Chapter 367 Giving birth
Just a few days after the news of Madam Cao's death came, the son in Aunt Guo's belly was also born.
Another fat boy, Xia Shiming now has three sons, one a legitimate son and two a concubine. He can be considered a prosperous heir, and the Xia family is blessed.
Like his second son, Xia Shiming held a lively full moon party when the day came.
Xia Zihan gave her ninth brother Xia Ziye a set of small gold bracelets, gold anklets, and gold collars.
It was the same gift that I gave to my seventh brother Xia Zihai.
The Xia family lived a very peaceful life without Xia Zilan and Xu jumping up and down.
Aunt Zhang is a person who doesn't cause trouble. She just wants to take good care of her son and serve Xia Shiming. She doesn't dare to ask for anything else.
Aunt Guo is smart, smooth and generous. She knows that Aunt Zhang has been with Xia Shiming for more than ten years. Her status in Xia Shiming's heart is not as high as that of the Xu family, so she treats Aunt Zhang more. A good idea.
She wanted to have a good relationship with Aunt Zhang, and since the two of them were close in temperament, they were very easy to talk to.
On weekdays, after Xia Shiming went to school, the two aunts would get together to talk, tease the children, and pass the time.
When Aunt Guo was in confinement, Aunt Zhang also helped her take care of the children and handle housework.
The two of them get along as close as sisters.
Xia Shiming's face also gained a lot of smiles.
After finishing Xia Ziye's full moon wine, it soon entered the twelfth lunar month.
At the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, He Donglin came to report, "The fish has been baited."
"Well, let's play slowly first, don't be too hasty." Xia Zihan said with a smile.
When a cat catches a mouse, it likes to hold it under its paws and play slowly for a while. Watching the mouse frightened and helpless under its paws, unable to survive or die, is this game interesting, isn't it?
When the mouse is half dead and has played enough, it will be full of food in the stomach. This will be enough.
What a hunter enjoys most is not the time of harvesting prey, but the whole process of hunting.
"After he falls into the trap, go tell the Zheng family to take back the house."
The house of the Cao family is in the name of Lady Cao, and it was Lady Cao's dowry. Now that Lady Cao is dead and she has no children, her dowry must be returned to the Zheng family.
The Zheng family hasn't thought so much now because they are still immersed in the pain of losing their daughter and have not recovered yet. As long as her people remind her, I believe that the Zheng family's actions will not let her disappointment.
At first, she persuaded Madam Cao to ask for a house as a dowry, but it was not for Madam Cao and Cao Zi to live in.
If the Cao family wants to live a good life, well, it depends on whether she agrees or not.
He Donglin said yes, bowed and retreated.
When the New Year's gifts from relatives were delivered to Chu's house, news came from He Donglin that Cao Zian had entered the game.
You are addicted to the situation and cannot extricate yourself.
Xia Zihan was very happy and gave He Donglin two hundred taels of silver, "Find someone to lend it to him."
In his previous life, Cao Zian cruelly sold Nuanyu and Nuanxiang away because they lost two hundred taels of silver, regardless of their kindness in serving him for five years.
In this life, she wanted to see who he could sell to without Nuan Yu and Nuan Xiang, he had nothing, and he was in debt.
"County Lord, two hundred taels of silver, I'm afraid it won't be difficult for him." He Donglin said, "Behind him, there is a Cao family. Mrs. Cao has something in his hands. With this little money, it will be difficult for him." Down with the Cao family.”
That's right.
Xia Zihan gave him another three thousand taels of silver, "Then give him a big pie and let him eat it to his heart's content."
Three thousand taels of silver, including the interest on compound interest, there are still five thousand taels of silver.
This amount is not a small amount, but it is not much. It is just within the range that the Cao family can afford. It depends on whether Mrs. Cao is willing to give this money to Cao Zian.
The better she is willing to give up, the more money she will earn.
If he is not willing to let go, Cao Zian will probably hate Mrs. Cao based on his vengeful temperament.
It would be a good thing for her to spend a sum of money to create discord and hatred between them.
Worth it.
After He Donglin went out, Chu Cong came in to report, with a strange look on his face, "The Dongfang family has sent a new year gift."
In the New Year's ceremony, in addition to gemstones, there are southern pearls, pearls, and a precious luminous pearl.
In short, they are all treasures.
When Manager Lu opened it, there was a strong and bright light that almost blinded the eyes of everyone present.
The old lady looked at it for a long time before deciding with a solemn face that Xia Zihan would take the decision to deal with these treasures.
When Xia Zihan went to the front yard and saw a box of treasures, his face was covered with black lines and he was speechless.
The Dongfang family didn't send many things, just one box, but everything was valuable.
There are purple southern pearls as big as peanuts, ten pearls as big as pigeon eggs, and a night-light pearl as big as an egg.
There are also several pieces of emeralds, rubies, and about ten pieces of unopened raw stone and wood.
Xia Zihan stroked his forehead, "So Dongfang Yi, is this your first time giving a New Year gift to someone?"
