Chapter 242: Chapter 243: Surprise
The kitchen had been serving a tofu feast for several days in a row. Jin Qianqian had contributed one tofu recipe after another, and she was getting a little sick of it.
"Actually, this tofu is quite delicious," Liu Qingmei said cautiously when she saw Jin Qianqian put down her chopsticks again. "How about I have the kitchen prepare a new table of dishes?"
Jin Qianqian waved her hand. "No need. I just don’t have much of an appetite."
"Madam, I think you should have a doctor take a look." Duan Yufang took a small step forward after a moment of thought and suggested quietly.
Jin Qianqian replied, "There’s no need to trouble a doctor over a small issue. Just clear the dishes for now. When I get hungry, I’ll have the kitchen send something over."
"Madam, would you allow this servant to take your pulse?" Duan Yufang carefully observed Jin Qianqian’s complexion but still wasn’t quite sure.
Jin Qianqian remembered that Duan Yufang knew some medicine. In a playful mood, she placed her hand on the table. "Alright, give it a try. I bet it’s just from eating tofu products every day. I’m completely sick of them."
Duan Yufang placed her fingers on her wrist, glanced at Jin Qianqian, and then had her switch to the other hand.
"So? It’s fine if you can’t feel anything. I know my own body. I’m as healthy as a horse."
"Madam, please allow me to ask a few private questions."
Seeing how serious she was, Jin Qianqian’s heart skipped a beat. ’Could there really be something wrong?’
When Duan Yufang began asking about her monthly cycle, Jin Qianqian was inwardly startled. She silently calculated the dates and realized it had been quite a few days late.
She blinked her eyes, looking at Nanny Duan with an expectant expression. "Well?"
Duan Yufang looked hesitant. "I think I can faintly feel a certain kind of pulse, but it might be because the month is still early. Plus, my medical skills aren’t fully developed, so my pulse reading isn’t very accurate. Madam, you should still have someone call a doctor to be sure."
Jin Qianqian also wanted to solve the mystery and immediately had Qing Mei send for a doctor.
The commotion immediately reached Gu Wenheng, who was still in the front courtyard with the Gu Family Brothers, studying how to make tofu. He hastily dropped what he was doing and reached the rear courtyard in moments.
"Why have you called a doctor? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?" Gu Wenheng walked over and first touched her forehead to make sure she wasn’t running a fever, only then did he carefully observe her complexion.
"You’re getting worked up over nothing. I just wanted a doctor to confirm something. There’s nothing seriously wrong with me." Jin Qianqian grabbed his hand. "I bet Housekeeper Fu was the one who told you, right?"
"This involves calling a doctor, after all. If he hadn’t told me, I would have definitely settled the score with him later." To Gu Wenheng, nothing concerning Jin Qianqian was a small matter. "Why did you need a doctor?"
Jin Qianqian shook her head. "It’s not certain yet. I’ll tell you in a bit."
Gu Wenheng, who had grown up in a complex world, immediately understood. He looked carefully at Jin Qianqian’s abdomen. "Is there..."
Jin Qianqian replied, "We don’t know yet, do we? Nanny Duan just took my pulse, but she wasn’t very certain. We’ll have to wait for the doctor to arrive."
Gu Wenheng paced back and forth excitedly, muttering something under his breath. He suddenly stopped and looked at Jin Qianqian. "This is most likely it! I remember your monthly period is a few days late."
Jin Qianqian’s cheeks immediately flushed. "You can’t be sure. Sometimes being a few days late is normal."
But Gu Wenheng couldn’t sit still. He went straight to the doorway to pace and ordered Hong Tianbao, who was standing guard nearby, "Hurry to the main gate and wait. The moment the doctor arrives, bring him here immediately."
Jin Qianqian said, "You don’t have to be so nervous. If it’s a mistake, we’ll be a laughingstock."
"Even if we become a laughingstock, we still have to be careful," Gu Wenheng said. He didn’t think it was a joke at all; this was the continuation of their lives.
Jin Qianqian had been relatively calm, but his nervousness was starting to rub off on her. She took a deep breath. "Are you finished with your business in the front courtyard?"
Gu Wenheng replied, "I’ve taught them everything they need to know. Now they’re just trying to get more proficient."
Gu Wenheng felt a bit helpless thinking about it. To help the Gu Family Brothers, he, a complete novice at handicrafts, had forced himself to become a tofu expert.
"Once the chili peppers on our estate are harvested, can’t we make spicy strips?" The moment Jin Qianqian thought of spicy strips, she felt an urgent craving for them. Unfortunately, with Nanny Duan and the others still nearby, she could only lick her lips and suppress the thought.
Gu Wenheng said, "Just about. Once the vegetables in the fields are harvested in a couple of days, I plan to have the eldest brother and the others make a trip to Dao City to see if Ouyang Bing is interested in the tofu."
Jin Qianqian replied, "You’re basically handing him silver. As long as he’s not an idiot, he’ll seize this opportunity.
"But you’ll have to give those brothers of yours a stern warning. If they reveal the key techniques, they’ll be the ones to lose out in the end." ’They can’t let someone bribe them with small favors, focusing only on immediate gains. By the time they regret it, an opportunity like this will never come again.’
Gu Wenheng knew this was a real possibility. He made a mental note to have a good talk with his brothers later.
"The doctor’s here!" Hong Tianbao shouted as he stumbled into the room.
"Then where’s the doctor?" Gu Wenheng really wanted to kick him. ’You came in, but why didn’t you bring the doctor with you?’
"The doctor’s right here." At critical moments, one could always count on Housekeeper Fu. The middle-aged, pot-bellied housekeeper was practically dragging the elderly doctor along at a brisk pace.
"My old bones are about to fall apart! Who summons a doctor like this?" The old doctor hadn’t even caught his breath before Gu Wenheng, who had been waiting right outside the door, took over and led him inside.
"Doctor Huang, quickly, take a look at my wife."
Doctor Huang looked at Jin Qianqian, who was still standing there. "She looks perfectly fine. What’s there to see?"
"Just take her pulse first," Gu Wenheng said, taking the medicine box the doctor always carried on his shoulder and placing it on the table.
"Alright, I’ll take a look," Huang Zhong’an said. Having practiced medicine for decades, he had a good guess about the situation. He gestured for Jin Qianqian to sit across from him and extend her hand.
"The pulse is fluid and smooth, like pearls rolling on a jade plate." Huang Zhong’an grinned. "Congratulations, Scholar. Your wife has a pregnancy pulse."
Gu Wenheng’s mind went blank for a moment, then he said with delighted surprise, "I’m going to be a father!"
"Congratulations, Master! Congratulations, Madam!" Jiang Zhongfu immediately led the congratulations. Instantly, the entire courtyard was filled with celebratory voices.
"A joyous occasion! Housekeeper Fu, give everyone an extra month’s silver. Also, tell the kitchen to add more dishes." Gu Wenheng grinned foolishly for a long while before finally coming to his senses. He walked over and looked at Jin Qianqian carefully. "Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"
Jin Qianqian was also lost in happy surprise. "I feel great everywhere right now, not the least bit uncomfortable. I am craving something spicy, though."
Huang Zhong’an hadn’t even finished packing his things when Gu Wenheng stopped his hand. "Is there anything we need to pay special attention to? Could I trouble you to write out a list, Doctor?"
