Chapter 116
It was dawn, and the quiet courtyard slowly revealed its outline in the morning light.
It rained in the second half of the night and the weather became cooler. It was September and the ground was covered with a thin frost. Xie Yunchu turned over on the bed and continued to find a comfortable position to snuggle into his arms.
The maid outside has rung the bell.
They had agreed to visit Kong Wei's military equipment building outside the city today, but Xie Yunchu was nowhere to be found.
Wang Shuhuai was taking a day off today, so he was naturally not in a hurry to call her. The person in his arms had beautiful eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, fair skin, red lips, and outstanding bone structure. She was a stunning appearance at first glance.
He couldn't help but hold her face and kiss her. Her thin arms and bony hands were moving around freely. The girl, who was covered in thick hair, was soon softened by his kisses.
When the affection was at its peak, Xie Yunchu suddenly stopped him, looking like someone who had just woken up from a dream.
"I'm getting up."
Then she put on a light blue satin cape and went to the bathroom leisurely.
Ever since he helped Wang Shuhuai get over the hurdle in his heart, he had become unrestrained. Xie Yunchu could no longer eat, so she went to the bathroom to wash up first. The maids handed her the prepared wool brush and helped her spread out her satin coat to block the wind.
After Xie Yunchu rinsed his mouth, Wang Shuhuai also came in. Xie Yunchu turned his eyes sideways, and their eyes met, sticky, as if drawing threads.
A quarter of an hour later, the couple washed their faces and rinsed their mouths and came out of the bathroom.
Xie Yunchu sat in front of the dressing table and was helped by the maids to do her makeup, while Wang Shuhuai went to look after the children.
Chunqi gave her the haircut, Xia An started to fiddle with her jewelry box, and the other maids brought several clothes for Xie Yunchu to choose from.
Xie Yunchu thought that she was going to meet Kong Wei today and it was not appropriate for her to dress too fancy, so she picked out a lake blue satin jacquard jacket.
Xia An then found a set of kingfisher feather jewelry.
Xie Yunchu looked at Chunqi, who still had her hair in a maid's bun, in the bronze mirror, and suddenly remembered that Chunqi should have been married at this time in her previous life. In this life, she was so busy managing the business and the academy that she had forgotten about the people around her.
"Chunqi, you are the oldest among the maids. It's time to choose a marriage for you."
Chunqi blushed upon hearing this and said anxiously,
"Miss, what do you mean? I promised you that I would serve you for the rest of my life and would not go anywhere. Why are you trying to chase me away now?"
Chunqi said the same thing in her previous life, but she still got married in the end.
Xie Yunchu smiled and said, "Even if you get married, you can still serve me. How could I chase you away? I want you to follow me and enjoy the good life for the rest of your life."
Chunqi still looked annoyed and angry, not saying anything.
Xia An chuckled at the side, "Why are you embarrassed? Nanny Lin likes you the most. She wanted to marry you to her son several times, but you used the girl as a shield."
Nanny Lin and Uncle Lin have two sons. The eldest son follows Uncle Lin to help Xie Yunchu manage the business, and the younger son also works at Linglong Embroidery. The year before last, the younger son married a girl from Nanny Lin's cousin's family. The young couple knows each other well and lives in harmony. As for the eldest son, Lin He, he has been helping her travel around the country and has no time to get married. Nanny Lin intends to marry Chun Qi to Lin He.
Xie Yunchu was so busy and things kept happening one after another that the matter was delayed.
After hearing what Xia An said, Chunqi became even more embarrassed and angry, stamping his feet and saying,
"Miss, if you allow Xia An to bully me again, I will not tolerate it."
Xie Yunchu spread his hands, "My palms and backs are all made of flesh, I can't control the two of you."
Chunqi dropped the comb and started to tickle Xia An, who slipped off the brocade stool.
When Nanny Lin heard the noise, she came in with a smile, lifted the curtain and scolded, "You two little bitches are getting more and more rampant." She then hurried over to help Xie Yunchu with her hair.
