The Daily Life of Farming and Raising Children in Ancient Mountain Residences

Chapter 256: September 5

Since Nanny Zhong moved into the Shen household, Shen Ning has been putting all her skills into preparing every meal. With the addition of Doctor Xu, she’s even more dedicated, striving to make each of the three daily meals exceptional.

On Doctor Xu’s first day at the Shen household, his eyes lit up when he tasted the food. The next morning, he was awakened by the faint, distinctive aroma of the breakfast being prepared.

Just one dinner and one breakfast had won Doctor Xu over. This trip had been worth it. Not only was the young lady of the Shen family skilled in cooking, but the breakfast dishes were something he had never encountered in the capital. The trip had proved to be quite rewarding!

When he had nothing to do, he often wandered around Daxing Village. Since mulberry silkworms could give birth at any time, he didn’t dare venture too far, sticking to exploring the mountains and fields around the Shen household. The more he looked around, the more he discovered.

The Shen family was indeed a master of economy. It wasn’t just the farmland; this was the first time he had seen someone make such efficient use of mountain land. Every bit of land seemed to be in use, and if you looked closely, it seemed like plants, animals, and soil were being recycled in a way.

He had his own estate on the outskirts of Chang’an, and now had official land too. His family occasionally stayed in the suburbs, and their estate also had mountain land. But compared to the Shen family’s land, the utilization of his own mountain land seemed too low.

Even when it came to raising chickens, ducks, sheep, and pigs, the Shen family’s methods seemed distinctively superior, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Everything appeared to be done with a special attention to detail.

As a doctor, he noticed that even wild yam was being cultivated extensively, honey was being artificially produced, and the chicken feed included finely processed earthworm powder.

Feeding chickens this? It couldn’t be bought from a medicine shop, could it? He took a bit from the chicken feed bin to examine it, and it didn’t quite look like it.

Talking to the workers, they were open about their methods, even sharing things he hadn’t noticed, such as the benefits of their sheep pen design, the process of slaughtering pigs, and the advantages and precautions of feeding chickens earthworms. Nothing was kept secret; they mentioned that neighboring villagers would come to learn, and most things were taught by Mrs. Sang.

Of course, some things were not mentioned, like how the bees were raised or where they got so many earthworms.

Doctor Xu finally understood how the emperor could extend his influence so far and why he had instructed him to prioritize the safety of pregnant women before his departure.

Even though the double ten (October 10) wasn’t yet here, he could already deduce much from the Shen family’s methods and their knowledge of agricultural economics. Moreover, the Shen brothers were scholars, which meant they would eventually head to the capital.

Indeed, it seemed that His Majesty was waiting to make use of them.

…

In July, the fire of the season faded, and by September, the time for clothes was upon them.

Shen Lie had attended classes for another two days when the school notified that, following the practice for officials, students would also receive additional holidays besides the regular mid-month breaks. There would be a field holiday in May and a clothing holiday in September. Officials got fifteen days off for each holiday, while students were granted a full month off.

In essence, this was more considerate of the children from farming families, as both May and September were busy farming periods.

Upon hearing this news, Shen Lie felt the timing of the holiday was perfect. Although he didn’t have to worry much about the fields, Mrs. Sang’s silkworms were likely to give birth in September, so he would at least be able to stay by her side.

On the day of their return, Nanny Zhong had already prepared the delivery room in advance. At this point, Shen Lie remembered something he had overlooked—what exactly was Doctor Xu doing here? As a doctor, wouldn’t he need to use medicine? Although he hoped that Ah Luo would have a smooth delivery and not need any, it was wise to be prepared. He hurriedly asked Doctor Xu what medicinal supplies should be prepared at home.

Doctor Xu glanced at him and waved his hand, “No need, I have everything I need.”

He added, “Mrs. Zeng has prepared it.”

‘Mrs. Zeng.’

Shen Lie thanked him and asked Shen Ning to stay at home with her sister-in-law while he and Shen An took care of matters in the fields. At night, he worked with Shen An, figuring out how to make a small cradle for the baby.

Everyone in the family was looking forward to the births of the twins, and it seemed the babies knew it too. They arrived even sooner than Shen Lie had expected. The cradle was not yet finished, and Ah Luo went into labor, even before Zhou Ge, who had been pregnant earlier.

…

Delivering twins is more difficult than delivering a single baby. The difficulty lies in the extended time and increased risks—while a single baby brings one set of pain, a mother delivering twins endures twice the pain and risks.

Fortunately, Nanny Zhong was there, and Doctor Xu was on standby in the east wing. Labor began on the afternoon of September 4th, and by the early hours of September 5th, the first baby was born. The second one arrived a little over an hour later. Ah Luo was exhausted from the pain, especially during the delivery of the second baby. If it hadn’t been for the timely administration of the herbal medicine prepared by Doctor Xu, she would have been too weak to continue. Thankfully, both mother and babies were safe and suffered no injuries.

When she woke up, she was no longer in the delivery room but back in her own room. Shen Lie was by her side. Ah Luo instinctively looked for her babies and, turning her head, saw the two little ones sleeping sweetly in the bed.

