Chapter 131: Advancing Step by Step
"Do you think it’s like going to the market to pick out vegetables? That it can be changed if I just say so?" Li Wei Yang squinted at him and suddenly frowned, "Your wound opened up!"
Li Min De looked down and saw streaks of blood seeping through his white clothes, but he didn’t care: “It’s fine, I’ll go back and redress the wound.”
“Let me see!” Li Wei Yang said immediately, but Li Min De didn’t comply and took two steps back: “I said it’s fine—”
“Sit down! Let me see!” Li Wei Yang felt something wasn’t right.
Li Min De quickly said: “It’s fine, I told you, it’s fine really! It’s late, I should go back soon!”
Li Wei Yang stood up in front of him, forcefully putting the teacup down on the table: “Let me see!”
Li Min De was taken aback and finally sat down obediently. Li Wei Yang turned back and said, "Bai Zhi, bring the medicine chest." In her residence, there were some commonly used pills, most of them mind-calming and fever-reducing pills, and some gold essence medicine for external wounds. In her house, there are some commonly used pills, probably Mind Calming Pills, and some Golden Sore Medicine. Bai Zhi complied and quickly went out and brought back the medicine chest.
Li Wei Yang removed Li Min De’s outer robe. She didn’t feel embarrassed though. Since the two of them were usually very close, she had long become accustomed to such a state: “There’s blood, the scab on the wound cracked. Wait a minute. I will change the dressing.”
She pulled the blood-stained bandage off bit by bit. Although she was very careful, he still trembled for a bit before settling down.
“Don’t move. You see, you keep running around, which is why you’ll never fully heal.”
Li Min De’s wounds actually healed very quickly. If it was an ordinary person, they would have to be bedridden for half a year, but after just two months, scabs formed over his wound. Of course, because he never obediently listened, the scab would sometimes crack and occasionally be inflamed, but it’s fortunate that as the weather got colder, his wound seemed to be getting better day by day.
Li Wei Yang saw that the wound under the bandage was worse than she thought. Not only had it cracked, it had become a bloody mess in the flesh. Recalling how he comfortably spoke to her just now... She couldn’t understand... Did he even know pain? She gently applied medication with her hands. The action made Li Min De’s face pale even more, his delicate lips slightly curled up, and this slightly curved up mouth faced her.
Seeing that he seemed to be acting natural, Li Wei Yang suppressed the sourness in her heart and calmed down. She gently took care of the wound in a neat and efficient manner. Once she finished dressing his wound, she realized something: Li Min De was no longer the child from that time. Just looking at the lean body, full of strength, it made the difference between the two of them clear.
"Does it still hurt?"
“It doesn’t hurt... It really doesn’t hurt.” Li Min De’s amber eyes curved into waning moon crescents with a smile on his lips and radiant light in his eyes. He said it in a serious and rational manner, not a trace of deceit could be seen.
It might have been that his face was too beautiful or maybe because she was too tired. Li Wei Yang was a bit stunned for a while.
“Xiaojie, Nubi will take care of these bandages first.” Bai Zhi said quietly and retreated, her footsteps soft.
These words rang out like a bronze bell. Li Wei Yang’s face changed. She recollected herself and sighed: “With such a beautiful face, it’s no wonder Jiang Yue Lan hates me.”
Li Min De made an aggrieved expression and held her hand. His eyes were clear and his gaze searing as he put her hand over his chest. His tone was gentle but more so wistful: “Do you not like my face?”
His voice was low, and he sounded slightly hurt.
Li Wei Yang was stunned. When did he become so sensitive and vulnerable? Making a pitiful, wounded face at the slightest thing, knowing she would certainly become soft-hearted. She rarely became soft-hearted, let alone towards men, but Li Min De was a bit different. Perhaps it was because he had put his life on the line to save her, so it wasn’t unreasonable for her to be soft-hearted sometimes... That must be it.
Li Wei Yang thought of it this way, unaware that there were some people who would advance ten steps each time you took a step back. Ever since Li Min De fell ill, he seemed to have figured out Li Wei Yang’s weakness. To the girl in front of him, if he got angry, yelled at her, and provoked her, it would all be in vain, but if he softened his attitude, in a pitiful manner, cheating like this made it easier for him to be successful. Think of it as a blessing due to illness. Li Min De closed his eyes, his dark, full lashes contrasted against his cheeks, making them seem paler. He seemed to be in thought, still holding her hand without letting go. Then, his bright eyes were focused on her as he said in all seriousness: “Or are you mad at me? Don’t worry, I will never let that old witch come near you.”
