Yun Qing sat beside Yuxi as still as a statue, motionless. He neither spoke nor ate, just kept watch by Yuxi's side.
Mama Qu brought over a bowl of food, walked over to Yun Qing's side and urged, "General, you haven't eaten anything all day. Please, eat something!"
Yun Qing replied, "I'm not hungry." And he wasn't—he didn't feel hungry at all.
Mama Qu knew Yun Qing was worried and had no appetite. But she couldn't let him carry on like this. "General, even if you're not hungry, you still need to eat. If you fall ill or something happens to you, what will Madam, Zaozao, and the Second Young Miss do? General, this family depends on you to hold it together." Yun Qing was the true pillar of the Yun family. If he fell, it would be like the sky collapsing.
Yun Qing had been so busy worrying about Yuxi that he had pushed thoughts of his children to the back of his mind. He lifted his head and asked, "How is the baby?" Knowing in advance that it was a girl, he wasn't surprised to hear that it was a daughter.
Mama Qu replied with red-rimmed eyes, "The Second Young Miss' condition isn't good. The physician said she might not survive. Mama Lan is trying her best to save her." She couldn't hold back her tears after saying that. Madam had risked everything to bring this child into the world. If something happened to the baby, how could Madam bear it?
Yun Qing's face turned pale. While he was more concerned about Yuxi, this child was still his bloodline—how could he not feel heartache? In a low voice, he said, "Bring the baby over so I can see her." He hadn't even laid eyes on his child yet.
Mama Qu handed Yun Qing the bowl of food and said, "General, please eat first. I'll call Mama Lan to bring the baby over."
Yun Qing truly had no appetite, but Mama Qu wasn't wrong. If he got sick, this household would descend into chaos. Thinking of the baby's poor condition, Yun Qing said, "There's no need to bring her here. I'll go see her after eating. By the way, how is Zaozao?"
Mama Qu choked up as she replied, "The Eldest Young Miss cried for half the day, crying for Madam all the time. She only just fell asleep." This was the bond between mother and daughter. The Eldest Young Miss must have sensed something was wrong with her mother, which was why she cried so much.
Yun Qing said nothing and ate in silence. Mama Qu watched as he took large bites, swallowing without chewing, and her eyes reddened again. Madam must pull through—if something happened to her, this family, both the adults and children, would have no peace.
Yun Qing finished eating in no time. After putting down the bowl and chopsticks, he carefully tucked the blanket around Yuxi, stood up, and strode outside to see his newborn daughter. The baby had been born prematurely, so they hadn't named her yet.
Looking at the tiny, frail baby, no bigger than the palm of his hand, he couldn't help but think of how robust Zaozao had been at birth. A man who had always believed in shedding blood but not tears now found his eyes misting over.
After calming down, Yun Qing asked about the baby's condition. After listening, he said to Mama Lan, "Take good care of Second Girl. Don't let anything happen to her." Yun Qing had a deep respect for Mama Lan. Without her, Yuxi and the baby might not have survived.
Mama Qu nodded. "Don't worry, General. I will take good care of the Second Young Miss and make sure she grows up safe and sound."
Yun Qing kissed the baby's forehead and prepared to head to the second courtyard to check on Zaozao.
When the baby was born, Yun Qing hadn't even looked at her, and Mama Qu had worried that he might not like this child. But now she realised that her concern was unnecessary. Although the General seemed cold, he was deeply loving towards his children.
Thinking of this, Mama Qu said, "General, the Second Young Miss still doesn't have a name. Why don't you give her one?"
Yun Qing shook his head, "I haven't decided on a formal name yet. As for a nickname, let's wait until Madam wakes up and let her choose."
Mama Lan nodded, "Alright."
After checking on the younger daughter, Yun Qing went to see Zaozao. She had fallen asleep, but her sleep was restless, and her little face was still streaked with tears.
Yun Qing wiped away the tear stains on her face and asked Old Woman Yu, who was temporarily taking care of Zaozao, "Did Zaozao eat anything today?"
Old Woman Yu replied, "The Eldest Young Miss only had a bowl of egg custard today and nothing else." Zaozao had been crying nonstop, so much so that Yu Pozi didn't dare to take her to the backyard without explicit instructions.
Yun Qing gently touched Zaozao's face and said, "Children get sick easily. Keep a close eye on her. If you notice anything unusual, go find Mama Lan or Physician Bai immediately. Don't delay."
Old Woman Yu nodded, "Yes, General. I will."
On his way back to the main house, Yun Qing saw Xu Wu in the courtyard. Xu Wu looked at Yun Qing, who looked completely exhausted, and called out softly, "General..."
