TGDW – Chapter 32 Xue Ping is pregnant

The General's Delicious Wife Chapter 032: Xue Ping is pregnant

"What's wrong?" Madam Sheng has eaten half plate of that fish by herself and she does not see a slightest problem with it. Seeing Xue Ping like this, she thinks that it is her act to create trouble for Xia Yue Chu, so she collaborates in spewing her strife. "Who prepared this fish, don't tell me that it has not been washed properly?"

Madam Sun replies with her face horrified. "Mother, the fish, I am the one who prepared the fish. They should be all clean, I have washed them many times!"

Initially, Xia Yue Chu has the same thoughts as Madam Sheng, thinking that Xue Ping is faking a problem intentionally. But upon closer inspection, she indeed has an expression of pain and suffering, throwing up everything that she has eaten just now, and continuously gagging out liquid from her stomach.

"First, rinse your mouth." Xia Yue Chu sees that she has finally stopped vomiting, she pours a cup of water and hands it to Xue Ping, inquiring with a guess. "Has Eldest younger sister's monthly discharge been on time recently?"

Xue Ping is stunned by that question, she has been busy with Feng Yong Yuan's primary imperial examination* these few days, so she has not been paying attention to this matter. Listening to what Xia Yue Chu has said, she starts counting mentally in her heart, her discharge this month has indeed been late almost ten days.

Madam Zhou, who is eating merrily on the brick bed, hears that and exclaims. "Aiya, could it be that Big Sister is pregnant?"

Madam Sheng has also begun to react joyously. "Aiya, this is such a good thing!"

The family suddenly turns lively. Madam Sheng sends Xue Liang Ping running the errand of inviting the physician from the village, so that let her pulse be diagnosed.

Feng Yong Yuan is also overwhelmed with joy. Coming into the room, he drops his butt on the brick bed, pulling over Xue Ping's hands, he pampers her by asking how she is feeling and how her condition is.

When the physician has arrived, he monitors Xue Ping's pulse and nods his head. "Congratulations, it is indeed a pregnancy pulse."

Feng Yong Yuan smiles with his teeth showing and his eyes cannot be seen. Pulling out a chain of copper coins straightforwardly and pushing it to the physician. "Many thanks to you!"

The physician takes the money and strokes his goatee, continuing. "But she is still at the early stage of pregnancy and needs to be extra careful. She seems to have experienced a tiring journey today which affected the fetus to be unstable. She needs to be cared for cautiously."

Feng Yong Yuan starts panicking immediately. "We came here by a carriage from town today, is this because of it? We still need to go back tonight, this…"

The physician shakes his head subsequently after hearing that. "The mountainous road from here to the town is rough and uneven. With her current condition, her body cannot be subjected to such a tedious journey. She needs at least one more month before the fetus is stable."

Xue Ping becomes anxious hearing that, Feng Yong Yuan has just passed the countryside exam* in February, he is now studying at home preparing for the prefectural exam* next month, it is a critical period.

Today, she has taken the opportunity before her in-laws comes back home to visit her maternal family while dragging him along, thinking that taking a break for a day will not add up to anything.

Who knows it so happens that they discover her pregnancy, unable to withstand another tedious carriage ride, now what can they do for good.

Feng Yong Yuan consoles her. "You don't panic, at most I can go back on my own, it will also be good for you to nurture the baby in your maternal home, since Mother-in-law and your younger sister are here to take care of you. I can also be relieved and focus on studying."

"You are studying so hard every day, if I am not at home, there isn't anyone around to boil water or cook for you, how can I be at ease."

Xue Ping has married him so many years, how would she be unaware of what kind of person Feng Yong Yuan is.

He has been pampered and spoiled since young. He is now twenty something, yet he does not know anything other than studying.

Before going into details on how he will settle his daily food and water, he does not even know how to start a fire to warm up the brick bed.

In a cold day such as this, sleeping on a cold brick bed for a night is enough to make a person sick in his sleep.

Feng Yong Yuan is also not confident with his own ability to survive, he consoles her nonetheless. "Your body is the most important now, I will find a solution for the other things, at the most I can find someone to employee for the chores, would I have possibly starved myself to death."

Although Xue Ping feels the pinch in her heart over that cost, at the end of the day the baby in her womb takes precedence over all other matters, so she does not say anything more.

Feng Yong Yuan accompanies Xue Ping for a little longer, seeing that it is no longer early and he should head back to town, before he leaves, he instructs her, he nags at her and he is reluctant to part, the only thing missing has to be the three written words "Cannot Rest Assured" on his face.

Madam Zhou cannot help but be envious while she watches from the side, stretching her hand over to Xue Yong's back waist to pinch him, telling him in a low voice. "You should also learn this well from Brother-in-law!"

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Xue Yong caresses her high belly bump. "I also want to learn, but we still need to wait for you to unload the cargo then we can load a new one in!"

Madam Zhou is made embarrassed by him becoming totally red, she pinches him another two times and then proceeds to rub over that spot a few times.

Xue Yong grabs her hand which has been moving freely along his back waist, with his voice becoming dry, he tells her. "You stop this quickly, setting a fire which you cannot extinguish, this is wanting me to stifle myself to death!"

Madam Sheng sends Xue Liang Ping to see Feng Yong Yuan off. She does not have enough attention to spare to her own physical pain and starts digging out the brand new bedsheets that is kept at the bottom of her trunk so that she can spread it in Xue Qin's room for Xue Ping.