When Chunqi saw Nanny Lin coming in, he felt even more embarrassed and simply hid away.
Xie Yunchu took the opportunity to ask Nanny Lin, "If Nanny really has this idea, I will be the matchmaker."
Nanny Lin smiled from ear to ear, "My little ancestor, if you are willing to be a matchmaker, I will kowtow to you."
In her previous life, Chunqi was married to Lin He. Although Lin He looked cold on the outside, he actually loved his wife very much. There were only a few people around him, and Xie Yunchu hoped that everyone was doing well.
On this day, Xie Yunchu rarely took Xia An out, but took Chunqi with him. He comforted Xia An on the way, and Chunqi agreed with a red face.
Wang Shuhuai accompanied her to the armory building outside the city. Xie Yunchu remembered that Wang Shuhuai had killed Mr. Cheng Xuan, and was afraid that Kong Wei would hate him, so she asked him to wait outside and took Qi Wei and Chun Qi into the attic.
In order to win over the talented Kong Wei, Xie Yunchu ordered Wang Shuhuai to build a loft in imitation of Kongming Villa, and moved Kongming's car and those rare weapons and hidden weapons here, and even brought Granny Shen here to look after him.
Kong Wei was still brooding over Xie Yunchu's sneak attack, and when he saw Xie Yunchu coming in, he became sullen.
Xie Yunchu smiled and took something out of his pocket and handed it to him.
"Hey, Brother Kong, this is the lotus leaf wrapped chicken you've been thinking about. It's authentic Huizhou flavor. Would you like to try it?"
Kong Wei glanced at her coldly, his face tense and indifferent. Xie Yunchu continued to push it forward until it was right at the tip of his nose. Kong Wei jumped up in anger at the smell, glared at Xie Yunchu, and said angrily, "You are too cruel!"
Xie Yunchu said as a matter of course, "I asked you to let me go, but you helped the tyrant. Why are you blaming me? Brother Kong, if it weren't for me, you would have been blown to ashes by the gunpowder."
Xie Yunchu threw the chicken wrapped in lotus leaf at him, and Kong Wei instinctively caught it with a bitter face.
Xie Yunchu clapped his hands and said with a smile, "After you eat my chicken, we will be a team. From now on, I will help you make weapons, and we will go to heaven and earth and show our skills."
Kong Wei was not a stubborn person. Xie Yunchu was sincere and it was impossible for him to go against the court, so he agreed reluctantly.
Xie Yunchu got familiar with the attic environment and asked Granny Shen if there was anything wrong, Granny Shen said everything was fine.
This attic was built near Yanshan Mountain in the northwest suburbs of the capital, adjacent to Beidaying. Li Chengji's camp was only five miles away and could be reached in a short time by horseback. The attic was surrounded by beautiful mountains and rivers, which was no less beautiful than Kongming Villa.
There were also two craftsmen from the imperial court's military equipment bureau helping out here, so everything was ready. After Kong Wei finished eating the chicken, he continued to work.
Capturing Kong Wei was as good as defeating thousands of troops for the imperial court, so Xie Yunchu could be said to have made a great contribution.
The emperor summoned his ministers to discuss how to reward Xie Yunchu. Wang Shuhuai deliberately avoided the topic. Later, Gao Zhan suggested that since Xie Yunchu had a lot of wealth, gold, silver and jewelry would just be icing on the cake and not very meaningful. It would be better to reward her with something of substance. The emperor thought for a moment and decided to confer the title of Duanrong County Lady on Xie Yunchu, which was the same title as Wang Yining's, but her title was more precious and ranked first among the county ladies. The matter of Kongming Villa was a secret and could not be leaked, so she was rewarded in the name of rescuing the female family members.
As soon as the news spread, all the female members of the royal family came to the palace to celebrate, but Xie Yunchu refused to accept any of them.
Wang Shuhuai came back later than usual at night, which made Xie Yunchu worried. She took the initiative to go to the study to look for him. She bumped into him on the stone path in front of the study. Wang Shuhuai walked out with something in his hand and a shining smile on his face.
