In the quiet afternoon, only the birds searched for food in the jungle. Suddenly, as if the ink had soaked into the clouds and turned them a deep blue, the rumbling thunder came closer and closer.
When Yuxi heard the thunder, she exclaimed, "Oh, the wheat is still drying out there!" It would be a disaster if the rain fell on the wheat.
Mama Lan chuckled, saying, "Now everyone must be scrambling to the fields." The so-called 'scramble to the fields' was about farmers rushing to collect the drying grain. When a storm was about to hit, the whole family would be mobilised to collect all the grain.
Yuxi smiled. "Let's go out and have a look."
Mama Lan didn't want Yuxi to go. At this time, everyone would be busy putting away the drying grain from the fields, and there would be dust everywhere.
Yuxi smiled and reassured her, "It's okay. Zaozao is sleeping. Mama, please come with me!" Mama Qu had to remain at the mansion to attend to the daily affairs, and only Mama Lan was by her side.
At that moment, everyone in the grain field was busy, sweeping, packing, and carrying, creating a lively scene. Some were impatient and loudly cursed others for being slow.
Mama Lan frowned but held back her words when she saw Yuxi's unchanged smile.
A lightning bolt flashed across the sky, and soon, rain poured down. Drops fell from the roof and formed small puddles on the ground, splashing up clusters of water droplets.
Yuxi looked up and remarked, "This is a good rain." The rain would soak the ground with water, resulting in more seedlings when it came time to plant.
The summer rains came and went quickly, stopping in less than a quarter of an hour. Yuxi was about to head back when a rainbow appeared in the sky—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet—like a colourful ribbon hanging diagonally in the sky.
Yuxi exclaimed, "This trip out today was truly worth it." Summer often brought rain, but rainbows were rarely seen.
Mama Lan said nothing.
The rainbow was short-lived and soon disappeared. Just then, the sun came out again, casting a bright spring light over the land. Dewdrops hung on the lush branches as if about to fall, and even the grass looked exceptionally fresh, presenting a vibrant scene.
Yuxi gazed at the beautiful scenery before her and commented with a smile, "If Yuchen were here, she would surely capture all of this in a painting." As for her, she had no interest in doing so. Although she found the scenery beautiful, she had no desire to capture it on canvas.
Mama Lan, an elder in the mansion, naturally knew that although Yuchen and Yuxi were half-siblings, their bond was strong. "Madam, Eldest Young Miss may have woken up. Let's go back and check!" Zaozao was a pretty capable child; not even thunder could wake her up as she continued to sleep peacefully.
The two returned to the house and inquired, but Zaozao was still asleep. Yuxi entered the room, looked at Zaozao, who was still blowing bubbles and laughed. "This girl..." Yuxi felt that Zaozao must have had her gender reversed at birth. Not only did she resemble Yun Qing, but her temperament was also that of a boy. She was lively, bold, and active, showing no signs of being a typical girl. Yuxi was somewhat worried about this. If this child remained like this in the future, how could she be married off?
Just as she was pondering, Zaozao opened her eyes. When she saw Yuxi, she grinned and called out, "Mom..." She could now say 'mom' correctly, but only in single words, and she was unable to form complete sentences yet.
Yuxi dared not hug Zaozao; the girl was strong-willed, and if she kicked her in the stomach, the pain would be secondary to the risk of harming her pregnancy.
Just as Mama Lan had finished dressing Zaozao, Shiliu came in and said, "Madam, the Old Master has sent someone to bring the Eldest Young Miss over. They are waiting outside." Nowadays, both inside and outside the mansion, Huo Changqing was referred to as the Old Master, a promotion from earlier.
Yuxi nodded and let Zaozao be taken there.
Mama Lan remarked, "Madam, it's good that the Eldest Young Miss has the Old Master's favour, but she shouldn't be by his side every day." Mama Lan was genuinely concerned that Zaozao would become too much of a tomboy if she continued to follow Huo Changqing.
Yuxi smiled and reassured her, "Zaozao is still young. She'll be fine." A child of just over a year old wouldn't understand all that. Moreover, if Zaozao wanted to learn martial arts in the future, Yuxi would not only not stop her but also support her wholeheartedly. Whether a son or a daughter, learning martial arts would help them protect themselves.
A noob translator, きつね, translated this noob translation. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.site. If you read this in another location other than the site stated, it has been taken without the translator's permission. Please don't support this kind of act.
In the evening, Yun Qing arrived at the estate. Seeing his exhausted expression, Yuxi said, "Sit down. Let me give you a massage." He must have been under a lot of pressure during this time.
Yun Qing shook his head. "I'm fine, I just came to see you and Zaozao." After speaking, his eyes lingered on Yuxi's already visible belly. He was about to become a father again, and although not as excited as the first time, he still hoped that the child would be safe and healthy.
Yuxi noticed Yun Qing's sour expression and asked, "Is something wrong?" There was definitely no trouble in Yu City; otherwise, Yun Qing wouldn't have come to the estate to see them.
