Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Chapter 121
After the Qingming Festival, Fu Jie'er was already nine months pregnant and would be giving birth soon. Miao Zhen packed a few clothes, preparing to go and stay for a few days, and then return after giving birth to her grandson or granddaughter.
She didn't know why, but although it was good that her daughter was having a baby, she wasn't as happy as most women. In fact, she only cared about her daughter's health and didn't feel any joy about the child to be born. She felt that she was a bit indifferent.
When Xiao Jingshi heard this, he understood it very well: "Each generation governs the next, and I don't think you're the kind of person who cares about these things."
Even Xiao Jingshi felt that Miaozhen's ideas were different from those of other women. For example, when a letter came from her hometown, her aunt intended for Xia Xianjie to remarry, and her wife actually agreed.
"Then I'll go first. I'll come back in a few days. There's another patient coming for a follow-up appointment," Miaozhen said with a smile.
Xiao Jingshi sighed, "I don't know about other couples, but why is it that we, as a couple, always find it hard to part?"
Seeing him like this, Miaozhen felt a little sorry for him: "There's nothing I can do about it. If it weren't for that Second Madam Zhao, I would have gone myself. But with her around, I'm not at ease."
Soon, she arrived at Fu Jie'er's place. Fu Jie'er had specially prepared several side rooms and asked Miao Zhen, "Mother, has Uncle really become a monk?"
"Yes, your father said he just wanted to cultivate Taoism, and it might not really be because of the Ding family's affair. It's just that doing so is somewhat irresponsible. Fortunately, the eldest matriarch is a strong person. Once your cousin from the eldest branch gets married and Xia gets married, it will all be fine." Miaozhen thought that Chao was truly a role model for us.
Knowing that Xia was an unstable factor, and not afraid of gossip, they chose a dignified and capable granddaughter-in-law and married Xia off.
Fu Jie'er said, "I really didn't expect that my aunt would get married at such an advanced age?"
“My child, when I was your age, I also thought thirty was a lot, but now I see that your mother is the same age as her, and she also has the right to pursue a better life. It’s better than living a life of widowhood,” Miaozhen said with a smile.
Fu Jie glanced at her mother unexpectedly and noticed a small red dot on her neck. She quickly turned her head away and pretended not to know anything. "Mother, what if it were you? What if my father also cultivates Taoism?"
“I am different from your aunt. I have an imperial title, parents and relatives, and I have medical skills. I can live a fulfilling life even on my own. I can buy some medicinal herb fields to grow my own, and eventually, I can open a women's clinic. Otherwise, remarrying would be even more of a constraint for me.” Everyone’s situation is different. Xia’s parents are both dead and she has no family to rely on. Like a vine, she wants to find someone to depend on, but she is not like that.
Every time Fu'er talked to her mother, she always gained many new ideas, just as many preconceived notions could be shattered. She then asked, "Come here, did Father say anything?"
Fu Jie was surprised to find that her parents had such a good relationship. When she thought of her own parents-in-law, she found it hard to imagine them sleeping in the same bed; they seemed to be overly polite to each other.
Unexpectedly, her daughter asked this question. Miaozhen smiled and said, "Your father asked me to take good care of you. It's good that I can rest for a few days. You don't know that your father often looks at cases at the Dali Temple. There are so many small characters and he has to sit for long periods of time. Every morning I make soup and send it to the yamen. In the afternoon I see patients. I rack my brains to do everything I can. Well, now I can rest for a while."
"Mother, why are you so good to Father?" Fu'er was jealous.
Miaozhen said, "Your father solved the case within three days because he knew that the two victims were born on the same day as me. Everyone praised him as a reincarnation of Bao Zheng, but I know how much effort he put in. He did this for me, so I must do the same for him."
So that's how it is. Fu'er looked at her mother and couldn't help but say, "Father is also very good to you."
"Of course, he's a very reasonable and good person." Miaozhen rested her chin on her hand, thinking of her husband, so dashing in public and so tender at home.
Fu Jie felt that neither she nor Zhao Rui seemed to be like that; it was obvious that their feelings for each other were still intertwined.
With Miaozhen's arrival, Fu Jie'er felt much better. Now that she was heavily pregnant, she had entrusted the management of the household affairs to her several maids. Miaozhen didn't participate when her daughter was in charge of the household affairs; she never had the habit of interfering in anything.
Since she had come to take care of her daughter, and after confirming that her daughter was alright, she went back to her room to read.
