Chapter 124

Chapter 124

Late February, the County Magistrate sent Qi Cheng and a cartographer to survey the terrain and draw a topographical map.

With so many mountains, it was uncertain when they would return.

The Old Lady sighed all day: "You're already six months along, and he's gone away now. Who knows if he'll be back by the time you give birth."

Lu Yuan said: "His Honor said that drawing the terrain map isn't an urgent task. He'll be back by early May, and my due date is at the end of May. He'll make it back in time."

The Old Lady sighed again: "But you're this far along now, it's getting hard for you to get around. You need someone to take care of you."

"Also, if your legs cramp up at night, there should be someone to rub them for you."

Cui Niang, who was preparing vegetables in the yard, said: "How about I put up a cot in the lady's room? If the lady needs water or has to get up at night, I can help get you water or tea, or light the lamp."

Lu Yuan said: "No need to go to the trouble. I can take care of myself."

The Old Lady said: "Cui Niang has a point. You're far along now and even putting your shoes on is hard. You really need someone to help."

"This afternoon, move two long, low stools into the room, along with some bed boards. Cui Niang, you can rest in the lady's room for now."

After saying this, she turned to Lu Yuan: "This matter is settled. Don't be so stubborn."

Lu Yuan: ...

It's not about being stubborn; I need my space too.

She said: "If she moves in now, how long is she supposed to stay? Besides, I'm not that big yet. Having someone suddenly here would take time to get used to, and I probably wouldn't sleep well at night. How about she moves in when I’m eight months along?"

Lu Yuan’s belly was pretty big by now. Perhaps because she had previously worked at the market stall and her body was in good shape, she really didn’t feel any strain at all.

Even in early pregnancy, she ate and drank as usual, with no morning sickness or anything.

Even now, her body still felt very light. As someone who worked in care, she naturally knew her current condition was stronger than an ox.

Hearing this, Cui Niang said: "Now that the weather's warmer, I can move to the main hall to sleep. If the lady needs anything, she can call for me."

During the New Year, the family had told her that she hadn’t signed indenture papers, nor had her status changed from free person to bondservant. She was now considered hired help, receiving a monthly wage as usual.

When she learned she was still a commoner, Cui Niang broke down crying and wanted to kneel and kowtow to Lu Yuan, but was stopped.

With such a good master, she was determined to serve with all her heart and effort.

Lu Yuan said with some irritation: "Let’s talk about it in April."

Neither of them could persuade Lu Yuan.

After Lu Yuan returned to her room, Cui Niang said to the worried Old Lady: "These days, I’ll keep a close eye on the lady’s room at night. There’s no need for you to worry so much, Old Lady."

The Old Lady nodded and said: "Then be careful."

Cui Niang nodded.

In early April, Cui Niang moved to the main hall, sleeping right outside Lu Yuan’s room.

She would wake at the slightest sound from inside the room, more watchful than a mother hen.

Seeing Cui Niang so dedicated, the Old Lady felt relieved.

At lunch, the Old Lady said to her granddaughter-in-law: "I’ve found three midwives. They’ll come tomorrow."

Earlier, Lu Yuan had asked the Old Lady to inquire among the neighbors for reliable midwives.

It was best to find three or four.

Since it was a matter of life or death, spending extra money was worth it.

Cui Niang asked, confused: "There are still more than two months until the birth. Why are we having the midwives come so early?"

Lu Yuan said: "Since there’s still time, if any of them aren’t suitable, we’ll have time to find new ones."

She was afraid that if she went into labor suddenly, the chosen midwife might not be available, so it was better to have backups.

The next day, the midwives arrived together.

When they saw each other, they were all surprised.

Rich families would hire several midwives, but ordinary families usually only hired one.

Cui Niang showed them to seats.

Lu Yuan also came out from her room.

They were all experienced midwives. With one look at Lu Yuan’s belly, they could roughly tell whether it was a boy or a girl.

One of the midwives said: "Oh, madam, it’s most likely a boy."

Lu Yuan smiled and said: "I’m not worried about knowing whether it’s a boy or a girl."

After sitting down, one midwife asked: "Madam, do you want all of us to help deliver the baby?"

Lu Yuan smiled: "They say childbirth is dangerous, and I’m afraid too. So I want to make thorough preparations before giving birth."

One midwife said: "I’m not boasting, but every delivery I’ve handled has ended with both mother and child safe and sound."

Hearing this, the other two midwives immediately began talking about their own delivery experiences.

Lu Yuan said: "If I give birth safely, I will not treat any of you poorly. I will pay each of you double your usual fee."

These were all experienced midwives, and their fees were not cheap. For a single delivery, they charged two hundred wen.

Hearing Lu Yuan’s words, the midwives’ faces brightened with joy.

Finally, after observing each of them, Lu Yuan had Cui Niang give them the prepared pastries and show them out.

After seeing them off, Cui Niang asked: "Madam, should we keep all three?"

Lu Yuan nodded: "Keep all of them. Spending some extra money is worth it for peace of mind."

This meant doubling the cost, which would amount to over a string of coins.

"By the way, later we’ll go to the East Market to buy some white cloth and new scissors."

The cleanliness standards in ancient times were what they were—it was impossible to achieve sterility, but they could only do their best to keep things clean.

Lu Yuan bought a bolt of white cloth, planning to make two bed linens and quilts.

After purchasing the items, Lu Yuan instructed Cui Niang to prepare the bedding and, in early May, to give it another boil before storing it separately in a wooden box, to be taken out only when she went into labor.

The new scissors were also set aside, reserved solely for use during childbirth.

Lu Yuan also visited the medical clinic to stock up on various medicines. Though some might go to waste, it was better to have them on hand than to lack anything when the time came.

These preparations alone cost Lu Yuan a guan of cash.

She handled all the arrangements herself. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust others, but making the plans personally gave her confidence and peace of mind.

Time flew by, and before she knew it, it was already April.

People shed their heavy winter clothes for lighter garments, and shops and stalls that had been deserted for months began to bustle with activity again.

Lu Yuan, now heavily pregnant, could no longer go to the bustling night market street with its crowds.

She shared recipes for sweet soups with both Qi Niang and He Rou—how to make grass jelly and how to prepare soft, fragrant taro.

Since the previous autumn, Lu Yuan had saved enough wood apple seeds to last through the current year, ensuring there would be ample supply until autumn.

Mesona jelly and wood apple seed jelly would both be available for sale.

With all matters properly arranged, Lu Yuan settled in peacefully to rest and await the birth.

By May, the days had grown hot.

Lu Yuan, who was sensitive to heat, woke up early because of the heat.

Though too hot to sleep, she waited until she heard movement outside before getting up.

She slowly pushed herself up from the bed, and when she tried to put on her shoes, she could only see her bulging belly and couldn’t immediately locate them.

The heat, combined with general discomfort and Qi Cheng’s absence, left her irritable, as if she were holding in a simmering anger, even though she knew he couldn’t help being away.

After dressing and fixing her hair, she stepped out of the room.

Outside, Cui Niang had already tidied up the bedding.

Seeing her, Cui Niang asked, "What would you like for breakfast, ma'am?"

Lu Yuan replied, "I feel like something sour with a bit of spice."

Cui Niang smiled and said, "Alright, I’ll make noodles for you and add some Sichuan pepper and pickled yardlong beans."

As Lu Yuan stepped into the courtyard, Cui Niang first fetched a basin of water for her to wash up.

Lu Yuan usually preferred to handle tasks herself without troubling Cui Niang, but now, with bending becoming difficult and many inconveniences, having Cui Niang’s help made things much easier.

While Lu Yuan was washing up, the elderly lady emerged from her room and, noticing her granddaughter-in-law’s belly, murmured, "It’s already May—how come Sheng Geer still isn’t back?"

Lu Yuan finished washing her face and responded, "Don’t worry, he’ll probably return in the next few days."

The elderly lady said, "Seeing you so heavily pregnant and uncomfortable, with no one by your side at night, how can I not worry? I’m so anxious I’ve developed blisters in my mouth."

Lu Yuan teased, "Mouth blisters aren’t necessarily from worry—it might just be the heat causing some inflammation. I’ll have Cui Niang brew some heat-clearing tea for you today to cool you down."

The elderly lady replied, "Once Sheng Geer is back, my irritation will surely vanish."

Lu Yuan joked, "My husband isn’t some miracle cure."

As soon as she spoke, sharp-eared Lu Yuan seemed to hear something. Her eyes suddenly curved into a smile. "The miracle cure is back."

The elderly lady perked up her ears but, being hard of hearing, only caught the sound of hoofbeats after a moment. Her face broke into a smile. "It really is the miracle cure back."

When Qi Cheng had left home, Lu Yuan was only six months pregnant, and her belly hadn’t been as prominent as it was now.

Returning home and seeing his wife’s highly swollen abdomen, his heart tightened with regret for not coming back sooner.

After washing up, during breakfast, Qi Cheng kept moving meat from his bowl to his wife’s.

The elderly lady watched her grandson’s actions and exchanged a knowing, amused glance with Cui Niang.

Lu Yuan said, "Alright, alright, I can’t eat that much. You have yours."

In an era without precise prenatal care or cesarean sections, she had been controlling her diet and sugar intake throughout pregnancy to ensure the baby wouldn’t grow too large.

After breakfast, Qi Cheng immediately put down his bowl and chopsticks to help Lu Yuan up.

"Would you like to go back to the room?"

Lu Yuan said, "It’s too hot inside. I’d like to take a walk by the river."

Hearing this, Qi Cheng went back to the room to fetch a fan. After a moment’s thought, he also filled a leather water pouch with warm water, hung it at his waist, and left the courtyard.

Seeing him so well-prepared lifted Lu Yuan’s frustrated mood considerably.

As Qi Cheng helped Lu Yuan out, he fanned her to keep her cool, greeting neighbors along the way through the alley.

Their newly rented house was farther from the river but closer to the market. They avoided the busy streets and simply took a stroll nearby.

Before childbirth, Lu Yuan had arranged everything in an orderly manner, even planning the postpartum confinement menu herself, without delegating any of it.

Thus, even when she realized she was going into labor, she remained calm. Only when she felt sure it was time did she gently wake the person beside her.

Because Lu Yuan was near her due date, Qi Cheng had been sleeping lightly. A slight nudge was enough to wake him immediately.

He sat up abruptly, looking anxiously at her. "What’s wrong? Is it time?!"

Lu Yuan took a deep breath and raised her hand.

Qi Cheng immediately understood and helped her up.

Lu Yuan said, "Stay calm, don’t panic."

Then, turning to Qi Cheng, she added, "I’m talking to you."

As her due date approached, she had been reminding Qi Cheng daily that when the time came, he needed to remain composed and steady—after all, he was her main support.

Qi Cheng took a quiet breath, suppressing his rising anxiety, and helped her up. "I’ll go wake Cui Niang and then fetch the midwife."

With that, he quickly put on his clothes and shoes and hurried out of the room. Soon after, Cui Niang entered with her hair down, followed by the sound of Qi Cheng driving the carriage out of the courtyard.

The elderly lady also woke up, and the two children, hearing the commotion, got up as well.

Lu Yuan had already spoken with the neighbors—if she went into labor at night, the elderly lady would bring the two children over.

Childbirth would be too intense for the young children, and Lu Yuan was afraid Chun Hua and Qiu Hua might remember it for a lifetime, so she had made arrangements early on.

While Lu Yuan was pacing, Cui Niang spread the sheets she'd prepared earlier over the bedding, putting down two layers.

Hot water had already been boiled, and everything was proceeding smoothly.

Qi Cheng brought the nearest midwife first before going to get the other two.

The midwife brought an assistant with her. Just as she was about to give instructions for preparations, she found that everything was already ready—the bed was made, two sterilized scissors were laid out, and three pots of medicine were simmering.

Upon asking, she learned that the medicines were just in case: one to aid delivery, one for pain relief, and another with ginseng to restore energy.

Midwife: …

It really seemed like they were just needed to assist with the actual delivery—and they had even called for three of them.

What kind of household was this, to be this well-prepared and so meticulously organized?

When the other two midwives arrived, they initially thought the first midwife had made all the preparations. Only after asking did they realize it was the family who had arranged everything, leaving them quite astonished.

Moreover, they didn’t have to wait long upon arrival before they could enter the delivery room and get to work.

Lu Yuan was breathing rhythmically and said to the midwives, "I leave the rest to you."

The midwives nodded quickly.

They had never seen a pregnant woman about to give birth be this calm.

Though Qi Cheng was anxious, he didn’t try to enter the room. Instead, he kept drinking water.

After dropping off the children at the neighbor’s house, the elderly lady returned and hurriedly asked about the situation.

Cui Niang replied, "It seems like she’s about to deliver, but there isn’t much noise coming from the room."

As soon as she finished speaking, they heard cries from inside, causing Qi Cheng to suddenly clench his cup tightly.

Lu Yuan had instructed earlier that no matter what sounds came from the room, no one should panic and disrupt the delivery process.

While Lu Yuan was in labor, Qi Cheng, a first-time father, couldn’t help but let his imagination run wild. Especially when he saw bloodied water being carried out, his face turned pale, and his arms trembled uncontrollably.

Not long after, an assistant came out and began to speak, "Excuse me—"

"Save the mother!" Qi Cheng blurted out before she could finish.

Assistant: …

After a moment of silence, she said, "The lady’s fetal position is normal, and since she’s given birth before, the delivery should proceed quickly. I only came out to ask for a pot of tea."

Hearing this, Cui Niang hurried to the kitchen to bring the prepared tea.

The assistant took the tea back into the room. Outside, the elderly lady, her heart still racing, patted her grandson and scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting? Your grandmother is old and can’t handle such fright. Don’t be so jumpy—stay calm!"