There is a traditional month of confinement following childbirth.
Tian Lan eyed the newborn babe in her arms.
Babies are so ugly! Tian Lan concluded after observing it.
Auntie Lian said that newborn babies were like this. They were supposed to grow prettier.
Tian Lan had never seen other babies, but Auntie Lian, who"d seen many babies before, must be right. Tian Lan didn"t doubt her at all.
And this baby was also Tian Lan"s only kin in this different world. She"d given birth to him a few days ago.
Tian Lan herself was confused. When she"d woken up, she no longer was on Mt. Yuehua with her shifu, but giving birth to a baby somewhere else.
Tian Lan didn"t understand complicated things. And things Tian Lan didn"t understand, she didn"t think about.
Auntie Lian was the first person she met here. Auntie Lian looked strange. She had long blue hair and green eyes, and spoke strange words.
Auntie Lian was very stingy. She made delicious chicken soup for Tian Lan, but the portions were too small.
Auntie Lian told her that her name was Feng Wu and she was called Xiao Wu.
Shifu said that for cultivators of the sword, the most important thing was their own sword. Nothing else mattered to sword cultivators.
So Tian Lan, eh… no, Feng Wu, quickly accepted this new name. Changing names wasn"t a big deal anyways.
"Missus, it"s time to eat. I"ve made stewed pig trotters today, so eat lots!" A warmly smiling woman of about thirty carried a pot of stew in.
She first set the pot down on the table, then placed a smaller table on the bed for Xiao Wu to eat from. Then she transferred the pot to the table on the bed.
Feng Wu pa.s.sed the baby to Auntie Lian as usual and happily devoured the soup in the pot.
Today"s serving of stew was much more than before. Auntie Lian is actually a great person, and not at all stingy. Feng Wu"s mind was easily changed.
Feng Wu was occupied eating stew and gnawing on pig trotters, and completely missed Auntie Lian"s complicated gaze.
Auntie Lian wanted to cry whenever she looked at Feng Wu. Feng Wu was the missus of the Feng clan. The Feng clan had two children: one was Feng Juntian, and the other was Feng Wu.
Feng Juntian was handsome and serious, the favorite of the elders.
But Feng Juntian"s sister Feng Wu, was fickle and headstrong. She frequently bullied her cousins and was a disagreeable little witch.
And this little witch was discovered pregnant one day. The patriarch of the Feng clan was furious. He dragged Feng Wu to the ancestral hall to interrogate her, but never found out whom the father of her child was.
Patriarch Feng was so furious that he wanted to beat Feng Wu to death so that she wouldn"t give birth to a child that would ruin the Feng family name.
Of course, that was impossible. Feng Wu"s parents and her aloof brother, Feng Juntian, knelt together to plead for Feng Wu"s sake.
So Patriarch Feng sent Feng Wu to the countryside with no one but her caretaker, Auntie Lian.
The Feng clan specifically bought a small compound for Feng Wu. Since only the two of them lived there, they didn"t need a big house, and it would be inconvenient for Auntie Lian to clean anyways.
Before they left, the Feng clan reminded Auntie Lian not to hire any other servants. She alone is enough.
Madam Feng"s meaning was that after Feng Wu gave birth to the baby in secret, she"d find a way to bring back Feng Wu when Patriarch Feng calmed down.
Thank goodness that the madam, the master, and the young master hadn"t abandoned the missus despite her mistakes.
Auntie Lian was dejected. She was worried for the missus"s future. The miss already gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. But the madam hadn"t said when she would return, and had only instructed Auntie Lian to take good care of the missus.
She knew it depended on the will of the patriarch, but Auntie Lian still wrung her hands for her now cute and sincere missus.
The missus had become pregnant at fourteen. Such a young mother was very uncommon on the Heavenly Wind Continent.
In this world, people either learnt magic or the sword. Their lifespans were much longer thanks to the study of magic.
If you become a Saint-level magician, or even a Saint-level swordmaster, then you can live longer than a millennium. n.o.body will do something dumb like getting knocked up as a teenager.
Carrying a child harms the mother"s body. Many women lose a great deal of inner qi after giving birth. So most female swordmasters and magicians are reluctant to have children, and even if they do, they won"t do so while they are young.
The golden age for learning magic or the sword is in your youth after all. People pursue strength and can"t bother to mess around.
Perhaps the missus received too strong a shock. She became much quieter after leaving the Feng clan. Her heart even briefly stopped during the labor, then started again after two minutes. She then successfully gave birth to the child.
Auntie Lian is very pleased with the now straightforward little miss. The patriarch might even let her return home if he sees how sweet she"s become.
"I"ve finished." Feng Wu finishes the last sip of the soup. She smiles satisfiedly.
Auntie Lian is dumbstruck by the cleanly licked pot. There was enough for five people! Yet the missus had finished it so fast. Auntie Lian was amazed every time.
Feng Wu obediently spent a month in bed at Auntie Lian"s insistence. During this time, she would either eat or sleep. Finally she becomes a little plumper and returns to her former good health.
Even Auntie Lian was shocked by the speed of Feng Wu"s recovery. Feng Wu clearly lost a lot of inner qi during the labor. She should have needed at least half a year to recover.
But in a month"s time, the missus was apple-cheeked and even healthier than before. Auntie Lian couldn"t figure it out. But when she asked Feng Wu, Feng Wu only looked at her mystifiedly. It seemed Feng Wu also had no idea.
So she dropped the puzzling matter.
Auntie Lian had no idea that Feng Wu was thinking that: How is a month fast? She"d earnestly practiced the neigong her shifu taught her, but had only regained two levels of her previous cultivation. That"s why she"d needed a whole month to recuperate.
That speed was ridiculously slow. Her master would definitely scold her if he heard.
Feng Wu"s baby ate a lot. She couldn"t satisfy his demands even with Auntie Lian"s help.
He"d often pout from hunger and begin crying miserably.
Then the mother, Feng Wu would earnestly say to the crying infant, "Don"t cry, baby. Kids that cry are bad kids. Look, Mother doesn"t cry."
Of course, a baby couldn"t understand. He"d cry regardless. And every time that happened, Feng Wu would hand the baby over to Auntie Lian and say in all seriousness, "He"s so naughty."
She"d then look hurt by his lack of filial piety.