Chapter 68 You think I'm slaughtering a pig the moment I'm born? Why make a fuss? ...
Since then, as the early spring of the twelfth year of Jian'an approached, with the chill in the air and the due date drawing ever closer, Hua Tuo still did not appear.
Deng Jie tried to casually inquire about Guo Jia's condition, but all he received was Guo Jia's indifferent reply: "Your Excellency has sent a letter urging us to get better, but your mistress is still not well."
Guo Jia would then change the subject: "Don't worry, I've already arranged a breast doctor for you. Even if your master isn't here, it definitely won't interfere with your plans."
Seeing that he was unwilling to talk more, and knowing that he would not get anything out of him, Deng Jie stopped pressing the matter.
Sometimes she would stroll to the medical office, wanting to go inside and search for any traces that Hua Tuo might have left behind, but the medical officers would refuse her entry on the grounds that "the lady is pregnant and it is inconvenient for her to go inside and smell the medicinal aroma."
When the topic of Hua Tuo's whereabouts came up, everyone gave the same answer as Guo Jia.
Afterwards, she went to the Sikong Mansion to inquire with Madam Du, but Madam Du had very little contact with Hua Tuo. She tried to get information from Madam Huan indirectly, but there were no other clues.
With no news from Qingwu, Deng Jie had no choice but to try his luck with Xun Wei again.
“Master Hua? I’ve never heard of him.” Xun Wei’s words didn’t seem to be a lie. “Qiao County is the ancestral home of the imperial family. I don’t have that kind of ability.”
Deng Jie was not surprised by the answer. Although he was somewhat disappointed, at least there were no bad rumors, which put him at ease.
“If Guo Fengxiao were the only one keeping it from you, that would be understandable. But since everyone is saying it, it must be true. Don’t worry about it.” Xun Wei took her hand and comforted her. “Right now, take good care of yourself and give birth to your child safely. When your master returns, you can ask him for the favor back, right?”
As Deng Jiezheng nodded in agreement, she suddenly felt unwell and looked up at Xun Wei.
"What's wrong?" Xun Wei asked, noticing her sudden change in expression. "Are you feeling something?"
Deng Jie frowned. "I still need to confirm... Maybe I should go home first."
"Don't rush. Take a good look at it here first. If it is, I will send someone to call Guo Fengxiao, and then you can go back. There's still time. First births take longer."
Deng Jie knew that Xun Wei was experienced, and since she herself had delivered many women, she remained calm, supported her waist as she stood up, and followed the maid out.
When she got home, her lower abdomen began to ache regularly, and her steps became heavier, forcing her to stoop as she entered the courtyard.
"Is Madam about to give birth?!" Upon seeing this, Huai Niang quickly stepped forward to support her and urgently called out, "Ayu! Quickly go and call the wet nurse and the wet nurse! Also, also go and inform the chief priest! Axiang! Go and help boil water!"
The father and daughter immediately got to work.
“Fengxiao…someone has already gone to Fengxiao’s place.” Deng Jie raised his hand slightly, panting.
"Alright, alright, Madam, please go to the bedroom first and wait. I'll stay by your side!" Huai Niang remembered Guo Jia's instructions. The side room was specially prepared for newborns and wet nurses. Madam would give birth in the bedroom so that he could stay with her at night.
Not long after Deng Jie was helped to lie down by Huai Niang, the contractions became more frequent.
She tried to regulate her breathing and focus her attention on relieving the feeling, without making too many cries of pain.
Guo Jia, accompanied by the wet nurse and wet nurse, practically rushed into the courtyard.
"Go quickly, go in quickly!" He urged the nurse to go to the bedroom, but Huai Niang firmly stopped him at the door.
Xun Wei had just settled his family and was riding in a carriage when he entered the courtyard. He saw Guo Jia pacing back and forth on the corridor and listening to the noise through the lattice door, looking very anxious.
"What are you so anxious about? Just wait patiently." Xun Wei sneered, "You're still clueless."
Guo Jia was forced to sit on the veranda by her words, but his eyes remained fixed on the lattice door, hoping to find out something.
Xun Wei took her seat at the banquet in the courtyard. Thinking of Deng Jie's visit to her earlier that day, she couldn't help but ask, "Where exactly did Master Hua go? Yi is quite unhappy. In Yecheng now, besides you, Master Hua is the only family she can count on. That's all she cares about. Can't you be a little more considerate?"
Guo Jia raised an eyebrow and glanced back at her. "Madam Xun, I have explained this matter to Shuo Yi properly. You are meddling too much."
