Chapter 166

The arrival of the newborn had thrown Fu Tingjun and Zhao Ling into a flurry of activity, but more than anything, it brought them joy.

Fu Tingjun sat on the kang, a cloth wrapped around her head, holding her sleeping daughter in her arms. She smiled warmly as she spoke with Madam Mo, Mo Yi's wife: "Earlier, I told Ninth Master that we would visit your home to celebrate when you came to the capital, but who would have thought I'd go into labor..." She gave an apologetic smile.

"This is fate!" Madam Mo, a woman in her thirties with a slightly plump figure and fair skin, was tall and striking despite her merely average features. She smiled and gently touched the child's head. "Your little girl is truly beautiful!" Her gaze toward Youyou was full of affection, but even more so, envy.

Madam Mo had given birth to four sons, and her greatest wish now was to have a daughter.

Fu Tingjun couldn't help but purse her lips in a smile.

Youyou was not only beautiful but also had a gentle temperament. Unless she was hungry or needed changing, she would sleep quietly. When she occasionally woke, she would open her crystal-clear eyes and look around, utterly adorable.

Zheng Sanniang said that babies at this age couldn't see anything, but Fu Tingjun didn't believe it. She always felt that with such bright eyes, how could her daughter not see? She just couldn't speak yet, that was all.

Whenever this happened, she would chatter away to Youyou.

As the thought flashed through her mind, Youyou suddenly opened her eyes.

The wet nurse nearby quickly took her to change her, then handed her back to Fu Tingjun.

Madam Mo exclaimed in admiration: "Look at those eyes, so bright and sparkling! She doesn't look like a newborn at all!"

"That's what everyone says." Fu Tingjun laughed. "They also say she's big for her age, but I have no experience, so I can't tell."

Madam Mo studied Youyou carefully for a moment, then said, "Compared to other babies, she is indeed a bit bigger."

"I've heard my mother say that I was also quite big as a child." Fu Tingjun chatted with her. "By the time I was ten, I was already taller than children of twelve or thirteen. My mother worried at the time that I might grow taller than the boys. But after thirteen, I never grew another inch."

"I was just the opposite." Madam Mo clapped her hands and laughed. "At twelve or thirteen, I only came up to my mother's shoulder. But within two years, I grew taller than my father. My mother worried I'd never find a husband, but fortunately there was Huanzhi—he's even taller than me."

Fu Tingjun couldn't help but laugh. "Then your sons must be very tall as well!"

Madam Mo nodded. "They're all taller than most children. Among their cousins, they're the tallest."

Just then, Zhenzhu came in to announce: "Madam, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Chen family has arrived."

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Chen family was Lady Chen Shi, wife of Chen Yunsheng's eldest son—Chen Yunsheng being the commander of the Imperial Guard's Forward Division who had served as Fu Tingjun's all-blessing matron.

Fu Tingjun quickly had her brought in and introduced her to Madam Mo.

Madam Mo held an imperial title granted by the court, which outranked Lady Chen Shi's status, but she still greeted Lady Chen Shi with full courtesy. Madam Mo sat back down, while Lady Chen Shi stepped forward to look at the child.

"Why hold the full-month celebration so early?" After praising the child, she sat down on the embroidered stool by the bed and chided gently, "The children at my house are currently under the care of the Smallpox Goddess. I calculated that you still had some time, so I planned to come visit you in a few days. But then I received the invitation for your little girl's full-month celebration..."

According to custom, a child could have their full-month celebration once the month turned after birth. But for Youyou, who was barely ten days old, and for a family that was hardly poor, rushing the celebration as if waiting for the gift money to support the new mother through her confinement seemed far too hasty!

Fu Tingjun also felt the date had been set too soon.

But when Yuwei had been sent to report the good news to Madam Fu, Madam Fu had not only sent Youyou a silver longevity lock but had also set the date for the full-month celebration. She said the date had been carefully calculated by an eminent monk based on the birth charts of mother and daughter, and that it would bring good fortune to both. Fu Tingjun had been about to send Yuwei back to ask her mother for a different date when Zhao Ling said, "It's just the date for a full-month celebration. Since it's your mother's wish, we should simply go along with it. Why disappoint her good intentions?"

Since Zhao Ling had spoken, what more could Fu Tingjun say?

The date was set for the tenth of May.

Today was Youyou's full-month celebration.

To avoid startling the child, no opera troupe had been hired, but between Zhao Ling's friends and colleagues, they still managed to fill fifteen tables.

Fu Tingjun couldn't very well explain all the details to Lady Chen Shi, so she simply said vaguely, "The date was set by an elder, so it was hard to decline."

Upon hearing this, Lady Chen Shi and the others did not press further. Since it was Lady Chen Shi's first meeting with Madam Mo, and she was wary of Madam Mo's status, she was somewhat cautious in her words and actions. They chatted and laughed, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

Before long, the wife of Li Yunxiang, the Left Assistant Commander of the Banner Guard, also arrived. Madam Wu from next door, Madam Ji from Bensi Hutong, and others trickled in one by one. It happened to be time for the feast to begin. The female guests gathered in the main hall, while the male guests were in the main courtyard, enjoying the banquet.

Zhao Ling carried the baby out for a stroll and returned with quite a collection of longevity locks, gold ingots, and silver ingots as welcome gifts.

