Chapter 83: Birthday

Chapter 83: Birthday

August 1st was a bright, sunny day.

This was Cheng Yian's first outing since she got pregnant. The maid had cushioned the carriage thoroughly, and after Ru Lan had placed the tea set and clothes in the carriage, she kept reminding Qiu Qing, the driver,

"You must drive slowly, not a single bump, got it?"

Qiu Qing folded his arms across his chest, looking at Ru Lan with a smile, just nodding, "Got it, got it."

Ru Lan thought he seemed too laid-back, as if he hadn't really listened, and she glared at him anxiously, "The mistress has just gotten better, and today's her big day, we can't have any mishaps."

Ru Lan had a round, fair face that looked like a peach, full and blushing, the angrier she got, the cuter she looked. Qiu Qing, having been around her for so long, knew her temper well, immediately gave her a mock salute, "Got it, I'll make sure of it."

Meeting his serious and earnest gaze, Ru Lan blushed again and quickly ran off.

A while back, Cheng Yian and Lu Xusheng had arranged their wedding, Qiu Qing had used up all his monthly wages for Ru Lan's dowry. Cheng Yian had originally wanted to marry Ru Lan off earlier, but Ru Lan insisted on serving her until after the baby was born before getting married, so it had to be postponed.

Qiu Qing watched Ru Lan run off, rubbing his nose and grinning widely.

Yesterday, all the families in the estate had sent Cheng Yian birthday gifts. This morning, she wore a silver-red robe with wide sleeves, attended by Ming Saozi and Nanny Li, visited each family to thank the ladies and sisters-in-law, and after finishing, she boarded the carriage to go out.

Lu Xusheng had taken the day off to accompany her, but because of last night's words, he looked gloomy the whole way, almost despondent.

Cheng Yian tugged at his sleeve, "What's so bad about being like my dad? Whether it's smarts, looks, or skills, as long as it's like my father, it's no loss."

Lu Xusheng wasn't ready to let it go, "Maybe you've just been thinking about your dad too much lately, so you dreamed of your father?"

Cheng Yian glared at him, "My father is fine at home, why would I think of him? You're far away at the front, I'm thinking of you."

Thinking of him, but dreaming of a child like Cheng Mingyu, that's truly despairing.

Lu Xusheng's jaw tightened,

"No, I remember, dreams are the opposite, dreaming of your father, maybe the child will be like me."

At this thought, Lu Xusheng felt better.

Cheng Yian frowned, "Why should it be like you? My child, it should be like me."

Lu Xusheng disagreed, "If it's a daughter, she must be like me, if it's a son, he must be like me."

"Why should a daughter be like you, isn't it good to be like me..."

"Daughters are like their fathers."

"Then sons, sons are like their mothers, right?"

Lu Xusheng smiled calmly, "If it's a son, why should he be as beautiful as you? He should be as heroic and outstanding as me."

Cheng Yian glanced at her man, handsome and tall, full of masculine energy, steady and majestic.

It was the best look for a man, a son like him would indeed be no loss.

Cheng Yian realized she'd lost the argument, covering her face, "Then let it be like you."

When the couple arrived at the pharmacy, Xia Fu and Cheng Mingyu noticed their daughter looking downcast, as if something was bothering her.

"What's wrong? Ping Ping, are you feeling unwell?" Cheng Mingyu hurried forward to ask.

Cheng Yian didn’t need to go out, but because she did, her father felt guilty.

Lu Xusheng, having won the argument, still had a smile on his face and immediately explained, "Don’t worry, father-in-law, the trip went smoothly. An An and I were just arguing about what our baby will look like, and she lost, so she’s a little upset."

Cheng Mingyu couldn’t stand seeing his son-in-law tease his daughter, and he shot him a sharp look.

Lu Xusheng realized he’d gone too far and quickly wiped the smile off his face.

Xia Fu, amused and exasperated by her childish daughter and son-in-law, quickly led her daughter inside, "The baby’s still in the womb, and its features haven’t even developed yet. How can you two argue about it? No matter how much you speculate, it won’t matter until the baby’s born."

Lu Xusheng followed his father-in-law through the gate and agreed, "Mother-in-law’s right, even dreams aren’t reliable."

Cheng Yian’s lip twitched, and she shot him a glare.