He glanced back at the bedroom nonchalantly, "Once Master returns, everything will become clear. There's no need for Madam to worry."
Seeing his attitude, Xun Wei couldn't help but mutter, "He doesn't know what's good for him."
For a long time, all that could be heard from inside were the encouraging voices of the wet nurse, the comforting voices of the woman from the locust tree, the sounds of things being moved around, and the sounds of the two helping each other.
Guo Jia craned his neck, peering back and forth through the door, as if trying to see some shadow through the cloth. "Why is there not a sound?"
Xun Wei scoffed, "Do you think I'm slaughtering a pig? Why make any noise? The woman in labor needs to conserve her strength for childbirth. You should just shut up and stop making a scene."
Guo Jia hunched over and obediently nestled by the pillar.
Ayu was guarding the door when she saw Guo Yi carrying a wooden box and Qingwu hurrying over.
Qingwu's first words upon approaching were, "Why haven't I heard any sound from you, sister?"
Guo Jia tilted his head back and said irritably, "Do you think I'm slaughtering a pig? Why do you need to make any noise?"
Xun Wei coughed and covered his mouth to stop laughing. This guy learns quickly.
It was rare for Guo Jia to reply to her, and Qingwu was somewhat surprised. She was so startled that she pulled her hands back into her sleeves and stood silently to the side.
Guo Yi moved closer to Guo Jia and opened the box: "Don't worry, Grand Master, my sister has always been healthy and experienced. I've made some fish soup here, and there's a portion for you too, Grand Master, to make sure you can serve her well tonight."
Guo Jia smiled and thanked him, accepting the gift. Xun Wei, however, was taken aback. "Who are you to be taking such good care of him?!"
Guo Yi was also puzzled by the question and looked Xun Wei up and down: "And who is this lady? What business is it of hers?"
Guo Jia suppressed a laugh when he heard that she had the same reaction as him.
Seeing this, Qingwu quickly stepped forward to introduce the two and smooth things over, but continued to conceal Guo Yi's surname.
For some reason, Guo Yi always felt a little awkward when he heard the name "Xun".
Guo Jia's eyes lit up, and he excitedly shoved the door shut: "Did she give birth?! Did she give birth?! Thank goodness! Are you alright?"
The other ladies also crowded around, eagerly awaiting the moment the door would open.
"Don't shout, Master of Ceremonies!" came Huai Niang's voice from inside the house. "What Madam says is fine!"
"Good, good! Jia will wait outside and call me anytime!" Guo Jia became even more enthusiastic upon hearing the response.
Even after a long while, there was still no further movement, and Guo Jia became somewhat anxious. "Why haven't they come out yet?" Guo Jia pressed his ear against the door, listening for any sound.
"It won't be that quick, Chief Priest." Guo Yi pursed his lips. "The child still needs to be cleansed and the mother needs to be cleaned. Let's wait."
"Oh, right, right." Guo Jia relaxed a bit, still holding onto the door as he waited.
After a while, the door finally opened, and Huai Niang came out carrying a tiny baby wrapped in soft swaddling clothes, covered with a burlap sack to shield him from the wind.
"Congratulations, Master! May your son be in good health and your wife be safe and sound!"
She lifted a corner to let Guo Jia peek through, and then called for the wet nurse to come over.
Guo Jia looked inside, but was stopped by Huai Niang. "Chancellor, don't be in such a hurry. The inside hasn't been cleaned up yet. Madam is exhausted and needs to rest."
"Okay, okay..." He glanced back reluctantly and saw that Deng Jie was indeed quietly closing his eyes.
After the wet nurse took the child, she first asked Guo Jia, "Would the Grand Master like to hold him?"
"Huh? Hug..." Guo Jia came to his senses, somewhat at a loss.
"Go to the side room and warm up first!" Huai Niang reminded her.
While everyone was escorting the wet nurse to the side room, Qingwu slipped into the bedroom and nodded slightly to Deng Jie.
When Deng Jie saw that it was Qingwu, he blinked.
The nurse turned around and was startled to see a stranger enter. "Madam, Madam, please go out first and wait for the old woman to finish cleaning."
Qingwu took Dengjie's hand and said to her, "Okay, I'll go check on the baby first. Sister, get some rest."
After Qingwu left the bedroom, Deng Jie glanced at the document as the nurse turned away, a bitter taste rising in his mouth. It read:
Hua Tuo was arrested and imprisoned.