Upon hearing this, Yun Qing's suppressed anger erupted again. He said, "Some time ago, we received news that the bandit suppression was very successful, claiming to have killed over four thousand bandits. However, the news we received at noon today revealed that those killed by the bandit suppression forces were not bandits at all, but innocent civilians."
After Yuxi's astonishment, she sighed and said, "That sounds like something Jixuan would do. If my guess is correct, he has probably already submitted a report for his accomplishments, right?"
Yun Qing shook his head. "I'm not sure about that. However, if he dares to do such a thing, he is truly lawless! Isn't he afraid of stirring up public anger and causing a disaster?"
Upon hearing this, Yuxi glanced at Yun Qing and responded, "Jixuan has caused enough trouble in recent years. The people of the Northwest have suffered because of him. The indiscriminate killings this time are not that surprising."
After a moment of silence, Yun Qing said, "Yuxi, didn't you mention earlier that we could add fuel to the fire?" Although he had agreed with Huo Changqing and Yuxi before and had prepared for it, there was still some hesitation in his heart. But this incident had solidified his decision.
Yuxi's heart trembled, and she shook her head. "The previous plan is no longer suitable. But after this incident, I think the peaceful days in the Northwest won't last long." Since Ji Xuan even dared to kill civilians, he would only become crazier next.
Just then, a voice came from outside, "Madam, there are gifts from the capital." The things Yuchen had sent had arrived. Among them were letters from Han Jianming and Qiu Shi.
Yuchen's gifts were very thoughtful since everything was scarce or hard to find in the Northwest. They were also gifts for Zaozao and the unborn child in Yuxi's belly.
Looking at Zaozao's gifts, which included a box of clothes, hats, and a small box of gold locks and bracelets, Yun Qing frowned. "Isn't this too extravagant?" The clothes were made of tribute satin, and even the small cape and hat were made of purple sable fur, not to mention the jewellery.
Yuxi smiled. "Have you forgotten my San Jie1's status? Had we lived closer, she would have sent more than just these." Given Yuchen's status, sending such luxurious clothes and fabrics was normal. She would have lost face if she had sent clothes made of ordinary materials.
Yun Qing remained silent for a moment before saying, "Jing Wangfei must have lived with brocade clothes and jade meals5, adorned with gold and precious jade6." Unlike Yuxi, who not only did not have a stable and peaceful life with him, she also had to supplement her dowry. For him, she had to be busy all day long.
Yuxi felt that something was amiss and asked, "What do you mean?" Seeing Yun Qing's silence, she smiled and said, "My San Jie1 has always had the best of everything since childhood, probably not much different from a gongzhu2. I used to envy her a lot." She not only envied Yuchen for living a good life but also for how everyone cherished, spoiled, and pampered her.
Yun Qing was very sharp and asked strangely, "Used to?"
Yuxi nodded. "Yes, used to envy, not anymore. My San Jie1 married Jing Wang because he liked her. He begged the late Emperor, and the Emperor granted the marriage. But before the wedding, Jing Wang had already taken his biaomei3 Song Ling'er as his Ce Fei4, and two days before the wedding, Song Ling'er was already pregnant." The fact that the main wife had not yet entered the household while the concubine was already pregnant was a great insult and disrespect to the main wife.
Yun Qing frowned. "If he liked her and wanted to marry her, why did he marry another woman and make her pregnant?"
Yuxi smiled, "Whether we live with brocade clothes and jade meals5 or just unrefined tea and light meal7, I don't mind. I just want our family to be safe, healthy, and happy, and that's enough for me." If you lived unhappily, even delicacies would taste like wax, bland and tasteless.
Yun Qing patted Yuxi's head and assured her, "Don't worry, our family will be safe and healthy." After saying this, he placed his hand on Yuxi's belly.
Seeing this, Yuxi thought momentarily and said, "He Rui, ever since I became pregnant with this child, I've developed a liking for fruit. Mama Lan said this child might be another girl." Mama Lan wouldn't have said this; it was Yuxi's own feeling, and she was just using Mama Lan's name. Yuxi felt that, as a woman who didn't like sour or spicy food but loved sweet fruit, this child would probably be another girl. Of course, it would be a pleasant surprise if it turned out to be a boy.
After Yun Qing finished listening, he smiled, "I've only heard of mothers who craved sour and spicy food as a sign that the child would be a girl, not those who craved fruit. Another daughter would be nice, too. I'll have Zaozao take care of her little sister in the future."
A sincere smile appeared on Yuxi's face.
Footnotes Full List
- san=third, jie=older sister, short form for Jiejie
- princess
- younger female cousin via female line
- side concubine
- a Chinese metaphor for a wealthy and comfortable lifestyle
- A Chinese metaphor for a life of luxury and privilege
- simple, unrefined, and lacking in luxury
Tags:
The Rebirth of Han Yuxi