Chapter 16 Chapter 16 It’s hard to tell whether I want to tell her to shut up, or…

He closed his eyes and buried his face in the pillow, letting the sense of security wash over him. He loved the feeling of being held so gently.

Although she had a stern expression just now, when she leaned over, the coldness between her brows suddenly melted away. She stroked his cheek with her hand and asked him softly, "Shi'er, how are you? Are you feeling better?"

Somehow, he didn't hear her voice clearly.

"Yeah." He nodded gently, rubbing his cheek against her palm.

She looked at him and saw that he still seemed very weak, so her expression softened a little.

"You haven't been very good today."

She tried to pull her hand away, but he turned his head and pressed her hand between his face and the pillow.

She was stunned, her elbows resting on the bed, her body leaning down involuntarily, her face facing him.

"Do you know how ugly your face looked when they sent you back?"

He didn't answer. His energy, which had not yet fully recovered, was only enough for him to look at her and smell her intently.

"Chen Jinshi, you really scared me to death."

She made no secret of her concern for him; she knew he needed to receive such affection.

Chen Jinshi still didn't answer, just stared at her with his eyes.

Both of his hands were covered with wounds, and Chen Ying bandaged them carefully.

"Tell me, why did you do this to yourself?"

She asked him carefully and softly.

She has a pair of autumn-water eyes and long eyelashes.

If you look closely at the transparent amber pupils and hold them up to the light, you can see a little bit of blue-green, like glass filled with water.

"You are really naughty. Don't be naughty anymore, okay?" I really... feel distressed for you.

He looked at her lips, so rosy and soft, and so gentle as she spoke, opening and closing, opening and closing...

He was held by her until his fingers and spine were numb. She didn't hold him, but he felt like he was being held by her... her smell, her voice, her gentle warmth, the soft bed...

She was so gentle, and he felt a urge to possess her lips. He couldn't tell whether he wanted to tell her to shut up, or just plug her mouth with something...

"Go to sleep."

She stopped all her reproaches to him, withdrew her hand, and went to sleep in the outer room alone.

On a rainy day, Chen Jichuan called her and his three children to come over.

Chen Ying looked at him and tears welled up in her eyes.

But he resisted and didn't fall down.

"What will the General say today?"

She sat at the head of his bed and wiped his face with the handkerchief.

The first thing Chen Jichuan instructed was: "You must bury me with Qingying. I specially reserved a piece of land for myself next to her grave."

Chen Jinxing and Chen Jinshi didn't say anything. Chen Ying finally couldn't hold back her tears, and she held Chen Jichuan's hand and nodded to him.

"Don't worry, General. Dulan will do just that."

Chen Jichuan raised his hand to wipe her tears, his voice trembling: "The one I feel most sorry for is you, Dulan, you have done so much for me..."

Chen Ying shook her head, tilting her head to rest on his broad palm. "This is all Dulan's willingness. Dulan is willing to follow the general and share his worries. After four years of companionship, Dulan is already very satisfied."

Chen Jichuan smiled dotingly, "Don't cry, Dulan. You're still young and have a long life ahead of you. When I'm gone, go live the life you want and live for yourself from now on. I saved your life, so I have the final say. Dulan, you must live a very good life in the future."

Chen Ying smiled tearfully: "Dulan has already died once. This life used to follow the general, and in the future... obey the general and live for yourself."

Chen Jichuan waved the three children over.

"Kneel down, all of you."

Two sons and a little daughter were kneeling straight.

"You all kowtow to Ammu. I have no other last words. I want the three of you, especially Chen Jinxing and Chen Jinshi, to treat her as your own mother for the rest of your lives. No matter where she is in the future, you must be her protector."

Hearing this, Chen Ying kept shaking her head. She didn't deserve this at all. She came here just to repay a favor.

Chen Jinxing kowtowed first, very decisively, and Chen Jinyun followed suit.

Chen Jinshi knelt straight, clenched his fists, and faced Chen Jichuan's tough gaze.

"Why? Chen Jinshi, you are not happy?"

Chen Jinshi clenched his teeth tightly, unable to bend his back easily.

Chen Jichuan picked up the stick at the head of the bed and tried to hit him: "You rebellious son! Your mother treated you like that. If it weren't for her, you would have died long ago!"

The veins on Chen Jinshi's forehead bulged as Chen Jichuan bent his waist.

He kowtowed and called out in a trembling voice, "Amu."

This "Ahm" really symbolized too much, and his breathing began to become short and rapid again.

He is unwilling to accept this.

When he got up, many things had been settled, including his relationship with her.

The news of Chen Jichuan's death spread quickly, and the eldest wife of the Chen family began to mourn.

A plain white flag was hung on the lintel of the Chen family's door overnight, and it rustled in the wind.

Chen Ying cried bitterly and buried Chen Jichuan in the coffin with her own hands, full of piety.

After that, he stayed in the funeral room every day, reminiscing about the past on the grassland. All the affairs of the mansion were handled by Chen Jinxing and Chen Jinshi.

Chen Xing was wearing mourning clothes and was busying around in the yard. Chen Jinshi was standing in the corner of the mourning shed, wearing a coarse linen mourning dress, which made his shoulders look broader.

He seldom shed tears, but just stared at the red coffin, his fingertips unconsciously stroking his cuffs.

His lowered eyes hid all expression.

The figure who knelt in front of the coffin day and night looked much thinner, with red and swollen eyes, and kept sobbing.

