Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Birthday
Lu Chen was seriously injured this time, so he asked for a ten-day leave from his duty. It was convenient for him to recuperate at home. He stayed with Zhe Rouni for several days, either helping her manage the income of the medicine shop or playing backgammon with her to pass the time.
Around the Grain in Ear season, the weather gradually gets hotter, and the pomegranate tree in the yard blooms like fire, bright and dazzling. From time to time, birds fly over and peck at the pomegranate flowers, startling the flower-guarding bells to ring.
Perhaps because she was pregnant, Zhe Rou could not stand the heat, but she dared not eat anything cold, so she simply asked someone to set up a rattan bed under the corridor so that she could sit and enjoy the cool air.
Lu Chen sat beside her, fanning her and chatting with her.
The small fan brings a slight coolness, and the summer days are long and leisurely[1].
In a daze, it seemed as if everything had returned to the past, like the days they spent together in the courtyard in Taozhou, peaceful and comfortable.
Zhe Rou even wanted to deceive herself, and pretend that Lu Chen and Xu's Shiliu Niang had nothing to do with each other, and that the past was just a dream. She only needed to wait for the child to be born, and then the three of them would live a peaceful and happy life.
A few days passed in a flash, and Lu Chen felt relieved when he saw that her attitude had softened. After her injuries got better, he returned to the yamen and did his job as usual.
In a blink of an eye, it was May 17th, Lu Chen’s birthday.
This was his first birthday since arriving in the capital, and Zhe Rou planned to celebrate it well, giving him a bowl of longevity noodles and then telling him in person that she was pregnant.
It's hard for her to hide it for so long.
I don't know how he will react.
Thinking about it makes me excited.
After making the longevity noodles, Zhe Rou wanted to take Xiao Chan out with her, so she entrusted Chun He with the task of decocting the abortion-protecting medicine. She gave her another string of copper coins and said with a smile, "This medicine takes quite a lot of effort to decoct. You have to simmer it slowly over low heat. It's unbearably hot, thank you for your hard work."
Chun He happily accepted the reward, her face flushed and she smiled shyly, "Don't worry, madam, this is what I should do."
Zhe Rou smiled gently at her, lowered her head to carefully pack the food box, and walked out with Xiao Chan.
After watching them leave, Chunhe brought a small stool and sat down by the stove, carefully watching the temperature of the stove. Soon, hot sweat began to appear on his forehead.
She took out a handkerchief and was about to wipe the sweat off her face when she looked up and saw Nanny Cui walking in. She quickly stood up and respectfully called out, "Nanny."
Madam Cui nodded and asked, "Is the lychee syrup that Madam ordered ready?"
"It's ready. Please wait a moment, Ma'am." Chun He responded quickly, turned around and brought out a boxwood food box that had been chilled. She smiled and said, "According to Madam's preference, I put more black plums in it."
Just as Madam Cui was about to take it, she turned around and saw the medicine pot on the stove. Her face darkened, her brow furrowed, and she asked anxiously, "What kind of medicine are you boiling? Is my husband's injury still serious and he still needs to take medicine every day?"
Seeing that she had misunderstood, Chun He was afraid that if the lady knew about it, she would punish the maids for not serving her well, so she quickly shook her head and explained, "No, this medicine is made for our wife. It's just for her to nourish her body."
"Really?" Nanny Cui still seemed unconvinced. She walked to the stove with a fierce face, opened the lid of the casserole and looked inside.
Chunhe nervously stepped aside, carefully watching Aunt Cui's expression, not daring to speak out to stop her.
Nanny Cui glanced at her calmly, turned slightly, lowered her head and pretended to smell the medicine, using her body and the heat to block the smell, poured out two pills from her sleeve, put them quietly into the casserole, and covered it as if nothing had happened.
"Since it's not medicine for my husband, don't make it in the kitchen from now on, or your food will be contaminated with the smell of the medicine."
