Chapter 33: The Medicine Isn’t Working? How Can His Pregnancy Energy Be So Good?!…

“Matriarch, this servant was wrong! This servant is guilty!” Li Hean kowtowed with a bang, not even waiting to be questioned before starting to confess.

Pei Lan’s brows deeply furrowed. The matriarch was busy with affairs today, how could Young Master Meng have just calmed down for a few days before stirring up trouble again? And this time even getting entangled with a kitchen maid.

“Explain your crime in detail.”

Wen Zhaoyin sat in her chair, sizing up Li Hean, considering whether she truly had a relationship with Meng Huan. She heard Li Hean say while kneeling, “This servant initially didn’t know that the medicine Young Master Meng had this servant buy was an abortion drug. If I had known, I wouldn’t have bought it even if beaten to death!”

Li Hean kowtowed as she spoke. After explaining the whole story from beginning to end, her forehead was already bleeding profusely from the kowtowing, looking very miserable.

Pei Lan was shocked upon hearing this. She hadn’t expected Young Master Meng to actually start harboring ill intentions in secret. If he hadn’t been so unsubtle, who knows how long it would have taken to discover.

This was bad, truly bad.

Wen Zhaoyin gradually applied more force with her hand on the table, the smile at the corner of her mouth somewhat distorted. “Well done.”

“Take this person away and await instructions. First, call a physician for me,” she ordered. In the end, she even stared at Pei Lan, telling her not to spread word of today’s events no matter what, and most importantly not to let Qingzhu Courtyard know.

If he wanted to play mind games with her, secretly switching the tonic with contraceptives, did he think she wouldn’t switch it back?

Since Meng Huan thought she was kept in the dark, then she would just play along with his intentions.

While Li Hean was taken to an outside medical hall to obtain the contraceptive prescription, the physician here confirmed that this medicine was not harmful to the body. As long as one stopped taking it, they could get pregnant normally without any effects.

Wen Zhaoyin temporarily did not punish the little kitchen maid, instead letting her continue working as if nothing had happened to avoid arousing Meng Huan’s suspicions.

Finally, she instructed the physician to prescribe a new medicine to regulate the body, determined to ensure conception would be successful this year.

Wen Zhaoyin could now be certain that she really did not like excessively obedient men. She preferred a lively Meng Huan who was willing to make trouble like this.

She could even imagine how he would look when pregnant. His behavior then was sure to be very interesting.

Thinking of this, she was no longer very angry, and even revealed a slight smile, causing Pei Lan beside her to be dumbfounded.

It was over. Her matriarch was going to be angered silly by Young Master Meng. Otherwise, how could she still smile in this situation?

Once this matter was more or less dealt with, she started mentioning other things. “Zu Jun said he wants to return after some time and hopes you can send someone to receive him.”

Ever since that time Meng Huan had a miscarriage, Zu Jun had advocated driving him out of the Wen family. But Wen Zhaoyin did not agree, and the two even had some conflicts. So Zu Jun left not long after to cultivate at a Buddhist temple.

This time, the message said he wanted to return. It was likely because he had heard about the two of them being together again. As for saying she should send someone to receive him, the underlying meaning was for her to personally go.

Wen Zhaoyin expressed no objections. After all, she would not neglect the filial piety she should have towards her own father.

——

It was over a month later when Zu Jun returned.

Wen Zhaoyin had previously fallen out with him and had even exposed his arrangements of people by her side and in Qingzhu Courtyard. Their relationship was quite tense at the time.

Time was a good medicine to ease the atmosphere. Zu Jun’s previous departure to cultivate Buddhism was a show of concession. Now that he was back, he did not intend to interfere in affairs. With no more conflicts between them, the father-daughter relationship naturally became much more harmonious.

On this day, Wen Zhaoyin brought Meng Huan to wait at the door, welcoming Zu Jun’s return together with him.

Reasonably speaking, with Meng Huan’s status, he normally wouldn’t even be allowed to stand at the main gate of the Wen residence. The fact that he could be brought out to welcome someone today immediately made the people in the residence understand his importance in the Wen family.

