Time is like running water, and it is the twelfth lunar month before you know it.
The weather is so cold that no one wants to go out.
Xiao Qin'er's due date is in the twelfth lunar month, and she has a big belly.
Some people even speculated whether she was pregnant with twins.
Xiao Qin'er's legs and feet were slightly swollen, and it was very difficult to move.
She was very angry, "It's already the twelfth lunar month, why hasn't my cousin come back yet? Didn't it mean that the prince sent someone to Jiangnan, why didn't he bring my cousin back?"
The servant girl reassured her, "Madam, don't worry. The young master promised at the beginning that the twelfth lunar month will definitely come back, so he will definitely come back."
Xiao Qin'er sat up from the bed holding her stomach, "Who knows when he will come back. I just found out that I was pregnant, and he went to Jiangnan. Now I'm going to give birth, but he hasn't been seen yet. Maybe he forgot in his heart I?"
While talking, Xiao Qin'er was so sad that she burst into tears.
The servant girl comforted her while wiping her tears.
Just at this time, the porter came to report, "Madam, Madam is overjoyed. The Fourth Young Master is back!"
"Is my cousin really back?"
Xiao Qin'er was pleasantly surprised. Although the tears were still on her cheeks, her whole body exuded a bright light of excitement.
"I'm back, I'm back. I just entered the second gate, first go to Chunhe Hall to pay my respects."
Xiao Qin'er told the servant girl: "Help me up, I'm going to Chunhe Hall."
"Ma'am is heavy, it's better to wait for the young master to come back."
"No, I have to go and see for myself. I want to ask him why he came back so late. If he can't tell the reason, I will ask my concubine to make the decision for me."
Xiao Qin'er insisted on going to Chunhe Hall, but the maid couldn't stop her. Let people quickly prepare the soft sedan chair, and put on a thick cotton coat and cape for Xiao Qin'er.
Xiao Qin'er arrived at Chunhe Hall, walked into the gate of the courtyard, and heard laughter from the hall.
It was my cousin, she knew it was my cousin's voice as soon as she heard it.
Xiao Qin'er quickened her pace, opened the curtain and walked in without waiting for the servant girl to inform her.
"cousin!"
"Qin'er! Sit down quickly."
Liu Yi hurried forward and helped Xiao Qin'er to sit on the chair.
Looking at Xiao Qin'er's huge belly and slightly swollen cheeks, he couldn't believe it.
After all, when he left Beijing, Xiao Qin'er was still a pretty little beauty.
In just a few months, she became a big belly woman.
Liu Yi felt unreal, like a dream. After waking up from the dream, everything changed.
Xiao Qin'er was too happy to notice Liu Yi's expression.
She took Liu Yi's hand and said aggrievedly, "Why did my cousin come back now? Don't you know I'm pregnant? Why didn't you come back earlier?"
"I'm back now. There are a lot of things going on in Jiangnan, and I want to come back soon, but the matter hasn't been dealt with, so how can I come back. Fortunately, I've caught up. When will the child come out?"
Xiao Qin'er pursed her lips and smiled, "The child is coming out in half a month."
Liu Yi was very excited, "I never thought I would be a father. Concubine mother, my son is going to be a father."
Pei said cheerfully, "Look at how stupid you are, you are so stupid to be a father."
Liu Yi's smile became more and more silly.
After Mrs. Pei laughed, she said, "Remember to pay your respects to your father later. You have been out of Beijing for such a long time, you have to hand over your errands clearly, and you can't let people say that you have no rules."
Liu Yi smiled awkwardly, "How is Father Wang feeling recently?"
Pei's eyes widened, "Are you guilty?"
Liu Yi shook his head, "It's impossible. The son just wants to care about his father's situation."
"Hmph! It's absurd for you to cause such a big mess for the first time when you take on a heavy responsibility. If I hadn't asked Qin'er to hand over the money, your father would definitely not let you off lightly."
Liu Yi looked at Xiao Qin'er.
Xiao Qin'er nodded slightly, "All the money has been paid."
Liu Yi stomped his feet and handed over all the hard-earned money. Don't you know how to save a little
What a loser.
