Xianggui

Chapter 679 Genius
Mrs. Sun was reluctant to give the child away, so she had to hand it over to Zhang.

Zhang held the child in her arms and smiled, "She's so pretty. She looks just like when Xiangxiang brought her home."

Ding Zhao, Old Lord Sun, and Lord Sun were so anxious that they stamped their feet and were too embarrassed to go into the house to check. It was freezing cold, and they couldn't bring the child out.

Xun Xiang was packed up and carried to the south room, and the door was closed. Eunuch An walked into the hall and took a look at the child.

He wanted to go back and tell the Emperor and the Empress what the child looked like; they had to see it.

Eunuch An couldn't take his eyes off, "Oh my, he is really a handsome boy. He not only looks like General Sun and the princess, but also a bit like the emperor."

Even though he didn't look like the emperor, these words made everyone happy.

It was already early midnight, so Ding Zhao and the others could not go back home, so they stayed in the guest room.

Several women went out. Ding Zhao and his son took Zhang aside to ask, Marquis Sun took Madam Sun aside to ask, and old Marquis Sun asked old concubine Yang.

When the old marquis heard that his great-grandson looked like Sun Yumu, he was very proud, "Looking like Mu'er doesn't that mean he looks like me? Hahahaha... Mu'er is a father now, so I can't call him that anymore. I have to call him Yumu from now on."

Ding Zhao said, "My grandson looks like Xiangxiang, which means he looks like my mother. People always say that the older I get, the more I look like my mother. So Jie'er also looks like me."

Ding Lichun said happily, "He looks like his father, just like me. So, the nephew looks like his uncle."

It’s hard for others to respond to this. How can they be like them?
Zhang didn't want to tell lies or hurt her husband and son, so she just smiled and nodded.

When Ding Zhao saw his wife nod, he smiled even more proudly.

Xun Yi Bo was speechless. He thought his nephew was most like him.

Lord Sun laughed and said, "That kid cries loudly, just like when he cried with Mu. You can tell he's a military kid."

This remark resonated with everyone and everyone echoed it.

Xun Xiang was awakened by the chirping of birds.

She opened her eyes and saw a small bed next to the bunk bed, in which Jie Ge'er was sleeping soundly.

Xun Xiang once mentioned that she wanted to breastfeed herself, but not only was she strongly opposed by Madam Sun and Zhang, but even Empress Ye firmly disagreed, so she did not insist any longer.

In ancient times, noble women did not breastfeed themselves. This was a custom and also a symbol of class hierarchy.

Since she couldn't breastfeed herself, she asked someone to put a small bed next to her big bed so that she could stay with the child and watch him grow up.

Jie Ge'er had two wet nurses, one was He Mama and the other was Tong Mama. Both women were in their twenties, not only had plenty of milk, but also had pretty faces and nimble hands and legs.

Xun Xiang sat up and asked Mother He to put the child in her arms.

Xiao Jie was still sleeping soundly, as if he had a sweet dream, with a smile on his face.

Xun Xiang's heart was filled with tenderness. In this life, she finally had a child.

She kissed the child on the white face and said, "My son."

Nanny Wei was smiling brightly and asked someone to bring in breakfast.

While Xun Xiang was eating, little Jie opened his eyes and started crying, his voice was so loud that it seemed able to blow the house apart.

Mother He quickly picked him up and fed him.

After eating and drinking, the little guy babbled a few times and fell asleep again.

Madam Wei reported in a low voice, "I heard that after the princess gave birth to a boy, that person smashed things for half the night."

That person was of course Old Lady Sun Zeng.

She hoped that Sun Yumu would not come back, and Xun Xiang would give birth to another daughter. If the first wife had no descendants, there would be hope for her son.

Xun Xiang snorted coldly, recalling the scene in her dream yesterday.

She knew that it was not a dream, but a real scene.

In the face of advanced firearms, cold weapons can only be beaten, not to mention that the swords of the Dali army are much stronger...

There was a sound of footsteps outside. It was Madam Sun coming.

She blushed a little, thinking that coming so early would disturb her daughter-in-law's rest, but she couldn't help it.

"Haha, I can't wait to see my big fat grandson."

Falling into his grandmother's arms, little Jie still dreams sweetly.

Madam Sun couldn't bear to take her eyes off the child and smiled, "I've sent someone to deliver a letter to Yu Mu as fast as possible... I hope he comes back safely and you give me more grandchildren."