"Like this is good too, you can stay at home for some days to nurture the baby, if not, your in-laws are not at home, all the chores will become your responsibility, I cannot be at ease with that." Madam Sheng settles Xue Ping onto the brick bed and tells her at the same time. "Just pointing out that this son-in-law is good in all aspects but the only one thing is that he does not know how to get any chores done…"

"Mother, Brother-in-law is someone who is going to be on the knowledgeable path, his future is to pass the imperial exams* and be an imperial official*, have you ever seen any government sir folding their own blankets or cooking for themselves, there will be maids and servants waiting on him in the future."

Xue Qin's original impression of Feng Yong Yuan is not optimistic at all, thinking that he is too short and he is not born into the type of handsome young lads which she likes. But seeing how he is treating her big sister with every possible means of cherishing her, she then thinks that this kind of man is also not bad.

Madam Sheng is overjoyed hearing that. "Isn't that so, it is still Qin who knows how to talk, in the future, our Da Ping is also going to follow that blessing as an imperial official's wife!"

But Xue Ping remains unassured. "I am just afraid he is at home alone and doesn't take care of himself well."

"He is already an adult, even if he doesn't know how to do, does he still not know how to buy, it is not like there is no money on hand." Madam Sheng tells her. "You just rest assured and take good care of your baby, at most we can send your father into the city to check on him a few days later."

Xue Ping does not have any better solution now, so she can only set her thoughts aside and not think about it.

"Mother, I have yet to eat to my fill during lunch, is there any of that stewed chicken left, can you heat up half a bowl to mix with rice for me."

"Have, have!" Madam Sheng answers. "Now that you are carrying, tell us whatever you want to eat, I'll make the Eldest's wife cook for you, don't let my maternal grandson suffer!"

Xue Qin comes out from the main room, heading towards Xia Yue Chu to tell her to heat up and serve the food. It is then when she hears someone calling out from the gates. "Excuse me, is Xue elder sister staying here?"

This voice is clear and warm, as if the spring water hitting against a stone slab, as if the water falling into the mountain stream.

Xue Qin's heart goes beating when she hears that voice, turning around abruptly, she sees a young man in a moon shade white long gown standing in front of the gates of her home.

That young man is born with a pair of clear and bright peach blossom eyes, his brows and the corner of his eyes carry a hint of his smile, his built is tall as he stands steadily against the coming wind, even making their broken wooden gates, which have weeds growing all over, looking exceptionally lovely.

Xue Qin looks at that person, in that split moment, she feels as if she is seeing an entire mountain fully blossoming with romantic flowers, her heart beats violently, and when she moves her mouth, she cannot make a sound.

"Lady, may I ask if this is the Xue house?" The young man sees her dumbstruck but he does not get irritated, asking again in his warm voice. "I am looking for Xue elder sister for a matter, I wonder if Lady can help me inform her."

"Yes, it's the Xue house! I'll go help you call her." Xue Qin becomes so shy that her cheeks flushed red, slipping into the west wing room through the portiere in a rush.

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Translator Notes:

*The Imperial Examination has four main levels. In the following sequence: The Preliminary Imperial Examination, The Triennial Provincial Imperial Examination, The Imperial Civil Service Examination (the metropolitan examination), The Top Grade Imperial Examination (the court examination).

*To pass The Preliminary Imperial Examination, the students need to pass three exams in total. In the following sequence: The countryside exam, the prefectural exam, and the institution exam. After passing all three examinations, they will be known as scholars, which is the lowest benchmark of being an imperial official, then they can proceed to study in the Imperial Academy.

To qualify for the next level of imperial exam, the scholars need to be either the top ten from big provinces or top five from small provinces in the Imperial Academy which they are studying in. The academy will test the students regularly and grade them accordingly, only the top students will be recommended for the next level of examination.

*The Triennial Provincial Imperial Examination only happens once every three years, and the slots to qualify for this examination are limited. This is implemented in the year 1313, during the Yuan dynasty, there are 17 locations where these provincial examinations are being held in the country then. There are three exams consecutively in total in this Provincial Imperial Examination, each exam last over three days and the students are not able to leave throughout this entire period. Every candidate will be assigned to a private numbered dorm on the examination compound, and only 300 students in total will be shortlist for the next level of examination.

*The Imperial Civil Service Examination (the metropolitan examination) occurs one year after each Provincial Imperial Examination. It is also known as the Spring Examination because it happens during the Spring season. There is a quota of a 100 people that will pass this level onto the next.

*The Top Grade Imperial Examination (the court examination) follows shortly, one month after the Imperial Civil Service Examination. This is a one day examination where the subject question is set by the emperor himself. After the examination, the top ten candidates will be invited to the palace for a reward ceremony where the emperor will personally bestow them their rank.

Then after that, there will be an official public announcement for all the candidates, which is split into first rank, second rank and third rank candidates who passed the imperial examination. The first ranked candidates consist of the top three scorers. According to the Qing Dynasty customs, the top three candidates will receive their official career directly. With the top scorer as the Imperial Academy composer, the second and third in place as the Imperial Academy editor.

For the second rank and third rank candidates who have passed the imperial examination, referring to the fourth place and below, they will be known as palace graduate, which is the highest attainment any students can achieve. The palace graduates must stay in the palace and undergo three more rounds of court exams. Their accumulated grades from these final exams will determine their official career, in which they will proceed to become one of the following: exemplary candidate until the next examination, court officials, court academicians, prefectural judges, senior provincial government officials, or county head magistrates.

Translated by Yellow. Sep 2022.