Chapter 271

Chapter 271

Lu Mingzhu and Haohao had great luck. Just days after coming home, a massive typhoon made landfall in Hong Kong.

Lightning crackled, thunder boomed, and fierce winds and rain pounded the island.

Trees were uprooted, roofs were torn off, and the residents of shantytowns and shacks—living in poverty—cried out in despair. Some of the frail were swept off, while others were knocked down, bleeding from head injuries, yet thankful just to be alive.

On the river, boats of all sizes tossed wildly in the waves. Larger vessels fared better, but smaller ones capsized outright.

Many were killed or hurt.

Only the tens of thousands of residents who had passed the screening process and moved into the over 60 buildings of the Mingzhu Public Housing Estates (Phases I-IV) were left shaken, grateful their families were safe.

The Xie estate was even sturdier, with excellent soundproofing, so the storm didn’t bother Lu Mingzhu or Haohao at all.

Haohao slept like a baby.

Curled up, fists balled tight, her rosy cheeks plump and soft.

Her hair was exceptionally thick and black, nearly covering her ears, though her eyebrows were still faint. The only flaw in her cuteness.

Xie Junyao watched his daughter adoringly, while Lu Mingzhu did her Kegels on a nearby mat, guided by a professional doctor.

With ample help caring for Haohao, Lu Mingzhu had nothing to worry about. Her routine was just eat, sleep, and work out.

Xie Junyao even arranged for massages to help her recover after childbirth.

Though Lu Mingzhu’s weight had returned to pre-pregnancy levels immediately after giving birth, her belly still stuck out a bit, the skin loose—as if she were still pregnant. It had frightened her at first.

Indeed, only freaks of nature bounced back that fast—clearly not her.

Fortunately, after days of exercise, she’d slimmed down a lot.

Lu Mingzhu pushed herself harder now.

Though Haohao needed feeding every hour or two, they had a breast pump ready. Now that Haohao was seven days old and past the colostrum phase, Lu Mingzhu naturally chose to breastfeed during the day. Any excess milk was pumped into clean, sealed glass bottles and stored in the refrigerator, to be gently warmed by the infant caregiver and nanny at night before feeding Haohao—pampered down to the last detail.

They had far more experience with babies than Lu Mingzhu!

Before her transmigration, Lu Mingzhu had never had a boyfriend or been a mother, so she’d only read about it—extremely limited knowledge.

Now, she barely had to wake up at night, except for bathroom breaks.

Her body was incredible.

Her milk supply was abundant and rarely clogged, though occasional engorgement was uncomfortable. That was when Xie Junyao stepped in at night, helping her pump and store the milk.

With ample sleep at night, she felt energetic during the day, fully committed to her recovery exercises.

Under such circumstances, Lu Mingzhu found her postpartum confinement to be downright enjoyable. She truly understood why many wealthy women were willing to have child after child, unbothered by being labeled "baby-making machines."

If she, living in the 1950s, felt this way, how much more so for the wealthy women of the 21st century?

They had it easy!

Lu Mingzhu took her postpartum recovery seriously—after all, good health was the top priority.

After her workout, Haohao began fussing right on cue.

The infant caregiver was about to change her diaper when Xie Junyao said, "I'll do it."

He was now quite skilled at holding the baby and changing diapers.

Mingzhu approved of his hands-on approach, even though they had an infant caregiver and a nanny at home.

After changing and cleaning up, she came over to feed her daughter.

Xie Junyao suddenly spoke up, "Mingzhu."

"Hmm?" Mingzhu looked up. "What is it?"

"Should I go through confinement with you?" he asked.

Okay!" Mingzhu felt a bit puzzled.

He'd always finished her tonics, especially since the Senior Physician said they were harmless and even beneficial for him. Since he was already doing it, why bring it up now?

Little did she know Xie Junyao wanted a vasectomy.

Once his wife and daughter were asleep, he went to discuss the matter with his elder brother.

"Are you sure you won’t regret this decision later?" Xie Junhao stood by the study window, gazing at the storm outside, his voice low but firm.

"No regrets," Xie Junyao sat on the sofa, picking up an apple to peel. "Pregnancy, delivery, and nursing take so much from Mingzhu—it’s exhausting. And at the hospital, I saw a girl crying because her mother had died from a difficult birth, hemorrhaging badly. The baby survived, and the family was overjoyed, but she lost her mother. It hit me that childbirth means women gamble with their lives, while men reap the benefits. No amount of money could ever make that right. It scares me, Brother. Our family is wealthy, and we can hire the best doctors to prepare in advance, but what if something still goes wrong? If anything happened to Mingzhu, I’d never forgive myself. It’s better to eliminate the risk at its root."

