After the bath was completed, the women gathered around on both sides.
The midwife grandma first stirred the water in the basin with a棒槌 (a stick), all the while chanting: "One stir, two stirs, three stirs, the older brother leads the younger one running around. Seventy, eighty, mishap, and mischief, all come along with a whoosh!"
Then, with swift hands, she unwrapped the swaddling clothes and lifted out the bare Ninth Prince.
The women present couldn't help but direct their gaze towards the Ninth Prince, as this was his first appearance since birth before the ladies of the royal family.
Wang Yongzhu, though in a corner, could see clearly. In just a couple of days, the Ninth Prince had shed his redness and become fair and tender.
Though the room was warm with a heated wall, the sudden removal from the swaddling startled the baby. The baby had been lying with eyes closed and fists near his mouth.
Awakened by the surprise, his tiny fists waved a few times.
