Harem Daily Life

Chapter 998 Is this jade yours, young master?

He Xuan woke up at noon. The exhaustion from giving birth overnight left her completely drained. When she woke up, she saw Mo Xingzhou's red and swollen eyes. She said to him in an annoyed tone, "You're a father now, why are you still crying?"

"My sister fell into a coma after giving birth to Lin'er, which made me worry for a long time." Mo Xingzhou, a tall man of over 1.8 meters, said with a slightly choked voice. She wiped her eyes haphazardly. "I didn't cry, it's just that the wind outside just now got sand in my eyes. By the way, would you like something to eat? I'll go get it for you."

He Xuan didn't have much of an appetite, but she was thirsty and wanted to drink water.

Mo Xingzhou then picked up a teacup and used a spoon to feed her water, spoonful by spoonful.

Inside the house, Tao Yanyan and Mrs. Changyong were gazing at their newborn baby, unable to get enough of looking at him.

"His eyebrows and eyes resemble Xingzhou's, but his mouth is like a princess's. My grandson is so handsome!" Madam Changyong is over fifty years old this year. She was already over thirty when she gave birth to Mo Xingzhou, making him her late-life son. She has cherished this second son since he was a child. Now, her second son's child is the youngest child in the Changyong Marquis's mansion, so naturally, he is even more beloved by her.

Madam Xu was too busy with her daily affairs, and her children also needed someone to take care of them. She didn't come to the second branch of the family until after she finished her breakfast. As soon as she entered, she bowed to thank the Empress, saying that His Majesty had bestowed many gifts, which had been registered and sent to the second branch's storeroom. She thanked His Majesty on behalf of the Earl's Mansion for his great favor.

Tao Yanyan helped her up: "Madam, you've worked so hard. You've taken such good care of Xuan'er. There's no need for thanks. We're all just hoping for the best for the children."

The Changyong Earl's Mansion is run by Madam Xu. Although she is Madam Xu's sister-in-law, she is about the same age as the late Consort. If she can treat He Xuan like a mother, Tao Yanyan will have less to worry about.

Tao Yanyan didn't rush back to the palace. After the child woke up, she personally instructed He Xuan on how to breastfeed. Only after He Xuan learned how did she feel at ease to go back.

Inside the carriage, Xianglan was puzzled: "Your Highness, there are wet nurses in this mansion, why do you insist that the princess breastfeed herself? The eldest princess is still weak after giving birth, wouldn't it be harmful to her health if the child were to breastfeed again?"

Tao Yanyan explained to her, "Firstly, breastfeeding will help her recover faster after childbirth, which is good for her health. Secondly, breast milk from the biological mother is rich in nutrients and is less likely to cause allergies in the baby, which is also good for the child. Thirdly, if a woman who has just given birth does not empty her breasts, she is prone to illness, and swelling and pain can eventually lead to serious problems. So it is best to breastfeed herself; it's good for everyone."

Xianglan was not yet married, and she listened in a daze.

"No wonder the Empress gave birth to four children and personally fed each one." Not only did she personally feed them, but she also recovered very well and looked radiant. It turns out that she and her children complemented each other during the breastfeeding process.

Tao Yan smiled and said, "However, many wealthy families prefer to have wet nurses do the work, and this mindset cannot be changed overnight." She didn't continue, but instead lifted the carriage curtain to look at the street scene outside.

In recent years, with the rise of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the commerce of the capital has become increasingly prosperous, with shops lining the streets. The business of the imperial property has also flourished, making a fortune.

"Isn't that the Treasure Shop up ahead? Stop the carriage, I'll go take a look." The Treasure Shop has been one of the most profitable businesses in recent years, and its monthly accounts are always impressive.

The carriage stopped, and Xianglan alighted, helping Tao Yanyan down. The shopkeeper had never seen the master behind the shop before, so he naturally didn't know who had stepped into the store today. However, upon seeing the person's imposing presence and celestial beauty, the shopkeeper immediately stepped forward to greet her respectfully, saying, "Honorable guest, please come in. Our Zhenbaozhai is the best jewelry shop in the capital. Not only do we have a wide variety of styles and genuine products, but we can also customize according to your preferences, which will absolutely satisfy you."

Tao Yanyan looked around. She was just passing by and had no intention of buying anything. Her storeroom was already piled high with valuable items, far more luxurious than what was being sold here.

"Do you have anything rare? Let me see it." As soon as Tao Yan finished speaking, the shopkeeper immediately walked to a counter, pointed to a box and said, "What a coincidence! We have just received a piece of excellent pink jade. The surface of the jade has not yet been carved. If you like it, we can make it into any pattern you desire."

Upon hearing this, Tao Yanyan became interested. She originally had two pieces of pink jade in her storeroom, having given one to He Min, leaving her with one. Pink jade was rare, so buying it wouldn't be a bad idea.

She asked the shopkeeper to take it out for her to see. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, had a lot of moisture, and was of excellent quality.

"Shopkeeper, my young master is here. Did you sell that piece of pink jade?"

As soon as Xiao Da entered the room, he called out loudly, supporting Xiao Nan, who was limping on one leg, as he came in.

Although Xiao Nan had been serving as an official in the court for two years, he rarely had the opportunity to see the Empress, and had only seen her from afar once or twice. Therefore, when he entered the room, he did not recognize the beautiful woman in front of him as the current Empress.

When Tao Yanyan heard that someone else wanted to see the pink jade, she stepped aside. The person looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him before.

In recent years, Tao Yanyan has been waking up naturally every day and no longer personally escorts He Yucheng and the others to the study. Naturally, she has not seen Editor Xiao. The two of them went to see Fenyu separately like strangers and did not greet each other.

"Shopkeeper, we've been wanting to buy this piece of pink jade for the past few days. My young master came here today with all the money." Dong Da shook his money bag.

The shopkeeper was somewhat embarrassed. He looked at Xiao Nan, whose clothes were rather ordinary. He was neither poor nor very rich, but compared to the elegant lady beside him, this young master was much more shabby.

"This... this lady would also like to see it." The shopkeeper's questioning gaze came over: "I wonder if the lady is interested? This young master did come to inquire several days ago, asking us to try our best to keep it."

Xiao Nan clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, saying, "Madam, the pink jade is very important to me. Otherwise, please look at something else. I'll take this pink jade."

Tao Yanyan wasn't necessarily going to buy it, so he smiled and said, "A gentleman doesn't take what others love. Since you want it, then take a look." Tao Yanyan was very easygoing, which put the shopkeeper at ease. He had been really worried that the two sides would start fighting over it and end up fighting in his Treasure Shop again.

It's not uncommon for wealthy people in the capital to fight over valuable jewelry; even the shopkeeper is afraid of it.

Xiao Nan examined the quality and knew it was a good product, so he directly asked Xiao Da to pay 1,200 taels.

"This jade pendant needs to be carved with patterns. I've made a rubbing of the design. Shopkeeper, please ask a skilled master craftsman to carve it for you. If it gets damaged, you'll be responsible."

The shopkeeper immediately replied, "Don't worry, sir. It absolutely won't be damaged. We've been running this shop for over ten years, and we can guarantee that we're very skilled."

Xiao Nan took out the three pieces of pink jade from his bosom and carefully pieced them back together. He then took out the pattern he had made and gave it to the shopkeeper.

Tao Yanyan, standing to the side, immediately recognized the pink jade in the young master's hand as the one she had given to He Min. She couldn't help but step forward, examine it more closely, and frowned: "This jade... is yours?"