Southern Song Dynasty Life Consultant

Chapter 47

Cheng Mutian smiled again and told her the story. It turned out that in Longxing Prefecture, there was a couple who had found a baby boy fifteen years ago. They intended to adopt him, but the boy grew increasingly beautiful, and the couple developed a wicked plan. They hired someone to teach him singing and dancing and dressed him up as a girl. The boy dressed as a girl was extremely intelligent; within a few years, he was proficient in poetry, songs, and literature, becoming a local celebrity. Many suitors flocked to him, wanting to marry him. In the end, He Yaohong offered the highest price, buying him for ten thousand strings of cash. It wasn't until their wedding night that they discovered this "woman" was actually a boy.

Xiao Yuan bit the corner of the blanket, incredulous: "Third Brother, to prevent that ten thousand strings of cash from going down the drain, he turned straight into gay?" Cheng Mutian asked curiously: "What straight, what gay?" Xiao Yuan suddenly covered her mouth, realizing that she had really become stupid since becoming pregnant. She had misspoke twice today. Fortunately, she was quick-witted enough to quickly bring up the Green Maiden from eight hundred years ago as a pretext, saying that it was the slang among male prostitutes.

The matter of Green Maiden had caused a rift between them, and Cheng Mutian did not want to mention it again, so he did not delve into the matter of straightness and cursing, and fell into a deep sleep with her in his arms.

The next day, Sister-in-law Yu brought Wu Ge to pay respects to his parents. Xiao Yuan noticed her son's hair had grown long on the sides of his head, so she braided it and let it hang over his shoulders. Now, Wu Ge's hair covered his forehead with two small braids hanging down his shoulders, making him look like a little girl. Xiao Yuan covered her mouth and laughed, "Son, just think of this as a little costume to entertain your parents." Sister-in-law Yu smiled, "Young mistress is so skillful; this is a horn style, all the boys in the city wear this." Xiao Yuan happily said, "Your mouth is skillful too." Cheng Mutian was happy to see his wife so pleased. He tossed a handful of money as a reward to Sister-in-law Yu and then took his wife and son to the front to pay their respects.

The room was filled with a strong smell of medicine, which made Xiao Yuan almost gag. Cheng Mutian helped her stand outside for a while before bringing her inside. Once inside, the two were surprised to find that Master Cheng was not in his room as usual, but was sitting beside Madam Qian with a bowl of medicine in his hands.

Xiao Pa vomited as soon as she opened her mouth. After bowing, she stood silently to the side, only giving Cheng Mutian meaningful glances. Cheng Mutian had no choice but to reluctantly ask, "Is Mother unwell?" Madam Qian stammered, "Yes...no..." Before she could finish speaking, she bent over and began to dry heave. Master Cheng hurriedly put down his bowl, patted her back, and waved to Cheng Mutian and his wife, urging them to leave.

They went out the door and down the stairs, looking at each other in surprise and doubt. When they passed the kitchen, they couldn't help but ask Sister Liu. Sister Liu replied, "Young master and young mistress know too? Yesterday, the mistress was not feeling well and called a doctor to come and see her. He made us in the kitchen to decoct medicine and boil sour soup. It was noisy until dawn."

Chapter 139 Good Thing or Bad Thing?

Mu Tian and his wife returned to their room and remained silent for a long time. Having already had one child and now carrying their second, they knew perfectly well that their stepmother was most likely pregnant. While their suspicions were the same, their worries differed. Cheng Mu Tian worried about the family business he had worked so hard to build, while Xiao Yuan worried that her mother-in-law might take advantage of her pregnancy to make things difficult for her again.

The two worried for several days, but there was no news from Madam Qian. According to the information that A-Yun had found out, Madam Qian had been acting strangely ever since she found out she was pregnant that night. She felt that this person would harm her and that person had no good intentions. All the servants were not allowed to step into the second floor without Xiao Tongqian's permission. Even Aunt Ding was driven to the first floor and squeezed into the same room with the servants.

Xiao Yuan asked, "Didn't Madam say she wasn't feeling well and wanted me to manage the household?" A Yun shook her head and said, "I only heard that she wants to set up a separate small kitchen to live in." Xiao Yuan was somewhat surprised and delighted: "If that's true, then that saves trouble." There was even more joy to come. Xiao Tongqian came to see her personally and said that Madam Qian was in her thirties when she became pregnant with her first child, and that taking care of the pregnancy was her top priority. Therefore, she exempted her son and daughter-in-law from their daily morning and evening greetings and told them not to disturb her unless necessary.

After seeing Xiao Tongqian off, Xiao Yuan seemed to be deep in thought. It turned out that it wasn't just them who were afraid of their stepmother, but their stepmother was also afraid of them. It seemed that Cheng Mutian's move had made her quite wary.

