Chapter 45 Although my older brother likes making friends…
Chapter 45
At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM) that day, the two groups finally met at the dock.
Seeing that He Hansheng and Shen Suining were both safe and sound, Shen Yan finally felt relieved. Soon, the group boarded the passenger ship, settled into their rooms, and were able to rest.
The passenger ship was rented by Shen Yan through connections. Apart from the boatman, cook, and two servants, there were only the two of them on board. The ship went directly from Cangzhou to Yangzhou dock without stopping at any other port, making it relatively safe.
Shen Suining was exhausted these past few days. After boarding the ship, she didn't even eat before going back to her room to sleep. He Hansheng stayed in Shen Yan's room and played chess with him for a while.
Shen Yan made his move and got straight to the point: "You and Ningning aren't injured, are you?"
He Hansheng shook his head. "Thank you for your concern, father-in-law."
"That's good. I was worried that Ningning was just being stubborn again," Shen Yan breathed a sigh of relief. "Did Ningning tell you which group they hired?"
He Hansheng remembered Shen Suining's words, but did not mention the more than thirty assassins. He only vaguely said, "They are probably just wandering martial artists. Ningning probably doesn't know them either."
Shen Yan didn't suspect anything. The imperial court had hired assassins, and it was highly likely that the forces in the north were involved. Shen Suining had been in the Jiangnan area for most of the time, so it was normal that he didn't know them.
He saw He Hansheng think for a long time before making a move, and said in a calm tone, "Go back and tell Ningning to write a letter to her older brother. Maybe he can help."
He Hansheng rarely heard Shen Yan and Shen Suining mention her elder brother, and only vaguely knew his name, Shen Suian.
May you have peace and health every year.
He didn't ask any further questions, only replying with a "okay".
The two quickly finished a game of chess. Shen Yan knew that He Hansheng had also worked hard these past few days, so he didn't keep him any longer and let him rest.
When He Hansheng returned to the room, Shen Suining was already asleep.
The rooms on the passenger ship were naturally not as comfortable as those in the inns on the shore. Space on the ship was limited, so each room was not large. There was only a bed that could barely fit two people, a simple table and two stools, and nothing else. Even taking a bath required going to a communal shower room.
He Hansheng closed the door.
The doors and walls were made of wood, so the soundproofing wasn't very good. Luckily, most of the rooms on the ship were empty, and only their group was there.
He Hansheng had just reached the bedside when Shen Suining woke up. He sat down and looked apologetic. "Did I wake you?"
Shen Suining shook her head, "I can't sleep in a bed I'm not used to."
The bunk beds on the boat were very hard, and the boat was rocking a bit as it sailed on the water, making it difficult for light sleepers to fall asleep.
He Hansheng reached out and stroked Shen Suining's cheek, then picked her up and placed her on his lap, as if holding a child.
Shen Suining found a comfortable position in his arms and leaned against him, feeling that it was much better than lying on the hard bed.
"Ningning."
"Um?"
He Hansheng paused for a moment, then said, "You seem to have never mentioned your older brother to me."
"Why bring him up? I hardly ever see him these days." Shen Suining leaned on He Hansheng's shoulder and closed her eyes to rest.
"He's not at the villa?"
“Hmm, he’s not here,” Shen Suining turned her face and leaned against him in a different direction. “My elder brother is a free spirit and does things his own way. He likes to travel around and make friends with all kinds of people. Shuyu Manor originally had an ironclad rule that it did not allow people in the manor to have private relationships with court officials or noble families. My elder brother was not disciplined, so he left and only goes back to stay for a few days occasionally.”
Seeing that He Hansheng did not respond, Shen Suining finally opened her eyes and asked him, "Did Father mention my eldest brother to you?"
He Hansheng hummed in agreement and relayed Shen Yan's message to Shen Suining.
"..." Unseen by He Hansheng, Shen Suining's expression was complex, even somewhat indescribable. "Let's not."
"How so?"
“Although my elder brother likes to make friends, he is even better at making enemies,” Shen Suining said with some trepidation. “I’m afraid that if I mention his name, I will die even faster.”
He Hansheng: "..."
Shen Suining closed her eyes and leaned on He Hansheng's shoulder. After a long silence, she fell asleep.
He Hansheng noticed that her breathing was steady, so he didn't put her down immediately. He waited until she was sleeping more soundly in his arms before carefully placing her on the bed.
The bed was too small, and given He Hansheng's already tall stature, if he lay down on it, there wouldn't be enough space for either of them, and they probably wouldn't be able to sleep well.
But he remembered that Shen Suining had said that in the past, when sleeping in unfamiliar places, Shen Fengyu would always be there to watch over her before she dared to fall asleep.
So He Hansheng sat by the bedside for half the night. After Shen Suining fell into a deep sleep, he leaned down and gently kissed her forehead before tiptoeing to the room next to hers.
The beds in the two rooms were in opposite positions, separated only by a thin wooden board. If you listened carefully, you could almost hear the other person's soft breathing.
