Chapter 119 The Child's Nickname and a Peaceful Life...
Guo Baiwen was initially able to calm himself down and slowly read aloud the travelogue that Chen Baoyue had previously loved most.
But as the cries of pain from inside grew louder, Guo Baiwen's hand holding the book began to tremble uncontrollably. Eventually, he stopped reading the contents of the book altogether and started calling out, "Baoyue! Baoyue!"
Just standing outside listening made his legs feel incredibly weak; he had no idea how much pain Chen Baoyue must be in inside.
That's terrifying, that's terrifying.
Having a child is certainly a good thing, but no matter what anyone says afterward, suffering this once is enough.
Just as he painfully closed his eyes, he vaguely heard a clear, crisp cry of a baby. Because it was so faint, Guo Baiwen initially thought he had misheard.
Just moments later, the weak breaths quickly transformed into loud cries.
Very good!
"Great!" Guo Baiwen suddenly opened his eyes, and now he insisted on going in to check, no matter what anyone else said.
Fortunately, it was the height of summer, and the sun was blazing with no wind, so there was no need to worry about disturbing the woman in labor. The cook who was watching over him only offered a few words of advice before letting him in.
Chen Baoyue's eyes were now wet with tears and sweat, and she looked like she had just been pulled out of the water, which made Guo Baiwen's heart ache.
Fortunately, he remembered that he was wearing an outer robe, and while helping to get spare clothes, he also handed Chen Baoyue a glass of warm water.
The most painful time was over. After the midwife helped clean up the mess, Chen Baoyue felt like she had come back to life.
"Baiwen, where is my child?"
Chen Zhonghua, who was holding a red swaddled baby, handed the small child to the two of them upon hearing this, saying, "Look, the child is here."
The baby in the swaddling clothes hadn't opened its eyes yet. It was wrapped up tightly and looked like a hairless monkey.
Chen Baoyue only glanced at it, and even though she was still in a lot of pain, she was stunned. She looked at it a couple more times in disbelief before asking, "How... how can you be so ugly?"
The red-skinned monkey was bad enough, but it was all wrinkled and looked like an ugly little old man.
Not only does she not resemble Guo Baiwen, but looking at her, there isn't a single thing about her that she looks like.
Is this really the child she just gave birth to?
Could there be some mistake somewhere?
Hearing her dazed words, Chen Zhonghua couldn't help but smile. The midwife beside her also laughed, "Oh my, madam! Most newborns are like this. They'll open up after a month!"
As she spoke, she also peeked at the baby in the swaddling clothes. "I've been a midwife for so many years, and I just said that your child is already very beautiful!"
Chen Baoyue stared blankly at the swaddling clothes, trying hard to see what was pretty about them.
But still—
Well, a mother never dislikes her son for being ugly. Just like my husband said, it's good enough that he's healthy.
She quickly calmed herself down before turning to look at the others in the room, "Is it a boy or a girl?"
Chen Zhonghua placed the swaddled baby on the already made bed, carefully nestled next to Chen Baoyue. After confirming that the moon could see the child clearly, he raised his hand to his chest and smiled, "It's a girl."
Upon hearing this, Chen Baoyue tremblingly extended a finger and carefully touched the child's cheek.
How can it be so small and so tender?
She was afraid that if she used too much force, she would hurt this tofu-like child.
Seemingly sensing its mother's scent, the baby, who had been sleeping with its eyes closed in the swaddling clothes, gently clenched its chubby little hands, as if trying to grasp the familiar scent in front of it.
Seeing this, Chen Baoyue couldn't hold back the tears welling up in her eyes.
Chen Zhonghua quickly began to comfort her, "Don't cry, don't cry. Right now, your body is at its weakest. Take care of yourself."
Guo Baiwen also comforted her, saying, "You and the child are both doing well now, you should be happy."
This production went smoothly without any major incidents, and we are already extremely grateful.
After the delivery room was almost cleaned up, the doctor who had been waiting in the outer room came in to help take her pulse carefully.
The rest is up to taking good care of your health.
The baby, who was not even a month old, changed almost every day. As he gradually opened up, Chen Baoyue finally understood what the midwife had said about him being a beautiful child.
