Chapter 422 — Labor

The Fifth Aunt's gaze fell on Jiang Yan, who was keeping the Sixth Aunt company.

Jiang Yan said hurriedly, "My sister-in-law asked me to help her receive the guests." She invited the Dou family women to sit.

The Sixth Aunt saw a flicker of displeasure in the Fifth Aunt's eyes as she looked at Jiang Yan, and knew she thought it unlucky to have a widow present at such a time. She quietly explained Jiang Yan's identity to the Fifth Aunt.

The Fifth Aunt was greatly astonished.

Dou Yan had taken Jiang Yan to the Locust Tree Lane before, but she had never said much about Jiang Yan's background. Now that she heard the truth, she could not help studying Jiang Yan from head to toe. And then she thought of how Dou Yan told Ji Shi everything, and a little sourness rose in her heart.

Jiang Yan grew uncomfortable under the Fifth Aunt's scrutiny. She pretended to go and see whether the tea was ready, and left the hall.

Face to face with Song Yan, she saw him come rushing back drenched in sweat.

"How is your sister-in-law?" he called to Jiang Yan from afar.

"My sister-in-law's aunts and cousins from her maiden family have all arrived," Jiang Yan said, hurrying to meet him. "The midwife and the physician's wife are both in the birthing room."

Song Yan nodded. "Go back to your own room at once. It's enough that I'm here."

Jiang Yan had heard people say that a woman giving birth had one foot in the coffin and one foot out of it—that it was a perilous thing indeed. But she was of a gentle, yielding nature and had never contradicted anyone. Hearing Song Yan speak so, she was worried about Dou Yan but did not dare make a sound. She pressed her lips together and followed Song Yan into the hall with her head down.

Song Yan's heart was full of Dou Yan; how could he spare a thought for anyone else? The moment he entered he asked, "How is Shouyuan?" and only then did he greet the Fifth Aunt, the Sixth Aunt, and the others.

The Sixth Aunt shooed him out. "This is women's business. Men shouldn't meddle. This is her first child; she won't deliver for a while yet. Go and sit quietly in the study. Have a sleep, and by the time you wake the child will be born."

Song Yan broke out in a sweat at this and said, "Then I'll wait in the side room."

"When I tell you to go to the study, you go to the study," the Sixth Aunt said firmly. "Don't make us worry about two things at once."

Dou Yan called from within, "Go and read in the study for a while, my lord. I have my aunts and sisters-in-law here to look after me; nothing will go wrong."

Helpless, Song Yan went to the study.

But every little while he sent Wu Yi over to ask how things were.

Wu Yi was only a servant boy; at most he could stand at the door and ask.

The people inside would give him a perfunctory "Very well," and anything beyond that he had no business asking, nor would they have told him.

Song Yan paced in circles, frantic. Then he thought of Jiang Yan and called her over. "Go and see how your sister-in-law is doing."

Jiang Yan was a married woman, so the Fifth Aunt and Sixth Aunt did not keep her out.

Seeing her brother so restless, she could not help saying gently, "Sister-in-law is fine. The midwife says she won't give birth until the middle of the night. Have the kitchen boil some sugar eggs and feed them to her!"

At last he knew the particulars.

Song Yan breathed a sigh of relief, then asked in surprise, "She can still eat?"

"Of course she can!" Jiang Yan said. "The midwife says you need food to have the strength to give birth."

"Oh!" Song Yan answered vaguely.

Seeing her brother's foolish look, Jiang Yan felt much closer to him. "Then I'll go back in," she said.

Song Yan urged her on. "Go, go. If anything happens with your sister-in-law, come and tell me at once."

Jiang Yan went to the birthing room.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Wu Yi called her out.

"The heir asks how the madam is doing," Wu Yi said awkwardly.

"Sister-in-law is doing very well!" Jiang Yan said.

Wu Yi bowed to Jiang Yan. "Cousin, if I report back to the heir like that, I'm afraid he'll slap me right out of the room. Best you go and give the heir the report yourself—how many sugar eggs did the madam eat? Is her color good? Is the pain severe? The more detail you give, the more at ease the heir will be."

Jiang Yan went to the study and, following Wu Yi's instructions, told Song Yan everything in detail.

Song Yan was delighted and told Jiang Yan to hurry back to the birthing room. "Come and report to me at once if anything happens."

But the midwife said her sister-in-law was doing very well, better than most women in labor...

Jiang Yan grumbled inwardly, but did not dare say such a thing in front of Song Yan, and went back to the birthing room.

Before long, Wu Yi came to ask again.

Jiang Yan went back and forth so many times that even Dou Yan noticed.

She could not help asking Jiang Yan, "What is the matter with you?"

Jiang Yan flushed and said sheepishly, "It is my brother. He insists that I report to him every last detail of what goes on in the birthing room."

Dou Yan was taken aback.

In her former life, when she gave birth to Brother Wei, Wei Fan had been outside drinking with others; when Lady Tian finally dragged him home, he complained that she was taking too long. When she bore Brother Rui, she simply did not tell him. When she bore Sister Yin, he had been quite attentive, but only in the sense that he sat waiting in his study for the child to be born.

She had thought she could face this life alone and unshaken, yet when she heard Jiang Yan's words, tears still welled at the rims of her eyes.

"Sister-in-law, what is wrong?" Jiang Yan looked flustered. "Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

"I am fine," Dou Yan said, wiping the corners of her eyes. "I was only afraid you would tell your brother what a wretched sight I make in childbirth."

"I would not, I would not." Jiang Yan waved her hands again and again, vowing, "I will certainly not tell my brother." She added, "Your complexion is ruddy, sister-in-law, you look lovely! Even if I wanted to tell him, there would be nothing worth saying."

These two siblings.

Dou Yan burst out laughing.

The next morning, at the first hour of the si period, she gave birth to a son weighing six catties and seven taels.

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Sisters and brothers, here is today's update.

o(∩_∩)o~

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