Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 457

Chapter 457: Grapes

Double happiness—everyone was delighted.

Pei Que actually paid for all the guests at Chunfeng Tower that night, but he didn’t say why. The doctor said the first three months were crucial, and it wasn’t something to publicize.

Xu Wenjuan and He Xun went straight back to the Xu Mansion. They were all about to become parents for the first time, and they couldn’t hide their excitement.

When An Zhi returned, both of her hands were held in Pei Que’s palms, and she was sweating from the heat. “Don’t be so nervous. We’ve walked this road dozens of times. I’m not made of sugar filaments. I won’t break if I shake.”

“I won’t feel at ease if I don’t hold your hand.” Pei Que’s palms were sweating too.

There was much strife within the Pei Mansion. Although Pei Que hadn’t grown up among women, he knew that his brothers’ concubines often suffered miscarriages.

An Zhi had no choice but to let Pei Que hold her hand. She was also a little excited. “The old doctor said I’m newly pregnant and need to recuperate. Let’s not tell the An Mansion for now. I’ll stay home and recuperate for the time being. Once the baby is stable, I’ll invite my father’s wife and sister-in-law to come over. What do you think?”

“I’ll listen to my wife,” Pei Que said happily.

The carriage stopped at the door of the Pei Mansion. Pei Que jumped out first, then took An Zhi’s hand. After returning to the courtyard, Pei Que summoned An Zhi’s servants into the house. “You are all close to Madam. Now that Madam is pregnant, you must be even more attentive. No one else is allowed to handle food or anything else used in the house. Understand?”

The servants standing in the house were all part of An Zhi’s dowry. Upon hearing that Madam was pregnant, they all beamed with joy. After receiving their reward money and leaving, they all hoped that Madam would have a son to avoid gossip from outsiders.

“Madam, don’t move. I’ll do it!” Pei Que saw An Zhi reaching for the cloth and hurried over to snatch it from her hand. “From now on, don’t do anything like this yourself. Just rest.”

An Zhi said helplessly, “I can’t just sit there and do nothing. The doctor told me to move around more.”

Pei Que was a first-time father and had no experience. “Anyway, don’t move now. Once I’ve figured it out, I’ll take care of you.”

“Haha.” An Zhi ignored Pei Que’s words. After all, he was busy with official duties, and there weren’t many men out there who would serve women.

However, Pei Que did find the time.

For the next month and a half, Pei Que secretly learned how to take pulses from a doctor. Every day when he returned from work, his first order of business was to take An Zhi’s pulse.

It was bitterly hot in late June.

An Zhi, fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan, sat in the shade of the long corridor with Binglu and the others.

Binglu took the washed grapes out of the food box. “These are the grapes Madam of An sent me to bring back. They said they’re very sweet. They’ll come to see you tomorrow.”

An Zhi was already three months pregnant. She had asked Binglu to return to her parents’ home after she woke up this morning. She ate a grape; it was truly sweet, but it was so hot that she lost her appetite after eating one.

“When the princess learned you were pregnant, she wished she could come back with me right away,” Binglu laughed. “The princess said she’d come tomorrow and have a proper talk with you. It’s such a big deal, and you didn’t tell her.”

An Zhi knew her sister-in-law was joking. Keeping quiet for three months was a well-known rule.

Seeing that the young madam had only eaten one grape, Chunlan said with concern, “Madam, won’t you eat more?”

An Zhi shook her head. “No, you guys can eat the rest. I don’t have much of an appetite. Chunlan, will the third branch of the Pei family come?”

Since An Zhi was pregnant, she couldn’t just invite her family. Even if she didn’t want to, she still had to send invitations to the other three branches.

Chunlan swallowed the grape and said, “The First Branch’s Madam is still feeling down. If she feels better tomorrow, she’ll come. The Second and Third Branches’ Madams have both expressed their congratulations. I’ll definitely come tomorrow.”

“My sister-in-law hasn’t been out, so she probably won’t be here tomorrow. It’s better if she doesn’t come, to save everyone some embarrassment.” After An Zhi finished speaking, she caught a whiff of milk tea, and her stomach suddenly began to churn.

She’d been vomiting profusely for the past two days. If she came into contact with anything meaty, she’d have to puke up all the bitterness. That was why she’d lost so much weight over the past two days.

Pregnancy was truly arduous.

Seeing her young madam vomiting, Binglu quickly got up and fetched a basin.

An Zhi waved her hand, saying, “No, I don’t have anything to vomit right now. Binglu, go get me some pickled plums. I want to eat that.”

Binglu quickly brought the pickled plums. “The maids always say that sour is for boys and spicy is for girls. It’s a good thing you like pickled plums, but you can’t just eat them. When Madam of He came over the other day, she’d gained weight, and you, on the other hand, can’t eat anything. What should I do?”

“I’ve just been vomiting a lot these past two days. Maybe I’ll be fine in a couple of days.” An Zhi took the white tea Chunlan offered her, rinsed her mouth, and said, “Has the old master still been eating very little these past two days?”

Ever since Pei Zheng committed suicide, Pei Huaijin hadn’t been in good shape. And with the recent hot weather, he didn’t eat as much as An Zhi.

The old master was old and a bit confused, but overall, he was still quite astute.

Chunlan nodded and said, “Yesterday, I personally delivered some snacks and noticed that the old master had lost a lot of weight. His cheeks were sunken. Madam, you said…”

Chunlan didn’t dare to say the rest of the sentence and stopped there.

An Zhi understood Chunlan’s meaning. The old master was a little old, but he had been in good health before. He looked thinner now because he was still immersed in the grief of losing his son.

In fact, An Zhi thought the old master had nothing to do. If he had something to do, he wouldn’t have time to think too much.

“Binglu, go get some iced sour plum soup. Let’s go see the old master.” An Zhi stood up, holding her waist. Although she wasn’t heavily pregnant yet, she subconsciously wanted to hold her waist. Pei Que had repeatedly urged her to be careful, which made her subconsciously cautious.

“Madam, the old master doesn’t look at you favorably. Why would you go there in person?” Cuisi was young and didn’t understand the twists and turns of the world.

Chunlan patted Cuisi’s dirty hands and instructed, “Filial piety is the most important virtue. The old master is our son-in-law’s biological father and therefore our madam’s elder. He may not treat our madam well, but he doesn’t abuse her. Whether the old master eats the food we send him or not, we must keep sending it.”

An Zhi, with satisfaction, turned her gaze away from Chunlan and walked out with Binglu.

The sun was setting, and the heat was no longer so great, but Binglu still held an umbrella for her young madam.

Arriving at the old master’s courtyard, it was completely silent. Only after An Zhi ascended the steps did she hear the servant inside tell the old master she was here.

To be fair, An Zhi didn’t like the old master either, but she was in awe of his past.

Her visit was more out of a daughter’s responsibility.

Entering the house, the heavy smell of medicine hit her face, and An Zhi couldn’t help but feel nauseous, making a dry heaving gesture.

Pei Huaijin lay on the armchair, frowning as he opened his heavy eyes. He said slowly, “Let’s talk outside.”