Even Madam Ming felt that Miaozhen was different from what she had imagined. When she had met Miaozhen before, she thought she was just a mistress who knew medicine, no different from an ordinary lady. Now, after observing her up close, she felt that Madam Xu was not like what she had imagined at all. Even though she was so skilled in medicine, she was still reading medical books.
He lived a very simple life, rarely venturing out. Aside from socializing with himself, he mostly stayed in his room reading.
When Zhao Rui returned in the evening, he and Fu Jie invited Miao Zhen over for dinner. Zhao Rui said very politely, "Thank you for your help this time."
"Look at what you're saying. Fu'er is my daughter, so it's only natural. But it's the son-in-law who has been taken care of in every way; you've really worked hard," Miaozhen said with a smile.
Zhao Rui didn't feel it was hard work, but his wife's pregnancy was truly difficult; no one else could take her place with her physical ailments. Since there were many people around, he couldn't say these things directly, only asking, "Brother Zhao, are you getting engaged next month?"
"Yes, the eighth day of next month."
Zhao Rui thought of Han Sanlang. It was said that his mother-in-law had a very high opinion of Han Sanlang back then, and the Han family never became estranged from the Xiao family. They continued to help his father-in-law. This time, they were even going to marry their eldest daughter into the family.
After dinner, the bed was so soft and cozy that Miaozhen, who wasn't sleepy at first, suddenly felt drowsy and slept soundly until dawn. When she woke up, she felt refreshed.
Granny Zhao was displeased; she couldn't get involved at all, especially since the midwife she had chosen objected as soon as she heard that Madam Xu, Xiao's mother, was present. She frowned and said, "I'll give you fifty taels, that's more than ten times what you usually charge for delivering babies?"
The midwife quickly said, "Madam Xiao is no ordinary doctor. Once, a woman was in labor when the baby hadn't come out yet, but her intestines had. There was no other way but to call her in. She managed to pull the intestines back in, but the baby was in a transverse delivery. Just when it was about to be born, the baby came out feet first. Only Xu Miaozhen could save the pregnant woman from the brink of death and ensure a safe delivery. The family later erected a memorial arch for her. How could someone like us dare to play tricks on her?"
This midwife was found by Madam Ming. Second Madam Zhao finally found a handle on her and tried to bribe her with money, but she changed her mind when Xiao's mother arrived.
"Is she really that amazing?" Grandma Zhao didn't believe it at all.
The midwife said, "Second Madam Zhao, is Madam Xu the wife of the newly appointed Minister of the Court of Judicial Review..."
Xiao Jingshi was known for his exceptional case-solving skills, capable of solving extraordinary cases within three days. Who in the world didn't know that? The midwife wasn't stupid; she knew exactly what money could be made and what money couldn't be made.
Grandma Zhao had no choice but to give the midwife ten taels of silver to gag her. The midwife took the money with a smile and left. After leaving the area, she quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor and reappeared with Zhao Rui a moment later.
After listening, Zhao Rui couldn't help but laugh and said, "You're right. Some people have bad intentions, and they'll naturally suffer the consequences."
The midwife hurriedly said, "Who would dare to pull such a trick in the home of the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard? This Second Madam Zhao is really provoking trouble."
"Alright, that's all for you here. Take good care of the young master's wife." Zhao Rui waved his hand, and the midwife, not daring to say anything more, immediately left.
When no one was around, Zhao Rui walked to the window with his hands behind his back, his heart pounding. This couple was clumsy in their methods, resorting to any means to harm them. Even if he spoke to his father, he would only give them lip service, which would only make them grow more greedy and do more evil.
Soon, some things will begin to unfold.
**
Xiao Jingshi ate at the yamen for two consecutive days. The food at the Dali Temple was actually quite good, but he just couldn't eat it. He was really spoiled by Zhenzhen.
Every day brought different delicious food and drinks, and each time he drank them, he felt great, energized for the rest of the afternoon, not to mention the sweet and soft comfort of his bed at night. Ah, truly a pair of lovebirds...
Fortunately, a new case arrived in the afternoon. After working on it all day, he forgot about many things and, too lazy to go home, decided to look at the case file. As a result, he felt dizzy and lightheaded that night, and woke up with a terrible headache the next day.
Why didn't he think he was being pretentious before? It was only because Qingfeng couldn't stand it anymore that he secretly went to the Marquis of Yunjian's residence to find Miaozhen.