He smiled then. "Haohao is enough for us. If we love her, she deserves all our love, not bringing in a sibling to share everything—and make Mingzhu endure the dangers of childbirth again."

Compared to children, his wife mattered most.

Just thinking about losing Mingzhu made Xie Junyao’s heart ache, even if the odds were minuscule.

After all, the King of Hell plays by no rules.

Xie Junhao murmured. "Since you’ve made your decision, I’ll respect it. Just remember—don’t regret it later, and if you do, don’t blame anyone else."

"Don’t worry, Brother. I’m mature enough to take full responsibility for my own choices." With a loud crunch, Xie Junyao took a bite of the apple. After swallowing, he added, "When the storm clears, I’ll go for the surgery. While I’m away, please help look after Haohao."

If he went now, what if the power went out during the procedure?

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than thunder rumbled outside. The lights flickered, then died, plunging the room into darkness.

Xie Junyao dashed from the study.

Xie Junhao paused but didn’t follow, a hint of approval crossing his face.

When Xie Junyao returned to the bedroom and saw his wife and daughter sleeping soundly, undisturbed, he sighed in quiet relief and sat by the bed, admiring their peaceful slumber.

Haohao nestled close to Mingzhu, sweet and well-behaved.

Despite having a nanny and an infant caregiver, Mingzhu preferred keeping her daughter by her side to nurture their bond.

Just during the daytime!

The child she gave birth to should naturally be close to her, not the nursemaid or nanny.

An hour later, Lu Mingzhu was startled awake by the baby's cries. She reached out to touch but found nothing, then abruptly opened her eyes and got out of bed. She saw Xie Junyao holding Haohao and walking around in the adjoining room.

The power was out, and the room was lit by red candles.

With the AC out, some ice blocks were placed in the outer room, emitting a faint chill. Servants fanned to direct the cool air toward the bedroom door.

No wonder the bedroom was stuffy.

"Thank you for your hard work. I’ll ask the young master to give you all a raise later," Lu Mingzhu said with a smile.

Her words instantly lifted the spirits of the sweat-drenched servants.

"Thank you, madam," they replied.

"Sweetheart, you're up?" Xie Junyao walked over with their daughter in his arms, frowning. "The air conditioner and fridge aren’t working, and the stored milk will go bad soon. I was thinking of giving her some formula."

"I’ve told you several times—breast milk is at a constant temperature, sterile, and nutritionally superior to formula," Lu Mingzhu said, being skeptical of the current formula recipes.

She returned to the bedroom, cleaned herself with warm water, then took Haohao from him.

She believed in science more.

She brought Haohao into this world and would take responsibility for her.

The first golden milk within the first seven days after birth is the most precious. Breastfeeding for the first six months strengthens the baby's immune system, as breast milk contains antibodies absent in formula.

When possible, breast milk takes priority.

It's good for mom too!

It aids uterine recovery, helps get her figure back, reduces bleeding, prevents anemia, speeds up metabolism, and protects mothers from certain gynecological diseases.

Studies show breastfeeding mothers have significantly lower risks of breast and ovarian cancer compared to those who never breastfed.

The only downside is possible sagging.

But she wasn’t afraid—she could exercise, massage, and supplement nutrition to address it.

See, book learning has its merits. At least she understood more than others, knowing that a healthy mother provides better breast milk for the baby.

The baby thrived on her milk.

When the typhoon passed and the weather cleared, Xie Junyao waited a few more days until things returned to normal in Hong Kong before getting the vasectomy, accompanied by Xie Junhao.

They got the best doctor and kept it quiet.

But they couldn’t hide it from Lu’s father, He Yun, and Ceng Mei, who were shocked when they found out.

They got together to talk.

Compared to Lu’s father and He Yun, Ceng Mei had more free time and remarked, "Who knew Little Xie had it in him?"

He could never do it himself.

Not just him, but Old Man Lu and He Yun felt the same way.

Old Man Lu rubbed his chin and said, "No wonder Mingzhu is so set on Xiao Xie. Though he may not be as capable as his elder brother, when it comes to his love for Mingzhu, no one can compare. Putting Mingzhu’s well-being first—as her father, I couldn’t be happier."

Ceng Mei nodded. "Her godmother and I will go take care of her, so Xiao Xie can rest properly."

Old Man Lu agreed, and He Yun had no objections either.

