Chapter 31 Chapter 31 “Did Sanlang also love to cry when he was a child?…
The old lady was amused by Sheng Puju's appearance.
"Silly child, what are you thinking about in your clever little head?"
She coughed, then wiped the tears from her eyes with a smile, her expression softening considerably. "Your husband is the youngest general of Dayan and the guardian of Yumen Pass. How can he not be tall and mighty?"
"Ahem." Sheng Puzhu's ears turned red with anxiety. The man's sweaty clothes and the muscular back lines flashed through her mind. He slammed her into the bed sheet silently. He had the final say in everything.
As expected of the youngest general of Dayan, he truly refuses to give up an inch of territory.
"My granddaughter-in-law didn't think too much."
"My dear, you are indeed worthy of being tall and mighty." Sheng Puzhu was afraid that the nanny on guard outside would hear her, so she lowered her voice like a thief.
The old lady stared at Sheng Puzhu's red earlobes, but instead of pointing them out, she laughed so hard she gasped, "Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore."
"Do you want to know about Saburo's childhood?"
"I do." Sheng Puzhu nodded honestly. She never concealed her curiosity towards people close to her.
The old lady's eyes narrowed with laughter, a mischievous smile in her eyes as she lost herself in memories. "Maybe Sanlang has a cold temper, like a lump of ice, because he grew up with the Princess in the Taoist temple."
"He started learning martial arts at the age of three, and at the age of five he followed his father to learn martial arts. He was very stubborn."
"When he made mistakes as a child, his grandfather punished him by making him copy the Xie family rules. He would rather stay up until midnight than admit his mistakes."
Sheng Puzhu couldn't imagine what it was like for a man like Xie Zhiyan to be so stubborn and get into trouble with his elders.
The old lady sat up and reached out to open the rosewood box at the end of the bed: "I'll show you something good."
Sheng Puzhu also sat up and lowered his eyes curiously: "What is this?"
The wooden box was very large and filled with things, including books, silk flowers, and some small ornaments, both for boys and girls. The most eye-catching one was the cloth tiger that was as big as its head.
There is ink stain on one side of the tiger's ear, as if it had been soaked in water, and it is slightly blurred.
"What is this?" The candlelight flickered in the room. Sheng Puzhu hugged the brocade quilt, her eyes full of curiosity.
"When Sanlang was a child, the princess sewed a cloth tiger for him. He loved it so much that he even wanted to hold it in his arms when he slept at night, but he kept a straight face and didn't want to show it."
The old lady sighed and reached out to pinch the cloth tiger's ears. "I remember this ink was accidentally smeared on him. Later, he made a mistake and was spanked by his father. He secretly wiped his tears on it."
"Sanlang also loved to cry when he was a child?" Sheng Puzhu was undoubtedly curious.
"What child doesn't like to cry? It's just a matter of who can hide it better."
The old lady took out the cloth tiger and recalled, "His father was a military commander, so naturally he had high expectations of him. In the cold winter, he had to get up before dawn to do horse stance. Even when it snowed, he was not allowed to rest until the snow reached his knees."
"I heard from the nanny who took care of him that he cried secretly countless times at night. Later, he entered the palace and became the prince's tutor. Gradually, even those close to him found it difficult to understand his emotions."
The old lady dug out a few yellowed books from the rosewood box. "Compared to martial arts, Sanlang actually loves reading more. Unfortunately, when he was twelve years old, his grandfather died in battle at Yumen Pass..."
The voice suddenly stopped, and the old lady pressed the book hard with her aged fingers.
"Grandma." Sheng Puzhu stretched out her hand and gently hugged the old lady's shoulders.
The old lady was stunned for a moment, then said in a hoarse voice, "I'm fine, everything is over."
Sheng Puzhu's breathing was slightly stagnant, but he knew in his heart that the death of a loved one was not a thunderclap, but a drizzle that seeped into the blood and bones. It would stop but would never end. This hurdle would be impossible to cross even in his lifetime.
When the Turkic and Uighur tribes invaded the border, the old marquis died on the battlefield. Even his body has not been found to this day, and only a cenotaph for his clothes and hat is buried inside Yumen Pass.
