The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 871 - 188: Time Bomb_3

Chapter 871: Chapter 188: Time Bomb_3

The corn and beans in the fields have all ripened.

Pei Qin turned to attend to the affairs of the fields and Tian Zhuang, and the workshop activities also stopped, as the hired workers had gone home for the autumn harvest.

Jiujiu said she’d stay at home to watch her little sister, but as soon as Sun Xingwang and Zhao Xiaolang called for her, she couldn’t sit still.

This time of year the fields were full of grasshoppers and crickets, and by the ditches on the edges of the fields, one could find black night plums and fragrant lady fruits to eat, sweet and tart to taste.

Zhang Gengshan couldn’t follow, so he had the guards secretly dispatched to follow Jiujiu closely. He went to help Pei Qin.

Xiao Yi, seeing no one else at home, didn’t hurry him and couldn’t resist going to the edge of the fields himself.

He saw Jiujiu and the others enjoying the fragrant lady fruits and stood off to the side with a pout.

Jiujiu stretched out her small hand and offered him two, "Do you want some? They’re so sweet and delicious!"

Xiao Yi turned his head and snorted, "I don’t eat that stuff!" Who knows where it was picked from.

Xue Dong was with him and had washed and wiped them clean for her.

Jiujiu saw his disdain, picked them up, and stuffed them into her own mouth.

Seeing her eat three at once, Xiao Yi’s mouth twitched, "Give me one to try."

Jiujiu, reluctant to part with them, handed him one of the two she held.

She had not wanted the green ones, picking only the fully ripe ones. Some that were overripe had fallen, sweet with a tangy note. Xiao Yi, after finishing one, thought it was passable and then eyed the ones others held.

These fruits were wild; one could not tell where they might have fruit, and not much was produced.

"I’ll take you to pick black night plums! There are also bush berries, tart with a rough sourness," Jiujiu pulled at him.

Xiao Yi figured he had nothing else to do, so he might as well see what they were playing. Otherwise, Pei Qin would surely enlist him to work the fields when she saw him.

He, a royal child, had never before frolicked or gone wild outside.

Jiujiu had Sun Xingwang and Zhao Xiaolang as her entourage; the children of the town made way for her. Apart from being too young to venture up mountains and into rivers, she had roamed all around Taiping Town.

The wilderness had plenty of bush berries, wild strawberries, and raspberries – good for both eating and playing.

After spending half the day playing, Xiao Yi also had his fill of berries, grabbing a large handful to take back home for a meal.

When Pei Qin came back for a meal, she didn’t fuss too much; she just let him go out and play as long as he finished his daily lessons. "Go play during the day, but come back to study in the evening!"

Xiao Yi didn’t mind, for he never failed to finish his lessons.

However, he became addicted to playing with Jiujiu, encountering pastimes he had never seen or experienced before. Once he started, he found himself running off to join in the fun.

For several days in a row, Pei Qin noticed that he hadn’t finished his lessons in the evenings.

Huang Qiu said, "Anyway, they’ll be coming to pick him up in a few days. As long as nothing goes wrong, let him enjoy himself! Even our school is on a break for the farming busy season!" It saved them from restricting him; he would go back and possibly speak ill of her. If he had fun, he might even say a few good words.

Pei Qin had not yet received a letter from Xiao Guangbi, so she decided to let him play.

Once the corn and beans were harvested, they were busy planting wheat and cabbage.

Xiao Yi, hearing there was a farming break, let loose and threw himself into playing. With guards following him and Jiujiu also accompanied by guards whenever she went out, he became bolder. Surely Pei Qin couldn’t let him be kidnapped once and allow it to happen again!

After Pei Qin finished with the fieldwork, she got busy preparing goods for Dan Yefei. She was occupied until September.

On the third day of September, Madam Zhao sent someone to bring the good news – Pei Yuan had given birth to a big, healthy boy.

Pei Qin quickly packed a bunch of nourishing goods and rushed Grandma Fang and Lady Yu to Qinghe Town to see Pei Yuan.

Because she had experienced complications during pregnancy and it was her first childbirth, Pei Yuan suffered a lot from excessive bleeding during delivery.

Grandma Fang and Lady Yu were glad she had risked her life to bear a son but also distressed over her severely weakened constitution.

"There’s no work in the fields anyway, and there’s nothing much at home, so I might as well take care of her for a few days!" Grandma Fang was truly worried. She had taken care of Pei Qin when she gave birth to Jiujiu and Xixi, so she ought to care for Pei Yuan too, especially since she had hurt herself.

Madam Zhao smiled and agreed, "With the Old Lady here to look after things, I couldn’t ask for more! I’m at home, along with the servants, and Xiao Chen has sent word that he will be returning soon. We’ll definitely take good care of her. With the Old Lady overseeing, I’ll feel more at ease even for Pei Yuan, let alone myself!" This old lady was not one to cause trouble; Pei Qin wouldn’t send someone incapable of care. With her presence, they felt reassured, as everyone knew how she doted on her daughters-in-law.

Grandma Fang nodded with a smile. She had brought clothing for her visit.

Pei Qin didn’t leave either. She went to the county town to invite a doctor to come and consult on Pei Yuan’s recuperation.