Chapter 325 Having a Second Child?
The room was quiet. The couple sat by the bedside, watching their baby close his eyes and fall into a deep sleep.
The two of them had been looking at those adorable sleepy eyes for months without getting tired of them.
Sheng An leaned over and kissed the little girl's face, tucked her in to make sure there was no draft, and then sat back down next to Xu Jinnian to talk to him:
"The clan leader will probably send someone to the capital after the New Year. Should we host them?"
A few days ago, the couple received a letter from Qingzhou, which was dictated by Xu Cuilian and written by someone else.
Besides inquiring about the family's well-being, the main message stated that the clan head had received the verdicts against Xu Huaining and his son, and had arranged for people to come to the capital to collect their bodies.
In her letter, Xu Cuilian also mentioned that the clan chief had repeatedly summoned the entire village, warning them not to rely on Xu Jinnian's power to act arrogantly and bully the weak when they were out in the world.
The clan chief's actions were naturally for the good of the clan, and also to protect Xu Jinnian's reputation and prevent the clan members from causing trouble for Xu Jinnian.
The couple would certainly appreciate this.
"Once those people arrive in the capital, have Li Tian settle them in. I'll go see them when I have time. You don't need to show up in person or invite them to your home."
Xu Jinnian will not cause trouble for Sheng An, nor will he invite people from Xujiaba to his door:
"We won't have many chances to go back in the future. As long as they don't cause trouble, I'll allocate a sum of money from my salary to the clan school every year. That would be a way of taking care of the clan."
Sheng An had plenty of money and didn't mind sponsoring the Xu clan school, so he suggested, "Sending money is not as good as sending writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones. I'll write a letter to Shu Qi later and ask him to send two batches to the clan school every year."
After hearing this, Xu Jinnian felt that this was a better approach than simply giving money directly: "Alright, let's do it your way."
After finishing talking about Xujiaba, Sheng An poked the man's waist: "My aunt still asked me in her letter if I was pregnant again. She's probably hoping I'll give Zhuozhuo a little brother. What do you think?"
Not only her aunt, who lives far away, urged her, but her grandparents also hinted at the same idea, feeling that Zhuozhuo would need a brother from her maternal family to support her when she grew up and got married.
Xu Jinnian took her hand, gently kneaded it a few times, and held it in his palm: "If you get pregnant, then give birth. We won't force you if you don't."
Sheng An looked at the man, trying to discern whether he truly meant it: "People value ancestral lineage, don't you want a son to carry on the family line?"
Xu Jinnian said helplessly, "We've discussed this topic before."
Sheng An recalled that there seemed to be such a thing. What did he say at the time?
"Don't take your aunt's words to heart, and don't be so insistent on having a younger brother for Zhuozhuo. Our family is doing just fine now, there's no need to worry about a child that doesn't exist."
Xu Jinnian touched Sheng An's head, feeling the soft texture of the hair: "Passing on the family line is the obsession of mediocre people. Many great families have been passed down for hundreds of years but they cannot escape the fate of dying out. Living well in the present is enough."
Seeing how open-minded the man was, Sheng An was certain that he really didn't care about carrying on the family line: "Fine, if you don't care, then I care even less. Like you said, if you get pregnant, you'll give birth. I won't force it."
It took her several years to conceive Zhuozhuo. She felt that her poor fertility was actually a good thing, as it greatly reduced the risks associated with childbirth.
Before giving birth to Zhuozhuo, she didn't have any special feelings for the child. It was only after watching Zhuozhuo grow up little by little over the past few months that her maternal love for Zhuozhuo grew deeper and deeper.
Anyway, she still couldn't feel any affection when she saw other people's children, let alone a child she didn't have. She had no obsession with having a son.
Seeing that his wife shared the same idea as him, Xu Jinnian was very pleased: "Well, in the future, when the elders urge us to have children, we'll just listen and let it go."
Sheng An unceremoniously shirked responsibility: "If Grandpa, Grandma, and Dad urge you, you should explain to them yourself."
Xu Jinnian pulled her into his arms, his tone indulgent: "Leave it all to me."
The couple didn't know many people in Beijing, and there were only a handful of families they needed to visit for the New Year.
Besides the Tan family, there were also the An'nan Marquis's Mansion and the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion.
Ning Sihan, in particular, has a sworn brother-sister relationship with Sheng An. It would be inappropriate not to visit each other during the Spring Festival, especially since they exchanged New Year's gifts before the holiday.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, the couple brought Zhuozhuo, who was wrapped up like a ball, to the Marquis of An'nan's residence. Ning Sihan's trusted servants stood at the gate to greet them.
The family of three was taken to Ning Sihan's yard.
Ning Sihan's gaze softened when she saw Zhuozhuo.
He took out the New Year's money he had prepared in advance, tied it to the little girl's sleeve through her clothes, and patted her head twice with his large hand:
"May Zhuozhuo have a peaceful and prosperous new year, free from worries and joy."
Sheng An smiled and shook the little dumpling's arm: "Wishing your Uncle Ning a Happy New Year and a successful career with continuous promotions."
She wanted to use the baby's words to wish her sworn brother a happy marriage and many children, but she felt that saying it would be too inappropriate, so she changed her blessing.
When the little dumpling heard its mother speak, it responded with babbling, but it didn't really know what it was trying to say.
Ning Sihan gave the little dumpling face, praising her with a slight smile: "So smart, Uncle accepts your splendid blessings."
The little dumpling didn't remember Ning Sihan, but it wasn't shy. When it saw him talking to it, it responded with cooing sounds again.
Ning Sihan's smile deepened as she reached out and took the person from Xu Jinnian's arms.
The group chatted and teased the child, and soon Zhuozhuo couldn't stay in the house any longer and started fussing about going to play in the yard.
Sheng An carried her out, and Ning Sihan sent the other servants to guard outside the courtyard, leaving only him and Xu Jinnian in the house.
"News came back from Pingyuan County yesterday; they've found some clues about that matter."
Ning Sihan poured Xu Jinnian a cup of tea, the rising steam blurring the hidden sharpness in his eyes:
“Last time, she used the cheating case to eliminate some of her hidden forces. In addition, the Sixth Prince was demoted to a commoner, which ruined her plan that she had been planning for years. So she became a little restless and revealed her true colors.”
Xu Jinnian's eyes darkened: "Tell the people of Pingyuan County to be extra careful and not to make any big moves during this period, so as not to alert her and make her aware of it."
Ning Sihan nodded and changed the subject: "His Majesty may have other plans for you after the New Year."
Xu Jinnian's expression shifted slightly: "You..."
Ning Sihan knew what he was going to say and raised her hand to interrupt:
“Master Jiang is a man trusted by His Majesty, and you are Master Jiang’s prized disciple. It’s only a matter of time before His Majesty gives you an important position. It has nothing to do with me.”
Xu Jinnian understood, but there was no joy on her face.
Seeing this, Ning Sihan reminded him, "No matter what you are thinking, now that you have come before His Majesty, do your duty."
Xu Jinnian concealed the emotions in his eyes and cupped his hands to Ning Sihan, saying, "Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness."
He is an extremely rational person, and even if Ning Sihan hadn't reminded him, he wouldn't act impulsively at a time like this.
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