Chapter 296 - 295: Our Daughter
Yanzhou is too far from the capital, and family letters take a long time to be delivered.
But Ji Mingzhu has always maintained contact with Mrs. Guan and Xie Yunling.
Occasionally, she would also receive letters from Princess An He.
After the spring began, Princess An He really went south to travel.
When she came across interesting items, she would buy them and send them to Yanzhou, saying they were for the children to play with.
Ji Mingzhu never doubted Princess An He’s intentions towards the children.
It’s possible that the Commandery Princess might not think highly of her as a daughter-in-law, but she was deeply affectionate towards the bloodline of Xie Yunzhen.
Mingzhu certainly wouldn’t dampen Princess An He’s enthusiasm for being kind to her children.
Whenever she received a letter, she would immediately reply with one.
Even though the words were formalities, at least it preserved the face of Princess An He.
These courtesies would transform into a kind of parental love, later benefiting her children.
Just thinking about this made Ji Mingzhu feel at ease.
Time flew by.
In the later stages of pregnancy, Ji Mingzhu’s belly seemed to inflate like a balloon, and when standing, she could hardly see her toes.
Movement started to become inconvenient.
She needed help with dressing and sleeping, and she certainly couldn’t put on shoes by herself.
Fortunately, their family was large and wealthy, lacking no one to serve, or else Mingzhu wouldn’t know how to get through this challenging time.
Despite her belly growing larger, her limbs remained slender as ever, though her face had become more rounded and carried a beauty as bright as pearls and jade.
Xie Yunzhen had been anxious, and as the due date approached, he grew even more restless.
He couldn’t sleep and even lost his appetite.
After a while of this, he became visibly thinner, and Xi Yu teased him quite a bit.
Ji Mingzhu also felt somewhat scared, but seeing Xie Yunzhen’s state, she suddenly wasn’t nervous anymore.
Some things were beyond human control; all she needed was to relax and be at ease.
As the atmosphere became tense, the due date drew nearer.
One night late, Ji Mingzhu suddenly went into labor.
Xie Yunzhen, who had been sleepless, noticed the water broke even before Mingzhu herself.
The sheets were wet, and Mingzhu thought she had wet the bed.
She was stunned by this, standing there dazed.
Despite having been extremely anxious previously, Xie Yunzhen was actually the calmest one when it happened.
He quickly got up to comfort Mingzhu, "Don’t be afraid, the midwives and doctors are present. You and the child will be fine."
Only then did Ji Mingzhu realize.
It wasn’t just wetting the bed.
Once she realized the truth, fear appeared clearly on her face, and she tightly grabbed Xie Yunzhen’s hand.
"Stay with me."
Xie Yunzhen had no intention of leaving her side.
With past life experiences, he wouldn’t step away from Mingzhu even a step.
He gently kissed her forehead to soothe her.
He called the night maid, "The madam is going to give birth, invite the midwives to the main courtyard."
To ensure Mingzhu gave birth smoothly, all the renowned midwives in Yanzhou City were invited by Xie Yunzhen.
They were currently settled in the adjacent courtyard and could be summoned over in less than half a tea cup’s time.
The main courtyard was fully lit and bustling, waking Jade and the others from sleep.
Learning that the madam was going to give birth, they couldn’t remain peacefully asleep and got up to help.
The courtyard filled with maids and servants coming and going, busy boiling water and preparing necessary items, creating a frenzy.
Ji Mingzhu had experienced childbirth once before.
She knew how to cooperate with the midwives, saving energy and helping the child come out quickly.
She didn’t scream or express fear again.
Her calm demeanor made Xie Yunzhen even more heartbroken for her.
If it were possible to exchange places, he would rather be the one giving birth.
His face was tense, unsure whether he was comforting Ji Mingzhu or himself.
Xie Yunzhen continuously painted a picture of life after the child’s birth, "Haven’t you always wanted to travel outside the residence? After the confinement period, you can take a trip outside the city during autumn."
"We’ll take the child along too, let them get some sun and wind. They say children grow fast outdoors, maybe after a few outings, he’ll suddenly grow big."
Despite the pain, Ji Mingzhu corrected him, "The baby is too small, they can’t be exposed to the wind, what if they catch a cold?"
Xie Yunzhen quickly replied, "Then we’ll leave him at home and go out by ourselves."
Ji Mingzhu merely chuckled.
"Am I really that fond of playing?"
Xie Yunzhen shook his head.
Mingzhu wasn’t playful; she was overly obedient, never causing trouble for others.
Squeezing her hand more firmly, Xie Yunzhen said, "When the child is born and you’ve recovered, I’ll go along with anything you want to do in the future."
Ji Mingzhu hummed softly.
A wave of pain surged, making it hard for her to jest with Xie Yunzhen anymore.
Determined to save her strength, she could only endure the heart-wrenching pain.
Fearing she might bite herself, Xie Yunzhen placed a prepared cloth at Mingzhu’s mouth.
His initial thought was to offer his hand for Mingzhu to bite, if the pain was too much.
But Mingzhu scolded him.
She said if his hand got bitten and bled into her mouth, she’d be dealing with childbirth and also the nauseating taste of blood.
She accused him of causing more chaos!
Xie Yunzhen found Mingzhu’s argument reasonable and no longer insisted.
Although he felt being bitten would give him a sense of participation.
Ji Mingzhu could still manage, so she turned her head away from the cloth he offered.
Xie Yunzhen gently coaxed, "Don’t hurt yourself."
The pain made Ji Mingzhu inexplicably feel wronged.
"I don’t want to hurt myself, but is this something I can control?"
The man’s deep eyes were filled with intense heartache.
He knew childbirth was like passing through Ghost Gate; it wasn’t even the final moment, and Mingzhu was already suffering so much.
Unconsciously, Xie Yunzhen wondered if he lacked reproductive abilities, wouldn’t that spare Mingzhu from suffering?
The issue was with him, and the elders in the family wouldn’t have much to say either.
They would even help keep it secret, treating Mingzhu and the child wholeheartedly.
When Mingzhu once again experienced contractions, and the midwife said the baby’s head was almost out, Xie Yunzhen had made up his mind.
He didn’t want Mingzhu to suffer from childbirth anymore.
Nor did he want her to bear any pressure from the elders.
His eyes flashed with determination as he used a handkerchief to wipe Mingzhu’s sweat.
"Zhu Zhu, hold on for a bit longer."
"The baby is almost out; we don’t know if they’ll resemble you or me. Let’s patiently wait for them, shall we?"
The excruciating pain deprived Mingzhu of the ability to think; all she knew was how much it hurt, leaving no energy to listen to what Yunzhen was saying.
At the brink of exhaustion, something separated from within her.
Soon after, the cries of a child echoed in her ears.
So powerful.
So loud.
In the haze, Mingzhu’s scattered consciousness was drawn back.
She merely turned her head slightly, and Yunzhen placed the bundled baby next to her.
"Look quickly, this is our daughter, as beautiful as you."
Yunzhen’s eyes brimmed with tears, gazing at the small infant in his palm.
So tiny, yet crying with full vigour.
Simply wonderful!
"Ma’am, another one is almost out, please push a bit more."
Yunzhen’s knees buckled.
He already had one in his hand, how could there be another?