Who would be angry about that? Li Wei Yang didn’t know how to react to this irony. Jiang Yue Lan was only a few years older than her and didn’t quite deserve to be called an old witch yet. However, she completely didn’t see Jiang Yue Lan’s hatred for her coming at all. Who would have thought that Jiang Yue Lan, who was his aunt, actually liked Li Min De? It was unbelievable.
Li Wei Yang glanced at Li Min De and sighed again. It was all because beauty invited calamity.
Early the next morning, Li Wei Yang went to He Xiang Courtyard for greetings. She had yet to reach the door when she heard bursts of laughter from inside. With a face full of joy, a maid greeted her: “Third Xiaojie.”
Li Wei Yang slightly nodded. The maid lifted the curtain, and she walked in, smiling: “It’s been a few days since Grandmother was this happy.”
Jiang Yue Lan, Li Chang Xiao, and even Second Furen and Li Chang Ru were all present in the room. However, the thing was that they all had different expressions on their faces. Seeing Li Wei Yang come in, Lao Furen smiled and said: “Come quickly, there is good news!”
Good news? What good news could the Li family have? Li Wei Yang’s gaze swept over everyone and finally settled on Jiang Yue Lan. Sure enough, Jiang Yue Lan looked at her and smiled. Her lips were curved like a blooming flower, revealing a trace of self-satisfaction that couldn’t be hidden: “Hearing Lao Furen say this, it’s a trivial thing really.”
“You are delivering the foundation for our Li family, how could this be a trivial thing?!” There was a rarely seen look of gentleness on Lao Furen’s face. Since the Jiang family’s incident, Jiang Yue Lan’s association has become somewhat shameful. Lao Furen was not as close to her like before, but she seemed rather satisfied with her right now.
Li Chang Xiao said: “Third Sister, Mother had stomach pains non-stop yesterday in the middle of the night. A doctor was quickly called to examine her and found out she was pregnant, two months along!”
Jiang Yue Lan is pregnant? Li Wei Yang’s smile slightly stiffened, but it quickly returned to normal and seemed very natural: “Congratulations Mother, congratulations Lao Furen!”
Lao Furen had a big smile on her face: “Yes, this is a happy occasion. It’s just that if you have stomach pains, you must be careful and not lose it.”
Jiang Yue Lan subconsciously placed a hand over her stomach and smiled: “Lao Furen doesn’t have to worry. The doctor said that my body is a little weak, and it’s my first pregnancy, so I will have some stomach pains. It’s not a problem really, there’s no need to be concerned.”
Second Furen couldn’t hide her forced smile and the provocative intent in her eyes: “Be careful while you’re pregnant, don’t do too much!”
Lao Furen’s face erupted in fury, glaring at Second Furen as she said: “Listen to yourself! Heavens bestow protection, the Li family will certainly have another son!” Then, she no longer paid attention to Second Furen’s unpleasant face and said to Jiang Yue Lan: “You are pregnant, and this is your first child. You must pay close attention and carefully pick out hardworking servants to look after you, only then will I feel at ease!”
Jiang Yue Lan’s ruddy cheeks revealed her slight embarrassment: “Yes, this daughter-in-law will give you a healthy grandson!”
Second Furen could not stand it. She was counting on Li Xiao Ran to not have any heirs. That way, her son could take over the household, but now, it was not worth mentioning the concubine-born Li Min Zhi, Jiang Yue Lan was pregnant, and if she has a son, Lao Furen will no longer hold the second household in her eyes. Thinking of her own son, she felt even more worried and couldn’t help but say: “It’s only been two months, who knows if it’s male or female, I feel that Eldest Sister-in-Law is fated to have a daughter!”
Second Furen’s foolishness was her inability to hide her resentment for Jiang Yue Lan. It was easy to understand though. She is almost forty years old now, but she had to call an 18 or 19 year old girl Eldest Sister-in-Law. It frustrated her to no end. It would be a different story if Jiang Yue Lan wasn’t capable of much, but she managed to genuinely win Li Xiao Ran over or so it seemed, and her fickle mother-in-law even acknowledged her. In comparison to herself, it was even more of an eyesore.
