Yun Qing returned to the residence and headed straight for the backyard. Before entering the courtyard, he heard Zaozao's cheerful laughter, which instantly lifted his spirits.
When he entered the room, he saw Zaozao lying next to Yuxi, listening intently to what she was saying. Obviously, Yuxi had said something that delighted Zaozao, making the little girl laugh so happily.
When Yuxi saw Yun Qing, she was pleased at first but then quickly asked, "Have you had lunch yet? When she saw Yun Qing shake his head, she immediately instructed Mama Qu to set the table.
When Zaozao saw Yun Qing, she happily called out, "Dad..."
Yun Qing picked Zaozao up and asked smilingly, "What did you say to her to make her so happy?" A man worked tirelessly outside for the sake of his family. Coming home to laughter and joy sweeps away all the fatigue instantly.
Yuxi smiled and said, "Nothing much; I was just teasing this little one." Zaozao had such a cheerful temperament that even the slightest teasing could make her laugh heartily.
Before long, Mama Qu came in to announce that the meal was ready. Mama Bai had prepared lunch for Yun Qing, and even though he hadn't come home on time, she had kept the food warm in the pot. Now, it was brought to the table, ready to be eaten.
Seeing that Yun Qing was about to put Zaozao down, Yuxi smiled and said, "Please take her with you." Zaozao had a loud voice, and being so young, she didn't know how to control it. Yuxi couldn't handle the noise with her current physical condition. If Yun Qing hadn't returned, Yuxi would have had someone else take Zaozao outside anyway.
Yuxi then turned to Zaozao and said, "Mom is a bit tired and needs to rest. Why don't you go outside and play with Dad, okay?" Her body had been badly injured, and her stamina was low. Even talking for a while left her feeling exhausted; now, she just wanted to sleep.
Zaozao obediently replied, "Mom, rest."
When Fu Tianlei arrived at Yun Qing's residence to discuss matters, he found Yun Qing holding Zaozao while standing by a desk, looking at a map. Zaozao nestled quietly in Yun Qing's arms, watching the map with him.
Seeing this, Fu Tianlei remarked, "Why are you the one taking care of the child? Don't you have any maids or old women servants?" Fu Tianlei was also fond of his daughter, but he had never spoiled her like Yun Qing.
Yun Qing replied, "This little one clings to me and doesn't want any of them. But she doesn't get in the way of anything. She's very well-behaved and won't disturb us." The last time he spoke to Huo Changqing, Zaozao didn't make a sound and she even seemed to listen attentively.
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Fu Tianlei said, "You can't spoil a child like this." He had always known that Yun Qing loved his daughter, but he hadn't realised it was to this extent.
Yun Qing didn't think anything was wrong with doting on his child and said, "If we don't dote on our own children, who will?" These words weren't something Yuxi had said; it was a sentiment expressed by Huo Changqing. Huo Changqing adored Zaozao. Of course, that was because she was a daughter. Yun Qing wouldn't spoil him like this if she were a son.
As Fu Tianlei watched Zaozao cling to Yun Qing, he felt a twinge of envy at the close bond between father and daughter. None of his daughters were this affectionate with him.
Pushing aside distracting thoughts, Fu Tianlei conceded, "If you think it's okay, then let her stay." After all, such a young child would not understand their conversation, so there was no need to worry about leaks.
The two of them talked for a while until Zaozao got sleepy and fell asleep quickly. Yun Qing said, "Wait a moment, I'll take her back to her room first." For Yun Qing, Zaozao's weight was negligible. However, if it had been Yuxi, it would've been a different story.
Yun Qing soon returned.
Fu Tianlei asked, "Yun Qing, how is your younger daughter doing?" The little girl hadn't even had a xisan ceremony, which was usually only omitted if the child was believed to be too weak to survive. Fu Tianlei had been holding back his curiosity, but when he saw that Yun Qing didn't seem worried, he couldn't resist asking.
Yun Qing's expression stiffened, and he said, "The child was born prematurely and is too weak to endure much, so we skipped the xisan ceremony. Instead, we'll make up for it with a grand celebration on her first birthday." At the time, Yuxi's life was in danger, and he had no intention of holding the ceremony. As for the full-month celebration, he wouldn't be at home, and Yuxi's condition didn't allow it. Everything would have to wait until her first birthday.
Seeing Yun Qing's guilty expression when mentioning his younger daughter, Fu Tianlei said, "As long as the child is doing well, the xisan and full-month ceremonies don't matter."
Yun Qing nodded and was about to continue their discussion when he changed the subject and asked, "How is Saozi1 doing these days? She must be getting close to her due date."
Fu Tianlei shook his head and said, "Not well. The child inside her is very restless, making it hard for her to eat or sleep. She can't even get out of bed now." Chen Shi had a frail constitution and had suffered greatly during her pregnancy.
With a bitter smile, Fu Tianlei added, "To put her mind at ease, I had the physician and midwife tell her that she's carrying a boy." Whether the child was indeed a boy remained unknown. Fu Tianlei also hoped for a son, which would solve many issues.
Yun Qing fell silent and didn't pursue the topic further, instead steering the conversation back to business. The two continued talking until evening.