She raised her hand and held the strip of cloth to the candlestick on the table, where it instantly turned to ashes.
All the trust he had in Guo Jia vanished into the smoke.
Inside the side room, Guo Jia was eager to try, but faced with the limp little thing, he didn't know where to start. "How... how am I supposed to hold it?"
"Look at you, I'll do it!"
Xun Wei squeezed forward, about to take over, but was stopped by Guo Yi.
As she spoke, she pushed Xun Wei out and tugged at Guo Jia's sleeve, "Let's go out first and let the wet nurse breastfeed. Once the young master is asleep, the chief priest can practice again!"
"That's right, that's right!" Guo Jia had no experience with this kind of thing, so he naturally listened to them without question.
So the group of people returned to the chilly front yard, and Guo Jia paced back and forth between the bedroom and the side room, wondering which one he could enter.
When the wet nurse opened the door to welcome them, the wet nurse doctor from the bedroom had not yet spoken, so Guo Jia had no choice but to go and see his son first.
Guo Jia still couldn't take the soft little guy smoothly, while Xun Wei was a bit impatient. In the end, Guo Yi successfully held him in his arms first, patiently explained the proper way to take him, and handed him over to Guo Jia, finally fulfilling his little wish.
But before long, the young master's eyes lit up for a moment as if he wanted to take a good look at his father.
"Oh my, he's opened his eyes! He's opened his eyes!" Xun Wei exclaimed excitedly.
"He must have come to see his father!" Huai Niang said, flattering Guo Jia as she saw his happy expression.
"Those eyebrows and eyes really do resemble the Chief Priest's!" Guo Yi tiptoed closer to Guo Jia.
"Hmph, that nose and mouth of his is more like Shuo Yi's; they're still more refined than Guo Fengxiao's." Xun Wei couldn't stand Guo Jia's smug look and had to sing a different tune to vent his anger.
"Yes, it sounds like 'delicate and refined'!" Guo Jia was quite pleased with this explanation.
Qingwu glanced at it from afar, then waited outside the door. Seeing the wet nurse finally emerge from the bedroom, she called out to the side room, "The bedroom is ready!"
Guo Jia, holding the child, wanted to go see Deng Jie, but Guo Yi hurriedly stopped him, saying, "Don't let the young master catch a cold!"
The wet nurse also reached out her hand and said, "Yes, let me take care of it first, and I'll send it to a family later to reunite!"
Upon hearing this, Guo Jia, though reluctant to part with the warmth in his arms, immediately nodded: "Yes, yes, I'll go check on Madam first!"
Seeing this, Qingwu bowed and took her leave: "Sister needs to rest and recuperate. I will come to visit again in a few days."
Xun Wei originally wanted to go see her one more time, but then he thought that he was feeling weak and it would be unwise to do so, so he took his leave.
Guo Jia bowed deeply to the three men. “It is getting late. I am deeply grateful for your hard work in keeping me company today. Let us thank you again when we are feeling a bit better!”
Guo Yi was somewhat reluctant to part with them, but seeing that Guo Jia was not distracted, he could only nod and leave with the two men.
Guo Jia tried to squeeze through the door as little as possible, then closed the lattice door tightly to keep out the cold air from outside.
A heater was burning inside, and a faint incense was wafting through the air, dispelling the stench of blood.
Deng Jie's face was still somewhat pale, and his lips were almost bloodless. Hearing Guo Jia's voice, he slowly opened his eyes to greet him.
"Zhongjun made you a special fish soup..." he asked softly, unsure if it was safe to eat now.
Deng Jie slowly shook her head. The information Qingwu had brought earlier left her unsure of how to face him now.
"Does it still hurt? Do you need me to wipe it again? Or give you some water?" Guo Jia knelt by the bed, leaning down to ask in a soft voice.
Deng Jie opened his mouth, but in the end he just sighed slowly, "It's alright... I'm fine."
"You've worked hard, say thank you." Guo Jia was completely unaware of Deng Jie's worries, and used his hands to bring her warmth. "Our son is doing well, very healthy, just like you." He was trying his best to make her happy.
When the child was mentioned, Deng Jie's heart tightened.
She looked into Guo Jia's eyes and saw their pure and sincere eyes... She had never doubted Guo Jia's sincerity towards her, but wasn't Hua Tuo family to him? Even if he was thinking of his relationship with his master, he shouldn't have deceived her.
"Hmm..." Deng Jie hesitated for a long time, but finally chose to swallow all his questions for the time being, and simply used exhaustion to cover up all his unease.
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