“Whoa—”

Four tall warhorses stopped in front of the Wen residence gate. Mighty guards lined up on both sides as dozens of servants and attendants gathered, inviting Zu Jun out from the carriage.

Only a prominent aristocratic family like the Wen family dared to boldly display such a grand entourage in the city.

“Father.” Wen Zhaoyin walked up smiling, giving a perfunctory support as a personal welcome.

Zu Jun gave her face, gazing at her with a doting expression. Just as he was about to speak, he caught sight of Meng Huan standing to the side, looking very out of place.

He almost lost control of his expression, asking in a somewhat heavy voice, “What is the meaning of this?”

Wen Zhaoyin did not directly answer Zu Jun. Instead, she pulled Meng Huan, who was standing behind her, over and urged him, “Hurry and greet him.”

Meng Huan was only focused on looking at the scene outside the main gate. Caught off guard by the reminder, he was a bit reluctant. But he at least had basic respect for elders. Withdrawing his gaze, he earnestly said to Zu Jun, “Greetings, Zu Jun.”

Zu Jun couldn’t even be bothered to correct his clumsy greeting. He once again directed his gaze to his own daughter and asked, “Daughter, what is the meaning of this?”

Wen Zhaoyin invited him to walk into the residence as she spoke. “Your daughter only felt that Meng Huan could be considered a male member of the Wen family and should come to welcome you upon your return home.”

“Then in what capacity is he welcoming me?” Zu Jun took the first step through the main gate, turning his head back to ask with a half-joking, half-serious smile.

In what capacity? His words really hit the crux of the matter. Meng Huan had been in the Wen family for nearly a year, but still did not have a clear status. Today, Zu Jun wanted to use this question to determine Meng Huan’s status.

Wen Zhaoyin tugged at the corner of her mouth, only saying, “Naturally, it’s a status that allows him to welcome you.”

“You must be exhausted from your journey back. Go and rest early. We can discuss the remaining matters after you’ve rested well.”

The implication was that she did not want to say it now.

The few of them walked inside with different thoughts in mind. Meng Huan muttered in a low voice, “Playing dumb now.”

Having been in this world for so long, he had gradually figured out some of the rules. He really wanted to know what status he was considered to have in the Wen family, but Wen Zhaoyin’s words were still very vague.

Pei Lan quietly walked to the side, knowing some of the matriarch’s intentions.

Xian Zhengjun was the maternal cousin of Zu Jun’s family. The Xie family was not a very big aristocratic family and needed to rely on a major family to survive.

So there was the marriage alliance back then. The matriarch married Xian Zhengjun, and their union also represented the cooperation between the two families.

Although the matriarch continued to support the Xie family even after Xian Zhengjun’s death and had never changed, intending to keep helping them…

Zu Jun was old. He knew deeply that no matter how deep the feelings, they would be worn down by the years. He was afraid that after his own death, his daughter would no longer help his family much.

So he had always wanted to send a man from the Xie family to be a concubine.

However, the matriarch had always been resolute in not wanting to marry. She did not interact with other men normally either, so Zu Jun did not force it.

But this time was different. Young Master Meng had already been in the residence for nearly a year. They had even conceived a child before. This proved that the matriarch still had needs in that regard. So Zu Jun once again had the idea of sending someone to be a concubine.

But the matriarch’s support for the Xie family had already made the Xie family somewhat arrogant. The current situation in the court was not clear. The Wen family simply could not tie themselves to the Xie family at this time.

Help was help, but whether they would be in the same boat was still uncertain.

She felt that it was likely because of these reasons that the matriarch had delayed in giving Young Master Meng a status, possibly wanting to take advantage of it at a crucial moment.

Pei Lan’s thoughts wandered a bit too much in an instant. Walking slowly, she accidentally stepped on the hem of Wen Xi’s skirt beside her.

Wen Xi did not notice at all and was directly tripped, nearly falling over. Fortunately, Pei Lan was quick to pull him back and even apologized.

Although he heard her apology, his mind was fully occupied with the feeling of his arm being grabbed when he was caught just now. Even though he had already been released, that feeling of being held lingered for a long time, making his heartstrings tremble.

A kind of inexplicable affection abruptly appeared. Wen Xi’s face rapidly reddened as he quickly walked forward. As luck would have it, he stepped on Meng Huan, causing him to stumble and directly fall to the ground.

