Chapter 220 219. My baby is coming
Lei Li and Zhou Yi were both surprised.
However, Yuger was the happiest about his third brother Meng Yao taking up his post in Qingmi County.
The Meng family and Yuger's family had already discussed the wedding date, but due to the war and chaos in the previous two years, and the death of the previous emperor, the marriage was delayed again and again, just like Meng Yao's autumn examination.
This year is just right.
"My parents will come to Xiling from Zhongchuan before the first month of the lunar year, and my younger brother and his wife will also be back. Then we can gather together to drink and write poetry..."
Meng Yao, who was already a county magistrate, was stunned for a moment, then realized that the two people in front of him were not scholars and did not like to recite poems or compose couplets, and then he laughed.
"I've been in Zhongchuan for a long time, and then in the capital, I was drinking and reciting poetry with my friends and colleagues. I was full of energy and fighting spirit... I forgot that I'm now in Xiling, the chief official of Qingmi County."
"Yes."
Lei Li jokingly said, "When I was a scholar, it was easy to go out and drink, recite poetry, and have fun. But now that I've become a county official, the moment I step into a brothel, the whole county knows about it."
"Hey, don't say that..."
When Meng Yao heard this, he begged for mercy and bowed, "I did go out to drink with my friends, but it wasn't a whorehouse, and I never went to any of those brothels..."
Meng Yao's face and ears turned red.
Just one look at the scholar, whose face made Yu Ge'er blush. He used to study hard all day long and had never even listened to music on the Qianfang River in Zhongchuan, let alone been to a brothel.
Seeing Meng Yao looking at him for help, Zhou Yi cleared his cough and said, "Don't tease Lord Meng. If Yu Ge'er hears it, he will misunderstand."
Meng Yao nodded repeatedly.
Lei Li saw the similar cowardice in the two men's eyes and laughed. He did not embarrass the still bookish official anymore and instead talked about Meng Yao taking the imperial examination in Kyoto.
His daughter Jiang might go to Kyoto in the future, ascend to the palace, and strive to become a first-class or second-class Jinshi, so he must find out about it in advance.
"Generally, the provincial examination is held in autumn, called the Autumn Examination, which is held every three years. The following spring, the metropolitan examination is also called the Spring Examination. Those who pass the examination are called Gongshi, and the first on the list is called Huiyuan."
Meng Yao said, "The provincial examination is held every three years. It was originally scheduled for the year before last, but due to the war and turmoil in the world, it was postponed. Last year, the late emperor... postponed it again."
"The court is in need of talent. This year, His Majesty has established a special examination system. There will be provincial examinations in spring and metropolitan examinations in autumn. A few days after the metropolitan examinations, there will be palace examinations. After that, all the successful candidates will be assigned to various prefectures, cities, and counties to serve the court."
"The provincial examinations were held in the various prefectures, while the metropolitan examinations were held in the capital, Beijing. Some candidates came from far-flung, impoverished families, and had to travel for months to reach the capital. Unfortunately, they couldn't adapt to the climate or weren't in the right frame of mind... and so missed the metropolitan examinations."
"That's true."
Lei Li nodded in agreement. "For example, from Dongyuan to Beijing, there are two prefectures, Songyong and Zhongchuan, in between. It's really not easy to walk there."
"If we go by boat, regardless of the fare, the rocking and swaying of the boat is different from being on solid ground. And if you're prone to seasickness, you'll suffer."
"yes."
Meng Yao sighed, "I arrived in Beijing a month early. I rented a two-story house with my classmates who had passed the imperial examination and concentrated on studying. Sometimes when I felt bored, I would go out for drinks and tea."
"I made some good friends from all over the country, and we often discussed policy and poetry together. I felt much more relaxed, and my exam results were pretty good, ranking above the second place."
"A talented scholar known to my good friend was poor and lived in a simple house. Being from Xiling, he didn't realize how cold the nights in autumn were in Kyoto. He didn't bring enough clothes and caught a cold, missing the imperial examination."
"Although the venue for this examination is not as simple as the provincial examination, it is not very good either. It is just leak-proof."
"Before, candidates had to bring their own clothes, bedding, and dry biscuits. Now, Your Majesty has shown mercy and provided hot porridge, hot water, charcoal fire, and thick quilts for warmth. Many candidates are grateful and praise Your Majesty's wisdom."
"It's really good."
Zhou Yi nodded when he heard this.
Lei Li smiled in agreement, but curled his lips in his heart. These scholars were bribed by such a small favor. He didn't know whether they were too naive or the previous emperor had done a too bad job.
People have studied hard for decades and come thousands of miles to take the exam here. Not only is your temple dilapidated, but you don’t even provide them with hot water, hot porridge, or charcoal fire. It’s really immoral.
He deserves to die early.
...No, Emperor Anwu was over sixty when he died. He lived longer than many emperors and it was not considered an early death.
Fortunately, Lei Li was only muttering these words in his heart. If Meng San Ge, a scholar and court official who was well-versed in the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues, had heard them, he would have been so scared that he would have fallen off his chair and wished he had been deaf and had not heard anything.
Meng Yao, the third brother of Meng, had a meal at Lei's house.
During this period, Yu Ge'er also came to the Lei family, under the pretext of looking for Lei Jingsheng to do embroidery work. She did not leave after lunch, and while embroidering the embroidery bag, she glanced at Meng Yao out of the corner of her eye.
While Meng Yao was talking to Lei Li and Zhou Yi, half of his thoughts were on Yu Ge'er.
By chance, their eyes met, and they felt a slight lingering affection for each other, but then they immediately looked away as if they were burned.
Lei Li watched with great interest the two young people flirting with each other subtly yet boldly.