When Fu Tianlei was about to leave, Yun Qing said, "Tianlei, I'm not sure if I should say this." Yun Qing usually avoided discussing domestic matters because even a wise official couldn't solve family disputes, and interference often led to trouble.
Fu Tianlei was surprised but quickly smiled. "We're brothers. What's there that can't be said?"
Yun Qing said, "I heard Molan fell ill, and no one cared for her. Tianlei, no matter what, Molan is still your flesh and blood. You should pay more attention to her." Fu Tianlei's three daughters had beautiful names: Baihe2, Mudan3, and Molan4.
Yun Qing refrained from commenting on how Chen Shi had used Fu Qingluo in the past, but her indifference towards her own daughter was chilling.
When Fu Tianlei heard this piece of information, his expression turned grim. After a while, he asked, "Yun Qing, where did you hear this?"
Yun Qing, of course, wouldn't reveal that it was Yuxi who had told him, based on Er Nainai5 Zhao's gossip. He simply replied, "It doesn't matter where I heard it. What matters is that the child is sick and unattended, which is unacceptable." Having children of his own, Yun Qing knew how important it was to take care of them when they were sick—neglect could easily lead to death.
Moved by sympathy, especially after what had happened with Liu-er, Yun Qing couldn't help but speak up. Seeing Fu Tianlei's dark expression, Yun Qing added, "I know I shouldn't interfere..." Yun Qing was never one to meddle; even now, he refrained from mentioning Chen Shi.
Fu Tianlei interrupted, "Yun Qing, thank you for telling me this. As I said, there's nothing we can't discuss as brothers."
After returning home, Fu Tianlei went to the side courtyard to check on Molan. Before entering the room, he heard the faint sound of a child crying. Upon entering the room, he saw only a young maid of about ten years old; the wet nurse was nowhere to be found.
Fu Tianlei's face darkened as he asked the maid, "Where is Molan's wet nurse?" Men rarely interfered in inner-courtyard matters, and Fu Tianlei was no exception.
The terrified maid knelt and stammered, "The wet nurse… she…" The maid didn't know where the wet nurse had gone and didn't dare lie to Fu Tianlei, who held absolute authority in the household. A single word from him could seal her fate.
Fu Tianlei's expression grew colder. He ordered one of his attendants, "Find Old Woman Lu and bring her here."
He picked up Molan from the bed and saw that the six-month-old was thin and small, looking more like a three- or four-month-old. As he stared at his frail daughter, Fu Tianlei's face clouded with emotion.
Before long, the attendant dragged the wet nurse into the room and reported, "General, this woman was gambling just now!" Neglecting her duties to gamble was a recipe for disaster.
The wet nurse had grown complacent, seeing that Chen Shi didn't favour Molan and Fu Tianlei rarely paid attention to her. But now, caught red-handed, she knew she wouldn't be spared. She begged for mercy on her knees: "General, please spare me! Please spare me..." Before she could finish, Fu Tianlei kicked her unconscious.
The attendant quickly had the wet nurse dragged out.
Fu Tianlei said, "Find another wet nurse to feed Third Young Miss immediately. Also, have the steward bring Physician Zeng." Just moments ago, he had been worrying about Yun Qing's premature daughter, but now it seemed that his own child might not survive.
After examining Molan, Physician Zeng explained that the child was malnourished due to poor care. Fortunately, Chen Shi had eaten well during her pregnancy with Molan, thinking she was carrying a son, which gave Molan a strong foundation. Otherwise, she wouldn't have survived.
When Fu Tianlei heard this, he was both angry and distressed. He immediately sold the wet nurse and the two senior maids, replaced them with a new wet nurse, and appointed the wife of one of his attendants as the stewardess of Molan's courtyard.
Fu Tianlei knew Chen Shi's dislike of Molan was the primary factor in her neglect. However, given Chen Shi's difficult pregnancy, he chose not to confront her about it. Still upset, he avoided the main courtyard and went directly to his study instead.
Although Chen Shi was bedridden, as the head mistress of the Fu household, she was quickly informed of the situation the next morning.
Mama He reported, "Master has replaced Third Young Miss's wet nurse and attendants and appointed Zhou De's wife as the stewardess of her courtyard."
Frowning, Chen Shi pondered for a while before saying, "Since Master has already dealt with it, let's leave it at that. I'm too weak to handle everything. In the future, keep an eye on Third Miss to ensure this doesn't happen again."
She admitted her negligence as a mother. If she hadn't been pregnant, her husband would have scolded her. The recent loss of a concubine's child had already strained their relationship, and she didn't want to provoke him further over this matter.
Mama He nodded. "I'll make sure to check on the Third Young Miss regularly." She knew she was also partly to blame; she'd been too busy lately to properly supervise Third Young Miss's care.
Footnotes Full List
- lit. elder brother's wife; sister-in-law. Saozi is also a general term for a young married woman, and an honourable title for a friend's wife.
- 百合 bǎihé = Lily
- 牡丹 mǔdan = Peony
- 墨兰 mòlán = Ink Orchid. The author initially wrote 墨菊 mòjú (ink chrysanthemum) here, but since she wrote Molan the first time and for the rest of the chapter, I changed it to Molan.
- èr 二 = two/second, nǎinai 奶奶 = young mistress of the house
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi