TSWPF -Chapter 213 Fortunately

Aunt Zhong caught the child as he slipped, gently patting his bottom. Seeing him cry, her face relaxed into a smile. “Ah… quick, bring some hot water.” She needed to clean the child’s blood and filth.

In this remote mountain area, there were no proper facilities. She couldn’t give the child a full bath, so she could only wipe him down.

Li Zhimou’s men definitely couldn’t come over. Li Zhirou’s hands were too small to carry a whole pot of hot water, so Li Qingling had no choice but to send the little maid to fetch it.

The little maid glanced at the lady with concern before standing up and running to bring the hot water.

Aunt Zhong instructed the little maid to rinse a handkerchief in the pot and then help wipe down the child.

As she wiped the child, she kept an eye on the lady. “Madam, you can’t fall asleep yet—you still need to deliver the placenta.” Once that was out, things would be more stable.

The lady, who had been on the verge of closing her eyes, opened them again at Aunt Zhong’s words.

“Just a little longer, then the placenta will be delivered,” Li Qingling said softly, wiping the cold sweat from the lady’s forehead, encouraging her quietly.

The lady nodded faintly, forcing herself to stay awake and not drift off.

Once Aunt Zhong finished cleaning the child, the placenta was delivered. Seeing there was no heavy bleeding, Aunt Zhong finally exhaled in relief.

She asked the little maid to help clean the lady’s bloodstained clothes and handed the child, wrapped in a small blanket, to Li Qingling to hold. She ran back to the carriage to fetch some clothes.

She said shyly, “Madam, I don’t have any new clothes, only worn ones. If you don’t mind, please change into them.”

Though she felt a bit reluctant, seeing the lady’s blood-soaked clothes, she had no choice but to replace them.

The lady looked weakly at the little maid. “Th…thank you… there’s… clothing in the carriage.”

Hearing this, the little maid remembered. She nodded and said that the lady’s clothes were in the carriage. After thanking Aunt Zhong, she climbed into the overturned carriage, took out a bundle of clothes, and returned to the lady’s side.

Aunt Zhong smiled, thinking it was better not to use her own clothes. She helped the lady change and quickly returned the clothes.

Though she envied the smooth fabric, it wasn’t hers, so she didn’t dwell on it.

Once the lady was dressed, Li Qingling had the little maid and Aunt Zhong help her onto her carriage.

With the lady and the maid present, Li Zhimou had to avoid suspicion. He took Li Zhiyan and Li Qingfeng to Zeng Tietou’s carriage.

Though cramped, circumstances left no choice—they’d endure it for now. They could arrange another carriage at the next city.

Once the lady lay down on the carriage, she immediately fell into a deep sleep.

The little maid was startled, tears welling in her eyes as she choked out, “Madam!”

Li Qingling twitched at the corner of her mouth before comforting her, “Madam is just exhausted. Let her rest.” She paused, then asked, “Sister, what’s your name?”

The little maid, a bit embarrassed, stopped fidgeting and whispered, “I’m Xiao Hua. And you, miss?” Without their kind help, the mistress… might have been in serious danger.

“I’m Li Qingling.”

As soon as she said this, the child in her arms cried loudly.

Though born prematurely, the child’s cry was strong—a healthy infant, not weak like a premature baby.

“Wh…what’s wrong with young master? Is he hungry?” The little maid, unsure how to care for such a tiny child, asked.

Li Qingling carefully checked the child’s bottom. Seeing no urine, she guessed he must be hungry.

“Bring me some warm water,” Li Qingling said, pointing to a pouch of warm water. Newborns should first drink a little warm water to clear their intestines before breastfeeding.

Having cared for Li Qingning before, she had the experience.

Xiao Hua, seeing that Li Qingling was even younger than herself, was skeptical. “H-hungry babies should drink milk, right? Why… why warm water?” This was the madam’s hard-won child; any mistake could be fatal.

Li Qingling glanced at Xiao Hua, reading her thoughts.