Worried about affecting Chen Baoyue's recovery, Guo Baiwen originally wanted to find a wet nurse to help, but after being persuaded by his mother-in-law Chen Zhonghua, he went and bought a ewe that had just given birth.
The child has a good temperament, doesn't cry much, and drinks goat milk very well. Even with this kind of upbringing, he looks stronger than the average child.
Guo Baiwen was finally relieved.
As the child grows up day by day, and with only a few months left until the originally scheduled first birthday party, everyone who was still deciding on the child's nickname started making noise.
Everyone hopes that the nickname they chose will be selected in the end.
Therefore, the various items labeled with different nicknames placed at the first birthday banquet became especially important.
Finally, the day of the first birthday arrived. The weather was nice, and everyone gathered in the courtyard where soft blankets had been laid out.
Chen Baoyue had just brought the baby out after waking up, and everyone crowded forward to see the little child.
"Her eyebrows and eyes are so beautiful, and her eyes are so big they look like the moon!"
"Her head is round too. Maybe when she grows up, she'll be as smart as her father."
"This little face is so tender, all pink and white. I wonder which young master will be lucky enough to marry her in the future."
"Shh—shut up! Can't you see your brother is about to cry from talking like that?"
"Okay, okay!"
Guo Baiwen was initially quite pleased to hear the praise, although he didn't know how this chubby little bundle of joy could receive so much praise. But he couldn't help it since it was his daughter who was being praised.
Before he could even enjoy his happiness for a moment, he heard Guo Songwan's words. Thinking about what his daughter would look like when she grew up and got married, Guo Baiwen's smile immediately turned down.
When that time comes, if he finds out which family's brat it is!
snort!
No matter how resentful she was, the time for the baby's first birthday celebration (or "grasping ceremony") had come.
After arranging the items in their designated positions and placing the child in the center of the blanket, everyone began to show off their unique talents.
You clap your hands to lure the child over, so I'll use a bright red sign to beckon her. For a while, all sorts of methods were being used.
I don't know if this is the child's first birthday party or the 'first birthday party' of this group of adults.
After much teasing and enticement, despite having displayed so many items, the child ultimately chose the small doll that Chen Baoyue had placed on top.
She even tore off the note with her nickname written on it herself.
Seeing that the final nickname had been chosen, everyone crowded around to see what the winning name was.
Once fully unfolded, what comes into view is—'Maido'
"This is?"
Seeing everyone looking at her, Chen Baoyue was a little embarrassed. "Actually, when I was pregnant with this child, I often dreamed of flowers in wheat fields."
So when the suggestion was made to give the child a nickname, she subconsciously chose this name.
Unexpectedly, this was the name that was ultimately chosen.
"The flowers in the wheat field, the wheat blossoms, it sounds quite pleasant and easy to pronounce."
“I think so too. This nickname is a good choice. It’s not too overpowering for the child, and it sounds cute and adorable to us family members.”
And so, the child's nickname was finally decided.
Perhaps it's because she now has a child, but Chen Baoyue feels that Guo Baiwen has become more and more mature.
The teachers at the academy continued their work. Although there wasn't as much time for review as before, they still gained new insights from teaching the children who were just beginning their education.
During this period, he also carefully read through the books that Master Guo had sent him many times in his spare time.
In particular, the book "Essentials of Writing" mainly teaches the three most important aspects: theme, format, and writing style.
This book seems to have been consulted by Master Guo himself, so when Guo Baiwen flipped through it, in addition to the original content, he would occasionally see some of Master Guo's own insights and experiences in the blank spaces next to it.
The sections on how to introduce and conclude the questions did indeed provide Guo Baiwen with a lot of inspiration.
He just felt that he hadn't fully grasped the book yet, and before he knew it, it was autumn again, and Maiduo was almost three years old.
She's currently in the stage where she loves to babble, and every now and then she'll utter a few cute words.
Statements like "My feet are gone" actually mean her legs went numb from squatting in the toilet for too long, or "Look! My socks are upside down!" actually mean she accidentally put her socks on inside out.
Even such childlike words can sometimes make people want to record them.
Guo Baiwen specially ordered a notebook, which was filled with some of the childish things Mai Duo has said so far.
Sometimes I take it out and look through it, and I find it quite interesting.