Xie Yunchu rarely saw him smile so happily, and stood at the entrance of the moon cave waiting for him, "What are you so happy about?"
Seeing that she came to him on her own initiative, Wang Shuhuai's expression became softer and he took her into the study.
"I was just reading the imperial edict conferring the title of county lady."
"Can you see?" Xie Yunchu was led by him to sit behind the table. Wang Shuhuai stood behind her, holding the armrests of the armchair with both hands, covering her from behind.
"No, I touched it."
Today, after Xie Yunchu received the imperial edict, he put it in the study. Wang Shuhuai came back and couldn't let it go.
"Are you so happy?"
"Of course I am happy."
Wang Shuhuai turned over, picked her up, and let her sit on his lap.
Xie Yunchu was rarely held like this by him, even his breathing was invaded by the fresh pine scent of his arms.
Wang Shuhuai looked at her and said with pride, "I originally wanted to ask for a first-rank imperial decree for you, but now it's no longer necessary. You don't have to be proud of your husband, but you can earn the title on your own. Isn't it worth being happy?"
Although Wang Shuhuai is willing to support his wife, he would rather watch her become a ball of light and the one being chased.
What made him happy was not how many honors she had received, but that she could be herself.
Aren’t the best couples the ones who support each other, chase each other, and move forward together?
If either one falls, the scale will not be balanced.
No one should depend on anyone else.
Xie Yunchu has been a wife for two lifetimes and understands this truth more and more.
She looked at her husband seriously, "So, from now on, I will be ranked higher than you in the palace?"
In terms of title, Wang Shuhuai was only the grandson of the Duke's Mansion, and could not be compared with her, the current Princess Duanrong.
Wang Shuhuai smiled with pride and even a bit of ostentation, "Wang is the husband of the county lady. I hope the county lady will take good care of him in the future."
Xie Yunchu suppressed his laughter and said, "Don't worry, after Lord Wang retires, I will give you a teaching position in the academy. You can teach the girls in your spare time. The monthly salary may not be much, only two taels. Will Lord Wang despise it?"
She raised the corners of her eyes, smiled, and had her hair tied up high, revealing her full and smooth forehead, looking cool and bright.
Wang Shuhuai thought about it seriously for a moment, "My eyesight is not good, so I can't teach, but I still have some martial arts skills. Why don't I be a coachman for Shanzhang Xie? Wherever Shanzhang goes, I will accompany him. If two taels of silver a month is too much, I will give it away for free."
The six-sided goat-horn palace lanterns were very bright, reflecting his clear and elegant eyes. His facial features lost some of their sharpness, and the lines seemed more natural. He was always restrained, but the little bit of emotion he revealed was genuine and sincere, which was the look Xie Yunchu liked the most.
Wang Shuhuai looked very serious, as if he had made a decision after careful consideration. Xie Yunchu couldn't help laughing at his amusement.
"How can it be said to be free? The daily expenses of Lord Wang alone are equal to the monthly expenses of others. You say it is free, but in fact you are relying on me to support you."
Wang Shuhuai was confused by her words.
The salaries of officials in the Great Jin Dynasty were not high. The annual salary of the Prime Minister of the Cabinet was only a few hundred taels, plus some public silver for maintaining integrity, the total was less than a thousand taels. These salaries were far from matching the status of Lord Wang. He still relied on his family for support and Xie Yunchu for nourishment.
If we wait until he retires, he will be of no use.
Wang Shuhuai's handsome face drooped slightly.
Xie Yunchu was so happy that she was bent forward and backward when she saw him being humiliated. Wang Shuhuai raised his hands to hug her back to prevent her from bumping into the table.
"What other strengths do I have that the headmaster would appreciate?"
Xie Yunchu had taken off her shoes early, and unconsciously moved to sit facing Wang Shuhuai, with her back pressed against his slender arms and her skirt resting on him. She looked around, pondered for a while, and sighed,
"Although I am blind, I can still see this face."
