"Oh!" Xiqiu couldn’t help but let out a groan, while Madam Jiang watched with lips pursed in a smile, looking at Xiqiu and comforting her: "Just endure it a little longer, just endure it a little longer. I’ve heard that breastfeeding can be quite painful." She hadn’t breastfed before, so seeing Xiqiu’s face scrunched up in pain, she advised, "It’s better to let the wet nurse feed the child."
"It’s fine." Xiqiu furrowed her brow, enduring the pain as she focused on the baby’s little face. After so ti, perhaps due to sucking for ages without getting any reward, the baby’s mouth relaxed and turned away without crying, continuing to sleep soundly.
Feeling a bit disheartened, Xiqiu looked at the two midwives, and Midwife Cai smiled reassuringly: "Madam, don’t worry. It’ll co after sucking more." Saying this, she picked up the baby, while Xiqiu watched her sowhat reluctantly but feared the baby might be hungry, sighed and said, "Let the wet nurse feed her."
The two wet nurses, one nad Huang and the other Zhou, were present. Madam Huang, being quick-witted, took the baby first, sat on a nearby chair, opened her blouse, and tried to feed the baby. But whether the baby felt "deceived" or sothing else, it remained unresponsive despite Madam Huang’s coaxing and teasing.
Madam Huang, feeling a bit awkward, looked at Xiqiu, who then turned to Mrs. Zhou and said, "Let her try." Mrs. Zhou held the baby but wasn’t as hasty as Madam Huang. She suggested to Xiqiu, "Madam, should we let him drink so water first?"
"Good idea." Xiqiu nodded, and Chunliu brought over the spoon and bowl Xiqiu had prepared earlier, filled with cool water, and fed the baby... who sucked twice eagerly.
Only after that Mrs. Zhou opened her blouse, and having just drunk the water, it seed to open the baby’s appetite. The baby then began to eat.
"Oh, look at him eating happily." Nanny Wang, who had lost the spotlight to Midwife Cai earlier, took her chance to add, "Eating well is a blessing; he must be strong."
Xiqiu felt a sour sting in her heart but found herself helpless.
"Quick, take a rest." Ruan Jingliu walked over and looked at her: "Once you rest well, the milk will co."
Xiqiu was already very tired, and hearing Ruan Jingliu’s advice, she nodded, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.
The baby, having had a good al, also placed aside his face and slept soundly.
While the mother and child rested, everyone hurriedly tidied up the room.
At noon, the Grand Dowager woke up, and Ruan Jingliu prepared dicine to feed her. Feeling much more energized, though she hadn’t slept all night and her nerves remained tense, her body hadn’t fully recovered yet; it wasn’t surprising she fainted. Once awake, she urgently asked, "Is it done? Is Miss Qiu alright?"
Tong Xiyan, who had been watching over them all the while, smiled upon hearing this and said, "All is well. Mother and child are safe, rest assured."
"Amitabha Buddha, Amitabha Buddha!" The Grand Dowager continuously clasped her hands in prayer, beaming as she struggled to sit up. Tong Xiyan held her down: "Your body is still weak. Nurse Zhang said you need quiet recuperation." He paused and then smiled, "If you want to see the baby, I can bring him over for you to look at?" She too wished to see the baby again.
"Please make sure he doesn’t catch a draft." The Grand Dowager was full of concern: "I’m fine; I should co over to have a look instead."
Tong Xiyan smiled and stood up, saying, "Wrapped tightly, you can rest assured." With that, he exited, and shortly, Mrs. Zhou brought the baby inside, indeed wrapped tightly, through the door. The Grand Dowager struggled to sit upright and eagerly reached out: "Co, let have a look!"
Mrs. Zhou presented the swaddled baby to the Grand Dowager. Upon seeing the little one inside, she imdiately bead, her eyes tearing: "Good, good! He resembles Old Fourth!" Yet, she found herself unable to say another word, overwheld with joy.
Tong Xiyan looked at the baby and smiled, yet his eyes flickered with a trace of lancholy and envy as he gazed ever more fondly at the child.
When Xiqiu woke up again, it was already getting dark. Upon opening her eyes, she saw Fourth Master Xiao sitting upright at the bedside, his gaze solemnly fixed on the swaddled baby beside her, Xiqiu raised her eyebrows to look at the child, only to find the baby’s eyes were already open, with father and son exchanging looks...
She knew the baby might not have any vision yet and wasn’t necessarily looking at Fourth Master Xiao, but she couldn’t help but laugh.
"Awake?" Fourth Master Xiao finally shifted his gaze, looking at Xiqiu, and asked softly, "Are you hungry? What do you want to eat, I’ll have the kitchen prepare it for you."
Upon hearing this, Xiqiu indeed felt sowhat hungry but was reluctant to leave the baby now that he was awake, so she replied, "I am not hungry right now." Saying this, she struggled to turn over to face the baby. Seeing her expression of difficulty, Fourth Master Xiao couldn’t help but stride over: "Don’t move; I’ll do it."
With that, he reached a large hand under Xiqiu, and her face filled with anxiety: "No... I am not yet clean." She was afraid of getting him dirty; n are quite wary of such things. The birthing room is off-limits to avoid bad luck, let alone any dirt involved.
Fourth Master Xiao didn’t care, lifting his arm, he had already smoothly turned her over: "Don’t be so particular." Xiqiu chuckled and sighed, abandoning the topic, focusing her gaze on the baby’s face, full of smiles...
And so, mother and child exchanged looks.
Fourth Master Xiao remained seated on the chair, looking at his son and then at Xiqiu, before coughing lightly: "Why isn’t he sleeping?" He had heard newborns sleep for a month straight before opening their eyes. Why had he opened his eyes now?
"Perhaps he’s had enough sleep." Xiqiu said with a smile, unable to resist reaching out to touch her son’s face. The little one seed to feel his mother’s teasing and responded with a small bubble suddenly appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Fourth Master, Fourth Master..." Xiqiu exclaid in delight: "Look, he’s blown a bubble."
Fourth Master Xiao raised an eyebrow at this, wanting to see but felt awkward as a man showing such interest. Yet seeing Xiqiu so happy, his curiosity couldn’t be contained. He awkwardly bent down to take a closer look...
And indeed saw a tiny bubble at his son’s tender mouth corner. The couple leaned their heads together, intensely gazing at the child’s face with great interest.
After a while, Fourth Master Xiao asked, "Why is he blowing bubbles? Is he hungry?" with so uncertainty.
"Could be." Xiqiu wanted to try breastfeeding again and looked at Fourth Master Xiao: "Fourth Master, could you call Mrs. Zhou in?" Fourth Master Xiao disagreed with her breastfeeding; she wanted to use a ’fog bomb’ to cover, until the milk ca, they’d have no choice but to feed.
Fourth Master Xiao nodded and went to call Mrs. Zhou inside. Xiqiu looked at Mrs. Zhou: "Is the baby hungry?"
"Let see." Having fed him only just monts ago, she ward her hands and unwrapped the swaddle before smiling: "The little master just wet himself, not hungry..." Then efficiently carried him to the Imperial Concubine Couch to change the diaper.
Xiqiu and Fourth Master Xiao exchanged a glance upon hearing this, and Xiqiu sighed. With children, it seems the more experience is needed.
Soon after, Mrs. Zhou returned her newly diapered baby to the couple, with Xiqiu gazing down, noticing the little one was once again asleep, leaving her incredulous, wondering if he opened his eyes earlier to "stare" at them as a signal that he had wet himself?
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