She explained gently, without anger, and pointed to Li Qingning. “I’ve cared for my little sister since birth. Don’t worry—I won’t harm the child.” Looking at the tiny one reminded her of her sister at that age, softening her heart.

Seeing Li Qingling speak so confidently, Xiao Hua blushed, embarrassed. “Qingling… I-I’m sorry, I… I was just too nervous…” She had been foolish; the madam had been saved by Li Qingling—they couldn’t harm the child.

“No problem,” Li Qingling shook her head and urged Xiao Hua to pour the warm water. If the child didn’t drink, he’d cry himself hoarse.

Xiao Hua quickly poured half a small bowl of warm water.

Li Qingling, seeing the amount, sighed and asked for a spoon. Without it, the little one couldn’t drink properly.

Once Xiao Hua found the spoon, Li Qingling carefully fed the child warm water.

The child, now satisfied, stopped crying.

Li Qingning moved closer, eyes wide, watching the tiny mouth wiggle. “Sister… he’s so small!” Eyes, nose, mouth—everything tiny, utterly adorable.

Li Qingling smiled. “You were even smaller than him when you were born.” Back then, with poor nutrition in the womb and born prematurely, she had been tiny—almost smaller than a cat—but her vitality was strong, and she gradually grew.

“Ah? I was smaller than little brother?” Li Qingning was shocked. Little brother was already so small—she had been even smaller!

“Yes! I raised you from that tiny little thing. If you don’t listen and keep misbehaving, I’ll really have to scold you.” Li Qingling used this to teach Li Qingning some gentleness, hoping she wouldn’t jump around like a boy.

Though Li Qingning was small, she had grown up in the village, and from stories she heard, her grandmother and a dismissed aunt had once pushed her mother to the ground. Her mother barely survived childbirth, and Li Qingling had raised her since then.

People even said she had a tough fate, that her mother died because of her.

Hearing this, Li Qingning felt deep resentment toward her grandmother—if not for her, she wouldn’t have been born prematurely, and her mother wouldn’t have died.

She kept these feelings bottled up, afraid of upsetting her sister.

“Sister, I… I’ll be obedient from now on. I’ll listen to you.”

Seeing her sister’s reddened eyes, Li Qingling paused. She had just spoken casually—what’s with this tiny one?

After feeding the child, she gently patted his back. Hearing him burp, she handed him to Xiao Hua to hold.

“I-I… I’m scared to hold him.” Xiao Hua had never held such a tiny infant before—she feared harming the young master.

“It’s okay. Hold him like this…” Li Qingling adjusted the baby in her hands, making him comfortable.

Once Xiao Hua held him properly, Li Qingling took Li Qingning onto her lap, lifting her little head. “What’s the matter?”

Now she realized the little one had something on her mind.

Li Qingning pouted and shook her head, saying she was fine.

She didn’t want to trouble her already exhausted sister.

“Ningning, you clearly have something on your mind. Can’t you tell sister?”

Such a young child hiding feelings—if not guided properly, it could become a bigger problem later.

Li Qingning leaned obediently on Li Qingling but insisted she was fine.

This time, Li Qingling didn’t let it go.

“Look at me, Ningning.” She held her gaze. “Is there something you can’t tell me? Don’t you trust your sister?”

Seeing her sister’s slightly hurt expression, Li Qingning shook her head, saying no—it wasn’t like that.

In her heart, her sister was like her mother—she couldn’t stop sharing with her.

“Then what is it? Let’s solve it together, okay?”

Under Li Qingling’s gentle insistence, Li Qingning quietly cried and revealed the worries she had been holding in.

Hearing it, Li Qingling felt her heart ache. She had never known her sister carried such a burden—she had been too neglectful.

She rubbed her sister’s little head, apologizing. “Ningning, I’m sorry I overlooked you. You shouldn’t have had to carry such heavy thoughts.” For someone so small, hearing these things must have been so painful!

If not for this moment, she might never have discovered it in her life.