In the evening, Ding Chi called Ding Lilai to the main courtyard for a talk.

"Xiangxiang has given birth to a son. You and Li got married earlier than them, but Li hasn't made any move yet."

Ding Lilai looked nonchalant, "It's fate that determines whether you have children or not. If you have them, you have them. If you don't, you don't."

Ding Chi said angrily, "If you don't give birth to a son, then I will be extinct. If Li doesn't get pregnant by the age of 30, you must take a concubine to carry on the family line."

Ding Zhuang set a family rule that a woman could take a concubine only if she was childless at the age of 30.

Ding Lilai shook his head and said, "I swore before the Lord that Qianqian and I would be together for the rest of our lives and would never take a concubine. If we really don't have a son, I will adopt one of my eldest or second brother's sons to raise."

Ding Chi was so angry that he slapped him, "Bullshit, I worked so hard to save so much money, how can I give it to someone else's son?"

Ding Lilai said stubbornly, "Uncle is none other than Dad's eldest brother."

Ding Chi was so angry that he wanted to vomit blood. He took off his shoes and rushed forward to hit the man.

Tang stopped him and said, "Master, don't be angry. Li is only sixteen years old, it's still a long way to go before thirty. Besides, I am Dawang and Xiangxiang is Jiwang, how can Lilai be extinct?"

Ding Chi thought about it and agreed. He looked at his wife, who had been married to him for nearly twenty years and rarely said such a smart thing. He said, "Tomorrow we will go to the Zhenhai Marquis's mansion for the third day of the lunar year celebration. All of us will go and let Mrs. Li hold the child more."

The next day, the Zhenhai Marquis Mansion held a third-day bath banquet.

Xun Xiang covered her whole body and was sent back to the main courtyard. Old Marquis Sun and Marquis Sun finally saw their long-missed great-grandson and grandson, and hugged each of them.

All the close relatives and friends came to congratulate, including seven pregnant women.

They are Mi Honglan, Ren Zixuan, Xun Sannai, Mi Hongmian, Tao Jing, Zhang Ziyan, and Ding Zhen. The first three are first-borns, and the last four are second-borns.

Several pregnant women wanted to have a son, and they took turns holding Sun Weijie.

Li Qianqian also hugged him, and for the longest time.

When there was no one else in the room, she whispered to Xun Xiang, "My father-in-law thinks I can't give birth to a son, so he wants Brother Li Lai to take a concubine. Humph, if Brother Li Lai really dares to take a concubine, I will live alone and never marry again.

"If a man like him can change his mind, there will be no good men in this world."

Her eyes were red.

Li Qianqian is heartless, except when it comes to Ding Lilai.

Xun Xiang knew that Li Qianqian suffered from gynecological diseases, mainly due to cold body, and had been asking the imperial physician to take care of her body.

She held her hand and advised, "You are still young, how do you know that you can't have children..."

She had the magic medicine Aquamarine Pearl, and if Ding Lilai was fine, Ding Qianqian would definitely be able to have a baby. As for whether it would be a boy or a girl, Xun Xiang had no idea.

Before the third day of bathing, the men from the front yard came to Zixia Courtyard to watch the third day of bathing ceremony.

Several men from the Ding family and Xun Yi Bo picked up little Jie. Ding Zhao and Ding Lichun still felt that the child looked like his grandfather and uncle, and that is, like them.

Xun Yi Bo could no longer bear it, "This child looks just like me."

Ding Lichun said, "We are relatives. We look alike. It's true that he looks like us."

That was true, Xun Yi Bo couldn't say anything more.

The eunuchs came to Zixiayuan to convey the imperial edict and the imperial decree, and the emperor and empress rewarded little Jie'er with many treasures.

The eunuch smiled and said, "The Queen said that when the boy is one month old, the princess will be invited to bring him into the palace to be seen by His Majesty and the Queen. Their Majesty and the Queen are looking forward to it."

The next afternoon, a maid from the outer courtyard came to report, "Old Master Ding is back."

Xun Xiang was overjoyed, "Grandpa is back?"

Ding Zhuang's loud voice came, "Haha, Xiangxiang, Grandpa is here to see you and your grandson."