"Aren't you planning to take the next exam this year?" Chen Baoyue couldn't help but ask when she saw his nonchalant expression as she helped him change the candles in his study.
Children grow up day by day, and adults unknowingly begin to grow old.
Guo Baiwen stroked his beard. "I haven't fully grasped those books yet." If he finishes poorly this year, he'll probably end up like last time or the time before that.
"Let's wait another three years, until we are absolutely certain—only by accumulating knowledge and experience can we unleash our full potential."
Seeing that Guo Baiwen had his own plans, Chen Baoyue ignored him and put down the stewed pears on the tray in her hand, reminding him, "Don't forget to eat the stewed pears later. You seem to have a bit of a sore throat lately, so drinking some pear water is just right for you."
"Yes, yes, thank you, my wife."
"I appreciate your banter, just don't forget about it like last time!"
"Hehehe." Last time he was working on an article and forgot the time, by the time he remembered, the red date and longan soup, which had been perfectly warm, was ice-cold. "Okay, okay—"
Life is quite stable these days, and it seems there's nothing wrong with continuing to live peacefully like this.
But Guo Baiwen still remembers the letter that Master Guo wrote to him back then. Now that he is this age, he can understand more and more what Master Guo said back then.
"In the prime of life, full of energy and knowledge, if I give it up now, how can I not regret it when I'm old and looking back?"
Three years later, before entering the examination hall this time, Guo Baiwen specially prepared some things and asked someone to send them to Master Guo's house first.
Feeling that he had not yet fulfilled his promise, he only glanced at the location of the teacher's house from afar, and after watching the family accept the gifts they had sent, he regrouped and headed to the autumn examination.
The first session of the provincial examination was crucial, and the first question in that session was also of utmost importance.
The teacher wrote in the notes he was given that there are no fixed rules for writing, but if you want to stand out from the crowd of candidates, you not only need to study hard, but also need to figure out the examiners' preferences.
When you begin your presentation, be sure to set the tone by considering both the topic and the examiner's writing style.
Whether it was divine intervention or not, he was arranged to sit in a cell close to the examiners in the front row.
Although I couldn't find out the examiner's preferences beforehand, I could still glean some information by looking at them face-to-face.
For example, the examiner in this case is left-handed, his clothes are neat and tidy without a single wrinkle, and he sits with his teacup in hand for two or three hours without moving.
It seems they would prefer a more conservative and formal writing style.
Guo Baiwen first wrote it out on the draft. He was a little thirsty, so he looked at the sky and saw that it was about time. He lit the stove and boiled a pot of hot water, which he planned to eat with the dry food he had brought.
After finishing this hasty meal, a light drizzle began to fall outside.
I don't know how long this rain will last, I can't let it get the papers and sheets I have here wet.
So, disregarding everything else, he first moved his answer sheet and test questions to a safe place.
The roof of the cell he was in looked pretty good, and even though it had only been raining for a short while, he could already hear several gasps of surprise.
It's likely either the roof was leaking, or my exam paper got wet from the rain when I wasn't looking.
This subtle restlessness didn't last long before it was quickly quelled by the patrolling officials.
No sound is allowed in the examination room.
After checking the security of his cell, Guo Baiwen began to carefully revise his draft, word by word, without any distractions. Only after confirming that every word had been used to its fullest potential did he begin to copy it onto his answer sheet.
After finishing the test, he breathed a deep sigh of relief. When he looked up, he realized that it was already late and he had completely forgotten about dinner.
If I hadn't drunk some water and eaten something closer to noon, I probably would have fainted.
The day before the exam was hot and humid, with the bright sun shining in the sky, but it started to rain as soon as night fell.
The cells were already quite small and cold, with chilly air rising from the floor. People dressed in thin clothes could easily get a fever and fall ill.
Although his clothes were warm enough, Guo Baiwen was worried that he would catch a chill. After leaving the examination hall and returning to the inn, he first ordered himself a pot of hot ginger soup. After drinking the ginger soup, he soaked himself in the hot water.
Only after soaking until the soles of her feet were steaming did she hug the hot water bottle that had been filled with hot water and crawl into the thick quilt.
Perhaps because he handled it well, despite the constant rain throughout the autumn examination period, he didn't catch a cold until he finished the last exam.
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