How can I get through?
"Grandma, do you want to feel the breeze of Yumen Pass and see the sand outside the pass?" Sheng Puzhu asked.
The old lady's eyes trembled: "Silly child, grandma is old, and the Yumen Pass is a long way to go. She can't pass it."
Sheng Puzhu reached out her soft, small hand and tightly wrapped it around the old lady's trembling hand. "Granddaughter-in-law, please come up with a solution. Grandmother, you have to trust your clever little head."
The old lady's sadness instantly dissipated. She closed her eyes and forced a smile onto her lips: "Well, then I must eat and drink well, and live longer."
That night, Sheng Puzhu had a good dream.
Early in the morning, when it was just getting light, she slowly opened her eyes, still holding the cloth tiger in her arms.
Nanny Jiang was waiting outside, a kind smile in her eyes: "The old lady is a light sleeper, copying Buddhist scriptures in the small ancestral hall, you can sleep a little longer."
Sheng Puzhu stood up and shook his head: "I'll wash up first, and then go to accompany grandma."
Nanny Jiang had no choice but to agree with a smile.
After lunch, Sheng Puzhu saw that the old lady's brows were relaxed and there was a faint smile on her lips, so she asked to leave.
The old lady patted the back of her hand and said, "Go ahead. Don't constrain yourself."
"Then you can take this back with you. After all, it was Zhiyan's childhood possession. I'm giving it to you, so it can be considered as returning it to its original owner."
Sheng Puzhu looked at the cloth tiger stuffed in her arms, her ears burning: "Grandma, I'm afraid my husband will laugh at me."
"Why should he laugh at you? What I give you is yours. You and your husband have done all kinds of intimate things." The old lady said as a matter of course.
"Grandma. My granddaughter-in-law left first." Sheng Puzhu stood up in shock, her face flushed from the tips of her ears to her neck, and even her fingertips were burning.
"Look, I was just joking. How come this child has become so shameless after coming back with the inkstone?" The old lady complained to Nanny Jiang beside her with a smile in her eyes, and her mood had obviously improved.
Sheng Puzhu returned to Yunyu Hall first, holding the cloth tiger in her arms. When the sun came out at noon, she went to Tingsong Hall.
Xue Qinghui was in confinement after giving birth. The doors and windows of the room were closed, and the corridor was quiet. Only the occasional soft cries of a baby could be heard.
There were servants leading the way in front. When the door was pushed open, a strong smell of medicine and a faint smell of blood came out from inside.
The charcoal fire in the house was burning brightly, but it couldn't dispel the deep chill.
"Sister-in-law is here." Xue Qinghui struggled to get up on the bed.
"Lie down and don't move. I just came to take a look." Sheng Puzhu walked up quickly and pushed the man back.
Xue Qinghui, who was plump and bright before giving birth, now had a pale face and no blood on her lips. She spoke in a weak voice, "Sister-in-law saved my life. I should have stood up and saluted her."
Sheng Puzhu waved her hand: "Let's not talk about these empty things. You should rest assured and take good care of your body. That's the most important thing."
Xue Qinghui's eyes dimmed and she slowly lowered her eyelids: "I don't know if I can take good care of my body."
"When I woke up yesterday, Mammy said that my mother-in-law was very ill and had not come to see me yet."
"Puzhu." Xue Qinghui clutched Sheng Puzhu's hand tightly, as if grasping at a lifeline. "Is it because I gave birth to a girl that I disappointed my mother-in-law?"
Sheng Puzhu looked at her calmly and asked seriously, "Are you disappointed?"
"Me?" Xue Qinghui was stunned for a long time, because no one had ever asked her this question before.
Disappointed?
In fact, she was not disappointed, because her sister was also born after she carried her for ten months. It can even be said that she was more grateful in her heart.
Thank goodness, she is alive and her child is also alive.
Sheng Puzhu stared at the Buddhist beads on Xue Qinghui's wrist and smiled: "Since you don't feel disappointed, then it's none of your business whether Qin is disappointed or not."
