Yummy Yummy Yummy

The Lin couple's stay by the Wei River had reached its second summer. Shen Shaoguang's belly was slightly rounded, carrying a baby of about five months.

This time, she finally resembled the plump beauties of the Tang Dynasty. Though only five months pregnant, she had already gained noticeable weight.

Pinching the flesh at her waist, Shen Shaoguang pursed her lips unhappily.

Lin Yan comforted her, "This suits you well." To make it more convincing, he added, "Perfectly proportioned. You were too thin before—it made my heart ache."

Shen Shaoguang shot him an amused glance. Our Master Lin has become quite the smooth talker these days, effortlessly spouting sweet nothings, unlike before when he needed time and the right mood to compose them.

Though she disliked her extra weight, Shen Shaoguang couldn't control her appetite. While others suffered from morning sickness during pregnancy, she found that only by constantly eating could she avoid nausea.

Her cravings were intense, especially for foods from her past life. The more she couldn't have them, the more she longed for them.

Like chili peppers.

Fish with chopped chili, fish with pickled vegetables, boiled fish in chili oil; diced chicken with dried chili, chicken feet with pickled peppers, dry-fried spicy chicken chunks; stir-fried pork with chili, stir-fried shrimp with chili, stir-fried pork intestines with chili... Even a bowl of sour and spicy noodles would do.

Shen Shaoguang suspected her hormones were acting up during this special time, giving her a touch of prenatal depression. The thought of a bowl of sour and spicy noodles nearly brought her to tears.

Listening to his beloved wife describe her craving—something spicy and sour, with toasted sesame seeds, fried beans, cooked in rich broth, topped with minced meat, a dash of pepper powder, and garnished with cilantro—Lin Yan nodded. He personally went to the kitchen and returned with a tray bearing a Tang Dynasty pregnancy-safe version of "sour and spicy noodles."

The noodles were made from mung bean starch, slightly overcooked. The spiciness came from Zanthoxylum piperitum and minced garlic, used sparingly—better than nothing. Only a hint of vinegar provided a faint sourness. The rich broth, minced meat, and beans were the only components not compromised...

This bowl of noodles, neither sour nor spicy and radiating an aura of "moderation and harmony," was an anomaly in the world of sour and spicy noodles. Yet, it miraculously cured Shen Shaoguang's prenatal depression.

With a satisfied stomach, she sprawled on the bamboo mat, her spirits lifted once more.

Lin Yan, however, watched her with heartache. Since becoming pregnant, A Qi often struggled to sleep, was unusually sensitive to heat, and while her appetite was good, there were many foods she couldn't eat. He'd heard that women's emotions were particularly unstable during this time. Though A Qi was generally carefree, she must be holding back at times. It was a pity her mother wasn't here...

He gently ruffled her hair.

Shen Shaoguang looked at him. What was this? Was the expectant father also suffering from prenatal depression?

Teasing him, she asked, "Tell me, my lord, what were you thinking back then, sending someone disguised to deliver a bamboo mat to me?"

"Seeing how much you suffered from the heat, I wanted to give you one. But I feared you wouldn't accept it, so I resorted to that," Lin Yan answered honestly, without embarrassment.

"Why not use your grandmother's name like you did with the screen?"

"A trick loses its magic if overused."

Shen Shaoguang laughed.

"Pity my A Qi is as sharp as an old hand at criminal investigations," Lin Yan smiled. Back then, he'd thought their courtship would be a long game. Who could have imagined they'd come this far?

"Of course!" Shen Shaoguang said proudly. "At the time, I wisely concluded it was either 'illicit or thievery.' I initially thought 'thievery,' but who knew..." She gave Lin Yan a meaningful look.

Lin Yan leaned down, carefully embracing his beloved wife and kissing her red lips, though he dared not do more. Silently, he counted—there was still a long wait ahead.After a while of affectionate cuddling, Shen Shaoguang sat up. "Let's go. It's rare for us to come by the Wei River—we should take a walk outside."

Lin Yan also sat up, helping her put on a wide-brimmed hat to shield her from the sun. Holding her hand, they stepped out and slowly made their way toward the riverbank.

"Darling, can I have just a little bit of river snails?"

"It's best not to eat such peculiar things."

"What about eel?"

"Eel is too warming—you might feel overheated if you eat it."

"Then turtle?"

