The two little ones were quite the eaters, especially the younger sister, who was like a little pig. One wet nurse’s milk wasn’t even enough for her alone.
Not only was she a big eater, but she was also very domineering. When the wet nurse fed them, she demanded to be fed alone, occupying both sides with her little hands. If her brother tried to feed, she’d flail her arms and legs to push him away. If she couldn’t outmanoeuvre him, she’d wail loudly…
They needed feeding roughly every two hours, at least eight times a day. If they were hungry and didn’t get milk immediately, they’d scream at the top of their lungs. If feeding was delayed, the sister would even bite down hard on purpose…
The brother, well, he was indeed a bit goofy—greedy, sleepy, and always smiling. He’d even giggle in his sleep, and if his sister kicked him, he’d just grin.
Besides eating, the two were quite a handful—eating, sleeping, pooing, and peeing. They needed their nappies changed at least ten times a day.
The brother was more resilient. He only cried when hungry; otherwise, he was fine, not fussing when wet or soiled.
The sister, however, was much more delicate. A slightly wet nappy had to be changed immediately, or she’d cry. She liked being held to sleep—put her down, and she’d wake and cry. After feeding, she wanted to be burped, and before bed, she needed her bottom washed…
Fortunately, Master Li had hired four wet nurses. These nurses not only fed the babies but also handled their daily care. The four experienced nurses freed Zhu Ping’an and Li Shu, the new parents, from much of the burden.
To maintain her figure and recover postpartum, Li Shu didn’t breastfeed, which was a common choice among wealthy households in this era.
Firstly, breastfeeding was exhausting—eight feeds a day, four or five during the day, two or three at night, plus changing nappies ten times a day. It was too much for the wealthy to bother with.
Money was no issue for such households; the cost of hiring wet nurses was a drop in the bucket.
Secondly, not breastfeeding helped maintain one’s figure and aided faster postpartum recovery.
Additionally, in wealthy households, status mattered. A young mistress constantly baring herself to nurse would be deemed improper.
Moreover, the mistress of a large household had many responsibilities—managing the estate left little energy for nursing and childcare.
There was no worry about bonding. Not breastfeeding didn’t mean neglecting the children. After the nurses fed them, the parents could cuddle and play with them, fostering the same emotional connection and accompanying their growth.
The parent-child bond remained just as strong.
“Brother Zhu, come look! They’re sleeping so soundly, giggling—they’re even sneaking smiles in their sleep!”
Li Shu and Zhu Ping’an were sprawled on the big bed, fondly watching the two little ones sleep. When Li Shu saw the older one occasionally grinning in his sleep, she tugged at Zhu Ping’an to admire it, as if she’d discovered something new.
“Giggle, the young master must be pleased with Miss and Master, sneaking laughs even in his dreams,” Hua’er and Qin’er chuckled from the side.
“They were born lucky—no worries about food or drink. Their mother, Miss, is a fairy descended to earth; their father, Master, is a literary star from the heavens. The household lacks for nothing, Master holds a high office, and their granddad and uncles are wealthy merchants. They’ll have endless blessings to enjoy,” Qin’er counted off on her fingers, praising the babies for being born into such fortune.
Just then, the sleeping brother grinned, as if he understood Qin’er’s words and was secretly delighted.
“Pfft, he understood and is sneaking another laugh!” Hua’er noticed and couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
The room filled with laughter.
The sister, as if annoyed by the noise, fidgeted in her sleep, flailing her arms and legs. Her little mouth pursed, and she began to wail.
“Shh, darling, sleep, sleep, sleep soundly. We won’t disturb you anymore.” Li Shu gently patted her little bottom through the quilt.
The sister was quite receptive to this. After a couple of pats, she settled back to sleep, even snuggling closer to Li Shu like a little pig.
Li Shu fondly leaned down and kissed her. The usually stoic little one, kissed by her mother, actually grinned.
Qin’er and Hua’er were thrilled. “As expected of mother and daughter—Miss gives her a kiss, and Little Miss smiles!”
“Brother-in-law, have you decided on names?” the two brothers-in-law asked Zhu Ping’an while cooing at the babies.
“The boy follows the generational character, but the girl doesn’t need to. Our family’s generation for their cohort is ‘Xing’ (行). The brother will be Zhu Xingwen, wishing him to study well and improve daily. For the sister, the Book of Songs says, ‘The reeds are green, the dew turns to frost. The one I love is on the other side of the water.’ So, the sister will be Zhu Yiyi. What do you think?” Zhu Ping’an shared the names he’d chosen for the babies, seeking the brothers-in-law’s opinions.
Since Li Shu’s pregnancy, Zhu Ping’an and she had been thinking of names, scouring the Book of Songs, the Book of Changes, the Spring and Autumn Annals, the Analects, and countless ancient texts. They’d come up with dozens of names for boys and girls, narrowing them down to three each. Today, considering the babies’ birth times and their astrological charts, which showed all five elements in balance, they finalised the names.
“Zhu Xingwen, Zhu Yiyi—great names! Brother-in-law, as expected of a top scholar. These names are lovely and meaningful.”
The two brothers-in-law gave Zhu Ping’an a thumbs-up, praising the excellent names for their nephews.
“Dad, what do you think?” the brothers-in-law asked their father.
“Not bad. He’s a top scholar, after all. If he couldn’t even name his own kids well, he’d be a laughingstock,” Master Li said gruffly, though he was secretly pleased with the names. But when facing his grandchildren, he was all smiles, fawningly rubbing their tiny hands and cooing, “Little Xingwen, Little Yiyi, I’m your granddad!”
At that moment, at the gate of the governor’s office, a monk about fifty years old, twirling a string of prayer beads, slowly approached.
The monk was plump with a big belly, his temples greying, and a cheerful smile on his face, giving off a bit of a Maitreya Buddha vibe. He twirled the beads in one hand and held an alms bowl in the other.
At first glance, he seemed like a master from a Buddhist temple, wandering the world to refine his practice.
The guards at the gate saw the monk approaching and stepped forward to stop him. “Monk, go elsewhere to beg. This is a government office, not a place for alms. Head forward—there are shops ahead, and some shopkeepers might give you something.”
“Hehe, Amitabha. This old monk isn’t here today to beg but to forge a connection,” the fat monk replied with a chuckle, giving a one-handed salute and chanting a Buddhist phrase, his words carrying a hint of Zen.
“Huh? Not begging, but forging a connection? What’s the difference?” The guard scratched his head, confused.
“This old monk has travelled far and wide. Passing through this place, I sensed two beams of auspicious fortune stretching hundreds of metres. Pinching my fingers to calculate, I found two noble beings have been born here, of immeasurable worth. I have two prayer beads blessed by a high monk, which I wish to gift to these two noble newborns to form a good karmic bond.” The fat monk smiled, pulling two beads from his alms bowl. The beads were round, lustrous, and clearly no ordinary objects.
