novelraw Chapter 472 - 447 Escort (1)
Chapter 472 - 447 Escort (1)
The County Magistrate’s Wife was stunned.
The County Magistrate was shocked and stammered, "Wha... what? What news... what happy news?"
Li Yuzhu smiled and said, "The County Magistrate’s Wife is pregnant."
The County Magistrate rubbed his hands, his face full of joy, "Good, good, good, very good."
"Really... really? Yu Zhu, you didn’t make a mistake, did you?" The County Magistrate’s Wife was moved to tears.
She had been in poor health and had some disagreements with the County Magistrate, leading to them not living together much. So their son was already ten years old, and she hadn’t conceived again.
Suddenly being told she was pregnant made her afraid she’d heard wrong, afraid Li Yuzhu had made a mistake.
Li Yuzhu smiled and said, "No mistake. The symptoms are so obvious, how could I be wrong? You’ve been pregnant for two months. For these two months, when you didn’t have your menstrual blood, didn’t you notice? And the severe vomiting earlier was morning sickness."
The County Magistrate’s Wife, of course, had noticed the changes in her body. Her menstrual blood had often been irregular, so she hadn’t taken it seriously.
Besides, with not conceiving for ten years, how could she suddenly think she was pregnant?
Even though she had dreamed of conceiving again.
The County Magistrate’s Wife began to tremble with excitement, her tears streaming down.
"Madam, why are you crying?" The maids Chun’er and Xiaxia beside her congratulated her repeatedly, teasing her, "Madam should be laughing, right?"
"I... I’m just shocked at the unexpected pregnancy," the County Magistrate’s Wife said, laughing at herself through her tears.
The County Magistrate offered her his handkerchief to wipe her tears.
Li Yuzhu moved to the table, sat down, and started writing a prescription to protect the fetus, "Madam, the child is only two months old. You should be extra careful at this time. Don’t take any unrelated medicine, just take this medicine to protect the fetus."
The County Magistrate’s Wife covered her belly like a treasure, "Alright, alright, I will remember."
Li Yuzhu handed the prescription to the County Magistrate to glance over and then gave it to Chun’er, "Quickly go get the medicine and brew it."
Chun’er ran off happily.
Li Yuzhu took out some medicine pills from her backpack, "I’ve prescribed a seven-day decoction. Each dose should be taken twice and simultaneously with the pills in this bottle. Take one pill every day after meals with warm water. Remember, it must be taken after meals, because if, due to morning sickness, the pill is thrown up, it will be wasted. Take them until the child is born."
These are pills she made herself, containing compound vitamins, specially crafted for pregnant women.
To prevent the County Magistrate’s Wife from vomiting after taking the pills, she suggested taking them after meals.
The County Magistrate took them and immediately called another maid, Xiaxia, to serve water to help the County Magistrate’s Wife take her medicine.
Li Lixing, who arrived afterward, rushed into the room like a gust of wind, "Mother, how are you? It’s not a serious illness, is it?"
Li Lixing was truly worried about the County Magistrate’s Wife, his eyes were red with urgency.
He was almost crying.
The County Magistrate scolded him, "Are you cursing your mother? Your mother is not ill, she’s fine. You’re going to be an older brother."
Li Lixing was startled, "..." and stood frozen. When he realized, he jumped up happily, "Really? Dad, Mom? Am I really going to be an older brother?"
The County Magistrate’s Wife laughed and said, "Yes, you’ll be able to see the little baby around next year’s early autumn."
"Is it a little brother or sister in Mom’s belly?" Li Lixing asked joyfully.
The County Magistrate’s Wife chuckled and said, "It’s too small to tell right now."
The County Magistrate sternly asked Li Lixing, "No matter if they’re a brother or sister, you must act like an older brother and protect them. Remember?"
Li Lixing nodded repeatedly, "I remember, Dad."
"Also, don’t jump around, act like an older brother," the County Magistrate said in a deep voice.
Li Lixing immediately stood straight, "Got it, Dad."
Mu Yuanxiu and Li Xing’an, who were waiting outside, congratulated the County Magistrate and his wife outside the bedroom door.
The County Magistrate laughed happily, "Share the joy, hahaha, don’t leave. Let’s have lunch together to celebrate."
"Thank you for your hospitality, Lord County Magistrate." Li Xing’an and Mu Yuanxiu both felt happy for the County Magistrate and thanked him together.
.
Though the County Magistrate’s Wife was happy, the County Magistrate was cautious because the child was only two months old and not stable.
Following tradition, the County Magistrate didn’t make the news public, only rewarding some money to the maids and Li Yuzhu and others in the County Magistrate’s Wife’s room.
Everyone tacitly agreed not to spread the news.
Also, since the child was very small, Lord County Magistrate was worried about his wife and asked Li Yuzhu to visit every day for diagnosis.
