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Initially ignoring Jiang Zhanwei, the old Marquis’s demeanor changed upon hearing about battles and assignments at the border. He suddenly became clear on the fact that his disliked grandson had enlisted. His thoughts turned furious, and he grabbed a teacup, hurling it at Jiang Zhanwei, shouting, “You fool, who allowed you to enlist? Withdraw immediately, or you’ll be considered a deserter and face execution.”
Jiang Zhanwei dodged, causing the cup to shatter on the floor, startling Jiang Zhankui and Jiu, who began to cry.
Princess Changting hurriedly intervened, “Old Marquis, please don’t be angry. He can’t withdraw now, that would be considered desertion, punishable by death. Let’s discuss this further after the battle.”
At that moment, Mama Qian discreetly reminded, “Your Highness, the sedan is ready. It’s time to visit the Duke Anguo’s residence.”
Reluctantly, Princess Changting rose, instructing to escort Jiang Zhanwei to the front courtyard while Jiang Jiu and Sweetheart stayed behind with the old Marquis.
Feeling hurt by the old Marquis’s actions earlier, Jiang Jiu, with tears in her eyes, gently nudged him with the back of her head. The old Marquis, now fond of his granddaughter, patted her head and offered kind words to soothe her.
Accompanied by Princess Changting, Lu Man followed behind the second and third madam. Today, Princess Changting specifically appointed the second madam to attend to her. As a leading literary figure, the second madam was to judge noblewomen, which would also reflect well on Princess Changting.
As they proceeded, all eyes were on them, admiring their presence, achieving the desired effect Princess Changting sought.
The welcoming Lady Lu personally escorted Princess Changting inside. After extending birthday wishes to Madam Lu, Princess Changting engaged in light-hearted conversations with the senior nobles. Second Madam Lin accompanied her, while the Third Madam Huang, the eldest Young Madam Han, and Lu Man socialized in another room.
Madam Huang and Young Madam Han were quite sociable and well-connected. While Lu Man knew fewer people, she found herself in a daze until Lady Yang from Duke Xie Residence approached with a pregnant woman.
The pregnant woman was Lady Liu, in her early twenties, fair and plump, with a noticeably large belly, stretching her cotton padded jacket. Despite her delicate appearance, she was sociable and quickly struck up a conversation with Lu Man, even holding her hand as they chatted.
Amid laughter, a familiar meow rang out, followed by a familiar voice, “Sister-in-law, I knew you’d be here.”
Carrying Sweet Pea, Song Mo trotted over, followed by Qingqing and Tang.
Sweet Pea wriggled free from Song Mo’s grasp, leaping into Lu Man’s arms, meowing and nuzzling affectionately, filled with excitement. Initially startled by the cat, Lady Liu quickly calmed down and, charmed by its cuteness, reached out to pet it.
Stepping back, Lu Man smiled at Lady Liu, saying, “During pregnancy, it’s best to avoid close contact with small cats and dogs, it’s not good for the baby.”
Upon hearing this, Lady Liu quickly took a step back.
Clutching Lu Man’s clothes, Song Mo pleaded, “Sister-in-law, can Sweet Pea stay with me a few more days? I can’t bear to part with it…” His father had mentioned returning Sweet Pea to Lu Man that day.
In a hushed tone, Tang advised, “Young Master, this cat belongs to Third Madam Jiang, you can’t keep it all the time.”
Seeing Qingqing subtly shaking her head, indicating no progress, it seemed Sweet Pea would have to stay at the Prince He’s residence a while longer.
Playfully, Lu Man said, “What to do? I also miss Sweet Pea.”
Upon hearing this, Song Mo pouted and started to cry.
Unable to resist, Lu Man relented, “Okay, okay, okay, you can play with Sweet Pea a few more days, but you have to return it later. Can’t let it become yours just like that.”
Song Mo wiped away his tears, then happily took Sweet Pea to play. Several four- to five-year-old children gathered around, watching Sweet Pea’s antics and laughing joyfully.
After the meal, Lady Lu and other noble ladies accompanied Second Madam Jiang to the Plum Blossom Garden, where the fragrant snow pavilion stood, where they would engage in poetry.
Meanwhile, Lu Man joined Lady Liu and Lady Yang at Lady Lu’s courtyard.
As they walked, Lu Man whispered to Lady Yang, “Sister Yang, why do I feel like that girl in a pink dress has been staring at me? And her look isn’t friendly. I’ve never even met her, I can’t have offended her, right?”
Lu Man was deeply puzzled. If it weren’t for her good manners, she would have approached the girl to ask why she was staring at her with such hateful and resentful eyes. She even speculated that the girl might be a relative from Madam Hong’s family.
Lady Yang chuckled, “That’s Miss Shu.” Seeing Lu Man’s confusion, she whispered, “She’s the former fiancee of Jiang Zhanwei, Shu Mingwei.”
Ah, so it was Jiang Zhanwei’s previous fiancee, who was about to be married but was left at the altar due to a more favorable match. Lu Man couldn’t blame herself for this, if she were to harbor any resentment, it should be towards the Jiang family or the fickle Jiang Zhanwei. It was truly absurd.
Having an unexpected love rival was simply inevitable.
Lady Liu remarked, “That Miss Shu really lacks tact and grace.”
Inside the house, Lady Liu’s expression turned somber as she hesitantly said, “I invited Madam Jiang here because I wanted her to help me. I’m seven months pregnant, and we’ve hired a skilled midwife. She noticed that my baby’s position isn’t right. We tried moxibustion to correct it, but it hasn’t worked. I’m afraid I might end up like my cousin, suffering and in danger…”
Tears welled up in her eyes, her body trembling with fear. The traumatic experience during Lady Yang’s childbirth had instilled fear in many female relatives, including Lady Liu.
Lu Man helped Lady Liu lie down and gently felt her belly, confirming the baby’s malposition.
In ancient times, correcting a malpositioned fetus usually involved moxibustion or external cephalic version. The former was less painful but less effective, while the latter, though more effective, was more painful and required skilled hands to avoid harming the baby. However, even with these methods, there was no guarantee of success. Lady Yang had faced difficulties during her childbirth due to malposition. If not for Lu Man’s intervention, the outcome might have been different.
She suggested, “There’s another method we could try now, alongside moxibustion, with a fifty percent chance of success.”
Excited at the possibility of another solution, Lady Liu and Lady Yang eagerly asked, “What method is that?”