Chapter 337: Arrival
Chapter 337: Chapter 337: Arrival
After sending the midwife away, Kai Yuan impatiently asked, "Nanny, how are Suihe and the child?"
He didn’t quite trust the midwife’s words, but he had full faith in Nanny Pang.
"Rest assured, both the mistress and the child are in good health. I’ve just checked their pulses," Nanny Pang respectfully said, "The mistress suffered greatly during childbirth, exhausted and fell into a deep sleep. With proper nourishment and postpartum care, she’ll recover well."
Nanny Pang said this with intention, wanting the master to understand the mistress’s hardships and efforts.
Kai Yuan, "As it should be. See if there’s anything needed at home, if not, I’ll go find it."
Nanny Pang was quite satisfied, "The household supplies are sufficient for now. We brought a lot of medicinal ingredients, as instructed by Old Lady Bai. If anything is lacking, we’ll let you know."
Having explained everything clearly, Nanny Pang began instructing everyone, "Everyone, get back to work. The kitchen should get busy now; the mistress will need to eat something when she wakes up..."
Glancing at the master, she was quite pleased. From the time he emerged until now, he showed no disappointment over the mistress giving birth to a daughter, indicating the lady’s choice was indeed wise.
Kai Yuan waited anxiously outside for a long time. When Bai Suihe woke up, he immediately had someone bring in a brazier to warm the room, then lifted the curtain and entered.
Seeing Bai Suihe sitting on the kang, still a bit weak, he stepped closer and paused at her side, "Madam, you have worked hard."
Bai Suihe, recalling the pain, was still somewhat fearful, "I finally understand why people say childbirth is like stepping into the gates of hell. But fortunately, our baby was considerate and didn’t make me suffer too much."
Gazing at the sleeping baby beside her, Bai Suihe’s eyes were full of tenderness, "Our baby looks truly beautiful."
Kai Yuan finally turned his gaze to the child, "Indeed, quite lovely, just like Madam."
Bai Suihe looked up at him, "I think she resembles you more."
"Those eyebrows and lips are just like yours."
Wary of bringing in the cold, Kai Yuan dared not get too close, and could only squat nearby, observing intently, "Resembles you, and me too; this is our child, truly wonderful!"
Kai Yuan’s eyes reddened. In this lifetime, the child was finally born safely. The torments of the past life paled in comparison at this moment.
The news of Bai Suihe’s childbirth quickly spread as Tian Cuifen and her daughter-in-law made their rounds in the village.
Everyone, though curious whether it was a boy or girl, didn’t dare ask directly.
After all, such a huge estate was quite detached from their lives, with a wide social gap, discouraging anyone from imposing and fearing to be met with indifference.
The fact that they could forgo family and siblings showed they shouldn’t be trifled with.
Tian Cuifen wasn’t bothered by their respectful distance, even secretly pleased, thinking this was just right. Let those people stay away; once they cultivate better relations with the Gu Family, even a little benefit from them would be enough for a comfortable life.
She couldn’t help but envy the elegant attire of the servants, whose clothes didn’t have patches, and their steady spirits revealed their well-off lives.
Sometimes she envied those servant lives, for following a generous master was better than being small landlords.
After collecting fifty or sixty eggs and two old hens—hens too old to lay eggs, which she planned to sell at the next market—everyone was saved some trouble.
Tian Cuifen wasn’t disappointed. With baskets in hand, she and her two daughters-in-law headed to the village’s end.
"Mom, with so few items, won’t they mind?"
Tian Cuifen glanced at her speaking daughter-in-law, "What’s there to mind? The village condition is known to them.
We do keep some hens at home, but would you readily sell them?"
The daughters-in-law shook their heads immediately. It was unthinkable to sell the egg-laying hens, from which they exchanged eggs at the market for daily necessities, sometimes even saving some.
"Once you deliver the goods, visit your family, have them help collect more and bring them themselves," Tian Cuifen said, understanding the struggles of her daughters-in-law’s families and willing to assist where she could.
During their hard times, their relatives lent a helping hand, for favors must be reciprocated.
The daughters-in-law were pleasantly surprised upon hearing this, though the elder one was more composed, "Mom, actually we could gather on our own..."
Tian Cuifen, "Let’s just stick to the plan; your family won’t work for nothing. Go and explain things well, remember to manage it properly to avoid messing up this business."
The daughters-in-law nodded earnestly, appreciating help for their family, and understanding the importance of not sabotaging their opportunities.
Upon reaching the Gu Family’s entrance, finding the gate open and bustling inside, Li Dazhuang quickly welcomed them in, leaving them in the care of his wife.
Li’s wife warmly greeted them with a smile for their swift action...
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Days turned into weeks. During the third-day celebration, Kai Yuan and Bai Suihe kept it simple, quickly concluding and closing their doors to guests.
However, they remained informed of the outside happenings, and after the minor festival, news arrived from the county town: Rong Ruiyuan had arrived in Zhang County and was staying at the government office.
Kai Yuan held a favorable impression of the County Magistrate, who had once defied authority and imprisoned Ming Peifeng, fearing he might seek vengeance.
"Nothing other than wild rumors," Lin Hua reported, having been stationed in the county, gathering supplies and information.
"Though Su Daquan mentioned that since the Third Prince’s arrival, the whole county is heavily guarded, causing them much misery."
Kai Yuan remembered Su Daquan, who had come to the village to measure the land, generously including all the corners in their purchase.
"We met briefly on the street yesterday; he quickly dashed off again to inspect.
But we found it odd; they came specifically for Officer Gu, yet haven’t entered the village?"
Even after two or three days, surely they didn’t need so long to rest.
Calming his mind, Kai Yuan realized, "Our Third Prince is emboldened, traveling a long way couldn’t simply be a visit. This time, the main focus might be the county’s magistrate."
Lin Hua wasn’t too familiar with these matters, only knowing the magistrate to be decent, but asked no further.