Chapter 26 My Beloved Woman: Shen Yunrong Thought It All Night and Came to a Close...
Shen Yunrong thought about it all night and came to a conclusion. She suddenly brought a child back to her hometown, and it was inevitable that people would gossip behind her back. Anyway, the child wouldn't stay in the village for long. Let them say what they want, just don't let the child hear it when he grows up.
The next morning, as soon as Shen Yunrong opened the door, she saw Shen Tieniu standing at her door, his trouser legs wet with morning dew, having stood there for an unknown amount of time.
Upon seeing her, his wooden body twitched slightly, and he exclaimed joyfully, "Sister Yunrong!"
"Brother Tie Niu, why are you up so early!" Shen Yunrong watched as the golden sun slowly rose in the distance, its rays gradually spreading across the land.
"I've been thinking about this all night. You don't need to pay attention to my mother. She's old and talking nonsense. My feelings for you have never changed!" Having never said anything so explicit before, Shen Tieniu blushed instantly.
"Brother Tie Niu, I know you're a good person, but I don't want to get married anymore. I just want to stay with my daughter and watch her grow up safely!" Shen Yunrong understood what he meant. He would still protect her, just like before.
She used to see him more as an older brother, and she felt no unease about whether or not she could marry him.
“How can a woman like you raise a child? Besides, after we get married, they won’t talk about you behind your back!” Shen Tieniu said the last sentence, his face red and his head lowered.
"The child's father will come to pick her up! Let outsiders say what they want." It's a fact that she had a child out of wedlock; what others say is their business.
"You mean that man? He looks like a rich man. People like him marry many women. Don't be fooled by him!" Shen Tieniu shouted anxiously, his face flushed and his neck stiff.
"He didn't lie to me, it was my own choice!" Shen Yunrong was annoyed when she heard him say such things about Zhao Linzhang without any evidence.
“He’s just greedy for something new in this rural area. You’ve forgotten Sister Xiaochun. She became a concubine to the town’s lord, and she died in just a few years!” Shen Tieniu said with great distress. He couldn’t believe that the girl he had watched grow up with could be blinded by wealth.
"I know what to do!" Shen Yunrong knew he genuinely cared about her, and her tone softened a bit, but marrying him was out of the question.
“Our homes are close by, so you can come and take care of your aunt after you marry into the family!” Shen Tieniu scratched his cheek and tried to persuade her.
"We're really not a good match! Brother Tie Niu, I need to go back and see the kids!" Shen Yunrong took a step back, avoiding his outstretched hand that was about to grab her.
Shen Tieniu wanted to go further, but a male voice rang out from behind him.
"Yun Rong!" Zhao Linzhang was dressed in a black casual robe. Only when he got close could one see the gold thread patterns on the collar and sleeves, indicating that he was either rich or noble.
He was supposed to arrive around noon, but he came so early. Unless he didn't return to the capital and spent the night here last night.
"You are the father of Yunrong's child!" Shen Tieniu's eyes blazed with fury when he saw Zhao Linzhang.
"Yes!" Zhao Linzhang had already stood in front of Shen Yunrong, looking like a mother hen protecting her chicks. He understood why the man in front of him was hostile to him, just as he was to him.
"It's because you're rich that you bully her!" Shen Tieniu clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.
Liu Hu and Xiao Zheng, who were far away, quickly moved to Zhao Linzhang's side and drew their swords!
"You all step back!" Zhao Linzhang waved for them to leave, then stepped forward himself: "I didn't bully her, she's the mother of my child!"
"Brother Tie Niu, please stop talking. I did all of this voluntarily!" Shen Yunrong tried to push Shen Tie Niu away, as offending the prince was a capital offense, but unfortunately she was too weak and Shen Tie Niu did not budge.
"Don't be afraid of him. Even if he were the county magistrate, he would still have to reason with us!" Shen Tieniu looked at Zhao Linzhang without fear on his face.
"Yes, what do you want?" Zhao Linzhang straightened up, looking at the man whose forehead veins were bulging.
"If you're a man, then fight me!" Shen Tieniu wanted to show Shen Yun who the real man was, and that this rich-looking pretty boy was not suitable for her at all.
Compared to Shen Tieniu, Zhao Linzhang's skin was much fairer.
"Brother Tie Niu, are you crazy? Do you know who he is? Are you out of your mind?" Shen Yunrong was so anxious that she almost cried, not daring to reveal Zhao Linzhang's true identity.
"Alright, Yunrong, you go back to your room first!" Zhao Linzhang waved away the guards who were about to come forward.
"He doesn't understand, and you don't know the difference between force and force. Brother Tie Niu is strong and will hurt you!" Shen Yunrong couldn't persuade Shen Tie Niu, so she had to turn around and persuade Zhao Linzhang. He was a prince, and he was fighting with a country bumpkin.
"This is a matter between us men, I won't blame him!" Zhao Linzhang was a little disappointed. She was so anxious and nervous because she was afraid that the man in front of her would hurt him and be punished.
"Then I'll ask for your guidance!" Shen Tieniu possessed brute strength and threw punches swiftly. Although his punches lacked technique, they were fast and ruthless.
Zhao Linzhang pulled Shen Yunrong aside, avoiding the punch that was aimed directly at his face.
Shen Tieniu pressed forward relentlessly, while Zhao Linzhang retreated, taking several punches in the process.
Suddenly, a child's cry came from inside the house. Zhao Linzhang was distracted and was punched in the face by Shen Tieniu.