Chunhe replied nervously, "Yes."
Nanny Cui went to the side and picked up the porcelain bowl and tray filled with lychee paste water, turned around and walked out of the small kitchen. When she passed by the window, she couldn't help but look back a few more times.
Chunhe seemed to be unaware of anything and was still standing by the stove, fanning the fire carefully. Aunt Cui felt a little uneasy and uneasy.
Although she was a maid born in a wealthy family and had witnessed the secret infighting of wealthy families for decades, the Lu family was of noble character. When the late master was alive, they had never kept concubines. There was only one lady in the entire backyard. How could they have used these methods?
This was the first time today. She had just been trying to remain calm in the kitchen, all thanks to the fact that Chunhe was a timid girl who could be calmed down with just a little intimidation.
Now as I walked out, the cold wind blew in my face. Somehow, I recalled the angry look of my husband in Songchun Courtyard that day. For a moment, my heart was pounding, my legs were weak, and a layer of cold sweat appeared on my vest.
But the man had told her that this was just an ordinary chronic contraceptive drug, at most more effective... Ning hadn't gotten pregnant in the three years she'd been in Taozhou, so if she took it later, it wouldn't attract attention... It shouldn't cause any trouble...
Thinking of this, her heart finally calmed down. Nanny Cui leaned against the courtyard wall to calm herself down, and then returned to Songchunyuan to report.
"Ma'am, the medicine has been disposed of."
"But most of the cold medicines used for contraception are strong and bitter. If mixed with food, it will inevitably have a strange smell and be easily detected. I have seen that the East Courtyard has been decocting medicine every day recently, so I quietly put it into the medicine pot. I think it will be safer."
Zheng Lanbi nodded, then seemed to think of something else. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she asked her calmly, "Have you asked Dr. Zhang if there are any other side effects from this medicine? Sanlang is fond of Ning, after all. Unless she's done anything wrong, I don't want to do anything too extreme."
Hearing this, Madam Cui hesitated and looked up at Zheng Lanbi. After a long pause, she replied dryly, "Madam, please forgive me for speaking frankly, but as the saying goes, 'All medicines are poisonous.' If you use it for a long time, it will definitely harm your body... But if you only use it for a few months, it won't be a big deal. Once you stop taking the medicine and take good care of yourself, you can still get pregnant."
Zheng Lanbi had been with her master and servant for decades and trusted her very much, so he didn't notice the strange look on her face. He just nodded in relief and turned back to the small Buddhist temple to chant.
**
Zhe Rou also dressed up specially today, changing into new clothes. She wore a scallion-white chest-length top, a green pool lion-patterned crimson gauze skirt, and her hair was wrapped in red silk ribbons. She also decorated her hair with pearl filigree hairpins and tassels, making her look gentle and beautiful.
Xiaochan watched her dress up, her eyes sparkling in an instant, she circled around her twice, praising her non-stop: "My lady is so beautiful!"
"You're the only one who talks sweetly." Zhe Rou couldn't help but laugh, but also felt a little shy. He took her arm and got on the carriage, "Let's go."
Xiaochan laughed and shouted, "What I said is obviously the truth!"
The carriage arrived outside the Imperial Guards Office and stopped steadily.
Lu Chen's duty room was not unfamiliar to Zhe Rou. She had been there several times before, always to bring him food.
It just so happened that the captain on duty today was someone she had seen before. When Pingchuan handed over her business card, the captain respectfully called her "Madam" and saluted with his arms crossed.
Zhe Rou smiled, glanced casually, and asked, "Is General Lu here? It's his birthday today, and I'm here to bring him some longevity noodles."
The captain glanced at the carved food box in her hand and quickly gestured, "General Lu is right behind us. He should be resting at this time. Madam, please go over there."
Zhe Rou smiled, thanked him, carefully picked up the food box, stepped over the threshold, and walked towards the inner court.
The Three Yamen Forbidden Guards were the elite among the elite of the imperial court. They were not only the main force of garrison, but also the face of the imperial court. Therefore, the government offices were built in a particularly elegant and grand manner, with high walls and deep houses, flying eaves on all four sides, and brick-paved corridors that were wide and deep.
In the afternoon, a magnificent waterfall of light poured down from the eaves, passed through the gaps between the branches of the jujube trees, and spread all over the ground in a warm atmosphere. However, probably because it was a military office, even when walking in the dazzling sunlight, one could not help but feel a cold and solemn atmosphere of war.
Zhe Rou, carrying the lunch box, walked through the corridor and along the veranda to Lu Chen's duty room. Seeing that the door was closed, she was about to raise her hand to knock on the door when she suddenly heard a man's voice, which was deliberately lowered, with a hint of teasing in his voice.
"General, the young lady from the Xu family has sent another letter."
Zhe Rou was startled, and her hand that was about to knock on the door stopped in mid-air.
She recognized the voice. It was Wen Xu, a close aide to Lu Chen. They had fought together in Taozhou. Although he seemed frivolous, he was actually quite calculating and was highly trusted by Lu Chen.
Lu Chen's voice rang out from the other side of the door, its tone muffled. "What's wrong with her?"
It was lunchtime, and most of the officers on duty had gone to the kitchen. There was almost no one in the yard. Only the wind rustled through the treetops, making a slight rustling sound. The voices of the people talking in the house became clearer and clearer to the ears.
Hearing this, Wen Xu chuckled and said, "Today is the general's birthday, and he asked if you are free in the evening and invited you to go on a boat trip on the Bian River."
Zhe Rou's heart suddenly tightened, and she stood still, her fingertips trembling uncontrollably.
Fortunately, the next moment, she heard Lu Chen did not agree, but only said in a deep voice: "I have to go back home tonight, find a safe excuse to postpone it."
Zhe Rou heard the faint impatience in his tone, and her heart couldn't help but calm down a little. She took a deep breath and was about to go forward and knock on the door when she heard Wen Xu's voice again.
He hesitated and asked, "Are you really going to refuse, General? The young lady from the Xu family also said that the Wang family's grain ship arrived in Beijing today, carrying a lot of novelties, and she wants you to accompany her to pick some out."
The room was silent for a moment. When Lu Chen spoke again, he was a little hesitant. "Wang Zhonggan's boat?"
Wen Xu's smile faded for a moment, and his voice became serious, "Yes. It's Wang Zhonggan's boat."
Lu Chen remained silent for a long time.
Zhe Rou's heart was in suspense.
Time seemed to be infinitely stretched by his silence. Zhe Rou stood outside the door, feeling her heart sinking bit by bit, as if all the blood in her body had solidified into ice, emitting a chilling cold that pierced her whole body.
She instinctively clenched her fists, digging her fingertips deep into her palms. Acid rose in her stomach, and her lower abdomen ached, as if she was being tortured by his silence.
Inside the room, Wen Xu sighed and advised, "General, let me say this, but that spoiled young lady is not to be trifled with. She's a complete troublemaker. If we can't deal with the Xu family quickly, she'll come back here and cause trouble. It'll be hard to handle."
"Just take last time, for example. She was so bold as to trespass into the training grounds and insisted that you send your sister-in-law away. Isn't that a joke?"
"If that little girl hadn't been so outrageous, you wouldn't have had to take that bullet for her and suffer such a punishment. But in the end, it was just a delaying tactic. What if she forces you to propose marriage next time?"
"You know better than me. As long as Xu Chong doesn't fall, this day will come sooner or later. There will be no room for maneuver between the two. When that time comes, will you really send your sister-in-law away, or will you let her be a concubine for the time being?"
Zhe Rou heard these words vaguely, but she felt a buzzing in her head, the world was spinning in front of her eyes, and her vision became blank.
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