The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 770 Destiny?

The night was as dark as ink, and before I knew it, a light drizzle began to fall outside the window. This must have been the first spring rain of the thirteenth year of the Qiansheng reign, its gentle, continuous drizzle nourishing all things silently.

Baochai, fresh from her bath, wore no makeup, yet her skin was fair and rosy. Her half-dry hair was casually draped down her back. She wore a honey-colored cotton-padded jacket, a rose-purple two-tone gold and silver fur-lined vest, and a pale yellow silk cotton skirt. All her clothes were neither new nor old, and did not appear luxurious. She was sitting quietly by the fireplace in the outer room, doing needlework. She was gentle and quiet, dignified and beautiful.

Ying'er, Xiangling, and Caixia, the three beautiful maids, were also busy nearby. This was because Jia Huan was to leave the capital on the first day of the second lunar month, and they were rushing to make personal items for their master, such as insoles, handkerchiefs, sachets, tassels, forehead bands, hairbands, and even five-colored ribbons used to ward off evil spirits on the arm during the Dragon Boat Festival. They wished they could make items to replace items for all four seasons.

Meanwhile, in the main courtyard, Lin Daiyu, Zijuan, Qingwen, and Xueyan were also doing needlework, working overtime and making the most of every minute.

These things can be bought in the market, but they are always better when made by hand. Men leave home and travel thousands of miles away, and who knows when they will return to Beijing. Every stitch on these items is infused with their love and longing.

As night deepened, the rain outside seemed to intensify. The endless drizzle, as fine as the sorrow of parting, turned into a light drizzle, gently tapping on the roof and the trees in the courtyard, wetting the eaves and steps. The night seemed even more tranquil.

At this moment, the sound of a pen being put down came from the inner room. Baochai listened carefully for a while, then put down her needlework and said softly, "It's late, everyone should go to bed. Ying'er and Xiangying, go and fetch some hot water. Caixia, tidy up."

After Baochai finished speaking, she stood up and moved gracefully into the inner room. Sure enough, Jia Huan had finished his work and was carefully blowing on the ink on the memorial. When he saw Baochai walking in, he cheerfully called out, "Sister Bao!"

Baochai felt a surge of joy. She walked to the desk and quickly glanced at the memorial written by Jia Huan. Seeing that it was an impeachment of Marquis Anle, Tian Hongyu, her heart skipped a beat. Although she rarely left her home, she had heard about the deeds of this father-in-law, Tian, ​​and he was indeed a scoundrel who did all sorts of outrageous things. However, with Consort Tian now enjoying exclusive favor in the harem and having Shi Dayong, the head of the Imperial Guard, currying favor with them, the Tian family was truly not to be trifled with.

However, Baochai always kept to her proper role as a woman. She wouldn't pry into her husband's affairs unless Jia Huan brought it up. Moreover, her brother Huan always planned things carefully before acting. Since he wanted to impeach Tian Hongyu, he must have his reasons. So she didn't say anything, but simply helped Jia Huan put away his writing brush and inkstone and said softly, "It's late. Husband, you should go to bed and rest."

Jia Huan nodded, embraced his wife's slender waist, and kissed her fair and rosy face. At this moment, Ying'er and Xiangling came in with hot water. They were both slightly shy when they saw this. After serving their master to wash his hands, they quickly left.

Jia Huan blew out the candle, and as soon as he got into bed, he quickly crawled into the quilt. The quilt had already been preheated with a hot water bottle, so it was warm and cozy. Holding Baochai's soft and fragrant body, Jia Huan felt even more comfortable. He stretched and yawned, and his hand skillfully slipped under her clothes to caress Baochai's flat and smooth belly.

Although Baochai was a little shy, she was obviously used to this kind of intimate behavior from someone. She said softly, "After leaving the old lady's place today, I tried to find out what the third young lady was thinking. It was clear that she was indeed interested in that Master Liu. So, I had Xiangling deliver the sword to her tonight, and Tan'er accepted it."