In her previous state of pain, her mind had gone blank. She had remembered the name of the first baby, A Yao, but was unsure if the second was a boy or girl. Nanny Zhong might have told her, but she hadn’t been able to hear it.

Shen Lie informed her, “Rest for now. I’ll give you some warm water to drink, and Nanny Zhong has made some soup for you to have later.”

He added, “The elder one is A Yao, and the younger one is Qian Bao.”

Ah Luo smiled. After Shen Lie had helped her drink some warm water to soothe her throat, she said, “So it really is a boy and a girl. I didn’t make a mistake that day.”

Shen Lie knew she was referring to the three responses from the babies when he had asked if they liked their names and smiled. However, seeing Ah Luo’s pale face, he couldn’t help but feel pained, “You’ve suffered.”

Ah Luo looked at the two babies, and her heart was filled with such warmth and happiness that she nearly overflowed. She forgot all the previous pain, smiled, and shook her head as she turned her gaze back to the babies.

“Qian Bao looks smaller than A Yao.”

Shen Lie nodded, “Doctor Xu and Nanny Zhong said it’s not a problem. The siblings are not considered small among twins. With careful care, they’ll grow quickly. They mentioned they would stay at home a bit longer, and I have a break, so I can learn from Nanny Zhong how to take care of you both in these days.”

The Shen family had no elders, so the couple had to manage on their own. Fortunately, Shen Lie and his siblings had frequently helped with raising Shen Jin and others from a young age. With Nanny Zhong present, there should be no problem in postpartum care or child-rearing, as there would be guidance.

The couple exchanged a few words, and outside, Shen Ning, having heard the commotion, peeked in and then went to the kitchen to call Nanny Zhong, who brought some soup for Ah Luo to drink.

Of course, Shen Ning also took the opportunity to look at her little niece and nephew.

She had already seen them a few times—wrinkled and red, but she couldn’t resist her curiosity.

In contrast, Shen An and Shen Jin were not as interested. As they had grown older, especially Shen An, Shen Jin, and Shen Yin, they weren’t as free to enter their older siblings’ rooms.

The babies were too young to be taken out, so Shen An had only seen them briefly when they were just taken out of the delivery room, and Shen Jin hadn’t seen them at all. Shen Tie, being small, managed to sneak a peek, leaving the older siblings only able to envy Shen Ning and Shen Tie.

Shen An and Shen Jin were quite satisfied after seeing the babies, but it was only on the day of the babies’ full-month celebration that they had a chance to see them properly.

The timing of the babies’ births was also ideal. The hot weather had passed, and it wasn’t too cold, making the first couple of months relatively easier to manage.

The full-month celebration was quite lively. Not only did families from the village come, but people from the Feng, Gan, Zheng, and Dong families, as well as several of the workers’ families, all came. Even Concubine Fan had sent a maid to add to the celebration.

Chen Dashan also joined the festivities. Soon-to-be a father himself, he found the twins fascinating. He bumped Shen Lie’s shoulder and said, “I thought I’d get married and have children before you, but you beat me to it. And not just one, but two!”

This elicited laughter from everyone in the courtyard.

Ah Luo, who had only listened to the commotion from indoors, had begun her confinement period. According to Nanny Zhong, she stayed indoors and did not go out. Only when Mrs. Chen and a few others came in did she have a few brief conversations with them, but they didn’t disturb her much. She was also concerned about Zhou Ge at home and quickly returned.

On the day of A Yao and Qian Bao’s full-month celebration, Zhou Ge also went into labor and gave birth to a healthy baby boy the following morning.

When Shen Lie brought the news, Ah Luo was feeding the babies and turned her body slightly. She was happy to hear about it and joked with her daughter, who was nursing with her eyes closed, “Now you and Qian Bao have a companion.”

A Yao seemed sensitive to the word “Bao.” She was eating seriously but opened her eyes slightly when she heard the word.

After feeding the twins for a few days, Ah Luo finally understood why A Yao was bigger than Qian Bao.

The siblings were quite different: A Yao was lively and active, even more so when awake, and ate with great enthusiasm. In contrast, Qian Bao was slow and easygoing, eating and sleeping alternately.

Shen Lie suspected that throughout the pregnancy, when he spoke, the baby interacting happily might have been A Yao. After trying a few times, he found A Yao was indeed curious about his voice. When he called out “Bao” while she was drinking milk, she would try to look towards her father while holding onto her food.

Shen Lie looked at the situation with curiosity and suddenly said, “Do you think Qian Bao’s name was also chosen with her help?”

Their son was indeed quite lazy. He would occasionally respond to his father’s voice, but it was truly only occasionally.

Ah Luo chuckled at this, though she didn’t believe such a young child could understand much, she still found it fascinating, “It’s hard to say.”

…

Doctor Xu stayed in Daxing Village for a few more days. In addition to checking Ah Luo and the two babies, he also held free clinics outside Daxing Village for two days. However, due to the busy farming season, there weren’t many people; most were elderly or children with minor ailments.

