"It’s really quite astonishing; this child will surely be scholarly material in the future. Perhaps our Liu family will even produce a First Scholar!" Zhao Suxin exclaimed, equally amazed.
Jeng Ruyue had not expected the little one to actually grasp the writing brush and give it a light tug. The infant, naturally weaker than an adult, let go as she pulled. Yet once released, the little one’s lips pursed, and he began to cry out loudly.
Frightened, Jeng Ruyue quickly stuffed the brush back into the infant’s hand, and he stopped crying.
Even Lin Yuan was staring, dumbfounded. Could this child truly become what Liu Limin and Zhao Suxin suggested—a scholar?
Lady Fan and Lady Liu watched the little fellow with chuckles, Lady Fan patting her daughter-in-law’s hand: "He likes you, you share a fate. Don’t worry, you’ll have a little one of your own, too."
Jeng Ruyue was taken aback, then smiled radiantly, hoping that would be the case.
"When he has his ’grabbing test’ during the first-year celebration, we’ll know for sure if he’s cut out for scholarly pursuits," Lady Liu said as she playfully tapped at the corner of the infant’s mouth. The little one stuck out his tongue and licked his rosy lips, signaling he was hungry.
Lady Liu had given birth more than once before, so her milk came quickly, even if it wasn’t plentiful. But the infant was still small and didn’t need much to eat.
"Is there enough breast milk?" Lady Fan asked, genuinely pleased as she watched the little fellow suckle contentedly.
Lady Liu nodded, "It’s enough. Da Ya has gotten me a ewe from which I’ve been drinking the milk. It’s decent. The Divine Doctor said that if there isn’t enough milk later on, to warm some sheep’s milk for him to drink."
"Sheep’s milk is ultimately not as good as your own," Lady Fan remarked, glancing once again at the little one who was beginning to doze off. "However, the more the child eats, the more milk you’ll produce, so don’t worry. The most important thing is that you recuperate well during your confinement period."
Zhao Suxin also spoke up, "Mother is right. You always eat so little, big sister. Now that you’ve had a baby, you can’t afford to eat like that anymore. Without enough food, where will the milk come from? You need to eat more."
"Mother, elder sister-in-law, don’t worry. I’m eating a lot more now," said Liu Limin as she laid the satisfied and sleeping baby aside, and covered him with a small blanket. Her voice naturally lowered, "Da Ya somehow heard pig’s trotters soup could help with lactation. She prepared five or six trotters for me, insisting I have trotter soup every day."
She laughed softly, her voice a whisper as she leaned toward Lady Fan, "And Xia Zheng, he went to the village river early this morning and caught lots of little crucian carp for me, claiming crucian carp soup would also help with milk production. And now, he’s gone fishing again. That kid is definitely encouraged by Da Ya."
Although these were words of reproof for Lin Yuan, the joyful dancing of her eyebrows and the satisfaction in her eyes made it clear to Lady Fan and the others that she was fond of Xia Zheng, the prospective son-in-law.
Despite not having met Xia Zheng, Jeng Ruyue had heard her elder brother and sister-in-law speak of him many times at home, almost praising him to the skies.
"Big sister, what does Xia Zheng’s family do? Have you ever met his parents?" Jeng Ruyue was, after all, more cautious. She didn’t want Lin Yuan to be deceived again, just like what happened with Chen Zhu before.
Speaking of this, Lady Liu also harbored some concerns and shook her head, "We haven’t met them yet, but after all, Da Ya is still young. There are still two or three years to go."
"In these two or three years, we have to keep a close watch," Zhao Suxin, who had no daughters, treated her nieces like her own and shared their worries. She feared Da Ya might be duped again.