Chapter 1: The Child Bride of the Governor's Mansion

In the winter of the 12th year of the Republic of China, heavy snow fell outside the Beiyang Governor's Mansion.

"This is my child. I want to send him to the governor to see if he can be a child bride for the young master." Li Da said with a flattering look on his face.

I heard that the governor had a five-year-old child who was raised in luxury since childhood, but he was dying and wanted a girl to bring him good luck. He had been looking for a suitable one for a long time but couldn't find one, so they wanted to try their luck.

The doorman looked at the almost asleep child in his arms and said in a softer tone, "Wait here, I'll go get the housekeeper."

Soon the housekeeper came out from the door: "Is this your child?"

Li Da nodded quickly: "It's ours. If you don't believe me, you can go and ask around."

The butler hesitated for a moment and said, "Come in with me."

Li Da held the child in his arms and carefully followed him into the gate of the Governor's Mansion.

At this time, the snow stopped, and the sky turned a long-lost blue. A few rays of sunlight fell, shining on the child in Li Da's arms.

Siming was dressed in a dark military uniform that outlined his tall and straight figure. His face was stern and his eyes were deep, as if he could see through everything in the world.

"General, do you think this girl is suitable to be the young master's wife?" The butler walked respectfully to Siming and said.

Siming looked up at the girl in Li Da's arms. She was wearing a worn cotton jacket with cotton wool showing in some places.

His skin is yellowish, but his facial features are still delicate.

He raised his eyes and glanced at Li Da: "Birth date and time."

Li Da didn't dare to look up when he was stared at. When asked about his birth date, he stuttered and couldn't answer.

The child in his arms moved his fingers slightly at this time.

Siming squinted his eyes and looked at him: "Since you said she is your child, how come you don't even know her birth date? I don't accept kidnapped children here."

After he finished speaking, he loaded his gun and pointed it at Li Da.

Li Da quickly knelt on the ground: "General, this is really my child, but, but..."

"Just what?" Siming waited for his explanation.

"Uncle, where is this place?" Juanjuan rubbed her eyes and spoke in a daze.

When Li Da saw that she had woken up, he was afraid that she would talk nonsense and was also afraid that she would be shot by the governor.

Juanjuan turned around and looked around: "Where are Daddy and Mommy?"

Si Ming looked at the little baby who had woken up. He felt so pitiful when he closed his eyes, but he didn't expect that he would become so lively after opening his eyes.

"She is not your child. How dare you lie to me?" Si Ming opened the safety of the gun in his hand and was ready to take action.

"General, General, please spare her. She was picked up by my third brother and his wife, and she has been raised in our family for three years." Li Da knelt on the ground and kowtowed continuously.

He was afraid that if he explained too slowly, the bullet in his pistol would take his life.

Siming looked at the child: "Where are her parents?"

"Dead, dead. I, we can't afford to support her, so we thought of sending her to the Governor's Mansion." Li Da stammered.

Siming walked up to Juanjuan and squatted down: "What's your name?"

He didn't even realize it, but his voice became much softer when he faced her.

Juanjuan didn't understand what they were saying, so she answered obediently, "Juanjuan, Mommy said my hair was curly when she found me."

She looked up at Siming, her eyes filled with confusion and uneasiness: "Uncle, what is death?"

Siming stepped forward and picked her up. She was so small that she felt weightless even in one hand. "They went to a very far place."

Juanjuan lowered her head, her eyes reddened: "Don't they want Juanjuan anymore? Why don't they take Juanjuan with them?"

Si Ming looked at her red eyes, her beautiful big eyes full of tears, and touched her head with his big palm with some heartache.

"It's too far, and they're afraid you'll suffer. Juanjuan, are you willing to stay at the Governor's Mansion?"

"From now on you are my daughter and I am your father."

Juanjuan was confused: "Will I be hungry?"

Siming smiled and shook his head: "No."

When Juanjuan heard that she wouldn't be hungry anymore, her eyes lit up: "Will you be cold?"

"No." Siming was in a good mood for a rare time.

Juanjuan showed a happy smile on her face. She no longer had to hug her mother in the cold. She nodded her head vigorously: "Juanjuan is willing."

Si Ming was very satisfied with her answer and turned to look at the housekeeper: "Give him ten dollars, and Juanjuan will have nothing to do with the Li family from now on. If he dares to come to my house, I will shoot him."

Siming picked up Juanjuan and said, "I'll take you to see my son."

After he said that, he pulled a coat beside him and wrapped it around her, then carried her in his arms and strode towards the room where his son was.

"Butler, go buy some clothes for the young lady."

The butler replied respectfully, "I will go now."

After he said that, he had Li Da dragged away.

Si Jinchen was born to the governor's wife, who died of heavy bleeding after giving birth to him.

However, this child has been weak since childhood and would fall seriously ill if he was not taken care of. The Governor's Office has spent a lot of money in the past few years, but has not been able to cure him.

This winter, he fell ill and could not get up. He saw many doctors but they were all helpless and advised Sima Ming to prepare for his funeral.

Finally, the housekeeper suggested that they find him a young wife to bring him good luck, and maybe his illness would be cured.

Siming didn't believe these things at first, but this child was his and Wanru's only child, and he didn't want to give up.

Juanjuan looked at the boy lying on the iron bed. He had delicate features, skin so white it was almost transparent, his eye sockets were deeply sunken, the color of his lips was abnormal, and his breathing was very weak, as if it would stop at any time.

"Dad, is this my brother?" She whispered to Siming for fear of waking him up.

Siming sat by the bed and raised his hand to tidy up his son's hair: "Yes, it's Juanjuan's brother."

Juanjuan lay on the edge of the bed and lowered her voice very low: "Brother, I am Juanjuan."

Seeing Si Jinchen didn't move, she asked, "Dad, why is my brother ignoring me?"

"He's just too tired." Si Ming looked at his son's increasingly thin face and felt sad.

Juanjuan lay on the bed and reached out to hold Si Jinchen's hand: "Brother, when you have rested well, get up and play with Juanjuan!"

Siming has already made the worst-case scenario plan. If Si Jinchen really can't stay, he will take care of Juanjuan and raise her as his own daughter, and find a good husband for her in the future.

But who would have thought that the next moment, Si Jinchen's pale cheeks regained some color, his breathing began to become steady and strong, and he slowly tightened his grip on her hand.

His long eyelashes trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes, looking around in confusion.

"Dad, my brother is awake." Juanjuan saw that he woke up, turned around and shouted happily to Siming.

Siming was still in deep thought with his head down when he suddenly heard her surprised voice.

He looked up suddenly and saw his son lying on the bed, looking at him with his eyes open.

Si Jinchen's voice was a little weak: "Dad!"

"Go and get the doctor and the physician for me!" Siming yelled at the servants outside.

The servant hurried to look for someone, fearing that he would be shot by the governor if he ran too slowly.

"Achen, how are you?" Siming's voice was cautious, fearing that this was a dream and would vanish into thin air if he was not careful.