How can anyone give jewelry to someone as a New Year gift?
The New Year's gifts sent by the Chu family to the Dongfang family were some special snacks from the capital, some medicinal materials, and thirty bottles of daily pills made by Doctor Bai. The total value is only one thousand taels of silver.
But this box of jewelry, no matter how you calculate it, it still costs ten thousand taels of silver, right?
Just that luminous pearl costs five to six thousand taels of silver.
Manager Lu looked very ugly and said, "County Master, what should I do? The New Year's gift from the Dongfang family is so generous, but the New Year's gift we went to..."
"Don't worry about those." Xia Zihan waved his hand and said, "The pills made by my master are hard to find, and even money can't buy them."
"Yes, yes, the county master said so." Manager Lu suddenly changed his subject and quickly echoed her words.
Xia Zihan then ordered, "Take this luminous pearl to my master. I remember that my senior brother likes this kind of thing very much. I will give these southern pearls to Master Qi, and these pearls to me." Go to the people’s yard.”
"As for these gems and rough stones, just send them to Cuiyuxuan."
In a few words, she decided where to go with this box of treasures.
Manager Lu wrote them down one by one and responded quickly.
Then, Xia Zihan returned to the study and wrote a letter to Qi Mei. Of course, this letter was to praise Dongfang Yi, saying that he was discerning and could give gifts, and she liked the gifts very much.
Just kidding, someone gave her a baby for free, and she would be a fool if she didn't want it.
However, years later, she received a reply from Qi Mei and found out that the box of treasures was sent by Qi Mei under the instigation of Dongfang Yi. The ones picked out for her in the shop were specially prepared for her as a New Year gift.
Qi Mei also told Xia Zihan that from now on, she would give her a box of jewelry every year, asking her to keep it and use it as a dowry in the future.
After reading it, Xia Zihan's face was full of resentment.
What a dowry, ugh, that box of treasures was all scattered by her.
Forget it, it’s not a benefit to others anyway, it’s also a benefit to one’s own people.
Besides, she has accumulated a dowry for several years, and the warehouse is full of treasures like this, including one or two of these.
Thinking of this, Xia Zihan's mood improved again.
On New Year's Eve, more than ten banquet tables were set up in the courtyard of Chu's house. Xia Zihan, Zeng, Zhuo, and the twins sat at the same table.
A whole beggar's chicken, a whole eight-treasure duck, a whole carp... a large table of delicacies, the twins excitedly tapped the table with their chopsticks.
The twins are over one and a half years old and can already walk. They can also call mother, grandmother and sister-in-law...
Uh, okay, when the twins called Xia Zihan sister-in-law for the first time, Xia Zihan was completely confused.
Then, his shy cheeks were as red as an iron rod just taken out of the fire, and he was still feverish.
She tried hard to get the twins to call her sister instead, but it didn't seem to be ideal. The twins excitedly called her sister-in-law every time they saw her.
She screamed and jumped, wanting to run away.
For example now...
The twins saw a large table of delicacies. The second child was better off, with a cold face, and obediently ate the food fed to him by the wet nurse.
But the third child kept digging into Xia Zihan and said, "Sister-in-law, I eat...I want to eat..."
Because he was too young, he couldn't speak clearly, but Xia Zihan still understood.
Seeing his little finger pointing at the beggar's chicken, his little eyes shining, the corners of her mouth twitched again and again, she picked up his little chopsticks, tore off a small piece of chicken and put it into his mouth.
"I want... I want to eat..."
Before he could swallow anything in his mouth, he pointed at the braised carp in front of Zeng.
Mrs. Zeng said with a smile, "Eat, grandma will pick it up for you." She picked up the chopsticks to tear the fish meat, "Today is the Chinese New Year, you two clay monkeys should eat more, and grandma will give you the new year's money later."
A kid who is just over one year old knows how to give money as a gift.
However, the third child, who had eaten the fish, danced excitedly.
The second child glanced at him lightly, and secretly kicked the third child while the wet nurse was not paying attention.
The third child swung, and then scratched the second child's face with his little hand.
It doesn't move that fast.
The wet nurse didn't even have time to hold the two brothers away.
The second child, the old god, waved his hand and patted off the third child's paw, and then kicked the third child quickly.
Mrs. Zhuo praised, "It's a good game."
Then, he persuaded the third child again, "Lao San, you always fall behind. At least you can beat the second child once."
Have you ever done this?
Zeng was not used to seeing Xia Zihan's face covered with black lines, but he watched the two brothers eating and fighting with great interest.
Mrs. Zhuo was standing nearby to help call Neville.
A New Year's Eve dinner was finished in a lively manner, with the twins as a pair of spices.
After Xia Zihan received the red envelope from Zeng and Zhuo, she sat with them for a while before hurried back to her yard.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw Shengdi standing at the door of her room, talking to Chu Cong.
When he saw her, he quickly came over to salute, and then gave her a letter, a red envelope, and a package.
(End of chapter)