After saying this, she held her face with her hands and laughed uncontrollably. She sat on him with her knees together, her knees dragging her elbows, her face buried in her palms, and laughed for a while, her lively pretty eyes secretly looking at him through her fingers.
She looked so lively and fresh, not like a mother of two children at all, but more like a rabbit spirit that fell from the fairyland.
Wang Shuhuai grabbed her in his arms, they were close and intimate, without any barriers between them. Both of them were reserved people, so they didn't make too much noise. It was like a gentle breeze and drizzle that moistened everything silently, or like a trickle of water flowing into a river or sea. It was not earth-shaking, but it was thorough enough.
After a while Minggui brought a stack of memorials.
Every day, memorials were sent from the Ministry of Public Security to the Imperial Household Department, and then from the Imperial Household Department to the Cabinet. After being reviewed by the assistants, they were finally handed over to the Chief Minister for review. If there was no problem, they would be sent to the Imperial Household Department for the Emperor to review. In fact, the Emperor was young and unfamiliar with government affairs, so other assistant ministers made decisions on minor matters, while Wang Shuhuai made the final decision on major matters. As long as Wang Shuhuai reviewed the memorials, the Imperial Household Department and the Emperor had almost no objections.
Minggui knew that the mistress was inside, but he didn't dare to come in. He quietly put the box on the windowsill. Xie Yunchu blushed and lifted her skirt to get off Wang Shuhuai and bring the box in for him.
Wang Shuhuai held her in his arms again and whispered in her ear,
"Yun Chu, you read it and I will review it."
Wang Shuhuai's eyes could see clearly, but the handwriting was too small to be recognized for the time being.
Xie Yunchu still sat on his knees, took the classified memorials and read them one by one. After reading, he picked up the pen and asked the man behind him,
"How do I approve this memorial?"
Wang Shuhuai reached around to take the pen from her hand, "I'll do it."
Xie Yunchu pushed his hand away, "No need, you tell me and I'll write."
Wang Shuhuai laughed and said, "Your handwriting and mine are inconsistent, I'm afraid someone will find out and criticize me."
Xie Yunchu blinked, "Have you forgotten that I copied your calligraphy?"
In his previous life, Xie Yunchu had practiced Wang Shuhuai's calligraphy to the point where it was indistinguishable from the real thing.
After hearing this, Wang Shuhuai smiled and stared at her in a daze. His deep eyes were like a black pool with undercurrents surging.
Xie Yunchu saw that something was wrong with his eyes, and a burning sensation seemed to slowly rise up. He gently pushed his chest and said, "What's wrong? Can I write now?"
She picked up the pen and was eager to try it out. She patted her chest and said, "Don't worry, the fake will be indistinguishable from the real thing."
This was the most touching confession he had ever heard in his life.
Wang Shuhuai suddenly swept the documents on the table aside, picked her up and put her on the table, then pressed her down with force like a thunderbolt.
Her arms unconsciously climbed up to his shoulders, and the brush in her hand was dipped in ink, which sprinkled a little bit as he moved, spreading ripples on his back.
In mid-September, Xie Yunchu married Chunqi off in a grand ceremony. In her previous life, she was short of money and could not give Chunqi much dowry, but in this life, she gave her a shop, several boxes of jewelry, and other silks and furniture as a dowry. This was more than the dowry of an ordinary girl. Chunqi hugged her knees and cried for a long time.
After Chunqi got married, she only rested at home for three days and came to Chunjingtang to serve Xie Yunchu as usual.
After Chunqi got married, Xie Yunchu didn't want to favor one over the other, so she took the initiative to ask Xia An if she had a crush on someone. Xia An was more cheerful and generous than Chunqi.
"Don't be impatient, young lady. When I see someone I like, I will ask you to decide on the marriage."
Xie Yunchu was relieved. As for Dong Ning, she did not ask. In her previous life, she was seriously ill and was afraid that she would not have much time left, so she arranged for the maids to be arranged one by one, intending to marry Dong Ning off. Dong Ning's hair stood up when she heard this, and she quickly jumped out, holding the curtain and answered,
"Girl, if you tell me about men, I might as well die."
