After a busy period, the New Year has finally arrived.
This year's Lunar New Year's Eve was not much different from last year's, except that during the New Year's Eve dinner, Cheng Yunping suddenly announced some big news: Xiaoman is pregnant!
"What? Yunping, are you serious? Oh my! Thank God! Our Cheng family is going to have another baby! This... this is such wonderful news!" Xu Cui reacted the most, immediately standing up as if she wanted to go burn incense and pray to all the gods right now to thank them.
Cheng Yan was also very happy and said with a relieved expression, "That's great! Have you already seen a doctor?"
"I've seen the doctor, and he said she's just a month along." Cheng Yunping looked at his shy wife, feeling a warm glow in his heart. "Grandpa, don't worry, the doctor also said that the baby's pulse is very stable this time around, and it's clear that both mother and child are healthy. He even said that our family is good at raising children!"
"Oh my! Thank goodness! Such good news in the New Year means our family will definitely prosper more and more in the future! I'm so happy!" Xu Cui's eyes reddened as she spoke. Ever since she came to the Cheng family, she has always regarded this place as her own home. In her mind, the more people a family has, the more lively and powerful it is. Especially seeing the younger generation flourishing, she felt even more comforted.
Cheng Yunle was also very happy. The more children her sister-in-law had, the higher her seniority would be. Moreover, the babies were all beautiful and cute. She couldn't help but happily chime in, "That's wonderful! The babies are the most fun. When are you going to give birth, sister-in-law?"
"It's still early, at least nine months." Lin Xiaoman affectionately patted Yunle's head. She really liked Yunle, such a sweet, cute, and affectionate little girl. She secretly hoped that she could have a daughter this time, so that she could have a little girl to cuddle with and be affectionate with in the future. Just thinking about this made her heart soften.
Cheng Yun'an suddenly asked, "Sister-in-law, may I touch your belly?"
"Of course you can!" Lin Xiaoman said, then turned to Yunle beside her and said, "Yunle, come and touch it too! Baby wants to meet you two beautiful little aunties!"
"Your Highness! Touch~~~ Touch~~ Baby!" Cheng Mande, who is almost two years old, is speaking more and more fluently now. Although he doesn't know what it means, he can't go wrong by imitating the adults!
Lin Xiaoman naturally wouldn't refuse her son's request. She smiled, picked up the chubby little boy, kissed him, and readily agreed, "Okay, okay, baby, let me touch the little darling too! Everyone touch him!"
So, in no time, the children surrounded Lin Xiaoman, carefully touching her belly as if it were some precious treasure.
Xu Cui, Cheng Yan, and Cheng Yunping also stood by, watching with smiles on their faces, creating an incredibly warm atmosphere.
Only Cheng Ruyi showed no surprise; instead, she frowned with worry. She knew perfectly well that more natural and man-made disasters would follow, and the world would only become more chaotic and unsafe. Now was not the right time to raise a child...
Immersed in joy, Lin Xiaoman suddenly realized that her mother-in-law seemed to have been silent since the beginning. She immediately looked up at Cheng Ruyi, only to find the other woman's expression serious. With some concern, she asked, "Mother, what's wrong? Is... something amiss?"
It was only then that everyone realized that Cheng Ruyi hadn't said much, so they all turned to look at her.
"I...it's nothing really." Cheng Ruyi looked at Lin Xiaoman's face and felt a little soft-hearted for a moment. However, after hesitating for a moment, she still felt that she needed to explain the seriousness of the problem so that everyone would be on high alert and work hard to face the future.
"It's just that I don't know how long the snow disaster will last, and the weather has been changing so much lately, which may not be good for having children. Also... the situation in the court is unclear, so I can't help but be a little worried."
Actually, she had originally considered having Lin Xiaoman learn archery, since she was very talented at it. Unfortunately, she was pregnant now, so not only could she not practice martial arts, but she also needed to take good care of her body. For Xiaoman herself, this not only reduced her chances of learning and improving her survival skills, but also increased the risk of survival. It was completely harmful and not beneficial at all.
Of course, she wouldn't say these things in front of everyone, but later she would definitely find an opportunity to have a good talk with Cheng Yunping and Lin Xiaoman alone!
Sure enough, the atmosphere instantly turned cold as soon as she said those words.
"Oh dear, what are you saying on such a joyous occasion! It's just that the snow was a bit heavy, how did it become a snow disaster? Don't jinx it, the weather will definitely warm up after the New Year... and the situation... should... get better, right?"
As Xu Cui spoke, she became increasingly less confident. Although she hadn't received much formal education, she had lived for decades and understood many things. However, understanding was one thing, but some things just couldn't be said. What if the good things didn't come true and the bad things did? That would be the end of her.
So she couldn't help but glare at Cheng Ruyi, then clasped her hands together and sincerely prayed to all directions, "May all bodhisattvas and deities bless us! May the coming year bring favorable weather, abundant harvests, and freedom from illness and disaster, so that the people may live peaceful and happy lives!"
Cheng Yan pondered for a long time before slowly saying, "Praying to gods and Buddhas is certainly helpful, but we need to be more careful ourselves. Ruyi is right, this world is indeed not a good place to raise children..."
At this point, Cheng Yan stared at Cheng Yunping for several moments. Although Yunping didn't quite understand, he still lowered his head guiltily for some reason.
Cheng Yan then looked away and continued, "The weather has been really strange lately. We were only able to get through the previous drought thanks to Ruyi's advance preparations. So, no matter what disasters may come in the future, as long as the whole family works together and is careful in everything we do, we will definitely be able to overcome any difficulties!"
