Chapter 119

Chapter 119

"I didn't expect Brother Shen to have such a successful career now." Even Yan Jingzhao, after returning from his years of service away, sounded somewhat envious when he saw how well Shen Linfeng was doing.

Yan Yingqi, hearing that he hadn't called him brother-in-law, simply said, "What? Are you saying he's taken your position?"

Yan Jingzhao quickly replied, "Father, I wouldn't dare. It's just that we both passed the imperial exams together, and now he is already the Vice Director of the Right Spring Pavilion, concurrently serving as a Lecturer in the Imperial Academy and an Attendant Lecturer. Your son can only serve as a censor, and although censors have significant power, they will eventually be transferred to posts outside the capital, which is far inferior."

"Hmph, back then, Shen Linfeng couldn't even stay in the Imperial Academy because of the marriage proposal for your elder sister. Yet, he still managed to pass the special examination and rise again. Now that you've returned from your post, instead of thinking about how to perform your duties well, you're jealous of your brother-in-law?" Yan Yingqi scolded his son.

Yan Jingzhao, though scolded by his father, still smiled. When Shen Linfeng came to announce the birth of his son, Yan Jingzhao rejoiced for his sister and brother-in-law, personally going out to buy fireworks and setting them off for half an hour at their doorstep.

Lady Jie never expected her daughter to give birth so soon. Fortunately, Jingci and Runge were already of school age. Though they were uncle and nephew, they were equally intelligent and close like brothers. This allowed Lady Jie to take Li Shi directly to the Shen residence, where she found Yao Niang lying in bed, happily looking at the newborn baby. Lady Jie also felt relieved.

"It's rare to see you in such good spirits."

Although Yao Niang had been exhausted during childbirth, she had recovered significantly. She shook her head, "This time it went much smoother than before. The midwife said that my body has adapted since the last childbirth."

Lady Jie worriedly asked, "Now that you've given birth to this child, Fu Jie is not yet two years old. How will you manage to take care of her? Should Mother take her back home?"

With Yan Jingzhao's return, Lady Jie had handed over all household matters to Li Shi, leaving her with the task of taking care of Jingci daily, which was quite relaxing.

"Mother, if you have time, I'll let Fu Jie stay with you. That way, I can rest assured." Yao Niang genuinely agreed; she was currently in confinement and couldn't have her daughter around.

This was the advantage of having family nearby. Seeing her daughter agree, Lady Jie felt reassured and planned to arrange for her granddaughter to stay in one of the side rooms.

When Fu Jie was taken away by Lady Jie, she shed a few tears, but during meals at the Yan residence, she surprised everyone, including Yan Yingqi. Unlike Jingci and Runge, who were very picky eaters and needed to be fed by wet nurses, Fu Jie could eat on her own with a spoon, finishing a small bowl of rice quickly without much adult intervention.

Moreover, her taste was not typical of a child; she ate everything like adults did, including pickled vegetables, shredded beef, and pig ears.

Lady Jie silently stroked her little bald head, "Fu Jie is really amazing. Do you want to drink more soup or have some snacks?"

The wet nurse added, "Madam, our lady forbids Miss from eating too much. She is allowed one bowl of rice per meal, and after eating, we take her to the garden to digest. We fear that if she eats too much, her appetite will grow larger."

Lady Jie smiled, "Alright, we'll follow what your lady says. This child eats so well, walks fast, and speaks clearly. But for now, let her sit for a while. After I finish my meal, I'll take her and her younger uncle for a walk in the garden."

Yan Yingqi whispered to Lady Jie, "Have you noticed that Fu Jie, who hasn't even turned two, has arms thicker than Jingci, who is almost five?"

"Lower your voice, don't let the child hear. Our Fu Jie looks good," Lady Jie scolded.

"That's not what I meant. I didn't say she doesn't look good. You're twisting my words," Yan Yingqi was speechless, finding Lady Jie quite adept at playing the good person.

After drinking a small bowl of soup, Lady Jie took Jingci, who had eaten only half a bowl of rice, and Fu Jie out to play. Fu Jie rarely cried and walked steadily. Jingci, who grew up with Runge, but lived in the east wing with Li Shi, was usually not taken away by Lady Jie. In the evenings, Lady Jie and Yan Yingqi would take care of their youngest son.

"Grandma, flower," Fu Jie pointed to a red flower and jumped up.

Lady Jie smiled, "Shall I have someone pick it for you to play with?"

"Yes," Fu Jie smiled.

The servants quickly picked the flower, but Fu Jie gave it to Lady Jie, "For Grandma to wear, Grandma is beautiful."

Hearing this, Lady Jie couldn't stop smiling, "Grandma is old, but she is beautiful."

Jingci, who had been acting cute in front of Lady Jie, now pretended to be a grown-up in front of his niece, but occasionally glanced at her.

Whenever Fu Jie went out, she was accompanied by two wet nurses and four maids. The two wet nurses specifically looked after her, while the four maids each carried a bag: one with various toys and trinkets, and the other with several sets of clothes, handkerchiefs, and talcum powder.

Lady Jie suddenly felt that her daughter's care for her granddaughter was quite thorough. She found a stone bench to sit on and watched as the Shen family maids brought out various exquisite toys. As Jingci and Fu Jie played together, she only needed to supervise them occasionally.

"These toys of Sister Fu are so exquisite; I've never seen such things in the market." Lady Jie asked.