Compared to Xiao Yuan's "blessing in disguise," Cheng Mutian was constantly frowning, rushing out before dawn and returning home after dark. After several days of this, Xiao Yuan sensed something was wrong and pulled him aside, saying, "Erlang, we don't even know if your stepmother is carrying a boy or a girl yet. Don't do anything foolish, or Father will beat you again." Even his eldest sister advised him, "This stepmother is different from a concubine. She has a dowry. Even if we divide the family property, her money will be divided together with the Cheng family's money. You won't suffer any loss." Cheng Mutian gave a bitter smile, shook off his sleeve without a word, and continued to leave early and return late every day.

As the holiday was drawing to a close, it was understandable that Master Cheng was indifferent to affairs; Madam Qian was focused on her pregnancy and did not even show her face, let alone manage household affairs. Only Xiao Tongqian would come downstairs, throw a hundred coins into Xiao Yuan's kitchen, and count out a few coins to give to their kitchen to buy fish, meat and tonics; Cheng Mutian was nowhere to be seen all day, and even when he came home in the evening, he would just eat and go straight to sleep.

That day, Xiao Yuan couldn't hold back any longer and pushed her bowl away, saying, "Is the whole family still going to celebrate the New Year with all this talk?" Cheng Mutian had no appetite at all, so he climbed into bed, covered his head with the blanket, and said in a muffled voice, "I've consulted all the famous doctors in Lin'an City, and they all say that he's at his last gasp."

Xiao Yuan was horrified by his words and rushed over to hug him. Suppressing her panic, she asked softly, "Er Lang, what's wrong with you? Why didn't you tell me? I'm your wife." Cheng Mutian, seeing that he had frightened her, lifted the quilt and hugged her waist, saying, "It's not me, it's Father."

Xiao Yuan didn't believe it: "Are you kidding me? What's wrong with a stepmother being pregnant?" Cheng Mutian clenched his fist behind her back and said hatefully: "A stepmother and Aunt Ding, it must be them who seduced you and ruined your father like this. You don't know, ever since we moved to the apartment, your father has been taking aphrodisiacs like they're food."

Xiao Yuan was startled: "Medicine can be poisonous, what are they trying to do?" Cheng Mutian didn't answer, but she already knew the answer in her heart. It must be his stepmother or Aunt Ding, or both of them conspiring to have a son, which was why they were coaxing Master Cheng to take those harmful medicines every day. "They... they're willing to abandon the old for the sake of the young?" This method was undeniably vicious. Xiao Yuan was somewhat panicked, but then she thought again and felt something was wrong, so she asked: "What if this baby is a girl? Wouldn't they have lost both Master Cheng and their money?"

Cheng Mutian smiled bitterly, "They have no idea how potent this medicine is. They thought it would at most make Father... impotent again."

Actually, Xiaoyuan had the same idea just now. Hearing this, she was truly startled. She grabbed Cheng Mutian's hand tightly and exclaimed, "Erlang!"

Cheng Mutian's eyes welled up with tears. He choked out, "The doctor said... if we're lucky, three years. If we're unlucky, maybe a year or two." He then instructed Xiaoyuan, "Father only thinks my diabetes has worsened, that's why he sent me to see a doctor. He doesn't know the truth. Don't let it slip." Xiaoyuan said, "Of course we'll keep it from Father, but what about Stepmother and Aunt Ding? Are the culprits really free while we have to worry?"

Cheng Mutian already hated Madam Qian and Aunt Ding to the core. He squeezed her hand and said in a deep voice, "You're pregnant too. Don't worry so much. I'll take care of everything." None of those people were worth Xiao Yuanxin's attention. She only reminded Cheng Mutian not to do anything to harm his siblings, and then ignored his actions.

Life is unpredictable. Before Cheng Mutian could even spread the news to Madam Qian and Aunt Ding, Master Cheng, through the doctor at his family's pharmacy, learned the details first. She was nearing death. Anyone would be heartbroken, let alone the life-loving Master Cheng. But the aphrodisiac was something Madam Qian had brought from her family home. She was now pregnant. How could he punish her? He wept for several days. In the end, he put his unborn child before himself, summoning Cheng Mutian and carefully instructing him: "Although your stepmother has wronged you, she has borne children for the Cheng family."

"If she can give birth to a son, then let her go. Aunt Ding shouldn't keep her company either, lest she be unable to stay after I'm gone."

Cheng Mutian knelt before him, tears streaming down his face, and said, "Father has a long life ahead of him. Don't listen to the doctor's nonsense. Leave these matters to Father." Master Cheng smiled bitterly, "I have only wronged your mother in this life, causing her to die unjustly. I will apologize to her when I go down to the underworld. Your wife is a virtuous woman. You must treat her well and not follow my example."

