CHAPTER 49: CHAPTER 49: DRINKING RICE SOUP

Chun Ning brought back the eldest aunt from the village, who came carrying a big chicken drumstick given by Aunt Luo from next door.

"Even the wound on her head wasn’t suffered in vain."

In the end, Aunt Luo managed to find her laying hen, and the drumstick was her way of expressing gratitude, perfect for making soup to nourish the sister-in-law.

"Hey hey hey..."

The baby woke up, calling out affectionately.

"Quick, quick, let me hold him." Mrs. Xu, now a grandmother for the first time, was naturally overjoyed. She wanted to hold him as soon as she arrived, but the baby was asleep and couldn’t be disturbed. Now that he was awake, she could finally hold him.

"Mother, the child might be hungry."

Zhu Lingling felt embarrassed to say it. The child had been hungry earlier, and Chun Nuan asked her to nurse him, but she couldn’t, leaving the baby suckling dry and crying as he kicked and flailed anxiously.

Chun Nuan had no choice but to cook some porridge, feeding the child rice water spoon by spoon.

Initially, the child didn’t want to eat it. Chun Nuan patiently urged him, saying to endure for now as his food supply hadn’t arrived yet. Perhaps truly starving or understanding her words, he smacked his little lips and ate a bit, soon falling asleep out of exhaustion.

Upon waking again, Zhu Lingling could readily guess her son’s needs.

"Then you quickly feed him." Mrs. Xu pulled back her hands from reaching out to hold her grandson, saying, "Lingling, you’ve worked hard."

If they were still in the Capital and at the Xiao Mansion, one nursemaid wouldn’t be enough—they’d surely prepare two.

Currently, the Xiao family couldn’t afford nursemaids, leaving Zhu Lingling to breastfeed herself—a practice looked down upon in the Capital’s wealthy families.

"Mother, I still don’t have any." Zhu Lingling’s face turned red to her ears. "Mother, could you help me find Second Sister?"

What use is it to call Chun Nuan?

Upon learning her precious grandson could only drink rice water, Mrs. Xu’s tears started flowing.

Such suffering, too much suffering!

"Lingling, when will you be able to have milk? Can’t afford nursemaids, can’t afford to buy meat, how long until the grandson won’t just drink rice water? Rice water won’t make him strong!"

Zhu Lingling watched her son drink the rice water, feeling her eyes welling up. She blamed her own large body for not even producing milk.

"Eldest Aunt, the sister-in-law’s lack of milk is due to poor diet and health, compounded by the child being premature by half a month. Drinking lots of carp and tofu soup, peanut-braised pig’s feet, and soybean-braised pork hock will help produce milk."

Mrs. Xu... So, not having milk really couldn’t be blamed on the daughter-in-law. The Xiao family right now couldn’t afford to drink these soups in abundance.

Truly hard times for the daughter-in-law and grandson.

"Eldest Aunt, you watch over the sister-in-law and baby here, I’ll make a trip to the Hundred Herbs Hall."

Chun Nuan needed to return Doctor Chen’s silver needle; she even prepared a gift as etiquette.

Doctor Chen, upon learning that Chun Nuan’s sister-in-law had safely delivered a premature baby boy under last night’s stormy and windy conditions, felt quietly amazed. Indeed, Doctor Xiao’s granddaughter is an extraordinary person.

So mature for her age.

Not only could she prescribe medicine, but also process ingredients and deliver babies!

This has to be reported to the boss.

"The Xiao family welcomed a new member; it’s truly joyous news," Zhao Chengxun said. "Our house should also send a congratulatory gift."

And then he returned to the courtyard to find his wife.

"The Xiao family welcomed a new member? The Xiao Family from the Main Clan? Ming Hua didn’t plan to marry Xiao Chunlan anymore, right?"

No ordinary acquaintance would warrant a congratulatory gift for a new addition.

"Not the Main Clan Xiao family, but the one in Shuikou Village," Zhao Chengxun remembered. "No, they rented Old Master Zhang’s courtyard, right next to your dowry courtyard, with a Huang Jue Tree in front. Prepare a gift to send as congratulations."

"The courtyard under the Huang Jue Tree—it’s Doctor Xiao’s granddaughter-in-law?"

Mrs. Zhao asked in surprise, and after asking she clapped her forehead, thinking her son didn’t have such capabilities; it was truly a huge misunderstanding.

No, it was like a big burden had fallen onto her son’s head.

Instantly, she relayed the outside rumors to Zhao Chengxun.

"Where did this talk come from?"

"I bet it was spread by the Xiao Family from the Main Clan."

No ordinary family cares if you have a mistress or concubine; it’s definitely families wishing to form connections spreading trouble.

"Check it out, the Xiao Family from the Main Clan thus behaves," Zhao Chengxun said with some anger. "Spreading such rumors fortunately doesn’t impact Ming Hua much, but the Xiao family is all women and children, leaving them no room to live?"

Mrs. Zhao... What do you mean it doesn’t impact Ming Hua? With a mistress and illegitimate children, good families wouldn’t marry their daughters to him? The Master must be deluded?

Helping outsiders is overly clear.

"Go to the Xiao family to deliver the congratulatory gift, and spread the news of the new addition," Zhao Chengxun scoffed lightly. "What a Main Clan Xiao family, truly vile. It’s good we didn’t continue marriage talks."

"No, Master." Mrs. Zhou regained her senses. "Master, we’ve never had any interaction with the Xiao family. Suddenly appearing to celebrate what reason is there?"

This congratulatory gift was too embarrassing to give.

"Never before, but there will be going forward." Zhao Chengxun felt his wife increasingly aged, her mind growing unclear. "Do you know the girl Xiao produced materials that even the Old Master praised immensely? She processes ingredients for our Hundred Herbs Hall."

"Huh?"

A young girl, processing medicinal materials?

Even Old Master praised; could it be so exaggerated?

Isn’t this man’s work—how did a young girl possibly learn this?

"Don’t speak of Xiao girl’s work processing materials outside," Zhao Chengxun regretted saying after, reminding with emphasis.

Mrs. Zhao felt more muddled, like the Hundred Herbs Hall discovered treasure.

"Remember, deliver the congratulatory gift tomorrow."

"I..." Mrs. Zhao still felt uncomfortable: "Or let’s wait for Ming Hua to return."

"What’s up? Dad, Mom, you’re looking for me—where do we go? Going for a match? I don’t want a match, a man should establish a career before a family."

"Ach, big-headed fool." Mrs. Zhao thought about the rumors outside, how she’d climbed ladders and fences in shock and joy all day only for it to be another family’s daughter-in-law, felt very angry.

"Then you say where we’re going and wait till I return?"

"Going to the Xiao family to give the congratulatory gift, the Xiao family welcomed a new member, and since we’re cooperating families, naturally we must express."

"Sister-in-law Xiao gave birth—is it a boy or a girl?" Zhao Minghua obviously excited: "I want to see what the kid looks like... Every time I’ve gone, I’ve been embarrassed to look at Sister-in-law Xiao’s belly, and now there’s suddenly a child, feels so magical!"

"Everybody comes out of a mother’s swollen belly, what’s so magical?" Mrs. Zhao reaffirmed her son’s mind was like tofu dregs: "You’re truly immature!"