Chapter 125

Chapter 125

As dawn faintly broke, a baby's cries echoed from within the room.

Everyone's tense expressions softened with relief.

A moment later, the midwife emerged with the joyous announcement: "Congratulations, Master, Old Madam, mother and child are both safe and well."

The Old Madam clasped her hands in gratitude.

Qi Sheng's gaze, however, was fixed on the room as he asked, "Where is my wife?!"

The midwife smiled, "She's inside."

Qi Sheng swept past the midwife and pushed open the door, entering the room.

The remaining attendants, who were tidying up, stepped aside to make way for him.

Seeing Lu Yuan's pale face, Qi Sheng felt a pang of sorrow. He gently stroked her sweat-dampened hair, his voice tight with emotion: "Li Niang, you've worked so hard."

Lu Yuan hadn't cried during childbirth, but for some reason, she suddenly burst into tears.

Qi Sheng lay on the outer side of the bed, embracing and comforting her.

After a while, the attendants finished their tasks and quietly left the room, leaving only the most experienced midwife to care for the newborn.

The Old Madam entered the room, while Cui Niang remained outside to attend to the others.

The Old Madam glanced at her grandson and granddaughter-in-law but chose not to disturb them. Instead, she smiled cheerfully at her great-grandson in the midwife's arms.

The midwife remarked, "The little gentleman is so rosy and delicate; he's sure to grow up fair and clean-complexioned."

Hearing this, the Old Madam's smile grew even brighter.

On the bed, after comforting his wife for a while, Qi Sheng turned to pour a cup of warm water. He carefully fed her spoonful by spoonful, but after three spoonfuls, Lu Yuan gently shook her head.

It was best to drink sparingly right after childbirth.

After tending to her for a bit, the Old Madam said, "I'll take care of her. You go see your son and then attend to the remaining matters."

Qi Sheng nodded and rose from the bedside.

The midwife brought the baby over, and Qi Sheng looked down at him.

It was the first time Qi Sheng had seen such a tiny infant.

Pink and delicate, with eyes still closed, the baby seemed unfamiliar, yet a tender warmth bloomed in his heart.

The midwife asked, "Would Master like to hold the little gentleman?"

Qi Sheng gently touched his son's cheek with his finger. So small, so fragile—he was cautious even with his touch. The thought of holding the little one made him shake his head. "I'll hold him later."

Qi Sheng let out a breath and retrieved the prepared money pouches from his wife's dressing table drawer.

He gave one to the midwife holding the baby.

For such an easy delivery and such a generous reward, the midwife's eyes crinkled into slits as she repeatedly offered words of blessing.

Qi Sheng took the remaining money pouches outside and asked Cui Niang to distribute them.

Outside, congratulations and blessings filled the air.

The midwife placed the baby beside Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan looked at the child before her, feeling a sense of strangeness. Was this tiny creature truly the one she had given birth to?

She felt no real connection yet—the only tangible feeling was the physical discomfort.

After gazing at the little one for a while, Lu Yuan asked the Old Madam, "Should we bring Chun Hua and Qiu Hua back now?"

The Old Madam replied, "I'll go fetch them right away."

Just as the Old Madam opened the door to leave, the two little girls rushed in, calling out in unison, "Mother!"

The two sisters quickly ran to the bedside. When they saw the tiny baby, their eyes widened in amazement, filled with curiosity.

The Old Madam walked over to them and said, "This is the little brother your mother gave birth to. Say hello to him, and then we'll go back to our room to let your mother rest."

Chun Hua carefully raised her hand and waved at her brother. "Little brother, we're your sisters."

Lu Yuan smiled warmly and reached out to pat their heads.

Qiu Hua stretched out her hand, passing over her brother's head and gently stroking her mother's head as well.

Chun Hua looked at her mother and asked, "Are you tired, Mother?"

Lu Yuan nodded. "A little."

The Old Madam noticed her granddaughter-in-law's exhaustion and took the two girls’ hands. "Let your mother rest now. You two must be tired too—go back and get some sleep. You can come back later after you wake up."

Chun Hua and Qiu Hua left the room with the Old Madam, and the midwife departed as well. Qi Sheng returned to the room to stay with his wife and son.

On the third day after little Qi Xiacan's birth, his name was officially decided, along with the formal names for Chun Hua and Qiu Hua.

They were named Chun Yi and Qiu Lan, respectively.

The two little girls, thrilled to have new names like their brother, immediately went out to tell their playmates.

When Cui Niang returned from buying groceries and entered the room to change the little gentleman’s diaper, she said to Lu Yuan, "Just now, on my way back, I overheard some gossipy women telling the eldest and second young ladies that now that their parents have a son, they won’t care for them anymore. They said that when the girls grow up, they’ll be married off for bride price to help their brother get a wife."

Hearing this, Lu Yuan’s face darkened. "Which family said that?"

Cui Niang replied, "That plump woman at the alley entrance."

"I wanted to scold her, but the young ladies didn’t let themselves be bullied. They retorted right back."

Curious, Lu Yuan asked, "What did Chun Hua and Qiu Hua say?"

Cui Niang smiled. "The two girls, hand in hand, stood tall and proud and told the woman the meaning behind the names you gave them. They said 'Chun Yi' means 'spring vitality, the birth of all things,' hoping she would live a life full of vitality and happiness. And 'Qiu Lan'—the character 'Lan' means 'vast skies,' hoping she wouldn't be confined to a limited world, but would see and experience broader life experiences."

Cui Niang continued with a laugh, "Chun Hua told the woman that she might not know how to write 'Chun Yi' and 'Qiu Lan,' but they do."