These words sounded like a final farewell. Cheng Mutian cried so hard he couldn't speak. When they returned to their room, he hugged Xiaoyuan and continued to cry, recounting Master Cheng's words to her in broken sentences. How much affection could Xiaoyuan possibly have for Master Cheng? She only thought of the saying, "A dying man's words are kind," but she knew the weight her father-in-law held in her husband's heart. So she racked her brains and recounted many of Master Cheng's great achievements to comfort him, finally coaxing him to sleep just before dawn.

This building was no longer a grand mansion, and with Madam Qian neglecting her duties, rumors spread that Master Cheng didn't have many years left to live. Within days, Sister Cheng, leading several burly old women, stormed into the building facing the street, smashing Madam Qian's room to pieces. She then knelt before Master Cheng, weeping bitterly. Seeing that she only destroyed things and didn't touch Madam Qian, Master Cheng was grateful for her prioritizing the greater good and didn't scold her. Instead, he comforted her, saying, "After I'm gone, the Cheng family still has Erlang. Even if he doesn't like you, he won't care about you. You also have a son; the Jin family won't mistreat you."

Seeing that her father was only thinking of her, Sister Cheng became even more heartbroken. Finding it inconvenient to travel back and forth between the two buildings every day, she vacated a room where Madam Qian kept her belongings and moved here to live. She cooked soup and medicine day and night and personally served Master Cheng.

At this moment, Cheng San Niang also looked at Master Cheng and went to Xiao Yuan's room to chat with her. She asked, "Sister-in-law, I also want to clear out a room to take care of Father. I wonder if my stepmother will allow it?" Xiao Yuan said, "I suppose she will. Neither she nor I can be tired enough to serve at the sickbed. If it weren't for my eldest sister these past few days, the house would definitely be in chaos."

Despite their good intentions, Master Cheng was extremely unwilling. Although his condition had worsened, the effects of the aphrodisiac were still present. He thought that since he didn't have many days left to live, he might as well enjoy himself for one day at a time. Therefore, he not only refused Third Sister Cheng's offer to take care of him, but also persuaded Eldest Sister Cheng to go back home on the grounds of hard work.

Because of his illness, the Cheng family was shrouded in gloom and couldn't even muster the enthusiasm for the New Year. They ate their reunion dinner hastily and went back to their rooms to think about their own little thoughts.

During the first month of the lunar year, several relatives gathered for a New Year's feast. Chen Niang looked Xiao Yuan up and down, then said with satisfaction, "You've gotten even fatter; you must be doing well." Sister Cheng laughed, "These days we don't even see our stepmother; everyone's doing well." Li Wu Niang, holding her chopsticks, searched the table for any edible dishes, then asked curiously, "Are you really poor? It's the New Year, and all you have are simple dishes."

Xiao Yuan blushed and explained, "Ji Qinjian, I'll give them money to buy cooked food later." Sister Cheng also blushed at Madam Qian's stinginess and hurriedly asked someone to bring a table of food from the Jin family to replace it, so that the New Year's feast could be made up for.

Both Li Wuniang and Cheng Sanniang cared about the dowry, and they whispered to Xiaoyuan, "Are you planning to keep subsidizing like this?" Xiaoyuan smiled and said, "It's subsidizing my husband and son, what's wrong with that?" Hearing this, Cheng Sanniang was fine with it, but Li Wuniang said, "It's more reliable to have your own money. Even if it's your husband and son, don't let them spend all your savings." The money Xiaoyuan spent came from the profits of the shops and ships contributed by Cheng Mutian. She didn't want to tell others this, so she just smiled and moved on from the topic.

After a while, she suddenly felt something was wrong. Li Wuniang had spent much more money on her husband's dowry than she had, so why was she advising her instead? She wanted to ask Li Wuniang, but she was afraid there was something hidden and that she would end up crying like Li Wuniang. So, under the pretext of changing clothes, she pulled Sister Cheng into the corridor to inquire.

Sister Cheng, the most easygoing person, sighed first when she saw her asking about Li Wuniang, saying, "Your third brother is currently unemployed and is spending all of Li Wuniang's dowry money, even using it to buy clothes and jewelry for his male lovers." Xiao Yuan shuddered when she heard that he was buying jewelry for his male lovers, and half-jokingly said, "Sister, teach my third sister-in-law your husband-management skills; she's having such a hard time." Sister Cheng said, "Manage what husband? She's almost husbandless. Don't you know? I heard she's going to divorce your third brother, and she's already moved her dowry back to her parents' home."

