Chapter 119

Chapter 119

As it was during the New Year period, the Song family resumed the tradition of having meals together in the main courtyard.

During dinner, in front of everyone, Song Shian managed to hold himself together, even smiling as he congratulated Song Shirui.

However, after returning to Dan Gui Courtyard, he immediately fell apart. His eyes turned red, and tears, like pearls falling off a string, dropped one after another.

Jiang Chun was startled, "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly crying?"

Ever since he had recovered his health, he had returned to his normal state of mind, as if the shy and fragile person from before was no longer him.

She hadn't seen him cry for a long time.

The more Jiang Chun asked, the harder Song Shian cried, sobbing, "Why? Why has Second Brother's spouse gotten pregnant, but your belly shows no signs of life?

I've been putting in so much effort, trying everything, only to realize it was all in vain.

Am I cursed by some divine law, destined to have no offspring?"

In his previous life, it was fine not to have children; he didn't want to remarry and didn't care if anyone carried on his family line after his death.

But in this life, he and Jiang Chun were in perfect harmony, and he desperately hoped she would give birth to their child, even if just one.

That way, Jiang Chun would have a blood connection here and wouldn't suddenly wake up one day with her original self replacing the current one.

He had waited and waited, only to be met with disappointment, along with the news that Second Brother's spouse was pregnant.

In his previous life, Second Brother's spouse didn't conceive until the following September, but this time it was almost six months earlier.

What does Second Brother have that makes him so lucky?

Comparing ourselves to them is heartbreaking. How could I not be sad?

When Jiang Chun heard "tried everything," her lips twitched, almost bursting into laughter.

But seeing him cry so sadly, if she laughed, he would definitely get angry, and she probably wouldn't be able to calm him down for the entire night.

So she bit her cheek hard, struggling to hold back her laughter.

She took out a handkerchief, wiping his tears as she comforted him, "What's there to cry about? Don't put too much pressure on yourself.

I've told you before, I don't have any obsession with having children. It would be great if we have them, but it's not a big deal if we don't.

From my family, the clan elder can help find an orphan with no parents to adopt.

From the Song family, if Second Brother and his spouse are willing to give us a child, that's great. If not, we can also adopt an orphan from the clan with no parents.

If they're unwilling to give a child, it's fine too. We can rely on Second Brother's child to care for us when we're older. We have plenty of money and property, so they won't neglect us."

Song Shian looked up with tear-filled eyes and glared at her, "You don't understand—it's not just about adoption, I don't care about the continuation of the family line."

Jiang Chun indeed didn't understand why he was so concerned about having offspring; probably it was men's pride at play?

She soothed him, "Yes, yes, I don't understand, I'm not as smart as you, unlike my husband who is extremely clever and has a photographic memory."

She gently pulled him into her embrace, softly saying, "Alright, alright, no more crying. We just don't have children for now; it's not like we're sentenced to death. Let's keep trying, maybe we'll get good news soon."

With a sly smile, she added, "Maybe you should try something new."

Song Shian was utterly exasperated to see her casual and indifferent demeanor, completely unaware of how upset and worried he was.

He pulled away from her grip, taking the dominant position, and forced her down onto the cushion of the Luohan bed, his hand closing around her neck.

With a cold tone, he said, "You, some random spirit from who knows where, if I hadn't kept quiet, would you still think you're really Jiang Chun?"

Jiang Chun, who had been smiling until that moment, thought his sudden advance was because he had become aroused from crying.

But who would have thought he'd use such an intimate (or not?) position to say something so chilling.

It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her, freezing her to the bone.

It's over, my secret of borrowing a corpse to return to life has been exposed...

Before she could come up with a rebuttal, Song Shian's cold voice continued, "The reason I'm so anxious to have a child with you is that I'm worried you, an imposter, might not have a stable foothold here. Maybe one day, the original owner will kick you out of this body.