Mrs. Pei said: "Don't blame Qin'er, she is also thinking of you. There are so many people in the mansion, so much expenses, how can we do without money. You dare to be greedy for ink for the first time when you take on an important task. You know that your father is very angry. He threatened to deal with you severely.
If I hadn't handed over the money and persuaded your father, you would have been caught by the guards and beaten. "
"Thank you, concubine mother, for helping my son. Concubine mother has worked hard."
"All of you are debt collectors. It's okay for my concubine to work hard. I just hope that you will all be well. In the future, you should be careful in doing things, and don't be fooled by money."
Liu Yi complained, "It's not that my son has an eye for money. As soon as my son arrives in the south of the Yangtze River, the stewards below will frequently send money to him. If the son doesn't take it, it's okay.
If you don't accept it, those managers and business people will not cooperate at all, and the money will not be collected.
The son had no choice but to accept their filial money first, and then force them to spit out the money little by little.
For the errand assigned by his father, the son really wasted all his efforts.
The so-called greed for ink was not voluntary by the son. I didn't know that they dared to withhold the money and only sent a little money back to the capital. "
"That's because you took their money, and they will naturally have to find it from other places. You, you, you really don't know how to do things, and you let the people below make calculations."
Liu Yi blushed, feeling ashamed.
He said: "The son only found out about their reputation later on, and later stopped taking money from them and told them to pay the full amount."
"The money you sent back later, although it didn't meet the expectation, at least the difference is not big. Your father didn't say anything. That's all, you go to your father's place to hand over the errand, and after handing over the errand, stay with Qin'er well."
"The son listens to the concubine mother."
"Cousin!" Xiao Qin'er was a little nervous.
Liu Yi comforted Xiao Qin'er, "You go back to your room first, I'll be back in a while. Ask the kitchen to prepare some food and wine, and you will have a drink with me in the evening."
Xiao Qin'er nodded in response, the husband and wife separated, one went back to the room, and the other went to the outer courtyard to meet King Ning.
This evening, the husband and wife had a lot to say.
Seeing Liu Yi take out 10,000 taels of silver notes, Xiao Qin'er laughed even more from ear to ear.
"Cousin is so kind. My father sent someone to supervise you. I didn't expect you to be able to collect money."
Liu Yi smiled triumphantly, "Who am I? Those accountants want to investigate me, dreaming. You see, my father didn't scold me much today. It can be seen that those accountants are all scumbags."
Xiao Qin'er laughed, "Cousin is so powerful, he can even hide the accountant from the king's father."
"What is this? I will go to Jiangnan next year, and I can get more money."
Xiao Qin'er put away the money, "It's been half a year since you went to Jiangnan. Have you ever done anything to be sorry for me?"
"I'm sorry, you just love to think too much. I've been thinking about you all the time. When I got money, I gave it to you, but I didn't give it to anyone else."
"really?"
"Shall I dig out my heart and show you?"
Xiao Qin'er giggled, "I believe in my cousin. It's a pity that the money you sent back before was taken away by the concubine mother. These days, I am alone at home, and I am miserable. I don't have enough money in my hand If you want to add some clothes and jewelry, you have to think twice and do not dare to waste money.”
Liu Yi shook her hand, "Now that we have money, you can spend the money and don't save it for me."
Xiao Qin'er nodded, "Cousin is so kind."
The husband and wife were very affectionate, and they really had a sweet day for two days.
Two days later, Liu Yi started running outside
The good name is that he has been away from Beijing for a long time, and wants to have a good reunion with his friends, so Xiao Qin'er should not worry about him. If he came back too late, he would rest in the study so as not to disturb her.
At first, Xiao Qin'er would keep the light on, waiting for Liu Yi to come back.
Later, she couldn't bear it anymore, it was too hard, so she went to bed early. Tell the concierge to be vigilant, don't wait until the young master slaps the door before you know how to get up and open the door.
Early in the morning, Xiao Qin'er asked the servant girl, "When did the young master come back from drinking last night?"
The servant girl hesitated to speak.
