Chapter 006: Giving Birth to a Daughter
Meanwhile, Shen Ruhan, who was beside them, immediately expressed her discontent, saying, "I also care for my sister; I even brought her a gift."
Shen Changle felt a tremor in her heart, and her mind went blank. As she desperately tried to recall whether anything had happened at the time of Shen Jin's birth, she found herself unable to remember anything at all
The elderly lady had already been in the carriage for quite a long time and was feeling quite fatigued. At this moment, she was persuaded by her youngest son to return to the house. When Shen Linghui came out and saw that the three of them were still inside, he smiled and said: "Come on, come on, Third Uncle will take you to play in the front yard"
Aunt Shun held Shen Changle's hand and nodded in satisfaction. Among these several maids, she regarded Chunliu as the most stable in character, with a quick tongue that was sharp yet not slick, which is why she had always placed the most trust in Chunliu.
As soon as she and Shen Ruhan were led inside, they were greeted by a refreshing coolness. In the corners of the hall, there were blocks of ice, but in the adjoining room, this coolness was somewhat diminished. This was likely due to the elderly lady's age; they did not dare to place the ice directly in her room, which is why it was arranged in the outer hall.
Shen Lingcheng saw Shen Changle nestled against the old lady, fearing that it might tire their mother, and thus waved, saying: "Changle, come over to father."
"Take it with you." Shen Ruhan glanced at her sideways and, adopting the demeanor of a young master, said: "If you serve the Third Miss well, there will be benefits for you in the future"
A sedan chair was prepared by Aunt Shun for them. Shen Ru'an and Shen Changle were still young, so they simply squeezed into one chair together. Aunt Shun followed beside them, occasionally reminding them to sit steadily.
As she spoke, Shen Ruhui, sitting opposite her, looked up at her with a pair of obsidian-black eyes, steady yet harboring a hint of a smile. He reached out a hand across the small table and gently stroked his sister's fine, soft hair, softly saying: "I also brought a gift for Chang Le"
The old lady's courtyard is the main residence and also the finest courtyard in the Shen family. Even before reaching the entrance, one can see its grandeur and elegance. However, Shen Changle is accustomed to wealth and luxury, and the Duke of Wei's residence in the capital is far more opulent than this. Therefore, she did not blink her eyes as she entered the old lady's courtyard.
She raised two fingers, her small palm resembling a meat bun, yet the two fingers were slender. It must be summer; she wore little, but her whole body was round. The night before, she glanced at her belly before going to sleep and immediately covered her eyes, fearing to look a second time.
Although Shen Changle was concerned about the Lin family's affairs, he was still forcibly taken to the front courtyard.
The spring willow smiled and said, "As a servant, receiving a compliment from the Second Young Master is already enough to satisfy my heart; how could I dare to accept the Second Young Master's reward?"
Not to mention that Shen Linghui is the legitimate son, there are not even any children born out of wedlock.
Although Zhao had never given birth, she had witnessed childbirth before, and immediately asked, "Sister-in-law, are you about to give birth?"
Seeing this, Zhao immediately echoed, "Isn't that right? Our Le Jie'er is truly wise; although she is young, she knows that the one who loves her the most is our ancestor."
A family, harmonious and cheerful, with laughter and conversation, evidently deeply pierced Lin's heart. Yet, she could not show any expression of grievance on her face, and could only force a smile.
As he spoke, he unexpectedly took out a small silver coin from his pocket, which appeared to be worth at least four cents, and intended to give it to Chunliu
Meanwhile, Shen Linghui from the third household, along with his wife Zhao, looked at Shen Changle with envy. It is worth mentioning that Shen Linghui and Shen Lingcheng are direct brothers, yet they are vastly different when it comes to their fortunes in love. Currently, Shen Linghui has three legitimate children, with two being sons, and his wife Lin is expecting another.
Regardless of whether she is alive or not, just carry her back first. At this moment, the old lady was also startled; she supported herself with the maid's hand and came out, only to see Lin being carried out. She raised her hand to point at the doorway and trembled as she asked, "What, what happened?"
The old lady, seeing the girl in such a round shape, finally reached out to touch her. The little girl was all flesh, with chubby cheeks that could not hide their fullness, so she naturally believed the words "Good, good, being able to eat is a blessing; we in Chang Le can see that we are indeed very fortunate"
After a while, Shen Lingcheng noticed the elderly lady's eyes were filled with weariness, so he led everyone to take their leave
"Second brother, let us go pay our respects to grandmother." Shen Changle suppressed a laugh and reached out her hand for him to hold. Only then did Shen Ruhan come over to take her hand.
"Come here, quickly help the lady up," Shen Lingcheng said with a frown, immediately shouting.
Shen Changle was lying in her father's arms, smiling and chatting with her sister Shen Ruhan beside her. Shen Ruhan, who had just been sulking for three minutes, immediately forgot about the earlier incident upon hearing her sister call her. Just as she was suggesting that Shen Changle come to play in her courtyard, they suddenly heard a cry of surprise from behind.
Shen Lingcheng was naturally delighted, feeling that his precious daughter was becoming increasingly intelligent and understanding, while Lin's expression was complex as she reached out to touch her belly, wondering if this pregnancy would indeed be a daughter
As Shen Changle changed her clothes, outside, Shen Ruhan was sitting on a rose chair enjoying pastries. He was covered in crumbs, and upon seeing her approach, he clapped his hands. Chunliu, standing nearby, quickly stepped forward, took out a handkerchief, and wiped his hands, smiling, "Second Young Master, this brocade robe looks truly beautiful; wouldn't it be a pity if it got dirty"
Speaking of gifts, Shen Changle looked at Shen Ruhui sitting opposite her and pouted, saying: "Elder brother, second brother brought me clay figurines, they are so beautiful, so beautiful."
Although it was said this way, it was still necessary to show some concern. Shen Lingcheng set Shen Changle down, instructed Shen Ruhui to take care of her sister, and then went to the Lin family's courtyard. Zhao Shi, being a woman of the household, had matters to attend to at home, so she accompanied him as well
The Zhao family has been married for about five or six years now. In the first two years, the old lady could still endure it, eagerly hoping for her daughter-in-law to soon bring good news. However, after waiting for two years without any progress, it was Zhao who took the initiative to stop using the contraceptive medicine. Yet, after another year, there was still no news. Later, the old lady rewarded Shen Linghui with two maidservants, but unexpectedly, there was still no news to be heard.
In recent days, she has been practicing diligently, and she has become somewhat more articulate. Moreover, she understands that she is still just a little girl under three years old, so no matter how she tries to act cute, it won't endear her to others. Thus, she blinked her big, watery eyes and said in a delicate voice: "Ancestor, Chang Le is already well and can eat two bowls of rice every day"
The elderly lady, seeing her granddaughter being so considerate, immediately smiled and pointed at her, saying: "Look, it is still the child's eyes that shine the brightest, knowing who loves her the most on ordinary days"
Because they are family, the elderly lady sits on the upper rattan bed, while Mr. Shen Lingcheng and his wife sit to her left, and the third elder, Mr. Shen Linghui, leads his wife to sit on the other side. The only young man in the room is obediently sitting next to the elderly lady.
At that moment, seeing him sitting beside his grandmother, Shen Changle felt a bit teary-eyed
Shen Ruhui saw her sister staring blankly at her, and reached out to pinch her cheek. This time, her voice carried a clear tone of affection: "Be good, I will give it to you soon."
Upon seeing him like this, Chun Liu quickly glanced at Shen Changle and Shun Gu. Shen Changle did not expect that her second brother had always been of such a temperament since childhood. No wonder he often received reprimands from their father later on. At such a young age, he was already so extravagant in his actions.
However, the one entangled in this situation is none other than Shen Jin, this daughter
Shen Changle made a great effort to suppress her laughter. Although she was just a little child at the moment, she was still an adult at heart. However, the next second, she couldn't help but smile and act cute, saying, "Thank you, brother"
At this moment, it is summer, and the sun outside is scorching. After just a short while, she already feels hot. Passing by the garden, although the flowers are in full bloom, from a distance, the petals and the illustrations appear lackluster, wilting as if they have lost their moisture.
This is Shen Changle being held while sitting next to the elderly lady. The elderly lady gazes at the little one in front of her, whose fine, soft hair is styled into a flower bud bun, with a few small braids hanging down from her shoulders. Colorful beads are strung together with fine gold chains, entwined in her hair, and the ends of the braids are adorned with the same chains, making her look truly exquisite and beautiful. She glanced at Shen Changle, who was being embraced, and asked with concern: "Is Changle feeling better? Grandmother notices that Changle seems to have lost some weight?"
But who would have thought that the little girl, with her big, bright eyes, glanced at him and actually held onto the old lady's hands and feet, saying: "I haven't seen my ancestor for a long time, and I want to sit with my ancestor"
As they turned their heads, they saw Lin holding her stomach, collapsing softly to the ground. Shen Linghui and Zhao, the couple, were startled by her and both took a few steps back.
However, Shen Linghui smiled and comforted the elderly lady, saying, "Mother, you should go back and rest first; everything will be taken care of by your eldest son."
At this moment, the maids inside and outside the house came over, and a sturdy maidservant also entered from outside, quickly helping Lin up. At this time, Lin had a pale face, covering her abdomen, and kept shouting: "It hurts so much, it hurts so much"
Shen Changle is truly both delighted and conflicted; the joy comes from the fact that history has not changed because of her, and indeed, the Lin family has given birth to a daughter.
Such a simple sentence left Shen Changle in a daze
Shen Ruanan glanced at her, smiled slightly, and said in a somewhat pretentious manner: "You are quite clever, this is for you."
"Elder brother, I see that Chang Le likes the girl, but she surpasses you." Shen Linghui, who was already envious of the child, saw his little niece being so adorable and wished he could take her back to his own courtyard to raise her. Therefore, upon seeing Shen Lingcheng suffer a setback with his own daughter, he immediately began to mock him.
As soon as Shen Changle entered, she saw the elderly lady conversing with her older brother. Upon catching sight of Shen Ruhui's fair and delicate face, she immediately became entranced. Her older brother was six years her senior, and since she became aware of her surroundings and began to read, he had always maintained a serious demeanor. Usually, he would only say things like, "Third sister, you must eat well."
This situation not only made Zhao anxious, but even the old lady was also worried and agitated. The old lady had donated a considerable amount of incense money to the temples around Guangping Prefecture. This time, Shen Linghui and Zhao returned with the intention of selecting a clever child from the Shen clan in their hometown to adopt and raise. It is said that raising one child often leads to the arrival of a second child.
At this moment, the elderly lady had changed into a set of casual attire, exuding a faint scent of sandalwood. On her wrist, she wore a translucent jade bracelet of a green hue, which appeared to be of ordinary quality. This grandmother, both dignified and spirited, was entirely different from the frail grandmother she had last seen.
"Changle has arrived." The old lady smiled as she saw her standing at the door and gestured for her to come in
Shen Ruanan watched her sister smiling so happily at their elder brother, and immediately felt overlooked. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and turned her head to the other side
Shen Lingcheng shook his head, appearing helpless against this girl.
In recent days, Shen Lingcheng has truly enjoyed the adoration of his daughter. Whenever he appears, Shen Changle always sweetly calls out "Daddy," then she quickly runs over with her little short legs, opening her arms to be held. Therefore, today was no exception; he thought that by saying this, the little girl would surely come running over excitedly.
Do not say that the old lady finds it strange; no one in this house is clear about it either
Shen Changle respectfully greeted the elderly lady and also paid respects to several other elders. Seeing such a small child being so considerate, the elderly lady immediately smiled broadly and said: "Look at my obedient granddaughter, she is so understanding. Come over here to your grandmother."
The old lady's single remark caused several people to display markedly different expressions
When Shen Jin was born, she was merely a tiny bit big and could not remember anything at all
When it was time for dinner, news arrived that the Lin family had given birth to a daughter