The sky was cloudless, a boundless expanse of azure. As the warbling of orioles filled the air, red plum blossoms and green plums coexisted in the garden. Yan Ning inhaled the astringent scent of the green plums, as innocent and naive as she was, unaware of the ways of the inner court. No one in the manor wished to brew wine with green plums and engage in casual conversation; everyone awaited the ripening of the fruit.
The old lady no longer allowed Yan Ning to set foot in Furong Garden, and Fukang'an had been missing for several days. Yan Ning had asked Zhu Xiang to inquire about him. Zhao Xing secretly sent word that what was brought to Furong Garden that day was just ordinary medicine to help with pregnancy. Yan Ning then realized that she had been meddling and had unjustly dragged herself into a false accusation.
Xiang'er was worried about the child in her womb, and that's why she lost her mind. Yan Ning blamed herself for being too impulsive and forgetting that she was in ancient times, where people valued ancestral tablets above all else. Who would personally harm their own child! Now, in front of the old lady, she had become someone who was whispering venomous words in her husband's ear.
Fukang'an's absence from her for many days was a warning to her that, deep within the mansion, it was best to protect herself wisely.
Yan Ning and Zhu Xiang went to pick green plums to make tea. The green plum tea was bitter and hard to drink, but Yan Ning forced herself to finish it to remind herself that she should not be as bitter as the green plum in this deep mansion.
Meixiang was frightened in Furong Garden and rushed to tell Xiying what had happened. Xiying cut the embroidery in her hands until the scissors cut her fingers and blood stained the embroidery basket before she stopped.
Xiang'er had always served Fukang'an, and Fukang'an would always have Xi Ying secretly prepare two doses of "medicine," one before and one after. If it weren't for Delin's illness at the time, leaving Xi Ying exhausted and unable to attend to anything else, how could Xiang'er have managed to slip through and become pregnant with Fukang'an's child? Now that she's pregnant, Fukang'an will surely allow Xiang'er to give birth.
The thought that Delin was no longer Fukang'an's only son made Xi Ying's knuckles turn white as she gripped the embroidery basket tightly. Half a day later, Xi Ying regained her usual gentle and virtuous demeanor. "Xia'er, go to the kitchen and have them make bird's nest, then send it directly to Furong Garden!" After waiting for half a day, Xi Ying estimated that the bird's nest had been delivered, so she took Qiu'er to Furong Garden to visit Xiang'er.
The guards outside Furong Garden silently withdrew, and the old lady ordered two nannies to take care of Xiang'er's meals and daily life. Fukang'an had preferred to stay in the military camp since childhood, and had few opportunities to be close to women, so it took him many years after marriage to have a son, Delin. After Yan Ning entered the mansion, Fukang'an had not approached any other women. Although the old lady didn't say anything, she was extremely anxious, worried that Fukang'an's lineage wouldn't be prosperous.
With her worries from a few days ago gone, Xiang'er's complexion gradually became rosy, and although her face was thin and gaunt, it was no longer as withered as before. Xiang'er was drinking the nourishing soup sent from the kitchen when Xi Ying entered the inner room without waiting for the servants to announce her.
Xiang'er put down the jade bowl in her hand and took the handkerchief handed to her by Rongxi to wipe the soup from her lips. "Aunt Ying has such a leisurely mindset!" Xi Ying knew that Xiang'er would not be kind to her. After hearing the disdain in Xiang'er's tone, she calmly sat down next to Xiang'er.
Inside the warm gauze tent, Xi Ying gently touched Xiang'er's lower abdomen with her right hand. "I wonder if it will be a son or a daughter?" Xiang'er's eyes nervously followed Xi Ying's hand back and forth, but she dared not stop her too much, for fear of angering Xi Ying and causing her to be ruthless.
"Auntie!" Qiu'er handed Xi Ying a jade bowl filled with bird's nest soup. Xi Ying took it and stirred it with a silver spoon. "Bird's nest soup is very nourishing, but whether it helps with pregnancy depends on fate! We women rely on our husbands for everything in our lives!"
After saying that, Xi Ying placed the jade bowl in Xiang'er's hand and looked at her with a smile.
