At dinner, Xu Lin returned home, washed his face, and went to the flower hall. Seeing Sheng Shu, who had already walked around, he smiled and asked about Sheng Shu's condition. Xu Wen saw that only Xu Lin had returned. Seeing that he looked refreshed, she understood what was going on, but still asked, "Where is your brother-in-law?"
Taking the soup served by the maid, Xu Lin lowered his head and said, "Master Sheng has something to do, so he might be back late."
Glancing at Xu Lin, Xu Wen turned around and said to Sheng Shu with a smile, "You've just recovered from your illness, so you can't eat meat or fish."
Receiving his mother's concern, Sheng Shu smiled and replied, "Yes, thank you for your concern for your son."
Xu Lin, eating a large pork elbow, said slowly, "No one cares about my younger brother."
After hearing this, Sheng Shu used his serving chopsticks to pick up a large piece of sea bass and gave it to Xu Lin: "Uncle, please eat more."
Xu Wen, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, said to Xu Lin, "You're such a grown-up, and you're still competing with kids. Here, your favorite drunken shrimp."
Seeing Xu Wen picking up some food for her, Xu Lin breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Sister, I didn't expect you would still remember me after all these years."
Putting down the soup bowl, Xu Wen wiped the corner of her mouth and said, "Of course I remember. You liked drunken shrimps. You were a kid back then and couldn't eat much, so you made a lot of noise. Big brother liked eel slices braised with green onions, and we even went fishing for eels together. Mom, mom likes fish balls, and dad likes braised meat." As she spoke, tears welled up in Xu Wen's eyes.
Seeing that his sister was about to burst into tears, Xu Lin quickly changed the subject and talked about his plans before the imperial examination. The three of them had dinner happily and then sat by the waterside pavilion for tea and snacks.
Sheng Huairen, paralyzed in the suburbs, only managed to move his limbs half an hour later. He slowly pulled himself up, looking at the darkening sky and the desolate surroundings for miles before stumbling to his feet. He slowly inched his way toward the horse, feeling as if his waist might be broken. He picked up a stick and walked for three quarters of an hour before finally reaching the horse.
By this time, it was completely dark. After standing for a while against the dark horse, Sheng Huairen used his still-powerful left hand to hold onto the saddle and climbed onto the horse. He rode slowly towards the city, every part of his body aching. Sheng Huairen grimaced and gritted his teeth, thinking, "I'll have to find a way to punish Xu Lin."
When they arrived at the city, the gates were only a cup of tea away from closing. Sheng Huairen, wounded, breathed a sigh of relief upon entering the city, then summoned someone at the gate to carry him back to the Sheng Mansion. Throughout the night, the palace physician and outside doctors kept coming in and out of the front yard. At midnight, Sheng Huairen was given a bowl of soothing soup and fell asleep. He had already asked his superiors for leave for the next morning's court session. Before falling asleep, Sheng Huairen thought bitterly, "Don't hit someone in the face. This brother-in-law is such a bully."
The next morning, Xu Wen came to see Sheng Huairen. Looking at the bruises on Sheng Huairen's face, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled. After giving some instructions to the servants, Xu Wen walked out of Sheng Huairen's room.
When Xu Wen ran into Aunt Lan who came to see Sheng Huairen, she raised an eyebrow. Qiu Ling beside her leaned over and whispered in Xu Wen's ear, "The house arrest just ended the day before."
Holding Sheng Xian, Aunt Lan respectfully greeted Xu Wen: "Your servant greets Madam."
Seeing that Xu Wen did not embarrass her, but just waved her hand to let her get up and left, Aunt Lan felt relieved. She watched Xu Wen's back disappear, then turned around and carried Sheng Qian into the house to see Sheng Huairen.
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