Chapter 254 No matter how handsome my husband is, he belongs only to An'an
"They're back! They're back! The young master and the others are back!"
At the main gate of the Jiang residence, Uncle Fu saw the carriage approaching from afar, and his tense expression immediately vanished without a trace.
The carriage returned so early without detouring to the clinic, so it seems the four young masters are alright.
Sheng An secretly breathed a sigh of relief and walked down the steps to watch the carriage approach quietly.
As soon as the carriage came to a steady stop at the door, Xu Jinnian was the first to open the door and get out. He quickly stepped forward, took Sheng An's hand, and looked him up and down carefully.
Seeing that she was in good spirits, neither had gained nor lost weight, and her face was full of joy at seeing him, Xu Jinnian felt relieved. He touched the top of her head and said gently, "An'an, your husband is back."
Sheng An was also observing the man. Seeing his face, which was noticeably thinner, and the exhaustion that even his smile couldn't hide, she felt a pang of heartache and couldn't speak.
The other passengers gradually disembarked from the carriage.
Compared to Xu Jinnian, who was able to walk on his own, Tan Zhenlin and the other two were in much worse condition and had to be helped down by their respective servants.
They all looked haggard, their lips were pale, and they were so thin that their cheekbones were protruding. Even their clothes, which had previously fit them well, now seemed a bit too big.
Uncle Fu hadn't realized he'd overestimated the situation, and quickly stepped forward to ask with concern, "How are the three young masters feeling? Should we call a doctor to come and take a look?"
Although that's what he said, Uncle Fu knew in his heart that even if he spent a lot of money to ask the clinic for a doctor, he wouldn't be able to find one right now, as the clinic was probably already overcrowded.
Fortunately, Ye Yunhua, who was in the worst condition, shook his head and refused: "No need, Uncle Fu, we'll be fine after resting for two days."
Uncle Fu was relieved to find that they did not have a fever and told them to go inside and rest.
The four of them hadn't washed up for a long time, and now they felt uncomfortable all over. The first thing they did when they got back to the yard was to wash up.
Hot water was prepared in advance in the kitchen and delivered to various courtyards by the guards.
Xu Jinnian took off his clothes and soaked in the bathtub. The warm water enveloped his entire body, and the heavy feeling of drowsiness dissipated somewhat, and his face regained some color.
Sheng An added charcoal to the fire pits next to him, and then tested the water temperature in the bathtub. Finding it a bit cold, he picked up the kettle clipped to the fire pit and poured hot water into the bathtub.
Seeing the water stains on the ground, Xu Jinnian was afraid that she would slip and fall if she walked around, so he stopped her from doing anything: "I'll go find the kettle. You sit down and talk to me."
Sheng An knew his concerns, so she didn't insist and sat down in the chair opposite him.
Xu Jinnian looked at her lower abdomen, his gaze softening slightly: "Has the baby been behaving well? Has it been bothering you these past few days?"
Sheng An lowered her head and touched her belly, a faint smile appearing on her lips: "You're being good, you'll start moving in a while."
Xu Jinnian was also a first-time father and didn't know that fetal movement was a thing.
Hearing his wife say this, he subconsciously asked, "Will it make you uncomfortable when it moves inside your belly?"
Sheng An thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "Probably not, it's not like it's punching inside my stomach."
Zhao Di gave birth to twins. She never mentioned that the babies were uncomfortable due to fetal movement. She only said that the two babies were tough and would sometimes suddenly move in the middle of the night, startling her awake from her sleep.
Seeing the man's worried expression, Sheng An decisively changed the subject: "What's it like inside the examination hall? Does the examination tent you were assigned leak? It snowed a few days ago, how did you get through the nights?"
Xu Jinnian didn't want to see his wife sad, so he said, half-jokingly:
"I'm lucky. I was assigned a testing shed that's far from the stinking cells, sheltered from the wind and leaking. The quilt they gave me is about 80% new, and I won't be cold at night if I cover myself with the fur coat I brought..."
It's true that we were assigned a decent exam room, but it's a lie that the quilts were 80% new; they were stiff and emitted a strong musty and foul smell.
Worried that he would get sick from using it, he folded it up and laid it under the wooden board. He didn't take off his clothes or shoes when he went to sleep at night, and used the two fur coats he had brought as blankets to keep warm.
Although it was still a bit cold, he could bear it.
The candidate in the next examination hall was much more unlucky. Not only did the examination hall he was assigned leak, but it also soaked the warm clothes he brought. He developed a high fever and fell into a coma the next day. He was only carried out of the examination hall today, and we don't know how he is now.
"You're lucky, and it's also thanks to your good health that you managed to get through such a tough snowy day."
Sheng An knew that men wouldn't tell the truth, but since the exams were over and people had walked out of the country, there was no point in her digging deeper, so she simply went along with what he said.
There were several braziers in the room, making it warm and cozy, so you couldn't feel the cold.
After Xu Jinnian finished bathing, she sat by the brazier to dry her long, wet hair.
Sheng An stood behind him and slowly combed his hair.
After drying for about 15 minutes, Xu Jinnian's hair was completely dry.
Sheng An personally styled his hair into a bun and secured it with a sandalwood hairpin, revealing the man's smooth facial features and deep-set eyes.
Xu Jinnian had shaved off his stubble and was still the same gentle and refined gentleman.
Sheng An couldn't get enough of looking at him, so she tiptoed and kissed him on the lips: "So handsome."
Xu Jinnian chuckled and lowered his head to kiss her forehead: "No matter how handsome I am, I belong only to An'an."
Meeting the man's focused and earnest gaze, Sheng An blushed and her heart pounded. She nestled quietly in his warm embrace.
The couple walked hand in hand into the dining room, and after a short while, Tan Zhenlin and the other two came out one after another.
After tidying up carefully, the three of them felt much better.
As soon as the food was served, they picked up their chopsticks and devoured it in a whirlwind. The entire dining room was filled with the sound of chopsticks clattering against bowls and plates, as if they had pressed the accelerator button.
The only thing that remained unchanged was that the four of them still behaved elegantly and did not make any impolite noises while chewing.
After the meal, everyone tacitly returned to their respective courtyards to rest, deciding that even the most important matters would have to wait until they had a good night's sleep.
Sheng An did not disturb Xu Jinnian and quietly sat by the window doing needlework.
In the afternoon, Tan Qingrou came over to inquire about her brother's health.
Seeing that her brother was sleeping soundly, she couldn't bear to wake him and came to Sheng An to talk to her.
Upon learning that Tan Qingrou was going to be on a blind date in two days, Sheng An asked with concern, "Which family's young master is this? Is it also a lady you know who acted as matchmaker?"
Tan Qingrou replied one by one: "He is the youngest son of Du, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. He also participated in the Spring Examination this time. It was my maternal aunt's sister who arranged the meeting."
The Chancellor of the Imperial Academy is a third-rank official, and with this position alone, his connections in the court are unmatched by the Tan family.
On the surface, it seems like a good marriage.
Seeing that Tan Qingrou's expression was indifferent and she seemed uninterested, Sheng An couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Is something amiss?"
Tan Qingrou did not hide anything and told them what she had found out:
"He had a wife, who later died of illness. It is said that Madam Du was too strict with rules and regulations, setting rules for her daughter-in-law every day, which made her sick and eventually die."
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