"I live nearby, so I can spell you and Mrs. Ceng when I have time," He Yun added calmly before turning to Old Man Lu. "Since Mingzhu and her daughter are doing well, shouldn’t we start building the house now?"

"If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would’ve forgotten," Old Man Lu admitted, somewhat envious that He Yun lived so close he could visit his daughter and granddaughter at the Xie household with just a short walk.

He needed to speed things up.

Soon, construction was underway in earnest.

Lu Mingzhu was surprised by the frequent visits—her godparents one day, her godfather the next—but she didn’t think much of it. Besides, Xie Junyao had mentioned being worn out and under the weather lately, so she was grateful for the elders’ help.

The vasectomy was a minor procedure, and within days, Xie Junyao was back on his feet, back to tending to his wife and daughter.

As Pingan’s appetite grew, Lu Mingzhu had even less to worry about.

When Ming Yue came for the month-old banquet, she was stunned to see Lu Mingzhu looking no different from before—neither pale nor weak, her hair thick, dark, and voluminous, her skin fair, her eyes clear, her entire being glowing like polished jade.

Her waist was slender, her stomach flat, and she wore a red dress with a mandarin collar left open at the throat, looking every inch the young woman.

Around her neck was a delicate platinum chain with a blood-red diamond pendant.

The diamond was even larger than the center stone of her red diamond ring, dazzlingly bright and deep red.

No more simple looks.

Elegant, graceful, every inch the lady.

"You didn’t actually have a baby, did you?" Ming Yue asked.

Lu Mingzhu chuckled and jerked her chin at the infant Xie Junyao was proudly showing off to relatives and friends. "She’s right there!"

"You’ve recovered so well," Ming Yue sighed, prodding her pudgy hand, which dimpled at the touch. She felt ridiculous with her swollen belly. "I remember you didn’t gain much weight before giving birth—just your belly. But me? I’ve blown up like a balloon, gaining a full thirty-five pounds, even though we ate about the same."

Only then did Lu Mingzhu really look at Ming Yue.

By her calculations, Ming Yue was over seven months pregnant, her belly so large she seemed ready to pop.

The toll of carrying twins was evident—she was puffy all over.

Though the hall was comfortably cool, Ming Yue was dripping with sweat, as if she wished the air conditioning could be turned even lower.

"It must be different body types and metabolisms," Lu Mingzhu said, taking her hand and helping her sit down. Though concerned, she didn’t let it show. "What does Dr. Meng say?"

Ming Yue sighed. "He dotes on me, but pregnancy affects everyone differently."

Meng Ruyu had told her she wasn’t as naturally healthy as Lu Mingzhu.

So after this birth, they’d decided not to have any more children.

Watching Ming Yue struggle to walk and sit, Xie Junyao counted his blessings for getting the vasectomy, saving his wife from going through another pregnancy.

A smooth first birth was no promise the next would be.

Thinking back to why Ming Yue never visited her and Mingzhu after Haohao's birth, Xie Junyao felt even prouder.

He’d never put his wife through what Ming Yue endured.

He Yun waved Xie Junyao over.

Xie Junyao walked over, cradling his wide-eyed baby daughter in his arms. "Dad, what do you need?"

He Yun glanced at him. "Why ‘Mr. He’? You're married to Mingzhu—aren’t you going to follow her lead and call me Dad? Or are you worried we godparents won’t give you a red envelope?"

Xie Junyao quickly corrected himself. "Dad!"

Did that count?

He Yun nodded in satisfaction, first handing Xie Junyao a red envelope, then placing a necklace of seven pigeon-blood rubies into Haohao’s swaddle. "Play with it when you’re older."

Lu Mingzhu said enviously, "Haohao’s spoiled rotten!"

"Yours is bigger," He Yun replied, pulling out another necklace with the same design but a larger center stone and giving it to her.

Lu Mingzhu thanked him cheerfully. "Thanks, Dad!"

Maybe they all figured she had suffered enough during childbirth—not only did Haohao receive gifts for her full moon celebration, but she was also given presents: nothing but lavish jewels.

Only Lu Mingzhu’s father added an extra gift for Haohao—a longevity lock.

Crafted from gold and inlaid with pearls and gemstones, it was a radiant masterpiece, almost too gorgeous to look at.

The party wrapped up without a hitch.

Lu Mingzhu was itching to go out for some fresh air, but Xie Junhao and Xie Junyao insisted that childbirth had drained her vitality. Sticking to their original plan, they forced her to stay home the full hundred days.

