04. Family Business

Have you been to the cockfighting arena again

The etiquette states that a pregnant woman should not look at improper colors and should not listen to improper sounds. Do not think wildly; you must set a good example for our baby. He held her close, soothing her as one would a child.

Is there really nothing you want to eat

The illness has become maddening; every day, I buy food from the market to bring home, yet Pingjun's appetite still shows no signs of improvement. Moreover, her daytime restlessness is not enough, as she has also begun to suffer from insomnia at night, often feeling nauseous and experiencing a queasy stomach in the middle of the night, leaving her with no choice but to sit on the bed and take deep breaths

I can entrust all my money to you for safekeeping, as I have no money to spend even if I want to play.

Wow! He was in so much pain that he curled up his elbows, "How expensive, how expensive! How very expensive!"

Madam Xu feigned anger: "You have no other siblings, your parents have only you as their daughter. If you do not return home to live, do you want your parents to grow old without support?" She glared, "Is it that you, Ci Qing, are unwilling to live in your family home, fearing ridicule from others?"

"The illness is here!" She cradled his head, aligning his gaze with hers, and then she flashed him an encouraging smile, showing her teeth, "Either do it or don't... I absolutely believe my husband is the best."

Madam Xu brought her daughter and son-in-law back home to live, and Xu Guanghan naturally had no objections. Xu Pingjun's morning sickness showed slight improvement under her mother's attentive care, but the first few months of pregnancy coincided with the sweltering summer, which was always uncomfortable for Pingjun, who was pregnant for the first time. Fortunately, Bing had been very careful to accommodate her, almost never leaving her side with a fan in hand, always responding to her calls. Madam Xu did not say anything, but the maid in the house jokingly remarked: "Looking at how Bing is acting, it seems more like he is the one who is pregnant, rather than our daughter."

As Xu Pingjun's flat belly slightly bulged, the court once again issued a decree of amnesty. According to Xu Guanghan, this was due to the emperor's serious illness, as the imperial physicians employed all possible remedies yet saw no improvement. The Grand General and others hoped to reduce sins and receive heavenly grace by granting amnesty to the world.

Ping Jun is four and a half months pregnant, and her belly has swollen as if filled with air. The fetus has begun to exhibit its presence to the outside world for the first time. The miraculous fetal movements have excited the couple, who are still quite young themselves. After the cessation of morning sickness, Xiang Ping Jun has started to prepare the necessary items for the arrival of the baby, while the usually leisurely Liu Bingyi has suddenly become busy, often leaving early and returning late, with no sign of him during the day.

Ah, Mr. Zhang has sought me out many times, and I feel embarrassed to refuse his kind intentions any longer

The patient stood against the wall with a look of grievance on his face. He had promised Mrs. Xu to take care of Pingjun for a lifetime, but unexpectedly, just three or four months after their marriage, Pingjun had already become so haggard that she looked unrecognizable.

The sky has cleared, the rain has stopped, and no matter how great the gloom, it will all dissipate with her smile. Illness has embraced her tightly, yet it carefully leaves a space between their bodies to avoid pressing against her belly. He inhaled deeply and whispered in her ear: "I only found a job with Peng Zu."

Madam Xu expressed her discontent regarding her son-in-law's return to a life of idleness. While Xu Pingjun defended her husband in front of her mother, she also voiced her dissatisfaction with Liu Bingyi's daily absence from sight.

He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his arms: "Look, they are all bruised."

Ping Jun, with a pitiful expression, tugged at the corner of her mother's sleeve, saying in a very low voice, "I want to eat the pancakes that mother makes, I want to eat the carved gourd rice that mother cooks... I want to eat, I am salivating just thinking about it..."

In just seven or eight days, Ping Jun had noticeably lost a significant amount of weight. Liu Bingyi truly had no other options and could only return to Shangguanli to seek help. Madam Xu hurriedly rushed to Xuanmingli and saw Ping Jun sitting on the bed with sunken eyes, holding a ceramic pot in his hands, and was pale-faced, vomiting bile.

She initially had her doubts, but upon seeing his unusual expression, she became even more convinced. In her annoyance, she reached out and pinched his arm, "The dancers and singers of the Zhang residence are indeed beautiful, aren't they"

"How could that be? I haven't played those games in a long time," he explained with a tone of fervent denial, yet the peculiar smile on his face only deepened her suspicions

Do you go to Zhang Pengzu's house to hang out every day

Silly child! Mrs. Xu embraced her daughter tightly, saying, "If you want to eat this so much, can't you just come home?"

