Chapter 36
After the Emperor's aunt, the Crown Princess and my sister-in-law arrived, we had a proper meal. The Emperor's aunt then joked with me, "An Lan has become calm again after these few days!" This sentence made everyone laugh.
After dinner, the Emperor's aunt returned to her work. I felt a surge of sympathy for her; being an emperor anywhere was truly difficult.
The princess and sister-in-law chatted with me for a while. I don't know what Chen An was talking to the Queen, which made the Queen look at me frequently, but her eyes were full of satisfaction and appreciation.
I guess Chen An was talking about moving and housekeeping. Only my brother looked at me like an animal, probably because he noticed the marks on Chen An's body.
I touched my nose feeling a little guilty. Later, even the Queen's eyes changed, and then she quietly told Chen An something. Chen An blushed and kept his head down.
Everyone present was intelligent, and the princess, a modest and upright woman, said nothing. My sister-in-law patted my shoulder with a gloating air and lectured me in a pretentious tone, "Young man, be moderate."
Haha, I wasn't to be outdone, "Are you envious?" As for her, she would definitely do whatever my brother said. However, I'm sorry, brother, my words must have given the Third Princess a chance to throw a tantrum.
Until the evening, I lay down very obediently, but Chen An turned to me quietly and asked in a low voice: "Do you want more tonight?"
This sentence made me collapse. I raised my arms to cover my eyes and smiled bitterly, "Baby, don't bother me. You should rest."
After a long time, Chen An whispered again: "I know you want it, I don't want you to hold it in."
I turned to Chen An and pulled him into my arms, "Hmm?"
Chen An bit his lip and said, "I want to satisfy you, so don't look for anyone else."
Only then did I understand his intention. My Chen An is very brave.
I pressed his bitten lips with my hand to make him release them, then leaned in and kissed him, "Don't think about it, baby, there won't be anyone else. I promise, believe me!"
Chen An pressed close to me, hugged me back, and said "hmm" with a smile.
I started working normally, and Chen An continued to study with his father and brother.
I brought Hongye up here and have her follow me on weekdays. After discussing with Chen An, the job of steward of the Prince's Mansion was assigned to Zhixia. After all, Zhixia had been trained to be very versatile.
Gradually, almost all of our things were moved next door.
Zhixia was stumped about arranging a room for me. Conventionally, the head of a household would have his own courtyard. But in the Marquis's mansion, knowing I'd only be staying for a few days, I hadn't mentioned a separate room, even though it had already been prepared. Seeing I didn't bring it up, Chen An, the clever one, was even more pleased not to mention it.
However, if we move into a large house, we will definitely have our own courtyard. Just like in the Marquis' Mansion, my mother also spends half of her time resting in her own courtyard.
"You can arrange things as normal. Just leave two spare sets of clothes in my courtyard, and keep the rest in the master's room. Pick the nearest courtyard for the master." Then I instructed, "After you have made all the arrangements, ask the master for his opinion. Give the master a copy of the keys to all the warehouses."
Chen An was indeed quite satisfied, and didn't want to put anything aside for me except those two pieces of clothing. I could only smile and explain, "I'm doing this just in case I come back too late and bother you again. Or, in case you kick me out one day."
Chen An was still grumbling, but he didn't forcefully demand that my yard be left empty.
On the day we officially moved, friends and family came to give us gifts. This was Chen An's first time hosting a banquet, and with the help of his father and brother, he managed it beautifully. My Chen An is indeed smart.
Lying in our new home, Chen An excitedly told me what happened today, what this family gave as a gift that was very interesting, what that family gave as a gift that was very strange. He also told me what he heard today that was interesting about this family and what was very bad about that family.
It was very late, and I saw that he was still not sleepy, so I couldn't bear it anymore and pressed it down. Sure enough, he fell asleep after two times.
Even though we've separated, we still go back to Dad's house every two days for dinner, just like before. My brother, too, sticks with this habit, except for special circumstances. This is the benefit of living so close, I guess.
This made the Queen extremely envious, and she praised her father for giving birth to two children.
This day was no exception, and we once again gathered at Dad's place. My sister-in-law was talking to Mom about something, Chen An was accompanying Dad and An Qi to entertain Nian Nian, and my brother and I were able to stay in the little corner and chat again.
