Fields of gold

Chapter 716- 720

However, due to her elevated status and her being a pregnant woman herself, not many people came to seek medical treatment. Those who were able to enter the gate of Imperial Prince Xu's Estate were all children of powerful nobles or high-ranking officials. As long as it did not affect her own rest, Zhu Junyang did not prevent his wife from prescribing treatments.

As Princess Consort Xu treated more people, Imperial Prince Xu's standing in court also improved. This is all due to his princess's efforts!

On the 28th of the twelfth lunar month, the demonic training at the Xishan Barracks came to an end. When Zhu Junyang returned to his estate and saw his little wife's bulging belly, he said with a little alarm, "This... is your belly growing a little too fast? It's only five months along, right? Why do you look like you've got a big watermelon strapped on your belly?"

"Shut up! You're the one with a watermelon stomach!" Yu Xiaocao threw a pillow at him, which was easily caught by the man's long arm. During this period of time, she had always felt that her stomach was like a bottomless pit that she couldn't fill. Even if she ate a lot during the regular meals, she got hungry easily, and had to have something extra like a bowl of wontons or chicken noodle soup between meals. She hadn't gained much weight in spite of all the extra food— it all went straight to her belly.

Her mother said that the nutrition had all been absorbed by the child. She advised her to relax, eat less at every meal, and walk about more often, so that the fetus will not get too big and cause unnecessary complications during birth.

Madam Liu was not without suspicion about the prospect of twins. However, Xiaocao got the little divine stone to use its spiritual power to check her body, and was told that it was indeed just one child. Seeing that she was still a little anxious, the little divine stone reassured her that the child was developing well, so she didn't have to worry. With it frequently nourishing the little fetus with its spiritual power, the little one could only get healthier. As for the concern of the fetus being too big, there was no need to worry at all. With its reassurance, Xiaocao set her worries aside and ate and drank as she liked.

Every night before bed, Xiaocao would rub oil on her stomach to prevent stretch marks. The lightly aromatic body oil was made from pure plant extracts. Nourishing to the skin, it was a gentle and soothing remedy that was completely safe to use.

Zhu Junyang took the body oil from her hands and gently massaged it onto her round and delicate belly. "Are you sure they are not twins? Isn't this belly too big?" He asked.

"I already told you that I am only carrying one child. The imperial physicians have confirmed it. So, you are destined to be disappointed!" Yu Xiaocao gave him a look and continued. "Some people's wombs tilt forward, and that can make the belly seem very big. For those who tilt backwards, the belly is still small even when they give birth. And then there are some who don't even seem pregnant with just a bit of weight gain. Now, in my belly, our little bean is still small. Everything else is amniotic fluid and so on..."

Xiaocao gestured with her hands to indicate the size of their baby. Zhu Junyang's eyes suddenly grew wide. He stared at her belly with a look of incredulity and stammered. "He... I think he kicked me!"

Xiaocao also felt the strong fetal movements, which took her by surprise. The little one had always been relatively calm, and there'd been only a few occasional movements. Even then, the baby only wriggled slightly. This time, however, the fetus was giving his father a rather hard kick.

Yu Xiaocao touched the spot where the baby was moving and smiled. "Our baby must know that his father is back. He's saying hello to you."

Zhu Junyang put his hand over his wife's little hand and asked with a mixture of delight and concern, "He gave such a strong kick, was it uncomfortable for you? Will it cause you any harm? Son, be good. Show a little more compassion for your mother, it's not easy for her to be carrying you..."