Chapter 140 Returning Home

Upon hearing that Li Wuniang was seeking a divorce, Xiaoyuan was momentarily at a loss for words. In the Song Dynasty, divorce was initiated by the husband's family, while a formal divorce was generally proposed by the wife's family, and this wife's family had to have considerable status and power. The Li family was indeed a powerful and influential clan, while the He family had fallen on hard times. If Li Wuniang was truly determined to divorce, He Yaohong might not be able to keep her, or perhaps he simply didn't want to keep her at all?

She couldn't tell who was closer to her between He Yaohong and Li Wuniang. Her thoughts were in turmoil, and she blurted out, "Elder sister, do you think they should divorce?" Elder sister Cheng replied with a strong voice, "Divorce, of course they should divorce. She has a dowry of 100,000. Even if she leaves the He family, there are plenty of good men waiting to marry her."

Xiao Yuan understood that what she said made sense, but a man who had been "divorced" by his wife had lost all face, had no money, and although he had an official position, he had no duties. What good woman could he possibly find? No matter how absurd He Yaohong's behavior was, he was still her third brother, and she ultimately hoped that he could live a better life. So she took some time to go back to her parents' home and tried to persuade him. Although she couldn't improve his relationship with Li Wuniang, she managed to convince him to sell his male concubine in the outer quarters and get 10,000 strings of cash to return to Li Wuniang.

The Lantern Festival was just around the corner, the most festive day for the Song people. However, no one in the Cheng family was in the mood to celebrate. But three or four days after the festival, they finally received the news that they could go home. Even Master Cheng was overjoyed and personally urged the servants to pack their bags and return home immediately.

Xiao Yuan and Sister Cheng were playing with the children in the room when they heard the commotion and came out to see what was happening. Master Cheng and Madam Qian had already left in their sedan chairs, unable to wait any longer. Most of the furniture in their building had been packed and boxed. Xiao Yuan, who was now too afraid to say a word, pretended not to see anything. Sister Cheng, however, was furious. She grabbed a young maid and scolded, "Have you cleaned your house? Have all the servants returned to their places? You rushed back without tidying up anything, and Master is still ill!"

The little maid was so frightened that she trembled and answered in a shaky voice, "Big sister, I only heard Little Copper Coin Sister come down and say that the master and madam left in their sedan chairs, saying that they would inform you and the young mistress after we finished moving, so that there wouldn't be too many people blocking the gate when we moved together."

This time it was Sister Cheng's turn to tremble. She pushed the little maid away, lifted her skirt, and rushed back to Lou Xiaoyuan, saying, "Isn't Father's current state caused by his stepmother? Yet he still spoils her so much, indulging her in everything."

Xiao Yuan was holding him and asking him what he wanted to eat for lunch when she heard this. She looked up and laughed, "You, the matriarch of the household, aren't in a hurry to go back and move, but instead you're here arguing with me."

Sister Cheng didn't want to move back. After she returned, Young Master Jin would be nowhere to be seen all day, and he would go to sleep with his concubines every night. She was too ashamed to say it out loud, so she said, "The house is not small. We will stay here for two more days and go back after the servants have tidied up."

Just then, Mu Tian coughed at the door. She quickly got up to say goodbye, and as she walked to the door, she said, "Don't be too accommodating to your stepmother. Even if you don't think about yourselves, you should think about the children." Wu Ge waved his little hand enthusiastically at her and called out, "Stepmother, Stepmother."

Cheng Mu hurriedly told Sister-in-law Yu to take the talkative little one out. He went into the room and said to Xiao Yuan, "Don't listen to your eldest sister. If word gets out that you're unfilial, everyone will want to kill you. I've already made arrangements for your stepmother. You just need to take good care of your pregnancy and look after Wu Ge."

Xiao Yuan picked up a few pieces of leather from the small table and sewed them together. She said, "I don't care. I didn't say a word even with all that commotion at the building upstairs." Cheng Mutian walked over and sat down next to her. He said, "Father has Huaihua serving him. I asked Cheng Fu and A Xiu to go with him too. I don't think it will be too tiring for him. The Fourth Bureau and Sixth Division are staying at your estate. We'll call them back later. Let's wait a bit longer."

The emphasis of his words was in the second half. Xiao Yuan, of course, knew this. She smiled and asked, "With such a large house and no manpower, aren't you afraid your stepmother will make a mess of things?" Cheng Mutian liked to plan, but he didn't like to talk about it. After hesitating for a while, he finally said, "Once she realizes how difficult it is to manage a household, she'll naturally hand over the reins."