“Ah!” He cried out in alarm and hurriedly went to help him up, attracting the gazes of the matriarch and Zu Jun who were walking in front.

Meng Huan also didn’t know why, but when he tried to stand up, he felt his legs go weak. He pulled on Wen Xi but still couldn’t get up.

In the end, it was Wen Zhaoyin who walked over and easily pulled him up. “Why aren’t you walking properly? Tripping on flat ground, really? Did you fall and get hurt anywhere?”

“How could I possibly trip on flat ground? I was definitely tripped by someone!” Meng Huan glared at her without courtesy and withdrew from her embrace, not wanting to let her support him.

However, as soon as she let go, he staggered and was about to fall again. He hurriedly grabbed onto her in a fluster and held his head, saying, “The fall made me a bit dizzy.”

Zu Jun frowned from the side, feeling that Meng Huan’s acting was mostly for show. He couldn’t help but speak up, “Your constitution is too weak. Getting dizzy from a fall, how will you continue the Wen family line in the future?”

He didn’t care whether Meng Huan could give birth or if his health was good. He simply saw Meng Huan leaning in his daughter’s embrace, vying for favor, and felt it was an eyesore he wanted to scold.

Meng Huan was truly dizzy. Moreover, he was in a daze and his vision was starting to double. He was very flustered and didn’t pay any attention to Zu Jun’s words. Instead, he pressed all his weight into Wen Zhaoyin’s embrace.

“No good, I’m really dizzy right now. Quickly get me something to eat.”

He had gotten up late in the morning and hadn’t even eaten before being dragged to the door to welcome people. So Meng Huan preemptively assumed it was because his body was weak and he had low blood sugar from not eating breakfast.

Wen Zhaoyin held the person in her arms, knowing that he was usually lively and wouldn’t easily be like this. His current state clearly showed he was truly uncomfortable.

So she also grew a bit anxious. She only said a word to Zu Jun before carrying Meng Huan by the waist and heading towards Qingzhu Courtyard, even saying as she walked that she would find a physician and such.

Zu Jun watched them walk away from where he stood, the kindness on his face completely vanishing. He said to Wang Gui beside him in displeasure, “You see, how can there be such a coincidence? He must be purposely trying to anger me!”

He didn’t believe that little brat could truly have any issues. Men from merchant families just had many petty tricks. This time, he even dared play them right in front of him. It really made one furious.

“Master, don’t be angry. Even if that Young Master Meng is favored, so what? He’s just a mantis in late autumn now. When the matriarch marries our Xie family’s son, will he still be able to jump around?”

Zu Jun thought it over and realized this was indeed the case. The plan for now was not to get worked up over that lowly person, but to think of a way to make his daughter agree to take a concubine.

He pondered in his heart and dispelled the idea of going to check on them, directly returning to the small courtyard he resided in.

——

On this side.

The physician had been waiting in a side room of the main courtyard all day. Ever since Wen Zhaoyin started frequenting Qingzhu Courtyard, the physician’s resting place during the day had become a side room in Qingzhu Courtyard.

So almost as soon as Wen Zhaoyin carried Meng Huan through the door, the physician had already followed in.

“I think it’s just because I didn’t eat breakfast and I’m hungry. I’ll be fine after eating something. Don’t make a fuss…” Meng Huan leaned on the bed, one hand supporting his forehead while the other had its pulse taken.

He would usually purposely avoid the physician who came to check his pulse every half month, because he had been constantly drinking contraceptives and was afraid it would be detected that something was off.

This time, he also wanted to avoid it, but the physician’s hand was already on his wrist.

He felt a bit apprehensive in his heart. The few scattered times he couldn’t avoid having his pulse checked before hadn’t detected anything. But usually Wen Zhaoyin wasn’t present either.

Somehow, he felt guilty as soon as he saw her.

After the physician finished taking his pulse, Wen Xi hurriedly brought over the sugar water he had ordered. However, Meng Huan was in no mood to drink right now. Holding the cup, his gaze kept sweeping between the physician and Wen Zhaoyin’s faces.

“There’s nothing wrong with Young Master.”