But once you have a child bearing both our bloodlines, you'll have a deeper connection to this world, and it won't be so easy for the original owner to get rid of you."

Jiang Chun was stunned for a moment before uttering an "Ah?"

Initially, the original owner had suffered from a high fever for three days due to getting drenched in the rain, becoming unconscious, and even the doctor called in from the county town had declared her beyond help.

When Jiang Chun had taken over, the original owner had already stopped breathing, making her truly a case of borrowing a corpse to return to life.

So she had never worried about the original owner suddenly reappearing to replace her.

But that wasn't the point.

What mattered was when did he figure out she wasn't the original owner, and how did he know?

She asked curiously, "When did you find out I'm not the original owner? How did you know?"

Song Shian snorted, "Before I even found the divine artifact on you."

As for how he found out? He chose to evade that question.

Because it would involve revealing his own rebirth, which he couldn't disclose.

Jiang Chun: "..."

She had been walking on eggshells, trying to hide her true self, only to realize she'd been completely exposed in front of him for years—like she'd been running around naked.

What a fool she had been.

Jiang Chun let her head fall back heavily onto the pillow, giving up, "Husband, what else do you know? Spit it out, I can take it."

And Song Shian didn't disappoint her "expectations," dropping another bombshell, "I also know that second sister-in-law is not the original owner either."

Jiang Chun: "..."

She was utterly numb.

This was the fate of a high-IQ, strong yet tragic male supporting character? Not only was she exposed, but even her own creation, her beloved character, was also laid bare.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but mentally gasp.

Being uncovered as a transmigrator wasn't terrifying in itself. The fact that he had chosen to keep this secret for years without exposing her clearly showed he didn't want to lose her.

What was truly terrifying was that, beyond being a transmigrator, she had another identity: the original author of this world.

If Song Shian knew that the reason he had suffered so much—having his family stripped of everything, being thrown into the imperial prison and tortured to the point of severe injury, possibly even affecting his ability to have children; then sold to a village butcher as a live-in husband—was all a plot deliberately crafted by her, the original author...

She felt he would immediately turn dark and take her life on the spot.

So this secret, she could never reveal, even if it meant taking it to the grave.

At this moment, Song Shian slowly uttered another sentence: “I also know that you and the second brother’s wife come from the same place.”

Jiang Chun: “……”

Well, thanks a lot. She hadn’t even had a heartwarming reunion with her fellow countryman Zhong Wenjin yet, but here they were, already meeting under Song Shian’s watchful eye.

We’re really in the same boat now.

She remained silent for a while before grumbling, “Why did you have to expose me? Isn’t it better to continue pretending to be ignorant? Haven’t you heard of the saying ‘ignorance is bliss’?”

Song Shian tightened his grip on her neck and snorted coldly, “I didn’t want to expose you. But who asked you to be so careless about the matter of having children, with such a lackadaisical attitude? I had no choice but to reveal the truth so you’d understand the importance of it.”

Jiang Chun’s tendency to resist doing what she was told resurfaced. She looked up at him, gave him a playful look, and hinted, “When it comes to having babies, husband, it’s your job to put in the effort. Does it really matter whether I’m attentive or not?”

Song Shian released her neck and took the silk handkerchief from her hand to wipe the tears hanging on his long lashes, then snorted coldly, “We’re discussing something important here. I need you to be serious.”

Jiang Chun laughed mischievously, “But husband, how can I be serious when you’re talking about having babies?

Are we supposed to keep straight faces while doing... you know? Who can be more like a wooden person?”

Song Shian: “……”

He was truly exasperated to the point of being amused by her nonsensical words.

Unable to bear it any longer, he shouted, “Jiang Chun!”

Jiang Chun rubbed her ears, “I’m here, I’m here. No need to shout so loudly; my ears aren’t deaf.”

Seeing his cold, stone-faced expression, she quickly composed herself.

Seriously, she said, “When I entered this body, the original owner had already died of illness. So, husband, you don’t need to worry about her suddenly coming back to replace me.”

