Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 025

Chapter 25: Pregnancy

An Zhi observed Fusheng for a few days. Perhaps because of the sudden change in his family, he didn’t like to talk much. Cuisi would tease him from time to time, but Fusheng usually didn’t react.

“Binglu, go find some material and make two new clothes for Fusheng. Now that he’s entered my yard, he shouldn’t wear torn clothes anymore.” An Zhi sat under the porch with the “Book of Songs” in her hand.

“Miss, have you decided to keep the person here?” Binglu asked.

An Zhi nodded, and Binglu walked under the sky, taking Fusheng with her to pick out materials.

In An Zhi’s courtyard, Binglu was the maid who managed everything. The other maids who were thirteen or fourteen years old were the Four Orchids (Lan): Chunlan, Xialan, Qiulan, and Donglan. There were two girls like Cuisi who had just started their lives. There were four to six old women who do rough work. There were no male servants before, but now there was an extra Fusheng who helped run errands.

Fusheng was staying in the courtyard to run errands because he was young now. When he grows up, around sixteen years old, he would be assigned to the outer courtyard to wait for assignments.

The maids and servants in the house were all arranged for An Zhi by Madam Bai when she was alive. Each of them was carefully selected and prepared to be An Zhi’s dowry in the future.

Especially the Four Orchids, although not as beautiful as An Zhi, they had their own characteristics.

When Madam Bai bought these maids, she told An Zhi that she would marry into a wealthy family in the future. Such families would have many wives and concubines, so she had to have her own people, so she had to learn to make good use of her own people.

But now, all the things that Madam Bai prepared for her were no longer useful.

In her new life, she had already seen through all the love affairs. She probably had no hope of marriage in this life. She didn’t believe Pei Que’s bold words about marrying her, thinking it was just a man’s momentary desire to conquer her. Just like in her previous life, when she saw through Pei Yu’s intention to divorce, she thought he was having an affair.

Thinking of Pei Yu, An Zhi saw Binglu come back and called her into the house. “Is there any news from Mengzhou?”

“Not yet.” Binglu stood aside, her brows slightly furrowed. “But it should be soon. Miss, there’s news from Concubine Zhang that she’s pregnant.”

“How could this happen?” An Zhi looked at Binglu. “It’s been eight or nine years since Second Sister died. She hasn’t gotten pregnant in all this time. How come she’s suddenly pregnant now?”

Aunt Zhang was thirty-two years old this year, which was considered old in the harem. It was rare for ordinary people to give birth to children at this age, let alone she had not been pregnant for so many years, but she got pregnant at this time.

In fact, there was nothing wrong with Aunt Zhang’s pregnancy. It was not a national mourning, nor was it a mistress’ pregnancy. It was a normal pregnancy. It was just that An Chengye was about to remarry, so it was a bit embarrassing for her to be pregnant at this time.

Binglu analyzed, “Ever since the Second Young Miss passed away, Master rarely rested at Concubine Zhang’s place. He either went to Mistress Xu’s or to a brothel outside. Recently, Mistress Xu was injured, and Master had no time to go out and play because of An Rong’s situation. He slept at Concubine Zhang’s place for a while. This is probably why Concubine Zhang got pregnant.”

An Zhi: “Go find some supplements, and we’ll go see Aunt Zhang.”

When An Zhi arrived, another concubine, Cheng Yi Niang, was also there, with her six-year-old son An Jing.

“Aunt, there’s no need to get up. I just came to see you.” An Zhi first greeted Aunt Zhang who was on the bed, and then greeted Aunt Cheng.

Aunt Cheng was bought from outside and was a quiet person. When Madam Bai was around, she would come out to pay her respects and say hello to her as usual. She usually stayed in her own courtyard, and An Jing was also cultivated into a taciturn person by her.

An Zhi and Aunt Cheng had an average relationship. They lived in the same residence but didn’t interact much.

