Chapter 298 Breastfeeding
After three lashes, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law confessed, weeping bitterly.
"I don't know that person. He kidnapped my only grandson and threatened me that I must do as he says, or he will kill my grandson and wipe out my family line..."
"I have lived most of my life and have never done anything immoral, but... but he sent me one of my grandson's hands, and I have no choice!"
"I was so desperate to save my grandson that I had no choice but to create the illusion that my wife was hemorrhaging, causing her to die in the womb and both mother and child to perish. But my wife discovered my plan as soon as I started."
"My lord, we have no choice! Please spare our lives! Please spare us, my mother-in-law and I! Please save our grandson! He's only five years old! He's innocent!"
Granny Wang prostrated herself on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly. After a few kowtows, a gash appeared on her forehead, from which blood gushed out, leaving dark marks on the bluestone floor.
Madam Ma kept kowtowing and begging for mercy, looking at Xu Jinnian with fear and hope, hoping that he would spare her and her only son.
Xu Jinnian remained indifferent, showing no emotion, and ordered Li Tian in a deep voice: "Lock them up and send them to the government office first thing tomorrow morning."
Li Tian accepted the order: "Yes."
Granny Wang was terrified and cried out in alarm, "My lord, I have confessed everything! Please, my lord, spare me and save my grandson!"
Xu Jinnian glanced at her, his voice calm and unwavering: "That man dared to instigate you to murder the family of an official, do you think he would leave any survivors?"
Granny Wang's face turned deathly pale, and she swayed precariously.
Ma was so frightened that she cried and didn't even dare to beg for mercy.
Li Tian and the other guards dragged the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law away, tied them up again, and threw them into the storeroom.
The person who instructed them contacted Granny Wang unilaterally. The mother and daughter-in-law had no idea who he was or where he was.
Even if Xu Jinnian wanted to catch this person and find evidence that Princess Pingyuan's mansion had plotted to harm Sheng'an, he couldn't.
However, he did not give up and went out before Sheng An woke up.
It was already late at night when I returned.
The courtyard was quiet; everyone else had already retired for the night, and only the lights were on in the kitchen and the main house.
Xu Jinnian entered the room and saw Hongliu sitting by the bedside, so he asked in a low voice, "Have Madam and Miss woken up?"
Hongliu replied softly, "Madam has been sleeping the whole time. Miss woke up once, but fell asleep again after her diaper was changed."
No sooner had I finished speaking than the little one's cries came from the bedside: "Waaaaah—waaaaah—"
Hongliu was startled. Just as she was about to pick up her young mistress and comfort her, she saw her mistress being skillfully held and comforted by her master.
"Don't cry, don't cry, Xiao Bao, don't cry."
Xu Jinnian coaxed the little one as she walked out, afraid that the little one would wake up the people still sleeping in bed.
Sheng An was fast asleep when she heard a baby crying beside her.
She wondered why a child was crying, the sound of which was so loud and disruptive that it was impossible to sleep.
The next moment, Sheng An was forced to open her eyes and subconsciously looked in the direction from which the crying came, and saw her husband holding a small, crying child in his arms.
She didn't react for a moment, her mouth beating her brain: "Where did this child come from!"
After saying that, Sheng An almost slapped himself on the forehead.
This little thing crying, isn't it her own newborn self?
Xu Jinnian couldn't help but chuckle as she carried the baby back, saying, "The diaper is dry; the baby might be hungry."
As he spoke, he instructed Hongliu, "Madam has woken up. Go to the kitchen and ask Aunt Gui to make something for her to eat."
Hongliu accepted the order and went out.
Xu Jinnian put the still-crying little one on the bed, helped the weak Sheng An sit up, and took a quilt from the closet for her to lean against.
Seeing that there were candles lit inside the room and it was pitch black outside, Sheng An touched her rumbling stomach, then looked at the little one who was crying with a red face from hunger, and said in a hoarse voice with an unusually pitiful tone, "I'm so hungry too~"
Giving birth is so exhausting. She ate a big bowl of meat soup with poached eggs to replenish her strength when she first went into labor, but after just one afternoon without eating, she was so hungry that she felt weak all over and her vision went black.
"There's food prepared in the kitchen, it will be brought over soon, An'an, just bear with it for a little longer."
Xu Jinnian said he would bear with it, but he went to the outer room and rummaged through the drawers and cabinets, and handed Sheng An the half-pack of jujube paste cake that he had bought yesterday but had not finished eating.
Sheng An didn't mind at all, and amidst her daughter's cries of hunger, she took the baby and showered her with food.
In no time, only a few crumbs remained of the half-packet of jujube paste cake.
Sheng An was still not satisfied and felt his stomach was empty.
Fortunately, Hongliu came in a little while later carrying a tray of food.
The tray held a full bowl of pork rib noodle soup, the surface oil had been skimmed off, and a handful of bright green vegetables were added as a garnish. It looked incredibly fresh and appetizing.
"Madam, the pork rib soup is warm, and the noodles were cooked separately by Aunt Gui, so they won't burn your mouth if you eat them now."
Hongliu put down the tray and picked up the soup noodles to feed Sheng'an, but Xu Jinnian took the bowl and chopsticks from her: "Take Miss outside and feed her after Madam finishes eating."
The little one's voice is too loud, affecting her mother's appetite.
Hearing her master's instructions, Hongliu felt that something was wrong.
Seeing that her mistress didn't say anything, she quickly picked up the still wailing young lady and took her to the outer room, closing the door to shut out the crying.
"An'an, let your husband feed you."
Xu Jinnian sat on the edge of the bed, making sure the soup noodles weren't too hot before picking up the noodles and feeding them to Sheng An.
Sheng An opened his mouth and ate it, his eyes revealing the satisfaction of eating something delicious.
The pork rib soup was simmered on low heat at noon and simmered for a full two hours until the ribs were tender and falling off the bone.
Now, when you eat it, not only is the soup fresh and flavorful, but the meat can also be eaten along with the noodles without needing to chew it too much.
The noodles are hand-pulled, thin yet chewy. After absorbing the broth, the aroma of the noodles and the meat blend perfectly, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
A large bowl of noodle soup was finished in no time.
After eating and drinking his fill, Sheng An felt much better and regained some strength in his hands and feet. So he said to Xu Jinnian, "You pick up the baby and I'll breastfeed her."
She had asked Zhao Di for advice on how to start breastfeeding some time ago, and the bloating in her breasts was much stronger than before she gave birth, so she must have milk.
Upon hearing Sheng An's words, Xu Jinnian paused for a moment, his gaze unconsciously falling on her chest.
Seeing this, Sheng An deliberately asked, "What are you looking at? Trying to help your daughter?"
Xu Jinnian quickly looked away, her eyelashes fluttering slightly: "I'm going to hug Xiaobao!"
After saying that, he got up and left, his steps somewhat unsteady.
Sheng An chuckled, lowered his head, lifted his shirt, and tentatively pinched it, but found nothing but pain.
Xu Jinnian carried his daughter, who was still crying softly, to the bedside. Sheng An, enduring the discomfort caused by the soft touch, carefully took his daughter.
Looking at her pink and tender little mouth, she couldn't help but mutter softly, "I wonder if you can even eat this."
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