Lin Yan couldn't bear it anymore. "Turtle promotes blood circulation... A Qi, how about we have some crucian carp soup? While you were napping earlier, I went fishing and caught a few. I’ve already had the kitchen simmer them into a milky-white broth. We can use it to cook broad noodles and add some fresh greens from the garden."

Shen Shaoguang nodded. "Fine, then." Our husband’s way of describing food is almost as good as mine—just hearing him talk about it makes crucian carp noodle soup sound appealing. But I still really want spicy stir-fried river snails, turtle stewed with chicken, and dry-fried eel! Maybe after the baby is born...

Both Shen Shaoguang and Lin Yan eagerly awaited the day of delivery. After enduring the scorching summer, autumn winds finally arrived. Two more months of autumn passed, and at last, late autumn came. The mornings and evenings grew chilly, and the expected due date arrived—yet there was still no sign of labor.

Lin Yan anxiously summoned the imperial physician several times for checkups, but each time, the physician assured him everything was fine and advised them to wait a little longer. Princess Fuhui and Li Xiang's wife came to visit, while Shen Zhi's wife even moved in to stay with them.

Another half-month passed. One morning, as Shen Shaoguang was taking her usual stroll in the garden, she suddenly felt something unusual—labor had finally begun.

Shen Shaoguang remained composed. She entered the delivery room, changed clothes, and ate a bowl of creamy egg custard to replenish her energy. Occasionally, she even joked with her aunt. But gradually, as the contractions grew more frequent and intense, she could no longer keep up the lighthearted chatter.

Lin Yan, having just returned from court, received the news and personally went to fetch the imperial physician. Unable to wait, he rushed home on horseback ahead of them.

Grandma sat in the main hall, watching her grandson stride in. "Don’t panic, don’t panic—"

Lin Yan clenched his fists and stood outside the door, listening.

Inside, he could hear his aunt and the midwife urging Shen Shaoguang to push, the clinking of utensils, the sound of water—but no voice from A Qi.

Lin Yan’s heart tightened. Could something have happened to A Qi? Childbirth was excruciating, and A Qi had always been delicate...

"A Qi, A Qi—"

Hearing his voice, Shen Shaoguang suddenly felt like crying. This idiot—finally back!

When he didn’t hear her reply, Lin Yan’s heart sank. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. Grand Madam Jiang had no time to stop him, and the servants at the door didn’t dare to intervene. Lin Yan quickly walked around the screen.

"Nephew, what are you doing in here?" Shen Zhi's wife blocked his way.

Glancing at the half-drawn curtain and the shocking sight of blood in the copper basin, he whispered, "A Qi..."

"She’s doing fine," Shen Zhi's wife assured him.

"I’m okay!" Shen Shaoguang groaned.

Lin Yan let out a relieved sigh, bowed to Shen Zhi's wife, and retreated.

Grand Madam Jiang shook her head and pointed at him in mild reproach.

"Grandma, I’ll go outside to greet the imperial physician."

Grand Madam Jiang nodded.

In the end, the physician wasn’t needed. Just past noon, the sound of a baby’s cry filled the air. The midwife’s congratulatory voice came from inside, "Madam, it’s a little lord!"

Outside, Grand Madam Jiang murmured a prayer of thanks, while Lin Yan once again became the composed and dignified nobleman he was known to be.

With a smile, he thanked the physician for his trouble, promising to visit him personally later and inviting him to celebrate at the baby’s hundred-day banquet.Similar to the later tradition of giving children humble names for easier upbringing, even prestigious families like the Lins simply called their child "Eldest Young Master" without even bestowing a milk name. The hundred-day banquet for the Lin family's little Eldest Young Master wasn't particularly grand, but the guests were all distinguished—ministers, secretaries, and vice-ministers, all high-ranking officials in purple and crimson robes... Even more sent gifts, including the emperor who dispatched a eunuch to deliver his present.

In the inner quarters were Princess Fuhui and the noble ladies. Shen Shaoguang brought out the child for them to see. At a hundred days old, he had already passed the red-skinned fox stage, becoming plump and fair. With both parents being exceptionally good-looking, how could such a child not be adorable?

The elder ladies took turns holding him, while the younger ones teased him. Little Eldest Young Master Lin furrowed his tiny brows, looking solemn.

Princess Fuhui laughed and said to Shen Shaoguang, "He doesn’t resemble you at all."

Madam Li Yue also chuckled, "He’s the spitting image of his A Ye." Turning to Grand Madam Jiang, she added, "In a few years, we’ll have another Tanhua scholar."

