NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Chapter 7: A Blessed First Birthday.
Two months had passed.
On this day, the weather was perfect — clear skies and a gentle breeze.
Xu Ming stood in the courtyard with his hands on his hips, gazing up at the sky.
"Starting today, I'm officially one year old!"
In this past year, Xu Ming's life couldn't be described as carefree, but it had certainly been uneventful.
His so-called "cheap father" had only come to visit him and his mother three times in the entire year. Every time, he'd stay for just a little while before leaving.
According to the people in the estate, it was because his mother had fallen out of favor.
But Xu Ming didn't care.
He and his mother lived a very comfortable life. In a noble family, while life might not be extravagant, it was at least free of worry over basic necessities.
Taking advantage of the moment while his mother was using the restroom, Xu Ming quickly got to work. He did 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 100 high knees in the courtyard.
Feeling his body grow stronger day by day, Xu Ming couldn't help but deeply empathize with the "doghead bros" online who talked about their own progress.
Testing his strength, Xu Ming tried lifting a large rock in the courtyard.
He estimated that the stone weighed about 30 pounds.
After placing it back down, he gasped for air.
"Just turned one, and I can already lift a 30-pound rock. At the very least, I should be the top dog among kids my age on this street shared by the Xu and Qin households."
Dusting off his hands, Xu Ming lay down on the grassy ground and began doing Russian twists.
[Strength +1, Core Flexibility +1, Core Strength +1]
With each twist, Xu Ming felt as though he'd just used a "doghead's" axe to finish off a minion in a video game.
"Fifth Madam, the celebration is about to start. You should—"
Just as Xu Ming was enthusiastically twisting away, Chunyan entered the courtyard.
The first thing she saw was a one-year-old lying on the ground, his abdomen curling and twisting so fast it seemed to leave afterimages.
Chunyan rubbed her eyes, thinking she must have been mistaken.
When she looked again, Xu Ming was lying peacefully on the ground, sound asleep.
"Must've been my imagination," Chunyan muttered to herself before quickly stepping forward to pick Xu Ming up, brushing the dirt off his back.
"Young Master Ming'er, you can't lie on the grass like this — it's dirty!"
A short while later, Chen Suya came out.
After Chunyan mentioned the birthday celebration, she hurried off to inform the other madams.
Chen Suya carried Xu Ming to the front courtyard.
The expansive courtyard was bustling with activity.
Since the birthday celebration was for both the young lady of the Qin family and the young lady of the Xu family, relatives and friends from both households had gathered together.
Xu Ming saw many unfamiliar faces.
Everyone who entered the estate would first pay respects to the elderly woman seated at the very front.
Xu Ming guessed that this old lady must be the highest-ranking member of both the Xu and Qin families — the sole wife of the late Duke Xu.
In the old lady's lap sat Qin Qingwan and Xu Xuenuo, both giggling happily, making her smile even wider.
Four elegantly dressed women stood nearby, serving her attentively.
Among them were Lady Wang, the first wife of the Xu family, and Lady Zhao, the first wife of the Qin family.
The other two, Xu Ming guessed, were probably his father's concubines. Each held a baby boy in their arms.
When Qin Qingwan, sitting in the old lady's lap, spotted Xu Ming, her eyes lit up. She waved her arms and legs excitedly, calling out in a tender, childish voice:
"Ming gugu! Ming gugu!" (Ming Gege, Ming Gege!)
[T/N: Gege=Brother]
Following Qin Qingwan's gaze, everyone turned to look at Xu Ming and Chen Suya.
Chen Suya carried Xu Ming forward, gently placing him down before bowing to the elderly matriarch. "This humble servant pays her respects to the Old Ancestor, the First Madam, Lady Qin, Lady Qian, and Lady Lin."
She tugged lightly at Xu Ming's hand. "Ming'er, greet the Old Ancestor and the madams."
With no choice but to comply, Xu Ming politely said, "Ming'er pays respects to the Old Ancestor and the madams." After all, appearances had to be maintained.
"Hahaha! Ming'er is only one year old, yet he speaks so clearly!" The Old Ancestor laughed.
Lady Qin glanced around, smiling as she walked forward to gently pick up Xu Ming. "Isn't that right, Old Ancestor? I'm especially fond of Ming'er, and so is Qingwan, isn't that so, Qingwan?"
Qin Qingwan nodded vigorously, her childish voice declaring, "I love Ming'er gege the most! The most!"
"Good, good, good!" The Old Ancestor's smile grew even brighter. "It's best for a family to live in harmony. Now, take your seats. Today, His Majesty sent over Yulong meat from Xiliang — you're in for a treat!"
"Yes, Old Ancestor." Chen Suya withdrew with Xu Ming and sat at the table designated for the Xu family's relatives.
"Minister Wang of the Ministry of Rites presents a pair of jade Ruyi scepters, wishing the young ladies of the Qin and Xu families a lifetime of good fortune."
"General Li Zhongqi presents two snow tiger sculptures to bless the young ladies with protection and prosperity."
"Mr. Ai of the Hanlin Academy presents two fire phoenix brushes, wishing the young ladies intelligence and virtue, and the Qin and Xu families a legacy of scholarly achievements."
As the gifts were announced one by one, everyone gradually took their seats.
Before the feast began, Xu Ming's father, Xu Zheng, held Xu Xuenuo in his arms, while Qin Ruhai, the head of the Qin family, carried Qin Qingwan. They walked under an arch adorned with a green onion, symbolizing intelligence and health for the children.
Next, the Old Ancestor rolled a peeled, boiled egg over the babies' clothes while chanting, "Roll away misfortune, roll away disaster," signifying a wish for good luck and health.
The Old Ancestor then dressed the babies in new clothes and jewelry, symbolizing a fresh start filled with prosperity.
Finally, the elders presented Xu Xuenuo and Qin Qingwan with red envelopes, wishing them healthy growth. Both the Xu and Qin families sealed two bottles of wine, to be opened when the children came of age and got married.
Of course, none of this included Xu Ming.
After a year of observing his surroundings, Xu Ming had come to understand that in the Kingdom of Dawu, the status of an illegitimate child was abysmally low.
Once the birthday banquet ended, Chen Suya led Xu Ming to pay respects to the Old Ancestor before leaving. On their way out, Chen Suya requested some leftover food from the banquet.
The Old Ancestor, in high spirits, agreed readily and even ordered the kitchen to divide the remaining delicacies into small portions for the ladies of the back courtyard.
However, Xu Ming found it puzzling. His mother hadn't eaten much at the banquet — did she truly like these dishes?
Back in the quieter rear courtyard, which felt more peaceful compared to the lively feast, Xu Ming found himself much more at ease.
Chen Suya placed Xu Ming on the bed before stepping out of the room. Xu Ming didn't think much of it and seized the opportunity to start doing push-ups and sit-ups on the bed.
Just as he was getting into the rhythm, the door opened, and he quickly flopped down onto the bed, pretending to sleep.
"Ming'er, Mommy has a surprise for you!"
Chen Suya picked him up and carried him out of the courtyard. Xu Ming saw Chunyan panting heavily as she brought in two unopened jars of wine.
On the small stone table in the courtyard, the dishes Chen Suya had requested from the Old Ancestor were neatly arranged.
Chen Suya sat down, placing Xu Ming on her lap. "Ming'er, I can't give you anything better. I could only request these dishes. And Chunyan even managed to get two jars of wine — one for when you come of age, and one for your wedding."
She kissed her child's forehead. "Ming'er, happy first birthday."
Chunyan, too, happily sat down. "Young Master Ming'er, happy birthday!"