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As Mrs. Liu finished speaking, Mrs. Fu and Mrs. Qin burst into laughter.
Mrs. Qin chuckled, “I’ve never seen twins as big as Yu and Ming. Oh, Lady Chu is truly remarkable. The two children together weigh over ten pounds. The other day, I saw a pair of twins born, one weighing four and a half pounds, the other not even four pounds. Now, that is small.”
Mrs. Fu remarked, “Together, they weigh eight pounds, not small at all.”
Chen Yuhui’s face flushed with anger. She was about to retort but thought better of it, realizing these people were all allies of Chen Feng and didn’t seem to care about her position as the General’s daughter-in-law. She huffed in silence, tugging at her handkerchief.
At that moment, laughter and conversation could be heard from outside, signaling the arrival of Madam He. Soon after, a maid entered and informed Chen Yuhui that the lady of the house requested her presence outside.
Blushing, Chen Yuhui walked out and greeted Madam He with a formal bow.
Madam He’s attitude towards Chen Yuhui was notably pleasant this time, even more so towards Madam Jiang, which surprised the latter.
The sudden change in Madam He’s demeanor was due to repeated instructions from General He. He had emphasized that Chen Shiying’s efforts to promote high-yield crops in the Dingzhou region had greatly pleased the Emperor and received high praise from the esteemed elders. If these crops could be successfully promoted nationwide, it would significantly strengthen the country. Chen Shiying was likely to be highly valued in the future, possibly even being appointed to the Ministry of Works or even becoming an Assistant Minister. It was rumored that the current Assistant Minister was aging and had submitted his resignation… In that case, even if the Chen family married off a daughter from a concubine, they wouldn’t lose out.
Although his son didn’t care for this girl, he urged some tolerance, especially towards Madam Jiang, who must be treated with respect. Despite his son being unreliable, adults should still treat others well…
Upon witnessing Madam He’s amiable behavior and compliments towards her, Chen Yuhui became excited, her cheeks turning red with emotion. After receiving several meaningful looks from Madam Jiang, she bent her knee in a curtsy, bid farewell to Madam He, and then proceeded to Chen Feng’s room.
However, as soon as she entered, Chen Yuqing and Chen Yuxia emerged and pulled her to the back garden to play.
Madam Jiang went to attend to other guests, while Madam He’s 12-year-old daughter, He Ying, remarked, “Mother, that Chen girl isn’t at all attractive, with such a long face. No wonder my brother took on two more concubines, it turns out his fiancée is too ugly.”
Madam He scolded her in a hushed tone, “Don’t say such things. If anyone overhears, how will you find a good match in the future.”
Muttering to herself, He Ying pouted, “They say Mr. Chen is the most handsome scholar, but how can his daughter look like this…”
As the third-month celebration began, the two children were carried out, receiving a chorus of praises once again.
Finally, as the afternoon turned into evening, the guests departed, and Chen Feng breathed a sigh of relief.
That evening, gifts for the children arrived from the Yongning Marquis’s residence, including gold and silver fabrics, writing materials, and supplements and clothing for Chen Feng. They also received gifts from the Prince Rui Mansion.
Upon seeing Third Madam Chu’s letter, Chen Feng couldn’t contain her joy. She turned to Chu Lingxuan and said, “I’ve given birth to two sons. Besides Rong Zhao and Second Madam being unhappy, guess who else is unhappy?”
Chu Lingxuan nonchalantly replied, “My wife giving birth to sons bothers who else’s eyes? We don’t have that many enemies, do we.”
Chen Feng chuckled, “It’s Third Aunt who’s unhappy. She thinks boys are troublesome and only pretty daughters are good. She initially hoped I would have two daughters so she could take one in. Now that it’s impossible, she’s feeling down.”
Chu Lingxuan smirked, “If Grandfather knew Third Aunt’s thoughts, aside from scolding her, he’d surely give Third Uncle a beating.”
The next day, when Chen Feng woke up, Chu Lingxuan had already gone to work, and Dabao and Chu Lingzhi had gone to school.
After finishing her meal and feeding the children, Chu Hanyan and Li Xuan arrived.
This childbirth, which had been a near-death experience, made Chen Feng even more sympathetic towards lady Ma. She realized the struggles of a woman used as a pawn by her family, ignored by her husband, caught between her natal and marital families, and ultimately perishing during childbirth, were truly pitiful.
She pulled Chu Hanyan closer, smoothed her hair, and asked with a smile, “Is your little brother adorable?”
Chu Hanyan beamed at Chen Feng and replied, “Little brother is so cute, even cuter than me.”
If these words had come from Dabao, it might have been a ploy to see whom his mother favored more. But coming from the little girl, Chen Feng knew it was sincere.
Chen Feng smiled and said, “In a mother’s eyes, both you and your brother are equally adorable.”
Chu Hanyan sweetly smiled back at Chen Feng.
After spending some time admiring their little brother, the children were encouraged by the mothers to go play with the pets.
Before long, Chen Ming, Mrs. Wang, grandma Chen, Chen Ye, Mrs. Hu, and the entire Chen family arrived.
They were ushered directly into the main courtyard. Bringing plenty of chickens and eggs, the main and third households even presented silver bracelets, several sets of children’s clothing, and shoes, while the elderly lady personally gifted a pair of silver bracelets. The garments and shoes from the main household were crafted by Mrs. Gao, as Mrs. Hu was not as diligent.
Grandma Chen and the main branch spared no expense on this occasion, although they believed the most valuable silver bracelets were unnecessary.
While the men sat in the main hall, a few women, including the elderly lady, entered the bedroom and showered the children with praise.
In an unexpected turn, Mrs. Hu not only refrained from making negative comments but also lavished praise on the General’s Mansion, saying, “Oh my, this place is much grander and more impressive than Tangyuan Estate. It truly resembles a celestial abode. I felt disoriented the moment I stepped inside… Ah, Feng, marrying Mr. Chu is like falling into a treasure trove of blessings. With such wealth, don’t forget us poor relatives. My newly acquired property is small and in a poor location…”
Enraged, the elderly lady couldn’t bear Mrs. Hu’s open suggestion of pulling benefits from her natal family in her in-laws’ residence, especially given the questionable status of her own natal family. She scolded, “What nonsense are you spewing? If you can’t speak sensibly, then keep quiet.”
Upon hearing Mrs. Hu, Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Zhang grew irritated. In a different setting, they would have united to confront her, but in Chen Feng’s room, they held their tongues. Pretending not to have heard, they continued to play with the children.
Unbeknownst to them, Qiqi had slipped in at some point. Upon hearing the elderly lady scold Mrs. Hu, it too began scolding, “You greedy woman, keep pushing it, and I’ll slap you.” The voice belonged to Chen Ye.
In the countryside, whenever the elderly lady scolded Mrs. Hu, Chen Ye would respond in this manner, and Qiqi had learned from him.
Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Zhang burst into laughter. Mrs. Zhang remarked, “This bird has become quite clever, mimicking the words of the eldest brother.”
Mrs. Hu, red-faced with anger, exclaimed, “Feng, how can you teach your bird to swear at people?” With that, she kicked Qiqi out, who fled while shouting for help.