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In Lu Man’s memory, Mama Wang was exceptionally skilled at cooking and used to prepare various dishes for Little Lu Man. Since there was no small kitchen, Mama Wang bribed the kitchen manager to cook in the kitchen.
Indeed, it didn’t take long for Mama Wang to learn how to make double-skinned milk.
Lu Man sent people to deliver bowls of it to Young Madam Han’s three children, as well as to Sixth Young Master and Seventh Young Master. Jiang Jiu had already arrived at Orchid Pavilion and mentioned that Jiang Zhankui would come for lunch after school, so there was no need to send any to Qingfeng Courtyard.
Jiang Jiu handed two purses containing silver ingots to Mama Wang, saying, “My brother and I know that you will be the stewardess for my future sister-in-law. These two purses are a reward for you. Please take good care of my third sister-in-law in the future.”
Mama Wang accepted the purses with a wrinkled smile, thanking them repeatedly. Deep down, she hoped that Third Young Master and Third Young Madam could harmonize and spend their lives together. It’s not easy for a woman to live alone outside the residence.
Lu Man knew that the straightforward Jiang Jiu probably didn’t think of this much, it must have been the cunning Jiang Zhankui’s idea. Nonetheless, she was quite happy. The two children were really good, she didn’t spoil them for nothing. Understanding gratitude at such a young age not only showed good character but also wisdom. Although Jiang Zhanwei was annoying and eccentric, these two siblings were indeed well taught.
On the first night of their rest day, Jiang Zhanwei returned to the mansion. He only visited Qingfeng Courtyard to see his younger siblings, then went to Crane Hall to visit the Princess, staying in the outer courtyard and leaving hastily the next morning.
Tao went to the main kitchen to get food and ran into Lingzhi, returning with some undesirable news.
Lu Man wasn’t bothered by it. It’s better this way, if they can’t get along, it’s best not to meet at all. They were just a contractual couple, each responsible for their duties – him, helping her with her tasks, and her, looking after his siblings and treating the old Marquis. Anything beyond that could be avoided.
Upon hearing the news, Mama Wang was disappointed. She said to Lu Man, “It’s a rest day today. Why didn’t Third Young Master rest for a day? At the very least, he should come and see Third Young Madam.”
She quietly asked Lu Ying about Third Young Master, who replied, “Third Young Master has a bad temper and is deep-minded. I really can’t figure him out. While it seems he dislikes Third Young Madam, when she was critically ill, he didn’t sleep all night and tried his best to find your family. Although he seems harsh to Third Young Madam, his words are often sharp. Moreover, Third Young Madam mentioned she wanted to divorce him…”
Mama Wang sighed and asked Liu Ya. Liu Ya said Third Young Master was good-looking, had a good character, was a seventh-ranked official, and was most suitable for Third Young Madam. He also privately asked them to take good care of Third Young Madam.
Mama Wang felt conflicted, thinking Third Young Master seemed both good and bad toward Third Young Madam.
She told Lu Man, “I feel if we can win over Third Young Master’s heart, it’s best for you to stay together. Life isn’t easy for women outside. Men all have their tempers, when Third Young Madam hanged herself, it really hurt his pride. Soften a bit, show some affection, and even the hardest steel can be made pliable. Moreover, Third Young Master comes from a good family and won’t sacrifice his dignity for money. Just thinking about the greediness of the Lu family is enough for me.”
Lu Man saw Mama Wang frown at the mention of the Lu family and chuckled. “My mother was so gentle and generous, but she couldn’t soften Lu Fangrong.” She thought of the scoundrel father from her past life and sighed, “Perhaps I’m just unlucky. There are good men in this world, but I haven’t met one.”
With that said, she headed to Crane Hall again.
Today, with light rain falling, on her way back to Orchid Pavilion from Crane Hall, Lu Man saw Jiang Zhankui standing with Qichang in the corridor. The little guy seemed very happy and ran over with a big smile upon spotting Lu Man.
Lu Man chuckled, “Eighth Young Master, were you waiting here for me?”
Jiang Zhankui nodded, saying, “My third brother found a new caretaker, Mama Guo, for my sister. She went to Qingfeng Courtyard this morning. But fearing that Mama Gu might say something inappropriate to my sister, we plan to have Brother Liu Xin send her off after we return to Crane Hall this afternoon. Sister-in-law, can we stay at Orchid Pavilion tonight? You can tell my sister that Mama Gu had to leave because a man in her family fell seriously ill so she had to return home, to prevent my sister from feeling too sad.”
