17. Didn't cause any trouble for three days, got up early for four.
My husband looks weak and easily bullied.
The morning sunlight shone on Feng Ran's bed curtains, making the pale purple fabric glow with a warm golden light.
Feng Ran opened her eyes on time, her dark eyes revealing a hint of sleepiness, but she still firmly parted her eyelashes. She quickly regained her senses; she had a favor to repay today and couldn't oversleep.
After washing up, I dressed in light clothing and went to the courtyard.
She asked Xiong Qi yesterday, and Jing Chuan also got up around this time, but he was just taking a walk in the courtyard.
Her goal today was to take Duan Jingchuan for a morning workout.
Despite Duan Jingchuan's seemingly regular lifestyle, he definitely doesn't get enough exercise. He gets out of breath after just a few steps, and it's not even the dead of winter yet, so he needs to wear a thick cloak to go out. It's clear that he has some underlying health issues.
The morning sunlight was a bit chilly, yet it held a hint of warmth. A gentle breeze brushed her cheeks, and Feng Ran took a deep breath of fresh air. It seemed like it was going to be a beautiful day.
Duan Jingchuan had just gotten up when there was a knock on the door. The knocking was gentle yet firm, but not anxious, which surprised him.
Normally, no one would disturb him at this time. Rather than asking who was outside, he chose to open the door himself.
He looked up and saw Feng Ran's small face bathed in sunlight. She was dressed very simply, in just a short jacket and trousers. This would normally be considered somewhat improper, but somehow, on Feng Ran, it gave her a dashing and heroic air.
Unexpectedly, Duan Jingchuan opened the door so quickly, and Feng Ran was caught off guard by the gentle eyes of the socially anxious girl. His dark pupils made her dizzy.
"Husband, you're going out for exercise, right? Let's go together!"
Duan Jingchuan nodded blankly, somewhat confused about what Feng Ran was trying to do.
Feng Ran rubbed her face to shake off the sleepiness. To repay her debt of gratitude, she was really going all out. The pig hadn't even woken up yet when she got up.
Big news broke at the Dingbei Prince's Mansion: the young master, who never left Jinghua Courtyard on his own initiative, actually took his wife to the martial arts training ground for morning practice.
This news stunned all the servants of the Marquis's mansion. Even the old women who usually swept and cleaned every morning stayed indoors, fearing that the young master's presence would spoil the mood.
Lord Duan usually gets up at 9:45 AM to train in the martial arts arena. His brothers, Duan Yuze and Duan Yuche, would occasionally accompany him, but today the two brothers had something to do, so only Lord Duan wielded his spear with great power and might.
When Lord Duan sensed someone approaching from behind, he turned around and saw Duan Jingchuan and Feng Ran. He was somewhat surprised and asked, "Are you planning to use the training ground?"
From afar, Feng Ran saw someone practicing with a spear in the martial arts arena. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was indeed her father-in-law.
Feng Ran could sense the bloodthirsty aura emanating from Old Marquis Duan, but he also possessed an upright character, which was her type. Upon seeing her, she greeted Old Marquis Duan with a smile, "Father, good morning." Then she tugged at Duan Jingchuan, who was lost in thought.
Before Duan Jingchuan could react, he was dragged to the training ground in a daze. He stammered, "Good morning, Father."
It was rare to see Duan Jingchuan so adorable. Old Marquis Duan's eyes lit up with a smile. He was thinking of giving the training ground to the young couple and made a move to put the spear back.
Feng Ran hadn't had enough of watching Old Marquis Duan show off his spear skills, so naturally she refused. "Father, you practice yours. I'll drag my husband along for some training. He's too weak; he can't take any more of this."
These words made Old Marquis Duan blush; they were far too ambiguous. If he hadn't known that the young couple hadn't consummated their marriage, he probably would have sent Duan Jingchuan the Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup.
He coughed lightly and looked at Feng Ran, asking, "Would you like to choose a weapon to practice with?"
Feng Ran looked around the training ground; it was equipped with all sorts of weapons, from swords and spears to staffs, but none of them looked familiar to her. She then tugged at Duan Jingchuan's sleeve and whispered, "Husband, do you know how to use these?"
Duan Jingchuan shook his head, somewhat disappointed.
Okay, they're both noobs.
Feng Ran then waved to Lord Duan, "Father, you don't need to worry about us. We'll just run around here a few times."
He grabbed Duan Jingchuan's hand and started running laps around the training ground.
Lord Duan watched in astonishment, his eyes glued to the two clasped hands. He was secretly amazed. Indeed, this Crown Princess was extraordinary. The two could hold hands now, and Jing Chuan didn't seem to mind. It seemed that he would soon be holding his grandson.
And so, Lord Duan was wielding his spear alone in the middle of the training ground, while Feng Ran pulled Duan Jingchuan along the edge, running laps.
Feng Ran estimated the lap to be about 500 meters, not far. Unexpectedly, before they were even halfway there, Duan Jingchuan was panting heavily, drenched in sweat, and his pace was slowing. Left with no other option, Feng Ran had to stop for the time being.
"Husband, your health is really not good, you need to exercise."
Duan Jingchuan felt like his lungs were about to explode, his heart was pounding, and his limbs were incredibly weak. He had never run so intensely before; this was the first time in his life. Was running the only form of exercise these days? Had he been discharged from the military?