Lao Furen forcefully set the cup of tea down onto the table as if she was about to angrily scold her but refrained in the end. She would lose face if she argued with a foolish woman at this time.
With a smile, Jiang Yue Lan said: “Younger Sister-in-Law is not wrong. I’m still young, even if this child is a daughter, there will be a son in the future, so Younger Sister-in-Law doesn’t need to worry about this. I must say I’m jealous of you, a son and a daughter is truly a blessing. I heard that Second Brother also has three more concubine-born sons these days. I don’t know when I’ll meet them, if they enter the household, you will certainly be busier.”
Half a month ago, Second Furen learned that her husband had three sons outside in the past couple years, but he continued to hide it from her, afraid she would come to their doorstep and make a scene. He only told her now that the children had grown up and even asked Lao Furen to write the names of these three children into their family genealogy.
Lao Furen would not normally agree to this kind of thing, but considering her second daughter-in-law was indeed someone who would harass them, this concubine-born son’s request was not completely unreasonable. This was only to protect the concubine-born sons, so Lao Furen agreed to it. For this reason, Second Furen lashed out because she was unhappy with Lao Furen. Jiang Yue Lan only needed to say a few things, and Second Furen was trembling in rage as if she was about to explode.
Li Wei Yang glanced at her Second Sister, Li Chang Ru. Li Chang Ru was thinking about what to embroider on her wedding dress and finally came to her senses. She saw her mother was about to get into trouble and quickly brought a cup of tea over, gently elbowing Second Furen as if reminding her to calm down.
Lao Furen scoffed coldly and ignored Second Furen. Looking over at everyone, her voice was warm as the spring breeze: “I am very happy to see our family will soon be very lively! The most important thing now is Yue Lan’s child. You have to take good care, don’t overlook anything, and I need others to be mindful!”
This other was naturally referring to Second Furen, Jiang Yue Lan slightly smiled and bowed in response.
Li Wei Yang was gently smiling the entire time as if she wasn’t aware of the significance of Jiang Yue Lan’s child. Once everyone had left, Lao Furen had her stay back.
“Luo Mama, lead the maids out.”
The atmosphere in the room soon became peaceful. Lao Furen looked at Li Wei Yang and lightly said: “Wei Yang, I hope you understand my dilemma.”
Li Wei Yang smiled and said, “Wei Yang understands.”
Lao Furen took a red date and ate slowly as if savoring it: “I know you are a clever child. Among the three sons, the second-eldest is not my child, and your Third Uncle passed away early, so only your father... He is now in his forties, and aside from your useless Eldest Brother, he only has Min Zhi. Min Zhi is adorable and clever, and I like him very much, but he is not a child of the official wife. Most importantly, no need to mention Seventh Yiniang’s background, ridiculed by everyone in the Capital, this affects you and Min Zhi. I originally intended to find two noble concubines for your father. If they give birth to a son, the son would be handed over to Jiang Yue Lan to be raised, but now she’s pregnant, so this is best!”
Li Wei Yang smiled and brought the plate of light snacks over, “We all understand Lao Furen’s dilemma, so whether Mother has a son or a daughter, they are all descendants of the Li family. Min Zhi will have some playmates, so it couldn’t be better.”
Lao Furen lamented: “Of course. It’s just that as long as Yue Lan doesn’t have an heir, she won’t do anything to Min Zhi, but if she has a child of her own, everything will change, so you must be more careful. You must remember not to bear harmful intentions, but you cannot be without caution either.”
Li Min Feng lost his inheritance rights in the Li family. Jiang Yue Lan was the official mother of the family. If she had a son, he would naturally be the one to righteously inherit everything, but based on Li Xiao Ran’s favor towards Li Min Chi, which surpassed that of Li Min Feng in the past, who knows who the heir will be in the future. After all, there has been a case where the concubine-born son was highly favored and snatched the eldest son’s inheritance rights, so in the current dynasty, the official mother has always suppressed the concubine-born son. It was one thing for Jiang Yue Lan to be wary of Li Min Zhi, but what if she wanted to take action?
