Chapter 30 Saving the cannon fodder sister in harem drama
Fortunately, the carriage that had escorted Li Huairou hadn’t gone far yet. Li Huairou quickly caught up and said that she wanted to go back to the summer palace now.
The guard jumped out of the carriage and said, “Miss, you’re looking for an imperial physician? I forgot to mention earlier—the momo said that when you got settled, she’d send someone to escort an imperial physician over. After Madam Shi gives birth, we will pick the imperial physician up and return to the palace.”
Li Huairou breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Daren, please help me tell the momo that when I go back, I will tell the rest of the story for the consort dowager.”
[A general term of respect used to those with status]
Then she turned around and ran back.
Li Huairou had came and gone in a hurry; Li Huailan and the old aunt were shocked.
“Didn’t you say that you went back to the summer palace to ask for an imperial physician? Why did you come back?” the old aunt asked in surprise.
“The momo made arrangements. The imperial physician will come tomorrow and leave after my sister has given birth. Aunt, I’ll have to trouble you to quickly clean up the room for the imperial physician’s stay,” Li Huairou said.
“That’s great! I’ll go and clean up!” the old aunt said excitedly. Fortunately, the house that Brother Yong bought was big enough—otherwise, guests wouldn’t have a place to stay!
Li Huailan took Li Huairou to sit down and said with a smile, “Alright. The imperial physician has been requested. Could you sit down and talk quietly now?”
When Li Huairou looked at Li Huailan’s belly, she was in awe. In her time, because of the emergence of the cloud womb, women no longer had to bear the hardship of giving birth. But even so, Li Huairou had never thought about having children. She felt that she didn’t have the confidence to raise a child well.
Now, seeing this traditional way of giving birth, Li Huairou found it incredible.
“Is it very difficult?” Li Huairou softly asked.
Li Huailan smiled and touched her belly. “A bit.” The bump was too big; when she went to bed at night, she often couldn’t breathe and could only sleep while sitting.
But this was good. She didn’t have time to think about the past.
“Jiejie, you’re so great,” Li Huairou said sincerely.
“It’s just being pregnant. What’s great about it?” Li Huailan chuckled. It was obvious that Huairou had had a good time in the palace. She’d started speaking more and had become courageous. As her older sister, she’d been too negligent in the past. “How about you? Were you fine in the palace? I heard that you got sick during the winter.”
Li Huairou frowned and watched the old aunt clean up the room. There was no one nearby. Li Huairou moved the stool over to Li Huailan’s side. “Jiejie, Prince Qi is really not as good as how he appears on the surface…”
Li Huailan touched her belly and said, “You don’t need to explain; I already know. It was just my wishful thinking. Your brother-in-law treats me very well now. And I just want to guard the child, guard this home, and live a good life.” Then she raised her head. “But you, Huairou. Stay away from him, follow the consort dowager, and don’t get involved.”
“I know, don’t worry!” Li Huairou could see that Li Huailan’s current state of mind was different from what it was before she left the palace. She believed that she’d really gotten rid of this relationship.
“Jie, although you won’t let me say it, I still want to tell you something.” Li Huairou thought for a while and told Li Huailan about the entanglement between Prince Qi, Concubine Ling, and the court lady named Yingyue. Then she whispered in Li Huailan’s ear, “Jie, I always feel that Prince Qi is playing a big chess game. You in the beginning, Concubine Ling, or the court lady named Yingyue were one of the chess pieces.”
Li Huailan’s face turned pale, and she held Li Huairou’s hand tightly. “Stop talking, Huairou! You must remember to not get involved.”
“Jie, I know, I know. Don’t get nervous, it’s okay, I have the consort dowager!” Li Huairou quickly replied.
Li Huailan breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, there is the consort dowager. You must remember to follow her. Except for the consort dowager, don’t believe anyone else, and don’t run around to other places. Whatever Prince Qi wants to do has nothing to do with us. Don’t be curious, you understand?”
“I know, I know, don’t worry! By the way, jie, do you have anything to eat? I’m hungry!” Li Huairou hurriedly touched her stomach and changed the subject.
“Yes, wait a moment.” Li Huailan got up, hugging her stomach.
“Stop, stop, don’t move. Where is the stove? I’ll go by myself,” Li Huairou said quickly.
“Oh, you rest. I’ll go.” The old aunt heard the movement and came out of the side room. “It’s hot today, so I made cold noodles. Would you like any?”
“Great! I like those.” Li Huairou smiled.
The old aunt asked, “Can you eat spicy food? These cold noodles are more delicious if they’re a little spicy. My hot sauce is made exclusively, and it tastes good, but it’s a pity that Brother Yong and Huailan don’t eat spicy food.”
“I can eat spicy food!” Li Huairou grinned.
The old aunt smiled happily upon hearing this.
“Cold noodles are here—mix them first! And these are the wild grapes Brother Yong picked in the mountains. They’re very sweet and have been washed. Try them. By the way, the melon is still cooling in the well, so I’ll go bring it,” the old aunt said with a smile.
“Thank you, aunt. Don’t busy yourself; these are enough. You can save the melon for when my brother-in-law comes back before you cut it!” Li Huairou said.
“Your brother-in-law is very busy these days and probably will not come back. Don’t wait for him, it’ll rot if too much time passes.” Li Huailan replied, smiling.
“He’s not coming back? What if you gave birth? He wouldn’t come back even then?” Li Huairou frowned. Why did she forget this? When the empress dowager went to the palace, her brother-in-law must have been very busy as a guard, especially in these two days.
“It won’t happen that quickly. The doctor said there is still more than half a month left!” Li Huailan said.