My brother asked me as usual, "How are you? Are you used to living in the new place?"
"What's there to be uncomfortable about? We're so close, it's no different from being apart."
"Where's Chen An? Is Chen An okay?"
I was very confident. "How could I let him be in trouble? He's very happy every day now, more comfortable than in the palace. He wants to eat, drink, go shopping, have parties, and play. When I have time off, I accompany him to play. He has the final say in the palace, and he really enjoys being the boss."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "Except when I'm looking at the account books."
My brother couldn't help but laugh, "Chen An isn't very sensitive to numbers, but he's always making progress."
I didn't care. "Let him be. I don't expect him to run the entire business. He just needs to take care of the family business. Besides, Zhixia is here."
My brother rolled his eyes at me. "You two are the only ones in your family. It's a waste of talent for Zhixia to be the housekeeper. There's nothing she can't manage. As for Chen An, I don't quite agree with your idea. You should let him learn more and encourage him more. That way, when you're older and the passion fades, and you live a dull life, he'll be able to find his place quickly and won't be lost. That way, his life will be more meaningful."
I nodded. Although I agreed with my brother's idea, everyone has their own aspirations.
"Well, that depends on his personal wishes. I'm not in a rush for him to grow up quickly, I'll take his time. Ultimately, I want to protect him for the rest of his life. If he wants to be strong, I'll help him soar. If he wants to be happy, I'll protect him and never let him suffer any injustice."
After saying that, I remembered something and looked at my brother with a wicked smile, "Has the passion between you and sister-in-law faded?"
Seeing that I dared to bring this up, my brother gave me a big twist. My face was distorted, and Chen An kept looking back at me.
"How dare you bring it up! You've caused me so much trouble. I had arranged everything well, but since she came back from the palace that time, she has a reason." The brother gritted his teeth.
I covered my mouth and chuckled, and my brother couldn't help but laugh helplessly. "The physiques of men and women here are indeed very different from ours. Don't laugh at me, I exercise every day, but even I can't keep up. No wonder the rich women here have multiple husbands and servants."
I quickly interrupted my brother, proving my innocence. "Brother, please don't judge me with one blow. I'm an outstanding example of a person who keeps himself clean and chaste. Besides, even in our country, under the rule of law of monogamy, there are still so many people who indulge in pleasure and pleasure, living a life of luxury. Not to mention before marriage, there are also many people who cheat and keep mistresses after marriage. So, it really depends on a person's character."
I curled my lips and expressed my contempt for those people.
My brother glanced at me and laughed, "I can see that you were a law-abiding person in your previous life."
I looked at my brother with a smile. He had completely walked out of the shadow of his previous life, so I dared to make a joke.
I looked at my brother and couldn't help but say, "Brother, it's nowhere near as good as yours. My morality may just be limited by money. On the other hand, you, hey, do you know how everyone evaluated you in your last life?"
"Oh? You've praised me so much that I even doubt if it was really others who were praising me. Do you have any other excellent comments?" My brother tilted his head, not very interested. He probably thought I was making fun of him.
I haven't forgotten it for decades, and I don't know who is so talented. "Everyone praises you, you have the face of a beauty, the demeanor of a scholar, the bones of a general, and the soul of a hero."
My brother was stunned, and looked at me with sparkling eyes. "You can't possibly make up such a brilliant piece of writing. Are you really praising me?"
I nodded. "You don't know. Later, everyone dug up a lot of your old material and wanted to deify you. I really hope you're a deity who's come down to earth after experiencing tribulation. I once really wanted to believe the saying that a person's first 36 years are spent repaying the karma owed to their family and parents, and only after turning 36 do they begin their own karma. And you, on the other hand, have just paid off your past karma without having to create new ones. Furthermore, you've awakened the people and gained great merit. This is the best possible outcome of your tribulation."
I looked at my brother very seriously, "I've actually always wondered if this life was something I made up myself, or if it was just a dream I had after I left."
My brother smiled and looked at me seriously. "It's been a long dream. Since everything feels so real, it doesn't matter if it's a dream. After all, living a happy and joyful life is what matters most."
We looked at the family members talking and laughing on the other side and smiled at each other.
End of article
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