When the feast concluded, some of Zhao Ling's colleagues had to return to their offices, and others who had merely come for the occasion departed as well. Mo Yi and a few others stayed behind and went to the southern hall to drink tea and chat. Jin Yuanbao and Yang Yucheng both hurried over to help receive the guests in the southern hall. Madam Wu and Madam Ji took their leave first. Madam Mo, worried about the children at home, chatted with Fu Tingjun for a while before heading back. Lady Chen Shi stayed behind to talk with Fu Tingjun, offering advice on tips for caring for the baby and things to watch out for, and only left after dinner.

Since Fu Tingjun was in confinement and could not move about freely, Zheng San and Yuwei took charge—one supervising the wedding shop workers as they dismantled the tent and the caterers as they moved the tables and chairs, the other sitting in the southern side room of the eastern wing to settle accounts. By the time the lamps were lit, the household had returned to its former tranquility.

Zhao Ling, slightly tipsy, leaned against the bolster on the heated kang by the window, gazing at Fu Tingjun, who was patting the baby to lull her to sleep under the dim lamplight. He chatted idly: "Why has summer come so early this year? Good thing Mother chose this date. If it were any later, the weather would only get hotter, and the guests at the banquet would be drenched in sweat!"

Seeing that her daughter's breathing had grown steady, Fu Tingjun turned and smiled at Zhao Ling.

Zhao Ling sat up and said, "Ajun, once you've finished your confinement, shall we go to Tanzhe Temple to fulfill our vow?"

"What vow?" Fu Tingjun was puzzled.

She had prayed for a son, and since she had given birth to a daughter, there was naturally no need to fulfill any vow.

Zhao Ling moved closer and took her hand: "I made a vow to the Bodhisattva at the time—if I could have a daughter just like you, I would donate a hundred taels of silver as incense money."

Fu Tingjun's eyes widened: "You..."

She truly did not know what to say.

Zhao Ling then said seriously, "I know you wanted a son, but I think it's better that you had a daughter first—a daughter is her mother's little padded jacket, warm and close to the heart."

Fu Tingjun's heart stirred at his words, and she hesitated: "Could it be... you're going to Guizhou?"

Zhao Ling was silent for a long while before speaking softly: "Teacher Yao brought it up again today... In recent days, large amounts of grain and fodder have been transferred from Huguang to Guizhou... It will likely happen within the month."

Fu Tingjun instinctively clutched his sleeve tightly.

"Don't be afraid!" Zhao Ling gently pulled her into his arms. "Jin Yuanbao was there at the time. He asked Teacher Yao to transfer him to the Five City Military Command so he could look after you from nearby. Judging by Teacher Yao's reaction, he seemed quite agreeable. If I really do go to Guizhou, you can turn to Jin Yuanbao for anything that comes up at home." After a pause, he continued, "As for Zuo Junjie's matter, I've carefully questioned some of the idle gangs. It seems Zuo Junjie begged his way all the way to the capital. Everywhere he went, he would attach himself to the biggest beggar leader in the area, stay for two or three months, then move on. I figure that since he fled the capital, he wouldn't dare return anytime soon. Before, he had lingered in Tongzhou for two months. People tend to stay in places they're familiar with—could he have gone back to Tongzhou, or somewhere else he knows well..."

Fu Tingjun's eyes lit up, and she sat up straight: "What you're saying makes sense!"

"I've told Jin Yuanbao about this too," Zhao Ling said. "He'll try to find a way in Tongzhou over the next few days. Don't rush—focus on finishing your confinement properly and don't leave any lasting ailments."

Fu Tingjun nodded repeatedly, regaining confidence in finding Zuo Junjie.

Early the next morning, the couple, having stayed up playing with Youyou from the middle of the night until dawn before finally sleeping, were in a deep slumber when Yuwei's urgent voice suddenly sounded outside the window lattice: "Madam, madam, please wake up, please wake up—a message has arrived from Sixi Hutong."

Fu Tingjun was still groggily rubbing her eyes when Zhao Ling sprang up: "Who delivered the message? Invite them in quickly." As he spoke, he got off the kang and slipped on his shoes.

"It's Xiuzhu's Wife," Yuwei said after a brief hesitation, lowering her voice. "I'll bring her in now."

Fu Tingjun shuddered. For some reason, a sense of foreboding rose in her heart.

"What's happened?" She grabbed Zhao Ling's arm.

Still wrapped in the warm quilt, her fingers were as cold as ice.

Zhao Ling avoided her gaze and said, "I don't know... Let's go see."

Fu Tingjun's heart inexplicably began to race, and panic crept over her.

Just as she was about to release Zhao Ling's hand, Xiuzhu's Wife's choked voice came from outside: "Young Master, Young Mistress, last night at the second quarter of the hour of Xu, the Madam passed away!"

"What did you say?" Fu Tingjun stumbled off the kang and rushed out unsteadily.

Xiuzhu's Wife was kneeling before the curtain, weeping bitterly.

"Young Mistress..." She covered her mouth. "The Madam, the Madam... she's gone..."

Fu Tingjun burst into tears: "How could this happen? How could this happen?"

Zhao Ling hurried out and steadied Fu Tingjun: "Don't cry now, you're still in confinement!"

Fu Tingjun turned and clung to Zhao Ling's arm, her gaze tinged with pleading: "Did you know all along?" Tears instantly blurred her vision.

Otherwise, Youyou's full-month celebration wouldn't have been arranged so hastily...

Moisture glistened at the corners of Zhao Ling's eyes as he nodded gently.