Xiao Yuan sewed a few stitches. Feeling the stitches were crooked, she took the needle off and handed it to him. She went to remove the stitches herself. In her haste, she asked, "This wasn't your original plan. A stepmother managing the household, spending more of her dowry money, wouldn't that be better?" Seeing her clumsy and flustered, Cheng Mutian first snatched the leather bag from her before saying, "You're clumsy and slow-witted. Did I painstakingly falsify the accounts just so she could manage the household? Originally, I planned to take her over after you gave birth to your second child. But things are different now. She holds power, and who knows how much more she might want. I'm not as kind-hearted as you, willing to hand over my hard-earned money."

Before Xiaoyuan could object, he pointed to the strangely shaped pieces of leather and asked, "What kind of leather is this? What are you going to sew it for? It doesn't even look like clothing."

Xiao Yuan held up the half-finished product, proudly showing it off: "This is a balloon. I sewed it together from cowhide. I made it for my son to play football with."

Cheng Mutian looked at her with a strange expression. Xiao Yuan thought her work was too advanced and quickly said, "Don't we have balloons in our Great Song Dynasty? I didn't make this up."

Cheng Mutian's mocking voice was very loud: "To sew a balloon, you need ten or twelve pieces of cowhide. After sewing, the balloon should be perfectly round, and each piece should be shaped like an orange segment. The so-called 'corner inlay, slanted, flat, and straight stitches' and 'must be pieced together to make it perfectly round.' You only have six pieces of leather, and the stitches are crooked. What kind of thing can you sew?"

Xiao Yuan lowered her head in shame, haphazardly untying the needle and thread, muttering, "Aren't you a businessman? How do you know so much?" Cheng Mutian's smile suddenly dimmed, and he said in a low voice, "Before my leg became lame, I also loved playing Cuju (ancient Chinese football)." Seeing his expression, Xiao Yuan deeply regretted her earlier loose tongue and quickly dropped her bragging rights to comfort him. Cheng Mutian put his arm around her waist, which was showing signs of widening, rested his head on her shoulder, and took the opportunity to make a request: "With your time, why don't you sew me a purse?"

The heartbroken are the most important, so Xiao Yuan could only nod and abandon the cowhide to look for silk. Cheng Mutian picked up the few good pieces of cowhide and went to a football teahouse run by a boss named Huang Jianzui, asking the skillful female shop assistant in his shop to sew a perfectly round balloon for Brother Wu.

Just as Xiaoyuan finished untangling the thread in her purse, Cheng Fu came from the household to pick them up. Cheng Mutian asked in surprise, "Isn't the household short of manpower? Didn't Madam tell the young mistress to bring back the Four Bureaus and Six Departments?" Cheng Fu replied, "Madam bought a bunch of random servants and even stopped us from informing you. Axiu has been jumping up and down in a panic at home for days."

They had been waiting all this time without going home, just for this scene. Madam Qian now sees everyone as a bad person, so it's better to let her hire servants herself, lest any problems arise and everyone else is blamed. Xiao Yuan sighed, cut the tangled thread clean at the root, and said, "I really lack skill in needlework, I should go back to managing the household." Cheng Fu hesitated and said, "Madam didn't say that the young mistress should manage the household."

Was the stepmother so afraid that her son and daughter-in-law would harm her that she insisted on managing the household? Xiao Yuan stroked her slightly protruding belly and laughed, "Who wants to manage the household? It's too much trouble. I'll just manage my own little courtyard. Go and tell A Zhu to kick out all the irrelevant people from our courtyard. Also, have someone inform Tian Er that the people from the Fourth Bureau and Sixth Division should be returned intact. Collect your monthly wages from me."

Cheng Fu looked at her, hesitant to speak, but decided to swallow his words. After leaving the room and going downstairs, he stood behind a pillar waiting for Cheng Mutian. A short while later, Cheng Mutian arrived and asked, "What's so mysterious about that you're keeping it from the young mistress?" Cheng Fu smiled and said, "Normally, I would have told her, but the young mistress is pregnant. If I told her about the three or four pretty maids living in your courtyard, wouldn't that upset her?"

Cheng Mutian didn't answer, but looked behind him. Cheng Fu suddenly realized what was going on, and turned around to see Xiao Yuan smiling at him: "What's the big deal? Tell Axiu to throw it out. I'll take care of it if anything happens." Cheng Fu laughed: "She's the best at this kind of thing. I'll go back and tell her now. Once things are settled at home, I'll come back to pick up the young master and young mistress."

Xiao Yuan nodded with a smile, looked at him, but turned around with a cold face: "Will this stepmother ever stop? Is it fun to make me feel so upset?" Cheng Mutian called Cai Lian over to help her upstairs and followed behind her, saying: "It is still unknown whether she is carrying a boy or a girl. You have a son, so why are you afraid of her? From now on, let's live separately."