After taking the jade bowl, Xiang'er hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes and drank every last drop of the bird's nest soup. It was already difficult enough that Fukang'an had asked her to keep the child in her womb; she dared not risk being seen as arrogant by the old lady. She was even more afraid that Xi Ying might say something to Fukang'an that would change his mind.
In the garden, Yan Ning was standing on tiptoe picking green plums when she suddenly felt a churning in her stomach and began to vomit, leaning against a plum tree. Startled, Zhu Xiang hurriedly went to the stone table to fetch tea for Yan Ning to rinse her mouth and gently patted her back.
Zhu Xiang pondered Yan Ning's diet for a long time. Yan Ning had been eating light meals these past few days and hadn't consumed any overly greasy dishes. Worried, she asked Yan Ning if she should call a doctor.
Yan Ning wiped her mouth with the sleeve embroidered with green plums and waved her hand. Her face was pale, and large beads of sweat dripped from her forehead.
Xi Ying stood by the artificial hill, hidden by branches, so Yan Ning and her servant did not see her. However, Xi Ying heard their conversation and the sound of Yan Ning retching.
The next day, Xi Ying secretly had Mei Xiang bring Yan Ning a tonic soup mixed with a lot of safflower, intending to take action beforehand. Upon smelling the soup, Yan Ning vomited even more violently and quickly had Zhu Xiang remove it. For several days in a row, Yan Ning lost her appetite and vomited everything she ate.
Once Zhu Xiang calmed down, she remembered that day at Furong Garden when Xiang'er had been vomiting incessantly. "Madam, are you pregnant?" The question startled Yan Ning, who stopped vomiting.
Thinking that her period was due in a few days, Yan Ning felt a little doubtful. She gently touched her lower abdomen. She had never thought that she would have a child with Fu Kang'an. If that were the case, she would find it even harder to sever her ties with this place.
Zhu Xiang went to the front yard to ask someone to fetch a doctor, and just then she ran into Zhao Xing who had returned to see her. She quickly told him about Yan Ning's condition. Zhao Xing told Zhu Xiang to go to Jian Gong Zhai first, and that he would go and tell Fu Kang An.
When Fukang'an returned to Jianguozhai, Yan Ning was lying on the bed, her face pale and her body soaked with sweat. The already slender Yan Ning looked even more frail.
"You're not angry with me anymore?" Yan Ning asked, looking at Fu Kang'an who was hugging her.
The room was filled with the scent of green plums. Yan Ning's face, usually as delicate and shy as a peach blossom, was now pale and weak. Fu Kang'an realized that since Yan Ning knew his feelings, she was most likely pregnant. The worries he had felt about Xiang'er's pregnancy lessened considerably.
The doctor took Yan Ning's pulse through the bed curtains. Fu Kang'an asked impatiently, "Is it a pregnancy pulse?" The doctor closed his eyes for a moment, then shook his head. "Madam's pulse is weak; it is not a pregnancy pulse."
Fukang'an pressed on, unwilling to give up, "Then why is the lady vomiting incessantly?"
The doctor smelled the astringent scent of the green plums in the room. "Madam, have you eaten a lot of green plums? Plum blossoms bloom in winter and ripen in summer, absorbing the full essence of wood. They are extremely sour and have the effects of lowering qi, calming the mind, stopping coughs, relieving pain, stopping fever and typhoid fever, stopping dysentery caused by cold or heat, reducing swelling and detoxifying. However, green plums at this time of year are not suitable for consumption, as they can harm the spleen and stomach."
Through the thick bed curtains, Yan Ning sensed Fukang'an's disappointment. Zhao Xing saw the doctor out and ordered someone to fetch the medicine to be decocted.
Yan gazed at Fukang'an's expressionless face, her hand unconsciously touching her lower abdomen. Before the doctor arrived, she truly believed that there was already a small life inside her.
Fukang'an took Yan Ning's hand, which was resting on her lower abdomen, and with his other hand, he held up the jade pendant Yan Ning had given him earlier, displaying it in front of her eyes. Yan Ning took the jade and looked at Fukang'an with a puzzled expression. Fukang'an embraced her and said, "This jade pendant must have been given to you by your parents. We're getting married soon! Let it stay with you, as if your maternal family is by your side!"
Yan Ning smiled gently at Fukang'an, holding the jade in her hand as she leaned against him.
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