But Shen Shaoguang knew this was the prelude to a tantrum—sure enough, "Waaah—"

Madam Li Yue quickly patted him and handed him back to Shen Shaoguang.

Shen Shaoguang smiled. "He must be hungry."

The ladies urged in unison, "Go feed him, go feed him, don’t let him starve."

Shen Shaoguang gave a slight bow to the princess and the elder ladies, nodded to the younger ones, and then retreated to the inner chambers with her maids and attendants.

Among the younger ladies was an old acquaintance of Shen Shaoguang—Qin Wuniang. Though Qin Wuniang had been betrothed early, her marriage was delayed due to her fiancé, the grandson of the Duke of Xinyang, observing mourning for his grandfather. Thus, she married later than Lin Yan and Shen Shaoguang. Recalling the baby’s furrowed brows, Qin Wuniang smiled faintly—it truly resembled... Thinking back to those days, she realized how foolish she had been.

After the banquet, the maids and attendants sorted through the gifts from the guests. Shen Shaoguang couldn’t help but laugh at the exceptionally lifelike jade monkey figurine from Shao Jie. Was this a wish for her son to be just as mischievous?

Among the gifts was one from Li Xu, the fourth son of the late Prince Wu, now enfeoffed as the Prince of Huainan.

During the retrial of Prince Wu’s case, the court had sent envoys to the south to retrieve his surviving sons—only the fourth and fifth remained. Unfortunately, only the fifth was found; Li Xu had arrived in Chang’an on his own that spring.

Shen Shaoguang had met him once, not only because of the ties between Prince Wu and the Shen family but also because of Yu San.

Shen Shaoguang had long returned Yu San’s deed of servitude, but Yu San still lived in the Shen residence, helping manage various affairs.

Li Xu bore the traditional good looks of the Li clan but lacked the dissipated air Shen Shaoguang had expected—she still remembered Princess Yu San’s tale of the "fish banquet."

At the sight of Li Xu, Yu San’s eyes instantly lit up, only to revert to her usual "Who are you? Who am I? Whatever" demeanor.

Shen Shaoguang left them to catch up. As she reached the door, she overheard faint murmurs.

"Ancestor, I finally found you. I really thought you’d been sent to Shouxiang City," Li Xu’s voice.

"The court’s men couldn’t find you—were you in Shouxiang City? Weren’t you getting married? What about Liu Gongdao—"

"You believed that? Are you bird-brained? No, I mean I’m bird-brained..."

Shen Shaoguang smiled. Well, it was all fate.

Some time later, the Lin family received a belated hundred-day gift.That was sent by Cui Jing, the son of the late Minister Cui. Lin Yan had no intention of hiding anything from Shen Shaoguang and handed her the letter to read.

"...Upon receiving your letter upon my return to the capital, I was overjoyed to learn of the birth of your son... I have an inkstone, a gift from Master Suyuan in years past. Though not a famous relic from previous dynasties, it carries the legacy of a great scholar. I present it to your young son..." The letter was written in a dignified Wei script, simple and unadorned, truly excellent. The several pages of the letter detailed his own circumstances and inquired about Lin Yan's, all very homely matters, showing that he was indeed a close friend of Lin Yan's.

Upon reading the phrase "ailing body" in the letter, Shen Shaoguang recalled the story of Lin Yan rescuing the Cui family, as told by Uncle Chu.

At that time, due to a poem deemed "criticizing the emperor," Minister Cui was sentenced to two years of exile, his son to one year, banished to the malarial regions of Lingnan, and his daughter consigned to the palace. Thanks to the efforts of Lin Yan and a few of the Cui family's friends, the usually self-preserving Prime Minister Chen took pity and pleaded with the emperor, resulting in Minister Cui and his son being exiled to the nearer Pingzhou instead. It was also said that Cui Jing was suffering from malaria at the time, which delayed his departure—otherwise, he might not have survived the journey. Not long after, the previous emperor passed away, and the current emperor ascended the throne, issuing a general pardon. Cui Jing was allowed to return to his hometown, but by then, Minister Cui had already passed away, and the young Miss Cui had long since perished.

This was something Chu Di had specifically investigated and told Shen Shaoguang after discovering the relationship between Lin and Shen, intending to inform her of Lin Yan's character and his ties to the Cui family. Shen Shaoguang remembered Uncle Chu's assessment of Lin Yan: "He may seem aloof, but he is a man of deep feeling and righteousness."

Shen Shaoguang returned the letter to Lin Yan with a smile, saying, "We must remind the little rascal to be careful with it and not ruin such a fine treasure."

Lin Yan smiled. "If he breaks it, we'll spank his bottom."

At the age of three, Lin Xiaodalang finally received his formal name: Changling. This name surprised Shen Shaoguang somewhat. She had expected Lin Yan to choose something reflecting moral or intellectual aspirations for their child, but instead, it was a simple wish for his safety and longevity.

Unfortunately, not long after Lin Changling received his name, his father was reassigned as Minister of Justice and appointed as an imperial inspector to Jiangnan, leaving for over a year.

Lin Changling was a handsome little boy, usually quiet but occasionally talkative.

Shen Shaoguang noticed his exceptionally vivid imagination. Seeing a group of ants carrying a fat worm, he would speculate about generals and soldiers, enemies and allies among them. This pleased Shen Shaoguang greatly, attributing it to her own genetic influence. Even if the child excelled at nothing else, he could at least write romances to make a living.

Lin Yan's colleagues were considerate enough to periodically ask if there were any letters to be taken to Jiangnan. Among the family letters sent was young Lin Changling's masterpiece— The Ant Hunt .

The drawing was made with a willow-charcoal pencil, "bold and colorful," barely recognizable in form. Alongside it were Shen Shaoguang's various annotations, combining image and text to convey the child's story.

Later, they received a reply, including the "homework" corrected by his father, with added plot details that transformed the simple story into a more structured narrative. Young Lin was delighted by this, stumbling through the words on the drawing, half-guessing and half-reading, and pestering Shen Shaoguang to retell the story of the ant hunt over and over, matching the pictures with the letter.Shen Shaoguang occasionally improvised freely, adding more details to the story, transforming it from a children's comic into a picture book and then into a novel.

Perhaps it was due to these letters, or perhaps because Shen Shaoguang often said, "A Ye loves our eldest son the most," Lin Changling, though initially unfamiliar with his father, quickly warmed up to him after one storytelling session and a game.

Playing football with Lin Yan, Lin Changling was drenched in sweat. Shen Shaoguang called him over to wipe his face and drink some Fruit Drink, but Lin Changling waved her off, wanting to keep playing.

Shen Shaoguang teased him with a laugh, "Now that your A Ye is back, you're ignoring your mother."

Lin Changling hugged the ball and reasoned with her, "I just want to play football."

"You never acted like this when playing with A Yuan and A Qing."

The young master Lin finally admitted the truth, "Playing with A Ye is more fun."

"Isn't it fun with A Yuan and the others?"

Lin Changling liked A Yuan too, but he still said, "It's fun, but playing football with A Ye is even more fun."

Unfortunately, his preference for his father only lasted until bedtime.

"It's getting late, A Ye should go to sleep."

Lin Yan looked at his son, "I'll sleep here."

"But this is my and mother's bed."

Lin Yan reasoned with him, "You're a big boy now, you shouldn't sleep with your mother anymore."

"A Ye is bigger." Lin Changling clung to his mother's arm.

Seeing his defensive stance, Lin Yan chuckled and sat on the bed, planning to take it slow.

Lin Changling preempted him, "Mother said we should follow the first-come, first-served rule."

Lin Yan: "..."

Shen Shaoguang burst into laughter.

Lin Changling frowned and gave his mother a reproachful look.

Shen Shaoguang quickly agreed, "Our eldest son is right."

Lin Changling flashed a triumphant smile, identical to his father's.

"Such a big bed, are you really unwilling to share a little with A Ye?" Lin Yan changed tactics.

Perhaps sensing his father's persistence, Lin Changling thought it over and finally compromised, "Then—A Ye can sleep here? Mother?"

Shen Shaoguang reluctantly nodded, "Fine, let him sleep here."

Lying between his parents, Lin Changling initially held some reservations toward his father. But after hearing two bedtime stories from him, he finally let go of his reservations. Holding onto A Ye's sleeve with one hand and hugging his mother's arm with the other, he fell asleep.

Lin Yan gently carried him to the adjacent room, tucked him in, kissed his little face, and returned to the couple's bedroom.

Shen Shaoguang smiled.

Lin Yan also smiled helplessly.

He pulled his wife into a tight embrace and whispered after a long pause, "A Qi, I've missed you so much."

Nestled in his arms, Shen Shaoguang replied softly, "Lin Yan, I've missed you too."

Author's note: ① Bai Cui Banquet: A banquet held for a child's 100th day. ② Slandering the emperor.