He Hansheng lay down in the same direction as her, facing her room, and slowly closed his eyes.
...
After three days on the ship, Shen Suining couldn't stand it anymore.
The space on the passenger ship is very small; besides the rooms, there's only the deck. You can either see the end of the deck at a glance, or it seems to stretch endlessly, which is quite unpleasant.
At first, Shen Suining would play cards with Shen Fengyu and Jiang Yuchu, play chess with Shen Yan and He Hansheng, and watch Miao Wei make some trinkets. But after a while, even the most interesting things became boring.
Shen Suining lay on Shen Yan's lap and sighed.
"You're not that old, but you're always sighing," Shen Yan teased her.
He Hansheng was sitting opposite Shen Yan, playing chess. The thought of He Hansheng racking his brains to let Shen Yan win a game made Shen Suining feel even more sympathy and pity for him.
She couldn't help but speak up: "Dad, can you please stop nagging He Hansheng to play chess all the time? Can't you do something else too?"
"What can you do? Practice martial arts?" Shen Yan chuckled as he placed his piece.
Shen Suining thought about it and agreed. How big was this ship? Their internal strength was so profound that if they really fought, they could capsize the ship.
He Hansheng and Shen Yan made their moves one after another. Just by listening to their voices, one could tell that He Hansheng was making his moves slower and slower and taking longer and longer to think. Shen Suining didn't even need to get up to look; she could guess how badly Shen Yan was playing this game.
Unaware of his own limitations, he saw He Hansheng deep in thought and said earnestly, "My dear son-in-law, your chess skills need to be improved. What if someone sets up a game to test you?"
"..." Shen Suining rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky.
He Hansheng remained humble and polite, saying, "Father-in-law's advice is correct."
“Father, He Hansheng has been playing chess with you for several days now, why don’t you pass on some experience to him?” Shen Suining took the opportunity to make a request. “With his alcohol tolerance of one cup, what will happen when he runs into those two drunkards, Shen Heyang and Shen Yunwei?”
"What can you do? If you can drink, drink; if you can't, accept it," Shen Yan chuckled. "That old drunkard Shen Heyang, even your mother and Shen Yunwei couldn't outdrink him. What can you do?"
"Wouldn't He Hansheng be finished then?"
"Not being able to drink isn't a big deal, why are you worrying about it?" Shen Yan was a little unhappy to hear her words all sympathizing with He Hansheng. "He's a doctor, he can tell at a glance whether a person can drink or not, and to what extent. He knows his limits very well. Besides, this is to vet your husband, not to pick an apprentice for his Jishetang. Do you really think you can only be satisfied if Yun Chu gets him drunk?"
That being said, Shen Suining recalled that back in Qianchunfang, He Hansheng had just finished a bowl of wine and immediately lost consciousness.
It wasn't that she felt she had to drink with Shen Heyang and the others in a back-and-forth manner, but this record of being completely outdone in Shuyu Manor was unique, and Shen Suining felt that she probably couldn't afford to lose face.
Seeing that Shen Suining was still worried, Shen Yan couldn't help but remind her, "Don't worry about Yun Chu, think about how you're going to get past your mother."
"..." These words struck a nerve with Shen Suining. She instantly deflated and said listlessly, "Isn't there you? I can't handle my mother, but you can't?"
Shen Yan laughed twice without saying a word, an attitude that instantly made Shen Suining feel uneasy.
She sat up and thought for a while before knocking on Miao Wei's door.
A few more days passed.
Jiang Yuchu came to find He Hansheng, but seeing that Shen Suining was not there, she entered the room and said in a low voice, "My lord, Miss Miao Wei has arrived."
He Hansheng paused for a moment, then nodded. "Please let her in."
Miao Wei groped her way in through the door. Jiang Yuchu brought her a stool, carefully helped her sit down, and then went to stand guard at the door.
"Did Miss Miao need something from me?"
Miao Wei nodded and placed the porcelain bottle she had brought on the table. "This is a hangover cure that Ningning asked me to prepare. Take one pill before each drink and you won't get drunk easily."
He Hansheng was quite surprised, and seemed to feel that something was wrong, so he asked, "Didn't Ningning say that it's easy for people to notice when you use medicine?"
“My lord, there’s no need to worry. This medicine doesn’t neutralize the effects of alcohol; it only helps you stay sober after drinking. Even if someone notices, it won’t matter. However…” Miao Wei paused for a moment, “This medicine is very potent and has significant side effects. Given your own alcohol tolerance, even if you take this medicine, you shouldn’t push yourself too hard.”
"Thank you, Miss Miao," He Hansheng said, somewhat hesitantly, "Ningning, she..."
Miao Wei seemed to sense his hesitation and smiled. "Ningning doesn't know about the side effects. She's just concerned about saving face. If she knew the medicine would harm her body, she definitely wouldn't have let me give it to the young marquis. Whether he uses it or not is up to him."
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