "No, I'm not talking about spending more time with her and taking her out for fun, or those everyday things. I'm pregnant again, and once morning sickness hits, I'll be too busy to take care of her and inevitably neglect her. The servants will also tell her that she's pregnant with a younger brother and needs to rest more, and tell her not to make a fuss."
Ji Yanlang felt distressed when he heard this. "That's easy. I'll talk to them later and tell them not to say that to Hong'er."
"Don't let them say it's simple, what about their attitude? Don't think that Hong'er is still young and can't see the changes in others." Fang Ying sighed, "You haven't been a sister, you don't understand."
Her mother already loved her very much. When she became pregnant again, Fang Ying noticed that everyone in the family was very happy because her mother might be carrying a boy. The gossipy mother-in-law would even ask her whether the baby in her mother's belly was a boy or a girl.
She knew they only wanted to hear "It's a younger brother," so she refused to answer. The old woman clapped her hands and said, "It's a younger brother. My husband and I already have you, my little lady, so we can't have another girl. Whenever anyone asks, you must say it's a younger brother. Remember that, little lady."
Fang Ying repeated this to Ji Yanlang, and finally sighed, "From then on, I understood that the reason why my mother was pregnant again and everyone in the family was so happy and excited was at least three-quarters because I was a daughter."
Although Hong'er is younger than she was at the time and may not be able to think as clearly as she does, but Hong'er has been doted on since birth, so how could he not notice the difference between before and after?
Ji Yanlang not only felt sorry for his daughter, but also for Fang Ying. He quickly held her hand and said, "I understand. I will love Hong'er even more and tell her that even if she has a brother or sister, we will still love her as much as before."
"Well, if I get into a bad mood due to morning sickness, remember to remind me."
Ji Yanlang wanted to cheer her up, so he pretended to be cautious: "Can I remind you?"
Fang Ying glanced at him: "Didn't I ask you to remind me?"
Ji Yanlang bowed and clasped his fists, saying, "I obey your orders. Marshal, do you have any other instructions?"
"Go play General and Soldier with your daughter."
Ji Yanlang shook his head and said, "Understood, sir." Then he stood up, raised his right hand, made a whip-waving gesture, pulled the reins with his left hand, and imitated the sound of horse hooves, and jumped out.
Fang Ying laughed so hard that she fell on the small table. She waited until she heard Hong'er's voice outside the window, then turned her head to look. She saw Hong'er holding her father's hand. The father and daughter were talking about something. Hong'er jumped up happily. Ji Yanlang bent down, picked her up, and went to the front yard.
Fang Ying's smile deepened, and the annoyance in her heart also dissipated.
After calming down, Fang Ying arranged important matters while she was still feeling the effects of morning sickness. Since Li had replied to the letter, the matter with Feng Rong was now a solved problem. She wrote a letter and asked Mai Cao and Lichun to go to Feng's house and give it to Feng Rong so that the matter could be settled.
Last time, Feng Rong only mentioned the request of not living in Ji's house, and Fang Ying had already agreed.
As for the tuition, she came back and discussed it with Ji Yanlang, and decided to give Feng Rong three strings of cash every month, with lunch provided, and a new set of clothes every quarter, and New Year gifts separately.
Fang Ying was afraid that there would be mistakes or omissions in the message passed on by the servants, so she listed everything in the letter. Mai Cao and Lichun went there and came back to report that Madam Feng felt that the three strings of cash as compensation was too much, so she wanted to change it to one string per month, and everything else was up to Madam Feng.
"If she is really uneasy, it's okay to give her less at first. Then if she says she taught well, you can give her more." Ji Yanlang suggested.
"That's too little. Lichun and the others have this much as monthly allowance. This is for the gentleman."
Fang Ying sent Mai Cao away again, saying, "Let's just say we set the tuition fee based on the market price of private schools. It's unacceptable anyway. If Madam Feng feels that since she has never been a private school teacher, it's hard to compare herself with them, then we'll set it at two strings of cash per month for now."
This time Feng Rong finally agreed.
After that, they prepared to move into the new house. Although Fang Ying did not show any obvious discomfort for the time being, Ji Yanlang did not let her worry about it and only asked Mai Cao Lichun and others to take care of the cleanup.
"I've already made a deal with my fifth brother. We'll all live in the east side, and the two courtyards in the west will be left for my third and fourth brothers." Ji Yanlang said confidently, "Mom told us to move in first. Doesn't that mean we can choose?"
Fang Ying smiled and nodded: "It's rare that Fifth Uncle is willing to express his position clearly this time."
"In fact, Fifth Brother has long been fed up with Third and Fourth Brothers."