“Then why is he so dizzy? Could it really be because he didn’t eat this morning and is hungry?”

The physician smiled and shook his head, then cupped his hands in congratulations. “No, no. Young Master’s dizziness has nothing to do with hunger. It’s just a normal reaction to pregnancy sickness.”

“This old woman first congratulates the matriarch here!” The physician had a very kind smile. This tonic was personally prescribed by her. Now that Meng Huan was pregnant, she had contributed as well.

Pregnancy sickness?

Hearing this term, Meng Huan blinked with some confusion and asked uncertainly, “You’re saying I’m pregnant?”

“Yes, Young Master, you have a child!”

“How is that possible? Check my pulse again. I can’t possibly be pregnant!” He hurriedly stretched out both his wrists, his heart in a panic.

What was going on? He had been constantly drinking contraceptives, and he felt they were very effective. His monthly menstrual cramps weren’t as painful anymore. How could he possibly be pregnant? The physician must have made a mistake!

It was very normal for traditional Chinese medicine to have some errors in ancient times! He comforted himself like this, then nervously stared at the physician’s fingers resting on his wrist.

After a while, the physician released his wrist and said, “Young Master, you are truly pregnant. This old woman is already at this age, how could I possibly make a mistake in diagnosis?”

Didn’t make a mistake… He was really pregnant again?

Meng Huan was stunned on the spot, not knowing how to react for a moment.

On the other hand, Wen Zhaoyin, who had been secretly observing his expression, had a smile that kept growing on her face.

She took his hand and said in a gentle voice, “You must be overjoyed, right? Don’t disbelieve it. There’s nothing wrong with your body. Having a child is only a matter of time.”

Meng Huan lifted the corners of his mouth, smiling in a way that looked worse than crying. “Hehe, hehe, I’m truly ‘overjoyed’.”

He was so happy he wanted to cry!

Sure enough, other people were all unreliable. Could the medicine that little kitchen maid bought for him be fake? Or did the unscrupulous store owner use substandard medicinal ingredients, causing the decoction to be ineffective?

Or perhaps even the one who wrote the prescription was a quack, giving him a prescription that had no contraceptive effects!

But he had Li Hean take the prescription to ask at several medical halls, and they all said there was no problem. The prescription should be genuine.

As for the medicinal ingredients, he had been drinking it for so long that he naturally knew the quality. By all reason, it should have been absolutely impossible to get pregnant…

“Huan Huan, come, eat a snack first to pad your stomach. I’ve already had the kitchen go make congee. If there’s anything you want to eat, you can also order it now.”

Wen Zhaoyin brought over a plate of exquisite snacks. Seeing him deep in thought, she didn’t expose him and only gently inquired.

Meng Huan returned to his senses, afraid she would notice his abnormality. He hurriedly suppressed the doubts in his heart and said dryly, “Congee is fine. I have no appetite for anything else right now.”

He had no appetite? He had no mood!

Pregnant, pregnant, pregnant. How could his fertility be so good?!

“Alright, then let’s have congee.” Wen Zhaoyin picked up a peach blossom crisp from the plate and smilingly brought it to Meng Huan’s lips.

She just loved seeing his conflicted appearance when his wild guesses went wrong.

Meng Huan didn’t notice her excessive attentiveness today at all. He took a small bite of the peach blossom crisp and sipped some sugar water to swallow it down.

There was another child in his belly. What should he do to lose this child?

Ramming himself definitely wouldn’t work. He never wanted to experience the feeling of excessive blood loss again in his life. Last time, there was still Blood Replenishing Tonic to save him. This time, he wouldn’t be so lucky.

He had to find a safer method. Perhaps he could have the little kitchen maid go buy abortion drugs?

No, no. If the contraceptives weren’t effective, he would be a fool to trust the medicine she bought again!

“…Huan Huan, Huan Huan?” Meng Huan’s thoughts still wandered involuntarily. When he came back to his senses, he happened to hear Wen Zhaoyin calling him.

“What are you thinking about? Is there somewhere you’re not feeling well?”

He subconsciously lowered his head to avoid looking at her and shook his head. “I’m not thinking about anything. My head is just still a bit dizzy, that’s all.”