Chapter 209 Deep Affection
After the candidates left one after another and the gate of the examination hall was no longer crowded, Xu Jinnian's figure finally came into Sheng An's view.
Compared to Tan Zhenlin and the other two, who looked like they had lost half their lives, Xu Jinnian was in much better condition.
Aside from a slightly tired complexion and a few wrinkles on his long robe, he was in good spirits and stood out among the many candidates.
Xu Jinnian walked slowly toward the crowd, and Sheng An rushed over excitedly.
Three steps away, Xu Jinnian raised his hand to stop her from getting closer: "You're dirty, you'll smell bad."
Sheng An wasn't that delicate. She stepped forward and took the man's hand, her bright eyes filled with him: "I don't mind."
Xu Jinnian chuckled, his tired face still handsome.
To prove that she really didn't mind, Sheng An lowered her head and smelled the man's sleeve. The next moment, her face twitched uncontrollably.
Forget it, even if he smells bad, he's still my man. I can still take him after he washes himself properly.
The four men were exhausted and just wanted to go home quickly to shower and rest.
After exchanging a few words and agreeing to meet up the day after tomorrow, they each took a carriage and went home.
Hot water and food were prepared in the kitchen. Xu Jinnian stayed in the bathroom for most of the hour, changing the bath water three times before coming out, still damp.
Several light dishes were laid out on the table, and Xu Jinnian knew at a glance that they were made by her lover.
"Eat quickly, then go back to your room to rest."
Sheng An brought over a few dry towels and stood behind Xu Jinnian to wipe his hair: "The fish wontons are not greasy and are easy to digest. I specially made them for you this morning. The steamed buns are vegetarian, so it won't hurt to eat a couple more."
A warm feeling welled up in Xu Jinnian's eyes as he gently squeezed her hand in return: "Thank you for your hard work, An'an."
Sheng An retorted, "It's you who suffered the most; those nine days inside were too grueling."
Having been together day and night for more than three years, this was the first time she had seen a man so exhausted, and she could imagine what kind of life he had endured for the past nine days.
Xu Jinnian was indeed very hungry, and the fragrant fish wontons and soft vegetarian buns whetted his appetite.
He restrained himself from eating too much, and put down his chopsticks after eating until he was about 70% full.
Once the hair was almost completely dry, Sheng An urged the man to go back to his room to rest.
Xu Jinnian's eyes were bloodshot as he led her towards the bedroom, saying, "An'an, sleep with your husband."
Sheng An wasn't sleepy at all, but she still nodded in agreement: "Okay."
The two undressed and got into bed. Xu Jinnian turned to hug the person in his arms, closed his eyes, and let out a satisfied sigh: "Luckily, An'an is here."
Looking at the handsome face so close to hers, Sheng An couldn't help but lean in and kiss him: "Can't I sleep without you?"
Xu Jinnian did not open his eyes, and his voice was a few decibels lower: "If An'an is not here, I will take a boat back to Qingzhou tonight."
A sweet feeling welled up in Sheng An's heart, and she snuggled closer to him: "A grown man like you, so clingy to your wife, aren't you afraid people will laugh at you if word gets out?"
Xu Jinnian found her lips precisely, his touch gentle and tender without a trace of desire: "Those who laugh at their husbands must be jealous that their wives are so affectionate."
Sheng An chuckled and pinched the man's cheek: "Go to sleep."
"Mmm." Xu Jinnian smelled the warm fragrance emanating from his wife, feeling incredibly peaceful, and drowsiness suddenly overwhelmed him like a flood breaking through a dam.
In just a few breaths, the man's breathing became long and even, and he had fallen into a deep sleep.
Sheng An looked at the faint dark circles under his eyes, gently touched them with her fingertips, and then closed her eyes and fell asleep.
While the couple slept soundly in each other's arms, Xu Huaining, exhausted, arrived at the prison cell, slipped a piece of silver to the jailer, and took Xu Laosan, who had been imprisoned for nine days, out.
The prison conditions were worse than those in the examination hall. Not only was the food and sleep poor, but the mental pressure made Xu Laosan feel like every day was a year, fearing that he would not be able to leave this hellish place alive.
The moment Xu Laosan walked out of prison and saw the light of day again, he squatted on the ground and wailed, attracting strange looks from many passersby.
Xu Huaining hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help but step forward and pull Xu Laosan up: "Let's go back to the inn first."
Xu Laosan cried with snot and tears streaming down his face. Sensing the impatience in his nephew's tone, he dared not vent his emotions any longer. He casually wiped his face with his sleeve, stood up, and cautiously asked, "Huaining, Uncle won't be locked up again, will he?"
Xu Huaining's tone was somewhat stiff: "No, but Uncle San should be careful with his words and actions in the future, and not cause any more trouble."
Xu Laosan breathed a sigh of relief, then his eyes turned incredibly sinister:
"It's all that wretched child's fault! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been locked up. When I get back to the village, I'm going to complain to the clan and make the clan chief remove his name from the family register!"
Xu Huaining's eyes flickered, and he sighed: "He is a scholar, and he will most likely pass the provincial examination this time. It is impossible for the clan to remove him from the list."
Xu Laosan's eyes widened, filled with rage: "He is unfilial and unjust. Such a person should be disgraced. How dare he become a scholar!"
Xu Huaining said meaningfully, "He is favored by the clan, so the clan will naturally protect him. Outsiders will never know what he did to Third Uncle."
Upon hearing this, Xu Laosan immediately came up with a vicious idea: "Then let's spread his deeds so that he can't become a scholar, and the clan won't protect him then!"
Xu Huaining hesitated and said, "Third Uncle, Jin Nian is your biological son after all. Isn't it a bit inappropriate to do this?"
Xu Laosan said bitterly, "He's heartless to me, so don't blame me for being unjust. No matter how successful this cursed bastard becomes, I won't benefit from it!"
Xu Huaining tried to persuade him a few more times, but Xu Laosan was determined and wouldn't listen to his advice at all, so he had to shut up and give up.
Because of his youth and good foundation, Xu Jinnian woke up the next day with most of his energy restored, looking radiant and even more handsome.
At noon, Sheng An prepared a large table of delicious food and invited Fang Qingzhou and the others to come and eat together.
Unexpectedly, just as everyone sat down, the Tan siblings came over.
Seeing the table laden with delicious food, Tan Zhenlin struck a pose reminiscent of Xi Shi clutching her heart: "Oh dear, you guys actually ate behind my back! You don't treat me like a brother at all! This really hurts my feelings!"
Ye Yunhua was disgusted by his pretentious behavior and couldn't stand it any longer, so she kicked him: "Stop acting like this."
Tan Zhenlin nimbly jumped aside, grinning as he pulled his younger sister Tan Qingrou to sit down: "It's been a while since we've had your cooking, sister-in-law. We siblings are in for a treat today."
Sheng An knew that the siblings didn't really mind, so she smiled and explained, "You didn't seem to be in a good state yesterday, so I thought you might need to rest more and that's why I didn't rush to invite you two."
Tan Zhenlin didn't mind at all and quickly replied, "I'm sorry to have troubled you, sister-in-law. It was my fault for not sending someone to inform you in advance, which caught you off guard."
Sheng An smiled and shook his head: "We're all on the same side, no need to be so formal."
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