Xiao Yuan understood his meaning. From now on, the Cheng family would have one house and two sets of staff. It was truly pitiful and lamentable that someone as filial as him had been forced into being unfilial by Madam Qian. Back in her room, Xiao Yuan continued sewing her little purse, finally finishing it before going home. The uneven stitches, paired with the red heart in the center, one side larger than the other, had a unique charm. She personally hung the purse on Cheng Mutian's waist, listening to his insincere "sarcasm," and couldn't help but smile softly. She had a devoted husband, a lovely son, and a group of loyal servants. Her stepmother's petty actions seemed so laughable in the face of this happiness.

A light spring drizzle fell that day. Cheng Mutian and Xiaoyuan, along with Wu Ge, rode in sedan chairs home, first going to the second courtyard to pay their respects. Madam Qian, who had been holding back for days, finally couldn't help but make a small fuss, questioning, "As juniors, how can you expect your elders to come back first and clean the courtyard to wait for you? What kind of talk is that?"

Xiao Yuan cried out "Ouch!" and collapsed before she could speak, startling Cheng Mu and Master Cheng. One rushed to help her up, while the other hurriedly called for a doctor. Leaning against Cheng Mutian's chest, she weakly answered Madam Qian's question: "Mother, it's not that I'm being lazy, it's just that I've aggravated the pregnancy, and I haven't fully recovered yet. These past few days, the problem has flared up again."

The miscarriage was a result of that incident caused by Madam Qian. No one in the room dared to speak, and Madam Qian's face darkened as she slammed her teacup down. Master Cheng was torn between his daughter-in-law and his wife, both carrying his family's children. He couldn't show favoritism to either of them and was in a state of great anxiety.

Cheng Mutian still felt sorry for his father, so he quickly helped Xiaoyuan walk outside and said, "Father, stay with Mother. Call the doctor to our courtyard."

Chapter 141 Mu Tian Gets Beaten

Once inside the room, Xiao Yuan snuggled against Cheng Mutian, refusing to lie down on the couch. "I pretended to faint earlier, and I thought you were going to follow the rules and not help me up." Cheng Mutian angrily pinched her waist and forced her to lie down on the couch, saying, "You have the nerve to say that? You pretended to faint without even telling me, it scared me to death."

Xiao Yuan, feeling guilty, half-covered her face and begged for mercy: "I was just afraid that you would be branded as unfilial." Cheng Mutian chuckled and said, "Actually, what I said was pretty much the same, but I didn't expect you to pretend to be dizzy."

Cailian coughed outside, lifted the curtain, and brought in the doctor to take her pulse. The doctor was from her own shop, so he naturally had to listen to the young master Cheng Mutian. He made her feigned fainting sound like a real fainting, and her normal pulse sound like a dangerous one. As a result, Madam Qian was scolded by Master Cheng, and once again Xiaoyuan was exempted from her morning and evening greetings. Even the four bureaus and six departments that had returned home did not dare to raise any objections.

For the next few months, they were wary of Madam Qian, and Madam Qian was also wary of them. In this way, they lived in peace and were even less troubled than before.

That day, Xiao Yuan sat in the courtyard, holding her belly, watching Wu Ge kick balloons while basking in the sun. Cheng Mutian returned from the shop and saw this scene. Startled, he scooped Wu Ge up and yelled at Sister-in-law Yu and Madam Sun, "How could you let him kick it here? What if the ball bounces onto the young mistress's belly?"

Xiao Yuan quickly went up to Wu Ge, who was crying loudly, and scolded him, "He's so young. The ball was rolling on the ground. He couldn't kick it at all. How could it hurt me?" She was afraid that Wu Ge would hate his unborn younger brother or sister because of this, so she hugged him and comforted him for a while. Then she ordered someone to find the ball and put it at his feet herself.

Cheng Mutian stood in front of Xiaoyuan for a long time, and seeing that Wu-ge was indeed rolling the ball instead of kicking it, he felt relieved but also guilty. He said, "If this ball is too big, make a smaller one and let him kick it in the garden." Xiaoyuan tugged at the heart-shaped purse at his waist and asked with a smile, "Is this one suitable?" Cheng Mutian muttered to himself: Just because of this purse, I get laughed at every time I go out. I have to muster up all my courage to go out every day, and you still have the nerve to ask? The servants were all nearby, but he remembered to save face for his clumsy wife and just stood there without saying a word.

Xiao Yuan rubbed her hands and stood up, supporting Cai Lian's hand as they walked towards the small kitchen. She smiled and said, "Watch Wu Ge make him steamed eggs with minced meat; he's been clamoring for it this morning." Cheng Mutian's jaw nearly dropped. "Wife, you're going to cook?" Xiao Yuan replied, "I'm pregnant, not sick. Why can't I cook? More exercise is good for me." Cheng Mutian thought to himself, "Wife, you've misunderstood. What I meant was that since I came to this house, I've only made bitter melon salad once, and I even forgot to add salt. Why am I being so domestic now?" He glanced at his son, who was drooling with anticipation for the steamed eggs, and felt a surge of jealousy. He followed her into the kitchen without realizing it, and said sourly, "Wife, I'd like to have steamed goose tonight."

