While no one was looking, Jian Ruonan took a pastry from her pocket and tucked a tiny, fingernail-sized dab of medicine inside. "Daddy, that chestnut horse is so beautiful. I really like it. Can I feed it a pastry?"
In modern times, whenever children spotted little animals while out with their families, they always wanted to feed them something. Parents generally played along.
She wondered whether parents in ancient times did the same.
Jian Zhang immediately nodded his agreement.
Delighted, Jian Ruonan handed him the pastry she had prepared beforehand and stressed, "Daddy, this is for the horse. You're not allowed to sneak a bite."
Jian Zhang: "..."
Sneak a bite of a horse's pastry? Did he look that petty?
Besides, it had a potent aphrodisiac inside. Would he dare eat it?!
He was cautious even holding it.
Wait, how did Ruonan get something like this?!
How did a little girl get her hands on that sort of thing?!
He'd heard Ruonan knew medicine. Had her master given her this drug?!
He would have Min ask her about it afterward. It really wasn't good for a girl to be handling such things.
Jian Zhang steeled himself and accepted the pastry.
The chestnut horse was tall and powerfully built, its coat glossy.
In Great Xia, a good horse cost more than an actual BMW in modern times. Owners generally did not allow strangers to feed their horses random things.
The servant tending the horse saw that Jian Zhang wore an official's robes, that the three women were well dressed, and that Jian Ruonan was sweet and adorable. After Jian Zhang promised full compensation if anything went wrong, the servant agreed.
Jian Zhang carefully went around to the horse's head and fed it the biscuit.
Standing to one side, Jian Ruonan pressed her palms together. [Horse, oh horse, I'm really sorry. I don't mean to do this. If you want someone to blame, blame that bastard Gao Yang.]
[I promise I'll find you a pretty little mare afterward! You'll just have to suffer through this one!]
Min and Jian Zhang: "..."
Jian Xilu: My little sister is so kind.
The chestnut horse: Kind, my ass!
The potent aphrodisiac certainly lived up to its name. Less than a minute after swallowing it, the chestnut horse began kicking its hooves and swishing its tail.
It tossed its head impatiently from side to side, snorting loudly every so often.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Jian Ruonan asked, "Wow, this horse is so lively! Can I pet it?"
The servant held the reins. "Yes, but be careful."
The chestnut horse was normally docile. For some reason, it seemed irritable today. Worried something might happen, the horse minder repeated his warnings several times.
Jian Ruonan ambled over, but before her hand even reached the horse's belly, Jian Zhang yanked her back and held her protectively in his arms.
The next instant, the horse went berserk, rearing up and letting out a long whinny.
"Neigh-"
Caught off guard, the horse minder was thrown to the ground.
Jian Ruonan immediately wriggled free of Jian Zhang and plopped onto the ground. "Daddy! Ow, the horse kicked me!"
The system: [Nan Nan, your acting... how should I put this? There's still room for improvement... Will your father believe such a terrible performance?]
Jian Ruonan also felt uncertain. Her fall had looked so fake that Jian Zhang probably wouldn't barge into someone else's residence over such a trivial matter.
Who knew that, the very next second, Jian Zhang would fly into a rage? "Your horse hurt my daughter! Hurry up and fetch your master!"
Min and Jian Xilu also hurried over anxiously, lifting Jian Ruonan's foot and examining it from every angle while repeatedly asking, "Where are you hurt? Does it hurt?"
Jian Ruonan said, "Ow, it hurts terribly."
Jian Zhang immediately charged over, ready to fight the chestnut horse to the death.
Jian Ruonan: [My acting is bad? Look how worried my dad, mom, and sister are! In modern times, I could be an Oscar contender!]
Useless system. What did it know about acting?!
The system: *[...]*
The gatekeeper looked utterly bewildered. The horse really did go wild, but your daughter fell down on her own. Everyone saw it.
But Jian Zhang wore official robes. He was an official, not someone a mere gatekeeper dared slight. The gatekeeper immediately went inside to inform his master.
Jian Ruonan clutched her foot. "Daddy, I twisted my ankle. I want to go inside and rest."
Jian Zhang scooped her up and charged through the entrance. The moment he stepped inside, he heard a woman's anguished cries coming from the courtyard.
Jian Zhang demanded, "What's going on? Are you abusing your daughter-in-law?!"
A middle-aged man dressed as a steward hurriedly explained, "Sir, you misunderstand. The mistress is giving birth. Please rest in the reception room for a moment. The servants have gone to fetch some liniment, and I'll personally bring our master."
Only after settling Jian Ruonan and her family did the steward go to the main courtyard to fetch his master.
Once the steward left, Min asked anxiously, "Ruonan, what's wrong with your foot? Does it still hurt? Husband, which physician at the Imperial Medical Academy is best at treating leg injuries? Could we invite him to examine Ruonan?"
Jian Ruonan hopped down and walked around, full of energy. "I'm better already."
[We'll be watching the drama live in a minute. With bad legs, I'd miss the piping-hot gossip.]
Min: "..."
Jian Xilu offered an explanation for her sister. "Perhaps she was just frightened earlier."
Jian Ruonan said, "Mm-hmm, exactly."
They waited for nearly an hour, but no one came. Having weathered great storms before, Jian Zhang remained fairly composed, while Min began to fret. Could Ruonan's information have been wrong this time?
With the passing servants looking at her, Jian Xilu also felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Bored with waiting, Jian Ruonan opened the system to browse the gossip.
[Where's that bastard Gao Yang? Why isn't he here yet... Oh, his mistress is having a difficult labor, and he's frantic. Giving birth in ancient times really meant charging through the gates of hell. How terrifying!]
[What's Gao Yang doing? He's staying by his mistress's side, holding her hand... cheering her on?]
[Aren't men supposed to stay out of the birthing room? This Gao Yang really is... built differently!]
Jian Zhang: "..."
"Since Ruonan's leg is better, I'll go bid the master of the house farewell." Agitated, Jian Zhang stood and headed out of the reception room.
Jian Ruonan stood up. "Daddy, I'll come with you."
After a moment's thought, Min rose too. "Husband, I'll come along as well."
Jian Xilu stood and silently followed.
The family of four headed together toward the courtyard where the woman was giving birth.
"Second Master, I feel so awful... Second Master, my greatest regret in this life is that I won't be able to serve you into old age..."
"Ping'er, you'll be all right. Ping'er, hold on a little longer. It'll be over soon!"
"Second Master... I... ah, it hurts! Aaaah-"
"Where's the midwife?! What's going on?! It's been four hours! Why hasn't the baby come out yet?!"
The sound of porcelain bowls shattering came from the room.
Then a man's voice rang out. "If anything happens to Ping'er, I'll have every one of you buried with her!"
Terrified, the midwife dropped to her knees with a thud.
Jian Zhang and his family entered the main courtyard just in time to hear that threat.
It really was that brat Gao Yang!
When arranging the engagement, he had claimed to keep himself pure and have no bedchamber maids. Yet he was keeping several mistresses outside the household, putting on a display of love so deep it could shorten his life. What family that cherished their daughter would dare marry her to such a man?!
Jian Zhang's eyes flared with anger, and flames of fury leaped up in his heart!
Min clenched her teeth, equally furious.
Jian Xilu's expression was faintly calm, and she appeared relatively composed.
Jian Ruonan's eyes shone. This was a front-row seat to the drama.
[This former brother-in-law sure throws his weight around like a mighty official!]
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