Chapter 179: The Nong People of the South and Expectations [Many thanks for everyone's support

At noon,

Scholar Zhuang ate his meal in the lecture hall and assigned homework before departing.

After the midday rest, Scholar Zhuang did not appear for the afternoon session either.

Only Qi Heng and Chang Feng were in the lecture hall, reciting classics and books in low voices, while Xu Xu Zaijing worked on the problems assigned by the scholar alongside Gu Gu Tingye.

Mo Lan was diligently copying calligraphy models; after finishing, she selected a few lines from a poetry collection:

'Red beans grow in the southern lands,'

'Enter the gate of my longing,'

and after writing them on paper, she gazed at the sky beyond the schoolhouse.

Ru Lan, seemingly not having slept enough, lay prostrate on the desk, switching the arm she used to prop up her cheek.

Ming Lan, like Mo Lan, was also copying calligraphy models,

but as she looked at the strokes on the white paper, no matter how she viewed them, they resembled the polo-swinging techniques her grandmother had described.

When the appointed hour arrived, a servant from the Sheng family came to the lecture hall to announce the time, and everyone promptly rose from their seats.

Inside the main gate of the Sheng residence, Sister Cuichan saw the two Xu brothers approaching; she hurriedly bowed and said, "Young Master Zhang, now that Liqiu has passed, the weather is turning cooler. My young lady has embroidered a forehead band and a cape; they are in this bundle."

In the courtyard where Hua Lan resided,

Sister Cuichan stood behind Hua Lan and reported, "Young Lady, I have given the items to Young Master Zhang."

"What did he say?"

"He said nothing."

"Hmm?" Hua Lan turned her head in surprise.

"Young Master Zhang did not hand the bundle to the young attendant; instead, he hugged it tightly against his chest,"

Sister Cuichan said with a smile.

"You!"

"Young Lady, there is also this: Miss Yu Yanran from the household of Grand Preceptor Yu sent a message, saying she will visit our mansion in a few days to seek instruction in embroidery techniques."

After Liqiu,

the Sheng family academy basically continued to start and end classes on time every day.

Except on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, the Ghost Festival,

when Scholar Zhuang dismissed the classes early at noon.

Upon returning home, in the evening, Xu Xu Zaijing heard from his eldest brother, who had just returned from outside the city, that today the Daoist temples within the city had burned enormous mountains of paper money; the scene was extremely magnificent and solemn, commemorating the generals and soldiers of the Great Zhou who had died in battle for the country over the years.

At some of the mass graves outside the city, Daoist priests and Buddhist monks from various temples were performing rites to deliver wandering souls and burning paper money.

By the next day, when Xu Xu Zaijing took a carriage to the Sheng family, the scent of burning paper still lingered in the air.

It was only after it rained for two days subsequently that the air became fresh again.

The weather was also gradually turning cooler.

Time flew swiftly;

half a month later, it reached the eighth lunar month,

and when going to the Sheng family to study,

one had to dress more thickly in the morning and evening to block the cool wind.

Xu Xu Zaizhang had already donned his new cape, cherishing it greatly every time he boarded or alighted from the carriage.

On this day, while returning home from the Sheng family, both Xu Xu Zaizhang and Xu Xu Zaijing sensed that the atmosphere within the residence was somewhat unusual.

Only after Xu Xu Zaijing entered the inner courtyard did he learn that earlier that day, just as the hour of You arrived, his eldest sister-in-law, Lady Xie, had been helped by the midwife into her bedchamber.

Xu Xu Zaijing and his Second Brother hurriedly arrived at the courtyard of their eldest brother, Xu Xu Zaiduan;

Xu Xu Zaijing saw his father and mother already seated on chairs in the courtyard, while the pained cries of the parturient woman echoed intermittently.

As Xu Xu Zaijing and Xu Zaizhang went to comfort their agitated eldest brother, Sun Shi nearby said, "You need not wait here; this is your eldest sister-in-law's first birth, and it will not be delivered without four or five hours."

While she was speaking, the stewardess attending Sun Shi approached and reported, "Da Da Niangzi, Xie Zijue Xie and Da Da Niangzi have arrived."

Sun Shi promptly rose and walked with Xu Minghua toward the second gate; before they even reached it, they saw their in-laws, who were older than them, leading a group of people to meet them.

"Greetings, Xu Hou."

"What words are these, dear in-laws! Quick, come sit in the courtyard; the child has only been inside for less than half an hour; there is much enduring to be done tonight."

The Xu brothers hurriedly bowed and exchanged greetings upon seeing the Xie family members.

Looking at Xu Xu Zaiduan, who appeared somewhat anxious and restless, Lady Xie nodded slightly in her heart; he truly held her second daughter in his thoughts and was deeply concerned.

Beside her, Xie Zijue Xie exchanged a glance with his wife.

"Brother Xie, since you were previously in the south, I thought you had not yet returned to the capital," Xu Minghua said.