“No, you’re carrying twins. What if you give birth early?” Li Huairou asked.
“Probably not. The fetal position is quite right. It’s fine, so don’t worry! Hurry up and eat, the noodles will get soggy.” Li Huailan didn’t mind.
Li Huairou had no choice but to continue eating noodles with her head down.
Who knows what they were afraid of, really happened. That night, the two sisters slept together and talked for most of the night, and they did not fall asleep until they were sleepy.
But not long after she went to bed, Li Huairou heard a groan. She quickly sat up, touched the bed, and panicked. Li Huailan’s water had broken.
She immediately put her clothes on and got out of bed. She nodded. “Aunt, quickly get up. My sister’s starting to give birth.”
[Ancient outfits have three layers. When sleeping, they will take off the outer clothes, leaving only the inner garment]
Almost at the same time, the light in the old aunt’s room turned on, and the old aunt walked out while tying her clothes together. “Don’t worry, I’ll go call the midwife.”
Li Huairou hurriedly helped her put on her clothes. “Jie, don’t worry, the midwife will come soon. What should I do now?”
The old aunt and the midwife had already come in, and the old aunt pushed Li Huairou out. “Quickly, leave.”
“No, I want to stay by my sister’s side!” Li Huairou was anxious.
“No. You are a yellow flower girl—you can’t go in, so it’s better for you to go to the stove and boil some water,” the old aunt said helplessly. Then she remembered something. “Do you know how to boil water?”
[Unmarried]
Li Huairou rolled up her sleeves. They were looking down on her. Boil the water? Who said she couldn’t! Then it occurred to her that there was no gas stove, no oven, and no electric kettle. There was only an earthen stove here; she really didn’t know how.
The old aunt saw her expression and knew it.
The old aunt thought for a while and instructed, “How about this? Just in case, you can hurry to Renhetang to invite Doctor Zhuang to come. Brother Yong had made arrangements, but Huailan’s water broke and it was all messed up.”
Li Huairou nodded and ran off.
After running out, she recalled something: where was Renhetang? She didn’t know!
Fortunately, the Shi family’s commotion caused all the neighbors in the neighborhood to get up, and many enthusiastic women came to the Shi family to help.
“Are you Shi-saozi‘s younger sister? Where are you going?” a ten-year-old boy asked curiously.
[It means sister-in-law, which can be an affectionate title for women; they are not actually related by marriage]
“Yes, I’m going to Renhetang. Do you know where it is?”
“I do! I’ll take you there!”
Li Huairou hurriedly followed.
The doctor came, and the old aunt said that it was going well so far, so the doctor went back to rest.
Li Huairou paced back and forth in the yard.
Unknowingly, it was almost dawn. The rooster announced the sun’s rising, and Li Huailan’s stern cry came from the delivery room, and then there was a cry of a baby: “Wah…”
“It’s born! Born!” There was a woman clapping her hands happily.
Li Huairou swallowed. “Born? Then, the other one!”
The door opened, and the old aunt poked her head out halfway. “It’s born, and it’s a boy!”
“What about my sister?! How is my sister?!” Li Huairou asked anxiously as she noticed the smell of blood in the air.
“Your sister gave birth smoothly, but she was a little weak. Fortunately, there was the ginseng you sent back, and it helped your sister at a critical time. I won’t chat with you—there’s still one in there!” the old aunt hurriedly answered.
Li Huairou was anxious, and she continued to circle the yard.
After a while, the old aunt came in with a tightly-wrapped baby. Li Huairou’s eyes lit up, and she leaned forward, saying with disdain, “Hey, what’s this? It’s ugly.”
Knowing that he was being disliked, the child who had been quiet suddenly started crying again.
“What do you know? All children are born like this.” The old aunt gave her a blank look and entered the side room. “Doctor Zhuang, come and see our Brother Ming.”
Doctor Zhuang walked over and took a look. He took the child’s pulse, stroked his beard, and smiled. “His wail is loud, and his body is very strong.”
“But he’s younger than an ordinary child,” the old aunt said worriedly.
“With twins, it’s normal. It will be fine if raised well,” replied Doctor Zhuang.
“Thank you, Doctor Zhuang.” The old aunt was relieved, and she was about to go back with the baby when there was another baby crying from the delivery room.
“It’s born! Born!” The old aunt was very excited.
Li Huairou had run out a long time ago.
Unfortunately, she was still blocked at the door and not allowed to get inside.
The neighbor, Yang-saozi, came out with a smile and said with joy,
“It’s another boy! Congratulations to the old aunt—double happiness! Huailan is a great hero of your old Shi family and immediately added two grandsons!”
The old aunt was overjoyed. “Wonderful! I have to find someone to send a message to Brother Yong!”
“How is my sister?” Li Huairou was anxious beside her.
“Your sister is exhausted. She fell asleep after she saw the child. The midwife is packing up; it will be finished soon. Let Doctor Zhuang check on her,” Yang-saozi said.
The old aunt carried the child in, but Li Huairou was still not allowed to enter.
The inside was cleaned up, and only then did Li Huairou go in with Doctor Zhuang.
Doctor Zhuang took Li Huailan’s pulse. “It’s okay, just some deterioration. This old man simply intends for her to have twice the seclusion period, and you must take care of your body.”
[Lao Fu (老夫) means “an old fellow like me”, usually used by men above seventy years old]
The old aunt nodded from beside him. “That’s right.”
After seeing to the mother, Doctor Zhuang went to see the child again, and there was nothing serious.
The old aunt was relieved, and she quickly sent someone to send Doctor Zhuang back.
