The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

The move was put on hold.

The fact that both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are pregnant at the same time might be a beautiful story in an ordinary family, but in Bianjing, in the circle of nobles, it is easy to attract gossip.

After careful consideration, Shilan decided to stay at the Duke of England's residence to prepare for childbirth.

Firstly, having her mother-in-law around would keep her from getting bored and restless during the long pregnancy;

Secondly, by staying in the household, she could at least cover up some of the truth for her mother-in-law.

Although it's true that once a child is born, just like an ugly daughter-in-law eventually having to meet her in-laws, and it can't be hidden, keeping the mother-in-law in a good mood during pregnancy will only be more beneficial for the fetus.

Chen Ning was determined to keep this unexpected child, and the entire Zhang family, from the Duke of Yingguo to the three brothers Zhang Xian, Zhang Yun, and Zhang Yan, and then to their two daughters-in-law, Shen Shi and Shi Lan, had no objections.

After all, the risks of miscarriage for someone Chen Ning's age may not be any less than those of childbirth.

Rather than doing that, why not take a gamble?

The Duke of England mobilized all his connections, and the Zhang brothers, Zhang Xian and Zhang Yun, each used their unique abilities to quickly invite several highly skilled gynecologists and the most experienced midwives.

They spared no expense on anything during the couple's pregnancy.

When outsiders saw the Duke of England's grand gesture, they thought Shilan was really lucky. She was pregnant and her husband's family valued her so much. Some people scoffed, while others were very envious.

But none of this has anything to do with Shilan.

She was focused solely on her pregnancy.

In late August of the following year, Shilan went into labor first. The delivery went smoothly, and she gave birth to a healthy, rosy-cheeked baby girl with a loud cry and eyes that were very similar to Shilan's.

Zhang Yun was overjoyed and didn't know what to do with herself. She held her daughter and looked at her again and again, unable to put her down.

Shilan felt an unprecedented sense of fulfillment.

Zhang Yun carefully selected and racked his brains before finally choosing Zhang Chaoyu as her formal name. Her nickname, Anjie'er, was chosen by Fu Ge'er, wishing her a peaceful and smooth life.

Two weeks later, Chen Ning's due date arrived.

After a tumultuous but safe delivery, a healthy baby girl, just like Anjie'er, was born, and both mother and daughter are safe and sound.

When the Duke of England heard the midwife's four words outside the delivery room, this veteran general, who had spent half his life on the battlefield and seen many storms, actually had tears in his eyes.

This year, the osmanthus trees in the courtyard bloomed exceptionally early, their fragrance rich and intoxicating, filling the courtyard with golden light.

The couple named their child Zhang Guifen, with the nickname Baojie'er, meaning precious treasure. They also hoped that her life would be as radiant and brilliant as the osmanthus tree in the courtyard that had accompanied them for half their lives.

The British Duke's mansion, which has always been dominated by men, welcomed its only daughter in two generations within just half a month!

The entire household, from the Duke of England down to the servants, was beaming with joy.

Even more fortunately, the midwife and gynecologist hired by the Zhang family at great expense played a crucial role. Neither the mother-in-law nor the daughter-in-law experienced the most comfortable months for childbirth, yet both recovered exceptionally well postpartum.

When both mother and daughter-in-law finished their postpartum confinement period, they both had rosy complexions and radiant appearances, which completely put the Zhang family at ease.

However, this year seemed to be a lucky year when the young ladies made a pact to descend to the mortal world hand in hand.

Year-end.

Good news also came from the Dongchang Marquis's residence.

In the winter, Wang Ruofu also gave birth to a beautiful little girl.

Qin Zhengyang was overjoyed, but he struggled to choose a name. In the end, Hua Jie made the final decision and chose the character "Ru".

Her full name is Qin Rujin, and she is called Rujie'er.

Holding her adorable little daughter in her arms, and looking at the graceful Hua Jie'er and the increasingly mature Cheng Bai beside her, Wang Ruofu felt that her life was complete and she had no other desires.

Only Madam Wu of the Yongchang Marquis's Mansion, upon hearing the news, held her one-year-old, fair-skinned and adorable son, Liang Liulang, and secretly gritted her teeth.

So many young ladies, but she wasn't chosen!

-

Time flies, and another five years have passed.

Spring is in full bloom by Jinming Pond.

A little girl, about four or five years old, wearing a primrose-colored embroidered butterfly dress, was running so fast that she tripped over a blade of grass and fell with a thud onto the soft grass.

She seemed stunned by the fall, sitting there for two seconds before raising her small hand. A small patch of skin was scraped off her fair palm, and tiny beads of blood seeped out.

The little girl pouted and cried out, "Waaaaah..."

"What's wrong? What's wrong, Miss Ru? Where did you fall?"

A pretty little girl with delicate features, dressed in a pink dress, ran over immediately upon hearing the sound.

As the girl sobbed, showing her injuries, she accused, "Fourth sister... Sixth brother, sixth brother bullied me!"

Anjie frowned, looking at the guilty-looking little boy not far away, and was about to explode.

"Liang Xiaoliu!"

Another little girl, also four or five years old and wearing a pomegranate-red short jacket, with already spirited features, rushed over first. She was still clutching the arrows used for pitch-pot in her hand. Seeing Ru'er's miserable state, she immediately put her hands on her hips and yelled at the boy, "Why are you bullying little Ru'er again!"

The young man called Liang Xiaoliu was rather thin, but his features were extremely handsome. He explained guiltily, "I... I just wanted her to eat fewer snacks! Look how round her face is, it'll get even rounder if she eats more!"

Upon hearing this, Ru Jie'er, who had been sobbing softly, was first taken aback, and then her crying instantly rose a notch.

Anjie and the little girl in red, who was none other than Zhang Guifen, the daughter of the Zhang family, couldn't help but burst out laughing. Then, realizing something was wrong, they immediately straightened their faces and instinctively shielded Anjie behind them.

While wiping away her younger sister's tears, Anjie couldn't help but touch her chubby face a couple more times.

I must say, it is indeed softer than the last time we met.

But he firmly defended his younger sister, saying, "So what if she's a little chubby? My aunt can afford to feed her!"

Rujie cried even louder.

This isn't the kind of protection she wants!

"Who said our Miss Ru has gotten fat?" A gentle and clear voice interrupted.

Everyone turned around and saw a young girl in a light green dress walking gracefully towards them. She was about thirteen or fourteen years old, with a slender figure and a beautiful face. It was Hua Jie'er.

As soon as Sister Ru saw her, she ran straight over to her.

Hua Jie'er gently patted her younger sister's head, skillfully took out a clean handkerchief, wiped away her tears, and then asked the maid beside her for clean water. She carefully cleaned Ru Jie'er's wounds and gently comforted her, "Little girls need to eat more so they can grow up quickly. When you grow up a bit more, your body will grow thinner naturally. If you don't eat, you won't grow tall."

Liang Liulang scratched the back of his head, still able to say a few words, when a gruff voice came from behind him asking:

"Liang Xiaoliu, did you make Xiaoru'er cry again?"

Upon hearing this voice, Liang Liulang sensed something was wrong and turned to run away, but after only two steps, a hand grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him back.

"Second Brother Gu! Second Brother Gu, spare me! I was wrong! I was really wrong! I just wanted to tease my little sister..."

His disheveled appearance immediately made Ru'er burst into laughter through her tears, waving her other little fist that her sister hadn't caught: "Beat him! Second Brother Gu, beat him up!"

Gu Tingye immediately locked Liang Liulang's throat and used his other hand to mess up Liang Liulang's hair into a bird's nest.

Rujin smiled even more happily.

Guifen and Anjie, not wanting to miss out on the fun, cheered and shouted enthusiastically.

Cheng Bai squatted down, tenderly took her other little hand and looked at it, then took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket. Together with his older sister, they carefully applied medicine to his younger sister's hand.

While the boys were having fun, in the pavilion in the middle of the lake on the other side, Shilan was sitting with Wang Ruofu and Madam Wu, drinking tea and chatting.

Or rather, Shilan and Madam Wu were listening to Wang Ruofu's complaints:

"...Ten years! A full ten years, and she completely ignored me! Then finally, a letter arrived, and I thought she'd finally remembered she had a daughter like me. But guess what?"

She slammed her teacup down on the stone table, indignantly saying, "They actually want me to marry Hua-jie to You-ge! They say it's a marriage between close relatives, and that they'll never mistreat Hua-jie! Bah!"

"If we're talking about closeness, who's closer to her than me? I'm her own daughter, born after ten months of her pregnancy! If she can be so cruel to me, how can I expect her to treat my Hua'er well?"