Tao Yin and Song Qiuqi were both unmarried. Even though they had vaguely heard some stories about the difficulties of childbirth from others, the casual conversations they overheard were nothing compared to the detailed, straightforward, and thrilling account given by the doctor.
After seeing Hua Ming off, the two girls, one big and one small, were terrified. The more they thought about it, the more they felt that Hua Ming's last words were just polite perfunctory.
The two hesitated under the tree in the courtyard for a long time, neither knowing what to do, and stood there anxiously.
****
After the doctor left, Luo Cuiwei, who had been in excellent health lately, immediately opened a large stack of booklets and continued to discuss new ways to increase revenue with Xiahou Ling.
Yun Lie had some free time today, so he wandered around the side hall aimlessly. Luo Cuiwei found him an eyesore, so she jokingly chased him out to make her some soup.
Having received "the Princess's decree," Yun Lie resignedly left the side hall, intending to go to the kitchen, when he happened to see Tao Yin and Song Qiuqi looking at each other with worried expressions in the courtyard.
He found it strange, so he stopped and called the two women over to ask them questions.
After the two panicked girls repeated what Doctor Huaming had said in fits and starts, even the usually fearless Prince Zhao, who would not back down even when faced with swords and axes on the battlefield, was utterly astonished and turned pale.
****
After a short while, Luo Cuiwei and Xiahou Ling roughly settled a few matters. Remembering the doctor's instructions, she handed over the follow-up details to Xiahou Ling to continue sorting them out. She then stood up, supporting her back, and walked out of the side hall, intending to take a couple of laps around the courtyard to stretch her body.
As soon as she reached the eaves, she saw Yun Lie, Tao Yin, and Song Qiuqi standing there with pale faces, like clay sculptures.
"What are you doing...?"
Before she could finish her question, Yun Lie darted up the steps like a whirlwind, rushed to her side, and grabbed her shoulders with both hands. "No, I won't have any more children! I won't have any more children!"
Luo Cuiwei quickly cupped his head in her hands as he shook it violently. "Stop shaking me, it's making me dizzy. What do you mean, 'not having children'?"
Yun Lie, engrossed in all sorts of terrifying imaginings, didn't hear anything and kept repeating, "I'm not having any more children, I'm definitely not having any more."
He had no idea before that childbirth for women was as dangerous as fighting for one's life on the battlefield.
The thought that the little brat might put Luo Cuiwei in such a precarious situation made his blood freeze.
Seeing that he seemed to be unable to communicate, Luo Cuiwei turned her head and looked blankly at Tao Yin and Song Qiuqi, who also looked panicked, "Can someone tell me what's going on?"
Tao Yin, who was the first to regain her composure, responded vaguely and stammered, "Dr. Hua Ming said that childbirth might be dangerous."
“Oh, I asked the doctor when I took my pulse earlier. It varies from person to person,” Luo Cuiwei smiled calmly, then turned back to Yun Lie and said, “Don’t worry, I will remember the doctor’s advice, eat and drink in moderation, move around appropriately, and not get angry or worry. Everything will go smoothly then.”
Yun Lie seemed to ignore her attempts to comfort him, focusing instead on staring intently at her slightly protruding belly.
After a long pause, he solemnly looked up at her and earnestly suggested, "Could we take 'it' out and throw it away?"
Luo Cuiwei was dumbfounded. She stared at him for a long time, amused, and a sense of powerlessness rose in her heart, a feeling that she couldn't explain herself.
Unable to withstand his earnest and stubborn gaze, Luo Cuiwei covered her head with her hands and irritably retorted, "Then why didn't you ask me if it was okay when you put 'it' in there?!"
Everyone present was stunned when he said that.
Even Yun Lie, who had been lost in his panicked fantasies, was startled and stared at Luo Cuiwei in front of him.
He never imagined that his usually shy wife would utter such vulgar words in public.
It was shocking, very...unexpected.
A moment later, Tao Yin blushed, cleared her throat awkwardly, and, as if trying to salvage the situation, reached out and covered Song Qiuqi's ears with both hands. She then turned Song Qiuqi's curious, blushing face to the side and murmured, "Little girl, you don't have ears, you didn't hear anything, good girl."
