7 Injured
◎Huo Yan: I don’t understand the adult world!◎
In early summer, news came from the palace again. Wei Zifu, who had begged to leave the palace in vain, had won the favor of the emperor again, and now there was new good news: she was pregnant.
The Emperor had been childless for years, with neither son nor daughter. The imperial family's offshoots, the barbarian kings, coveted the throne, making it precarious. Now, a pregnancy in the harem, whether a boy or a girl, would dispel the myth of the Emperor's childlessness. Therefore, His Majesty was overjoyed and bestowed upon Wei Zifu the title of Consort.
Because Wei Zifu was favored, Wei Qing was summoned by the emperor several times and received many rewards.
The Wei family seems to be on the verge of ascension.
Maybe. Anyway, for Huo Yan, it just meant that there was more and more stew in the bowl, his and his brother's house became bigger, and his mother came home later and later.
The biggest impact is probably that my uncle is even busier and has no time to teach them calligraphy. He is determined to hire a teacher for them. He hasn't found one yet, but he has been looking.
It was only after he went to Jianzhang that he realized how important it was to be literate. Especially for illegitimate children like Qubing and Ayan, having some talent was always helpful.
The family now has some spare money, and the child is smart, hardworking, and eager to learn. No matter what hardship we have, we can't let it affect his education.
So he was extremely anxious and began to look around, but as soon as he mentioned it, none of the teachers around him dared to agree.
He became even more anxious. Every day off, he would sigh a hundred or eighty times while looking at Huo Yan and Huo Qubing learning to read beside him.
Huo Yan noticed his subtle emotions. Although he didn't understand why, he still tried to comfort him many times.
But for some reason, the more he tried to persuade him, the more uncomfortable his uncle felt.
In the end, he simply stopped trying to persuade his uncle and let him be sad.
Maybe there are always a few days of discomfort in a month.
Huo Qubing was still young, and he didn't know why his uncle sighed when he looked at him every day, just like his grandmother looking at the dead seedlings in the field.
But he didn't want to flip through the heavy scroll, he wanted to go out and play.
It’s so fun outside, with caterpillars, little yellow dogs, and butterflies.
By the way, the butterfly net that Ayan said he would sew for me last time has not been made yet.
Is this book really that good?
He looked dejectedly at his younger brother who was flipping through the pages of a book with gusto. He felt sleepy for no apparent reason and his head was nodding, almost burying itself in the book. Huo Yan, who was standing next to him, was so frightened that he put his scroll under his chin so that he could lie down comfortably.
Wei Qing sighed again.
"Ayan, you won't even be able to recognize all the words in the future. I paid three times the money, but those teachers still won't teach you."
Huo Yan's jaw dropped when he heard this. He finally understood why his uncle was so anxious. He raised his head from the pile of books and looked at his thirteen-year-old uncle. "Well, uncle, is there a possibility?"
Wei Qing, who was only fourteen years old and still a child himself, looked at him with a hint of worry and said listlessly, "You say."
"Is there a possibility that we are too young, only three years old, and it is very troublesome to teach us." Huo Yan gestured with his hands the length of him and Huo Qubing, and then suddenly felt very guilty. It was because he did not solve his own problems that made his uncle so embarrassed.
Under Wei Qing's gentle gaze, he whispered, "I'm sorry. This should have been something I considered, but I made you worry about me. I'm sorry for making you anxious. Don't worry, uncle. I'll find a way myself."
He raised his head, his big almond-shaped eyes like purple grapes soaked in water, staring at Wei Qing, imitating him and making his smile as gentle as his.
"Uncle, don't be too tired."
He still has the babyish voice, but when no one is around, he is so tough and strong that it makes people feel distressed.
Wei Qing looked at him, who was about the same height as the tip of a lotus leaf that had just emerged, but spoke mature words that were not suitable for his age. His gentle eyes, which had always been smiling, flashed with some panic. He always knew that his two nephews were children who were too smart, and A Yan was even more sensitive and delicate, but he did not expect A Yan to say that.