During the year they had been in Luoyang together, Ji Yanlang and his fifth brother Ji Yanhui had become much closer. During the New Year, under the influence of alcohol, the two brothers had a heart-to-heart talk. "And fifth brother is just like me. He just wants a happy marriage and doesn't want to take a concubine to cause trouble."
Since moving to this house in Luoyang, the two rooms have lived closer and visited each other more frequently. Fang Ying had also discovered long ago that the fifth room did not have any concubines or maids, but Gao Shi did not mention it. As her younger sister-in-law, she certainly could not ask about what was going on in other people's rooms.
"I also feel that although Uncle Wu and his wife don't show it on their faces, they are actually quite affectionate."
Ji Yanlang smiled and said, "Fifth brother said that he never dared to dream of having a wife with such a family background as Fifth Sister-in-law before, and he didn't know how many lifetimes of cultivation it took to be so lucky. Even Third and Fourth brothers said something sour, saying that noble ladies are arrogant and domineering and difficult to serve, and asked Fifth brother to be careful."
Unexpectedly, when Gao married into the family, her temperament was even gentler and more docile than his third and fourth sisters-in-law, and she gave birth to two sons for him in succession. Ji Yanhui was not a lustful and frivolous person, so he was extremely content and cherished them.
Fang Ying was surprised: "So Third and Fourth Uncles were still jealous about this?"
"I'm so upset. Since the An family came to Bianjing, their status has plummeted. The Cheng family has always relied on my father. Let alone asking them for help, it's good enough that we don't have to ask them for help."
Ji Yanlang paused for a moment, put away the contempt on his face, and continued: "But Fifth Brother is very thoughtful. He knows that he has to establish himself first, so he has not been in a hurry all these years." The family did not arrange a real job for Fifth Sister-in-law, nor did they force her to go back to her parents' home to beg for help.
Fang Ying nodded: "Fifth sister-in-law doesn't like to compare herself with others." It is really rare for a couple to be content with what they have.
Ji Yanlang couldn't help but sigh: "If only everyone could live a peaceful life like my fifth brother and his wife, my father and mother would worry less."
Not only did the elders have less to worry about, but with these two around, Fang Ying also saved time and energy. Especially after the doctor diagnosed her pregnancy, Gao no longer needed her to interfere in any major or minor matters at home. She even specially set the date for moving into the new house to be three months after Fang Ying was pregnant.
At this time, Li and his party had also boarded the ship from Bian Jing, and arrived at the Luo River ferry three days after Fang Ying and his party moved into their new house.
Ji Yanlang and Ji Yanhui personally led people to pick them up, while Fang Ying and Gao waited for news at home.
When Hong'er was only one month old, Li went to Zhenzhou. Gao's second son Huaizhi was one year younger than Hong'er and had never seen his grandmother. The two sisters-in-law taught the children how to kowtow and greet their grandmother.
When Huaixiu grew up, he not only remembered his grandmother, but also remembered that his third uncle's eldest brother had bullied him, so he warned his younger sister and younger brother not to play with the eldest brother.
"Well, I don't play with him. Hong'er only plays with his sisters."
Huaizhi had just learned to speak, and his mouth was not yet fluent, so he stumbled over his words: "Follow sister, play."
Fang Ying and Gao looked at each other and couldn't help but smile.
After waiting like this for another half an hour, someone finally came and told them that the lady's carriage would be arriving soon. The two sisters-in-law hurriedly asked the wet nurse to hold the child and walked together to the Chuihua Gate to wait.
At this time, the sun was high in the sky, making people feel warm. The wind blew up balls of willow catkins, and also brought the hostess of the mansion into her home.
Fang Ying saw Li's carriage coming in and wanted to go forward to greet her, but she was pregnant and just as she took a step, she was supported by Lichun. The maid accompanying the carriage saw this and warned, "Sixth Lady, be careful."
Then the carriage stopped, the curtain was lifted, and the maid got out. She turned around and helped Li down. Fang Ying saw the familiar face and couldn't help but feel tears in her eyes and a sore nose. She went forward with Gao to pay her respects to her mother-in-law.
Li first asked the maid to hold the two of them, and then looked at them one by one. She saw Fang Ying's eyes were red, and her eyes were full of admiration. She felt a pang in her nose. However, An and the concubines had also gotten out of the carriage and gathered around with their children. Li could only nod and said, "Let's go in and talk."
Fang Ying and others made way, greeted the third sister-in-law and concubines, and then escorted Li into the hanging flower gate, and then went to the main courtyard along the winding corridor.