Xiahou Ling, who had just stepped out of the side hall, quickly shrank back, pretending that she was also a little girl without ears.
A blush of ochre gradually spread across Yun Lie's cheeks. He quickly pursed his thin lips, suppressing the urge to laugh out loud.
The reactions of everyone, and the sly, almost blindingly complex smile in Yun Lie's eyes, made Luo Cuiwei feel that she was in a bad mood, inside and out.
"I suddenly feel sleepy, I'm going back to my room to sleep for a while."
Her face turned as red as a boiled shrimp, and her movements as she turned and walked towards the bedroom were slow and stiff. Every step she took, with her hands and feet moving in unison, exuded deep embarrassment.
79. Chapter Seventy-Nine
Because of the joke Luo Cuiwei made, the previously anxious and uneasy atmosphere in the courtyard seemed to have faded away.
But the doctor's words were so life-or-death, how could those close to him not be worried?
For the next few days, seeing Xiahou Ling and Tao Yin at a loss, and with Yun Lie also struggling to stay awake and suppressing his anxiety, Luo Cuiwei could no longer bear it. Finally, she found a moment of free time, grabbed the three of them who were overly worried, and took them to Jishetang to see Hua Ming again.
After listening to Luo Cuiwei calmly recount the situation at home over the past few days, Hua Ming sighed and said, "I have been practicing medicine on my own for several years and have seen many pregnant women in fear and anxiety before childbirth, but this is the first time I have seen the whole family in fear and anxiety, while the pregnant woman alone is calm and composed."
In front of the three of them, Hua Ming took Luo Cuiwei's pulse again and confirmed that the pregnancy was stable and the fetus was normal. Seeing that Yun Lie was still uneasy, Hua Ming had no choice but to ask the manager of the Linchuan branch of Jishetang for help.
After considering for a while, the shopkeeper suggested to Yun Lie, "If Your Highness is really worried, I will assign a doctor to visit Her Highness every day to take her pulse and also keep an eye on her diet, nutrition, and daily routine. What do you think of this?"
Yun Lie's mind was in a mess, he had no idea whether it was feasible or not. If he really had to say it, he wished he could invite all the best doctors in the world to surround his beloved wife.
"Then I'll leave it to you. If it's convenient, could you please assign Dr. Hua Ming?" Luo Cuiwei was still the calmest. "I will pay Dr. Hua a separate monthly fee, one for each of us at Jishetang, to make sure Dr. Hua goes to all this trouble."
Luo Cuiwei knew that although Jishetang was a medical institution, it was still a business. Hua Ming was one of the doctors in charge of Jishetang's Linchuan branch. Even if it only took up one or two hours of her time each day, Jishetang would inevitably suffer some unseen losses.
Her suggestion was comprehensive, satisfying Yun Lie and making the manager of Jishetang even more pleased.
This incident also inspired Jishetang, giving all the medical clinics under the prestigious name of this family of doctors, which has been passed down for hundreds of years and has branches all over various prefectures, an additional way to make money with clearly marked prices.
****
Because there were still many wounded and destitute former soldiers of the Linchuan Army living in the Prince Zhao's mansion in the capital under the guise of guards, Yun Lie and Luo Cuiwei decided to keep the mansion in the capital. They would use the land that Luo Cuiwei had previously acquired in the suburbs of the capital, plus the money that would be sent back to them from Linchuan every month to subsidize them, to ensure that they would have no worries about food and clothing.
Therefore, the Prince Zhao's residence in the capital needs a capable person to manage it. In addition, the old steward Chen An is getting old and it is inconvenient for him to travel thousands of miles to move to a new place. So these matters are left to the old steward to stay in the capital and manage them in full.
With the new residence nearing completion, Yun Lie sent a letter to the Prince Zhao's residence in the capital, requesting the transfer of two teams of guards and most of the servants and maids to Linchuan. The position of steward of the Prince Zhao's residence in Linchuan fell to Tao Yin.