As the lively atmosphere buzzed, a voice called from behind.
"Yo, having fun, are we!"
Turning around, Princess Wenyi saw her "nemesis" daughter.
She was standing at the moon gate, accompanied by her husband, Xiao Muqian, and son, Jin Ge'er.
The family of three watched everyone with beaming smiles. The family members were gathering, becoming more and more complete.
"Ah, why didn't you say you were coming back?"
Princess Wenyi "complained" a little, but she quickly stepped forward to pick up Jin Ge'er.
Seeing his beloved maternal grandmother, Jin Ge'er immediately reached out for a hug.
Little Douzi, seeing his elder sister, brother-in-law, and little nephew's family arrive, also happily ran over.
He and Jin Ge'er had grown up together since childhood, so their relationship was naturally much closer than that of others.
As soon as they arrived, the two brothers hugged each other like old friends, which made Mi Ge'er cry again.
Feng Jinyao was also curious. When Mi Ge'er was in Jinling City, his temper and disposition were like his second brother's, always smiling, and rarely seen crying.
Why was he crying non-stop today?
Little Douzi looked at Mi Ge'er with disdain and said.
"Crybaby."
This remark made Mi Ge'er cry even harder, unable to stop. Jin Ge'er, on the other hand, looked at his younger brother, who was crying his heart out, with curiosity.
"Don't cry, little brother, have some candy."
He was generous, handing over the sugar painting his father had just bought him.
Mi Ge'er, who had been crying sadly, immediately quieted down upon seeing the sugar painting offered to him. Although he was still sobbing, he was much better.
He then said with a sniffle.
"Thank you, brother."
Jin Ge'er acted like a good elder brother, reaching out to pat his shoulder, as if to say, "It's okay, don't cry, brother will protect you."
This amused Bai Siruo, making her laugh heartily.
Feng Jinyao's stomach, perhaps from laughing for too long, suddenly felt a slight cramp.
She was about to give birth, so every little disturbance was noticed by Xiao Tingyi.
He immediately frowned and asked her.
"What's wrong? Is your stomach uncomfortable?"
She smiled and shook her head, "Perhaps I laughed too much just now and got a bit winded."
Xiao Tingyi, still worried, helped her to sit on a nearby stone bench.
"Be careful. Uncle Shou also said you should be giving birth in these few days."
Feng Jinyao looked at his anxious expression and wanted to comfort him, but the cramp in her stomach seemed to have intensified.
"No, Your Highness, I think I'm really going to give birth."
"Ah! Don't panic, don't panic, I'll call for someone right away!"
With that, he picked up Feng Jinyao and was about to carry her inside. Suddenly, with a swish, Feng Jinyao's water broke, soaking her skirt and Xiao Tingyi's clothes.
This was the first time Xiao Tingyi had witnessed such a thing, and he was so startled that he couldn't speak.
Fortunately, the women present had all given birth before, and upon seeing this, they immediately sprang into action.
Madam Lin, the eldest madam, was the most composed. She immediately gave instructions.
"Quickly, quickly, Your Highness, take A'Yao back. Siming, go find Divine Doctor Zhang. Siruo, go tell the servants to quickly boil hot water. Fourth Sister-in-law, take good care of the children. Elder Sister and I will go with A'Yao!"
"Yes!"
"Okay!"
"Don't worry!"
After a series of commands, everyone was ready.
Although this was not the first child born in the family, it was currently the only child in the Ding Prince's mansion, and not a single mistake could be afforded.
Everything was prepared, so although there was a moment of panic at the beginning, it quickly subsided as everyone performed their duties under Aunt Zhang's direction.
Feng Jinyao's water had broken, and the baby needed to come out quickly, otherwise, if it was trapped for too long, the baby could suffocate, and the mother would also be in danger.
Xiao Tingyi stood in the courtyard, like an unmoving pine tree.
But upon closer inspection, his eyes were full of anxiety and worry, and his index and thumb on his left hand were almost rubbing sparks.
Inside the room, Feng Jinyao's cries could not be heard. All that could be heard was Aunt Zhang's busy work.
One moment she asked for ginseng to be sent over, the next she asked for hot water.
People were coming and going, making it quite a lively scene.
Feng Jinyao could not afford to cry out now. She could only follow the midwife's instructions, taking deep breaths to alleviate the pain.
She knew childbirth was painful, but she never imagined it would be this painful.
She tightly gripped the strips of cloth on either side, trying to give herself some strength.
Madam Feng and her eldest sister-in-law, Madam Lin, were in the room with her, encouraging her one moment and feeding her things the next.
They were anxious and flustered, yet they had to pretend to be calm.
Especially Madam Feng, seeing her daughter suffer so much, her heart ached, but she could do nothing.
She could only comfort her by saying.
"A'Yao, push a little harder, the baby is almost out."
Feng Jinyao was in so much pain that she couldn't even utter a complete sentence. She just wished someone could help her alleviate some of the pain.
The midwife was well aware of the baby's condition.
"The Princess Consort's fetus is well-nourished, neither too big nor too small. The little heir born will surely be healthy and strong. However, it might not come out in the next moment. Princess Consort, you should eat something first, so you'll have strength later."
Giving birth was not like laying an egg; it couldn't just come out when it was ready.
It would likely take a while longer.
Everyone knew it would be a long battle, so conserving energy was most important.
Fortunately, the pain was not continuous, and Feng Jinyao was occasionally given a chance to rest.
After a whole afternoon of labor, the baby still hadn't arrived.
The servants in the mansion had prepared meals for the children and the adults, and they were delivered to their respective courtyards one by one.
However, no one dared to enter the main courtyard.
Bai Siruo, with some boldness, along with Xiao Muqian, brought the food in. They placed it by the corridor and then said to Xiao Tingyi, who had been standing there all afternoon without moving.
"Your Highness, please eat something. Otherwise, by the time A'Yao gives birth, you'll have no strength left to hold the baby."
"Exactly, exactly."
Xiao Muqian didn't know how to persuade him, but his wife was right.
He recalled when she gave birth, he was so anxious that he hadn't eaten.
After the baby was born, he felt so weak in his limbs that he was afraid of dropping the baby when holding it.
This was the experience of predecessors.
"I can't eat. Go in quickly and check on A'Yao's condition."
He could hear Feng Jinyao's intermittent groans and cries of pain. He was so anxious that he couldn't eat anything!
Seeing that her persuasion was useless, Bai Siruo had her maid carry the food box inside for everyone.
There was a faint smell of blood in the room, but it was not strong due to frequent cleaning.
Everyone took turns coming out to eat. Bai Siruo carried a bowl of clear chicken soup and said to Feng Jinyao.
"A'Yao, have a few sips. You'll need strength later."
Feng Jinyao gritted her teeth in pain. How could she have the strength to drink chicken soup?
Madam Feng, who was beside her, was on the verge of tears.