When seeing Meng Yao off, he saw him looking back at the house reluctantly, and joked that he was extremely anxious and couldn't wait to marry a beautiful woman to live with him.
Brother Meng San's face turned red, he stammered, and finally walked away in embarrassment.
Yu Ge'er was also reluctant to leave. She stopped embroidering the bag and stared straight at the gate with her almond-shaped eyes, which made Lei Jingsheng laugh so hard that he fell backwards. He said to Yu Ge'er that spring had arrived.
It’s not even the end of the first lunar month yet.
Meng's parents and Meng Luo and his wife went to Qingmi County to visit the Lei family. They had a very pleasant conversation with Lei Li and Zhou Yi, and set the Shangsi Festival on the third day of March with Yuger's family as a good day for the two young people to get married.
After staying in Xiling for half a month, the two elders of the Meng family returned to Zhongchuan to handle the betrothal gifts. Meng Luo and Mei Yuqing stayed, along with their little daughter.
When Mengluo said he wanted a child with his elder brother, it wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment decision, he really wanted one.
Originally, he wanted a young man so that he and Mei Yuqing would have someone to follow him while slamming pots and burning incense, but Mei Yuqing fell in love with a girl at first sight. She was Brother Meng's fourth daughter, a timid little girl of only six years old.
The eldest brother of the Meng family inherited his father's romantic nature. He had many wives and concubines and many children. He had a total of seven children, including men, girls and boys. The oldest was eleven years old and the youngest was only one month old.
His fourth daughter, Meng Tian, was born to a concubine, but the concubine died of a serious illness in her early years, leaving behind only this thin and quiet girl.
Little Meng Tian was the least favored among so many children. He was not lively and outgoing, and not likable. All he could say was that he had enough food and clothing.
Mei Yuqing felt sorry for the little girl, as she looked somewhat similar to the sister he knew in the theater who got married and died young, so he felt pity for her.
Meng Luo naturally agreed with whatever Mei and Qing said. He asked his eldest brother to bring Xiao Tian'er over and raise her as his own daughter. With the favor of her two fathers, Xiao Tian'er became more lively and no longer as shy and silent as before.
"The Meng family is large and has many rules. Xiaoqing wants to bring Xiaotian to our village so that she can go to the village school and make more friends. It will make her feel more relaxed and comfortable."
Meng Luo sighed as he spoke, "I know my parents love me, and my eldest brother and sister-in-law love me too, but my eldest brother only has three little boys, two of whom are my eldest sister-in-law's biological children, and one is a concubine's child but is a good student."
"If I really want to pick a boy from among them to be the child of Xiaoqing and me, then my eldest sister-in-law can't designate him. My eldest brother also likes the one who is good at studying."
"It would be better to pick someone who is not favored and has no mother either, so that the mother and daughter don't have to suffer the pain of separation. The little girl has Xiaoqing and I to rely on, so her life will be easier."
"When Xiao Tian'er grows up and gets married, Xiao Qing and I will prepare a generous dowry for her. She won't have to fight with the brothers for the family fortune, and the head of the Meng family will also help Xiao Tian'er out of my kindness."
I thought it was simple before.
If he didn't have a child, he could just ask his eldest brother and sister-in-law for one. His brother and sister-in-law and his parents loved him so much, they would definitely agree. But after Mei Yuqing explained everything to him, he realized that it was not that easy.
The sister-in-law loves her brother-in-law, but she loves her own child even more. Wouldn't it be like cutting off her flesh to take her child?
It's not good to have a child who is good at studying. It's okay if he doesn't become famous. If he can achieve good fame, it will be like smoke rising from the Meng family's ancestral tomb. If this child can pass the imperial examination and become the top scorer, he will have a bright future. His biological father is obviously Brother Meng, but he has to call Meng Luo dad.
It is inevitable that there will be discord.
Meng Luo knew that what Mei Yuqing said was true and she was not trying to sow discord. Things were fine now, but it was hard to say what would happen in the future.
It would be better to have a girl, so that Meng's parents and brothers can continue to feel sorry for Meng Luo and feel guilty about him, and Meng Luo's family will have a better life in the future.
——The important thing is that you will have an easier time when you are old after having the network.
Mei Yuqing didn't know if he could live past fifty. He couldn't have children for Mengluo, and he didn't want Mengluo to have children with someone else. This was the only plan he could make for him.
Let’s not talk about what will happen in the future for now.
Sanlihe Village School started in early February, and Xiao Tian'er from the Mengluo family also went to the first grade. With the guidance of Xiao Jiang from the Lei family and Xiao Bao from the Miao family, Xiao Tian'er quickly adapted to the village school life and made many good friends.
The little girl wears pigtails and skips to school with her schoolbag on her back every day. After school, she has two fathers who love her and she feels that her life is really happy.
She can read and write, go up the mountain to pick mushrooms, listen to her husband playing the piano, listen to her father telling stories, go to the Lei family to play with Jiang and Brother Xiaobao, and eat the delicious meals made by Uncle Zhou. Uncle Lei Li also likes her and lets her touch his belly where the baby is.
very nice.
If my mother knew, she would definitely be happy.
It's February with drizzling rain.
The spring breeze is moist.
Lei Li's due date is approaching.
With the experience of having a baby this time, it was easier than the last time when I was pregnant with a little ginger.
The Lei family was also more prepared. As soon as Lei Li felt a little pain in her stomach and didn't feel like she was going to give birth, Zhou Yi carried her into the delivery room.
The sheets and quilts in the room were freshly washed and dried and soft in the sun, and hot water, scissors and other items were also ready.
The midwife and Dr. Niu both came.
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