Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

He lingered back in his room, only to find the stove empty and the pots and pans cold. Cui Cui wasn't there either; she was probably out in Fengxian, joining in the fun. Too lazy to call her, he lit the tea stove himself. He'd eaten too much oily food at the Gong family's for lunch and wasn't hungry; he just wanted some tea. After downing a pot of barley tea, he felt a little better.

Just as the lanterns were lit, Cuicui returned, quickly extinguished the lanterns, and came over with a grin.

"Have you got a meal yet?"

"I've eaten, I've eaten! I said I didn't want to eat, but the young lady's people said, 'How can you not eat after a long day?' They wouldn't let me go and made me eat. Everyone in the manor got some fried dough sticks! These are for you! What would you like to eat? I'll make you a bowl of egg drop soup!"

"No need, I'm not hungry! Just some hot water will do!" Cui Cui nodded hurriedly, took the teapot, and went out. When she returned with the teapot, she had already taken off her coat and loosened her hair. She smiled and said, "Miss, don't be impatient. Let me bring the water over, wash your feet, and go to bed. Then I'll tell you everything in detail!" With that, she put down the teapot, turned around, and left.

After lingering to wash up, she loosened her hair, combed it, and loosely braided it into a plait before changing into her pajamas. Once she was finished, Cui Cui grabbed her blanket, splashed some water, tidied her things, locked the door, turned off the light, and snuggled into bed. She stretched deeply, letting out a few contented hums, "Oh dear, I'm exhausted! Miss, you have no idea how lively today was..."

Liu Lian admired Cuicui for this. It was as if she could confide in bricks, tiles, and trees. No one had better information than her. It was a waste of her talent to be a maid instead of a KGB officer. It was not just a waste, but a waste. It was like using a towering white jade pillar as a latrine partition!

It turned out that shortly after Liulian left home that morning, Fengxian began to experience abdominal pain. Cuicui volunteered to fetch a midwife, and the eldest young master sent Xiaode'er to drive the carriage; the two of them went ahead. Although Liulian had repeatedly warned the three new maids, they were still a little flustered as they had never experienced anything like this before. The eldest young master tried to remain calm, instructing them to boil water and call for help, while he stayed by Fengxian's side, massaging her back, wiping her sweat, helping her walk, and encouraging her.

The old lady personally oversaw the delivery in the main room, while the master stood guard in the courtyard. The midwife arrived first, followed by the doctor. Around noon, Fengxian gave birth to a daughter. The midwife praised Fengxian for her quick delivery and commended the baby girl for her kindness—not causing her mother any unnecessary suffering. The old lady glanced at the wrinkled, skinny little girl, then at her overjoyed grandson and his wife, and said nothing, only ordering the search for a wet nurse. Fengxian, however, refused, insisting on breastfeeding herself and requesting a wet nurse. As for help, she said Chunyan was loyal and devoted, and should be allowed to fill the wet nurse's spot. The old lady simply sighed and agreed.

The master stayed in the courtyard, dismissed the second young mistress and the madam, and upon hearing that the mother and daughter were safe, he ordered that oil cakes be fried and that everyone in the household could eat as much as they wanted!

After discussing it, the old lady and the master decided to give the money saved from not hiring a wet nurse to Fengxian, adding six strings of cash to her monthly allowance until the child was three years old—because a wet nurse only earned three strings of cash a month, which was more than a maid who earned five hundred cash a month, and she also ate better—so as to avoid gossip!

Cui Cui wanted to call Liu Ye'er back, but Rui Hong wouldn't allow it. "Seventh Miss has finally gone out for a stroll, let her play peacefully for a while! Besides, what can a young lady do when she comes back? She can't deliver babies, and there's plenty of family! We'll give her a surprise when she gets back!"

Because Fengxian's milk hadn't come in yet, the old lady went to the Bai family, who sold tofu in the back street, and begged their daughter-in-law, Huang, to breastfeed the baby girl first—this was a respectable matter, requiring a family with a clean reputation, upright character, and abundant milk supply for anyone to ask! Huang gladly came, breastfed the baby, put her to sleep, chatted with Fengxian for a few minutes, and squeezed out half a bowl of milk before leaving.

Cui Cui kept nagging about everything, big and small, until Liu Lian had fallen into a deep sleep.

Early in the morning, before dawn, there was already some commotion in the courtyard. Cui Cui opened her eyes, jumped up, grabbed her blanket, and rushed back to her room. Liu Lian, anticipating a quiet morning, also got up. Cui Cui, quick as a flash, soon brought over water to wash her face. Liu Lian, listening to Cui Cui's hurried running around the yard, knew she was eager to go out and join the fun, so she didn't point it out. She simply combed her hair and went to the kitchen.

Soon, two bowls of dumpling soup, a plate of fried dough sticks, two salted eggs, and a dish of scallion and salted radish shreds were placed on the table. Cui Cui had already finished wiping the furniture, sweeping the floor and the yard, and emptying the dirt. She washed her hands and face, slurped down a bowl of rice, and couldn't sit still any longer. Helpless, Liu Lian waved for her to go ahead. Cui Cui hurriedly smiled and said, "Miss, please eat slowly. I'll go see if there's anything I can help with at the eldest young lady's place. I'll clear the dishes later!" With that, she dashed off.

Soon, Cui Cui returned, looking embarrassed, and said, "The young lady's room isn't open yet. Yu Lan is tending the stove, cooking millet porridge. Cui Lan and Shu Lan have swept the yard. Chun Yan just moved in, and they're tidying up! There's nothing I can help with..."

"Go tell Yulan to add an egg drop soup and a little bit of chopped greens to the porridge, but no poached egg. In the morning, steam an egg custard as a snack, and avoid any meat or fish, so as not to overeat. Around noon, if the new mother is in good spirits, you can add a little bit of minced meat to the porridge, just a piece the size of a date. Come back quickly after you've said that, there's still something for you to do!"

Cui Cui agreed and went, returning quickly to report, "The maids over there have started eating breakfast. It was brought from the main kitchen. They said they were busy today and might not have time later, so they told her to eat first. It's hot soup noodles, cold fried dough, and pickled radish cubes. The young lady hasn't opened the door yet."

"Okay. Crack some walnuts and sweet almonds, and rinsing some sesame seeds. We'll make sesame salt later."

"No need, it was sent over from the old lady's side. It was cooked by Zhao Ma herself, and it's still hot! The almonds and walnuts are all peeled. The salt is ground into powder, and the sesame seeds are also rolled out. It smells delicious! Zhao Ma said that the old lady instructed that the eldest young lady should let the seventh young lady decide what she eats and drinks, and that they are not allowed to be naughty!"

"Oh, then tidy up the house, and look at your hair, comb it again!"

Lingering back in her room, she carefully considered modern postpartum meals, and then looked at the menu Old Man Huo had written for reference. It was nothing more than plain porridge and vegetarian food, with no heavy meat or greasy dishes for half a month. She had a good idea of ​​what to expect. After estimating that the maids had finished eating, she went over. Yulan hurriedly came to greet her and invited her to sit down, her attitude extremely respectful. The three little ones...