Next, my lord

What is going on here

He was taken aback and exclaimed, "How did you know?"

She could no longer hold back and finally burst into laughter.

"How could I dare? I am wronged!" He made an almost exaggerated and comical expression, solely to elicit a smile from the fair lady

Ping Jun's grip became heavier, and he inhaled sharply. Her eyes reddened as she recalled what the women said, that men are like cats who cannot resist the scent of fish, especially the young lads who are just beginning to experience such pleasures, akin to the cats meowing in spring, who, if not careful, slip out to seek their desires.

They are a young couple, and shortly after their marriage, she became pregnant. Before the pregnancy, he would almost pester her every night, but now that they have a child, he lies down to sleep properly every night, even refraining from getting close enough to touch her fingers.

Ping Jun was originally crying quite loudly, but upon hearing what he said, her voice indeed lowered. She pried his hand open and continued to sob softly: "You bastard, trying to suffocate us mother and child."

He pecked at her lips, his eyes squinting with a smug smile, "That’s right. I am sure I will be among the first to be reused, and by then, finding an opportunity to take on a minor official position will be no problem."

Ping Jun weakly nodded and said: "Don't blame him... it's my own lack of desire to eat. He spends money recklessly on those ridiculously expensive things to coax me into eating, but I just... I just have no appetite."

Madam Xu cast a deep glance at the *picture* book, then turned to her daughter, whose face was as pale as a vegetable, and sighed: "Pack up, let’s return this house and move back home. Mother will make you pancakes and cook you some stewed meat with rice."

You ... ...

He suddenly lunged forward, embraced her, and kissed her fiercely, completely silencing her incessant chatter.

He gritted his teeth in pain, suddenly realizing something. He blinked and said slyly: "Indeed, it is very beautiful. Has the lady seen it as well?"

She rested her head in her mother's arms, choked with emotion: "But now I am a Liu family woman, and it is inappropriate for a married daughter to rely on her natal family all the time, as it would invite ridicule from the neighbors."

She stopped her tears and leaned over with concern, but after examining thoroughly, she could only see a small patch of redness. She angrily plucked a few hairs with her fingers and said, "Then I will disperse the bruising for you."

She looked up in astonishment at her husband, whose youthful face bore a smile tinged with a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment

Ping Jun felt increasingly wronged. A pregnant woman's emotions are akin to a cloudy day; when she says it is windy, it becomes windy, and when she says it is raining, it rains. She pinched her own hand until she had no strength left, and then she burst into loud tears, startling the sick person who nearly fell out of bed and hurriedly jumped up.

Madam Xu gently stroked her daughter's cheek, noticing that her complexion was truly poor, and could not help but ask: "Is it that you cannot eat anything at all?"

Really

Liu Bingyi said with great trepidation: "How could I dare to have such thoughts! I too have been lonely since childhood, without father or mother. My wife's parents are my parents. Living with my parents and honoring and serving them is the duty of a son or daughter."

Moreover, it is actually quite easy to get by in the Right General's Office. I only need to report for duty every day, and it is essentially the same as before, just mingling with Peng Zu...

My ancestors! My..." He reached out to cover her mouth, "You must be careful not to attract the wolf.

When the scholar not only has an easy job but also earns money, how many people are trying to use connections and go to great lengths to obtain such a position, yet still cannot get it

That may not be the case; you have plenty of unscrupulous friends outside who can lend you money even if you don't have any to gamble with

She greatly enjoys his way of indulgence, yet during the day, when she visits the Wang family and listens to the seemingly joking admonitions of the older women, she always feels a subtle unease in her heart

He is no longer the boy who bore no responsibilities; now he has a home, a wife, and in the near future, he will have a son and a daughter. He loves his family, and for this, he must first become a true man and husband

Next, my lord... ...

You still say you are afraid, yet you dare to compare my mother to a wolf

Since the doctor confirmed Xu Pingjun's pregnancy, the first thing she does every day upon opening her eyes is to vomit, and this continues until she falls asleep at night. She can no longer cook for herself, but Xu Hui's culinary skills are not high, often resulting in burnt rice and overcooked soup. Liu Bingyi does not mind much, but Xu Pingjun cannot even tolerate the smell of burnt food. After three consecutive days of vomiting, she can only drink a little water each day, unable to eat anything else.

What is arrogance? Arrogance cannot be eaten as food