"Ayan, you don't have to apologize. It was your uncle who affected my little Ayan with his anxiety. You should apologize." He rubbed Huo Yan's head and held him close to him. "Ayan, you are my child. I worry about you and Qubing and run around for you. Your uncle is really happy."
Huo Yan lowered his head. He could kill anyone he didn't like, but when faced with Wei Qing, who was too gentle and too much like his ideal father, he often didn't know how to respond.
He is used to being independent and is happy to give his family what he has, but he is not good at burdening those who love him.
But it’s not appropriate for him to say sorry now.
He pursed his lips and said nothing, only hummed softly, then silently flipped through the scroll.
Wei Qing felt a little distressed and held the small boy in his arms.
"Why would little Ayan think of apologizing? Uncle likes Ayan and Bingbing. Uncle just thinks studying is good, and Ayan likes it too. So uncle wants to give you what he thinks is good. I want you to lean on my shoulders and climb up. I want you to have a smooth life and live the life you want. I think Ayan is so smart, he will read more books with Master Meng. After all, who is better than our Ayan?"
Wei Qing has always had the ability and courage to express his love.
Huo Yan's eyes were red, and tears silently fell down his cheeks. He used his hands to block them so that Wei Qing would not see his embarrassment.
"Uncle, why are you so nice to me? Do you need me to help you with something?"
No one has ever wanted to give him all the good things just because he is who he is, or been willing to protect him, or firmly say that no one is better than him.
Everything is clearly priced and exchanged equally, including emotions.
Wei Qing suppressed the sadness in his eyes, leaned down, and nuzzled Huo Yan's cheek. "My uncle's little Ah Yan, you're right. Everything others give you must be given back, but everyone wants something different."
He continued softly, like a gust of sweet dew and breeze.
"What I want is for you, Yan, to grow up well and stop overthinking. Leave some things to me. I really hope I can protect you and Bingbing from the storm for a while."
He did not answer the first question.
He didn't need to answer.
Because the moment he saw these two brand-new little lives, each with a similar experience to his, he was destined to be their uncle. Qubing and Ah Yan were a new connection, no strangers, no need to explain who he was to the rest of the family, because from the moment they opened their eyes, they were uncle and nephew.
No one would doubt whether Huo Qubing and Huo Yan were Wei Qing's nephews.
Huo Yan turned his head and gently rubbed his nose.
"Uncle, I don't quite understand, but I'm very happy now. Is this what you want?"
Wei Qing chuckled, "Yes, Ah Yan."
Huo Yan couldn't help but smile and narrowed his eyes.
Huo Qubing had woken up. He rubbed his eyes, and with ink marks on half of his face, he looked like a tabby cat, smiling drowsily.
"Ayan, are you still reading?" He yawned, saw the red marks under Huo Yan's eyes, and turned the page in shock, saying, "This book can make you cry!"
Huo Yan was too embarrassed to admit it, so he could only stammer and say "hmm".
After all, because what my uncle said was so heart-wrenching, crying like a baby was inconsistent with his majestic image.
He is the most reliable and upright brother Yan!
Wei Qing also nodded, trying to save his almost nonexistent face at home in front of Huo Qubing.
[Love is a mutual debt.]
[Did Ah Yan have a hard time in his life?]
Love doesn't need to be returned. He just wants his nephew, who he has raised, to have a bright future and be a happy child.
[Ayan, don't cry. You should be arrogant and cocky.]
[I love this uncle's one.]
My uncle used to be so perfect. I was surprised he was so emotionally stable at just fourteen. When I was fourteen, I was fighting with my brother over the remote control because of Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit. It wasn't until today that I felt like he was a human being.
[I feel like everyone is doting on our Ah Yan, even though his condition is clearly unstable and he doesn't act like a real cub!]
[Yeah, but Bingbing, this real cub, although he loves to play, he can also sit still, and he's not slow in learning to read, so he doesn't look like one at first glance. (laughing and crying)]
[One oddity is an oddity, but two oddities are like smoke rising from your ancestors' graves.]
[Upstairs, you understand my mother.]
[Mother: Excuse me.]
…
Huo Yan looked at the barrage, silently chewing on the love they were talking about.
