Chapter 186

Chapter 186

In mid-September, a letter arrived unexpectedly from Jizhou: Chen Qingyun had given birth to twins.

Upon hearing the news, Wang Ying felt worry rather than joy. Having experienced childbirth himself, he understood the primitive birthing conditions and rudimentary medical facilities of ancient times. Giving birth to one child was difficult enough; Chen Qingyun’s delivery must have been particularly perilous.

Rewinding to August 20th, Chen Qingyun suddenly felt her belly tighten at home.

According to the physician’s predicted due date, she was due any day. Not wanting to take any chances, she immediately sent a servant to inform her mother-in-law.

Upon receiving the message, Qin Furong rushed over with three midwives. She had kept the midwives at the residence for a month prior, fearing her daughter-in-law might go into labor suddenly without enough time to summon help.

The midwives were all skilled birth attendants from the city. One elderly woman, in particular, was renowned for her ability to turn babies in the womb. Some women experienced difficult labor due to improper fetal positioning—in mild cases, the mother survived while the baby did not; in severe cases, both mother and child perished. However, this midwife possessed a method to externally adjust the baby’s position and had saved many women in the past.

The midwife examined Chen Qingyun’s belly and checked beneath the covers. “The Young Madam is about to give birth. Quickly prepare hot water and cloths!”

“Yes, yes, of course!” Qin Furong immediately ordered the servants to boil water and sent someone to inform Chen Qingyun’s family. For such an important event, it was best to have the mother present!

At first, Chen Qingyun wasn't experiencing strong contractions, but after about fifteen minutes, the labor pains intensified, and she cried out.

Seeing her in such distress, the midwife lifted the covers to check and was startled to find the baby’s head already half-emerged.

“Heavens! I’ve never seen a woman give birth so quickly. This child must be considerate. The Young Madam has good fortune!”

Chen Qingyun was in no state for pleasantries—she was in so much pain she nearly fainted.

Soon after, Li Shi and Lin Sui arrived. Seeing Qin Furong anxiously waiting at the door, they hurriedly asked, “How is Yun’er?”

“She’s just started. It will likely take some time. When I gave birth to my eldest daughter, I was in labor for six or seven *shichen* (12-14 hours)…”

Before she could finish, a baby’s cry echoed from the room.

The three of them froze, then rushed inside.

“She’s given birth?”

“Yes, congratulations, madam! It’s a boy, four *jin* and eight *liang* (approximately 6.5 pounds).”

Qin Furong’s eyes welled up as she took her grandson from the midwife. The little one hadn’t yet opened his eyes, and his face and hair were still covered with vernix caseosa, known as “jade fat.” This would be washed off on the third day after birth in a ceremony called the “Third Day Bath.”

Li Shi was overjoyed to see the child. “I never expected it to happen so quickly. On the way here, Sui Er and I were worried she’d suffer. The baby looks rather small, though. With such a big belly during pregnancy, I thought she’d have a chubby child.”

“As long as he’s healthy, that’s all that matters,” Qin Furong said, placing the baby beside Chen Qingyun. “You’ve worked hard.”

Chen Qingyun looked down at the tiny person in her arms, overwhelmed with emotion. She gently touched the baby’s cheek with her finger, marveling that she had brought a human being into the world.

The midwives cleaned up, but they noticed the placenta hadn’t been delivered. One of them reached in to check and cried out in alarm, “Heavens! There’s another one inside!”

“What?!” Both mothers turned pale.

In ancient times, there were no ultrasound machines. Although some experienced physicians could detect twins by touch, it was rare and not always accurate, so no one had considered the possibility.

Li Shi’s face went white as she knelt by Chen Qingyun’s bedside, holding her daughter’s hand. “Don’t be afraid, my dear. Your mother is here with you.”

Chen Qingyun wasn’t scared—she was just hungry. To control her weight during pregnancy, she hadn’t been eating enough.

“Mother, I want soup noodles…”

Qin Furong, standing nearby, said, “Quick, make some noodles for Chen Qingyun! Never mind, I’ll make them myself!”

Skilled in cooking, she had no trouble preparing the simple dish and soon brought a large bowl with several eggs added.

Chen Qingyun devoured the noodles, burping contentedly after finishing, only to feel the familiar pain in her abdomen return.

This second birth was nothing like the first. After two hours of labor, the baby still hadn’t been born.

Qin Furong sent word to her husband and son, urging them to return immediately!

Li Shi was so anxious her back was drenched in sweat. She continuously wiped her daughter’s cold sweat with a handkerchief. “How much longer will this take?”

Lin Sui, equally nervous, was pacing anxiously. Looking at the baby in the swaddle, she prayed, “Sister Yun, please be safe!”

The three midwives were also worried. They had little experience with twin births. The most experienced among them had delivered six pairs of twins, but only two pairs survived. In the others, sometimes one twin survived, in others both mother and babies died, and in one case, even three lives were lost…

“Ah…” Chen Qingyun was in so much pain her vision blurred. She felt like pounding her belly to make the baby come out faster.

“I see it, I see it! This baby… is coming out buttocks first!”

A breech birth was the most dangerous, as the baby’s folded position made it especially large. Even in modern times, this position often led to difficult labor!

The midwife who specialized in turning babies said, “Don’t worry. As long as we can see the baby, I’ll handle the rest.”