How could Song Shian not be worried?

She and the second brother’s wife had switched souls, and he had been reborn from his previous life. What did this imply?

It meant that the world they were in often experienced unreasonable occurrences, so his concerns weren’t baseless.

He snorted coldly, “Nothing is absolute. To prevent this from happening, you must have a child.”

Jiang Chun was truly speechless. “Whoever said having a baby would stop the original owner from reclaiming her body?

During childbirth, a woman’s body is at its most vulnerable. It’s possible the original owner might seize the opportunity to take it back.”

What she said was meant as a casual remark, but it unexpectedly came true.

But that’s a story for another time.

Song Shian found her words quite reasonable.

So, did I just waste all that effort?

He decisively changed his mind, “Wife, you make a valid point. In that case, maybe we shouldn’t have kids after all.”

"Find Second Brother's wife to help buy some contraceptives from foreign countries later, so we can use them during our intimate moments."

"They come from more developed regions compared to the Great Zhou, so their contraceptives are probably less harmful to the body than the fertility-blocking potions of the Great Zhou."

Jiang Chun: "..."

Just moments ago, he was crying sadly because they couldn't have a child, and now he's asking her to buy contraceptives. Men's hearts are as fickle as the sea!

She gave him an exasperated look and chuckled, "It's unnecessary. We didn't use contraceptives before, and I still didn't get pregnant, right? This shows that perhaps you really were frozen and damaged your body in the underwater dungeon."

Foreign goods are all expensive, and contraceptives are no exception.

Skipping these would save us money, so dear husband, you've really saved our family a lot of silver.

Song Shian's face turned ashen, and he once again grabbed her by the neck, gritting his teeth as he said, "Your husband didn't quite catch what you said. Could you please repeat it?"

Jiang Chun said with a grin, "I'm just teasing you. We'll just let nature take its course as we always have. Maybe we'll conceive a child in a little while."

Coldly following her previous words, Song Shian said, "And then when you're weak from childbirth, the original spirit who once inhabited this body will seize the opportunity to take over, right?"

Jiang Chun said confidently, "Who's weak? I'm as strong as an ox. Giving birth is no big deal for me."

Who isn't afraid of giving birth? She was afraid too.

This confidence was just for Song Shian's sake, to prevent him from overthinking and implementing contraceptive measures.

If possible, she did want a child of her own flesh and blood.

So, contraception was out of the question. She could think about it after the second child.

Song Shian pursed his lips, feeling somewhat convinced by her words.

Her physique was indeed much stronger than other women's. When the time came, he would have He, the Imperial Doctor from the Imperial Hospital, who specialized in women's diseases, oversee the delivery, and hire a few skilled midwives to assist. There shouldn't be any problems.

Having figured everything out, Song Shian released her neck, stood up, and then bent down to scoop her up into his arms.

As he walked towards the bathhouse, he smiled and said, "Since you're as strong as an ox, you can take the reins today."

Jiang Chun: "???"

After their bath, when they returned to the bedroom, Jiang Chun finally understood what he meant earlier.

He half-lay on the bed, asking her to sit on him and take the initiative.

Jiang Chun: "..."

On any other day, she would have just flopped down and chosen to lie on the bed, opting for laziness.

But today was different.

Considering that he had cried over his jealousy of Song Shirui becoming a father, she decided to humor him this time.

There was nothing she could do; she was someone who easily softened at the sight of a man's tears.

Using the strength of her waist and abdomen, she moved up and down.

Song Shian half-closed his eyes, feeling extremely comfortable, and teased her with a good mood, "Give it your best shot, darling. Whether we can have a child depends on how much effort you put in."

Jiang Chun rolled her eyes at his comment and said with a grin, "I really should work hard. You're so eager to have a child with both our bloodlines to tie me down completely. I need to make sure we have a child together."

Song Shian twitched at the corner of his mouth and lightly slapped her on the butt, cursing with a smile, "What are you babbling about!"