"Yes, Father is right! Actually, compared to those displaced people who were forced to flee, we are already very lucky. Now we live in peace and prosperity, with plenty of food and clothing, and our whole family is together."
Cheng Ruyi actually regretted it a little. She should have said the reminder, but she could have found a better time to say it. There was no need to spoil everyone's mood. So when she saw Cheng Yan smooth things over, she immediately chimed in: "Besides, natural disasters and man-made calamities are not something we can change or reverse by our own efforts. Instead of being afraid and worried, we should actively prepare and bravely face the difficulties. I believe there is always a solution!"
"Alright everyone, let's eat quickly. Now that the snow has stopped, let's go set off firecrackers and release sky lanterns after we finish eating, otherwise we won't be able to do it when the snow gets heavier later!"
After the father and daughter took turns feeding the Cheng family a large bowl of chicken soup, they finally cheered up again, and the reunion dinner ended up being quite satisfactory.
As it approached midnight, the children and Yunping and Xiaoman went to sleep, leaving only the three adults sitting around in the main room of the front yard, chatting and keeping vigil for the New Year.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, an unexpected visitor arrived.
"Manager Wen? Is there something urgent that you need to do so in the middle of the night?" Cheng Ruyi was surprised to see the person who came, and a bad feeling immediately rose in her heart.
Wen He was travel-worn and looked far from his usual composed self. Upon seeing Cheng Ruyi, he immediately knelt down and choked out, "Please, Madam Cheng, save our master's life!"
Ruyi was startled by this and rushed over to help the man up, but Wenhe was like an ox and she couldn't budge him no matter what!
"Manager Wen, please stand up. Is there anything you can't say while standing?"
“Madam Cheng, time is of the essence, so I will get straight to the point. Since the beginning of December, the master’s condition has become increasingly serious. He has been bedridden and began to drift in and out of consciousness the day before yesterday. Tonight, he is completely unconscious! The doctor said… said that he might not make it to dawn…” Wen He became more and more agitated as she spoke, almost bursting into tears.
In fact, Ruyi had already guessed something, but she didn't understand why Wen He would choose to ask her for help. "Manager Wen, this situation seems extremely urgent. You should be looking for some highly skilled doctors right now!"
Upon hearing this, Wen He took out a brocade pouch from his bosom, opened it, handed the note inside to Cheng Ruyi, and explained, "This is a token that the master gave me half a year ago. He said that if he suddenly falls seriously ill and his life is in danger this year, he can open it and follow the instructions inside!"
Ruyi took the note, feeling somewhat hesitant. What did it mean? Did Wen Jingqing predict that she would face mortal danger this year?
The note was very concise, containing only five sharp and elegant characters: "Seeking help from Cheng Ruyi".
The moment she saw the words, goosebumps rose all over her body. What did Wen Jingqing know? How did he find out?
“Madam Cheng, although I don’t understand what Master means by this, I believe his judgment has its reasons, which is why I have taken the liberty of visiting at this time…”
Seeing Cheng Ruyi's expression, Wen He sensed something was wrong. Why was this Madam Cheng so terrified after seeing the note? Without thinking twice, Wen He immediately knelt and kowtowed, pleading hoarsely, "Time is of the essence! Please, Madam Cheng, save my master's life!"
This action startled the other two people in the main room.
Cheng Yan immediately went over and, while saying "No, no, no," tried his best to pull Wen He up.
Seeing this, Xu Cui also came to Cheng Ruyi's side to speak up: "Ruyi, look at this... do you have any ideas? Can you help us? After all, it's a matter of life and death..."
Cheng Ruyi was in a state of great turmoil. She looked up at the sky and estimated that it was almost midnight.
Before she could react, two men dressed in tight-fitting clothes suddenly rushed into the main room. One of them tried to knock Cheng Ruyi unconscious, while the other had already circled around behind her. The two were clearly very well coordinated.
In terms of martial prowess, Cheng Ruyi is absolutely no match for a direct confrontation, but her greatest skill lies in lightness and agility, so capturing her is not so easy.
She reacted quickly and moved nimbly, successfully avoiding the two men's combined blockade in the blink of an eye, and with a flash, she tried to fly away from the main room.
The two martial artists in tight-fitting clothes looked at each other in surprise. They hadn't expected that an ordinary woman could escape from their grasp. They were a little embarrassed and angry, so they stopped holding back and immediately used their internal energy to chase after her!
Seeing this, Wen He immediately stood up and blocked the two men, shouting, "Stop it! Master wants us to ask Madam Cheng for help, not to blackmail you! If you ruin things and delay Master, several heads won't be enough to make up for it!"
The two martial artists were still somewhat wary of Wen He's words and were unsure whether they should make a move. Although they did not continue to act, they kept a close eye on Cheng Ruyi, fearing that she might run away at any moment.
Ruyi had already run to the door, but when she saw Wenhe stop them, she stopped and looked at him warily.
"Madam Cheng, please save our master's life!" Wen He knelt down again before Cheng Ruyi, who was standing at the door. The two martial artists knelt down as well.
Goodness! That's a combination of soft and hard tactics!
Cheng Ruyi quickly assessed the situation in her mind. If she didn't intervene, Wen Jingqing probably wouldn't make it through the night. If he died, perhaps no one would know her secret. But... the rest of the Wen family were still around. They all knew that Wen Jingqing had asked her for help in the end. So if she didn't go to save him or escape, the Wen and Gu families would probably hunt her down to the ends of the earth!
So no matter what, she had no choice but to go to the Wen family with them first.
If Wen Jingqing really dies, what impact will it have on the overall situation? And what's really strange is why, even though this matter clearly concerns her life, the system hasn't popped up a mission?
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