As they entered and sat down, Xia Fu smiled, remembering when Cheng Yian was born, "But when the baby’s born, it’ll definitely look like its father."

Cheng Mingyu glanced over at her words.

But Xia Fu didn’t look at him, just stroked her daughter’s hand, lost in thought.

She’d never forget how Cheng Yian looked at birth—just like Cheng Mingyu, down to the strands of hair. At first, the old lady worried people would notice, but luckily, as she grew, she started to look more like her mother.

Cheng Yian was baffled, "Why?"

"Because children are clever and want their fathers to love them."

With his mother-in-law’s backing, Lu Xusheng grew more confident, "It’s natural for kids to look like their dad."

Cheng Yian gave up entirely.

Cheng Mingyu, who rarely let Lu Xusheng off the hook, couldn’t deny that seeing Cheng Yian’s tiny face at her full moon celebration melted his heart.

Later, Cheng Yian and Lu Xusheng wandered the courtyard, while Cheng Mingyu and Xia Fu headed to the kitchen to cook.

Cheng Mingyu made her favorite triangle cakes, while Xia Fu rolled out dough to prepare longevity noodles for her daughter.

It was Xia Fu’s first time cooking for her daughter, and she was brimming with excitement.

She was a little flustered, but Cheng Mingyu beside her was a natural.

"The family head knows how to cook?"

Cheng Mingyu said, "I only know how to make this one dish."

Xia Fu smiled lightly, "Then I’ll have to practice my cooking too."

Cheng Mingyu looked at her struggling to roll out the dough and was a bit worried, "Can you manage? Want me to help?"

"Has the family head ever rolled out dough before?"

Cheng Mingyu shook his head.

"Then let me do it."

Xia Fu was still very confident.

Cheng Yian sneaked under the attic window, peeking through to spy on her parents in the kitchen.

Lu Xusheng sat at the table sipping tea, observing her delicate brows furrow and then relax, and remarked with a hint of exasperation, "Do you really need to spy? Your father and mother must have made up."

You can always tell when a man and a woman have made up.

Even though, upon entering earlier, his father-in-law and mother-in-law hadn’t exchanged a single glance, the tacit understanding between them was undeniable.

Lu Xusheng had seen firsthand how Cheng Mingyu had driven the Yunnan King out of the capital. After two months, if his father-in-law hadn’t succeeded, he wouldn’t be worthy of being Chief Councilor.

But his father-in-law opening a shop for his mother-in-law in the bustling market of the former capital really impressed Lu Xusheng.

His father-in-law’s approach was definitely expanding.

Truly befitting the title of Chief Councilor.

After a moment of admiration, Lu Xusheng gently guided Cheng Yian back to her tea.

Pregnant Cheng Yian was given sour plum tea by Xia Fu, which was both soothing and appetite-boosting.

At noon, the meal arrived, with Cheng Mingyu’s triangular cakes and Xia Fu’s longevity noodles set before Cheng Yian.

Cheng Yian sat between them, while Lu Xusheng faced her.

Xia Fu shared her longevity noodles with her son-in-law, while Cheng Mingyu’s triangular cakes were all for Cheng Yian, leaving none for Lu Xusheng.

"Where were you earlier? I didn’t spot you downstairs," Xia Fu inquired.

Cheng Yian replied calmly, "Oh, I was just enjoying the view from the attic."

She stole a quick glance at her parents’ faces. Cheng Mingyu, knowing full well but feigning ignorance, handed her chopsticks.

Xia Fu, though slightly uneasy, urged her, "Eat the noodles while they’re still warm."

They weren’t about to cool off anytime soon.

It was the first day of August, and the autumn heat was still relentless.

Even in just a single layer, Lu Xusheng, brimming with energy, felt the heat.

Cheng Yian eyed the steaming noodles, blew on them, and took a cautious slurp.

The taste... nearly made her gag.

Though it was her first taste of her mother’s longevity noodles, she hadn’t expected them to be so bad.

Her mother’s cooking skills left much to be desired.

Xia Fu anxiously asked, "An An, how is it?"

Not wanting to disappoint, Cheng Yian quickly nodded, "It’s delicious, really."

"It’s my first time having my mother’s noodles, and I love them."

