The northerly winds of the northwest frontier cut like knives across people's faces. Yet at this moment, the gate of the newly renovated mansion next to the Zhenbei Army camp, bearing the plaque "Lu Mansion," was enveloped by a completely different, almost boiling, heat.

Several dusty yet still impressive carriages had just come to a stop. The doors opened, and Lu Zheng, dressed in a smart outfit with a sword at his waist, was the first to jump out. His face showed the weariness of a long journey, but even more so, an eagerness and tension that came with the dust settling down. He rushed to the largest carriage in the middle and personally reached out to help them down.

First to descend was the Duchess of Zhenguo. She wore a black fox fur cloak, the hood pulled back, revealing a spirited yet weary face. The moment her feet touched the ground, her gaze swept like a hawk across the simple earthen walls and the distant, desolate Gobi Desert. Her brow furrowed immediately, and she complained loudly, "This wretched place! The sandstorm is terrible! Zheng'er! Where's Qingrou? How is she? Take me to see her!"

Before the words were finished, Madam Luo, supported by Lu Zheng, stepped out of the carriage. She was wrapped in a thick gray squirrel fur cloak, her face pale, the long journey making her appear quite haggard. However, her eyes, so similar to Luo Qingrou's, immediately turned urgently towards the gate of the mansion, her voice weak yet full of strength: "Rou'er! My Rou'er!"

The gate creaked open with a thud. Luo Qingrou, heavily pregnant, stumbled out, supported by the old army doctor and two rough-looking women. She wore only a thick, everyday cotton-padded coat, her hair was slightly loose, and her face bore the weariness and grime of someone who had traveled a long way. However, when she saw the two faces she had longed for so deeply in front of the carriage, her eyes suddenly lit up with an astonishing light, and tears welled up unexpectedly.

"Mother! Mother!" Her voice choked with sobs, almost breaking, and she tried to kneel down despite her heavy body.

"Oh my goodness!" Madam Lu reacted swiftly, rushing forward and, together with Lu Zheng, firmly supporting her on either side. Her voice trembled as she cried, "No! Absolutely not! Quick! Hold her steady!"

Madam Luo rushed forward, pulling her daughter into her arms. Tears streamed down her face as she trembled, stroking her daughter's cold cheeks and alarmingly high belly. "Rou'er! My child! You've suffered so much! You've lost weight! This face... these hands..." She was so distressed that she could barely speak. "Quick! Come inside! This wind is like a knife; how can you stand outside!"

Lu Zheng steadily supported his wife with one hand and tightly embraced his mother-in-law with the other. Watching his wife cry like a child in the arms of his two mothers, seeing the tears rolling down her pale face, and hearing her suppressed sobs, this young general, who shed blood but not tears on the battlefield, felt as if something was tightly blocking his throat, and his eyes instantly reddened. He slightly turned his head, his jaw taut, desperately suppressing his surging emotions, his voice heavy with hoarseness and a barely perceptible sob: "Mother-in-law, Mother, you've had a long journey. It's windy outside, please come inside. Your son… your son is unfilial, letting Qingrou suffer here."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Madam Lu wiped her face, glared at her son, and then her attention returned to her daughter-in-law. She carefully helped her into the house. "Come in quickly! Let your mother take a good look at you!"

A group of people ushered Luo Qingrou into the house. The house had been newly renovated, and although efforts were made to keep it clean, the limited land conditions meant the furnishings were simple, and the walls even still bore traces of freshly applied plaster. Yet, at this moment, the somewhat rough house was filled with a deep sense of warmth.

As soon as Madam Lu entered the room, she directed the strong servants and nannies she had brought: "Quickly! Spread out all the thick quilts and fur rugs we brought! Make the charcoal brazier burn brighter! Seal all the window cracks tightly with thick felt!" She personally took action, unfolding a thick and warm silver fur rug and spreading it on the heated kang bed by the window. "Qingrou, sit here quickly! It's warm!"

Mrs. Luo then took her daughter's hand and sat her on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), carefully examining her complexion and reaching out to feel her pulse, her movements gentle yet professional. "How is the fetal movement? Is your appetite good? Did you sleep well last night? Is there anything that's bothering you?" She asked one question after another, with the meticulousness unique to a doctor and the tender care of a mother.

Surrounded by her two mothers, Luo Qingrou felt the long-lost, almost overwhelming love, and tears welled up in her eyes again. She tried to smile and shook her head, "Everything is fine, Mother, Mother, really everything is fine. Master has taken excellent care of me, and A-Zheng has also... done his best." She looked up at her husband, who was standing by the kang (a heated brick bed), his gaze fixed on her.

Lu Zheng met her gaze, his Adam's apple bobbed, a thousand words stuck in his chest, and in the end, he could only give a deep, solemn nod, his eyes overflowing with heartache, guilt, and intense love.

"Do your best?" Madam Lu snorted as she directed the nanny to set out the various bottles and jars (medicinal herbs, tonics, frostbite cream) she had brought. "What does a grown man like him know about taking care of a pregnant woman? We have to do it!" She picked up a delicate hand warmer and stuffed it into Luo Qingrou's hands. "Hold it! It'll keep you warm! In this godforsaken place, my grandson can't get cold!"

Madam Luo carefully took out several sealed porcelain jars from the large package she had brought. Opening the lids, a familiar sweet and sour aroma wafted out. "Rou'er, look! Mother brought you your favorite candied plums! And freshly pickled bamboo shoots and pickled cucumbers—they're so appetizing! You need to nourish yourself properly!" she said, then picked up the bird's nest she had brought. "Mother will stew it for you later!"

Looking at the mountain of objects before her, each carrying the warmth of her mother and the scent of the capital, Luo Qingrou felt a sharp pang of sadness. She stroked the smooth hand warmer, then picked up a glistening sour plum and popped it into her mouth. The familiar taste instantly stirred up homesickness and endless emotion. She took a deep breath, calming herself, and said softly, "Oh, by the way, a few days ago, Sister Yuewei and Sister-in-law Qingwan also sent quite a few things from Jiangnan through someone."

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