As a man, how could he possibly bear children? He simply didn't have that ability.

But thinking about it, it was a bit of a pity.

If he could have kids, he’d have given her three or five by now, instead of waiting for her belly to show signs of life.

Jiang Chun clicked her tongue inwardly. It was a shame she wasn’t in a matriarchal world. If she were, getting Song Shian, such a beauty, pregnant and making him give birth to their children would be bliss, wouldn't it?

Lost in her wild thoughts, she felt another slap on her butt.

Song Shian hummed softly, "Don't zone out, get to work."

Jiang Chun ground her teeth in frustration, unable to stand his lazy, smug expression. But thinking about how he usually did the hard work while she lay back and enjoyed herself, she decided not to abandon the task.

Born with immense strength, she had endless energy. Plus, plowing the field herself allowed her to control the rhythm, which turned out to be more pleasurable than when he did it.

So, after finishing once, she took the initiative to go for another round without Song Shian even asking.

After it was done, she lay exhausted on Song Shian's chest, panting, "Plowing the field is too exhausting, I’m never doing it again."

Song Shian, full and satisfied, wrapped his arms around her slender waist and teased her with a smile, "Really not doing it again?"

Jiang Chun pouted in his arms for a while before finally giving in, "Doing it once in a while is fine."

"Hehe..." Song Shian let out a magnetic and joyful laugh.

After a long while, Jiang Chun finally spoke again, asking seriously, "Husband, why haven't you asked me and your second sister-in-law where we're from?"

Song Shian lightly stroked her long, black hair and casually replied, "One place uses Arabic script and a mix of Zhou characters. A place with more goods than the Great Zhou and technology more advanced than ours.

That's all I need to know, there's not much else to ask."

Curious, yes, but he didn’t want to delve into that topic with Jiang Chun, afraid it might ignite her homesickness and lead her to search for a way back.

Jiang Chun gave him a thumbs up, "No wonder you're my husband, you have such composure, not curious about the wonders of another world at all."

Another world?

Song Shian, where Jiang Chun couldn’t see him, widened his phoenix eyes in surprise.

He had assumed she and his second sister-in-law were from a foreign country across the ocean, especially since they understood Arabic script and their daily behavior was quite different from women of the Great Zhou, making it highly likely they were foreigners.

But they were actually people from another world.

So, she had crossed two worlds to be by his side?

How lucky am I to have you here with me?

At the same time, a growing sense of unease gnawed at him.

If they were foreigners, it would be easier. If she went back to a foreign land across the sea, he could at least try to find her by ship.

But she was from another world.

If she returned to her own world one day, even if he searched high and low, he would never find her again.

He needed to find a miracle healer skilled in treating infertility, and soon. It couldn’t wait until after the Lantern Festival (a major holiday in the Great Zhou).

Refusing to seek medical help is not an option. If there’s truly a problem with his health, no matter how much medicine he has to take or how many needles he has to endure, he must get it treated.

*

Jiang Chun felt sore in her waist and legs the day after two days of hard work, as if she had spent the day plowing several acres of land, making her walk unsteadily.

The day before, she had only verbally congratulated Zhong Wenjin, but today she prepared a small package containing five pounds of red dates, one pound of blood bird's nest, and two pounds of silver ear for Gui Ye to deliver to Qingzhu Courtyard.

As for Zhong Wenjin, the pregnancy didn’t bring her much joy; in fact, it annoyed her a little.

In the original story, after she and Song Shirui arrived in the capital, their empty pockets and the need to spend money everywhere made earning cash through business their top priority.

Without money, how could they afford a child?

So, every time they had sex, she would remind him to wear protection.

The same was true in real life.

Except for once.

On that day, Zhong Wenjin was thrilled to receive 1,900 taels of silver from her elder sister-in-law to invest in her business. She felt like she could finally make big moves, maybe even level up her system.

