Chapter 145
Li Yu did as he said, so he didn’t need to make any extra preparations. He just rolled up his sleeves and did it. Moreover, it was just smacking a cucumber, so it wasn’t too close to the smoke and wouldn’t affect his little cotton-padded jacket.
He was already in the second trimester of pregnancy and was more sleepy than when he first got pregnant. Right now, he felt as strong as an ox. Smacking an elephant wouldn’t be a problem, let alone a cucumber.
Li Yu still asked Aunty Xu to help him. Aunty Xu was already numb to the crown prince consort’s cooking skills, so she quickly prepared everything needed in advance.
Smacking was a strenuous job. Aunty Xu thought that she couldn’t let her pregnant master do it, so she was about to take over when Li Yu had already swung the back of the knife and nimbly smacked the cucumber.
The knife fell, and the cucumber was already shattered into several pieces. Helpless, Aunty Xu began to seriously assist Li Yu.
“Eh, what’s this?”
Li Yu found an inconspicuous little jar in a corner by the stove. It looked a bit like a sugar jar and a salt jar.
Aunty Xu took it and glanced at it, beaming with joy. “Master, this is pepper that only exists in the south. Not much is produced in a year. Just this little bit is more valuable than gold.”
Li Yu: “…”
Li Yu almost thought that he had misheard. Wasn’t it just pepper?
Pepper was worthless in his original world.
However, he knew that this was ancient times. Seasonings in ancient times were precious. Perhaps pepper was more valuable than gold?
And pepper, which was more valuable than gold, was actually thrown into a little jar. Wasn’t this too casual?
The crown prince really refreshed his understanding of wealth time and time again.
… What did pepper in ancient times smell like?
Li Yu curiously sniffed the little jar. Sure enough, the smell hadn’t changed for thousands of years.
Li Yu’s hand accidentally trembled when he sniffed, and a lot of pepper fell onto the cucumber.
Li Yu: “…”
This was pepper, which was more valuable than gold!
He couldn’t let pepper fight alone!
Li Yu steeled himself and added a lot of other seasonings.
In the lobby of the Ministry of Rites.
When Mu Tianchi received the news from Wang Xi’s eunuch, his originally expressionless face was tinged with warmth.
The Crown Prince’s temperament was cold, and it was rare for him to be so approachable. The official from the Ministry of Rites plucked up his courage and asked, “Your Highness, did something good happen?”
“… Yes.” For the first time, the Crown Prince nodded.
It was indeed a good thing that Xiaoyu was cooking for him.
But if he were to cook for the kids …
The Crown Prince paused. He had to think of a way to stop it.
The Crown Prince summoned the Imperial Bodyguard and gave him instructions. The Imperial Bodyguard hurriedly left and returned with two food boxes not long after.
It turned out that the Crown Prince wanted this imperial bodyguard to return to the Crown Prince’s residence and think of a way to quietly take over the task of delivering the meal of love.
Since Xiaoyu wanted him to treat the meal with love as a surprise, he could not take the initiative to expose it. He could not let Xiaoyu know that he had already found out.
The bodyguards used some tricks and asked Eunuch Wang to help cover for them. Finally, they managed to get two food boxes filled with love meals.
The Crown Princess had instructed that the red one was for the children, and the green one was for the Crown Prince.
The guards followed the Crown Prince’s orders and sent the two food boxes to the Ministry of Rites.
Mu Tianchi took the two food boxes and opened them to take a look. Then, he took out another red food box that was exactly the same. He filled it with many snacks that the children liked and ordered the guards to send it to the imperial study.
The children were still too young. Rather than letting them understand what a white lie was without revealing any flaws, it was better to give them all to him.
This was not difficult for the Crown Prince at all. The Crown Prince himself did not like other people enjoying the Crown Princess’ cooking. He would be jealous even if it was the children.
After hoarding the two meals of love, the Crown Prince happily sat down and took out the portion that was given to him from the green food box to eat.
The officials from the Ministry of Rites were all envious when they saw the Crown Princess sending food to the Crown Prince. As expected of those who worked in the Ministry of Rites, they had a way of praising the Crown Prince’s husband.