Li Lao Furen expected Jiang Yue Lan to give birth to a grandson and heir. At the same time, she hoped Li Wei Yang could protect Li Min Zhi. Given her position, the fact that she was still concerned for Li Min Zhi meant that she was still taking good care of him. Li Wei Yang smiled and said: “Granddaughter understands.”
When she came out of the room, Mo Zhu quietly said: “Xiaojie, Furen is pregnant.”
“En, news spreads quickly.” Li Wei Yang smiled. It seems Jiang Yue Lan’s pregnancy is also a big deal among the maids, and they were all alarmed.
“Xiaojie, don’t you feel worried at all?” Mo Zhu complained. “Once Furen has a child, she will be even more against the Fourth Shaoye!”
Naturally, Li Wei Yang understood this and feared that in Jiang Yue Lan’s eyes, Li Min Zhi had already become an obstacle! It’s just that she can’t let these emotions be seen. She smiled and said: “Don’t think too much about it. The boat will naturally straighten out when it reaches the bridge.”
Ever since the news of Jiang Yue Lan’s pregnancy got out, the weather had gotten colder, and Jiang Yue Lan’s stomach was always troubled. The cold affected the fetal qi. The doctor was called over numerous times, Li Xiao Ran was angry every two or three days, scolding the servants for not carefully serving Furen, making the originally peaceful Li family turn into chaos. Everyone began to act cautiously, fearing that this happy event would turn into misfortune.
Li Wei Yang held a coal heater in her hands and leaned back into the chair, her voice was rather warm: “Oh, that courtyard is in chaos again?”
“Yes, Xiaojie,” Zhao Yue calmly responded. “First, a maid in Furen’s courtyard broke a tea cup, and Furen cried out that her stomach was hurting. Laoye happened to come by to see her, and he said that the maid startled the unborn child, had her beaten 30 times with planks and then chased out.”
“That maid—”
“It’s one of our people.” Zhao Yue softly said, “Furen has already chased away almost all our people this month.”
Li Wei Yang looked calm, but there was hardly a hint of a smile in her eyes. She naturally had people in Jiang Yue Lan’s courtyard, leaving behind some eyes and ears to ensure Min Zhi’s safety, but it was obvious that Jiang Yue Lan had been clearing out these people one by one. It’s not surprising that she would employ this tactic. It was just a matter of punishing a few servants, so outsiders wouldn’t have the slightest clue.
“Is that it?” Li Wei Yang seemed to be contemplating.
“There isn’t anything else that stands out. In any case, Furen always makes a scene several times a day, either having a headache or feeling too hot. It’s really annoying. The doctor has to make several visits a day, everyday.” Zhao Yue said in disgust.
Li Wei Yang nodded and appeared to casually ask: “Is the doctor that examined her pulse the person our household usually invites?”
"This—Nubi has checked, this physician's surname is He, but it is not the physician the Li family usually invites. Furen said this physician is someone that often sees her maiden family, so he knows Furen’s conditions best, better than other physicians altogether, so Laoye especially invited him to examine her.”
Li Wei Yang heard this and smiled slightly: "Have you investigated in detail?"
Zhao Yue raised her head slightly and said, "Yes, this Physician He is indeed a physician who has been with the Jiang family for many years. His medical techniques are often praised, so Laoye did not think much of it and personally invited him.”
Li Wei Yang slowly said, "Send someone to keep a close eye on Physician He."
Everything was going well. Keeping an eye on Furen is one thing, but why keep an eye on a doctor? Beside her, Bai Zhi couldn’t help but wonder: “Xiaojie suspects something?”
A cold light flashed across Li Wei Yang’s eyes: “I just warned Jiang Yue Lan that Lao Furen was about to give Father a few more concubines, and she suddenly became pregnant. Don’t you think this is too much of a coincidence?”
Bai Zhi carefully thought about it for a moment. This is true, but the three doctors that came all discovered her pregnant pulse. This could not be faked. Even if it was faked, she still needed to give birth to a child after ten months. The Li family doors were tightly secured, so even if Jiang Yue Lan was capable, there was no way for her to bring a child in from outside? She definitely did not have the courage, so the pregnancy must be real.
Li Wei Yang looked at her expression and knew what she was thinking. She said in a soft voice: “It's not that I’m paranoid, this is just too much of a coincidence.”
