Chapter 92: The Cousin Has Arrived

Chapter 92: The Cousin Has Arrived

Although her hand was pulled away, it still remained in his palm.

His intentions were clear.

Xia Fu met his intense gaze, her eyes revealing a mix of headache, awkwardness, grievance, and helplessness.

If he doesn’t want to give it, then so be it.

She slowly withdrew her hand from his palm,

"An An is in her postpartum period, so I’ll be staying with her and won’t have time for the pharmacy."

Cheng Mingyu remained silent.

During the first month of the year, with many social engagements, they only met four times. By the second month, with An An’s delivery imminent, they hadn’t seen each other at all.

She didn’t believe Cheng Mingyu wasn’t interested.

"You really don’t want it?" Xia Fu stared at him intently, reaching for his waistband again.

This time, Cheng Mingyu firmly refused, pushing her hand away again.

"Mother’s been missing you. When will you visit her?"

This time, Xia Fu’s disappointment was evident. She glanced at his tall figure and whispered, "After An An’s postpartum period."

The baby’s third-day celebration was a grand affair. The Lu family hosted a three-day banquet and scattered gold, silver, and copper coins to bless the child.

Lu Xusheng returned to the capital for the third-day celebration, and the family gathered at Ningji Hall to name the child.

Cheng Mingyu proposed three names.

The first name, 'Jia Yi,' derived from 'Jia Yan Yi Xing' and 'Yi Yi Sheng Hui.' When the child comes of age, 'Yi' could be his courtesy name.

The second name, 'Mu Qing,' came from 'Ji Fu Zuo Song, Mu Ru Qing Feng.' At his coming of age, 'Sui Feng' could be his courtesy name.

The third name, 'Jiu Si,' was inspired by 'A gentleman has nine thoughts: seeing clearly, listening attentively, being warm in appearance, respectful in demeanor...'

Cheng Yian liked all the names but couldn’t decide, leaving the final choice to Lu Xusheng.

Lu Xusheng cleverly said, "I’ll seek the emperor’s decree."

The emperor treated him like a son, so he couldn’t bypass him. So, Lu Xusheng went to the palace to ask the emperor for a name. As expected, the emperor knew everything.

The emperor inquired of Lu Xusheng, "What names did Cheng Mingyu propose?"

Lu Xusheng presented the names, and the emperor pondered them.

"All are good. Let’s go with 'Jiu Si.' At his coming of age, I’ll give him a courtesy name."

The emperor was envious of Lu Xusheng’s son,

"Prince Ning’s wife is pregnant. The children will be close in age and have each other."

"How does it feel to have a legitimate eldest son? You must be thrilled," the emperor asked Lu Xusheng.

Lu Xusheng thought of his son's face and wanted to cry, "It’s passable, I guess."

The emperor glared at him, "Don’t act like you’re not coming out ahead."

Lu Xusheng said with a headache, "Your Majesty hasn’t seen the child's face—it looks almost exactly like my father-in-law, and it’s driving me crazy."

It was no secret that Lu Xusheng and Cheng Mingyu were at odds in the court, often differing in political views. When they argued, Lu Xusheng didn’t spare any face for his father-in-law.

"Think about it—I have to face that face in court and then be bullied by it after court. My life is a nightmare..."

The emperor laughed heartily and tapped him, "Who else can keep you in line but your son!"

"Bring the baby to see me once he’s out of the postpartum period."

He wanted to see how much the child resembled Cheng Mingyu.

Lu Xusheng returned to Ningji Hall with the emperor's rewards, and thus the child's name was settled as Lu Jiusi.

Cheng Yian gazed at her swaddled son, his big, shiny eyes wide open, "Jiusi, Jiusi?"

Cheng Yian’s postpartum recovery was longer than most, lasting about forty days. During this time, Xia Fu was almost always by her side. No one understood the hardships of a woman's confinement period better than her, as she had once been so depressed she contemplated suicide. Therefore, during Cheng Yian’s confinement, Xia Fu dared not be careless. As the mother-in-law, she was so meticulous that Lu Xusheng and the others had to be on their toes.