The wet nurse smiled and said, "Some of these were brought back from overseas by our master's clan uncle, some were made by Lord Lin, and others were gifts from the Qin family. It's said that Lord Lin is skilled in mechanical devices, while Lord Qin works at the Ministry of Works and has been dexterous since childhood. He even sent a horse lantern to our young miss for the New Year."

Lady Jie finally understood. She then saw Sister Fu playing with a small doll, while Jingci was very interested in some mechanical toys. At this moment, Xin Wan also came out for a walk. Due to her weak constitution, she often felt uncomfortable after meals, so she came out to relax. She happened to see Jingci and Sister Fu playing together.

Although Jingci was young, he was handsome, and Sister Fu indeed resembled a Western Region Hu girl, with a cute little bald head. Xin Wan thought to herself that she had been married for several years but still had no children. Although her mother-in-law hadn't urged her, she had become less courteous towards her.

Being a cousin in the Yan family and being a daughter-in-law in the Yan family were quite different.

"Second Lady," Xin Wan smiled as she approached.

Seeing it was her, Lady Jie smiled again, "Wen Ge's wife, you're here. Why don't you sit down?"

Xin Wan explained, "I just finished my meal and feel a bit full, so I want to walk around first. Don't worry about me. By the way, I heard that Yao Niang gave birth safely. I'm really happy for her."

"Flowers bloom before the fruit sets. This time, she got what she wished for. Shen Guxia is the only son of the eldest branch, and he must have a son to inherit the family business," Lady Jie inadvertently revealed her thoughts.

Don't talk about adoption or not; even a biological son may not be filial. How can you expect someone from outside to be good to you? If you bring a wolf into your home, it will be even worse.

This was what she wanted to say to Xin Wan. Managing the household was a minor issue; the main concern was the offspring.

Lady Zhen saw her daughter-in-law so frail and not helping to improve her health, yet still exerting herself. She didn't know what Xin Wan was thinking.

Hearing Lady Jie's words, Xin Wan nodded slightly but then said, "I imagine the Shen family must be very lively today. I'll visit for the third-day washing ceremony in a few days."

Lady Jie nodded, "When I returned, I saw their son-in-law and daughter-in-law had come."

Indeed, Shen Mo and Pang Qian, husband and wife, had come to congratulate them. Shen Mo had even prepared all the gifts for the third-day washing and the full moon celebration in advance. This was a significant event for the in-laws. Previously, although she blamed her brother and sister-in-law, now that her brother had become a daily lecturer and received the emperor's favor, and was a fixture in the Wenyuan Pavilion, even the ministers of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works dared not offend her brother, so she didn't dare to say anything.

Shen Linfeng naturally observed this. Indeed, as Yao Niang had said, if you live well, these people will naturally come to you.

When they arrived, Yao Niang, exhausted, had already fallen asleep, and the delivery room had been tidied up. Shen Mo asked Shen Linfeng, "Where's Sister Fu?"

"Oh, she went to the Yan family. I'm busy with official duties, and my sister-in-law is still in confinement. Afraid we might not take good care of her, Sister Fu's grandmother took her back to look after her." Although Shen Linfeng missed his daughter, he thought his wife agreed, and his mother-in-law seemed meticulous and reliable, so he wasn't worried.

Hearing this, Shen Mo became anxious, "Brother, you're not thinking of making a double marriage, are you?"

She was pregnant too. If she had a daughter, she naturally hoped she could marry into her natal family. If she had a son, she wanted to arrange a marriage with her niece. The Yan family's dowry was extremely rich, and the Shen family was already wealthy. Moreover, her brother's career was promising, and she didn't want the Yan family to cause trouble.

Shen Linfeng frowned, "What nonsense are you talking?" Having experienced his own marriage, Shen Linfeng deeply believed that a marriage should be based on mutual affection, and what parents deemed suitable might not necessarily be so.

"I mean the children are too young and haven't settled down yet," Shen Mo explained.

Shen Linfeng then relaxed and started talking with Pang Qian. Pang Qian never visited empty-handed. For the Shen family's eldest branch's joy of having a son, he brought bird's nest and flower gelatin as supplements.

Before they could exchange a few words, Wen Qilang and Qian Niang arrived. Qian Niang felt quite uneasy. Both her younger sisters had sons, and the eldest sister was about to marry a third-place laureate. She had originally been the best-married among the sisters, but now she was the most behind, both in terms of her husband's position and having a son, lagging far behind.

Previously, when the Shen family's second master had an incident, Qian Niang had sympathized with Yao Niang while secretly rejoicing. She didn't expect Shen Linfeng to remain unaffected.

Compared to Qian Niang's sour grapes, seeing her nephew without praising him, and hearing Shen Mo mention that Yao Niang had specially sent her daughter back to her natal family, jokingly asking if she wanted to arrange a marriage with Run Ge, made Qian Niang tense up. In just a few words, she decided to send her daughter over.

Over the years, she and Li Shi had maintained a good relationship privately, which wasn't for nothing.

As for Ying Niang, after giving birth to a son, she gradually returned to her old self. Except for being a bit timid around Xu Sijia, she acted arrogantly, criticizing everything in the Shen family, from the quality of the swaddling cloth to the placement of objects. Just as she was complaining, the awakened Yao Niang instantly regained her fighting spirit: "Yan Lingrong, if you dare to say another word, I'll go straight to the Xu family next time. Do you believe me?"