Yun Qing shook her head and said, "You are in charge of the affairs of the residence for now. As for the military camp, leave it to Fu Tianlei." With his wife and children in such a dire situation, Yun Qing had no energy to deal with external affairs.
Xu Wu had intended to report the matter of the assassins, but when he saw that Yun Qing was not ready to address it, he decided not to press further. Instead, he nodded and said, "Understood."
Back in the front courtyard, Xu Wu instructed Xu Daniu, "Go to Scholar Tree Estate immediately and invite Yifu1 back." With Madam still unconscious and the General in his current state, they couldn't rely on him for the time being. They had no choice but to ask Yifu1 to return and take charge of the situation.
Xu Daniu was startled and asked, "What happened to the General?"
Xu Wu shook his head as he explained, "The General is fine. He just ate a bowl of food earlier. But he's too worried about Madam to leave her side. I can take care of things inside the residence, but I'm powerless when it comes to issues outside. Many things in the military camp can't be left to just anyone, which is why the General has entrusted everything to Fu Tianlei. However, I can't intervene in military affairs, so I believe inviting Huo Changqing back is the safest thing to do."
Xu Daniu still felt uneasy and asked, "Big Brother, Madam will be fine, right?" If something happened to Madam, the General might lose his mind.
Xu Wu replied, "Madam is blessed and will be fine." Physician Bai had already assured them that Madam's life was not in danger, so he trusted that everything would turn out all right.
Huo Changqing arrived at the Yun Residence at noon the next day. As soon as he stepped into the household, he could feel the oppressive and sombre atmosphere. It was suffocating. When he saw Xu Wu, he immediately asked, "What is the situation in the residence now?"
Xu Wu replied, "Madam still hasn't woken up, and the General hasn't left her side. The Second Young Miss is in poor health and is being cared for by Mama Lan."
Huo Changqing quickly asked, "What about Zaozao?" Hearing that Zaozao was in the second courtyard with Old Woman Yu, Huo Changqing didn't bother asking anything else and headed straight there.
Since Zaozao had been crying all day yesterday, her eyes were swollen from all the tears. The moment she saw Huo Changqing, she started crying again, calling out between sobs, "Grandpa! Mom… Mom…"
As he wiped her tears and nose, Huo Changqing gently said, "Don't cry, Grandpa will take you to see your mom…"
Hearing this, Zaozao immediately stopped crying and choked out, "Mom…"
Huo Changqing was a little confused, but he didn't dwell on it. He simply picked up Zaozao and headed for the back courtyard. He didn't ask for anyone to announce his arrival—there was no need for that now—and walked straight into the bedroom.
When Zaozao saw Yuxi lying unconscious, she burst into tears again, wailing, "Mom! Mom…" Her small hands reached out for Yuxi. Her voice was already hoarse from crying the day before, so her sobs were faint and weak.
Looking at Yuxi's pale, almost ghostly complexion, even Huo Changqing felt a shiver of fear. If he could feel like this, Zaozao must be even more terrified. At that moment, Huo Changqing regretted bringing Zaozao into the room.
Yun Qing took Zaozao from Huo Changqing's arms and gently comforted her, "Zaozao, don't cry. Your mom is just sleeping. If you cry, you'll wake her up."
Huo Changqing patted Yun Qing's shoulder and said, "Take good care of her. Leave the outside affairs to me—I'll take care of them."
Yun Qing didn't put on airs and simply responded with an "Alright." His only thought now was to stay by Yuxi's side. He had no energy to deal with external affairs.
After talking to Yun Qing, Huo Changqing went to see the baby. Shortly before Huo Changqing's arrival, Mama Lan had just finished feeding her. Although she gave her five small bowls of milk, less than a fifth of the milk actually remained in the baby's stomach. After feeding, the baby cried herself to sleep.
Huo Changqing picked the baby up from the bed and looked at her carefully. Unfortunately, the baby was still too weak. Even though she had been born for a day, her skin was still wrinkled and hadn't fully developed. Naturally, it was too early to tell what the baby would look like. Huo Changqing asked, "Has the baby been named?"
Mama Lan shook her head, "The General said he hadn't thought of a formal name yet. As for a nickname, he wants to wait until Madam wakes up to decide."
After thinking for a moment, Huo Changqing said, "Let's call her Liuzhi2 for her nickname." In the Yun residence, Huo Changqing was one of the few who could name the child without consulting Yun Qing or Yuxi.
Mama Lan repeated the name softly and then smiled. "It's a wonderful name—beautiful and easy to say." Most importantly, it had a good meaning. Willow branches could thrive wherever they were planted, symbolising resilience and tenacity. The Old Master hoped the Second Young Miss would have the same vitality as a willow branch and grow up safely.
Footnotes Full List
- adoptive father
- Willow Branch
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi