Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 685 Double Happiness

Liang Xiaoming took the binoculars, located the direction of the women, and after a closer look, he exclaimed excitedly, "It really is! It seems that Suwen is indeed pregnant!"

Liu Ye was afraid it was just his imagination, but when he heard Liang Xiaoming confirm it, he felt relieved and happily went to grab the binoculars, jokingly saying, "That's mine, not yours, what are you so happy about?"

Liang Xiaoming laughed heartily: "Since you've blossomed and borne fruit, it means there's nothing wrong with our bodies. As long as I work hard, we'll have this day too."

As soon as the boat docked, Liu Ye took two steps at a time and ran towards the women.

Sun Yuanhua and others stepped forward to greet him: "Welcome back in triumph, General!"

"Alright, alright, I appreciate your kind gesture." Liu Ye seemed a little absent-minded, his eyes fixed on the women.

Sun Yuanhua smiled mysteriously and bowed, saying, "Congratulations, General! Congratulations! Not only is Concubine Suwen pregnant, but your wife is also carrying your child."

The series of good news made Liu Ye so happy he almost fainted. He didn't care about the strange title "Auntie" and excitedly grabbed Sun Yuanhua's hand, asking incoherently, "Really...is it true?"

"It's absolutely true. The lady has consulted several doctors who have taken her pulse and confirmed it's correct."

"Hahaha..." Liu Ye felt like he was about to float away. Happiness came so suddenly that he wasn't prepared at all. He broke free from the crowd and ran over quickly, feeling as if he were walking on clouds, light and airy.

Lin Shiyue, accompanied by several concubines, came to greet them. Liu Ye waved and shouted from a distance, "Stand still, don't disturb the baby! Wait for me to come."

Liu Ye trotted up to his wives and concubines, grabbed Lin Shiyue's hand, and scolded, "Now that you're pregnant, why are you running around everywhere? It's windy at the dock, be careful not to catch a cold..."

Lin Shiyue smiled and said, "The doctor said I'm only a month old, it's nothing serious, I'm not that precious."

“That won’t do either. After you go back, stay home and don’t wander around.” Liu Ye instructed, then turned to Ma Su and asked, “You too, don’t hide in the back and grin like an idiot.”

Suwen covered her mouth with one hand and chuckled, while stroking her belly with the other.

Liu Ye couldn't help but reach out and touch her slightly protruding belly, tentatively asking, "You must be at least three or four months pregnant, right? I've only been away for a little over two months, and your belly is already this big?"

Lin Shiyue laughed and said, "This girl is so carefree, she didn't even know she was pregnant for more than a month. I noticed she was vomiting frequently and thought she had some kind of illness, so I called a doctor to take a look. That's when I found out she had morning sickness."

Liu Ye smiled broadly and touched Suwen's belly, asking, "Is he naughty? Does he kick your belly?"

Suwen replied with a happy expression, "He hasn't kicked me yet, but I can feel him sleeping inside..."

"Hahaha..." He continued to laugh triumphantly, "I have children, and twins at once!"

Yan Guang and the others also gathered around, saying in unison, "Congratulations, General! You have a worthy successor!"

Liu Ye led his wives and concubines by the hand and boarded the carriage that had come to greet them. Pointing ahead with high spirits, he declared, "Let's head home! I'm not going to worry about anything else for the next couple of days. I'll just stay home and spend time with my wife and kids!"

The carriage glided gently along the tracks, slowly moving away.

Liang Xiaoming watched Liu Ye's family walk away with envy, thinking to himself how wonderful it would be to have a child of his own.

Thinking of this, he remembered Liu Ru, and then Li Xiangjun who had come with him. His heart skipped a beat: Oh no, I brought a concubine back, and I haven't reported it to my superiors yet.

He turned back and found Li Xiangjun. The pretty woman stood alone in the bustling crowd, waiting for him to take her home.

Liang Xiaoming quickly ran over, took her hand, and said apologetically, "I was so happy for my brother that I neglected you."

Li Xiangjun gave him a resentful look, said nothing, but subtly pinched his palm.

Liang Xiaoming winced in pain, but dared not show the slightest sign of pain. He forced a smile and said, "It was my fault. Come on, I'll take you to see my wife."

Liu Ru stood in the welcoming crowd, calmly watching Liang Xiaoming and Li Xiangjun, without the joy of a long-awaited reunion. Normally, she would have rushed forward like a chattering lark.

Liang Xiaoming walked over with a crestfallen look on his face and said in a low voice, "Madam, I'm back, and... and I brought someone back with me..."

Liu Ru calmly replied, "I already know. When that fast boat returned, it told us about you and Master Xia Liu. This must be Miss Xiangjun from the Jiangnan water towns, right? She is indeed beautiful and charming, far surpassing any girl from our mountains."

Li Xiangjun had always been proud and arrogant. If Hou Fangyu hadn't abandoned her out of fear of the powerful, and if Liang Xiaoming hadn't treated her with such devotion, she wouldn't have willingly become a concubine. Seeing this scene, she sighed inwardly. Although she disliked this situation, she had chosen this path and had to face it.

She took a deep breath, then stepped forward to greet him: "Xiangjun greets Madam. I've heard him speak of you before, saying you're understanding, cheerful, and generous..."

Liu Ru looked at her and said quietly, "I don't know much about etiquette, and I speak bluntly, so please don't take offense. Since Master has chosen you, he must have his reasons. Whether I like it or not, we must follow our rules. I don't know the rules between wives and concubines either. We are all Master's people, so let's address each other as sisters from now on..."

Li Xiangjun felt somewhat conflicted. It seemed this lady had a problem with her, and their future was destined to be anything but smooth. However, the lady was at least straightforward, which was better than hiding things and being wary of each other.

Liang Xiaoming hung his head, secretly observing the exchange between the two, thinking: How come my brothers can handle a bunch of women, but I can't even handle two? There's still a long road ahead, what should I do?

Back in Nanyuan, Liu Ye was unaware of Liang Xiaoming's troubles, but even if he had, he wouldn't have interfered in their family matters. Besides, his attention was currently focused on his two wives' bellies. He listened to Lin Shiyue's belly for a moment, then to Suwen's, constantly grinning foolishly.

Lin Shiyue poked his forehead with her finger and said reproachfully, "Husband, you don't look like a marquis at all right now. What will the servants do if they see this?"

Liu Ye chuckled and said, "So what if I'm a Marquis? I'm a man too. I'm almost thirty, and I've finally become a father. How could I not be happy? So what if the people below see this? Anyone who dares to laugh at me, I'll give them a good slap!"

Suwen smiled happily and asked, "Darling, do you think our child will be very beautiful?"

"Absolutely. All my children are exceptionally beautiful," Liu Ye replied without hesitation.