Li looked around as she walked, nodding frequently all the way. When she entered the hall, she sat at the head of the table. The maid placed the prayer mats on the table, and Ji Yanhui and Gao bowed down first with their two sons.
Li called out, first praising Ji Yanhui for his prudent work and brotherly demeanor, then consoling Gao for her hard work, "I heard that Ying'er is pregnant. You've been responsible for everything from cleaning to furnishings in the new house."
Gao said hurriedly that she dared not take credit for it, "It's all thanks to the housekeepers, and the fifth and sixth brothers always come to this house to keep an eye on it whenever they have time..."
"They have their merits, but without you taking charge, the house wouldn't be as tidy as it is now."
After Li finished speaking, she called the two children over. She first touched Huaixiu's head, praising him for growing taller and more handsome. Then she looked closely at Huaizhi, touched the child's chubby white face, and smiled at Aunt Yang, saying, "He looks exactly like Wulang when he was a child."
Aunt Yang's eyes were red and she bowed in response.
Ji Yanhui and Gao stepped aside. Seeing Fang Ying also standing in front of the prayer mat, Li first instructed: "Ying'er, don't kneel anymore. Your health is more important."
Fang Ying thanked her mother-in-law, stepped back to her daughter's side, and gestured for her to kneel down and kowtow like Ji Yanlang.
Mrs. Li saw that her little granddaughter had grown into a delicate and beautiful little girl. She loved her so much that after she woke her up, she ignored her son and immediately beckoned Hong'er to come over and took her into her arms, sighing, "You have grown so big in the blink of an eye."
Hong'er was not shy at all. He looked at Li with his big eyes and said in a baby voice, "Grandma is so pretty."
Mrs. Li laughed and looked up at her son. "Sweet talk, did your father teach you that?"
"I don't have a son." Ji Yanlang immediately protested, "If you don't believe me, ask her mother."
Fang Ying testified with a smile: "Hong'er has her own little temper now. The more you try to tell her something, the less she wants to say it."
"I wronged Hong'er." Li smiled and lowered her head to comfort her granddaughter, "It's grandma's fault. I'll ask someone to make Hong'er something delicious later."
Ji Yanlang: "Where's your son?"
Li didn't even raise her head: "How old are you? You're still competing for your own daughter's favor."
Everyone laughed, and Ji Yanlang pretended to be aggrieved: "...Did you only wrongly accuse Hong'er?"
Mrs. Li then looked up and glared at him, "How can you be so unruly in front of your nephews and nieces?" Then she called the three granddaughters of the second house over and let them meet their uncle and aunt.
Next, Hong'er and the other two came to pay their respects to their uncle and aunt, and the children from the third house paid their respects to their uncle and aunt. There were already many people in the hall - this time, in addition to the third house's family and the two house's three daughters, several old concubines in the mansion also came with Li. With such a chaos, Li suddenly felt tired.
She asked the third wife and several concubines to go back and settle down first. Li tacitly allowed her sons to choose their own residence, but it was not easy to let her daughter-in-law decide where the concubines would live, so she decided on the residence for the concubines based on the drawings.
Fang Ying and Gao had already asked people to clean each courtyard in advance, and the luggage that had been transported in advance had also been delivered, but the rest had to be packed by each room themselves.
After the two groups of people left, the hall became much quieter. Li asked someone to take the children out to play, and then asked Gao about a few household matters. She ordered a family dinner in the evening to celebrate.
Finally, he said to Gao, "Your second sister-in-law is still in Bianjing, and Ying'er is pregnant. I don't trust anyone else, so I have to trouble you first."
"Mother, you are too kind. It is my responsibility as a daughter-in-law." Gao bowed and replied.
Li nodded, left the child behind, and asked Ji Yanhui and his wife to go about their business.
Finally, Fang Ying and Ji Yanlang were the only ones left in the hall. Seeing her mother-in-law looking exhausted, she asked, "Are you tired, mother? The inner rooms have been cleaned up. I'll help you in to rest."
"Okay, let's go inside and talk. It's uncomfortable sitting here."
Li stood up, and Ji Yanlang hurried over to support her, "Let our son do it."
"It's your responsibility to help." Li said to him, and then walked in, asking Fang Ying if she had morning sickness, how her diet was, and whether she slept well.
Fang Ying smiled and replied, "My son's diet is fine. He occasionally has acid reflux and nausea, but it's less severe than when Huaihong was a child. He also sleeps well. He just looks forward to mother coming every day."
Ji Yanlang continued: "Mother doesn't know how much we miss you."
Li was delighted and sighed softly, "I'm looking forward to reuniting with you soon."
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