The young girl had been cared for by Mama Gu since she was sensible. Lu Man was concerned about her sudden departure, fearing she might feel upset. She agreed and asked, “With so many thoughts from Mama Gu, will she be willing to leave?”
Jiang Zhankui explained, “My third brother said that Mama Gu had taken good care of my sister for the past few years, so Brother Liu Xin rewarded her with fifty taels of silver. With this much money, she can live comfortably for the rest of her life, so she shouldn’t have any complaints.”
From this perspective, Jiang Zhanwei seemed quite sentimental and grateful. His previous wet nurse reportedly still received a tael or two every month. Due to Mama Gu’s good care of the young girl, he also gave her a substantial sum as severance pay. Moreover, helping her find Mama Wang’s family showed his dedication.
However, his unpredictable moods were hard for people to handle.
In the evening, the whole family gathered at Crane Hall. Everyone was there except Jiang Zhanwei. During dinner, the elder and master’s conversations were particularly heavy, as if the situation at the border was becoming more tense, causing anxiety both inside and outside the court.
Upon hearing this, Lu Man couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. After all, she also hoped Jiang Zhanweii would live well, so she wouldn’t owe him a life.
Jiang Jiu didn’t understand the connection between war and herself, while Jiang Zhanwei was visibly pale with fear.
After dinner, the rain started pouring harder, and several mule carts and sedan chairs were parked outside the drooping flower gate of Crane Hall.
Lu Man took a sedan chair for herself and one for the siblings, heading back to Orchid Pavilion together.
Mama Guo, also known as Guo Wujia, in her twenties and with a fair appearance, came to kowtow to Lu Man. Mama Wang handed her a purse containing silver ingots.
Lu Ying had already handed over the keys to the silver cabinet and the bridal dowry storage room to Mama Wang for safekeeping, with Liu Ya in charge of the accounts.
Seeing Jiang Zhankui and Jiang Jiu getting close to Lu Man, Mama Wang was genuinely pleased and served them attentively with great hospitality.
While others were away, Lu Man quietly comforted the distracted Jiang Zhankui, saying, “Don’t worry, Grandmother said she will arrange for someone to help Third Young Master move to the Central Military Camp, where the Grand Marshal stays. It will be safe there.”
Jiang Zhankui felt relieved upon hearing this.
That night, instead of practicing medicine, Lu Man went to bed with Jiang Jiu. Jiang Jiu was very excited, snuggling into Lu Man’s arms and exclaiming, “Third Sister-in-law, you smell so nice. It would be wonderful if we could sleep together every day in the future…”
The young girl’s character had become more cheerful, her giggles ringing like silver bells.
After some affectionate moments with the young girl, Lu Man explained, “From now on, Mama Guo will take care of little Jiu. One of the man in Mama Gu’s family has fallen seriously ill, so she must return home to take care of him…”
Jiang Jiu had been cared for by Mama Gu for a long time and had deep feelings for Mama Gu. Hearing that she would no longer be serving her, she started crying.
Lu Man wiped away her tears and advised, “It’s inevitable that her man fell ill. If you really care about her, you can give her a few taels of silver to show your appreciation, and it will be a closure for your relationship as master and servant…” Despite Mama Gu being annoying, she hadn’t taken advantage of the young girl’s money, over the years, the young girl had saved over a hundred taels of private silver.
Under Lu Man’s gentle words, Jiang Jiu fell asleep peacefully.
The next day, the young girl indeed sent twenty taels of silver to the Gu family. Children are forgetful, after staying at Orchid Pavilion for a few days, she stopped asking for Mama Gu.
On the afternoon of July 28th, after massaging the old Marquis, Lu Man sat with the Eldest Madam, Third Madam, and Young Madam Han, to chat with Princess Changting while watching the kids playing around the old Marquis’s bed.
Suddenly, Mama Li hurried into the room and whispered to the Princess, “Your Highness, Lady Xie is having difficulty in childbirth. It’s been two days and two nights, and she hasn’t delivered yet. Duke Xie household is in a panic, the heir has rushed back from the military camp. Lord Xie is missing, his whereabouts unknown.”
Lu Man knew that Princess Changting had been keeping a close eye on the Xie household. But why was Lady Xie having trouble giving birth?
Princess Changting exclaimed, “What? Still not delivered?” She shook her head and sighed, “Oh my, Lady Yang only had two daughters, the Xie family was hoping for a son this time. Xie Yu is about to go fight in the north, even though he’s a deputy general, there’s no guarantee he’ll return unscathed…”
Lu Man rudely interrupted the Princess, asking, “Why hasn’t Lady Xie delivered?”
