Chapter 95 A Safe Return: Only After Raising a Child Do You Realize the Kindness of Your Parents. Back then, she and her sister…
Only when you raise children do you understand the love and care of your parents. She remembered how Xitala had prayed and swore before she and her sister went to the smallpox clinic, and now Cheng Qianyue was doing the same. Suddenly, Hongyan's fearless smile before leaving flashed into her mind, exactly like her own when she left home. As for herself, it seemed she had become another Xitala.
It has to be said that some things are cyclical. You might not understand it at first, but one day you'll find yourself doing it. Sigh, what can you do when there are so many things in this world that leave people helpless? Without finding something to rely on, you simply can't find peace of mind.
So Cheng Qianyue did something she had never cared about before: she invited a statue of the Goddess of Smallpox from a temple outside and worshipped it, offering incense morning and evening.
The Goddess of Smallpox, as the name suggests, is in charge of smallpox. Families in the capital would enshrine such a deity whenever they sent their children to be vaccinated. After the children had recovered from the smallpox, the statue would be returned to the temple. This back-and-forth exchange was called welcoming and sending off the deity.
Cheng Qianyue knelt before the statue of the deity, kowtowing devoutly three times and prostrating herself nine times. To be honest, she had never been so sincere, not even when kneeling before the emperor. She comforted herself, saying that perhaps she was blessed by the gods to have lived two lives. Since the gods and Buddhas had allowed her to live again with her memories, they certainly weren't sending her here to experience so much suffering. So what was the point of reincarnation? Therefore, her children would surely stay with her peacefully.
Thinking this, he got up to fetch incense, lit it, extinguished the flame, bowed repeatedly, and then placed the incense stick in the incense burner.
At this moment, Hongchao and Moyaqi walked in one after the other, peeking into the room from the outside. Ruoyun slowly took a few steps back, curtsied to them, and gently shushed them with her hand to her lips. The two children understood her gesture and didn't rush in, but they both stared at Cheng Qianyue, who had her hands clasped together. After a while, the two looked at each other and chuckled.
Cheng Qianyue had just finished praying when she knew the two children were coming over without even turning around. She turned around and waved to them, signaling them to come over.
Hongchao and Moyaqi ran in hand in hand and stopped, asking one after another, "Mother, where is brother?" They played with their brother every day, but who knew that he would be gone when they woke up this morning? Of course they wanted to know.
Cheng Qianyue said softly, "Your brother went out; he's not here."
Moyaqi tilted her head: "Where did you go? Are you going outside to play hide-and-seek?" She especially loved this game and never got tired of it. It's just that Cheng Qianyue was worried that they might get into trouble running around outside, so she only let them play in the yard.
Cheng Qianyue smiled, touched her face, and said, "No, your brother went out to get vaccinated and isn't home."
"Vaccination?"
"Hmm." Cheng Qianyue breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "It's a somewhat dangerous matter. Mother is praying to the gods to bless your brother's safe return." As she spoke, she asked someone to bring two more cushions: "You should also kowtow twice to the statue of the god, and each time you kowtow, you should say 'May the goddess bless you.'" After the cushions were brought over, she directed them to kneel on the prayer mats and bow their heads.
She thought that kowtowing twice was not only for her brother, but also for themselves, because in the autumn the two children would have to go to the smallpox clinic for vaccination!
Days passed by, and Cheng Qianyue grew increasingly anxious and impatient. She was constantly worried about Hongyan's living conditions and whether he had developed smallpox. She only felt slightly at ease after spending half a day chanting scriptures before the shrine. But ten days passed, and Hongyan still hadn't returned. Cheng Qianyue's hair turned several strands white from waiting.
It's been so long, why hasn't Hongyan come home yet? Could something have happened?
No, absolutely not!
Cheng Qianyue silently vowed to herself, then a deep resentment towards Yinreng welled up within her. He had kept all the news from her, and even after she repeatedly asked, he wouldn't say how Hongyan was doing at Wufu Hall. "You won't tell me, huh? Then I'll send people to Wufu Hall to inquire." But all the people she sent were stopped and forbidden from going.
Cheng Qianyue really wanted to bite him: How could you do this, Father?! It's absolutely hateful!
Just as she was racking her brains, Lin Quan'an hurriedly came to her side, his face beaming with joy: "Master, the Third Prince is back!"
"Really?" Cheng Qianyue jumped up from the futon with a start.
“Really, really,” Lin Quan’an grinned so hard his gap teeth were showing, his whole body beaming with joy: “Quan De, who was guarding the bridge, just came to report that the Crown Prince is personally leading the Third Prince this way.”
She had people keep watch there every day, and they would send messages over as soon as they came from the front, so there shouldn't be any mistakes. Cheng Qianyue was immediately overjoyed, tears welling up in her eyes. She tightly gripped her handkerchief and said, "May the gods bless us."
Sure enough, the father and son she had been talking about arrived shortly afterward. Cheng Qianyue had been waiting eagerly at the entrance of the main house, and before Hongyan even got close, she rushed over and hugged him tightly. After the family was seated inside, Cheng Qianyue took a closer look at Hongyan, and then she felt a pang of heartache, because she noticed that Hongyan had lost a lot of weight since he left, and the baby fat on his face was gone.