Jia Huan said happily, "Then this matter is settled."

Baochai sighed, "Tan'er has always been proud and arrogant. Ordinary men don't catch her eye. I wonder what Liu Xianglian looks like? Yet she fell in love with him at first sight."

Jia Huan joked, "That's easy. Next time Brother Liu comes to propose marriage, Sister Bao can help keep an eye on him. If you don't think he's good, you can just kick him out."

Baochai chuckled lightly, "No need for that. I trust my husband and Tan'er's judgment... Good girl, stop fooling around!"

As Baochai spoke, she pressed down on the man's restless hand and said gently, "I'm not feeling well tonight."

Lord Jia was immediately doused with cold water and said with a wry smile, "What bad luck! Never mind, let's go to sleep!" Baochai blushed and whispered, "If my husband is feeling uncomfortable, let Ying'er come in and keep you company, or Xiangling will do too."

Jia Huan took a deep breath, suppressing his desire, and laughed, "What are you talking about? Wouldn't it be better to lie down and talk intimately, listening to the rain as we fall asleep?"

Baochai felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing this, and took the initiative to offer a sweet kiss. She snuggled closer to Jia, whispered in his ear, and said in a soft, fragrant voice, "If my husband really wants it, I am not unwilling."

Jia Huan broke out in a cold sweat and said awkwardly, "Isn't Sister Bao feeling unwell?"

Baochai stammered, "It's not that it's inconvenient, it's just... it's just that my period hasn't come this month yet. It's usually very punctual, but this month it's already more than ten days late, and I'm afraid..."

Jia Huan was taken aback for a moment before realizing what was happening, and quickly asked, "When was the last time?"

“The second day of last month,” Baochai replied shyly.

Jia Huan sat up abruptly, so excited. Could it be? His first time with Baochai was the day before New Year's Eve, and now it's already the nineteenth day of the first lunar month, a full seventeen or eighteen days late. Could it be... that he really got pregnant on the first try? That's incredibly accurate.

"Sister Bao, could you be pregnant?"

Xue Baochai blushed and quickly covered Jia Huan's mouth, saying shyly, "Shh, my dear ancestor, please keep your voice down. Ying'er is still sleeping in the outer room. Be careful she hears you."

Jia Huan, however, said excitedly, "What's there to be afraid of? This is a joyous occasion."

"It's still uncertain, and you're just making things up. What if you end up getting nothing but disappointment? Wouldn't that be incredibly embarrassing?"

Jia Huan nodded and said, "That makes sense. How about we find a doctor tomorrow to take my sister's pulse?"

Xue Baochai smiled and scolded, "Huan-di is so confused. Even if it is true, it has only been less than a month, and the doctor cannot detect the fetal breathing."

"Yes, I'm so happy I'm confused." Jia Huan laughed and slapped his forehead. Modern medicine is advanced enough to detect early pregnancy within a month through blood tests, but with traditional Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis, it would probably take at least two or three months of pregnancy to do so.

Seeing Jia Huan so excited, Xue Baochai was also very happy, but at the same time she was a little worried that it would be a false alarm. After all, Ping'er, Qingwen, Caixia and Xueyan had not been able to get pregnant, but she and Huan had gotten pregnant on the first try, which was really unbelievable. However, it was not impossible that they really got pregnant, after all, some things are indeed destined, just like the fate between the two of them!
Now Jia Huan couldn't sleep. He would press his ear against Baochai's lower abdomen to listen, and then ask her if she wanted water, if she needed more pillows, or if she wanted his thighs and shoulders massaged.
Baochai was both amused and annoyed, but secretly delighted. She scolded, "My little darling, just calm down for a bit. If you keep causing trouble, none of us will get any sleep."

Jia Huan couldn't help but chuckle. He then lay down with Baochai in his arms, being very careful and no longer daring to make any unwanted advances. In his mind, however, he was wondering whether he should ask Emperor Qiansheng for another three months' leave.

(End of this chapter)