When they smelled the strange smell of the cucumber in the Crown Prince’s plate, they all choked and did not know what to say.
Other than pepper, there was also a lot of star anise and fennel in the cucumber. The Crown Prince’s expression did not change. Under the respectful gazes of the officials from the Ministry of Rites, he finished them all.
The Crown Princess had worked hard. When the Crown Prince and the children returned home, they all said that the meal of love was delicious.
The children probably would not lie. Was the Crown Prince’s portion really delicious?
Li Yu felt inexplicably guilty, but the Crown Prince kept smiling and looked at him a few times. The gentleness in his eyes could not be concealed.
Li Yu was enlightened. The Crown Prince definitely liked pepper. He had to remember it!
The Crown Prince was introverted and used his eyes to convey his likes. It was different for the children.
“Father, it’s delicious!” Er Bao shouted very loudly and made a wish very happily. “I want it tomorrow too!”
“No problem!” Li Yu quickly agreed. Old Gong and the children liked it, which was the greatest affirmation for him.
Although he did not have the luck of the koi fish, he was still self-taught!
“Tian Chi, I will also cook for you every day, okay?”
Li Yu was not someone who would forget about Old Gong after having a son. He liked to take care of them together.
The Crown Prince: “…”
The Crown Prince smiled. “Okay.”
Li Yu was about to shamelessly praise himself when he suddenly felt his stomach move.
After being stunned for a moment, Li Yu realized what it was. He was so happy that his voice changed.
“Tian Chi, come quickly. She, she moved!”
After Li Yu became pregnant with the cotton-padded jacket in his human form, he had been looking forward to the official fetal movement for a long time. However, even he himself was not very sure what the fetal movement was like. Sometimes, there would be a feeling of bubbles in his stomach, as if he was pregnant with a fish. However, this was only his personal feeling. The Crown Prince could not understand it.
It was very different this time. There seemed to be someone pushing him hard in his stomach. His stomach faintly bulged.
Li Yu was very sure that this was the baby’s fetal movement. He was afraid that if he moved, the baby would not move. Li Yu did not dare to blink his eyes and repeatedly called for the Crown Prince.
Mu Tianchi ran over and hugged him. He also gently hugged his stomach. Li Yu was encouraged. He pulled his hand and placed it on the bulging stomach.
However, after waiting for a long time, there was no movement inside.
“Hey, could it be that it still doesn’t work this time?”
Li Yu jokingly apologized and moved the Crown Prince’s hand down. Who knew that after a while, there would be movement inside again.
Li Yu, “!”
Li Yu hurriedly put the Crown Prince’s hand back on, and it stopped moving again.
Li Yu did not know whether to laugh or cry. Little cotton-padded jacket, don’t tease your father, okay?
Perhaps feeling the fish father’s grievance, Li Yu put the Crown Prince’s hand on it again. This time, the baby lived up to his expectations and kept moving.
“She … is really moving!”
The Crown Prince quickly felt the strength under his palm and looked at Li Yu’s stomach in disbelief.
“It’s our daughter!”
Li Yu nodded proudly. He was proud of his little cotton-padded jacket.
“Dad, Dad!”
Da Bao, Er Bao, San Bao, and Si Bao gathered around. The children did not know how to express themselves. They hugged Li Yu’s stomach together. After a while, they cried out, “It’s moving! It’s moving! ”
Li Yu did not hide it and told them that it was a little sister in her stomach. The children changed their words in unison. “Little sister is moving!”
Wang Xi watched all of this from afar and kept wiping his eyes. Although he did not understand why the two masters were still so excited when the crown prince consort was pregnant for the second time, even Wang Xi himself was very excited.
He did not know that although Li Yu already had four children, this was her first time giving birth in human form. Of course, it was very refreshing.
Even the emperor paid special attention to Li Yu’s pregnancy. Ever since he was informed that she was pregnant, he sent an imperial physician to the Crown Prince’s Estate on time every day to take her pulse.
When the baby moved, the Crown Prince’s lips curled up in bliss the entire time.
The emperor was very surprised. The Crown Prince was not like this when he was conferred the title.
After asking, the Crown Prince said, “My daughter is moving. This son is happy.”
