Chapter 37: Good News

Chapter 37

Good News

After returning from the Jiang family tea plantation, Nie Shuang felt even more confident that her tea house venture would succeed. Though it wasn’t fully established yet, she wasn’t in a hurry. By next spring, the entire tea harvest from the Jiang family’s plantation, including the fermented and processed varieties, would be hers. The thought filled her with excitement.

Nie Shuang tasked Da Shi with finding a location for the tea house—somewhere close to the business district yet quiet and serene. Such a spot wouldn’t be easy to come by, but the agent promised to search diligently. After all, in a bustling city like Huangjing, it wasn’t uncommon for new shops to open while others closed.

By now, rumors had spread throughout Huangjing City that a wealthy individual had moved into a mansion previously abandoned by its fleeing owner. This wealthy figure was a young and beautiful woman, though her background remained mysterious. She was known to have a large group of guards in her mansion, as if she were an important person. Those close to her referred to her as "Lady Boss", but oddly, but she didn’t seem to have any business. Instead, she spent her days visiting various shops. In reality, Nie Shuang was getting ready to launch her tea house.

One morning, as she was about to eat breakfast, she suddenly felt nauseous. Despite trying to force herself to eat, she couldn’t, and ended up vomiting several times. Xiao San, alarmed, rushed to fetch a doctor. Nie Shuang closed her eyes, her face pale.

Could it be...? Was she pregnant?

For a brief moment, Nie Shuang didn’t know how to feel. But when she thought about the child being hers and his, a wave of joy...surged within her.

Qilin...

If he knew, he would surely be happy too. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly swallowed them down.

No, it’s probably just exhaustion from overworking.

She told herself that, but deep down, she knew there was a strong chance she was indeed pregnant.

At that time, she and Song Qilin had been intimate several times without any precautions. Both of them were young and healthy...

Before long, an elderly doctor arrived at the mansion with his medical bag. He took her pulse for a moment and then began writing a prescription. His expression remained neutral.

"Doctor, what’s wrong with me?"

Nie Shuang asked.

"Are you unmarried?"

The doctor gave her a questioning look, as though deciding whether to prescribe a tonic or an abortive remedy.

"I am married. My husband is a soldier, and has to station at the border for several more years."

The doctor, not wanting to pry further into her personal life, replied,

"You are pregnant. The prescription I’ve written should be taken once a day until the time of delivery."

Nie Shuang frowned. She felt healthy—wasn’t nourishing food enough? There were still many months until the birth. Would she really need to drink herbal tonics every day until then? Or was there something wrong with the baby? Seeing her expression, the doctor explained.

"Your pregnancy is not abnormal. You are simply carrying twins. If you don’t take care of yourself properly, you may suffer from chronic health issues after giving birth. The babies are healthy, and it won’t be too late to nourish them when they are born."

What had once been joy at the news of her pregnancy now left her stunned.

Twins!? Had she heard him correctly?

"Doctor, are you sure? Am...am I really carrying twins?"

In addition to her joy, a wave of fear washed over her. In this ancient era, childbirth was fraught with risks. Even a normal pregnancy and delivery were difficult, but carrying twins? Who knew what complications could arise? Seeing her fear, the doctor sought to reassure her.

"I prescribed the tonic for you, didn’t I? If you drink it as instructed, there is nothing to fear. During this time, avoid sweet and greasy foods. You’re still young, so it’s best to start taking care of yourself early in the pregnancy."

Although many areas of knowledge were still underdeveloped in this era, the medical field was advanced, particularly in herbal medicine and acupuncture. The doctor they had called upon was highly experienced.

Nie Shuang could only thank the doctor. After he left, she sat in a daze for a long time. Xiao San, who had escorted the doctor out, rushed back in, both excited and concerned.

"Furen! You’re going to have a little young master!"

Tears welled up in Xiao San’s eyes.

"Will you send word to the General? He is the father, after all."

Nie Shuang shook her head.

"He and I have no connection anymore. The child is mine alone. I was the one who chose to leave, and I won’t go back to burden him."

Xiao San felt sad when she heard this. She pitied her young master, who was being separated from his father even before birth, and would also be denied his rightful place as the heir. But Nie Shuang wasn’t concerned about such things. As long as she could raise her child well, she felt she owed him nothing more.

Meanwhile, although Song Qilin had returned to his post at the border, he continued sending people to search for her everywhere. Each time he received promising news, he would anxiously await, unable to eat or sleep. But every time, he was met with disappointment. The women brought to him were never her. Still, he refused to give up.

Since leaving the Hou’s manor, Song Qilin had more time to reflect on what had happened. Nie Shuang had intended to leave him from the very start. The night before his departure, she had been especially affectionate, and in the morning, she had tearfully kissed him goodbye.

After investigating the household staff, he learned that his father had given her all the gemstones he had accumulated over the years, and later, even four additional chests of gold. Clearly, his father had known about their plan to elope from the very beginning.Initially, Song Qilin had felt heartbroken, thinking that it was his fault. But upon realizing that she had been in on the plan with his father, the pain of betrayal struck him even harder. Yet, he wasn’t angry. This was exactly what made her his Shuang Shuang. She never allowed her emotions to cloud her decisions. What an admirable woman she was! A woman like her—he had to find her and bring her back!