Xiao Qin'er frowned, "I asked you a question, why didn't you answer?"
"The maidservant listened to the porter's report, saying that the young master came back almost at dawn, with a scent on his body, and probably went to drink flower wine."
Xiao Qin'er's face turned cold, "Really?"
"Slaves dare not lie to Madam."
Xiao Qin'er played with the hairpin in her hand, and smiled coldly, "I know he can't control me. What are you doing now?"
The servant girl said: "I am resting in the study."
"Go and call Wang Shun here."
Wang Shun is Liu Yi's servant, responsible for serving Liu Yi personally.
Liu Yicai squinted for an hour or two before being woken up.
"Ma'am, please, please go, Wang Gonggong."
Wang Shun rubbed his face, thinking that his wife must want to ask the young master's whereabouts last night.
He had already made up his mind, and after washing up, he came to the upper room calmly.
"I've seen Mrs."
Xiao Qin'er had a straight face, "Who did you drink with yesterday, and where did you drink?"
Wang Shun reported a long list of people's names, and the drinking place was no surprise that it was a brothel.
Xiao Qin'er asked: "Young Master, do you have a good friend in the brothel?"
"Never!"
"really?"
"Young Master doesn't like girls in brothels, and hates them being ridden by thousands of people. He is only willing to ask them to serve drinks, and nothing else."
Xiao Qin'er was dubious, and Liu Yi had a slight obsession with cleanliness. But whether he really dislikes the dirty women in the brothel and refuses to get close to them, Xiao Qin'er is not sure.
The two couples chatted on weekdays and never talked about these topics.
Xiao Qin'er waved her hand, telling Wang Shun to step back.
She thought about it, but was still worried.
She had to personally arrange someone to keep an eye on Liu Yi's whereabouts.
After Liu Yi woke up, he was relieved to learn that Wang Shun had fooled him.
He patted himself on the cheek, "We can't spend the night there in the future, lest we be discovered by the tigress."
He called Xiao Qin'er a tigress, apparently out of dissatisfaction with Xiao Qin'er controlling him too strictly.
Xiao Qin'er secretly sent someone to follow Liu Yi.
After following for a few days, I found something was wrong.
Just looking at Xiao Qin'er's big belly, the servants dare not report it.
Xiao Qin'er was furious, and patted the table, "Say, what did you see?"
"Ma'am, take care of your health." The servant girl advised.
Xiao Qin'er waved her hand to push the maidservant away, and pointed to the little yellow door kneeling on the ground, "Aren't you willing to tell the truth? My wife will hand you over to Chang En right now, so that you will know what is good or bad."
"Madam, please forgive me. It's not that you are too small to say anything, but you are worried about Madam's health. In case something happens..."
"You don't need to worry about Mrs. Ben's health. Mrs. Ben just needs to be honest."
Xiao Huangmen hesitated for a moment, looked at the confidant maid beside Xiao Qin'er, and motioned her to pay attention to Xiao Qin'er's physical condition.
Then, Xiao Huangmen opened his mouth and said: "The little one followed the young master for three days, and for three consecutive days, the young master went to a small courtyard in the west of the city.
The younger one asked the people around him, only to learn that on the day the young master returned to Beijing, a woman lived in the yard. She was enchanting and seductive.
The woman didn't go out on weekdays, and she didn't interact with the neighbors in the neighborhood. If she needed anything, she let the maid go out to buy.
And every time the young master went to the small courtyard, he would change to a carriage without the emblem of the palace, obviously because he didn't want people to recognize him. Every time the young master goes, he will stay for a day, and will not return home until dark after dinner. "
Xiao Qin'er firmly grasped the armrest of the chair, her heart beating fast, "What you said is true? The young master really raised a woman outside?"
"The little one stared at it for three days. Except for the young master and the maid who bought it, he didn't see anyone else coming in or out. Once the young one leaned against the gate of the courtyard to listen, and heard the laughter of the young master and a woman."
Xiao Qin'er breathed heavily.
The servant girl was very worried, "Ma'am, are you okay? This servant girl will help you to lie down on the bed."