Doctor Xu understood the hardships of the common people at this time and mainly prescribed remedies using locally available herbs, also teaching simple pharmacology. The villagers who came benefited quite a bit.

When Ah Luo heard Shen Lie mention this, she remembered something and said, “A Ge’s mother must have been severely affected by childbirth. Since Doctor Xu was invited here by Concubine Fan and is skilled in gynecology, you should remind Brother Chen to go to the neighboring village and bring his mother-in-law here for Doctor Xu to examine. She might be better than the local doctors.”

Shen Lie slapped his forehead, “I hadn’t thought of that.”

Moreover, Doctor Xu might not have been invited by Concubine Fan; Shen Lie had missed this excellent opportunity.

“You’re so thoughtful.” He turned and went to the Chen family.

Chen Dashan only knew that a doctor from the Shen family had arrived, but didn’t know his specialty. Shen Lie, of course, did not disclose his speculations and only said that Doctor Xu was invited by Concubine Fan and was particularly skilled in gynecology.

Having been married for a few years, Chen Dashan was well aware of his in-laws’ situation. Hearing that the doctor staying with the Shens had such a background, he immediately left his chores and headed to his in-laws’ home, soon arranging for Daxing Village and joining the queue for the free clinic.

…

Doctor Xu and Nanny Zhong left on September 15th. They informed Shen Lie and Ah Luo a day in advance. Before leaving, Doctor Xu checked Ah Luo and the babies one last time and confirmed their good recovery, then he left at ease.

On the evening of September 14th, Shen Lie privately shared his guess with Ah Luo. At first, Ah Luo was somewhat stunned and couldn’t quite believe it. Shen Lie also said, “I can’t be certain, it’s just a guess.”

Regardless of the speculation, Ah Luo felt grateful in her heart.

The couple decided to give Doctor Xu twenty taels of silver as a token of thanks and Shen Ning prepared a lot of food that Doctor Xu liked, all rare delicacies.

As for Nanny Zhong, who had stayed for nearly a month since before Ah Luo’s delivery, her guidance had been invaluable. Ah Luo couldn’t help but feel thankful. Nanny Zhong, a professional from a prominent family, had been a great help. She left detailed notes for Ah Luo on postpartum recovery, recipes, and exercise methods, written on over a dozen pages.

Earning money was not easy, but Nanny Zhong was not a servant; she was an experienced old nanny from a prestigious family. Taking care of Ah Luo and the babies for more than twenty days, Ah Luo did not skimp on the reward and gave Nanny Zhong ten taels of silver.

“Thank you for taking care of us. This is a small token of our appreciation. My family’s resources are limited; I hope you won’t find it lacking. Since I can’t go out during my confinement, please also convey my thanks to Concubine Fan.”

Nanny Zhong initially refused but, seeing that Ah Luo was sincere, accepted the money with a smile. Shen Ning delivered it, along with two baskets of food made by Shen Ning himself for Concubine Fan.

Shen Lie and Ah Luo didn’t know how much these amounts were worth to Doctor Xu and Nanny Zhong, but for the Shen family, it was already a substantial gift. Thirty taels of silver was quite significant, and without their two shops, they wouldn’t have been able to offer such a sum.

…

Shen Lie and Ah Luo worried that their gifts might be considered meager, but in reality, Nanny Zhong reported back to Concubine Fan with a smile, saying, “The Shens are extremely courteous and thoughtful people, genuinely sincere.”

Even with a shop, a small household like theirs had limited resources. The best-selling bread and cakes were sold only six times a month, and the quantity was not much. Meat floss and jerky were made only twice a month. The shop had been open for less than three months, and their earnings were quite predictable.

Nanny Zhong had received ten taels, and although she didn’t know the details about Doctor Xu, she knew he dealt directly with her son-in-law and must have received more.

How much had been spent?

The Shen family was very generous to those who helped them.

Concubine Fan also smiled, thinking that this was just the beginning. A person who could afford to give away recipes for paper-making was indeed someone who genuinely valued those they recognized. Such a friend was worth cultivating.

Of course, those who had such luck were truly fortunate. To have a doctor from the capital come for a childbirth, ordinary officials and their families might not enjoy such privilege.

“You’ve worked hard too. This is Ah Luo’s gesture of appreciation. Please accept it.”

Meanwhile, after bidding farewell to Former Governor Zeng, Doctor Xu boarded the return ship with two baskets of gifts. His smile was almost reaching his ears. Twenty taels of silver aside, what made him reluctant to leave was the comfortable meals he enjoyed for half a month. If it weren’t for the completion of his duties, Doctor Xu would have loved to stay a bit longer.

The two baskets of food from the Shen family were a real treat to him, making him genuinely happy. He wished there could be more such missions.

Observing the doctor who had gained weight after staying with the Shens for over half a month, the assistant could only think:

“…”

He couldn’t deny that his work was great, but nothing compared to the luxury of staying in someone’s home and leaving with two baskets of gifts.

Who envied him remained unsaid.