Fortunately, the baby was a little angel, spending most of the forty days eating and sleeping, only making a few sounds when wet, otherwise sleeping quietly. As a result, father and son hadn’t even locked eyes yet, as every time Lu Xusheng returned home, the child was sound asleep.

During this period, the Cheng family matriarch brought Cheng Yixin and Cheng Yiqiao to visit Cheng Yian. The matriarch looked at the child in the swaddle and couldn’t stop smiling,

"He’s the spitting image of your father as a newborn."

With the matriarch’s personal confirmation, Lu Xusheng had no choice but to accept it.

Xia Fu walked the matriarch out herself, the matriarch holding her hand as they slowly walked,

"Are you settling in okay at the Lu residence?"

Xia Fu supported her and said, "It’s fine. I used to follow the old consort around for consultations; I’ve stayed in all sorts of places, so I’m not picky about where I sleep."

The matriarch’s heart ached upon hearing this, her eyes couldn’t help but well up,

"Fu Er, you know, you mean more to me than my own children now that I’m older. Everyone hopes for a companion in their later years. Don’t think about anything else, just stick with Mingyu and live happily."

Xia Fu smiled, "Yes, An An has prepared a house for me. I’ve been going there often over the past six months, making it just the way I like it. When I have time, I’ll take the family head over to see it."

She still preferred a free and easy life.

The matriarch could understand, "As long as you’re willing to keep him, I’m fine with you taking him wherever."

Xia Fu’s face turned red with a smile.

After the confinement period, it was April, and the weather warmed up. Little Jiusi tended to sweat a lot, wearing only two layers of clothes. It was all thanks to Princess Minglan’s preparation of those small clothes. Why? The baby was quite finicky. Cheng Yian had the sewing room embroider small clothes for him, but he didn’t like them. Once he wore them, he’d squirm and give her a disapproving look. Cheng Yian had no choice but to dress him in the clothes Princess Minglan had commissioned from famous Jiangnan weavers. They were silky, soft, and had a nice sheen, very comfortable for the child, who slept peacefully.

At night, Lu Xusheng returned and, as usual, glanced at the cradle before approaching Cheng Yian. Cheng Yian was tidying up the child’s small clothes, and Lu Xusheng frowned at the colorful little outfits on the bed,

"Why are you dressing him in girls’ clothes?"

Cheng Yian said helplessly, "These are the small clothes Her Highness prepared in advance—a hundred sets for boys and a hundred sets for girls. Since we have a boy, these girls’ clothes are just sitting there unused. This son of yours is quite finicky—he won’t wear the clothes from home, he insists on wearing these instead. I had no choice but to use these girls’ clothes for him."

"So picky," Lu Xusheng laughed in exasperation, "Just like your father."

"Hey, hey, hey," Cheng Yian was unhappy, "You take the credit for the good stuff and pin the bad on my dad."

Perhaps he takes after you," Cheng Yian remarked. "I remember someone told me that you also wore a little dress when you were a child."

Lu Xusheng was speechless.

Cheng Yian remembered that Nanny Xu, Lu Xusheng's wet nurse, had told her that Lu Xusheng liked to dress in flamboyant and delicate attire when he was young.

Lu Xusheng retorted, "Who else could afford such extravagance but your father? It must be like your father."

Cheng Yian glared at him, "Then why don’t you step up and build some wealth?"

Lu Xusheng shrugged, "I can’t afford to raise this child. Let him turn to his grandfather and godmother."

The next day, after leaving the court through Donghua Gate, Lu Xusheng happened to meet Princess Minglan entering the palace. He stopped to greet her and couldn’t help but complain,

"Your Highness, you've spoiled the child, making it hard for us. A boy should be raised tough to build a strong constitution."

Princess Minglan retorted, "Do you think he’s like you? He’s going to be the most handsome man in the capital in the future. How can we not be meticulous about his food, clothing, and daily needs? Lu Xusheng, if you can't afford to raise him, send Jiu Si to the princess’s manor, and I'll raise him myself."

Well, Lu Xusheng didn’t dare to do that. He shook his head in resignation, waved, and headed home. He immediately sent someone to Jiangnan to summon a renowned embroiderer to the capital.

