Chapter 677: Matriarch He’s Good Intentions (1)
A spark of joy flashed across Wenqing’s eyes. She bobbed towards Chu Lian and left to look for some ointment.
He Changdi had already sent a messenger out to the old residence with the good news this morning when he left the estate. When it was almost lunch time, Countess Jing’an actually came over personally with a group of servants.
Chu Lian hurriedly went out to welcome her.
Once she escorted her in all the way to Songtao Court, Countess Jing’an looked her up and down with a beaming smile, “I can’t tell that you’re pregnant at all, you haven’t put on any weight!”
Chu Lian led the countess over to a chair, “Mother, I’m eating two bowls of rice at each meal! I’m already trying my best!”
Countess Jing’an was in a good mood after seeing that her daughter-in-law looked bright and healthy.
“Eat whatever you want. If you don’t have it around, then send Sanlang out to get it. You can’t let yourself suffer!”
Chu Lian thought to herself, Sanlang might not even be able to find what she wanted to eat. The Great Wu didn’t have any of the snacks from the modern world.
“I’ll listen to you, Mother.”
“Really, why did the two of you wait until now to tell us the news? If I had known earlier, I would have moved over to take care of you. You’re all alone here and we can’t be too careless with your first pregnancy.”
Countess Jing’an was genuinely happy for her son and daughter-in-law. She couldn’t count on her eldest and second sons, so she was hoping that He Changdi and Chu Lian could have a child as soon as possible.
Chu Lian didn’t hide the truth from her.
“Mother, we don’t need you to work so hard to take care of us. We have some senior servants around. Also, my pregnancy wasn’t stable before, so we didn’t mention it to you.”
Countess Jing’an was managing the Jing’an Estate now, so she couldn’t just leave and come over here to stay. There was also the matriarch still back in the old residence, so she couldn’t really do as she said to look after Chu Lian.
The countess was startled upon hearing that the baby had almost been lost, “Have you asked an imperial physician to check? How is it now?”
Chu Lian smiled, “There’s no problems at all now. We have Uncle Miao here too, so we don’t need any imperial physicians.”
If she had really requested for an imperial physician over to check her health, then she wouldn’t have been able to hide her pregnancy.
Hearing so, Countess Jing’an heaved a sigh of relief. She started talking to Chu Lian with sincerity and passion, “You absolutely have to take good care of your health during this pregnancy. If there’s an emergency, and unless there’s no other choice, I would rather that you give up the child than to damage your body permanently. Don’t follow down my path. The two of you are still young. If you nurse your body well, there will still be time to get pregnant again.”
This was what Countess Jing’an truly felt from the bottom of her heart. Back then, she had ignored her weak health to give birth to children, causing her to fall seriously ill and suffer for decades. Of course, Countess Jing’an didn’t blame any of her three sons. They were all her flesh and blood, so there was no such thing as resentment or hate for them. She simply wanted to let her daughter-in-law know how important it was for her body to be healthy.
Chu Lian was touched by the countess. It hadn’t been easy for her mother-in-law to speak such words to her.
“Mother, don’t worry, I’m perfectly healthy now.”
“Then I’ll rest assured about your health. Come, let me tell you some things you have to take note of during your pregnancy.”
While Chu Lian had already heard similar pointers from the senior servants, she still patiently listened to all of what Countess Jing’an had to say and made mental notes in her heart.
Xiyan steeped the newly made batch of tea for Countess Jing’an, while Chu Lian only had honey water.
Countess Jing’an sipped at the tea to wet her throat, before dismissing the maidservants around them and pulling Chu Lian closer to ask some intimate questions.
A corner of Chu Lian’s mouth twitched and she shook her head with a blush.
“Lian’er, there are some things that Mother just has to tell you. You can’t spoil your man at this time. Don’t be so muddle-headed as other women and find some bed servant for your husband while you’re inconvenienced. Our house doesn’t follow such customs anyway.”
Chu Lian found it funny and spoke honestly, “Mother, I’m not that generous. I think you’ve overestimated me. It’s already been a tough month for me with this pregnancy, I’m already doing pretty good not torturing my husband. I wouldn’t be so silly as to give him to some other woman.”
Countess Jing’an stroked her head, satisfied with her answer, “It’s good as long as you understand. However, we can’t be too harsh with our husbands at times too.”
While Countess Jing’an wasn’t the brightest with managing the household, she did have a hand with managing her husband.
Otherwise, how could a fearsome man like her father-in-law be so enamoured with his one wife?
“Once I heard that you were pregnant, I prepared plenty of things for you. I came a little rushed today, so I’ll send them back with you after you come over to visit the old residence.”
Chu Lian didn’t reject the offer and simply smiled in agreement.
The Jing’an Estate.
Once the third branch had moved out, the atmosphere here had cooled down significantly.
Especially in the matriarch’s Qingxi Hall.
He Erlang rarely returned to the estate, and Dalang was out from early morning to night. Every day, only Countess Jing’an would come over to greet the matriarch with Little An and Little Lin in tow.
Matriarch He wasn’t very close to her two great-granddaughters. If not for Count Jing’an rejecting the idea, she would have gone to the rural estate to live with He Ying and her daughter…
The matriarch’s vision and hearing were both getting worse, while there was more and more white spreading in her hair. Each day, she woke up with aches and pains in her old body. It was no wonder that Count Jing’an wouldn’t let his aging mother go off to the rural estate.
When He Changdi and his wife moved out of the estate, the matriarch felt frustrated with her remaining anger.
Having a great-grandson had always been Matriarch He’s dearest wish.
Now that they had suddenly received the news of Chu Lian’s pregnancy, as much as the enmity between the matriarch and Chu Lian hadn’t been resolved, the old woman still viewed Chu Lian in a better light.