The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

The night was as dark as ink, enveloping the entire capital. Every household had turned off their lights, except for the Liu family in the south of the city, who were busier than during the day.

"what……"

In the vast mansion, heart-wrenching cries of pain began at dusk and continued intermittently without ceasing; the cries grew increasingly agonizing as time went on.

In the Orchid Garden, the woman sat on a soft couch. She usually went to bed early, but now her face was solemn and she was not sleepy at all. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed more and more tightly as the cries of pain came from outside the room.

"Aunt Lan, it's getting late. Let me help you go to bed early," the maidservant said cautiously. As soon as she finished speaking, she was met with a fierce glare from the woman.

Feng Xianglan suddenly stood up, and the emotions she had been suppressing burst forth. "Sleep, sleep, sleep! How can I sleep? She's about to give birth. What if she really gives birth to a son?"

"Madam, she..." The maid hesitated, but thinking of the lady who was always so kind to her servants, she couldn't help but murmur softly, "So much time has passed, I hope nothing bad has happened to Madam, ah..."

Feng Xianglan slapped the maid hard across the face, her anger rising even higher. "You wretched servant, open your dog eyes and see clearly who your master really is! Something happened? It would be better if something really happened to her, two lives lost, then I wouldn't have to worry about her like this."

What she feared most was giving birth to a baby boy!

The maid covered her face, not daring to say anything more in front of the furious Feng Xianglan. She could only silently retreat to the side, praying in her heart that her mistress would give birth to the child smoothly. Her mistress was such a good person...

"No, no, I must go and see." Feng Xianglan's eyes flickered, and she became increasingly uneasy. Just the thought that the madam might give birth to a baby boy made her restless.

Feng Xianglan put on a cloak and hurriedly left the room, heading towards Jinhua Garden. Just as she passed through the garden, she saw three people walking hurriedly from three other directions. She paused, wondering who those three people were if they were the other three concubines of the mansion.

The four of them were slightly surprised to see each other, but only for a moment before a look of understanding flashed in their eyes.

“I thought only I was concerned about Madam’s safety, but I didn’t expect that my three younger sisters were also worried about her and couldn’t sleep.” It was Mei Yingxue, the second concubine who lived in Plum Garden, who spoke. She glanced at the three of them and understood each other without saying a word.

"Madam is about to give birth to the eldest grandson of the Liu family, the eldest son of the Marquis. As a member of the Liu family, it is only right that I do my part." Fourth Concubine Ju Yingying raised the corners of her mouth and spoke slowly. As soon as she said this, the smiles that the other three had been holding onto instantly disappeared. Fourth Concubine smiled knowingly. It seemed that none of them wanted Madam to give birth to a boy!

The gaze fell on the only one who hadn't spoken, the usually low-key and delicate Third Concubine. On the surface, she appeared calm, but her shifty eyes and tightly clenched hands betrayed her true emotions. The Fourth Concubine couldn't help but say pointedly, "Sister Zhuxuan, among the Marquis's wives and concubines, you and the Madam are the closest. You were also the Madam's dowry maid, and you've always been very close. If the Madam gives birth to a son, Sister Zhuxuan will naturally benefit as well. Don't forget about us other sisters then!"

Sisterly affection? The other three concubines lowered their brows, concealing the indifference in their eyes. Among them, the third concubine, Yi Zhuxuan, who usually didn't talk much, was the most pretentious and deep. On the surface, she acted like a good sister, but she was probably the one who least wanted the madam to have a son!

Ha! Sisterly affection? What a joke! In the Liu family mansion, a wealthy and powerful household, where is there any sisterly affection?

They knew perfectly well what Yi Zhuxuan had been doing behind the scenes, but only that kind lady treated her like a sister!

Yi Zhuxuan raised her lips, her voice as gentle as her appearance, "Why say such formal things? We're all family, aren't we? Madam treats us all well. The birth of her son is a blessing for our Liu Marquis's mansion. This eldest grandson is something the old lady has been looking forward to for a long time."

The old lady, the matriarch of the Liu family, is like an empress dowager in the family.

The Liu family's direct line has been passed down through generations with only one son. The old lady longed for the young master of the Liu family to give birth to a son. In the Liu family, everyone knew that whoever gave birth to the eldest grandson was truly on a higher social status. However, over the years, even though Lord Liu had married one wife and four concubines and had three daughters, he still had not received a son.

Now the Liu family has established itself firmly in the capital and joined the ranks of prominent families. Young Master Liu has even been granted a noble title, and the old lady is even more eager for her eldest grandson.

They all wanted to give birth to the eldest grandson, but unfortunately, their bellies remained empty. And now, the lady was about to give birth...

Please, please don't give birth to a boy! Otherwise...

The four women remained silent, their anxiety growing stronger.

"Ah..." Another sharp cry of pain came from the lady's courtyard not far away. The four ignored the other person and hurriedly ran towards the direction from which the sound came...

In the courtyard, countless maids carried hot water in and out. In the delivery room, the woman's contractions continued. Anmi lay on the bed, her body already soaked in sweat. Her face was pale, but she kept pushing and shoving the little one in her belly. Her hands gripped the sheets, and she had only one thought in her mind: she had to give birth to the child, and she had to make sure the child was born safely.

"Father, why hasn't Mother given birth to my younger brother after all this time?"

"Father, Mother is in so much pain. Liu'er wants to go in and see Mother. Liu'er will blow on Mother's back and make her feel better."

Outside the delivery room came the clear voice of her four-year-old daughter. Anyi's pale lips involuntarily turned up. Her daughter, a little girl who knew how to care for her mother!

"It's already a mess, and you're making things worse. Someone, take Miss back to her room and keep a close eye on her." The man's irritated voice rang out impatiently. Without even thinking, An Mi knew who it was—her husband, Liu Zhan, the only son of the Liu family. She could even imagine his furrowed brows and angry expression.

"No, no, Father, Liu'er wants to see Mother, Liu'er wants to see Brother..." Her daughter's voice grew fainter and fainter, as if she had been forcibly taken away from here. An Mi felt a slight pang of pain in her heart, feeling sorry for her daughter. She wanted to tell the person who took her daughter away not to use force, because Liu'er was most afraid of pain!

The daughter of the Liu family was never favored.

Although her Liu'er was adorable and everyone praised her for being clever and quick-witted, she was still a daughter after all, and the Liu family wanted a son! But she was still Anmi's daughter!

Son...

Anmi gritted her teeth, straining as she looked at her still-growing belly. At the beginning of her pregnancy, her mother-in-law consulted a Taoist priest who said that she was carrying a boy. After that, her mother-in-law and husband took great care of her, but she always felt uneasy and sad.