He seemed to have understood.
His uncle treated him just like he treated his illness.
Later, Wei Shaoer and his friends, who believed that the child had grown up by crawling, found out about this incident from their uncle and nephew who were not on guard against their family.
Fortunately, they changed their words and said that the book was too difficult.
The Wei family had never seen anyone who could just run and then pick up books every day. Their Wei family had never had rare species like Ayan and Qubing.
When I heard Huo Yan found the book difficult, I burst into tears and felt a sense of relief that it was indeed the case.
As the biological mother, Wei Shaoer mentioned this matter now. While weaving, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief towards Wei Junru who was washing clothes.
"Having one Concubine in our family is already alarming enough, and if we have two more prodigies, I'm afraid my heart won't be able to bear it. When I heard Qing'er asking around for a tutor, I got so nervous. I thought to myself that neither I nor that dog are smart, how could we possibly give birth to two golden lambs? Now, Ah Yan said that studying is difficult, and Qu Bing still loves to play."
Aunt Wei also breathed a sigh of relief. With one hand, she stroked the heads of Huo Yan and Huo Qubing, who were sitting in the house wearing only bellybands and eating porridge with meat in it. With the other hand, she smiled and fanned them. "Our Ah Yan and Bing'er are still young. It's good that they have a desire to learn. Books need to be read. Just take your time."
Wei Junru also nodded repeatedly.
The chirping of cicadas in summer accompanied by the sound of looms makes people want to have a deep sleep.
Huo Yan nodded dazedly. He was feeling a bit cold in the summer and didn't have much of an appetite. In the end, he only put the remaining half of the meat paste on the table, and tapped Huo Qubing's arm with his short, white and tender hand.
Brother, I can’t eat anymore.
Huo Qubing, who had a good appetite regardless of the weather, raised his eyebrows like a little adult, and got a flattering smile from Huo Yan. He pushed his empty bowl to him, took the remaining porridge from him, scooped it into his mouth with a small wooden spoon, and mumbled something that only the two of them could understand.
You didn't finish your meal! Ah Yan, short.
Huo Yan pouted and put his little face against his hand again, begging for mercy.
Brother, please stop talking. Please, please.
While eating the porridge, Huo Qubing laughed secretly and stroked his hair.
Okay, okay, don’t do this next time.
Huo Yan, who always leaves some food behind every time he eats this month, once again gets away with it by relying on his pretty face.
Wei Ai saw everything and smiled even more kindly.
Huo Yan and Huo Qubing had sweat all over their noses from eating, and she gently wiped the sweat off their noses.
"Bingbing, eat slowly. Ah Yan, do you want to take a nap after eating?"
Huo Yan shook his head like a rattle, he still had to read a book later.
Huo Qubing opened his red lips, which had just finished his meal, and said softly, "Grandma, why hasn't my uncle come back yet?"
When Wei Ai saw the sky outside, her face suddenly turned grim.
Wei Qing usually had a five-day off, just like all Han officials, and today happened to be his day off. According to Wei Qing's usual habits, he should have gone home last night, and should have been back by noon today at the latest.
But it was already past noon, and Wei Qing had not returned home yet and there was no news from him. Wei Ai suddenly became anxious.
She sat at the table and asked Wei Shaoer and the others.
"Qing'er is back!"
Wei Shaoer and the others thought about the time carefully, and became panicked for a moment, and hurried out to look for Wei Shaojun.
There were only an old man and two children left in the house. As time passed, the sky changed from bright to dim.
As time went by, Wei Ai kept looking towards the door. Huo Qubing gradually became uneasy and buried his head on Huo Yan's shoulder. Huo Yan turned his head silently and held his hand tightly.
It was not until evening that they saw the injured Wei Qing being supported into the house by a dark-faced warrior.
His arms and face were covered with long bloodstains and black gray marks, which were obviously caused by scratches.
Wei Ai's eyes were red as she ran down. Huo Qubing was also startled and hurried to Wei Qing's side.
Huo Yan also looked everywhere for a clean cloth and carefully wiped the blood off his hands.
