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Chen Dabao gleefully laughed, calling out, “Mother, the little one is moving. Here should be their tiny feet, and there should be their little heads… Oh, I wish they could come out early.”
Chu Lingxuan just came back from government office today and now at home. Watching the mother and son having fun, he stifled a laugh. When Dabao made his final remark, he quickly added, “I misspoke. They shouldn’t come out early, they must arrive on time.”
His words brought laughter to the ladies.
Chen Feng tenderly embraced Dabao. “Chen Dabao” was the name given by the Wang family, meaning “the treasure of the Chen family.” Though he wasn’t considered a treasure in the Chen family, he had grown up happily and healthily. In his true home, he didn’t even have a name and was simply called Eleventh Prince.
Listening to Chu Lingxuan recount Consort Shan’s plight and her feelings towards Eleventh Prince, Chen Feng felt a pang of bitterness.
In the game of men, many women became sacrifices. Shan Lingling, or Yuan Lin, became a tool for bearing children, suffering greatly due to her eldest son’s disability and her youngest son’s supposed death. Forced into monastic life, she sought solace among ancient Buddhas. Then there was Lady Ma, another unfortunate woman… Even Chu’s young miss, if not for herself, would have lived a lifetime of foolishness… and many more unknown to her…
Chu Lingxuan also mentioned to Chen Feng that after seeing the Eleventh Prince, the Ninth Prince discreetly bowed to him, saying, “This is a token of appreciation from Consort Shan, please accept it on behalf of General Chu’s wife.”
Previously, the Ninth Prince had bowed to two other members of the Chu family, the Marquis Chu and the Chu Lingxuan, with Chen Feng being the third.
As early September arrived, a few days of light rain fell. With each autumn rain, the weather grew colder.
Sitting by the window, Chen Feng gazed at the sky, reminiscing about the fields in the countryside. By now, the autumn corn should have been harvested, and the rice either brought to the city or stored in the granary…
Later in the afternoon, as the rain subsided, Chu Hanyan and Little Li Xuan played joyfully with their animal toys in the corridor, while Chen Feng sat peacefully beside them.
At that moment, a servant arrived, announcing, “Madam, your family have arrived.”
If it were Madam Jiang, the servants would address her as “Madam”, but it seems that the servants indicates that Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang had come.
Chen Feng smiled warmly, saying, “Please come in.”
It had been several months since she last saw them, and she truly missed them.
As Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang entered the courtyard, Chu Hanyan respectfully led Little Xuan to greet them, addressing them as “Grandfather, Grandmother.”
Whenever relatives from the Chu or Chen family visited, Chen Feng never insisted that Li Xuan greet them. Yet, now that the young boy had become more “sensible”, he would politely follow suit whenever he saw his siblings performing greetings, eagerly seeking praise from Chen Feng afterward.
This time, he was particularly perceptive. After finishing the greetings, he turned to Chu Hanyan and asked, “Sister, yesterday, Grandfather and Grandmother were here, but today’s Grandparents are different. Why is that?”
Growing more astute, Chu Hanyan thought for a moment before replying, “We have an extra Grandfather and Grandmother compared to others. It’s great to have that blessing not everyone gets.”
Listening with a bit of confusion, Li Xuan nodded smartly, saying, “Oh, Xuan understands.”
Chen Ming seemed oblivious while Mrs. Wang blushed.
Mrs. Wang appeared thinner, evidently worn out. She exchanged a few words with the children before swiftly walking over to Chen Feng, exclaiming, “Heavens, why is your belly so large? It’s even bigger than women I’ve seen carrying twins.”
Concerned, Chen Ming also remarked upon Chen Feng’s enlarged belly, asking, “Feng, why is your belly so big?”
Chen Feng chuckled helplessly. Her belly had grown rapidly over the past two months, protruding prominently and taut, with visible veins on the surface. Since last month, she couldn’t see her legs or toes, requiring assistance while walking.
Perhaps due to her nutritious diet and the nurturing energy of the space, and even with the consumption of the precious Green Swallow’s Nest, the baby was thriving exceptionally well. The midwife even mentioned that the child was developing excellently and the pregnancy was stable. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the baby was expected to be born at full term.
Typically, twins arrive prematurely, but this might not be the case due to the nourishing essence of the space and the Green Swallow’s Nest. Her due date was early October, with about a month to go. She wished the baby could arrive sooner to alleviate her discomfort.
After entering the house and discussing Chen Feng’s pregnancy for a while, Mrs. Wang then turned the conversation towards Wang Cheng’s matter.
Holding Chen Feng’s hand, Mrs. Wang inquired, “A’Feng, what has your uncle done? Why did son-in-law hide them, and where have they been concealed?”
Before she could finish speaking, tears welled up in her eyes.
Unable to disclose the truth, Chen Feng consoled her, “Please don’t be sad, Mother. Do you doubt your daughter and son-in-law? Your brother really isn’t in trouble. It’s just that some matters are sensitive now, even I am unaware. Your son-in-law mentioned it’s a military secret, and perhaps if your brother is released, he might secure a position.”
Upon hearing that her brother might secure a position, Mrs. Wang’s spirits lifted slightly. She inquired, “When will my brother be released?”
“Next year, probably.” Chen Feng reassured. She wasn’t certain about the timing but hoped that by next year, the situation would have settled.
Chen Ming teased, “See, I told you everything was fine, but you didn’t believe me. Now that you’ve heard it from our daughter, do you believe it?”
Observing the joy in Chen Ming’s expression, it was evident that he had made a good profit this year.
This year was a bountiful one, with good harvests in the fields and substantial profits from the grain store.
Previously, Chen Feng had specifically written to instruct them to sell the “Dingzhou Rice” and “Dingzhou Wheat” if the prices were favorable. Additionally, they were advised to stockpile regular rice and flour, especially corn. Chen Feng had also given these instructions to Lin Bo and the others.
Master Wuzhi had hinted at a possible snow disaster by the year-end, which would lead to a scarcity of food. Chen Feng wasn’t solely focused on profits but also aimed to help as many people as possible.
Chen Ming questioned, “Father followed our daughter’s suggestion. But why stockpile goods?”
Unable to elaborate further, Chen Feng replied, “Father did the right thing by following my advice, which was based on guidance from others.”
Satisfied with her daughter’s judgment, Chen Ming nodded in agreement. He then mentioned, “Father intends to purchase a house and hire more servants to look after the property and assist with tasks.”
Mrs. Wang chimed in, “I wonder why your eldest brother and Mrs. Hu have also decided to buy a property in the city. Both of them and Mother-in-law came along this time.”
Blushing slightly, Chen Ming explained, “What do you mean by my eldest brother deciding? They’ve earned some money and it’s normal to want to buy a house in the city.”
In a hushed tone, Mrs. Wang remarked, “I’m not the only one puzzled, Third brother-in-law and his wife are also surprised.”
Observing Chen Ming’s discomfort, it was clear that he had been saving up to buy a house for his eldest brother.