Hearing this, Xia Fu’s eyes filled with tears, and she dabbed them away with a handkerchief, "As long as you like it, I’ll make it for you every year from now on."

She’d finish those annual longevity noodles, even if it killed her.

Cheng Yian slurped a few more mouthfuls.

Unfortunately, she was pregnant, just over three months along, and her taste buds hadn't fully recovered yet. She still felt a bit nauseous, so swallowing wasn't as easy.

Cheng Mingyu, always observant, noticed his daughter's discomfort and glanced at the bowl of noodles.

Lu Xusheng, sitting across from Cheng Yian, noticed her enthusiastic praise and politely took a couple of bites. As he chewed the noodles, he couldn't help but glance at Cheng Yian.

Cheng Yian blinked at him.

Lu Xusheng understood and kept eating.

After all, as a top official of the court, he had seen it all, and his composure was deep and seamless.

Back in Silver Mountain, he had even eaten grass leaves, so a bowl of noodles was nothing.

When Xia Fu asked if it suited his taste, Lu Xusheng smiled warmly. "Excellent, mother-in-law's cooking suits my taste perfectly."

It's only once a year, just endure it.

Xia Fu was still somewhat embarrassed. "Before coming to the capital, I was looking forward to making a bowl of longevity noodles for An An, so I cooked a few times in the prince's residence. Both the prince and Mu Xun said it was delicious. I was worried it might not suit your taste, but I didn't expect you to like it too."

When Xia Fu was recovering from her injuries, she had taken too much bitter medicine, and now her taste buds had lost sensitivity. Unless it was a test of medicine or something obviously sweet, sour, bitter, or spicy, she could hardly taste most delicacies. Therefore, she could only trust others' evaluations.

The Yunnan King learned the truth from the old consort and had long warned Mu Xun, who was suffering inside but praised the food enthusiastically.

Thus, Xia Fu thought her cooking was passable.

Cheng Yian took a bite of the noodles and immediately stuffed a piece of the triangular cake made by her father into her mouth to soothe her taste buds. Cheng Mingyu, sitting beside her, saw through her thoughts and, seeing that the bowl of noodles was still mostly full, couldn't bear to see his daughter in distress, so he spoke up,

"Ping Ping, your father also wants to taste your mother's cooking. Why don't you leave the rest of the bowl for me?"

In wealthy families, dining is very particular. For example, the bowl of noodles in front of Cheng Yian was not eaten directly from the bowl. Instead, noodles were scooped from the bowl into each person's individual small bowl before eating, so the bowl of noodles was still clean.

Cheng Yian blinked at her father, and they exchanged a look.

It was clear that her father had noticed something was wrong.

Cheng Yian was really worried that she might vomit later, which would hurt her mother's feelings, so she had to reluctantly give up.

"Then, father, leave some for me, don't eat it all at once."

Cheng Mingyu understood. "Okay."

He agreed verbally but had no intention of leaving any for his daughter.

Xia Fu, seeing Cheng Mingyu taking food from their daughter in front of their son-in-law, blushed and hurriedly urged Lu Xusheng,

"Xusheng, try the other dishes. These are all prepared by the chefs your father-in-law hired, and their skills are quite good."

Although she couldn't taste much, the people Cheng Mingyu brought in shouldn't be bad.

Cheng Mingyu added, "These are the Cheng family's chefs."

As he took a bite of the noodles and tasted a slight bitterness, Cheng Mingyu felt a pang of sorrow.

Cheng Mingyu was filled up by the bowl of noodles and couldn't eat anything else. Xia Fu was busy serving dishes to her daughter. Cheng Yian, who hadn't received such treatment in ages, felt somewhat at a loss. Hearing them call her "Ping Ping" and "An An" alternately, she felt a mix of emotions.

There was a feeling of being the center of attention yet somehow superfluous.

Suddenly, she felt mischievous. "Father, why do you always call me Ping Ping? Who gave me this nickname?"

Cheng Mingyu hesitated for a moment.

On the other side, Xia Fu coughed lightly and continued, "I was the one who named her. But I think An An sounds better." That’s why she likes to call her An An.

Cheng Yian pretended not to know, "Oh, An An was given by Dad."

Xia Fu: "..."

She kept piling food into her daughter’s bowl.

Lu Xusheng silently observed the cheerful trio.