Upon hearing this, Miaozhen couldn't help but say, "He really is. Staying up all night in the yamen, of course his mind and eyes are foggy. What should we do?" Since she couldn't do anything about it at the Marquis's residence, she boiled some astragalus and red dates in water and asked Qingfeng to take it over.
Sure enough, when Qingfeng took it, Xiao Jingshi said, "Madam is in that mansion, how can you go there?" But he still drank every last drop of the soup, and felt much better afterward.
Qingfeng thought that his fourth master was simply spoiled by his wife. Even the eldest young master wasn't this pretentious at home; he spent his days reading.
Miaozhen told Fujie about this incident as a joke, saying, "Your father is really addicted to drinking soup. When I get back, I'll definitely make him stay up all night."
Fu Jie'er felt very guilty: "It's all my fault that my parents separated."
“Why are you saying this? It’s only right. Come on, let me help you outside for a walk. You can’t lie down completely like that, or the blood will clot easily,” Miaozhen said with a smile.
Fu Jie was delighted. Having her own mother by her side always made her feel especially at ease. Moreover, her mother was very open-minded. For example, when she wanted to wash her hair and take a bath, everyone around her was afraid that she would fall, but her mother knew her habits and let her do as she pleased every day, even helping her wash her hair and take a bath.
After walking around the courtyard a few times, Fu asked, "Mother, when I went back last time, there was a Madam Zhu. Is she a relative of our family?"
"We met on the road, and we're somewhat related," Miaozhen said with a smile.
After the Zhu family arrived in the capital, they waited for an official position. Fortunately, at the end of March, they were finally appointed as assistant directors of the Ministry of Justice's Huguang Qingli Division. Although the rank of officials from outside the capital was not high, it was already a great blessing that they could stay in the capital.
Mrs. Zhu sighed, "Back then, Xiao Jingshi was just a councilor, but he suddenly became the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, one of the Nine Ministers. My husband was a prefect back then, and he was almost promoted to councilor, but now he is only a fifth-rank official."
Lord Zhu, however, did not see it that way: "Xiao Jingshi started as the Circuit Intendant of Xuanfu and Datong, which shows that he must have powerful connections and a good track record. Therefore, it is quite normal for him to become the Chief Minister. But you mentioned last time that Madam Xiao gave our daughter a gift. What does she think of our daughter?"
“When Lord Xiao was promoted last time, I went to visit him. I asked him then, and he said that the scholar Xiao was not engaged. The Xiao family was very polite to us.” Madam Zhu also wanted to arrange a marriage between her daughter and the Xiao family, but although the Xiao family was polite, they did not seem to treat her daughter any differently.
Lord Zhu said, "If it can be accomplished, then it will be accomplished; if it cannot be accomplished, then we'll discuss it further."
Madam Zhu agreed. After Master Zhu left, someone outside announced that the Second Miss had arrived. Although the Second Miss was under her care, she was actually her niece. It was enough that the family could support her and give her a respectable status. This girl was getting older and starting to get anxious, but no matter how anxious she was, she still had to think about her marriage later.
"Send her away and tell her I need to rest," Mrs. Zhu said casually.
Miss Zhu Er had no choice but to leave after hearing this. Her maid said, "I clearly heard the master and mistress talking just now."
"It's just that my aunt doesn't want to see me."
"We didn't let you come out to meet guests last time because we were afraid you would steal the spotlight. You are much prettier than the young lady."
Miss Zhu lowered her head. She also wanted to marry into a good family and no longer live under someone else's roof, but how could her aunt be willing to do that? Her aunt only cared about her own daughter.
What mother in the world doesn't plan for her own daughter? Miaozhen was no exception. She specially decorated the delivery room, and when Fujie went into labor in the middle of the night, she stayed there to watch over her.
“With your mother here, you will definitely have a smooth delivery.” Miaozhen touched her daughter’s forehead.
Sister Fu smiled and said, "I'm most at ease with my daughter."
The midwife had prepared everything here: what the pregnant woman should eat when she was hungry, when she could take a bath, and even red ginseng water. She smiled and said, "With you here, I feel at ease."
Fu Jie'er was in good health, and with Miao Zhen taking care of her, the delivery went very smoothly. She gave birth to her grandson at dawn. Marquis Yun Jian and Madam Ming were overjoyed. Miao Zhen, seeing that her newborn grandson was very healthy, couldn't help but kiss his wrinkled little face, even though she had previously sworn she had no feelings for him.
