Li Yao innocently asked, "Why do I need to know?" Facing everyone's puzzled looks, "The midwife didn't say anything when she came out."
"Ahem, young lady Li," the county magistrate's wife was also drunk and said, "Under normal circumstances, if the midwife doesn't say anything, then it's a girl. This is called announcing good news without announcing bad news."
Hmm...
Li Yao really didn't know about this saying.
"So it's a girl?"
Everyone silently nodded their heads, then looked at Li Yao nervously.
"Is there a name yet?"
Everyone: ...
Who would dare give a name without the mistress speaking?
"Da Zhuang, you should be more attentive," Li Yao said. "You don't even care about your own daughter's name yet."
"Mother," Da Zhuang said with a wry smile, "You should be the one to give her a name."
"I should give her a name?"
You're the father, yet you're giving up the right to name your own daughter?
But choosing a name did seem quite fun. Li Yao thought for a moment and said, "How about this - none of you four brothers have decent names anyway, so I'll give you all new names today."
Wang Er's face lit up. He had wanted to bring this up for a while.
The county exam was coming up soon, and he still didn't have a proper name. He kept getting called Wang Er here and there. Just yesterday, Xu Yucai and the others made fun of him at the poetry gathering.
Li Yao put down her chopsticks. "Let's start from the youngest."
"That would be me, right?" Wang Xiao Si laughed happily, but suddenly remembered that he was no longer the youngest in the family now that he was an uncle. "No, we should start with the baby girl."
As soon as Da Zhuang heard they were going to name his daughter now, he became a little nervous.
His cute little daughter must have a nice sounding name!
"The baby was born last night," Li Yao thought for a moment and said, "Last night was the Qi Xi festival, and there were lots of fireworks, so let's call her Wang Yanran, how about that?"
"Uh..." Wang Er hesitated and asked, "Is that her given name or her nickname?"
"No more nicknames," Li Yao said. "Wang Yanran will be the baby's name for life."
"What about her generational name..."
But Wang Er didn't continue.
After all, generational names weren't that important for girls.
Many girls went through life without proper names, like his sister-in-law, who was still called He Xiaoya even after becoming a mother.
"Good, what a nice name," the county magistrate's wife said with a smile. "This little one will definitely have great fortune in the future."
The baby's name was decided.
Next were the four brothers.
"That's right," Li Yao asked again, "What's the generational order for the Wang family names?"
Everyone: ...
The county magistrate's wife was also amazed.
As the mistress of the house, how could she not even know this?
It was fortunate no outsiders were present, otherwise this would surely lead to unsavory gossip.
Wang Er quickly said, "It goes: Zhonghou Chuanjia Yuan, Shishu Jishi Zhang. For our generation, it should be poetry words."
Poetry words... didn't seem like good choices for boys' names.
Li Yao quickly gave Wang Xiao Si a name: "Xiao Si, you run fast, so from now on your name will be Wang Rufeng."
Wang Xiao Si: ???
Everyone: ...
"Mother," Wang Er couldn't help but remind her, "There's no poetry word in the name."
"If there isn't one, then there isn't," Li Yao said. "From now on, our family will take names more casually. Use generational names if you want, if not then don't. Wang Xiao Si, do you like this name?"
"I like it!" Wang Rufeng stood up in excitement. "As long as it's from Mother, I'll like it!"
"Next is the third son." Li Yao thought for a moment and said, "The third son wants to become a general, so let's call him Wang Jian."
"Why is he called Wang Jian?" Song Zhe asked. "It doesn't sound very domineering."
Li Yao sneered inwardly.
Wang Jian conquered the six kingdoms and helped Emperor Ying Zheng unify the realm. How was that not domineering?
"Wang Er," Li Yao said, "You're well read, so I'll allow you to choose your own name."
Everyone: ...
They had seen nonsense before, but never something this nonsensical!
In this world, elders gave names, or respected scholars were asked to provide names, some would even find fortune tellers.
But they had never heard of a mother still living yet allowing her son to freely choose his own name!
Wang Er felt a little wronged. Third brother and fourth brother went unnamed, and even the newborn Yanran had a name from Mother, yet he did not.
So he sincerely said, "Please bestow upon me a name, Mother."
"You really don't want to choose yourself?"
Wang Er shook his head.
"Alright, then I'll give you a name," Li Yao casually said, "You want to become an official, and a good one at that, so let's call you Wang Aimin, how about that?"
Wang Er's face turned pale. "Thank..."
"What are you thanking for," Li Yao said, "Did you really believe I would joke about something so important as naming?"
If not for Wang Er being used to this by now, he probably would have cried.
How could something as significant as naming be casually joked about?
"Let's call you Wang Shouren. Shou for 'guarding', ren for 'benevolence'," Li Yao said. "Mother hopes that even when you reach the highest ranks, you will not forget your original aspirations and always think of the common people."
Shouren?
Wang Er suddenly felt the weight on his shoulders grow heavier.
"Mother's words, Shouren will engrave in his heart." Wang Er said. "What about my courtesy name and art name then?"
"Your courtesy name is Boyan, and your art name is Yangming."
Wang Er solemnly committed the name, courtesy name, and art name to memory, and vowed not to disappoint Mother's high hopes.
Finally it was Da Zhuang's turn.
"Da Zhuang, from now on your name will be Wang Anshi," Li Yao said. "It signifies that as long as you are home, all will be well and stable as a rock."
"Thank you, Mother."
Da Zhuang was very satisfied with his name.
As the eldest son, he naturally hoped that no matter which of his younger brothers went on to become officials or generals, he could support them from behind, allowing Mother to enjoy prosperity for life.
With the naming settled, they just had to inform the village chief to change the names in the registry, then report to the county government office.
From now on, the Wang children all had their proper names.
Just then, the county magistrate's wife's maid arrived pushing a three-wheeled cart. She whispered something to the county magistrate's wife, then took out an exquisite little purse.
"Young lady Li," the county magistrate's wife said, "I came in a rush last night and didn't prepare gifts, fortunately my husband had people prepare this early on."
She shoved the purse into Li Yao's hands.
Li Yao held the heavy purse and pulled open the drawstring, pouring out a pair of shiny gold bangles.
"This is too valuable."
"It's nothing," the county magistrate's wife said. "Zhe'er has been staying at your home for so long, must have caused you much trouble."
Song Zhe?
He had been quite troublesome initially, but became very well behaved later.
Since the county magistrate's wife had gifted Yanran, she as the grandmother should reciprocate.
She went into the bedroom and took out the longevity lock, little bell, and amulet she had prepared long ago, all crafted from gold.
These were brought by Jia Zhanliang from the capital city, commissioned from famous jewelers.
There was also an exquisite jade pendant brought back from the Nanzhao Kingdom by Liu Yuan.
"Da Zhuang," Li Yao handed everything to Da Zhuang, "Later pass all of these to the baby and have her keep them safe. She can wear them when she's older."
"Mother, so much?"
"These are for my precious granddaughter, what's wrong with giving her more?"
"Oh."
Seeing that Li Yao not only wasn't unhappy upon learning Yanran was a girl, but even gifted so many valuable things, everyone finally believed what she had said before - boys and girls were the same to her.
The weight in their hearts finally lifted.