Xie Yunchu asked her why.
Dong Ning smacked his lips with a look of disgust on his face, "I can't serve my master well, why should I serve a man who knows his face but not his heart?"
Xie Yunchu thought of the indifferent Wang Shuhuai at that time, and tears fell like rain, but he finally did not force her.
Naturally, she will be left to her own devices in this life.
Dong Ning was relieved to see that Xie Yunchu had no intention of targeting her. While Xia An and the others were away, she talked to Xie Yunchu,
"Miss, I will follow you for the rest of my life. Please don't marry me off."
Xie Yunchu hugged her and said, "Silly girl, I will support you for the rest of your life, and you will never go anywhere."
At the end of September, news came from the water dungeon that Xie Yunxiu had finally passed away due to illness.
Xie Yunchu stood in the evening breeze in silence for a long time. He could hardly remember such a person. It was good that he died. It was also retribution.
In October, Wang Shuhuai became busy. First there was the autumn examination, then the autumn harvest. In addition, drought and locust plagues broke out in many places. There were occasional reports of Mongols invading the border in the northwest. The affairs of the court came one after another. However, no matter how busy he was, he always went to the academy to pick up Xie Yunchu in person and accompanied him by his side whenever he went out.
The court continued to function even without him.
There is only one Xie Yunchu in the world.
Brother Wei has already started going to school, and the two daughters, Sister Ke and Wang Yining, are studying in the academy, and their lives are going on as usual.
In the blink of an eye, the end of the year has passed and the new year has begun.
After Xie Yunchu's careful care, Wang Shuhuai's eyes have completely recovered. Xie Yunchu immediately resigned from the position of "personal clerk of the Cabinet Prime Minister" and returned to Chunjingtang in a neat and neat manner.
It's not that tiring, in fact it's quite interesting, but the person who started it always has other ideas in mind, which makes her body unable to bear it.
February 16th is Xie Yunchu's birthday.
In her previous life, it was also March of this year. She hosted a birthday banquet for Jiang, then fell ill and passed away half a year later.
She celebrated her own birthday in this life.
Wang Shuhuai had gone to the court early and did not say he would come back to celebrate her birthday. Xie Yunchu did not ask, but just lay down on the bedside in the morning, feeling uncomfortable all over. Nanny Lin came in with a teapot and saw her leaning against the pillow without moving, so she asked hurriedly,
"What's wrong? You look so unhappy. Are you feeling unwell?"
Ten tables have been reserved for today. Although the birthday wishes from the noble ladies in Beijing have been rejected, there are still many relatives at home. It is worrying that Xie Yunchu is not feeling well at this critical moment.
Xie Yunchu scratched his chest and said, "Nothing else, just nausea."
Nanny Lin was moved when she heard this. "Oh, look at my memory. Young lady, your period has been delayed for several days."
Xie Yunchu was stunned when he heard this.
Pregnant again?
In her previous life, she only had Er Ge'er and Ke Jie'er, and no third child.
If so, it would be a brand new surprise.
I had a vague sense of anticipation in my heart.
"Go and get the house doctor. Be careful and don't make any noise."
In a short while, Nanny Lin brought the person in person, and the doctor felt the patient's pulse and confirmed that it was a pregnant pulse.
"It's really a double blessing!"
Nanny Lin was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling.
Xie Yunchu also smiled sincerely.
As there were guests today and he must not leave any traces, he asked the doctor to prescribe a dose of medicine to relieve the symptoms of morning sickness. Xie Yunchu had breakfast and took the medicine. At the beginning of the 9th hour, he dressed elegantly and went to the Glass Hall.
The third and fourth wives have arrived. Zhou Min gave birth to a daughter and is now out of confinement. She is doing housework in the small third living room at the back.
Xie Yunchu hurriedly greeted the two ladies and said, "I'll go help Min'er."
The third and fourth wives pulled her back together.
The Third Madam smiled warmly, "Don't go, Ya and Qin are back, they are busy in the back, they said that you should take a rest today, everyone is here to celebrate your birthday."
