Chapter 737 - 357
In Wanshou Hall, colorful lanterns adorned every corner, exuding joy and festivity. For the occasion, even the screens were replaced with pearwood ones featuring jade carvings of the "Five Sons Passing the Imperial Examination."
All the Liang family’s ladies were present, their attire dazzling with pearls and jade and the air filled with fragrance and laughter.
The Old Great-grandpa was overjoyed upon seeing the two little fellows, and upon learning that Brother Cheng had grown to be eight and a half jin and Brother Xin had also reached eight jin, he exclaimed repeatedly, "Good, good, such handsome and healthy boys."
Seated on the luohan bed, she even held each child in turn. By "holding," it meant placing the babies, swaddled like little hot peppers, on her lap while Wet Nurses crouched by her side for support.
Though the infants were bundled up, their little arms were still exposed, their tiny fists rubbing against their noses and eyes. They even graced everyone with "ah, ah" noises as if greeting them, and, unusually, they did not burst into wailing, much to the delight of the old lady.
Lady Cui, standing by, recounted the progress of the two boys in the past few days and giggled at the end, "The Old Great-grandpa is a lucky star, even our little crybabies don’t weep when they see you and instead laugh with so much vigor!"
Her words made the Old Great-grandpa even more delighted.
After the Old Great-grandpa had her fill of doting, the Eldest Old Lady and the Second Old Lady each took a turn to play with a child for a while.
Xue Jiejie was fond of her brother and eagerly leaned in to call him.
Lady Zhang, hearing Lady Cui’s laughter, found it particularly grating. She glanced at Lady Yang’s belly and then glared at her. Since she herself could not bear a son, it was high time to stop the medicine for the concubine maids.
Lady Yang’s gaze darkened. Only twenty years old, she was not barren. Why should a maid bear a legitimate son in her stead?
Before long, female guests began to arrive. Lady Wu and Pan Yue, led by Mingming and Jingjing, were the earliest to come, followed by guests arriving one after another. Including the children, there were more than thirty people gathered, spilling from the main hall into the side rooms for seating.