When the emperor learned the truth, he felt a bit sour.
When the four babies were born, they were far away in the western border. The emperor could not take care of them, and they were almost a year old when he carried them. This was the fifth child. The emperor thought about it and felt that he had to do something.
However, even the imperial physician had not confirmed the gender of the crown prince consort’s child, so why was the Crown Prince so certain?
The emperor guessed that the crown prince consort already had four sons and might want a daughter more. He heard that the crown prince consort had even thought of a pet name for the child, Little Cotton-Padded Jacket.
The emperor thought about Da Bao and the others. It would be good to have a little granddaughter.
When the Crown Prince returned home, he brought back a pile of gifts from the emperor for the children. Although the emperor said that he would only give one or two gifts, he wanted to make it up to the four children as well.
When normal people received the emperor’s gifts, they would think more. When Li Yu entered pregnancy, her reaction would always be slower. She would not use her brain if she could.
Now that the pregnancy was getting bigger, Li Yu’s movements were becoming more and more inconvenient. When Li Yu first became pregnant, she had thought that she could slowly adjust for the next ten months. Recently, she was a bit anxious about giving birth.
Princess Jinjue often came to see her. The princess did not understand Li Yu’s worries.
In the princess’s eyes, Li Yu was a godly person who could even give birth to quadruplets. Who knew that this was also his first time?
However, the princess still shared some of her experiences at Li Yu’s request. The more Li Yu listened, the more scared and anxious Li Yu became.
After becoming pregnant, he slept very soundly. However, because of his fright, he rarely had insomnia.
Li Yu turned over twice with difficulty before the crown prince woke up.
“Xiao Yu?” The crown prince rubbed Li Yu’s head.
Li Yu’s back was facing him. He should be awake, but there was no movement. Mu Tianchi carefully flipped the fish over and found that the fish’s face was covered in tears and snot.
“What’s wrong?” Mu Tianchi was anxious and hurriedly hugged him.
Li Yu buried his head in his chest: “I … I’m suddenly a bit scared.”
He froze. As if he had finally reached his limit, he cried out involuntarily.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want the child in his stomach. He really had feelings for the little cotton-padded jacket. He was the happiest person to know that the little cotton-padded jacket was moving, but he was also genuinely scared.
This was the fear of facing a danger alone that he had never experienced before.
The reason why he cried had nothing to do with weakness. Only by letting his emotions out could he get rid of his worries …
Li Yu kept encouraging himself. He would definitely be able to do it.
He wanted to push the crown prince away and tell him not to worry about him. He was more sensitive during pregnancy. He was easily angered, and now he was easily crying.
Was he going to be a deserter at the last minute?
It was a little pretentious. Even he despised himself.
“I’m fine. I’m just a little emotional.” Li Yu sobbed.
However, the crown prince didn’t leave because of his refusal. Instead, he hugged him and stroked his back.
“Xiao Yu, cry if you want to. Don’t force yourself.”
Mu Tianchi comforted him softly. Li Yu had calmed down a lot, but because of his words, he cried a few more times.
In fact, the crown prince couldn’t help. Li Yu knew in his heart that because he couldn’t help, he was a little “hateful”.
It was really not easy to be pregnant, whether it was physically or mentally.
Li Yu also wanted to complain. It was clearly the child of two people. Why did he have to suffer alone?
He pouted and was still unhappy. The crown prince lifted his sleeve and stretched out his arm.
The crown prince said in a low voice, “If you’re unhappy, bite me.”
Li Yu: “…”
Li Yu really found a place with more meat on the crown prince’s arm and took a big bite. He didn’t let go.
The crown prince didn’t even frown. After Li Yu finished biting, the crown prince hugged him tightly and said with heartache, “Unfortunately, it’s not even one-ten-thousandth of what you suffered.”
“Don’t be afraid …” the crown prince said, “I’ll protect you.”
Li Yu, who had cried a lot, couldn’t help but have his eyes turn red again.
It seemed that after the crown prince said that, he felt much better after taking such a big bite.
“I, I’m fine now. Don’t worry,” Li Yu said in a hoarse voice.
Thank you for reading 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