Xie Yunchu's face turned red, "How can this be so embarrassing."
The Fourth Madam pulled her to sit next to her and said, "Just take a rest when I told you to." Nanny Lin was afraid that the Fourth Madam would hurt Xie Yunchu, so she hurried forward and gave her a hand.
The third wife was observant. Seeing that the master and servant looked a little strange, she asked, "What happened?"
Xie Yunchu blushed, "This morning the doctor felt my pulse and found I'm pregnant."
“Yo…”
The third and fourth wives all showed their delight.
"Good things come in pairs."
The fourth wife smiled and said, "Brother Yu is too calm, why don't you give birth to another noisy boy."
The third wife glared at the fourth wife and said, "In my opinion, it's better to have a girl. A little girl is caring and considerate."
The fourth wife immediately said to her in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, is your daughter considerate?"
This touched the Third Madam's soft spot. She covered her face with her hands, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "You really took advantage of the loophole."
Wang Shuqin is now the headmaster of the academy, and manages the academy's affairs for Xie Yunchu. Her career is booming, and she has completely lost the desire to get married.
The Third Wife has given up hope now. "Let her be. Life is neither short nor long. As long as she is happy, that's all."
Xie Yunchu sincerely envied Wang Shuqin for having such an open-minded mother.
The fourth wife thought of her stubborn son and felt a headache.
"We had already agreed on a marriage, but now that the princess has passed away, he has to mourn for another year. I wonder how much the girl is complaining in secret."
Xie Yunchu advised, "Good things take time."
After a while, guests came in one after another.
The first to enter were Wang Shuyi and her husband Yang Kuan, all of them family members. Although the fourth and third wives were in mourning, they did not avoid them.
Seeing Wang Shuyi holding the two children, they all showed loving smiles, took the children over and asked about their well-being.
Wang Shuyi came to Xie Yunchu and sat down, handing her a bundle, "This is a jacket I made for my sister-in-law. Please try it on later. If it doesn't fit, tell me and I'll modify it for you."
Xie Yunchu felt quite pressured by Wang Shuyi's kindness, so he took it and handed it to Xia An, "You are busy with housework now, and you have two children to take care of. How can you have time to do needlework? Don't do this in the future."
Wang Shuyi's eyes turned red after hearing these words. Her parents had already returned to their hometown, and her other two brothers and their wives had also left Beijing. Her only close relatives were Wang Shuhuai and Xie Yunchu. She tucked her eyes in and said, "It's my intention anyway. It's my good fortune that my sister-in-law is willing to accept it."
After the Queen's accident, her mother's family, the Xunyang Marquisate, was implicated. Their title was taken away, the old marquis was demoted and sent back to his hometown, and the rest of his illegitimate sons and concubines were scattered. Only Wang Shuyi and her husband Yang Kuan were saved because of Wang Shuhuai. After experiencing many ups and downs, Wang Shuyi has become more stable and capable.
Seeing her so moved, Xie Yunchu advised, "With fewer people, the house will be quieter, and it's not bad for a family of four to live a stable life."
Wang Shuyi smiled, "That's exactly what I thought. Although it's less glorious now, I feel free now that I can be at peace."
The first wife was in mourning and could not show up, so she sent Miao with her child and Duan Shuying back to celebrate the birthday.
Wang Yining, Shen Yi, Jiang Fan and Xiao Youran also came over.
Mrs. Ming caught a cold a few days ago, so Xie Yunchu went to visit her specially and did not allow her to go out.
It's just a few close friends and family members, it's lively and comfortable.
"By the way, who is entertaining guests in the main hall outside?" Xie Yunchu remembered that Wang Shuhuai had gone to court, the Third Master and the Fourth Master were in mourning, and only the Fifth Master Wang Shuxu was outside.
Chen Yi smiled and said, "Who else could it be? Of course it must be your great Prime Minister who is personally hosting the banquet."
Xie Yunchu was surprised, but also happy in his heart, "When did he come back?"
