Shen Qingru closed her eyes and opened them again. Beside her, the little bun was still foolishly blowing bubbles at her.
My way of opening my eyes must be wrong! Shen Qingru thought secretly. She closed them again, and when she opened them once more, the little bun was blowing bubbles even more happily.
It had already been three days since she arrived here.
Shen Qingru didn’t understand. She had simply been careless and fallen down the stairs; how did she end up in a place like this? And how had she become the mother of a hot little bun, fresh out of the oven for only three days?
When other people transmigrated, they were young ladies, princesses, or the like. If they did well, they could even become an empress. At the very least, they were maidservants or small landowners—fresh, tender cabbages just waiting for a male lead to come and pick them up on a multi-colored cloud.
Why did she have to become a pitiful young woman who had married and gotten pregnant early, only to be abandoned by her husband’s family?
Her biological father didn’t love her, her mother was dead, and her stepmother didn’t care for her. She had finally gotten married and conceived a child, only to almost be forced to drink abortifacients. Fortunately, she had a few loyal and capable people by her side who helped her escape.
Truly too stupid. She was the legitimate daughter of a Marquis’s manor, after all. How could she have played such a winning hand so horribly?
Even though one should respect the dead, Shen Qingru couldn’t help but complain. She felt sorry for the little bun, who had lost his mother the moment he was born.
The little bun was wrapped up like a ball in a fabric with a bright red background and green floral patterns—it was rustic-cute. Unlike other newborns who were all wrinkled, he had clear features and looked quite endearing. His skin was pink and tender, leaving a mark whenever it was pinched… Shen Qingru silently retracted her hand.
When Aunt Lan entered, she saw the young mother and son playing happily. The two of them, one big and one small, were snuggled together. Her heart ached, and she couldn’t help but feel her eyes grow red. Thinking back to the situation during labor a few days ago, she still felt it was incredibly perilous. How could a girl who had been pampered since childhood have ever endured such hardship?
Seeing her expression, Shen Qingru guessed some of what she was thinking. She said with concern, “Aunt Lan, why are you out of bed? Didn’t the doctor say you need to rest quietly for a few days?”
Aunt Lan was the dowry maid of the original host’s biological mother, Madam Wen. She had watched the original host grow up and stayed by her side after Madam Wen passed away. They had managed to escape this time thanks to her desperate protection. Unfortunately, the original host was already seven months pregnant; the ordeal had disturbed the fetus, and she had suffered a massive hemorrhage during childbirth and failed to pull through. Aunt Lan herself was covered in injuries, both large and small.
“They’re just minor injuries. I’ll be fine after resting for a few days. It’s you, Miss, who has weakened your constitution. You need to nourish yourself properly to recover.” Aunt Lan composed herself, feeling both relieved and heartbroken. It was hard enough for her mistress to stay positive; she shouldn’t be the one to remind her of those sad events.
Shen Qingru took the ginseng soup from her hand and took small sips. “Just ask Aunt Liu to help with these things. You should focus on recovering. I’m waiting for you to get well so you can help me look after Ji’er.” Shen Ji was the name Shen Qingru had given the little bun.
It was both a tribute to his deceased biological mother and a commemoration of her own short twenty-plus years in her previous life. It was simply a way to keep those memories alive.
“I didn’t do much, just brewed some medicine. We finally managed to get a piece of ginseng. If I let the people of the Chang family touch it, who knows how much would be left by the time it reached you, Miss?”
Aunt Lan was being polite. She didn’t mention that while she was brewing the soup, the two daughters-in-law of the Chang family hovered around the kitchen and couldn’t be driven away. Their words, both overt and implied, suggested that since the Chang family had taken them in for so long, the ginseng should be shared with them. They didn’t stop to think about how many benefits they had already received in just a few short days!
Shen Qingru was also speechless. Truly, there were eccentrics every year, blooming everywhere.
On the day they escaped, Aunt Lan was injured, Shen Qingru was heavily pregnant, and there were pursuers behind them; they had been on the verge of despair. By chance, they encountered Chang Dazhuang and his wife driving an ox cart. Seeing their pitiful state, the couple took pity on them and brought them home. Fortunately, those pursuers didn’t dare to be too brazen, otherwise, the outcome would have been uncertain.
