After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

The fifteenth day passed quickly.

It passed in the blink of an eye.

But for Aunt Pan, each day felt like an eternity; it was an agonizing struggle as she desperately craved a definitive answer.

That day, Magpie was instructed early in the morning to greet Doctor Wang at the gate.

"You've finally arrived! My aunt told me to wait here this morning. Please come in with me."

"Don't worry, don't worry. I said I would keep my promise in fifteen days, and I will not break it."

Dr. Wang brought his apprentice with him this time. He is nearly sixty years old, and his apprentice has not yet graduated after more than ten years. He is truly lacking in talent, so he can only put in more effort to guide him.

"Doctor, how is it?"

"Congratulations, Auntie, you are one month pregnant."

"Really! Dr. Wang! You...you were right? Is it true? Can you tell whether my baby is a boy or a girl?"

"Well... the pregnancy is confirmed, but as for the sex of the child, I must admit my lack of knowledge and skills."

"Yes, that's true. When I was pregnant with my third and fourth daughters, the doctor said it was a boy, but I ended up giving birth to only daughters. It's unbelievable."

"It's not that there aren't people who can diagnose the sex of a child, but they'd have to be either reclusive masters or imperial physicians."

"Alas, we dare not even dream of that. It is already a great fortune to have Mr. Wang make a house call... Que'er."

Aunt Pan gave her maid a look, and Que'er immediately took out a large red envelope and handed it to Doctor Wang, and then took a slightly smaller one for Doctor Wang's apprentice.

"Thank you, Auntie. Please be careful for the next two months. I will come back for a follow-up visit after the pregnancy has stabilized at three months."

"Yes, thank you very much."

Aunt Pan was overjoyed and wanted to tell the whole household, but she was also worried that she wouldn't be able to give birth to a son in eight months, so she was a little conflicted.

Seeing that her aunt was somewhat distracted, Que'er took the initiative to escort Doctor Wang and his apprentice to the gate, and then asked them some questions about things to pay attention to during pregnancy before returning to the east courtyard.

"Is Auntie so happy she's gone mad?"

"You brat, you still have the nerve to tease me."

"Don't overthink it, Aunt. This is what you deserve. If it weren't for the age difference, how could someone from another family be the mistress of this household!"

"Shh! Don't say such things carelessly. Mother-in-law is very satisfied with Madam now, after all, her only precious grandson came out of Lin's belly."

"So what? Auntie can still compete now. We're all Master's sons, why should we be divided into high and low status?!"

"Of course, there are distinctions in this statement. No matter what, that one is the legitimate son and the eldest son. Any sons born after that are not born from the womb of the mistress, and they are all illegitimate sons."

"There is a difference between legitimate and illegitimate children. In the future, more than 70% of the Jiang family's business will be inherited by legitimate sons. How can illegitimate sons born to concubines compare with legitimate sons born to the principal wife?"

Hearing this, Que'er fell silent. Yes, Auntie may seem glamorous now, but she might face a miserable old age. After all, the old master's two concubines are still being "supported" on the estate. This is a cautionary tale.

Aunt Pan had considered before whether it would be better to marry a peasant and become his wife, or to become the concubine of the son of a scholar who was also a landlord.

Each has its own advantages and disadvantages; you can't have your cake and eat it too.

But what's the use of having this clear understanding? You'll still feel resentful, envious, and jealous. You'll still think about things you shouldn't think about, things that don't belong to you.

"Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore. The more I think about it, the more upset I get."

"Auntie, are you really going to tell the household that you're pregnant?"

"Let's talk about it after three months. We'll be more careful lately and try not to go out unless necessary."

"Alright, I'll listen to you. If you need anything, Auntie, I'll go out and buy it. You just need to take good care of yourself and not think about anything else."

West Wing

"Really?! Did you hear me?!"

"I just squatted down to pick something up, and the flower bushes blocked my view. None of them noticed that there was someone next to them, and they didn't even lower their voices when they spoke."

"Fine, as expected, a barking dog doesn't bite, and they all want to ride roughshod over me! Humph!"

With a 'clatter,' a brand-new tea set came to the end of its short life.

"Auntie, be careful not to hurt your hands. It's not worth hurting yourself for their sake."

Liusu felt a pang of regret; those were top-quality white porcelain teacups, costing one tael and five mace of silver per set—equivalent to three months' worth of her monthly salary! Her aunt was truly something else!

"Why?! Sows just keep giving birth one after another!"

“Aunt, don’t worry, it might not be a son. How difficult it is for the Jiang family to have a son? I think Aunt Pan will most likely have a daughter this time.”

"Most likely? You said it yourself, it could be a daughter, but it could also be a son. If she gives birth to a son, I won't be able to survive in this mansion. Haven't you noticed that the master has been coming less and less lately? It's all because of that vixen in the East Courtyard!"

The master rarely comes because he's been studying diligently behind closed doors. Now that he has a son, he can focus on preparing for the county examination. The old master is a student who has passed the preliminary examination, and the master wants to pass it because he doesn't want to be inferior to his own father.

But Liusu dared not speak these truths. If she dared to, Aunt Qin would smash the west wing to pieces again, and in the end, it would be her, the only maid, who would have to clean up the mess.

It's better to avoid trouble than to cause trouble, and better to have no trouble at all than to cause trouble at all; preserving your life is the most important thing.

"Liusu, I heard you have an older brother who works as a peddler in a neighboring county?"

"Oh? Yes, how did you find out, Aunt?"

“When I bought you, I made sure to find out your background from the broker. I can’t keep someone with unclear background around me.”

Liusu panicked for only a moment before calming down: "Yes, it is right for Aunt to find out."

Unclear and ambiguous? Who else could be as unclear and ambiguous as you, a lowly actress of ill omen, a piece of trash from the lowest rungs of society? Even as a concubine, you'd still be a lowly mistress.

What kind of goods does your brother sell?

"Is there anything you wish to buy, Aunt? My brother has limited capital and sells only low-quality, unrefined goods, which I'm afraid are unlikely to meet your discerning eye."

"Hahahaha, you little rascal, your words are always so sweet, your auntie will spoil you even more."

"Tell your brother that there are rats in the house recently, which is causing a lot of trouble. Ask him to help you find some rat poison, and pay three times the price of the market price."

"A mouse? Auntie, this..."

Liusu felt a chill run down her spine. She hadn't expected Aunt Qin to go this far. What was she supposed to do? This was utterly suicidal! And she was even dragging her and her brother down with her!

"Huh? You're not listening to me anymore? Don't forget who holds your indenture!"

"Yes, Madam. I also feel that the rats in the mansion have been rampant lately, disturbing people's sleep at night."

"Yes, this is my good tassel. Go on, leave the manor tomorrow. Have the gatekeeper prepare an oxcart. The road is so far, you can't possibly walk there on your own two legs, that would take so many days!"

"Madam, I'd better go outside and hire a carriage, so that the gatekeeper can handle the situation if the old master and master go out at the same time."

"That makes sense. Here's five qian of silver. Go out and hire a carriage and a horse-drawn cart. Get this done as soon as possible. Don't try to save me any money!"

Liusu took the silver, never before had silver felt so hot to her hands. She forced a smile and then excused herself to pack her things and return to her side room.

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.