Lu Shi also left, and the second young lady was a girl herself, so the only person she could turn to was her cousin.
She hadn't held out much hope, nor had she expected her cousin to agree so readily.
She found a carriage overnight and rushed on, covering a journey that would normally take four or five days in just two days to reach Yingzhong Prefecture.
"Is that so?" Feng Jin's tone held a hint of doubt as her probing gaze swept over Ling Muzhu.
"Madam, I am telling the truth. Cousin rushed day and night without rest on the journey. I could tell that Cousin was truly worried about you."
Her hidden thoughts exposed, Ling Muzhu's face suddenly changed. He quickly turned his head away, cleared his throat, and said, "This young master is only worried that if you die, it will cost our family money, and it also costs money for my elder brother to marry a wife. This young master's actions are all for the sake of the Ling family. Don't be so self-indulgent."
Feng Jin snorted with disdain. How could she not see through Ling Muzhu's petty tricks? He simply couldn't bring himself to admit he was worried about her.
At his age, he was at an age where his pride was paramount, and she could understand that.
"Alright, it shows you have some conscience to come here and find me. It hasn't been in vain for me to have taught you so diligently all this time."
Feng Jin glanced at Ling Muzhu, thinking it was not easy for him to have changed this much.
"Madam, you... you..." Cai Qing pointed at Feng Jin's slightly protruding belly, covering her mouth with wide-eyed surprise, unable to recover for a long time.
Ling Muzhu heard the commotion, followed Cai Qing's pointed direction, and looked over. His eyes widened abruptly, his mouth forming a small 'o' shape. After a long while, he gradually came to his senses.
"Madam... you... you're pregnant?"
Cai Qing squeezed these words out from between her teeth. When Madam had left, she had been alone. How could she have suddenly acquired a little young master in such a short time?
Such a large amount of information left Cai Qing momentarily stunned.
"You... you're really pregnant?" Ling Muzhu asked, equally shocked.
Feng Jin ignored their shocked expressions and nodded calmly, "Indeed, as you can see."
"Madam, when did this happen? Why didn't you tell me? Is it a little young master or a little young lady?" Cai Qing asked impatiently.
"It's still early days, and I don't know if it's a boy or a girl." It had only been four months, and the gender was vaguely discernible, but not yet accurate.
To her, it didn't matter whether it was a boy or a girl; as long as the child was healthy, that was enough.
She had been worried that after being in close contact with patients suffering from the plague for days, she might accidentally contract it, and she had even considered terminating the pregnancy.
Fortunately, her luck had been quite good. She hadn't contracted the plague, and the fetus in her womb had also survived the ordeal safely. She no longer cared whether the child in her womb was a boy or a girl.
"Madam, I used to hear the wet nurses in the mansion say that a pointed belly meant a little young master, and a round belly meant a little young lady. And also, sour for boys and spicy for girls. Right, Madam, have you been craving sour or spicy food lately?"
Cai Qing babbled incessantly like a machine gun, circling Feng Jin.
"I like both, I haven't paid much attention."
"Then Madam might be carrying twins, a young master and a young lady. The Ling family would then be blessed with double joy. This is a good thing!"
Feng Jin smiled, shaking her head in amusement. What was this little girl's head filled with? The more she talked, the more absurd it became, even bringing up twins.
"Ah, the carriage at the entrance, so it was Cousin who arrived." Lu Shi, covered in wind and snow, showed a fleeting look of surprise and joy in his eyes when he saw Cai Qing. He quickly concealed it, but Feng Jin, with her keen observation, caught it.
Feng Jin's gaze shifted between the two of them. It seemed spring was approaching, and the peach blossoms in the courtyard would soon be in bloom.
"Guard Lu Shi, you're back. Have some hot tea first." Cai Qing eagerly brought a cup of hot tea and handed it to Lu Shi's icy cold hands.
"Thank you, Cai Qing." Lu Shi held the cup to warm his hands before reluctantly finishing the tea.
"Lu Shi, why are you here? Why didn't the Young General return with you?"
The moment Lu Shi pushed open the door, Feng Jin's gaze had been scanning back and forth, searching for Ling Mohan's figure. They usually returned together. Why had only Lu Shi returned this time? The disappointment in Feng Jin's eyes was palpable.
"The Young General intended to return with me, but he was tied up with matters in the camp, so he couldn't come back. He specifically sent me back to report his safety to Madam. This is what the Young General asked me to bring."
Lu Shi took out a white, square package from his embrace. He unwrapped layer after layer of cloth, a full ten layers thick, before revealing its true nature.
"Madam, this is a letter from the Young General to you."
Feng Jin truly hadn't expected that it was just a letter, so tightly and tightly wrapped.
"Thank you for your trouble." Feng Jin took the letter, a faint, awkward smile on her lips.
She was indeed curious about what important content was written inside this tightly sealed package. Just as Feng Jin was about to open the letter, Lu Shi stopped her.
"Madam, when I came, the Young General instructed that this letter could only be read by you alone and not by a second person."
Feng Jin's hand, holding the letter, froze. What was written inside that was so mysterious and forbidden to be seen by anyone else?
Under everyone's gaze, Feng Jin took the letter to the inner room, locked the door, and then opened it.
After reading the letter, Feng Jin's expression was quite a sight. She stared at the letter in her hand, suppressing the urge to tear it to shreds.
No one would have imagined that Ling Mohan had written a love letter. Words like "a day apart feels like three years," "Heaven and Earth are my witnesses," and "such displeasure" all appeared in the letter.
After Feng Jin had fully digested all the content of the letter, she stood up and walked out.
"Madam, what did the Young General write in the letter?" Cai Qing eagerly stepped forward to inquire upon seeing Feng Jin emerge.
Feng Jin raised her eyelids and saw the expectant gazes of everyone. She was suddenly speechless, not knowing how to explain.
She couldn't possibly tell everyone that Ling Mohan had written a love letter. That would be too embarrassing to say out loud.
After thinking for a long time, Feng Jin finally spoke, "The letter says... the war is proceeding smoothly, and we shouldn't worry too much. It asks me to take good care of myself and the child in my womb..."
What Feng Jin said was reasonable and convincing, and naturally, no one doubted how much of it was true and how much was false.