It was originally a life-saving grace, and they weren’t people who didn’t know how to repay a debt of gratitude. It was just that the people of the Chang family were too much. They had already asked for several hundred taels of silver from them; for an ordinary family, that would be enough for ten years. Yet they weren’t satisfied and wanted to take whatever good things they saw. If Aunt Liu hadn’t stopped them, they would have snatched things outright. Because of this, Aunt Liu had been scolded countless times by her snobbish mother-in-law and sister-in-law.
It wasn’t that Shen Qingru was stingy. They had fled in such a hurry; how could they have had time to pack silver? All of this came from pawning the valuable jewelry they had on them. Aside from the medicine for her and Aunt Lan, everything else had gone into Madam Zhang’s pocket.
“I really don’t know how someone like Madam Zhang could raise a man as honest as Brother Chang.” Madam Zhang was Chang Dazhuang’s mother, and she was the one who kicked up the most fuss.
Aunt Liu was currently leading a delicate and clever-looking young woman over. “Aunt Lan, Sister Shen, Zhuzi’s Wife is here to nurse the young master.”
“Sister-in-law Zhuzi is here? Please, have a seat,” Shen Qingru said with a smile. Zhuzi’s Wife was in her early twenties, and her round face always held a smile, making her look quite auspicious. She had given birth less than three months ago, and since Shen Qingru’s own milk wasn’t sufficient, she had asked Aunt Liu to hire her to come and nurse little Ji’er during the day.
They had agreed she would come three times a day for one tael of silver a month. Concerned that little Ji’er would be hungry, Zhuzi’s Wife often came four or five times.
Zhuzi’s Wife gave a response and took little Ji’er from Aunt Lan’s arms. “It’s been over an hour, and I was worried the young master might be hungry, so I came to check.”
“I’m sorry to have you running back and forth. It’s just that Ji’er is too small, and taking him out in the wind could easily make him sick,” Shen Qingru said apologetically.
Zhuzi’s Wife hurriedly said, “It’s no trouble, no trouble at all. Our houses are close, just a few steps away. I even get a tael of silver a month, which is enough for our whole family’s expenses. Usually, even my mother-in-law urges me to come more often.” Zhuzi’s Wife and her family were honest people. Originally, they had said they were just neighbors helping out and refused to take any money. It was only after Aunt Lan said they would feel more at ease if they paid that she finally accepted.
The little bun was never a picky eater; he accepted milk from either Shen Qingru or Zhuzi’s Wife without complaint. Zhuzi’s Wife couldn’t help but feel a bit envious. “Ji-ge’er is so sensible and considerate. Unlike my boy, who is always crying and making such a fuss.”
“Yes, I’ve never seen such a sensible infant. Most children turn a household upside down for the first few years, yet this young master simply sleeps when he’s tired and eats when he’s hungry. He’s very well-behaved,” Aunt Liu also remarked in amazement.
“I actually envy the Gouzi in your family, Sister-in-law. He’s healthy and active, unlike Ji’er, who is a bit frail.” Gouzi was the newborn in Zhuzi’s family. It was likely the tradition of giving a child a “humble name” so they would be easier to raise.
She had heard that Gouzi weighed a full seven catties and four taels at birth and was very sturdy. Unlike little Ji’er, who was premature. The original host had also spent a long time in excessive worry and hadn’t been able to properly care for the pregnancy; at birth, he was barely three catties and six taels, like a tiny kitten. His thin arms and legs were a worry to behold. Because of this, Aunt Liu had suggested giving him the nickname “Iron Egg,” which Shen Qingru had politely but firmly refused. Aunt Liu and Aunt Lan both thought it was a bit of a pity.
“Oh, Zhuzi’s Wife is here again. Sister Shen, it’s not that I want to say anything, but what kind of silver do you give for nursing a child among neighbors? Do you think you’re some great family hiring a wet nurse? If you have this spare money, you’d be better off pitying us more. We are your true, legitimate saviors.” Before Zhuzi’s Wife could speak, a snide voice interrupted.