Tian Denghua brought in a bowl of steamed egg custard.
The silky-smooth custard was drizzled with two drops of sesame oil and sprinkled with a small handful of finely chopped scallions, making it look incredibly appetizing at first glance.
Eggs were always a precious commodity, and although Qi Lian swallowed her saliva, she still resisted and declined: "Mother, this is too extravagant…"
Tian Denghua glared at her: "I made this especially for you! Right now, there's another one in your belly competing for your nutrients—you're eating for two. Don't end up losing weight while carrying a child! When your mother sees you, won't she suspect I'm mistreating you?"
Only then did Qi Lian reluctantly accept it, but the first spoonful of custard she scooped up was offered to Song Yanyan beside her: "Come on, Yanyan, open your mouth."
Song Yanyan didn't react in time and instinctively leaned over, opening her mouth with an "ah."
Tian Denghua extended two fingers, pushing Song Yanyan's little head back, then pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket, unfolded it, and took out a boiled egg: "You eat this! Don't take your sister-in-law's."
Song Yanyan snapped back to reality, her face flushing: "Sister-in-law, you need to take good care of yourself now so the little nephew or niece in your belly can grow well… Don't feed me anymore. I'm grown up—I can't compete for food with a nephew or niece who hasn't even been born yet."
Qi Lian smiled shyly: "It's not like one bite makes a difference."
Tian Denghua frowned: "Whether it makes a difference or not, you eat yours."
Qi Lian agreed and lowered her head to slowly eat the custard.
Song Yanyan took the boiled egg Tian Denghua handed her and sat on the edge of the kang, carefully peeling it.
Tian Denghua pulled another boiled egg from the handkerchief, scanned the room, and, not seeing anyone, asked Song Yanyan: "Where's your second brother?"
Song Yanyan carefully peeled the eggshell: "Second brother went out just now."
Probably a bit shaken up, he went out to cool off in the cold wind.
Tian Denghua complained irritably: "Your second brother spends all day lost in his thoughts! When he was little, his health was so poor we almost couldn't keep him alive. Back then, the family was struggling too, and we couldn't afford medicine. I found a folk remedy and went up the mountain every day to gather herbs to boil a big bucket of medicinal water for his baths. I put in so much effort to raise him to this size! And what does he do? He ruins his health over some girl… If that girl doesn't care, his old mother does!"
Grumbling, Tian Denghua took the boiled egg and left.
Qi Lian ate the delicious custard Tian Denghua had made for her in small bites when she suddenly remembered something and looked up at Song Yanyan: "Yanyan, do you think this one in my belly will be a little nephew or a little niece?"
She looked at Song Yanyan expectantly. Weren't children said to have keen eyes, able to see things adults couldn't?
Could Yanyan tell whether this pregnancy was a boy or a girl?
Song Yanyan's hand, peeling the egg, paused slightly.
To be honest, Song Yanyan really didn't know.
After all, in her previous dream, Qi Lian's pregnancy had ended in a pool of blood after unknowingly drinking water mixed with Talisman Ash and taking a fall.
But Song Yanyan knew that later, after her sister-in-law recovered her health, she became pregnant again.
That pregnancy resulted in a pair of twins—a little nephew and a little niece, both incredibly adorable, fair and chubby, who would giggle and blow bubbles at Song Yanyan when they saw her.
But even those adorable nieces and nephews ultimately couldn't escape the slaughter…
A pang of sorrow flashed in Song Yanyan's eyes.
She lowered her gaze, slowly peeling the thin membrane clinging to the boiled egg, and said, "Sister-in-law, I think whether it's a boy or a girl is fine. As long as they're healthy, that's the best we could hope for."
Qi Lian felt Song Yanyan's words resonated deeply with her.
She wholeheartedly agreed.
This was her first child. As long as it could be born safely and healthily, that was already better than anything else!
A faint, dreamy smile appeared on Qi Lian's face.
When Song Risheng returned in the afternoon, the good news of Qi Lian's pregnancy hit him like a sudden revelation. He was so overjoyed that he nearly stumbled into the house, his arms and legs moving in awkward unison. If Tian Denghua hadn't followed him inside, worried that Song Risheng, being a first-time father, might accidentally hurt Qi Lian in his excitement, he would have almost picked Qi Lian up and spun her around several times!
Tian Denghua stopped him, her eyes wide with a mix of anger and concern. She wanted to scold him, but then she remembered Song Risheng's long-deceased father, who had also done plenty of foolish things when he learned she was pregnant with Song Risheng.
Tian Denghua's eyes grew slightly red.
Song Yanyan sat cross-legged on the warm kang, smiling as she watched Song Risheng stammer and ask Qi Lian if she was feeling unwell.
Qi Lian replied with a shy smile, "Not at all, I'm perfectly fine. Mother just steamed a bowl of egg custard for me!"
Only after Song Risheng had calmed down a little did Song Yanyan ask about how he had sent Luo Jinyu away.
Song Risheng scratched his head. "Yanyan, that white-bearded immortal from your dream was really accurate! That Luo girl truly is a noble person! I took her to the county town, and as soon as we entered the city, we ran into the county magistrate's assistant's wife! The assistant's wife took an immediate liking to her. When she learned that Luo Jinyu had escaped from a human trafficker, she felt great pity for her. She even said she would help her settle her identity in the county and wanted to adopt her as a goddaughter… Then the girl happily left with the assistant's wife!"
After learning that Luo Jinyu was actually the jinx who would bring disaster to their family, Tian Denghua had harbored no goodwill toward her. Hearing this, she snorted and curled her lips disdainfully.
Song Yanyan breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "It's good that she's gone!"
As for being taken in by the assistant's wife… it truly befitted the real noble daughter who resembled the heroine of a story. Now she had become an official's daughter, and she could continue living a pampered life from now on, right?
However, Song Yanyan recalled another matter.
In her dream, around the time of the New Year, something seemed to have happened in the county town, and the county's jailer was thrown into prison.
Song Yanyan tried hard to remember. It seemed the assistant hadn't been involved—she recalled that the assistant wasn't among the officials who were arrested.
Song Yanyan felt relieved, her expression relaxing considerably. She hoped Luo Jinyu would stay peacefully in the assistant's household as his goddaughter, living the life of an official's daughter!
No more causing trouble, and staying far away from her family!
Now, with Luo Jinyu no longer connected to their family and her sister-in-law's first pregnancy secured, everything was moving in a positive direction. Song Yanyan was truly overjoyed!
…
A few more days passed. Early one morning, Song Yanyan got up, shouldered a bamboo basket, and told Tian Denghua she was going to gather firewood at the foot of the mountain.
Tian Denghua didn't suspect anything. Moreover, Song Yanyan had been recovering exceptionally well these past few days, so she felt completely at ease. After simply reminding her not to venture too deep into the mountains, she waved her off.
With a hint of excitement, Song Yanyan headed toward the foot of the mountain.
That day, when she dragged Qi Lian to see Doctor Qi and spotted the limping hunter, she was reminded of the lame youth she had rescued in her dream. Right then, she made up her mind!
She was still going to save him! She was going to seize the opportunity that originally belonged to Luo Jinyu and hold it tightly in her hands!
Song Yanyan remembered clearly—it was today, the birthday of an auntie who was close with her mother!
In her dream, having nothing else to do that day and wanting to help ease the family's burden, she had pulled Luo Jinyu along to gather firewood in the mountains.
Chasing after a rabbit, the two of them stumbled into a mountain hollow and, by a twist of fate, ended up rescuing the son of a high-ranking official from the prefectural city!