Chapter 168 Imminent Labor
Pei Yanzhi climbed to the top of the mountain, stood with his hands behind his back, and suddenly sighed softly, "Judging by the days, is Madam about to give birth?"
Wu Yang was taken aback. Counting the days, it was indeed almost time for her to give birth.
It will be either at the end of this month or the beginning of August.
"This battle is almost over..."
Pei Yanzhi looked towards Yanzhou. He had never felt so unbearable. His eyes seemed to want to travel a thousand miles to land in front of that person.
After August, the weather became increasingly hot. Even just sitting down, one would be drenched in sweat. Ji Shu, who was pregnant, found it even more unbearable.
My legs and feet are often swollen and uncomfortable, and even though Chunzhi massages them with essential oils from time to time, it still doesn't provide much relief.
As Shutong stepped over the threshold and walked inside.
Seeing that Chunzhi and her wife were arranging flowers inside, she stopped outside the curtain and announced, "Madam, the Marquis has sent a letter."
Ji Shu paused for a moment, then said, "Come in."
Since learning of her pregnancy, Pei Yanzhi has been writing her a letter every month, and sometimes even two letters a month.
It's not that things are tense at the front, but he still has the mind to write to himself. I inwardly scolded myself, but I won't mention it.
After receiving the letter, Chunzhi tactfully turned around and moved the arranged flowers to the sandalwood cabinet.
She sat back on the chaise lounge, propped her head up and looked at it carefully. It simply said that her belly was big now and whether she felt uncomfortable.
He also wrote that he heard from the soldiers in the camp that women often had trouble sleeping at this time of year, and asked her if she had such a problem.
Eight or nine out of ten sentences revolved around the child, which Ji Shu was not surprised at all. His regard for the child in his womb was far greater than she had learned from Madam Pei.
Therefore, perhaps her decision was right.
She lowered her eyes and stroked her prominently pregnant belly. Even if she wasn't by his side, he would definitely raise this child well.
But when she caught a glimpse of the last sentence, her eyes stung; the ink on that line was unusually dark.
"Shu'er, I miss you so much. Do you miss me too?"
"Looking forward to your letter, Madam."
Since receiving letters in March, Ji Shu has never replied to a single one.
Whenever he received a letter, he would read it and instruct Chunzhi to destroy it.
Today was no different. After reading the letter, he said to Chunzhi, who was still fiddling with the vase, "Burn it!"
Chunzhi stepped forward and took it, her eyes catching a glimpse of the words "Looking forward to your letter, Madam."
Finally, she couldn't help but ask, "Madam, this is already the sixth letter. Are you really not going to reply to the Lord?"
Ji Shu remained calm and asked in return, "What do you want me to say back?"
Seeing the lady's displeasure, Chunzhi realized she had said the wrong thing, clutched the letter tightly, and went out.
...
A few days later, it was time for Old Master Sheng to have his pulse checked.
Seeing that the lady's neck was covered in sweat, Chunzhi felt very sorry for her and asked, "Sir, it's too hot today, could we use an ice chest?"
After taking her pulse, Old Master Sheng said slowly, "Now that you are about to give birth, it's fine to use some, but you should not use it all night before going to bed, lest you catch a cold, which would be bad."
Chunzhi's brows relaxed, and she quickly nodded.
Ji Shu wiped the sweat from her forehead. It was strange, she had never been afraid of the heat before, but now that she was pregnant, she was becoming more and more afraid of it.
I can feel the baby moving in my belly, and it's been moving more and more frequently lately. I guess the little one wants to come out soon.
Ji Shu gently touched the bulge on her stomach, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
After Old Master Sheng left, Ji Shu went for her usual walk in the garden to digest her food. Zhou Mama came up to her and said, "Madam, the Princess Consort requests an audience!"
Ji Shu stopped in her tracks. This was Wei Heng's first visit after her marriage. According to custom, when the new bride served tea on the second day, Ji Shu, as her stepmother, was supposed to be present.
However, she was pregnant and did not want to show her face, so she told Madam Pei and did not go.
Unexpectedly, after more than half a year, she came on her own.
Ji Shu's eyes flickered slightly: "Please go to the front hall, I'll be there shortly."
Chunzhi helped her slowly walk to the front hall, muttering softly, "What's she doing here?"
Ji Shu stroked her belly and smiled faintly: "We'll know once we go and take a look."
Wei Heng sat upright in her chair, quietly looking around. She learned the day after she served tea that Ji Shu had actually moved out of the mansion.
Although we met on New Year's Eve, we don't see each other every day.
To be honest, I felt a real sense of relief at that moment.
According to seniority, Ji Shu is the elder, and is her and Xing Jian's stepmother. Apart from Lord Junhou and Madam Pei, she is the most senior person in the mansion.
If everyone were under the same roof, it would be easy for her to manipulate herself.
Hearing footsteps at the door, Wei Heng straightened her back and looked toward the door.
Sunlight filled the corridor, and the beautiful woman, dressed in a light pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and a sky-blue shawl, had her skin made to look as white as snow and her demeanor radiant with elegance, accentuated by the light and shadow.
If it weren't for the high bulge in her belly, anyone who saw her would have exclaimed that she possessed a fairy-like beauty.
Upon closer inspection, one would find that her beautiful face was completely free of makeup, yet it possessed the ethereal beauty of distant mountains shrouded in mist and the serene charm of autumn waters rippling across the surface.
Chunzhi helped Ji Shu to sit at the head of the table. After they sat down, Ji Shu glanced at Chunzhi indifferently.
Wei Heng then realized her rudeness and quickly stood up, bowing her head and saying, "Daughter-in-law greets Mother, wishing Mother a long and healthy life!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Shu merely nodded slightly and did not urge her to get up immediately; she simply glanced at her from head to toe.
After a long while, Wei Heng's body began to tremble, and she finally uttered a soft "Mmm" and said, "Get up."
"What brings you here today?"
Wei Heng sat down, twisting the handkerchief in her hands, and said softly with her eyes downcast, "Grandmother was worried about Mother's imminent delivery, so she asked me to send over all the prepared supplies."
Since his elder brother's accident, the Wei family has been in a much worse state than before. Everyone in Yanzhou knows that the young master of the Wei family has not only broken his leg, but also lost his tongue.
If it weren't for their marriage ties with the Pei family, who would take them seriously? I'm afraid that in a year or two, they would have no place to stand in Yanzhou.
Therefore, in the six months since she married into the household, Wei Heng has been cautious and timid, and has lost her former arrogance.
Perhaps Ji Shu had noticed something, because she simply nodded slightly.
Then they saw Yinzi calling for servants to carry all the things over, followed by a plump woman.
Upon seeing this, Chunzhi stepped forward and asked, "Is this your wet nurse?"
The two wet nurses were handpicked by Madam Pei, but it was the first time they had ever known they would be serving the mistress of Yanzhou.
Needless to say, he was nervous and immediately knelt down and said yes.
Upon seeing this, Ji Shu smiled and said to Wei Heng, "Go back and tell your mother that everything is ready here. Leave the things here; the wet nurse is no longer needed."
Wei Heng was secretly shocked that she dared to so blatantly refuse the old lady's kindness. She then looked at Shu Tong beside her, who did not stop her either.
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