She took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead, saying affectionately, "Mother notices you've lost weight. Did you not eat well at Wufutang?"
Hongyan had almost cried when his mother hugged him so tightly, and his face was flushed. He cleared his throat and replied, "It's alright. Three meals a day are delivered, with chicken, meat, and vegetables." However, the food delivered was always the same few dishes. He had asked about it when the imperial physician came to take his pulse, and was told that he couldn't eat "heat-inducing" foods during smallpox, which was why the food wasn't as varied.
Cheng Qianyue continued to ask him, "Are you doing well living away from home? Are you finding it difficult to adjust?"
Hongyan nodded sheepishly. To be honest, he was still a little unaccustomed to it. When he arrived, he saw the people who were getting vaccinated with smallpox. There were roughly a dozen cousins and five or six cousins, the youngest of whom was about the same age as Moyaqi. After recognizing most of them, the person in charge of the vaccination led him to his accommodation, which was the main house in the small courtyard.
He couldn't sleep the very first day he moved in. One reason was the cotton stuffed in his nose, which made him uncomfortable. Another reason was the uneasy feeling he had in an unfamiliar place.
He lay in bed wondering when he would get smallpox, and what his mother and younger siblings were doing in the West Garden. Later, he got out of bed and took out his favorite toys from the trunk that had been brought in, including a cloth tiger that his mother had made for him.
He took the cloth tiger to bed, and fell asleep quickly while using it as a pillow.
Later, he broke out in smallpox, with patches appearing on his face, arms, and back. It was indeed itchy, and he felt hot all over, but he endured it without scratching. For the next few days, he drank bowl after bowl of bitter juice, which was said to dispel heat and detoxify. Eventually, the smallpox on his body gradually subsided. However, the matter wasn't over yet; the imperial physician kept him under control for two more days, making him drink medicine before finally releasing him.
However, after he changed into his brand-new clothes and boarded the carriage, he discovered that his entire trunk of toys was gone, especially the cloth tiger. Upon asking, he was told by the eunuch beside him that they had all been taken out and burned, even his clothes that he had washed over the past few days—all turned to black ash.
Hongyan: ......
Cheng Qianyue patted his shoulder: "It's okay, Mother will sew you a big tiger and put it on your bed."
Hongyan smiled and happily agreed.
Cheng Qianyue asked a few more questions and learned that he had eaten out before coming back. She urged him to take a nap and said to him before leaving, "Hongchao and Moyaqi miss you too. When you wake up from your nap, you can play together again."
The mother and son had been talking the whole time, but now that Hongyan had left, Yinreng finally had a chance to speak: "I told you Hongyan would pull through."
Cheng Qianyue couldn't help but snort at him. To be honest, she'd been finding Yinreng rather odd lately.
Yinreng knew she was angry because he had kept Hongyan's whereabouts from Wufutang a secret. He found it quite strange that she had such a temper before. But upon reflection, he understood; as the saying goes, a mother's strength is boundless, and her outbursts showed how much she cared for her child.
However, he didn't think he was wrong for keeping the news from her. Because anything could change until Hongyan was fully recovered. What if he heard that Hongyan was healthy and her symptoms were mild one minute, and then received urgent news the next? So he simply kept all the news from her and waited until Hongyan was completely recovered before telling her.
Yinreng smiled and took her hand: "Isn't Hongyan back?" He had even specially instructed the imperial physician to let Hongyan stay inside for a couple more days, drink some tonics to consolidate his health, and then come back.
Cheng Qianyue couldn't break free from his grasp even after a few attempts, and finally gave up, asking, "How many imperial grandsons went into the Five Blessings Hall, and how many came out?"
Yinreng's smile vanished, replaced by a look of melancholy. He said in a low voice, "Of the twelve boys, eight survived. Of the seven girls... only four survived."
Cheng Qianyue took a deep breath: This mortality rate is too high. She suddenly grabbed Yinreng's hand: "How about we wait until next year, when Hongchao and the other two go for smallpox vaccination next spring?"
Yinreng sighed, "Boys who die young come from both old and young ages, but girls, the younger ones are more likely to recover." He comforted Cheng Qianyue again and again, saying, "Don't worry, our child will be safe."
Cheng Qianyue: You really are a heartless father!
After noon, the children woke up. The brother and sister were overjoyed to see their brother return and immediately wanted to play hide-and-seek. Cheng Qianyue saw Hongyan standing under the eaves of the east wing from the window, covering his eyes and counting. Hongchao and Moyaqi, one slipped into the side room next to the east wing, and the other ran to the flower bed behind the west wing.
She felt a little more at ease listening to their chatter in the yard.
Children need to run and jump a lot to stay healthy!
After a while, she put down her needlework and said to Ruoyun, "Send someone to the kitchen to tell them to prepare more of the Third Prince's favorite dishes tonight. Also, starting today, make special soups for the Third Prince and the others, warm and nourishing soups." Hongyan has just recovered from a serious illness and needs to be properly nourished. Hongchao and Moyaqi will also be vaccinated against smallpox in a few months, so they also need extra meals.
She has to raise the children to be strong and healthy!
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Author's Note: The National Day holiday is over! Did you all have a happy holiday? Was it a difficult first day back at work? [doge emoji]
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