"Are you trying to wear me out? Go out and play with your son." Xiao Jiao pushed him out and closed the kitchen door, quietly asking the cook, "How do you make steamed goose in a cup?" The cook suppressed a laugh and showed her the fatty goose meat, instructing her to cut it into thin strips, mix it with salt, wine, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorns, and then steam it in a white cup. Xiao Yuan picked up a white cup and looked at it; it was just a shallow basin specifically for steaming food. She laughed and said, "No wonder it's called 'steamed goose in a cup,' it doesn't seem difficult to me."

She told the cook to watch the heat, beat the eggs, and mince the meat. She called for A-Yun to bring a large bowl, but when she called twice, it was Cai-Lian who came. She whispered, "The sumo wrestling troupe leader's daughter is here to see Sun Da-Lang again. The servant at the gate favors A-Yun and is keeping it from Sun Da-Lang, only telling her. She's busy going out to meet someone." The servant at the gate favors A-Yun, but Xiao-Yuan is just as biased towards her, otherwise she wouldn't have allowed her to neglect her duties to meet her rival time and time again.

Seeing that Xiaoyuan remained silent, Cailian took the meat from her and helped her chop it. She laughed, "They say men mature later than women. Sun Dalang is only thirteen, and he already knows how to flirt." Xiaoyuan stirred the eggs, pondered this for a moment, and asked, "You mean, Sun Dalang is thinking about the troupe leader's daughter, not Ayun?"

Cailian nodded. She said, "According to Sun Dalang's story, when he first returned to Lin'an, he couldn't beg for food one day and fainted by the roadside. It was Zhang Zhennu, the daughter of the troupe leader, who saved him and even persuaded the leader to take him into the sumo wrestling troupe. I reckon Sun Dalang was grateful, which is why he got together with her." Xiaoyuan's heart swayed drastically. She stirred her chopsticks vigorously in her bowl. She said, "Grateful for what? If they really wanted him as a son-in-law, they wouldn't have forced him to sign a contract of servitude."

Ah Cai remained silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke up: "I ran into Cai Mei the other day. As soon as her parents-in-law passed away, her house and property were seized by the clan. They kicked her out, and now she's begging on the street. I was afraid that if the young mistress saw her, she would be upset, so I just gave her a few steamed buns and told her to leave."

Cailian hurriedly said, "Caimei brought this upon herself. The young mistress has already advised her against it." Xiaoyuan came to her senses. She realized this was advice to avoid making a mistake. She gave a self-deprecating smile: "You're right. You can't force things like this. As long as Sun Dalang doesn't propose, I'll pretend I don't know."

Since becoming pregnant, her reactions have been a bit slow. Only after the eggs and goose were steamed did she remember: "Ah Cai said Cai Mei is homeless? Although her judgment of character isn't great, she's been quite devoted to being my maid. Let's call her back to work."

Cailian and Acai felt sorry for Caimei, so they searched for her early the next morning. Unexpectedly, Caimei was determined to become a nun, but she couldn't find a way to do so. Fan thought to himself that everyone has their own ambitions, so he granted her wish and sent someone to find a clean nunnery, offered her incense money, and sent her there.

The spring sunshine was always bright. Cheng Mutian had spent half a day shirking his responsibilities, accompanying his wife on a stroll through the garden. Looking around, apart from the artificial hill and pavilion, everything else was a sorry sight. There were no flowers in the nursery, no fish in the pond, and even the three flowering trees had withered, leaving only one. A bitter smile appeared on his lips: "If it weren't for this warm breeze, I would have thought it was the dead of winter."

Now, the garden not only has its own people, but also the gardener that Madam Qian has newly hired. Xiao Yuan gently tugged at his sleeve and said, "My stepmother is spending her own dowry money, so we shouldn't ask for too much." Cheng Mutian glanced at the few unfamiliar servants and changed the subject: "The steamed goose that day was quite delicious, it even had the style of a head chef from a proper restaurant."

Xiao Yuan covered her mouth and laughed, "If you want to eat more, just say so. While I can still move, once the second child is born, it will be both the first and the second, and you, as the father, will have to step aside." Cheng Mutian's heart began to ache again. He turned his head to look at the empty nursery and asked the gardeners that Madam Qian had hired, "There are neither grass nor flowers here. What did Madam hire you for?"