"No need. Prepare the carriages and horses. Madam Ben has to go to the small courtyard to see where the Hu Meizi came from, and dare to seduce my cousin."
"Madam, you must not leave the house with your current body. What should you do if something bad happens? Young Master, it will not be too late to take care of it in the future. The most important thing now is the child in Madam's womb!"
"My child, my child!"
Xiao Qin'er's face turned pale, and fine beads of sweat came out.
Holding her stomach, she fell to the ground.
"My child, please call the imperial physician, Wen Po. I'm afraid I'm about to give birth."
"Come on, come on, come on..."
…
Xiao Qin'er started, because it started too suddenly, Xiao Qin'er kept screaming in pain, and the palace jumped up and down.
Mrs. Pei came to sit in the town in person, and the flustered maids finally calmed down and did things in an orderly manner.
Gu Jiu and Ouyang Fu also rushed over.
The third wife, Mrs. Cai, was not in good health. She was afraid of getting sick, so she didn't come here. He only sent the mother around him to visit.
"What's going on now?"
"It is said that the fetal position is not correct, and the fetal position must be corrected first to give birth."
Pei's face was annoyed, "Didn't you say that the due date is still several days away? Why did it start all of a sudden?"
The maids did not dare to say anything, and Xiao Qin'er's confidant did not dare to speak nonsense.
It's no good to yell about things at this time.
Pei asked again: "Where is the fourth son? Why can't you see anyone?"
"The fourth son goes out early in the morning every day these days, and he won't come back until dark."
"Did you say what to do?"
"Say it's a friend."
"What kind of friends will you meet? There is no reason to meet friends every day. Come, go find the fourth son, tell him that his wife is about to give birth, and tell him to come back in trouble."
The servants took orders and left.
Physician Hu finally arrived, there was no time to chat, and advanced to the delivery room to check Xiao Qin'er's body.
Xiao Qin'er was so angry that she became angry, and her condition was not very good.
Anyway, the due date is approaching, so the baby will be born.
Doctor Hu personally corrected her fetal position.
Seeing that she was in severe pain, he prescribed mild oxytocin. The earlier the child is born, the adults will suffer less.
From morning to afternoon, and from afternoon to dark, Xiao Qin'er's child still hadn't been born, and Liu Yi was nowhere to be seen.
Pei was furious, "Where is the Fourth Young Master? I asked you to look for it. Why haven't you found it after a day of searching?"
"Princess Qi, the younger one took people to search all the restaurants in the capital, even the brothels, but they couldn't find the fourth son. The younger one went to ask the people who often played with the fourth son, and they all said that they hadn't seen each other recently. After the Fourth Young Master, I don't know what the Fourth Young Master is busy with. After the Fourth Young Master returned to Beijing, they only had a drink once."
Pei's face was ugly. After hearing the servant's report, she had vaguely guessed what was going on.
Gu Jiu and Ouyang Fu exchanged a look, and they also guessed the inside story.
Ouyang Fu said in a low voice: "The fourth young master probably raised another woman outside. The fourth younger brother and sister suddenly had a seizure today, and I'm afraid it's not easy."
Gu Jiu nodded, "I hope the fourth sibling can get through this."
Ouyang Fu said firmly: "She will definitely get through it. She hasn't settled with the women outside, so how can she let it go. Just wait and see, when she finishes confinement, she will start making trouble."
Pei Shi gritted her teeth, she didn't expect Liu Yi to be so ridiculous. Not only did she raise a woman outside, but it was also when Xiao Qin'er was pregnant and gave birth.
Fortunately, my in-laws were tired and went to rest in the wing room, but didn't hear what the servants said.
Otherwise, the in-laws will definitely cause trouble, and the palace will also lose face.
Pei immediately made a decisive decision, "Send someone out to look for it again, and we must find the Fourth Young Master."
The servant took the order and prepared to go out with the guard boy.
As a result, as soon as he arrived at the door, he ran into the fourth son Liu Yi who was half drunk.
"Fourth son, you are back. Hurry up, the fourth lady is about to give birth, you go and watch over it."