"I..." Xue Qinghui covered her eyes with her hands. "After what happened yesterday, I'm afraid... I won't be able to do it again in the future."
Before she could finish her words, Sheng Puzhu interrupted her: "Nonsense, don't let your imagination run wild."
"My aunt didn't come to see you because Emperor Mingzong was dealt with according to family rules yesterday."
Xue Qinghui suddenly looked up, her red eyes full of disbelief.
Sheng Puzhu took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "The descendants of the Xie family have always respected their wives. You are a pregnant woman. He hurt you. According to the family rules, he should be punished."
"It could have been hidden, but it was a pity that Zhiyan went to investigate the truth about his drunkenness."
"Grandmother opened the ancestral hall and used the family law, a total of fifty lashes."
Xue Qinghui's breathing became heavier, her pale lips opening and closing, her throat seemed to be blocked. After a long while, she finally asked, "Is the injury serious?"
Sheng Puzhu had no intention of hiding it, and slowly said, "Originally, the punishment was twenty lashes, but my aunt was dissatisfied and made a scene. Finally, my grandmother stepped in and added thirty lashes, ten of which were for Qin's sake."
"I watched from afar. He was covered in blood. Although the executioners knew the severity of the lashes and didn't really break any bones, after fifty lashes, there wasn't a single piece of good flesh left on his back. He wouldn't be able to get out of bed for ten days or half a month."
Suddenly, a baby crying sound came from the compartment, and the wet nurse came out holding the swaddling clothes. The little girl's face was red with crying. The voice was not loud, but the crying was very strong.
Xue Qinghui became anxious when she saw that the wet nurse couldn't coax the baby.
Sheng Puzhu took it with a smile: "Let me do it."
"This child looks good, but his temperament doesn't seem like yours. You don't look so fierce."
Xue Qinghui reached out to hook the child's hand and pursed her lips: "I wasn't like this before. I don't know when I became weak and afraid of things."
"Unfortunately, I couldn't personally witness the execution yesterday."
"Perhaps after seeing this, I will become soft-hearted again."
Xue Qinghui's eyes flashed with mockery, and she pulled the corners of her lips helplessly: "He came home drunk the day before yesterday, and I was already asleep."
"He was the one going crazy in the front yard, yelling out the name of a strange girl. I didn't want to disturb my parents, so I lit a lamp and quietly went out to see."
"But when he saw me, maybe he had done something he felt guilty about outside, so he turned around to go to the study, but he pushed me hard, and then he stepped on the ice and fell."
"Then why did you hide it that day?"
Xue Qinghui also did not deny her confusion: "My mother came to me and said that it was related to my husband's reputation and told me not to tell anyone."
"I had a terrible stomachache and was bleeding all over the floor. I didn't understand why I agreed without thinking."
At this point, Xue Qinghui suddenly burst into tears, as if she wanted to cry out all the grievances she had suffered in the past two years, and her shoulders were shaking with tears.
"Okay, you can't cry during the confinement period." Sheng Puzhu put the sleeping baby next to her.
"If you're not willing to give up, take care of your health."
"I came to see you, not to see you cry, but to tell you that he was punished. As for whether you can calm down, that's up to you to see it."
Sheng Puzhu stood up and stuffed a pure gold, uniquely shaped longevity lock into the child's arms.
She didn't stay long and said goodbye and left.
When he returned to Yunyu Hall, Xie Zhiyan was sitting in the warm room, holding a book in his hand, but his eyes were fixed on the cloth tiger on the soft couch.
"My dear." Sheng Puzhu felt guilty.
"Yeah." Xie Zhiyan looked at her.
Sheng Puzhu pointed at the cloth tiger and asked, "Does it look familiar to you, my dear?"
Xie Zhiyan took a look and looked away: "No impression."
Sheng Puzhu held the cloth tiger in his arms: "This is a gift from my grandmother. I will hold it while I sleep in the future."
"Madam, are you sure?" Xie Zhiyan's eyes suddenly became deep.
"Hmm?" Sheng Puzhu suddenly felt a little uncertain why he seemed to be hinting at something.
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