Chapter 387 Aunt and Nephew 2
Nian Qing was followed by several carriages, all laden with gifts from Huainan's former officials, congratulating Su Qingwan on the birth of her son. As he entered the carriage, a youthful smile played across his features. "Aunt, I look like a messenger running errands. This carriage is filled with gifts from my uncles and aunts."
Su Qingwan looked at the boxes of brocade, medicinal herbs, and various exquisite toys, and couldn't help but laugh and shook her head, "They always go to such lengths." Then she called Qingyun over, "Take them all, and make a careful note of the list. I'll return the gift someday."
Only after the rustling of servants unloading gifts faded away did she take a closer look at the young man before her. Even in the year since they last met, Nian Qing had grown more than half a head taller, his complexion tinged with the tan of battlefield wear. He was naturally more composed than other children his age, and now he was nearly the size of a man. Though his shoulders still carried the thinness of a teenager, his eyes held the sharpness of a veteran, imbued with the majesty of a commander. Su Qingwan stared at the faint scar on his forehead, still lingering, and felt a pang of pain in her heart—this child was clearly still a teenager, yet he was expected to shoulder the responsibility of the vast land of Huainan.
As if sensing the pity in her eyes, Nian Qing took a half step forward and spoke softly, "Don't worry, aunt. My nephew is doing well in Huainan. I was indeed apprehensive when I first returned, fearing I would disappoint Mother and Aunt, and even more so, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to shoulder the legacy left by my ancestors. Now..." He raised his hand and pressed the sword at his waist, his knuckles calloused from years of gripping the reins. "My nephew has made up his mind and gained some strength. Just be at ease, aunt."
"How can I feel at ease?" Su Qingwan reached out to stroke the newly grown hair behind his ear, her fingertips trembling slightly when they touched the warm skin. "Your uncle said you were seriously injured in the Xilin battlefield. Are you feeling better now? After all, the doctors in Huainan are not as good as the imperial physicians in the palace. Have you examined him carefully?"
"It's okay." Nian Qing tilted his head slightly to avoid her touch, but remained submissive. "The arrow wound is about 70% healed, and the epidemic a while ago was just a false alarm. If you're really worried, just ask the imperial physician to come and see me in a couple of days." His tone was gentle, yet his words were filled with unquestionable certainty, reminding Su Qingwan of her deceased elder brother—his gentleness concealed a toughness that was exactly the same. A lump formed in her throat, and she quickly turned away and wiped her eyes.
A child of this age should be enjoying the care of his parents, but Nian Qing has grown up to be able to protect her from the wind and rain.
"By the way," Nian Qing suddenly changed the subject, his eyes wandering around the room for a moment, "Where's my little cousin?"
"Xiao Yu'er just fell asleep." Su Qingwan raised her hand to signal him to be gentler, "When he wakes up, you can hug him again."
"I wonder if he looks more like my aunt or my uncle?"
"It's only a full month old now. You look like a soft, sticky ball, how can you tell them apart?" Su Qingwan looked at the baby in the cradle with a gentle smile, "But you, you've been just like your father since you were little."
Nianqing smiled at that, his eyes and brows relaxing. "My uncles often say the same thing, that the expression in my eyes and eyebrows is exactly the same as my father's when he was young." When he mentioned his father, his tone was natural, without the awkwardness of the past. I imagine that during his days in the Xilin military camp, the veterans who had followed his brother must have often talked to him about the past.
Su Qingwan was secretly relieved. In the past, when Nian Qing first heard about his biological father's deeds, he always felt a little uneasy. After all, he was a relative he had never met in person. Now, this familiarity seemed to fill something in.
"Is the war in Xilin really going smoothly?" she asked softly about the business.
"Thanks to our ancestors' blessing, it went much faster than expected." Nian Qing's eyes lit up as he mentioned the war. "I thought it would drag on for at least two or three years, but we were defeated in a year. My grandfather and my late father had been stationed in Huainan for decades, their reputation etched in the hearts of the people of Xilin. When I first arrived, I was always worried about humiliating their reputation, especially after we lost the first battle..." His fingertips unconsciously stroked the hilt of his sword, and his voice lowered. "My uncles all said that victory and defeat are common in the military, but I tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep, reading the military books and notes left by my grandfather and my late father. I just wanted to learn a little more, so that I could spare my brothers from bleeding. Every time we deployed the troops, I was treading on thin ice, so I always rushed to the front, which was quite satisfying."
He spoke of those days of swords and spears as if recounting a dramatic legend, his eyes brimming with excitement. Su Qingwan listened quietly, a trance transporting her back to her youth, sitting at her father's knees as he recounted border battles, watching her brother polish the spear he had carried him through battle. Those stories of war and battle cavalry evoked the heroic spirit she most admired.
The sun was setting outside the window, and once Nian Qing had started, he couldn't stop. He talked about how to detect the enemy's decoy tactics and the confrontation with the enemy generals on the battlefield. Even the youthful look in his brows was tinged with a hint of battlefield bravery. Su Qingwan listened with a smile, occasionally interjecting a question or two, her eyes full of doting.
She knew that after Nianqing returned to Huainan, these long conversations would become rare. At this moment, the light and shadows beneath the eaves flowed slowly, and every minute and every second should be remembered carefully.
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