When Cheng Mingyu heard about the incident at Donghua Gate, he couldn’t let his grandson be wronged. He ordered the chief seamstress of the Cheng family’s tailoring workshop to go to the Lu residence, take the child’s measurements, and then return to make clothes for Little Jiusi.

As for clothes, Princess Minglan also provided the child’s toys, such as nine-linked rings and a rattle drum. Princess Minglan’s taste was impeccable, and her gifts were always top-notch. Even the rattle drum was made of the finest and softest leather. Declining would displease Princess Minglan, but accepting it would only make the child’s taste even more refined.

Late at night, as Lu Xusheng held the child and fanned him, he murmured,

"Jiu Si, hurry and grow up. When you're three years old, I'll teach you martial arts. We mustn’t pick up any of your grandfather’s bad habits, got it?"

In response to this, Princess Minglan sent a qin specially crafted for a child the next day. The qin was tailored for a child, with the right weight and length. Cheng Yian had Little Jiusi do tummy time daily to strengthen his neck. While lying down, his little white hands would touch the strings of the qin. The typically stoic child actually grinned.

Lu Xusheng buried his face in his hands.

Cheng Yian laughed heartily, "When the child is three or four years old, we’ll send him to the Cheng family and have my father raise him."

Beside her, Lu Xusheng shot her a look and said, "Not a chance!"

However, this laugh made Lu Xusheng discover something new. He squatted beside the child and teased him,

"Jiu Si, smile again."

Little Jiusi’s smile closely resembled Cheng Yian’s. The mother and son had the same curve in their smiling eyes, and Lu Xusheng loved to see it.

Unexpectedly, the child grabbed a piece of diaper next to him and threw it in his father’s face.

The little troublemaker had quite the arm.

Cheng Yian laughed until she was breathless.

After lunch, Cheng Yian took the child for a nap, and Lu Xusheng went to the yamen. They slept late and didn’t wake up until 3:45 pm. The Cheng family sent a batch of small clothes. Cheng Mingyu's intention was that the child's future clothes would be made by the Cheng family. He didn’t trust the craftsmanship of the Lu family’s needlework room. Cheng Yian had a headache and said to Nanny Li,

"It’s not that the seamstresses in our needlework room are not good, but we didn’t plan to dress him in such expensive fabrics."

When a grandfather indulges a child, there’s no stopping him.

Of course, Cheng Yian was not short of money. Last year, she opened a bank in the capital. With the cooperation between Jinling and the capital, the bank's reputation gradually grew. By the end of the year, the bank in Jinling had started to make a profit. In less than three years, she could earn a million taels of silver.

After replacing a group of managers, the Lu family’s main business was also thriving.

It's just that Lu Xusheng, being a military man, isn't as extravagant as the Cheng family or Princess Minglan. He has endured many hardships in Silver Mountain and doesn't want to spoil the child.

Nanny Li smiled and said, "Our little prince is blessed with good fortune; it's his destiny. But that doesn't mean he should create hardship where there isn't any."

Cheng Yian was defeated by the phrase "create hardship where there isn't any."

"Alright then."

As she was tidying up, Ming Saozi suddenly entered the room with a deep expression.

"Second Mistress, your cousin has arrived."

Cheng Yian hadn't yet reacted, sitting on the Luohan bed and turning her head, "What cousin?"

Ming Saozi said, "Wang Yunyi, the cousin from the Wang family."

Cheng Yian paused for a moment, then immediately understood, "When did she get here?"

Ming Saozi replied, "The Wang family arrived in the capital yesterday. This morning, the Wang family head led the entire family to the palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. In the afternoon, Miss Wang Yunyi came to pay her respects to our second mistress. She is now in the mistress's courtyard. The second mistress suggests that you go and meet the guest."

Upon hearing this, Nanny Li immediately darkened her expression, "She's just a cousin; her status isn't high enough for our princess to meet her. If the Wang family knows etiquette, after meeting the mistress, she should come to pay her respects to our princess."

Ming Saozi nodded, "That's what I thought too, so when the mistress sent someone earlier, I turned them away."

Cheng Yian gave a slight nod and continued organizing the child's clothes without saying a word.

After much anticipation, Cousin Wang finally showed up.