Chapter 183
That being said, the oldest of the two children was only ten years old. Ye Yunniang was worried and urged Jiang Mingzhe to go out.
Unable to dissuade Ye Yunniang, Jiang Mingzhe instructed Qiushuang to take good care of her before leaving the room.
No sooner had Jiang Mingzhe left than Baise walked in.
"Yunniang, I thought of a few good ideas."
Ye Yunniang didn't answer; she was leaning over the edge of the bed, vomiting.
"What's wrong?" Baise stepped forward and patted Ye Yunniang's back. "How is Jiang Mingzhe taking care of you? Hurry and fetch a doctor."
Baise urged Qiushuang, who was standing to the side.
The people Jiang Mingzhe arranged were simply incompetent.
"There's no need, ugh—"
"Look at you. And you're still refusing a doctor." Baise took the cup of water Qiushuang handed her and helped Ye Yunniang take a sip.
After rinsing her mouth, Ye Yunniang caught her breath before speaking.
"Morning sickness."
"You're pregnant?"
"Yes."
"Then you really don't need a doctor." Baise grabbed Ye Yunniang's wrist and massaged her Neiguan acupoint. "When I first got pregnant, I threw up all the time too. Tie Yi used to massage this spot for me, and it helped a lot. You should have Jiang Mingzhe massage it for you more often."
"Okay," Ye Yunniang agreed.
"Don't just say okay, you actually have to make Jiang Mingzhe do it. Pregnancy is exhausting and takes a huge toll on a woman's body; we have to let men know that. After the baby is born, hand it over to him to look after, and make sure you rest well during your postpartum confinement to recover. Your body is your own, and you're the one who has to bear the good and the bad. No one else can suffer it for you," Baise chattered on.
Ye Yunniang murmured in agreement from time to time, responding to Baise.
Seeing Ye Yunniang looking tired, Baise stopped her lecturing and left the room.
Tie Yi was waiting to the side, holding their child.
"Have you finished discussing things with Lady Ye?"
"Forget it, I'll let Jiang Mingzhe off the hook today." Baise touched her son's little cheek. "Let's go, we're going home."
Tie Yi was confused as to why Baise had suddenly stopped making a fuss.
However, this was for the best.
"When we get back, I'll give you a massage, my dear."
"Mhm, riding in the carriage has made my waist sore and achy."
"Alright." Tie Yi, holding their son, followed behind Baise as they left the Jiang residence.
Baise had thought of many ways to torment Jiang Mingzhe, but she hadn't expected Ye Yunniang to be pregnant.
For the sake of Ye Yunniang's pregnancy, she would spare Jiang Mingzhe this time.
The news of Baise's departure was quickly reported to Jiang Mingzhe.
Jiang Mingzhe breathed a sigh of relief.
Baise was Ye Yunniang's good friend, and with Li Ping meddling on the side, there really wasn't much Jiang Mingzhe could do.
Jiang Mingzhe took his two sons to entertain the guests, introducing Li Pan and Li Ping to them.
He primarily introduced Li Ping, telling everyone that his youngest son was the young master of the Yunhua Chamber of Commerce.
The head of their household.
Watching Jiang Mingzhe take around two children with the surname Li and introducing them everywhere as his own sons, the other members of the Jiang family who had come to attend the wedding banquet did not look pleased.
Having witnessed Jiang Mingzhe and Li Ping's ruthless methods, they didn't dare say anything.
Despite his young age, Li Ping's methods were no less formidable than Jiang Mingzhe's.
Thinking of Li Ping's threats against her, Old Madam Jiang could not help but shudder.
"What should we do?" Old Madam Jiang asked Old Master Jiang, wanting him to come up with an idea.
She didn't want to go back to living a life of eating chaff and swallowing wild vegetables.
If Old Master Jiang had a solution, he wouldn't be sitting all alone in the corner.
"I'll go find Ye Yunniang and talk to her," Lu Xueying offered tentatively.
"Going to talk to a widow will only lower your own status for nothing." Jiang Mingde was very contemptuous of Ye Yunniang.
"What status do we even have now?" Lu Xueying smiled bitterly.
Jiang Mingde was no longer the Director of the Ministry of Works he once was, and she was no longer a fifth-rank official's wife.