Chen Jinshi looked annoyed and wanted to tell her to stop crying, but he felt that he really didn't have the qualifications.

Chen Jinxing’s words kept appearing in his mind: His father is gone, what is he in front of her?

Just irrelevant people.

I'm afraid she won't have time to bother him.

Just as she was thinking about it, Chen Jinxing came in with a gift list in his hand and bent down to talk to her. She wiped her tears and talked to him about business.

Chen Jinshi was stunned.

Chen Ying rubbed the corners of her eyes with her sleeves and supported herself to stand up steadily.

"Has the medicine store been inventoried?"

Her voice was a little hoarse, but as soon as she spoke, she exuded the majesty of the mistress of the house.

Chen Jinxing knelt down before her.

"I've already done the inventory, Am. Here's the new account book, and these condolence gifts. I've sorted them by category."

Chen Ying took the gift list and ran her fingertips over the densely packed names, memorizing all the personal interactions, not to mention the funeral gifts sent by the emperor, which needed to be properly disposed of.

She nodded: "You did a great job. By the way, where is Chen Jinshi? Why don't I see him?"

Chen Jinxing looked back and said, "I just saw him standing at the door, but now I don't know where he has gone."

Chen Ying then said, "There's a lot going on here, let's ignore him for now."

Chen Jinxing glanced sideways at the door, shrugged, lowered his head and said helplessly: "As long as he doesn't get into trouble for a while, I'll be thankful."

Chen Jinshi leaned his back against the wall, sneered, and said nothing.

Xie Qingyue had just returned to Beijing. When he received the news, he was shocked and rushed to Nanjing without stopping.

On the day of the funeral, the two brothers Chen Jinxing and Chen Jinshi led the way with banners. Chen Ying sent the coffin out the door and leaned against the door frame and cried for a long time. She did not go up the mountain with them, but could only cry for the last time at home.

Xie Qingyue came back from helping to build the tombstone and saw her fainted on the ground in front of the mansion gate, so he hurried over to carry her.

He had broad shoulders and a broad back, and he lifted the person up easily.

“Aunt Shen, Aunt Shen, wake up.”

"Alas, I am rude, junior."

Chen Jinxing and Chen Jinshi were still finishing up on the mountain, paying tribute to their biological mother, and did not see this scene.

Xie Qingyue carried Chen Ying to her room and pushed her twice. Seeing that she showed no sign of waking up, he had no choice but to stay with her for the time being.

There was no one in the house now, it was empty, and he couldn't leave her here alone.

He looked at the person on the bed and murmured, "You haven't been crying for several days in a row, have you?"

Seeing her blushing cheeks, he was startled again, apologized, and put his hand over her to touch her.

"It's bad, it's heating up."

His heart tightened, and without caring about anything else, he turned around and walked out the door.

He strode across the courtyard and went straight to the kitchen, where he picked up firewood and started a fire. His movements were a little clumsy, but those who were used to living in the military camp knew some skills in making fire and cooking.

He went to the Chen family's medicine storehouse and searched through the drawers for a long time, and found some familiar bupleurum and honeysuckle. While he was boiling the medicine, he also boiled some hot water for her.

He soaked cotton cloth in warm water and wrung it dry, then returned to the room. Chen Ying was still sleeping, her cheeks getting redder and redder, and she was moaning about the pain.

He held his breath and carefully wiped her forehead with cotton cloth.

Just at this moment, the two brothers came back.

Chen Jinxing was still calm. When Chen Jinshi saw this scene, his mother was lying on the bed, and Xie Qingyue was in her room! He even touched her face!

His eyes turned red, and he went up and shoved Xie Qingyue away: "Xie Qingyue! What are you doing!"

Although Xie Qingyue had muscles like mountains and was very strong, he was pushed to the side by Chen Jinshi, who was also very strong, without any preparation. He quickly stabilized his body.

He didn't get angry with Chen Jinshi, and explained: "Aunt Shen has a fever, and I saw that there was no one at home, so..."

As he spoke, Chen Jinxing took the medicine bowl from him. His attitude was much more polite than Chen Jinshi's. He nodded and said, "Thank you very much, sir. We came back late. We don't need you here now. We can come here. Please step out for a while."

Chen Jinshi said, "How old are you? You still have the nerve to call her aunt? Get out, get out!"

They snatched the wet handkerchief from his hand, and together they pushed him out and took over what he was doing.

Chen Jinshi came to Chen Ying's bedside and saw that she looked uncomfortable, and his heart ached.

"Emu, it's me."

He turned his head and said, "Chen Jinxing, you come and take her pulse, and then go and boil the medicine."

Chen Jinxing smelled the medicine brewed by Xie Qingyue and shook his head. This medicine was indeed ineffective.

He came to sit beside the bed. Chen Jinshi took out a wrist from under the quilt and handed it to him. Chen Jinxing carefully felt the pulse, then stood up and nodded: "I understand. I'll go make medicine for her."

"Hey." Chen Jinshi called him.

Chen Jinxing turned around and looked at Chen Jinshi.

Chen Jinshi asked, "Is she seriously ill?"

Chen Jinxing shook his head. "It's just that I've been too sad these past few days and I'm tired. I have a common fever. I'll be fine after taking some medicine."

Chen Jinshi lowered his head and nodded lightly: "Oh."

The two brothers worked together, one boiled the medicine while the other wiped her body and slammed the door shut.

The author has something to say:

----------------------