Chapter 25: You Wouldn't Understand Even If I Told You

“Aunt Gu, please take good care of Nan. She’s expecting and it’s not easy for her to move around. It would be best to prepare some nourishing food for her—after all, whatever she eats is nourishment for your grandson as well, isn’t it?”

Zhang Xiaolan turned to Aunt Gu as she spoke, making sure to emphasize her request. Seeing how thin and frail Nan looked, especially with a child on the way, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. So she gave Aunt Gu a few more words of instruction.

“Oh, thank you, Miss!” Aunt Gu, ever shrewd, had already noticed how fond Zhang Xiaolan was of Nan. She could tell just from the way the two had spoken to each other moments ago. So she readily agreed, promising to look after Nan properly.

The three of them climbed into the carriage and left. On the way back, Zhang Xiaolan turned to Xiaolian with another question. “Xiaolian, what do you think of Aunt Gu’s family? Are they good to Nan?”

“That’s hard to say. But Nan is already pregnant, so I suppose they must treat her decently enough,” Xiaolian replied uncertainly. Aunt Gu seemed like a good person—she’d been enthusiastic and friendly with them. Still, who could say what happened behind closed doors? Yet now that Nan was with child, could they really treat her badly?

“I hope so. But look how small and delicate she is. She’s eight months along, but looks at most six months pregnant.” Zhang Xiaolan couldn’t help but pity Nan’s circumstances. Growing up as a child bride in someone else’s home—even if the mother-in-law was kind, how good could life really be?

“Miss, how do you know what a woman looks like at different stages of pregnancy? I’ve only seen my mother when she was expecting my younger siblings, and she didn’t look all that much bigger.” Xiaolian recalled how her own mother had looked when pregnant: even near the end, her belly was only a little larger than Nan’s. People in ancient times weren’t wealthy; only the wives of officials and noblemen ever showed much at all. Ordinary folk never ate well enough, so it was all about the same.

“My mother is an obstetrician. I’ve seen a lot of images and photos. When I was a child, I’d often play in the hospital and saw many pregnant women.” Zhang Xiaolan explained a bit about her childhood. With her mother working as an obstetrician and no one to look after her during holidays or after school, she’d often wait in the hospital for her mother to finish work—so she’d seen plenty of pregnant women.

“Doctor? Hospital? Images? I’ve never heard of any of that!” Xiaolian listened to Zhang Xiaolan’s words, but didn’t understand a single thing.

“You wouldn’t know, even if I explained. This place is just too different from where I came from. By the way, I still don’t know how old you are, Xiaolian. Are you old enough to be betrothed yet?” Zhang Xiaolan realized Xiaolian wouldn’t understand her explanations and didn’t bother to elaborate. Instead, curiosity got the better of her—after so many days, she still didn’t know Xiaolian’s age.

“Miss, I’m only fourteen! It’s still early for that,” Xiaolian replied, a little embarrassed. This was already the second time today Zhang Xiaolan had teased her. As a maid who had sold herself into service, it was still too soon for any talk of betrothal.

“You’re only fourteen? I thought you were eighteen at least. You seem so much more mature than Nan.” Zhang Xiaolan was surprised again. Xiaolian didn’t look like a fourteen-year-old at all. Modern children her age might still be cuddling in their mothers’ arms, but Xiaolian had already worked as a maid for years, which must have made her seem more grown-up.

“I’m not that old! Even though I’m taller than some of the other maids, I can’t look that mature.” After hearing Zhang Xiaolan’s words, Xiaolian touched her own face thoughtfully. She was considered tall among the maids in the household, though not as tall as Zhang Xiaolan herself. How could she possibly look eighteen? The thought made her a little sad.