The gardeners kept their heads down, not daring to answer. Xiao Yuan quickly pulled Cheng Mutian to a side path and said, "Don't you know what they're here for? Why ask and make both sides unhappy? Anyway, we have more people in the garden, so it's not a loss." Cheng Mutian snorted and whispered, "She wouldn't dare to harm you." Xiao Yuan laughed, "Harm me? She'd have to have the ability. She's afraid I'll harm her."

Cheng Mutian glanced at her belly and then remembered something important, asking, "You're over seven months along now. Will anyone send you a gift to encourage labor in another month or so?"

Xiao Yuan's maternal family, the Madam and the first and second wives, are unreliable. The only family she is close to, the third wife, is incompatible with her husband. Li Wu Niang has already moved her dowry and moved to another house. He Yao Hong's behavior is the most puzzling. He stays at home alone with his two sons, neither buying any more male lovers nor taking any more concubines, but he just won't bring Li Wu Niang back.

Xiao Yuan gave a wry smile: "Third Sister-in-law probably has no heart to care about me anymore. How about we prepare a separate package and say it's from my family?" Cheng Mutian glared at her: "You'll make a fool of yourself."

He couldn't bear to see his wife being treated like this, so he found an opportunity to invite He Yaohong to a proper restaurant for drinks. After a few rounds of drinks, taking advantage of his slight drunkenness, he asked with a smile, "Third brother, being both father and mother must be tough, right?" Upon hearing this, He Yaohong immediately replaced his small silver coin with a large porcelain cup, downed three cups of wine in one go, and sighed bitterly, "What else can I do? I'm not as lucky as you to have married a virtuous wife like my sister."

How could anyone praise their own sister like that? Cheng Mutian said this with embarrassment, but he couldn't help feeling a little proud. He was smug for a while before remembering the purpose of his trip. He quickly put down the silver coin and deliberately provoked him, saying, "Where is she virtuous? She is far inferior to her third sister-in-law. She didn't give me any of her dowry money to spend, nor did she let me take a concubine. Back in the day, I also had a male favorite named Lüniang who came to my door, but she chased him away."

He Yaohong had been drinking heavily and was already about 80% drunk. He couldn't think of distinguishing between truth and falsehood. He reached over the table and punched Cheng Mutian in the face, yelling, "You scolded my sister in public, did she ever talk back? You didn't let her show her face in public, did she ever step out of the house? Your muddle-headed father and your fault-finding stepmother, when have they ever given her a good day? Did she ever utter a single complaint? You have such a good wife but don't cherish her, instead you're full of complaints. If you really dislike her, you might as well send her back to the He family, and I'll find her a better one."

The insults grew increasingly harsh. Fortunately, they were in a private room, and no one else was around. Cheng Mutian, ignoring the swelling on her face, went up to him and tried to reason with him, explaining that her earlier words were meant to provoke him. He Yaohong, however, was furious and wouldn't listen. Seeing Cheng Mutian approach, he saw an opportunity to throw a few more punches to vent his anger for his sister. Cheng Mutian, unwilling to be beaten by an unknown assailant, didn't retaliate but tried to defend himself. The two wrestled and fought, eventually becoming a brawl. By the time the waiter heard the commotion and came in to separate them, the table was a mess, and the vases in the corner and the paintings on the wall were all smashed to pieces by He Yaohong's fists during the fight.

Chapter 142 Old Man He's Thoughts

Mu Tian straightened his wrinkled and torn clothes, tossed a few coins to the waiter, summoned Cheng Fu, and stuffed the exhausted and drunk He Yaohong into the sedan chair, carrying him back to the He residence.

In the small courtyard of the He family's third branch, He Yaohong's two sons, one year old and the other one, were playing in the mud. The younger one, not understanding, grabbed a piece of mud and stuffed it into his mouth. Cheng Fu, quick as a flash, stepped forward, grabbed his little hand, took a piece of candy from his purse, and stuffed it into his mouth, coaxing him to throw away the mud. The older one, seeing that his younger brother had candy but he didn't, burst into tears, making the ground tremble. Cheng Fu rummaged through his purse, turned back to Cheng Mutian, and smiled wryly: "Xi Ge ate them all when we left. There's only one piece left. Does Young Master have any in his purse?"

Cheng Mutian handed He Yaohong over to him and helped him into the house. He then went to rummage through the red heart-shaped purse and actually found a piece of candy. After thinking for a moment, he realized that it was something his older brother had secretly slipped into the purse earlier that morning because he felt sorry for their father not having any candy. A smile unconsciously appeared on his face. He took the candy and coaxed He Yaohong's eldest son, asking him, "Brother Quan, where is your wet nurse?" Brother Quan was busy sucking on the candy and only answered after a while, "Clothes."