Chapter 39: The Anxious Wen Ye

As soon as Wen Ye stepped down from his carriage, one of his third brother’s attendants quickly invited him to the Bamboo Listening Pavilion (Wen Jing’s courtyard). Wen Ye was a bit puzzled, wondering why his third brother was in such a hurry to see him.

“Third Brother, I’ve returned. Why are you in such a rush to see me?” Wen Ye’s voice reached the room before he did.

“Miss Shu, Second Uncle is back! I’m going to greet him!” Little Tuan Zi, who had been watching the game of chess, immediately greeted Mu Rong Shu and Wen Jing before rushing out.

“Yu Er, where’s Third Uncle?” Wen Ye asked his nephew.

“Third Uncle is playing chess with Miss Shu, so I came to greet Second Uncle,” Little Tuan Zi answered with a proud expression, making Wen Ye smile.

“Our Yu Er is truly Second Uncle’s thoughtful little darling. How about, when Second Uncle has some free time, we take Yu Er to the market to have some fun?” Wen Ye teased, fulfilling Little Tuan Zi’s expectations.

“Then it’s settled! Second Uncle must not forget!” Little Tuan Zi quickly made sure to seal the deal.

“Don’t worry, I never lie to you,” Wen Ye said as he picked Little Tuan Zi up and walked into the room, deciding that this time, he would definitely take his nephew out when he had time.

Upon entering, Wen Ye noticed Mu Rong Shu was also there and immediately straightened up, becoming more serious. “Third Brother, what is the urgent matter you needed to discuss with me?”

“It’s not Third Brother, it’s me who’s looking for you!” Mu Rong Shu had just placed the final piece in her game of chess and looked up at Wen Ye.

This time, it was Wen Ye who was surprised. His first thought was whether Mus had gone and complained to his little niece about something. But then he quickly dismissed the idea, he hadn’t argued with Mu’s recently.

“Miss Mu Rong, did you come specifically to find me?” Wen Ye asked nervously, but he was met with looks of disdain from Wen Jing and Little Tuan Zi, as if to say, “You really think Miss Mu Rong came all this way just to see you?”

“I was waiting for you. I want to discuss Madam’s situation with you,” Mu Rong Shu’s words caused Wen Ye’s voice to falter with shock.

“Miss Mu Rong, is something wrong with my wife’s health? Is it serious?” Wen Ye asked, his heart sinking.

“Madam Wen Er is a bit more than a month pregnant.”

“Pregnant? How should we treat it? Wait… what? You mean my wife is pregnant?” Wen Ye started to ask about treatment but then realized halfway through what Mu Rong Shu meant, his wife was expecting again.

“I just examined Madam Wen Er’s pulse this afternoon. With the current heat, she shouldn’t go outside. We should wait until the first three months pass before doing anything more.”

“She shouldn’t go out, then she won’t go anywhere,” Wen Ye, still in shock, barely responded.

“Also, Madam Wen Er’s emotions are a bit overstimulated, which could harm the pregnancy, so you should take extra care to console her. Try to spend time with her as much as possible every day. Raising a child is a joint effort between both parents, and you should be involved to make sure the baby bonds well with you.”

Mu Rong Shu had initially been concerned that Wen Ye might misunderstand her advice to mean something else, but Wen Ye completely misunderstood her meaning.

“Miss Mu Rong, I understand. I’ll write a report to the emperor tonight informing him of my wife’s pregnancy. I’m going to be a father! Starting tomorrow, I’m taking leave to stay home with her. She can’t go out, so I’ll be staying with her.”

Wen Ye bowed deeply to Mu Rong Shu. “Thank you, Miss Mu Rong, for helping me and my wife. You’ve made our wish come true. If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. I, Wen, will never decline.”

Mu Rong Shu quickly stood up and returned the gesture, surprised at how serious Wen Ye had become. It was the most formal and respectful she’d seen him. “You’re too kind, Second Master.”

“Miss Mu Rong, can I go see my wife now?”

“Of course!”

Mu Rong Shu, slightly caught off guard, realized she hadn’t shared the rest of the medical advice. After Wen Ye left, she would need to ask Wen Jing to pass on the remaining instructions to her second brother.

Once the business was done, Mu Rong Shu was about to leave. Little Tuan Zi and Wen Jing both looked reluctant to see her go, which made Mu Rong Shu smile. It was amusing to see the two best-looking men in the Wen family wearing the same expression. Her hands itched to tease them both.

She was tempted to pinch Little Tuan Zi and Wen Jing, but as she climbed into the carriage, she continued smiling. Xiao Tao, noticing her happiness, asked, “Miss, every time you meet with Young Master, your mood seems particularly good.”

“Who said I’m happy because of seeing Young Master Wen? It’s actually because I have you, Xiao Tao, with me,” Mu Rong Shu teased, leaning her head on Xiao Tao’s shoulder.

“Then I’ll always be with you when you go out, Miss.”

“That sounds great. Let’s have your brother take us to Rong Ji Medicine Shop,” Mu Rong Shu suddenly craved some sour plum soup. With the heat, it would be incredibly refreshing.

Today, Er Zhu was driving the carriage, and he had overheard the conversation between Mu Rong Shu and Xiao Tao. When Mu Rong Shu called for him, he quickly turned the carriage around and headed for Rong Ji Medicine Shop.

Recently, he had learned a lot from working with Mu Rong Shu. She took him with her everywhere and taught him methods of bookkeeping he had never seen before. She even promised that once he learned, he could become the shopkeeper. Although he didn’t fully understand what being a shopkeeper meant, he trusted that whatever Miss Shu said was right.

At Rong Ji Medicine Shop, the staff immediately recognized Mu Rong Shu, as she was an important person to the master, young master, and young lady. As soon as they saw her enter, they hurried to greet her.

“Miss Mu Rong, what brings you here? If you need anything, just let us know, and we’ll send someone immediately.”

“Just passing by and thought I’d pick up some herbs,” Mu Rong Shu said, looking pleased with the young attendant at the shop. “Can you help me check if you have these items?”

“Do you have a prescription, Miss?”

“I was in a bit of a rush and forgot to bring one. Let me list the ingredients, and you can check for me.”

“Of course, Miss.”

“Plum, hawthorn, licorice, dried tangerine peel, mulberry, mint leaves, hibiscus flowers, dried osmanthus, and yellow rock candy, do you have these?”

“Yes, Miss, we have all of them. How much would you like of each?” The young attendant was surprised by the request without any measurements.

“Just one bag of each, please. I’m a doctor, so I know how to use them,” Mu Rong Shu explained, understanding the attendant’s concern.

“I’ll get them for you right away. Please wait a moment.” Upon hearing that Mu Rong Shu was also a doctor, the young attendant cheerfully went to gather the herbs, happy to assist as long as they were being used properly.

Mu Rong Shu’s impression of Rong Ji Medicine Shop grew even better. No wonder the Rong family was the wealthiest in the capital, even the young attendants were responsible and dedicated.

After the herbs were gathered, Mu Rong Shu insisted on paying. The young attendant then eagerly helped her load the herbs onto the carriage. Only then did Mu Rong Shu get into the carriage and head back to the manor.

After dinner, Mu Rong Shu carefully measured out the herbs she had bought and repackaged them according to the proportions for sour plum soup. The recipe had been one of the hospital’s best-selling products back then.

The next morning, she had Xiao Tao cook a large pot of the soup in the kitchen. By lunchtime, everyone in the Rong family was enjoying a bowl of chilled sour plum soup, and it received unanimous praise from all of them.