She washed her hands and began pressing and manipulating Chen Qingyun’s belly, causing excruciating pain. Chen Qingyun bit down until her gums bled.

“Mother, I’m not going to make it. It hurts so much… Tell Chang Yi to treat our son well… If he dares to let a stepmother mistreat him… I’ll haunt him even as a ghost!”

“Yun’er, don’t talk like that! Don’t!” Li Shi was crying uncontrollably, her heart breaking at the thought of losing her daughter.

Just then, Lord Liu and Liu Changyi rushed back. Hearing the commotion inside, Liu Changyi fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. “My wife! You can’t leave me! If you go, what meaning is there in my life? I’ll follow you!”

The midwife had heard enough. “Enough talk of life and death! The young master and young mistress will live long lives. The baby’s position has been corrected. Young mistress, bear down a little more, and the baby will be born.”

Hearing this, Chen Qingyun mustered her strength. The second baby in a twin birth was often easier than the first. Suddenly, she felt the baby slide out of her, followed by another loud cry.

“Congratulations, Young Madam! It’s another boy.”

Chen Qingyun was too exhausted to care about the gender. All she wanted was to close her eyes and sleep.

After the servants cleaned the room, Liu Changyi and his father entered. Seeing the two identical babies in their swaddles, the entire family was overwhelmed with emotion.

Liu Changyi held Chen Qingyun’s hand. “You’ve suffered so much.”

Chen Qingyun said weakly, “Remember that. Don’t you dare bully me later.”

“My dear, you’re joking. How would I dare? If your elder brothers found out, they’d skin me alive.”

Exhausted, Chen Qingyun said, “I want to sleep now. Remember to send a letter to the capital.”

“Don’t worry. Rest well and leave everything else to me.”

*

Chen Qingyan set down the letter. “I never expected Sister Yun to give birth to twins. Fortunately, both mother and children are safe.”

“Yes, Mother will have her hands full now.”

The two exchanged a smile, remembering how Li Shi had mentioned before leaving that she feared she wouldn’t be needed after Chen Qingyun gave birth, since Madam Qin would be there. But with two babies, there would be no fighting over who got to care for them—each grandmother could care for one.

“I’ll find time to browse the market and see what gifts to buy for my little nephews. We won’t be able to attend the full-month celebration, but we’ll give them their gifts next time we meet.”

Chen Qingyan nodded, "Just arrange it as you see fit." His husband handled things more methodically than he did, so it was best left to him.

"By the way, how is your book coming along?"

Wang Ying pulled a stack of manuscripts from the drawer. "I was just about to discuss this with you. The first volume is nearly finished, but it still needs some time for editing and revision."

Writing a book may sound easy, but it’s actually quite challenging. The initial content was straightforward, but as the book progressed, the topics became more complex.

Having been in this time for so long, Wang Ying’s memory of many details had grown fuzzy. He didn’t dare fabricate information—that would mislead readers. Instead, he conducted experiments in the experimental field while documenting his findings.

Fortunately, the experimental field could be set to accelerated time, and cultivating a few plants didn't cost much experience, which perfectly solved the issue of time-consuming experiments.

The book is divided into two volumes, each containing three sections. The first volume covers Seed Science, Farming Science, and Agricultural Genetics. The second volume includes Plant Breeding, Cultivation Science, and Soil Nutrition and Pest Control.

Completing each section rewards 200 experience points. Compared to Chen Qingyan’s hundreds of thousands of experience points, this seemed insignificant, but it was better than nothing.

The first three sections are largely complete, though there are still many gaps to fill. A professional book like this must not contain any carelessness.

Chen Qingyan flipped through a few pages. Although he recognized every word, the content seemed like complete gibberish to him. He had no idea where A Ying had acquired such profound knowledge.

"I’m thinking of printing a few copies after proofreading and finding a print shop."

Chen Qingyan pondered for a moment. "There’s no rush. While it’s easy to find a publisher, the content of the book shouldn’t be revealed too soon. Let’s wait until our mentor arrives and discuss it with him."

Wang Ying nodded. His husband was right—if the book caused any trouble, it might get him into trouble. It was better to wait for their mentor’s arrival.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was the end of the year. Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai had gradually gotten familiar with the workings of the Hanlin Academy.

They had had audiences with the Emperor a few times. Their performances were neither outstanding nor flawed, but they had at least gotten their faces known, which might help with future promotions.

With the year ending, it was time to prepare New Year’s gifts. This year’s list was longer than usual. Besides family back home and relatives in Jizhou, they couldn’t neglect those in the capital—Lord Liu’s household, Chen Qingyan’s superiors, and colleagues who had sent gifts required reciprocation. All these preparations had to be made in advance.

The expenses added up to nearly a thousand taels, which was quite painful.

When Wang Ying had run his own business, he never worried about spending money because he knew he could earn it back quickly.

But now, without any shops to rely on, he could only grow fruits and vegetables in the experimental field, which couldn’t be sold—only exchanged for experience points. This left him feeling anxious.

Wang Ying planned to have Ma Qianzi rent a hill on the outskirts of the capital to discreetly start a vegetable business.

Back when Qing Yan passed the imperial exams, the experimental field had offered a reward feature that Wang Ying hadn’t used—making the experimental field visible. Now seemed like the perfect time to try it.

Over the past few days, Wang Ying had been investigating which restaurants in the city were easier to deal with and who their owners were. He hoped to score a big sale before the New Year!