"I calculated her due date and returned accordingly; I only arrived in Bianjing yesterday."

"Previously, I heard that the Nong people of Guangyuan Prefecture had submitted to Jiaozhi."

Xie Zijue Xie nodded and said, "Xu Hou speaks correctly; however, Jiaozhi is insatiably greedy and has oppressed the Nong people severely. Before I returned to the capital, the Nong people had already submitted a memorial pledging allegiance to the Great Zhou! Only thus did I have the leisure to return to the capital."

"That is good indeed; this can also be counted as an achievement of Prince Yong."

"Indeed."

Just after the hour of Hai (past eleven at night),

Xu Xu Zaiduan, having paced countless times before the bedchamber door, suddenly felt the night wind was somewhat chilly; he hurriedly approached the Xie family and said:

"Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, it is late; let us wait inside."

Lady Xie, her face full of worry, supported Xu Xu Zaiduan's arm as she stood up and walked toward the room.

In the silent night, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xu family continued to emit pained cries intermittently from the delivery room.

Xie Zijue Xie, looking at the Xu brothers who had not yet returned home, felt a wave of comfort in his heart and said, "You still have to attend the academy tomorrow; you should hurry back now."

"It is nothing, Uncle," Xu Xu Zaijing said, while Xu Zaizhang beside him nodded.

Soon, the Xu family kitchen sent over pastries for a late-night snack.

Another double-hour passed,

and the sound of the timekeeper's call echoed through Qu Yuan Street.

It was already the hour of the Ox; hearing his Da Da Niangzi's cries of pain grow louder, Xu Xu Zaiduan stood at the doorway, wishing he could burrow straight into the delivery room.

Finally, a wail of infant crying made everyone in the courtyard rise to their feet.

Lady Xie gripped her husband's hand tightly.

With his exceptional hearing, Xu Xu Zaijing heard this Da Da Niangzi praying silently: "A boy! A boy! I beg Heaven, let it be a boy!"

Soon, a midwife called out from within the room, her voice brimming with genuine joy: "My Lord! Da Da Niangzi! Great joy! It is a son!"

Upon hearing this, Lady Xie and Sun Shi exchanged a glance, both their eyes filled with delight.

"Reward her! A generous reward!"

Xu Xu Zaizhang and Xu Xu Zaijing also exchanged a glance and smiled; they now had a nephew.

Soon, the delivery room was tidied up.

The two Xu brothers, Xu Zaiduan and Xu Zaizhang, could not enter.

Sun Shi, however, joined Lady Xie in happily gazing at her own legitimate grandson and maternal grandson, while Xu Anmei, summoned from her quarters, crowded around to share in the excitement.

Meanwhile, Xu Xu Zaiduan had already squatted beside his Da Da Niangzi's bed, holding Lady Xie's hand with a face full of concern.

Lady Xie looked at her grandson, then at her son-in-law by her daughter's bedside, and grasping Sun Shi's hand, she remarked with deep emotion, "Sister, I fear I must prepare a substantial gift for Wu Da Da Niangzi, to thank her for securing such an excellent marriage for my second child."

Sun Shi replied, "Elder Sister, you speak truly; I too must prepare one."

These words were nothing but high praise for Lady Xie.

After exchanging a few more words, the crowd dispersed one by one from the area.

Once Sun Shi had arranged all matters for Lord and Lady Xie, she too left the courtyard.

Only Lady Xie remained in the room, looking at her daughter who, though somewhat weary, bore an air of pride in her eyes; Lady Xie smoothed the hair beside her second daughter's ear and said, "Now that you have a son, this mother's heart can finally rest at ease."

Lady Xie smiled and said, "Mother, rest assured. Even without a son, my mother-in-law has always treated me very well."

"Mm, I can see that. I have visited your home rarely, but during this childbirth, I could tell that everyone's concern for you was sincere; your husband did not even look at his son first, but came straight to you."

"He has always been so considerate," Lady Xie said, her gaze warm.

Yet her mother tapped her forehead several times in response.

Seeing the confusion in her second daughter's eyes, Lady Xie said, "You, from now on, must never become arrogant and bossy within the household just because you have borne the Xu family's legitimate eldest grandson!"

"Mother, how could your daughter ever do such a thing!"

"Hmph, I am merely warning you in advance."

Saying this, Lady Xie finally broke into a smile, and after exchanging a glance with her daughter, added, "Take good care of yourself, and strive to bring us another one by the year after next."

"Mooother~~~ Go and rest quickly!"

By the next day,

at the Hou Fu of Marquis Marquis Yongyi on Qu Yuan Street,

after returning home from studies,

at dinner time,

under the disdainful gazes of siblings Xu Xu Zaijing and Xu Anmei, Xu Xu Zaizhang solemnly handed a small bundle to Sun Shi, saying, "Mother, this is what Sheng Hualan entrusted someone to give me to bring along; she said these are undergarments for the little nephew."

Goodnight, everyone!

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(End of Chapter)