She could brush off Xie Junyao, but Xie Junhao? No way. So Lu Mingzhu had no choice but to stay obediently at home.

She told herself it was just too blazing hot out.

If she couldn’t go out, then she wouldn’t. Wishful thinking.

Fortunately, she no longer had to be as cautious as during the confinement period, so she took out the novel outline she had written.

Yet another wuxia story.

Its title was just two words: *Sword God*.

Sometime along the way, the jianghu decided that the sword was the king of weapons—unsuitable for women to wield. Swords weren’t for women.

The female protagonist’s name was Tian Jian—she’d rebranded herself. Born “Gentle Softness” (Wanrou), because she was a girl, her parents never valued her, denying her the family’s martial arts heritage out of fear she might leak their secrets after marriage.

A daughter? Worthless.

Even though she possessed exceptional talent and innate aptitude, she received no training. Her father taught her brothers martial arts, while her mother forced Wanrou to learn needlework, household management, and accounting. She wasn’t even allowed to read books—just those insipid “Four Books for Women,” enough to recognize a few characters.

Wanrou wasn’t having it. She secretly read all the books in the family’s collection and, while embroidering outside, stole lessons through cracks in the wall as her father taught her brothers martial arts.

Unfortunately, she barely caught scraps of knowledge.

When it came to internal martial arts techniques, her father would never teach them openly to her brothers—such knowledge was always passed down privately through word of mouth. Thus, she had no way to formally learn martial arts and could only memorize the moves by observing her brothers' occasional demonstrations in front of her.

But she had a good elder brother.

Her brother was of average talent and found martial training sheer torture. Yet their parents forced him to practice diligently, forcing martial manuals on him through rote memorization, regardless of whether he could grasp them, just to preserve the family lineage.

Seeing his sister’s passion for martial arts but her inability to learn, he secretly taught her, making her memorize the texts he himself couldn’t master.

Thus, Wanrou acquired martial skills.

She built upon her knowledge, progressing rapidly, often modifying techniques to enhance their power, making her brother feel inadequate. He frequently shared with her the various tonics and body-forging medicines provided by the family for his training.

This was the essence of "wealth fuels martial arts, poverty confines one to scholarship."

To avoid arousing their parents’ suspicion, the brother took his sister on visits to relatives—in truth, they traveled around to challenge fighters and exchange techniques.

It was then that Tian Jian realized their family’s martial arts were mediocre at best.

Having defeated countless bandits, Tian Jian collected numerous martial manuals, devoured every text she could find, including Buddhist and Daoist classics. After years of refinement, she finally forged her own martial path, erasing all traces of her family’s influence.

And then, she set her heart on mastering the sword.

Through relentless practice, she reached the pinnacle—one sword stroke could humble all challengers. She became known as the "Female Sword God."

She claimed the title 'Sword God' outright.

Moreover, she remained unmarried her entire life but founded her own school, accepting thousands of disciples—men and women alike—allowing them to learn the sword. She shattered societal prejudices, broke free from traditional restraints, and transformed the martial world.

With a clear outline, Lu Mingzhu's writing flowed effortlessly.

But to protect her eyes, she limited herself to writing only two or three hours a day, churning out 5,000-6,000 words.

She wrote in bursts rather than marathon sessions.

Seeing her self-discipline, Xie Junhao and Xie Junyao didn’t interfere, only instructing the kitchen to add more vision-boosting foods to her diet.

The reason she left home before completing her postpartum confinement was Ming Yue’s childbirth.

By early October, the weather had cooled slightly, and Ming Yue gave birth to healthy twin boys in the hospital.

One weighed five pounds, the other five pounds and one ounce.

Compared to Haohao at birth, the two boys were as skinny as newborn kittens, their limbs alarmingly thin—just skin and bones, pitiful to behold.

As Lu Mingzhu examined the babies, Meng Ruyu said, "They’re healthy, and their weight is normal."

Seven-pounders were uncommon.

Lu Mingzhu nodded, knowing Meng Ruyu was right.

Even in the 21st century, many twins weighed only around five pounds, with those over six pounds being uncommon—some singletons barely reached five pounds.

Thus, Ming Yue’s delivery must have taken a real toll on Meng Ruyu.

Just then, a large group came bustling in.

They were the Guo family, whom Lu Mingzhu had met in New York. Leading them was Guo Lin, Meng Ruyu’s biological father and Madam Guo’s nephew, who had arrived in Hong Kong days earlier.

Upon arrival, they learned Ming Yue had given birth with Meng Ruyu at the hospital, so they hadn't had a proper introduction.