Wei Qing smiled gently, his eyes still clear and bright, like a blue sky without a trace of haze. He said to the two of them and Wei Ai, "I'm not a good rider. Thanks to your Uncle Gongsun, I didn't die."
Huo Yan felt that he was lying. His uncle loved animals and had never fallen off a horse. And if he had fallen off a horse, why didn't he have any scars on his legs and back, which should have been injured?
While he was thinking, Huo Qubing pulled him over and thanked Gongsun Ao in a baby voice.
Gongsun Ao wanted to say something, but when he saw how old and young they were, he silently agreed with Wei Qing's words.
Huo Yan felt strange, but when he saw his grandmother's worried face, he swallowed the words he was about to say and just followed Huo Qubing to surround Wei Qing and apply medicine to him.
evening.
The barrage was turned off on time a long time ago. There are many things to watch in Bi Zhang, and many things that should not be watched.
They still know their limits.
After a period of chaos and confusion, Wei Shaoer and the others finally came back, but they all looked unhappy. They had something to say to each other, so Huo Yan had no choice but to go to bed with Huo Qubing.
Huo Yan was half lying on the bed, leaning on his forehead to ponder the cause of Wei Qing's injury when he heard Huo Qubing, who was sleeping beside him, say, "Ah Yan, uncle didn't fall off a horse. Most of his injuries are on his face and hands. If he fell, why aren't his knees injured? Ah Yan, did you see those two red marks on uncle's hands? He must have been in a fight."
His tone was soft, carrying both a certainty in his observations and a forced panic.
Huo Yan had adapted well to his unusual observation skills, which he had possessed since childhood. He moved closer to Huo Qubing and gently patted his back. "I know. He didn't fall off his horse at all. Uncle is lying to us. If we think about it this way, then he wasn't injured by carelessness, otherwise he wouldn't be lying. Then he must have been injured by someone else, but Uncle is very skilled. If he was injured, the person must have been more than one person."
Huo Qubing believed it. He always trusted his fellow brothers, just as Huo Yan never questioned his words.
He buried his head in Huo Yan's arms, "Who is that, Ah Yan?"
Huo Yan gritted his teeth, "Apart from being punished, who would be so bold as to go to the Emperor's Palace and kidnap someone!"
His face was ferocious for a moment, "After all, we are no different from cats and dogs."
Huo Qubing rolled out of his arms, smiling innocently and childishly, his milky white legs stretching out from the edge of the bed and swinging around. It was obvious that he had something to say about this topic.
"Ayan, puppies are so cute. Every time you don't eat, in my mind, you're just like the puppy at my uncle's house, with those sparkling eyes. You're really lovable."
Huo Yan, who thought he was talking about serious matters, got angry.
He clenched his fist and finally hit the bed.
"Do you understand? Go be a fucking dog! If you push me to the limit, I'll become a slut and be carried into the palace, and we'll die together."
Huo Qubing had been with him for a long time and had basically gotten used to it.
After all, the uncle that Ayan mentioned always has those days every month, and Ayan also has them, so it's normal.
He is the elder brother and should tolerate his younger brother's bad temper.
"Ayan is not a dog. You can explode if you want, but you have to protect yourself."
Seeing that Huo Qubing was still smiling sweetly at him, Huo Yan immediately lost his energy. He chuckled, touched Huo Qubing's hair, and put his head against his like a little fox.
"I have a good idea. Even though it won't pose any threat, it can still disgust people."
The Yellow River flood is due to the lack of justice of the emperor!
All it takes is a lie and a few broken mouths.
"Brother, do you still play with that Cao Xiang? Please do me a favor."
Finally, pretend to be a god and send messages in dreams to fool those people. Isn’t that great?
Unfortunately, he had thought of everything that night, even deciding to find the gossipy guy on the city wall.
As a result, Wei Shaoer's words the next day left him stunned.
"Mother, you said that my uncle was kidnapped by the Queen's mother because he was favored by the Emperor!"
Huo Yan put down the spoon in his hand and said, "You adults' relationship is so messy. Let me sort it out."
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