Wang Shuyi said, "When my husband and I arrived, my brother was already there. I think he must have returned home at the beginning of the 4th hour."
Xie Yunchu smiled, but thought about it without saying anything.
Wang Shuhuai, Gao Zhan and others gathered together for a drink in the outer room.
There were four or five tables for the female members of the family.
The children gathered at a table.
Even the prominent mothers and maids in the mansion were invited to sit at the table, about ten tables in total.
During the meal, Sister Ke acted like a host and prepared a lot of snacks for her brothers and sisters. Before the food was served, she had already arranged the snacks for everyone. When the little ones saw the snacks, they were no longer willing to eat. They were already full before the main meal started. The ladies couldn't help laughing.
After the banquet, everyone sat in the glass hall and talked about everything. The fourth wife urged Wang Yining to marry Gao Zhan, but Wang Yining refused.
"I'm fine now, there's no need to get married, just leave it like this."
The fourth wife said, "Silly girl, Gao Zhan is very popular now, so you have to be careful that someone might be eyeing him."
"If he is taken away by heart, it means that his feelings for me are just so-so, so why should I care?"
The fourth wife couldn't persuade her, so she talked about the husbands of several girls from the Wang family and said to the third wife,
"My mother used to say that when a woman marries someone, it's like being reborn. If she gets the right one, she'll have a peaceful and stable life."
Miao thought of her husband who was demoted to a commoner, and sighed, "Aunt is right. This second reincarnation is more important than the first one. It affects your whole life."
Wang Yining disagrees. "I think the first time is more important than the second time. One's background determines everything. If the husband is not good enough, one can still divorce."
Xie Yunchu watched them arguing back and forth. The husband said he was right and the wife said she was right, and he couldn't tell who was right.
After listening for a while, she recalled her own rebirth and was deeply moved. She looked out the window at the bright spring light and said calmly,
"No matter how you are reborn or how you marry, a woman's true third spring is what matters most."
"Oh? Where is the third spring?" Everyone looked over.
Xie Yunchu said calmly, "Parents will eventually grow old, and husbands may not be reliable. In the end, people still have to rely on themselves. When we realize that we should treat ourselves well, manage ourselves, and grow slowly, spring will naturally come and flowers will bloom."
In the afternoon, the ladies gathered together to drink tea and play cards. Xie Yunchu kept everyone for dinner before leaving. It was not until three quarters after the evening, when it was completely dark, that he saw off all the guests.
When passing by the open hall behind the study, I saw a handsome figure standing in front of the bamboo forest. He was wearing a newly made dark green long gown with wide sleeves and fluttering robes. He had gentle and handsome eyebrows and a clear temperament. He stood outside the dim yellow light, like a banished immortal from outer space.
Xie Yunchu pursed her lips and walked over slowly. Wang Shuhuai raised his hand to hold hers, but Xie Yunchu stood still, her fingers resting on his palm, her slender waist swaying gently, and she said coquettishly, "Guess what good news I have to tell you today?"
Wang Shuhuai couldn't hold her, so he simply picked her up and walked along the stone path through the bamboo forest, up the corridor of the study from the back, and walked towards the main house.
"What good news?"
Xie Yunchu didn't intend to play dumb with him, and gently hugged his neck and said, "You are going to be a father again."
Wang Shuhuai was stunned for a moment, and stopped walking, staring at her blankly.
He doesn't look very happy.
Ever since Xie Yunchu gave birth to Er Ge'er, he either didn't keep the pregnancy inside or used an amniotic membrane he got from the Imperial Hospital. He hadn't gotten pregnant in all these years and he thought it was foolproof, but he didn't expect that there would be some chances of pregnancy slipping through the net.
He didn't want to see Xie Yunchu suffer the pain of pregnancy and childbirth again.
But now that things have come to this, there is no point in worrying.
Wang Shuhuai quickly smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work. I will definitely take good care of you this time."
Wang Shuhuai carried her into the study, placed her on the kang bed under the window, and personally poured her a cup of warm water.