The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, and Zhao Linzhang spat out a mouthful of blood. Looking at the man in front of him, he realized that the man was truly going all out, not just engaging in a contest. It was a pity that he hadn't dared to make a move, since he was skilled in martial arts and could easily handle the man.
Shen Yunrong was so anxious that she couldn't stop him, and she almost fainted when she saw Zhao Linzhang bleeding. She cried out, "Brother Zhao!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Linzhang stiffened, easily catching Shen Tieniu's swung fist. It was rare to see someone catch his fist so easily. Shen Tieniu panicked and tried to pull his hand away, but he couldn't.
Her daughter started crying again, and Shen Yunrong jumped up and down in exasperation before going inside to hug her.
When he came out carrying his daughter, Shen Tieniu was already backing away and making way. When Xiao Ruoyu saw Zhao Linzhang, she clapped her little hands excitedly and called out in a clear voice, "Daddy, Daddy!"
That childish cry felt like something had stabbed Zhao Linzhang in the chest, or like a large hand had gently kneaded it. He quickly swept his leg and pinned Shen Tieniu to the ground.
"I'm second to none!"
After getting up from Zhao Linzhang's restraints, Shen Tieniu, who was unable to move, glared hatefully at the man who had defeated him. Without looking at Shen Yunrong again, he turned and ran away like a defeated rooster.
"My dear daughter! What did you just call me?" Zhao Linzhang ignored him, dusted himself off, and reached out to hug the child. He heard clearly that the child could call him "Dad"!
"Father!" came another clear, bright, and childlike voice.
Shen Yunrong felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this. She had worked so hard to raise her, yet this little one was the first to call her "Dad."
Zhao Linzhang's lips were red and swollen, but he was all smiles as he held his daughter. Shen Yunrong looked at the father and daughter, shook her head helplessly, and went to the kitchen to start a fire and cook.
Shen Yunrong came out carrying a bucket of porridge. Zhao Linzhang was talking to his daughter, who was babbling in response, spitting out saliva.
The gentle sunlight bathed them, and Shen Yunrong felt somewhat dazed, as if he were just an ordinary father in this world.
"Why is Your Highness up so early today?" Shen Yunrong was momentarily blinded by the gold thread on Zhao Linzhang's brocade robes, but quickly came to her senses. How could he be an ordinary father?
“I bought a small two-courtyard house in town. It’s inconvenient to see a doctor here. Do you think we should talk to Madam Shen and move there together?” Zhao Linzhang said as he watched her come in, then stood up with his daughter in his arms.
He had been looking for a suitable courtyard for the past two days, but he was afraid of being rejected by Shen Yunrong. With such a man next door, Zhao Linzhang was worried about leaving the widow and her child there alone. Even the guards would sometimes doze off.
"How is your injury?" A slight crack appeared in the ice in Shen Yunrong's heart.
"It's just a minor injury, nothing serious!" Zhao Linzhang forced a smile, then hissed in pain.
"These are hard-boiled eggs. Roll them over to reduce the swelling!" Shen Yunrong took out two warm eggs. The injury was on the corner of her mouth, and it was difficult to apply medicine. In the past, when she bumped her face, her mother would boil an egg for her to roll over.
After putting down the eggs, Shen Yunrong first brought porridge to her mother. When she came out, she saw Zhao Linzhang holding an unpeeled egg, rolling it on his face, frowning and enduring the pain.
"This egg needs to be shelled." Shen Yunrong helped him peel off the eggshell, and watched as he squeezed the egg in half with a force.
"Let me do it!" Shen Yunrong had no choice but to take her daughter to her mother, peel the egg, and then bent down to roll it on the corner of her swollen mouth.
Zhao Linzhang leaned back slightly, and Shen Yunrong, thinking she had hurt him, quickly stopped moving: "Did I hurt you?"
"It doesn't hurt!" Zhao Linzhang looked up and saw his reflection in her earnest eyes. His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and the pain in his mouth slowly turned into an itch, so itch that he pressed down on her hand.
"Don't move, it's not healed yet!" Shen Yunrong tried her best to ignore Zhao Linzhang's naked and fiery gaze. His injury was caused by her, and she was afraid that he would blame Shen Tieniu.
Zhao Linzhang grasped her soft hand, slowly stood up, and almost completely encircled her in his arms. He looked down at her and said, "You're worried about me, aren't you? What did you call me just now? Call me again!"
His warm breath brushed against Shen Yunrong's face, and she trembled. She pretended to be firm, but she had only called out in a moment of panic. If she were to call him again now, she would feel embarrassed and turn to leave.
But Zhao Linzhang grabbed her hand: "Don't be afraid, I'm here, no one can hurt you!"
These words made Shen Yunrong, who had been living in fear for most of the day, forget to break free from him.
She struggled to live for more than a decade. Her father died early, and her mother was frail. No one ever told her not to be afraid.
"Why bother arguing with Brother Tie Niu?" Shen Yunrong put down the rolled egg.
"It's not about being pedantic; for a man to fight for the woman he loves is a matter of utmost honor!"
Shen Yunrong felt a pang of heartache at the sight of her beloved woman. She looked at him with eyes full of tenderness, her eyes swirling with emotions. She looked down at the intricate dark patterns on his clothes, then finally closed her eyes and pulled her hand away from his.
"Your Highness hasn't eaten yet, has he? Let me get you some porridge!"
Zhao Linzhang watched the fleeing figure. Good, she didn't say anything about the disparity in their status anymore. This fight was really worth it. He couldn't help but grin, but the smile pulled at his wound, making him gasp in pain.
This brat really went all out against him; if he hadn't practiced martial arts since childhood, he wouldn't have been able to withstand more than a few punches.
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