“Since the young lady is here, I will leave first.” Aunt Cheng stood up and gently pushed An Jing forward. “Jing’er, say goodbye to your sister.”

An Jing glanced at An Zhi timidly, his voice as soft as a mosquito.

An Zhi sighed inwardly after hearing this. He was a boy after all, and how could he possibly start a family in the future if he was raised so timidly by Aunt Cheng? After all, he was her brother, and Aunt Cheng was not a bad person. She wanted to help him, “Aunt, don’t leave so quickly. There’s something I want to discuss with you.”

Aunt Cheng’s eyelashes flickered, as if she was nervous.

“Jing’er is six years old now, and Father… you know, he didn’t give Jing’er much enlightenment, and he will go to school next year. If you don’t mind my average level, you can send him to my courtyard in the future, and I will give him enlightenment.” An Zhi said softly.

There were some things An Zhi couldn’t say directly. After Meng Jie came into the family, An Jing would be her stepson. An Chengye was a man who didn’t care about anything. Whether or not to give An Jing an education, or what kind of school to send him to, would largely be up to Meng Jie. Since ancient times, half of ten stepmothers were bad, and the remaining half weren’t good either, but rather indifferent to their stepsons. But if An Zhi arranged everything for An Jing before Meng Jie even came into the family, then Meng Jie wouldn’t have much to say once she got married.

Aunt Cheng understood the logic, but she was a little reluctant. Her son had been raised by her since he was born, and An Zhi was decisive in her work. She was not afraid that An Zhi would treat her son harshly, but she was afraid that her son would suffer.

The concubine Zhang on the bed was a maidservant who came with the Bai family as a dowry. She had been serving the Bai family since she was a child, so her vision was higher than that of concubine Cheng, who came from a small family. She knew that An Zhi was praising concubine Cheng, so she quickly spoke up to help, “Sister, why don’t you thank the young lady quickly? Her talent was taught by a master hired by the madam, and it will be beneficial to Jing’er.”

Seeing that Aunt Cheng was still keeping silent with her lips pursed, An Zhi had no choice but to let it go. She had already brought it up on her own initiative, but Aunt Cheng was reluctant to let her son suffer, so she couldn’t force her. She smiled and let Aunt Cheng go. As a result, An Jing pulled Aunt Cheng’s sleeve and said that he wanted to learn to read.

“Jing’er, do you really want to learn to read?” Aunt Cheng didn’t expect her son to say this suddenly, so she didn’t consider how inappropriate it was to say this in front of An Zhi.

An Jing nodded, “Father often talks about poetry and prose with Auntie, but Auntie doesn’t understand.”

Children speak without restraint, but they speak the truth.

In the past, Madam Bai could recite a few lines of poetry, but her personality was incompatible with An Chengye’s, so naturally they liked different lines of poetry.

That was why An Chengye found a skinny girl named Xu who only cared about spring flowers and autumn moons, and neglected his wife and concubines at home.

Aunt Cheng blushed and bowed to An Zhi, saying, “Jing’er has been raised by this concubine to be a little timid. I’ll have to trouble you from now on, Miss.”

Hearing the tone of these words, An Zhi could feel Aunt Cheng cutting her flesh, “It’s better for boys to be bolder. When uncle and brother come back, let them take him to ride horses more often to practice courage.”

Aunt Cheng thanked her again before taking An Jing away.

“Don’t blame her for being cautious. The master doesn’t live in our courtyard all year round. It’s very rare for her to have such a child, so naturally she looks after him like a treasure.” Aunt Zhang sighed and asked the maid to make tea for An Zhi.

An Zhi smiled, “I understand, but I think An Jing is a bit timid. If we don’t help him now, when there are only you and the new wife in the house, life will be difficult for her and her son.”

Speaking of Meng Jie, Aunt Zhang couldn’t help but say, “Miss, can you tell me the truth? What kind of person is the new wife?”