Seeing the two stop and Duan Jingchuan seem unwell, Old Marquis Duan immediately rushed over and asked anxiously, "Jingchuan, are you feeling unwell?"
Before Duan Jingchuan could catch his breath, Feng Ran replied from the side, "My husband can't!"
The resolute tone, the clenched teeth, the disappointed look, the emphasis on the word "no"—all these made Duan Jingchuan's cough pause for a moment, then erupt into another earth-shattering cough after holding his breath.
The word "no" had been swirling in Lord Duan's mind for a while, and his gaze toward Feng Ran was somewhat complicated.
What else could he do? His son was impotent and his daughter-in-law disliked him. How could the father-in-law save face? However, seeing that Duan Jingchuan was fine and just not used to strenuous exercise, he breathed a sigh of relief and began to guide him from the side.
“Jingchuan rarely moves around, so he can’t adapt to running at high speed all at once. You two can proceed gradually, keep your breathing steady, and you will be able to train over time.”
Feng Ran nodded. She had been too hasty; she had planned to finish three or four laps quickly to complete her task for the day and then go back to catch up on sleep. She hadn't expected her social anxiety to be so unhelpful; she was exhausted in less than half a lap.
As he spoke, Duan Jingchuan had calmed his breathing. He was a little dejected. He knew that his wife had only asked him to exercise out of kindness, and he couldn't bear to disappoint her. He said in a low voice, "I'm ready."
Looking at Duan Jingchuan's watery eyes and pale face, Feng Ran felt a surge of affection. He was just too adorable; just looking at him made her want to eat.
“Let’s take it slow this time.” This time, Feng Ran slowed down so that Duan Jingchuan could keep up, and while running, she also taught Duan Jingchuan how to adjust his breathing.
The two of them ran at a leisurely pace, about half a step faster than a brisk walker.
Lord Duan was deeply gratified, thinking to himself that the young couple seemed to have a good relationship, and happily continued practicing with his spear. Actually, he had already practiced enough, but he wanted to watch the young couple a little longer and was reluctant to leave.
Feng Ran didn't finish the four laps she had planned; she only ran two and a half before stopping.
They intended to take Duan Jingchuan back to wash up, but as soon as they stopped, Duan Jingchuan's legs went weak and he fell to the ground.
This terrified Feng Ran. How could her husband faint so suddenly? Luckily, she was strong and quickly grabbed Duan Jingchuan's waist. She secretly thought to herself, "His waist is really strong. People say that you need one hand to hold a waist, but my two arms are just enough to hug him."
However, no one ever told Feng Ran that a waist that could be encircled by one hand belonged to a woman.
Lord Duan watched helplessly as the young couple finished their run and headed back to rest. Then he saw his son collapse from exhaustion, and then, to his astonishment, he discovered that his daughter-in-law could carry his son on her shoulder with one hand and effortlessly carry him back to Jinghua Courtyard.
Only then did he gain a better understanding of Feng Ran's strength. On the way back, he kept muttering to himself, "My daughter-in-law is quite strong, and she always complains about my son. Will she become abusive in the future?"
No, no, no, I need to think of a way to wear down my daughter-in-law so that my son won't be bullied.
Feng Ran was completely unaware that she was about to face a terrible disaster. She thought she had completed her task of repaying the debt of gratitude for the day and went to bed to sleep peacefully.
Duan Jingchuan, on the other hand, was in agony. He had only felt a little tired and his lower back was sore after running in the morning. But by evening, his legs were sore and numb that he couldn't even lift his feet to step over a threshold.
At this time of day, he would usually be engrossed in his own world or reading. But today, he was staring blankly at his two sore and weak legs, wondering how to relieve the pain.
Judging from Madam's tone, he will continue running tomorrow. If he makes a fool of himself like he did today, wouldn't he be letting Madam down? That won't do.
Duan Jingchuan suddenly thought of his father. His father was always away fighting, so running was no problem for him. He must have a way to relieve the soreness in his legs.
Just as he was about to go out to look for the person, he almost fell to his knees. He sighed in frustration and had no choice but to ask Xiong Qi to pass on a message to his father and ask him to come over.
Duan Jingchuan was secretly annoyed: This is really unfilial, actually making his father take the initiative to come see him.
No matter how complicated Duan Jingchuan's thoughts were, the old Marquis Duan happily stepped into Jinghua Courtyard again. Seeing the strange look on Xiong Qi's face when he delivered the message, he chuckled maliciously.
That brat, he's actually asking him for help these days! He's asked him for a lot of help lately. It seems there's hope for a reconciliation between father and son.
When a person is happy, they can't hide their smugness. From Duan Jingchuan's perspective, the old Marquis Duan was extremely smug, holding his head high, waiting for him to ask for help.
In order to be able to get through tomorrow, Duan Jingchuan had no choice but to grit his teeth and beg, otherwise it would be even more embarrassing if he couldn't get out of bed tomorrow.
"Does Father have any way to relieve his leg discomfort?"
"Yes, I do. I'll massage it for you." Old Marquis Duan rolled up his sleeves and started massaging Duan Jingchuan's legs.
Just as Duan Jingchuan was about to dodge, Old Marquis Duan said quietly, "My son is all grown up now, holding his young wife's hand with such joy, I can't even touch him anymore."
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