Mama Li wiped the sweat from her forehead and replied, “It’s said the child is large, and the position is not correct. Several midwives have been called, but after two days of labor, there’s been no progress.”
Lu Man turned to Princess Changting and said, “Grandmother, I know how to adjust the fetal position. I would like to try.”
With another noble family, Lu Man would have hesitated to intervene. Sometimes, getting involved could lead to adverse outcomes. However, in the case of the Xie family, as the Princess had been wanting Jiang Zhanwei to be moved to the Central Military Camp, Lu Man didn’t want any mishaps. If she could help Lady Xie successfully, the Xie family would surely remember her kindness. Even if Jiang Zhanwei wasn’t moved to the Central Military Camp, they would find him a safe position elsewhere.
Third Madam disapproved, stating, “Zhanwei’s wife, with so many midwives unable to do anything, what help can you, a young wife who has never given birth, provide? This is not a game.”
The Eldest Madam’s eyebrows furrowed even more tightly. This Lu girl was indeed narrow-minded, still considering her as a descendant of a physician. She bluntly said, “Zhanwei’s wife, you are not just a Lu family miss now but the young mistress of our Princess’s residence, with a noble status. How can you think of assisting in midwifery? You must consider not only yourself but also the men and your in-laws. We have our reputation to uphold.”
Her words were somewhat harsh, causing Lu Man to blush. She hurriedly explained, “I’m not delivering the baby, I’m helping the mother adjust the fetal position.”
Initially, the Princess was also reluctant to let Lu Man go. One reason was that her daughter-in-law couldn’t assist others in childbirth, and the other was the strained relationship between the Xie and her own family. Mainly due to the disrespectful remarks made by old Duke Xie, who often belittled the Marquis for relying on a woman to revive the family, raising grandchildren who were all effeminate and weak, not worthy to meet their ancestors upon death, and more. The Marquis, being refined, couldn’t argue with him and eventually chose to avoid him.
Although the Princess was upset about old Duke Xie criticizing her husband, this man was respected even by her imperial brother. Moreover, both father and son held high positions, making her unable to do much about the situation.
However, considering that she needed Duke Xie’s help now, intentionally or not, he kept avoiding her. If Lu Man could help his daughter-in-law successfully give birth, she would owe them a great favor.
After their prolonged interaction, the Princess had full confidence in Lu Man. If adjusting the fetal position was difficult, wasn’t it easier than treating patients with hysteria? Besides, the He family’s ancestors excelled in gynecology. Lu Man was not someone who spoke without knowledge, if she wanted to go, she should have some certainty.
Thinking this through, the Princess asked, “When you mention adjusting the fetal position, are you only massaging the abdomen to correct the position, or are you also assisting with the childbirth?”
If it involved assisting in childbirth, Lu Man would surely not be allowed to go.
Lu Man replied, “I’m only adjusting the fetal position, assisting in childbirth is the midwife’s job.” She knew the Princess valued her reputation and wouldn’t allow her daughter-in-law to assist in childbirth for others.
Princess Changting said, “In that case, go ahead. If you can help, it’s best. If not, we’ll do our best to assist.” Then she instructed urgently, “Quickly, get a sedan chair and have the eldest daughter-in-law take Zhanwei’s wife to the Xie household immediately.”
Seeing Lu Man’s slightly sweaty clothes, she instructed Xing “Quickly fetch a set of clothes for your mistress. She should look presentable when going out.” She also asked Lu Man to freshen up and apply makeup.
Lu Man had Xing bring the new blue gown she had made, along with a square headscarf and a mask. With the increasing number of patients, she had Mama Wang and Liu Ya make some work uniforms. Since ancient people avoided white, they used sky-blue silk and emerald green fine cloth, she wore blue, while Lu Ying wore green. They also made matching headscarves and masks, tying their hair inside and covering their mouths.
The Eldest Madam didn’t expect the Princess to let Lu Man embarrass herself, even adjusting the fetal position was considered assisting in childbirth. She was furious internally but dared not show any dissatisfaction.
Fifteen minutes later, Lu Man, prepared and accompanied by the Eldest Madam, set off for the Xie household. On the way, she observed the Eldest Madam with pursed lips, feeling helpless as she had once again incurred her displeasure.
The Xie household, being relatively close to the Princess’s mansion, was just in the previous alley, the carriage arrived in less than two quarters of an hour.
Upon hearing that the Eldest Madam Jiang, daughter-in-law of Princess Changting, was visiting the Xie household at this time, the Xie family was quite surprised. The relationship between the Xie and Jiang families had been cordial in the past, but it gradually faded due to the strained relations between the two patriarchs.