She stayed until after the baby's third-day celebration before going home. As soon as she entered the door, Xiao Jingshi picked her up. She slapped him and said, "What are you doing? Be careful people laugh at you."
"My wife, if you don't come back soon, I'll come looking for you." Xiao Jingshi found it increasingly difficult to bear being separated from his wife.
Miaozhen noticed the bloodshot in his eyes and couldn't help but feel sorry for him, saying, "I'm worried about them over there too. But next time I can stay at home and go over when they call me."
Xiao Jingshi put her on the bed, knowing she was very tired, and started massaging her.
Leaving aside the couple's intimate moments, the Han family was preparing the list of return gifts and Han Ruozhen's dowry. Mrs. Han was saying to her daughter, "The Xiao family is a wealthy family in Suzhou. When Miss Xiao got married, her dowry was 50,000 taels. Our family can't compare. You sisters-in-law are keeping an eye on it. Originally, the dowry was 5,000 taels, but I added another 5,000 taels, so it's exactly 10,000 taels."
Ten thousand taels is actually quite a lot. Back then, Han Ruozhen thought that her mother wanted her third brother to marry a girl from the Xiao family. Firstly, Xiao Fu was indeed talented and beautiful, and her father was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) when he was young and had a good reputation. Secondly, it was probably because the Xiao girl's dowry was generous.
Han Ruozhen smiled and said, "Actually, when I get along with Madam Xiao, I feel that Madam Xiao is not the kind of person who is rich and extravagant. She is simple, humble, and does not say many exaggerated things."
"Yes, you don't know that she was a guest of honor of Princess Yu. Back then, when the Prince Yu's heir was ill, it was she who saved him. The late Governor Lu was willing to act as a mediator to reconcile the relationship between their family and the Marquis of Yunjian's family. I think it wasn't because of Commander Xiao, but probably because of Madam Xiao," said Mrs. Han.
Han Ruozhen seemed to hear something else. Her future mother-in-law didn't seem to be the traditional sociable and likable type. For example, another woman, Madam Gao, had an excellent reputation. As for her mother-in-law, most people's impression of her was that she was a very good doctor.
Daughters-in-law are all afraid of having a bad mother-in-law, otherwise life will be very difficult.
Whether it was good or bad, the Xiao family came to hold the betrothal ceremony on the eighth day of the fifth month. Today, Zhao Ge'er was dressed in new clothes. He was originally very handsome, but at this age, it was easy for him to get pimples on his face. Miao Zhen told him to eat a light diet and drink more soup these days, and to pay attention to exercise on weekdays. Sure enough, he looked really handsome.
It has to be said that every dynasty is very concerned with appearances. After Zhao Ge'er appeared, Miao Zhen couldn't help but smile when she saw the Han family.
Today, the betrothal ceremony was held first, which was also a way for both parties to meet. After Han Ruozhen came out, Zhao Ge'er saw that his fiancée was beautiful and had bright eyes and white teeth. He was already quite satisfied. After all, what man wouldn't want to marry a woman who is both talented and beautiful?
Han Ruozhen was even more satisfied with Zhao Ge'er, and the Han family felt the same way.
After the engagement ceremony was completed, Xiao Jingshi went to the Taoist temple again. Xiao Jingyan was still unwilling to return to secular life, so he wrote down both matters together and sent them back.
The Xiao family received the letter quickly. The Second Master Xiao was very happy that his eldest grandson had been engaged to the Grand Secretary's eldest daughter. He couldn't help but say, "This marriage is good. Jing Shi and his wife are really steady and reliable. Look at Jing Tian from the third branch. After marrying Gao, his official career has been much better than others."
Men who aspire to officialdom must either marry a woman who is extremely capable herself or have a very good marriage; only in this way can they achieve greater stability in their careers.
Madam Ren was happy for her eldest grandson, but she was also worried about the affairs of the eldest son's family. She couldn't help but sigh, "I have to talk to my sister-in-law. What kind of situation is this?"
"Your sister-in-law is more open-minded than you are. Go and come back quickly." Although Master Xiao Er disapproved of Xiao Jingyan's actions, it was ultimately a family matter of the eldest branch of the family.
After Ren Shi spoke up, Chao Shi acted quickly. Since there was a divorce agreement, she personally arranged for her granddaughter-in-law to be married into the family. She also married Xia Xianjie to a widowed prefect of Songjiang Prefecture as his second wife. The man was not old, only forty-three years old this year, and was in his prime. Xia Xianjie voluntarily left part of her dowry to her son and happily got married.
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