Xie Yunchu was thirsty, so he drank the tea in one gulp, put the teacup on the small table beside him, glanced at the pile of documents on the table, and refused, "I can't help you tonight."
"I didn't intend to ask you for help."
"Then why did you hold me here?"
Wang Shuhuai turned to the bookshelf at the back.
Xie Yunchu sat on the kang, swinging her legs from time to time, her gorgeous skirt fluttering like waves of flowers.
She looked at Wang Shuhuai and saw him taking out something from the secret compartment in the wall. It was a large rosewood box.
Wang Shuhuai stepped over and placed it on the small table, opened the lid, and said softly,
"Chu'er, this is my birthday gift to you."
He stood tall and straight, holding the brocade box with one hand, his expression as gentle as a spring breeze.
Xie Yunchu's gaze moved from his cheek to the brocade box, and then fixed on the huge, ingeniously crafted ball. His vision blurred for a moment.
This ghost ball is several times larger than the previous one. It has a delicate texture like jelly and has a warm and calm luster.
The material is better and rarer.
She had limited money at the time, so the material she bought was not as big as this one, and the carvings could not be as full and delicate as this one. However, Wang Shuhuai's carving area is larger and the patterns are more delicate and complex.
It can be seen that he copied her ivory ball.
The base is made of small-leaf red sandalwood, with a very thin steel wire inserted through it, placing it on the red sandalwood frame. Xie Yunchu only moved it slightly, and the wonderful picture slowly passed by before his eyes.
Look at it layer by layer.
The dragon and the phoenix bring good luck, and all wishes come true at all times... The zither and the harp sound in harmony, and the hearts are united forever. It has seven layers in total, and is covered with a layer of golden patina. It can be seen that it is quite old.
"How long have you been carving?" Xie Yunchu raised his eyes and asked him, his fair cheeks covered with a thin layer of red glow, and there was a flickering light in his eyes.
Wang Shuhuai looked down at her and said in a hoarse voice, "It took me nearly four years to carve it. When it was almost finished, Qi Wei found a better material. I went back and forth several times and finally bought the most satisfactory piece of material. I became more and more skilled at carving until I was satisfied. I finally settled it in Xichu last year and planned to come back to give it to you. But something happened to you. Later, my eyesight was not good and I couldn't carve the words. I have been delayed until now. Fortunately, my eyesight recovered not long ago, and I finally carved your name on it."
Wang Shuhuai's tone was still unhurried and rhythmic, but it was like the gurgling of flowing water, tapping her heart little by little.
"Yun Chu, can you carve my words yourself?" Wang Shuhuai handed her the needle knife that he had prepared earlier.
Xie Yunchu looked at the bright and handsome man, the light in her eyes flickered, she nodded slowly and said hoarsely, "Okay."
Wang Shuhuai found a small imported searchlight from the West and sat behind her to light it for her. Xie Yunchu took the carving knife he handed over and asked Wang Shuhuai to find some discarded materials for her. She carved his words on the materials over and over again, and every stroke seemed to be a stroke on the tip of his heart.
After carving about a dozen words, Xie Yunchu found the feeling. He took off the devil's ball and held it in his arms. Holding the slender needle knife, he gently wrote his words on the seventh layer at the "eternal union" with full concentration, stroke by stroke.
Yun Chu and Yun Zhi were standing side by side.
They are all beautiful seal scripts, with soft and smooth lines yet strong.
At first glance, it looks like it was written by the same person.
Good looking and well matched.
Xie Yunchu's heart surged as he looked at this lost and recovered beauty.
Wang Shuhuai came over from behind and gently held her in his arms, kissed her and asked,
"Do you like this birthday gift?"
There is the rustling of the spring breeze through the leaves, the sound of lips and teeth intertwining breathing, and the sound of the throbbing heartbeat.
"I like it..." She murmured with a trembling heart, "I like it very much."
Wang Shuhuai smiled, his eyes like a vast sea of stars, "Then I wish my girl a happy birthday, and a smooth and peaceful life..."
The tenderness of this glance can outlast the long years.
(End of text)
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