As there were no other matters needing her attention at home, Li Yuzhu happily agreed.
For easy care, Li Yuzhu was invited to stay at the County Magistrate Mansion, continuing her stay in the guest room in the County Magistrate’s Wife’s courtyard.
She was already a regular guest at the County Magistrate Mansion, and Li Xing’an was reassured while he focused on his store’s business.
Though Li Xing’an was not academically successful in his younger years, he was skilled at selling books.
With Mu Yuanxiu’s help, he led Xiao Chengzi and Liu Yanbai to develop the bookstore business progressively, not only selling all one thousand copies that Li Yuzhu printed but also beginning to print children’s drawing books as advised by Li Yuzhu.
Li Xing’an expanded the business not only within the county but also to external counties.
For external county business, he relied on the help from the Zhao family.
Due to Li Yuzhu’s notification, Mrs. Zhao gained several thousand taels of silver and held her head high, remembering her debt to Li Yuzhu and willing to help Li Xing’an. Moreover, Li Xing’an didn’t ask her to help for nothing but gave her some benefits.
Mrs. Zhao, being a money-loving and stingy person, was happy to help as long as there were profits.
Li Xing’an told her that once his books were sold, a portion of profits would be given.
Mrs. Zhao agreed readily, and Li Xing’an printed the books while Mrs. Zhao transported them to external counties. There, Zhao family’s stores and acquaintances in business helped sell them, managing to sell some.
As long as sales moved, there was no fear of future business.
Li Xing’an held great expectations for the future.
Xiao Chengzi and Liu Yanbai also earned some pocket money.
Especially Liu Yanbai, holding the first earnings of his life, he was so excited that tears fell; he hid the money under his bed planks, not willing to spend a single coin.
This month, he saved six hundred coins; next month, if Li Xing’an’s business was good, he could earn more. Saving a little each month could mean several taels of silver in a year, which could build a house in the village in three to five years.
.
Days passed quietly, Li Yuzhu and others had been staying in the county town for over a month.
This day, the sky was cold and gloomy, and light snow flurries began to fall.
A senior attendant from the Chai family, who had been traveling afar, returned on horseback wearing a raincoat and a conical hat.
In the store owned by Sister-in-law Chai and the Eldest Young Master Chai, there were two attendants, one being a junior attendant who helped regularly in the store, and the senior attendant sometimes worked there, but mostly ran errands by buying things or delivering messages and items from the village.
With Chai Eying living in the village and Eldest Young Master Chai usually in the county town, he often sent this senior attendant back home, worried about his sister.
The fellow villagers working or owning stores in the county town knew the senior attendant frequently returned to the village, and would often ask him to deliver messages or small items back. The Eldest Young Master Chai along with the attendant made a little extra as courier fees.
That day, the senior attendant who returned from the village brought a message from Chai Eying, asking when Li Yuzhu and the others planned to return to the village as Mr. Li and his wife missed Li Yuzhu.
Moreover, he mentioned that if busy, Li Xing’an didn’t need to return and could just bring Li Yuzhu back.
Upon hearing the message the senior attendant brought from home, Li Xing’an was infuriated, "Am I adopted or what?"
The Eldest Young Master Chai patted his shoulder and laughed, "Third Brother Li, don’t think like that, Yu Zhu is a young girl; the family is naturally more worried about her. You’re a grown man, so your parents are surely more assured with you. Why would an older brother vie for affection with his sister?"
Li Xing’an sheepishly laughed, "I’m not vying for affection; I’m just saying my parents should at least inquire about me, right?"
The senior attendant from the Chai family laughed and said, "Mr. Li did inquire about the Third Young Master, saying the Third Young Master was smart and trustworthy."
Only then did Li Xing’an’s mood turn from sadness to joy, "That’s more like it. My father’s judgment has always been right."
Nevertheless, who would take Li Yuzhu back to the village worried Li Xing’an; he didn’t trust sending her back with the Chai family’s senior attendant.
"Just at the right time, I’m heading back to the village. I’ll take Yu Zhu back," Mu Yuanxiu said.
Li Xing’an looked at him, "You?" his face full of reluctance.
"Third Brother, my driving skills are definitely better than Brother Chai’s attendant’s," Mu Yuanxiu said, patting his chest.
Li Xing’an frowned.
That wasn’t necessarily the case; mainly he wasn’t familiar with the temper of the Chai family’s senior attendant, whereas he knew Mu Yuanxiu well.
Because he understood Mu Yuanxiu’s personality too well, he was even more worried.
"Mu Yuanxiu," Li Xing’an said with a darkened face, gripping Mu Yuanxiu’s shoulder, "Alright, you can take my sister back to the village. If she loses even a strand of hair or suffers any grievance, I won’t let you off."