"Do you think it’s like going to the market to pick out vegetables? That it can be changed if I just say so?" Li Wei Yang squinted at him and suddenly frowned, "Your wound opened up!"
Li Min De looked down and saw streaks of blood seeping through his white clothes, but he didn’t care: “It’s fine, I’ll go back and redress the wound.”
“Let me see!” Li Wei Yang said immediately, but Li Min De didn’t comply and took two steps back: “I said it’s fine—”
“Sit down! Let me see!” Li Wei Yang felt something wasn’t right.
Li Min De quickly said: “It’s fine, I told you, it’s fine really! It’s late, I should go back soon!”
Li Wei Yang stood up in front of him, forcefully putting the teacup down on the table: “Let me see!”
Li Min De was taken aback and finally sat down obediently. Li Wei Yang turned back and said, "Bai Zhi, bring the medicine chest." In her residence, there were some commonly used pills, most of them mind-calming and fever-reducing pills, and some gold essence medicine for external wounds. In her house, there are some commonly used pills, probably Mind Calming Pills, and some Golden Sore Medicine. Bai Zhi complied and quickly went out and brought back the medicine chest.
Li Wei Yang removed Li Min De’s outer robe. She didn’t feel embarrassed though. Since the two of them were usually very close, she had long become accustomed to such a state: “There’s blood, the scab on the wound cracked. Wait a minute. I will change the dressing.”
She pulled the blood-stained bandage off bit by bit. Although she was very careful, he still trembled for a bit before settling down.
“Don’t move. You see, you keep running around, which is why you’ll never fully heal.”
Li Min De’s wounds actually healed very quickly. If it was an ordinary person, they would have to be bedridden for half a year, but after just two months, scabs formed over his wound. Of course, because he never obediently listened, the scab would sometimes crack and occasionally be inflamed, but it’s fortunate that as the weather got colder, his wound seemed to be getting better day by day.
Li Wei Yang saw that the wound under the bandage was worse than she thought. Not only had it cracked, it had become a bloody mess in the flesh. Recalling how he comfortably spoke to her just now... She couldn’t understand... Did he even know pain? She gently applied medication with her hands. The action made Li Min De’s face pale even more, his delicate lips slightly curled up, and this slightly curved up mouth faced her.
Seeing that he seemed to be acting natural, Li Wei Yang suppressed the sourness in her heart and calmed down. She gently took care of the wound in a neat and efficient manner. Once she finished dressing his wound, she realized something: Li Min De was no longer the child from that time. Just looking at the lean body, full of strength, it made the difference between the two of them clear.
"Does it still hurt?"
“It doesn’t hurt... It really doesn’t hurt.” Li Min De’s amber eyes curved into waning moon crescents with a smile on his lips and radiant light in his eyes. He said it in a serious and rational manner, not a trace of deceit could be seen.
It might have been that his face was too beautiful or maybe because she was too tired. Li Wei Yang was a bit stunned for a while.
“Xiaojie, Nubi will take care of these bandages first.” Bai Zhi said quietly and retreated, her footsteps soft.
These words rang out like a bronze bell. Li Wei Yang’s face changed. She recollected herself and sighed: “With such a beautiful face, it’s no wonder Jiang Yue Lan hates me.”
Li Min De made an aggrieved expression and held her hand. His eyes were clear and his gaze searing as he put her hand over his chest. His tone was gentle but more so wistful: “Do you not like my face?”
His voice was low, and he sounded slightly hurt.
Li Wei Yang was stunned. When did he become so sensitive and vulnerable? Making a pitiful, wounded face at the slightest thing, knowing she would certainly become soft-hearted. She rarely became soft-hearted, let alone towards men, but Li Min De was a bit different. Perhaps it was because he had put his life on the line to save her, so it wasn’t unreasonable for her to be soft-hearted sometimes... That must be it.
Li Wei Yang thought of it this way, unaware that there were some people who would advance ten steps each time you took a step back. Ever since Li Min De fell ill, he seemed to have figured out Li Wei Yang’s weakness. To the girl in front of him, if he got angry, yelled at her, and provoked her, it would all be in vain, but if he softened his attitude, in a pitiful manner, cheating like this made it easier for him to be successful. Think of it as a blessing due to illness. Li Min De closed his eyes, his dark, full lashes contrasted against his cheeks, making them seem paler. He seemed to be in thought, still holding her hand without letting go. Then, his bright eyes were focused on her as he said in all seriousness: “Or are you mad at me? Don’t worry, I will never let that old witch come near you.”