They were no nobler than the street vendors now.
"Eldest daughter-in-law, what kind of nonsense are you saying?" Old Madam Jiang was displeased with Lu Xueying's words.
In Old Madam Jiang's heart, Jiang Mingde was a capable man who would sooner or later be given an important position again.
Jiang Mingzhe ought to bow his head, fawning over and providing for Jiang Mingde.
Old Madam Jiang couldn't see the reality of the situation, but Lu Xueying saw it clearly.
It was impossible for Jiang Mingde to ever be reinstated in this lifetime.
Their two sons had endured the confiscation of their home and seven years of bitter suffering at the border. Their bodies were ruined; just living to an old age would be a blessing.
If their family wanted to live well, the only person they could rely on was Jiang Mingzhe.
If Lu Xueying could see it clearly, how could Jiang Mingde not see it too? It was just that he couldn't swallow his pride and yield to his younger brother, whom he considered inferior to himself.
"If you want to go, then go. I won't."
"Alright, I'll go." This was exactly what Lu Xueying had been waiting to hear. She stood up and headed toward the backyard.
Old Madam Jiang tried to stop her but was halted by Old Master Jiang reaching out a hand.
Inside the bridal chamber, Ye Yunniang suffered another bout of vomiting.
"Madam, have a plum." Qiushuang offered her a plum.
Ye Yunniang took it and popped it into her mouth.
"Sit down and talk with me for a bit," Ye Yunniang beckoned Qiushuang.
Qiushuang pulled over a stool, sat by the bed, and massaged Ye Yunniang's Neiguan acupoint.
"Madam, is the pressure okay?"
Ye Yunniang hummed in affirmation. "Qiushuang, when did you start following Jiang Mingzhe?"
"To answer Madam, I was picked up by Captain Chen when I was ten years old."
The Captain Chen that Qiushuang spoke of was Jiang Mingzhe's captain of the guard, Chen Xiang.
Qiushuang used to have no name; from birth, her parents simply called her derogatory names like wretched girl or damn brat.
At three, she did chores, and if she didn't do them well, she was beaten and starved.
At five, she took care of her younger brother. If he so much as cried once, she would face a joint beating from both her parents.
When she was nine, her brother wanted candy. Since the family had no money, her parents sold her.
The human traffickers were transporting them to another region when they ran into bandits and were abducted to the mountains.
Chen Xiang led a team to wipe out the bandits and saved her.
"I had nowhere to go, so I hugged Captain Chen's leg. I cried and shouted, 'You saved me, so you have to take responsibility for me!'"
Looking back at how dirty and dark she was back then, clinging to Chen Xiang and wailing, Qiushuang felt embarrassed but also felt that she had done the right thing.
Now she had a name. She received a monthly allowance and could buy the food and clothes she liked.
"Do you like Chen Xiang?"
"Yes, I like him." Qiushuang generously and openly admitted her affection for Chen Xiang.
Then, she curled her lip. "But Captain Chen doesn't fancy me."
"Does he have someone he likes?"
"No. He says that in this life, he belongs to the Master in life and in death. He won't take a wife." Speaking of this, Qiushuang looked very disappointed.
But Qiushuang quickly smiled again. "In this life, he protects the Master, and I will protect him."
Remembering her current duties, she added, "And I will protect you well, Madam."
"I won't send you away," Ye Yunniang said, seeing through Qiushuang's worries.
"Madam, you are so kind. You are the second good person Qiushuang has ever met."
Ye Yunniang was amused by Qiushuang.
When Qiushuang first came to Ye Yunniang's side, she was unsmiling, serious, and meticulous in her work.
Ye Yunniang had thought Qiushuang had a stern personality and was hard to approach.
Now she knew that these were all just Qiushuang's protective coloring; in reality, she was just an innocent, scheming-free girl.
"Do you want to marry Chen Xiang?"
"I do." Qiushuang nodded vigorously.
"I'll teach you." Ye Yunniang's words made Qiushuang's eyes light up.
"Madam, what should I do?"
"Come closer."
Qiushuang leaned in close to Ye Yunniang and listened to her speak.
The shifting expressions of shock and surprise on Qiushuang's face were incredibly amusing.
Knock, knock, knock!