"The woman wanted to hit the young ladies, but when she saw me, she didn’t dare speak."

Just as she finished speaking, the Old Madam pushed the door open, her face dark with anger. "Which gossip-monger said that?"

Cui Niang was about to speak, but the Old Madam added, "Never mind, I'll have Chun Hua and Qiu Hua identify her."

With that, she abruptly slammed the door shut and stormed out with determined steps.

Lu Yuan quickly told Cui Niang, "Hurry and check on the Old Madam."

Cui Niang swiftly changed the baby’s diaper and took the water bowl out of the room.

Lu Yuan gave the baby a few gentle pats, then walked to the door, listening at the door to the commotion outside.

Soon, she could hear the Old Madam shouting, though the exact words were unclear, just hearing it was deeply satisfying.

After about half an hour, Lu Yuan finally heard the Old Madam’s voice booming through the whole alley: "You filthy-mouthed trash, don’t say I didn’t warn you—if I ever hear anyone gossiping about our two girls again, I’ll dump manure right in their yard!"

Lu Yuan couldn’t help but clap in approval.

Though the Old Madam was getting on in years, she still had her spirit—her words alone were enough to make people steer clear.

The weight on Lu Yuan’s chest, which had been bothering her for a while, was now completely gone.

At dusk, when Qi Sheng brought dinner to their room to eat with Lu Yuan, he dished her up some rice, and she told him what happened today.

Hearing that the woman had said those things right to the children, Qi Sheng frowned deeply.

Lu Yuan continued, "I heard from Cui Niang that when the Old Madam went to defend the children, the woman retorted that our family was only educating the girls to command a higher bride price. The Old Madam grabbed a broom and went at her. Cui Niang helped the Old Madam and even told the woman’s family that you work for the public office, and if anything happened to the Old Madam, you'd make them pay. The family didn’t dare step in, and the woman didn’t dare fight back. In the end, she hid inside her house and refused to come out."

"The Old Madam is getting up there in years. You should have a gentle word with her—next time, just scolding is enough, no need to get physical. Don’t tell her I said so, or she might think I don't appreciate what she does."

Qi Sheng wasn’t surprised by his grandmother’s behavior. He said, "Grandmother used to be kind and virtuous, but later, to protect her orphaned grandson and herself from being bullied, she became the formidable woman no one in the neighborhood dared provoke."

"To others, Grandmother might seem fierce, but to me, she’s still the kind grandmother she’s always been."

Lu Yuan smiled and said, "If she weren’t so fierce, who would be afraid of her?"

Then, growing worried again, she added, "When people keep saying such things, I’m afraid Chun Hua and Qiu Hua might start to be affected by them."

Qi Sheng reassured her, "I'll take care of it."

Lu Yuan looked at him curiously. "How will you handle it?"

Qi Sheng served her some food. "You’ll find out tomorrow."

Lu Yuan said with mock annoyance. "You’ve really learned to be sly, being so mysterious."

Qi Sheng simply smiled without responding.

Lu Yuan glanced at the food on the small table and said, "You don’t have to eat these bland recovery meals with me every day. You can go out to eat if you want."

Qi Sheng chuckled. "I don’t eat lunch at home, so I should at least have dinner with you. Besides, it’s not so bad."

Lu Yuan made a face. "Not that bad? I think it’s awful."

After eating for a while, Qi Sheng glanced toward the small crib by the window and asked, "Is the little one fussy?"

Lu Yuan replied, "This little one hasn’t given me any trouble since he was in the womb. Even after birth, he’s been easy. He only cries when he’s hungry or needs a change. Otherwise, he’s very well-behaved. You’ve seen it yourself—just pat him a couple of times, and he falls asleep."

Qi Sheng said, "When I told my colleagues with children about this, they didn’t believe me."

Lu Yuan responded, "Of course they wouldn’t. Out of a thousand babies, there might only be one or two as well-behaved as Can Geer. How could they possibly believe it?"

Qi Sheng stood up and walked over to the crib, looking down at the peacefully sleeping baby.

Only a few days old, the baby’s skin was peeling slightly. At first, Qi Sheng had been worried, but Lu Yuan repeatedly assured him it was normal, and only then did he relax.

Lu Yuan joined him by the crib and said, "The Old Madam waits every day for Can Geer to wake up so she can hold him. Since becoming a great-grandmother, she seems years younger."

Qi Sheng smiled. "It’s been Grandmother’s long-standing wish and burden to ensure the Qi family line continues and isn’t forgotten. Now that the burden is lifted, she must feel relieved."

Lu Yuan remarked, "But girls can also carry on the family line."

Qi Sheng nodded. "Of course. That’s why we’re planning to find husbands for Chun Hua and Qiu Hua who'll marry into our family, right?"

Lu Yuan said, "It doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. Who knows what kind of men would be willing to marry into a family? Whether they marry in or out, what matters is that they’re good people, from good families, and our daughters live happily."

Qi Sheng thought it over carefully and whispered, "What if we start looking at suitable matches early? If we observe them from childhood, we’ll know their character and family background."

Lu Yuan looked at him in disbelief. "How many people would we have to screen to find the right ones?"

"Besides, just because someone is well-behaved as a child doesn’t mean they’ll turn out well as adults. Let’s just let things take their natural course."

Qi Sheng, however, thought to himself that he could start by observing the people around them. Since his wife didn’t agree, he kept the idea to himself. He decided to scout quietly on his own—if no suitable candidates emerged later, at least he’d have some backups in mind.