Who would be angry about that? Li Wei Yang didn’t know how to react to this irony. Jiang Yue Lan was only a few years older than her and didn’t quite deserve to be called an old witch yet. However, she completely didn’t see Jiang Yue Lan’s hatred for her coming at all. Who would have thought that Jiang Yue Lan, who was his aunt, actually liked Li Min De? It was unbelievable.
Li Wei Yang glanced at Li Min De and sighed again. It was all because beauty invited calamity.
Early the next morning, Li Wei Yang went to He Xiang Courtyard for greetings. She had yet to reach the door when she heard bursts of laughter from inside. With a face full of joy, a maid greeted her: “Third Xiaojie.”
Li Wei Yang slightly nodded. The maid lifted the curtain, and she walked in, smiling: “It’s been a few days since Grandmother was this happy.”
Jiang Yue Lan, Li Chang Xiao, and even Second Furen and Li Chang Ru were all present in the room. However, the thing was that they all had different expressions on their faces. Seeing Li Wei Yang come in, Lao Furen smiled and said: “Come quickly, there is good news!”
Good news? What good news could the Li family have? Li Wei Yang’s gaze swept over everyone and finally settled on Jiang Yue Lan. Sure enough, Jiang Yue Lan looked at her and smiled. Her lips were curved like a blooming flower, revealing a trace of self-satisfaction that couldn’t be hidden: “Hearing Lao Furen say this, it’s a trivial thing really.”
“You are delivering the foundation for our Li family, how could this be a trivial thing?!” There was a rarely seen look of gentleness on Lao Furen’s face. Since the Jiang family’s incident, Jiang Yue Lan’s association has become somewhat shameful. Lao Furen was not as close to her like before, but she seemed rather satisfied with her right now.
Li Chang Xiao said: “Third Sister, Mother had stomach pains non-stop yesterday in the middle of the night. A doctor was quickly called to examine her and found out she was pregnant, two months along!”
Jiang Yue Lan is pregnant? Li Wei Yang’s smile slightly stiffened, but it quickly returned to normal and seemed very natural: “Congratulations Mother, congratulations Lao Furen!”
Lao Furen had a big smile on her face: “Yes, this is a happy occasion. It’s just that if you have stomach pains, you must be careful and not lose it.”
Jiang Yue Lan subconsciously placed a hand over her stomach and smiled: “Lao Furen doesn’t have to worry. The doctor said that my body is a little weak, and it’s my first pregnancy, so I will have some stomach pains. It’s not a problem really, there’s no need to be concerned.”
Second Furen couldn’t hide her forced smile and the provocative intent in her eyes: “Be careful while you’re pregnant, don’t do too much!”
Lao Furen’s face erupted in fury, glaring at Second Furen as she said: “Listen to yourself! Heavens bestow protection, the Li family will certainly have another son!” Then, she no longer paid attention to Second Furen’s unpleasant face and said to Jiang Yue Lan: “You are pregnant, and this is your first child. You must pay close attention and carefully pick out hardworking servants to look after you, only then will I feel at ease!”
Jiang Yue Lan’s ruddy cheeks revealed her slight embarrassment: “Yes, this daughter-in-law will give you a healthy grandson!”
Second Furen could not stand it. She was counting on Li Xiao Ran to not have any heirs. That way, her son could take over the household, but now, it was not worth mentioning the concubine-born Li Min Zhi, Jiang Yue Lan was pregnant, and if she has a son, Lao Furen will no longer hold the second household in her eyes. Thinking of her own son, she felt even more worried and couldn’t help but say: “It’s only been two months, who knows if it’s male or female, I feel that Eldest Sister-in-Law is fated to have a daughter!”
Second Furen’s foolishness was her inability to hide her resentment for Jiang Yue Lan. It was easy to understand though. She is almost forty years old now, but she had to call an 18 or 19 year old girl Eldest Sister-in-Law. It frustrated her to no end. It would be a different story if Jiang Yue Lan wasn’t capable of much, but she managed to genuinely win Li Xiao Ran over or so it seemed, and her fickle mother-in-law even acknowledged her. In comparison to herself, it was even more of an eyesore.
Lao Furen forcefully set the cup of tea down onto the table as if she was about to angrily scold her but refrained in the end. She would lose face if she argued with a foolish woman at this time.
With a smile, Jiang Yue Lan said: “Younger Sister-in-Law is not wrong. I’m still young, even if this child is a daughter, there will be a son in the future, so Younger Sister-in-Law doesn’t need to worry about this. I must say I’m jealous of you, a son and a daughter is truly a blessing. I heard that Second Brother also has three more concubine-born sons these days. I don’t know when I’ll meet them, if they enter the household, you will certainly be busier.”
Half a month ago, Second Furen learned that her husband had three sons outside in the past couple years, but he continued to hide it from her, afraid she would come to their doorstep and make a scene. He only told her now that the children had grown up and even asked Lao Furen to write the names of these three children into their family genealogy.
Lao Furen would not normally agree to this kind of thing, but considering her second daughter-in-law was indeed someone who would harass them, this concubine-born son’s request was not completely unreasonable. This was only to protect the concubine-born sons, so Lao Furen agreed to it. For this reason, Second Furen lashed out because she was unhappy with Lao Furen. Jiang Yue Lan only needed to say a few things, and Second Furen was trembling in rage as if she was about to explode.
Li Wei Yang glanced at her Second Sister, Li Chang Ru. Li Chang Ru was thinking about what to embroider on her wedding dress and finally came to her senses. She saw her mother was about to get into trouble and quickly brought a cup of tea over, gently elbowing Second Furen as if reminding her to calm down.
Lao Furen scoffed coldly and ignored Second Furen. Looking over at everyone, her voice was warm as the spring breeze: “I am very happy to see our family will soon be very lively! The most important thing now is Yue Lan’s child. You have to take good care, don’t overlook anything, and I need others to be mindful!”
This other was naturally referring to Second Furen, Jiang Yue Lan slightly smiled and bowed in response.
Li Wei Yang was gently smiling the entire time as if she wasn’t aware of the significance of Jiang Yue Lan’s child. Once everyone had left, Lao Furen had her stay back.
“Luo Mama, lead the maids out.”
The atmosphere in the room soon became peaceful. Lao Furen looked at Li Wei Yang and lightly said: “Wei Yang, I hope you understand my dilemma.”
Li Wei Yang smiled and said, “Wei Yang understands.”
Lao Furen took a red date and ate slowly as if savoring it: “I know you are a clever child. Among the three sons, the second-eldest is not my child, and your Third Uncle passed away early, so only your father... He is now in his forties, and aside from your useless Eldest Brother, he only has Min Zhi. Min Zhi is adorable and clever, and I like him very much, but he is not a child of the official wife. Most importantly, no need to mention Seventh Yiniang’s background, ridiculed by everyone in the Capital, this affects you and Min Zhi. I originally intended to find two noble concubines for your father. If they give birth to a son, the son would be handed over to Jiang Yue Lan to be raised, but now she’s pregnant, so this is best!”
Li Wei Yang smiled and brought the plate of light snacks over, “We all understand Lao Furen’s dilemma, so whether Mother has a son or a daughter, they are all descendants of the Li family. Min Zhi will have some playmates, so it couldn’t be better.”
Lao Furen lamented: “Of course. It’s just that as long as Yue Lan doesn’t have an heir, she won’t do anything to Min Zhi, but if she has a child of her own, everything will change, so you must be more careful. You must remember not to bear harmful intentions, but you cannot be without caution either.”
Li Min Feng lost his inheritance rights in the Li family. Jiang Yue Lan was the official mother of the family. If she had a son, he would naturally be the one to righteously inherit everything, but based on Li Xiao Ran’s favor towards Li Min Chi, which surpassed that of Li Min Feng in the past, who knows who the heir will be in the future. After all, there has been a case where the concubine-born son was highly favored and snatched the eldest son’s inheritance rights, so in the current dynasty, the official mother has always suppressed the concubine-born son. It was one thing for Jiang Yue Lan to be wary of Li Min Zhi, but what if she wanted to take action?
Li Lao Furen expected Jiang Yue Lan to give birth to a grandson and heir. At the same time, she hoped Li Wei Yang could protect Li Min Zhi. Given her position, the fact that she was still concerned for Li Min Zhi meant that she was still taking good care of him. Li Wei Yang smiled and said: “Granddaughter understands.”
When she came out of the room, Mo Zhu quietly said: “Xiaojie, Furen is pregnant.”
“En, news spreads quickly.” Li Wei Yang smiled. It seems Jiang Yue Lan’s pregnancy is also a big deal among the maids, and they were all alarmed.
“Xiaojie, don’t you feel worried at all?” Mo Zhu complained. “Once Furen has a child, she will be even more against the Fourth Shaoye!”
Naturally, Li Wei Yang understood this and feared that in Jiang Yue Lan’s eyes, Li Min Zhi had already become an obstacle! It’s just that she can’t let these emotions be seen. She smiled and said: “Don’t think too much about it. The boat will naturally straighten out when it reaches the bridge.”
Ever since the news of Jiang Yue Lan’s pregnancy got out, the weather had gotten colder, and Jiang Yue Lan’s stomach was always troubled. The cold affected the fetal qi. The doctor was called over numerous times, Li Xiao Ran was angry every two or three days, scolding the servants for not carefully serving Furen, making the originally peaceful Li family turn into chaos. Everyone began to act cautiously, fearing that this happy event would turn into misfortune.
Li Wei Yang held a coal heater in her hands and leaned back into the chair, her voice was rather warm: “Oh, that courtyard is in chaos again?”
“Yes, Xiaojie,” Zhao Yue calmly responded. “First, a maid in Furen’s courtyard broke a tea cup, and Furen cried out that her stomach was hurting. Laoye happened to come by to see her, and he said that the maid startled the unborn child, had her beaten 30 times with planks and then chased out.”
“That maid—”
“It’s one of our people.” Zhao Yue softly said, “Furen has already chased away almost all our people this month.”
Li Wei Yang looked calm, but there was hardly a hint of a smile in her eyes. She naturally had people in Jiang Yue Lan’s courtyard, leaving behind some eyes and ears to ensure Min Zhi’s safety, but it was obvious that Jiang Yue Lan had been clearing out these people one by one. It’s not surprising that she would employ this tactic. It was just a matter of punishing a few servants, so outsiders wouldn’t have the slightest clue.
“Is that it?” Li Wei Yang seemed to be contemplating.
“There isn’t anything else that stands out. In any case, Furen always makes a scene several times a day, either having a headache or feeling too hot. It’s really annoying. The doctor has to make several visits a day, everyday.” Zhao Yue said in disgust.
Li Wei Yang nodded and appeared to casually ask: “Is the doctor that examined her pulse the person our household usually invites?”
"This—Nubi has checked, this physician's surname is He, but it is not the physician the Li family usually invites. Furen said this physician is someone that often sees her maiden family, so he knows Furen’s conditions best, better than other physicians altogether, so Laoye especially invited him to examine her.”
Li Wei Yang heard this and smiled slightly: "Have you investigated in detail?"
Zhao Yue raised her head slightly and said, "Yes, this Physician He is indeed a physician who has been with the Jiang family for many years. His medical techniques are often praised, so Laoye did not think much of it and personally invited him.”
Li Wei Yang slowly said, "Send someone to keep a close eye on Physician He."
Everything was going well. Keeping an eye on Furen is one thing, but why keep an eye on a doctor? Beside her, Bai Zhi couldn’t help but wonder: “Xiaojie suspects something?”
A cold light flashed across Li Wei Yang’s eyes: “I just warned Jiang Yue Lan that Lao Furen was about to give Father a few more concubines, and she suddenly became pregnant. Don’t you think this is too much of a coincidence?”
Bai Zhi carefully thought about it for a moment. This is true, but the three doctors that came all discovered her pregnant pulse. This could not be faked. Even if it was faked, she still needed to give birth to a child after ten months. The Li family doors were tightly secured, so even if Jiang Yue Lan was capable, there was no way for her to bring a child in from outside? She definitely did not have the courage, so the pregnancy must be real.
Li Wei Yang looked at her expression and knew what she was thinking. She said in a soft voice: “It's not that I’m paranoid, this is just too much of a coincidence.”
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Translator: Chau
Editor: Chau
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