Perhaps due to her excitement and thinking it was a safe time, she forgot to remind Song Shirui to wear protection that night, and they went at it without any barrier.

And just like that, she became pregnant on the first try.

Zhong Wenjin felt this child came at an inconvenient time.

Her foreign goods store had just opened, and they were planning to open a winery after the New Year, intending to sell high-proof liquor brewed with modern techniques.

This was the time to focus on her career, but instead, she was carrying a little money-sucking monster that would hold her back.

Fortunately, she was only about a month into the pregnancy and had no morning sickness, so it didn’t hinder her business efforts.

She needed to get the foreign goods store and the winery on track during this time so that even if she decided to slow down later in pregnancy, things wouldn’t fall into disarray.

Hearing that Gui Ye had come to deliver something on Jiang Chun’s behalf, she quickly said, “Please bring her in.”

Gui Ye put down the package and said with a smile, “Second Mistress, our lady sent these supplements to help you stay healthy and strong so you can give birth to a chubby nephew for her to play with.”

Zhong Wenjin’s mouth twitched; only her elder sister-in-law could say something like that.

She smiled and said, “Please thank your Mistress for me.”

She then had a maid give Gui Ye a purse.

Gui Ye smiled and accepted it before leaving.

Once Gui Ye was gone, Zhong Wenjin had the maid open the package to see what goodies her elder sister-in-law had sent.

When she saw what was inside, she was shocked.

The red dates and silver ear were fine, though they appeared to be top-quality goods, but the large package of blood bird's nest almost made her eyes pop out of her head with how valuable it was.

Zhong Wenjin had heard Madame Zhuang mention that her elder sister-in-law had secretly given a pound of blood bird's nest to her mother-in-law as a filial gift.

Upon learning that a single serving of blood bird's nest was worth several taels of silver, she had been astonished and praised her elder sister-in-law for being so thoughtful and caring toward her mother-in-law, which brought a smile to Madame Zhuang’s face.

She hadn’t expected that her elder sister-in-law would also give her a pound of blood bird's nest.

The older sister-in-law is extremely generous, practically a real spendthrift.

To return the favor, she decided to send several bags of sweet potato seeds and corn seeds to the older sister-in-law, since she had two estates and plenty of land to plant them.

So, on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, Jiang Chun received not only her additional order of makeup remover and eye and lip makeup remover but also four bags of sweet potato seeds and four bags of corn seeds.

She was grinning from ear to ear.

Song Shian raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are these two types of grain delicious?"

Jiang Chun nodded and then shook her head, "It depends on how you prepare them—can be delicious or not.

But that's not the point. The key is that both types of grain are high-yielding, with yields several times that of wheat."

Song Shian immediately said, "Then you should plant them well, and after two years, save plenty of seeds. I'll help you present them to Crown Prince Li Junxing, and he'll give you a great reward."

Jiang Chun thought, what a clever plan. In two years, it would be the time when the old emperor passes away and Crown Prince Li Junxing ascends the throne.

With the new emperor's ascension and the acquisition of high-yield grains from foreign lands, announcing it to the entire kingdom would surely boost his popularity among the people.

For her, this was a great opportunity. With such a significant contribution, a reward of money alone wouldn't be enough; there should be other gifts.

For example, promoting her to a higher rank of Lady, surpassing Song Shian's official position or something.

Honestly, she loved the feeling of being superior to him; it felt great.

Of course, she didn't forget to mention Zhong Wenjin, giving credit where it was due: "The second sister-in-law helped me get these seeds. When you present the good seeds to Crown Prince Li Junxing, don't forget to mention the second sister-in-law."

Song Shian didn't object and nodded, "Alright."

Leaving out Zhong Wenjin was not an option. Her unique abilities were so useful, and they would rely on her to continue providing good things for Jiang Chun.

As it turned out, Jiang Chun's foresight in befriending the second sister-in-law was wise; otherwise, she wouldn’t have gotten so much good stuff.

Jiang Chun breathed a sigh of relief.