During tea after the meal, Cheng Mingyu had Cheng Yian sit in the armchair by the east wall.

"Sit still, Dad’s going to paint your portrait."

Cheng Yian, delighted, sat down with Lu Xusheng’s assistance and asked Cheng Mingyu, "Why are you painting me, Dad?"

Cheng Mingyu had the table set up and ink prepared, smiling as he said,

"Every year on your birthday, I’ve painted a portrait of you."

Cheng Yian was stunned, "You’ve done this before?"

"Yes, every year."

"So, there are eighteen of them?"

Cheng Mingyu nodded, rolled up his sleeves, and dipped a small wolf-hair brush in ink,

"This is my birthday gift to you."

Cheng Yian beamed at Lu Xusheng.

Lu Xusheng, gazing at his lovely wife, felt a pang of longing and asked his father-in-law, "Where are they now?"

Cheng Mingyu, having dipped the brush in ink, glanced at the stunned Xia Fu beside him,

"They’re in the Cheng family study."

Xia Fu was already crying, having missed her daughter for eighteen years, she longed to see what her daughter looked like as a child.

She buried her face in her hands and wept.

Lu Xusheng instantly grasped his father-in-law’s plan.

What a sly fox.

He was trying to coax his mother-in-law to the Cheng estate.

He cheekily suggested, "Father-in-law, since it's a gift for An An, shouldn’t it be brought here so An An can take it back to her home to treasure?"

Take it back and hang it in the study, so he could see An An at every age.

Cheng Mingyu ignored him, ready to begin painting, "If you want to treasure it, paint it yourself."

Lu Xusheng: "..."

As Cheng Mingyu began to paint, Xia Fu and Lu Xusheng instinctively moved closer.

It’s no wonder Cheng Mingyu’s talent is renowned across the land.

With just a few strokes, he sketched out Cheng Yian’s figure and contours.

Even the hem of her dress seemed to come alive under his brush.

Xia Fu was instantly captivated.

Cheng Yian sat for a while, her expression growing a bit stiff,

"Dad, can I move a bit?"

Cheng Mingyu smiled, "Feel free to move."

Cheng Yian relaxed a bit. She glanced at Lu Xusheng, who was staring at her intently. At eighteen, she was in the prime of her youth, her features vibrant. You could just imagine how cute she must have been as a kid. The idea of even having a portrait of her at one year old made Lu Xusheng practically drool.

The couple exchanged looks and silently agreed to snag the rest of the paintings from the Cheng family later.

Cheng Mingyu’s painting skills were already top-notch, and his style was refined. If Cheng Yian’s beauty was a perfect ten, he nailed it.

It looked so real.

Seeing it up close, Lu Xusheng was even more eager to get his hands on the other seventeen paintings.

He was determined to figure out a way to snag them.

After half an hour, Cheng Mingyu set down his brush.

Cheng Yian rushed over to check out the portrait,

"How does it look?"

Cheng Mingyu got up and let her take his seat, while Lu Xusheng waited for the ink to dry. The couple admired the painting together.

Lu Xusheng stood guard in front of the painting, blocking Cheng Mingyu from getting too close,

"Since this is a gift for An An, can we take it home today?"

Cheng Mingyu said, "No."

Lu Xusheng frowned, "Why not?"

"The Cheng family’s security is tighter than your Lu estate’s. No one can enter my study, and the portraits of the sisters are all kept there. It wouldn’t be right to take An An’s portrait by itself. After you've seen this painting, I will still take it back to my study for safekeeping."

Lu Xusheng’s smile disappeared.

Cheng Yian had originally thought that the portraits were kept in the Cheng family because she hadn't been recognized. Since her two sisters' portraits were also in the Cheng family, it wouldn't be right to take hers out separately.

She tugged on Lu Xusheng’s sleeve and whispered reassuringly,

"We can always visit the Cheng family to see them."

Lu Xusheng remained silent. Until his mother-in-law officially married his father-in-law, it looked like the paintings weren’t going anywhere.

Xia Fu prepared water for Cheng Mingyu, who went to the next room to wash his hands. Seeing Xia Fu lost in thought, he said gently,

"Xia Fu, the remaining seventeen portraits are all in the Cheng family. Do you want to check them out tonight?"