Ding Zhuang couldn't go into the bedroom, so he warmed himself in front of the brazier in the living room, took Xiao Jie'er and looked at him carefully for a while, then laughed and said:

"Zhaozi and Lichun still say that they look like them, they are quite nice, how can they be as ugly as them? The child looks like Ruyue and Xiangxiang, pretty. Fortunately, Shen'er looks like Liren's wife, pretty too."

Ding Zhuang returned home yesterday afternoon. After taking a look at his great-grandson Ding Bingshen, he hurried into the palace with his matchlock gun to ask to see the emperor.

The emperor was delighted and rewarded Xun Fu Ma, Ding Zhuang, and Xun Xiang with 2,000 taels of silver each, several craftsmen with 200 taels of silver each, and Linshui Baotie with 1,000 taels of silver. He also ordered to stop making muskets and to manufacture matchlock guns on a large scale...

The emperor also praised him as worthy of the title of "Golden Hands", Xun Fu Ma as worthy of the title of "All-round Talent", and Xun Xiang as worthy of the title of "Genius".

Ding Zhuang no longer cared about money, but the emperor's praise made him happy for half the night.

The door to the side room was not closed, and an old man and a young boy were talking through the door.

After hearing the emperor's praise, Dingxiang felt that he had realized that she had never been a "ghost".

Ding Zhuang continued, "I'm in a hurry to come back to see Xiangxiang and my great-grandson. Princess Dongyang and Prince Consort Xun have gone to Jiangnan. They said they want to travel all over Jiangnan and try to return to Beijing in the second half of next year...

"Mr. Tao and the old lady are in better health than when they were in the capital. They go to the foot of the mountain for a walk every day, and occasionally come to our house for a cup of tea. They don't want to leave me, so they want me to go back early...

"Fei Fei and Shuang Shuang gave birth to four more eaglets. They are taking care of them in Fushan, and they visit our house every now and then. Hei Wa has become even quieter. When he has nothing to do, he squats in front of the west gate and looks at the entrance to the village, just like he used to wait for people there with Xiang Xiang. Alas, I wonder how many years he can live..."

Thinking of Mr. and Mrs. Tao and Heiwa, Xun Xiang felt melancholy again. She could still see other people and things, but she didn't know if she could see them again...

As for Prince Consort Xun and Dongyang, Xun Xiang guessed that they would not come back immediately, but when she really heard that they went to Jiangnan again, she had to admire their generosity.

After talking for a while, Ding Zhuang was invited by Old Marquis Sun and Marquis Sun to go to the outer courtyard room.

Ding Zhuang and his men made a total of fifteen fire-matching cannons, one for the emperor, one for Prince Consort Xun, one for Ding Zhuang, one for Sun Linfeng, and one for Lord Sun. The ten were taken to the Ministry of War.

Several metalworking masters have also returned and will manufacture this type of weapon under the arrangement of the Ministry of Industry.

Old Lord Sun was very pleased with the gun and immediately went to the racecourse to shoot.

He fired dozens of bullets in one breath.

Old Marquis Sun looked at the matchlock gun and said reluctantly, "Send it to Yu Mu. This gun is better than a musket or a bow and arrow. He needs it more than I do. Haha, Prince Consort Xun and my old relative are really talented, and my wife Mu is really talented to come up with such a good thing."

Ding Zhuang likes the matchlock gun, but not as much as the Sun father and son.

He said generously, "This gun is for my father-in-law to play with, and mine is for my grandson-in-law."

Old Lord Sun smiled so hard that his teeth were exposed. "Brother Ding is still so generous and righteous. Let's go, we two old brothers will not stop until we are drunk. In the future, brother Ding, come to my house when you have nothing to do. We can drink and shoot guns, and you can also see your granddaughter and great-grandson."

Ding Zhuang smiled happily, "I am a down-to-earth person, please don't find me annoying, dear in-law."

Ding Zhuang was too drunk to walk that night, so he slept in the Marquis's mansion. The next day, he went to Zixia Courtyard to see his great-grandson, talked with Xun Xiang for a while, and had lunch here before going home.

After that, Ding Zhuang would come to the Zhenhai Marquis's Mansion every three or four days. The two old men would go to the racecourse to shoot some guns, then go to Zixia Courtyard to see Xiao Jie, and then eat meat and drink wine.

Ding Zhuang was very happy. Even though he didn't live next door to his granddaughter, he could see her often.