Chapter 295: Chapter 264: Jinbao Wants Company When He’s Sick (Part 1)

Lin Xiaorou seemed to really just come over to bid farewell.

After speaking, she stood up and was about to leave.

Lin Xiaoyue called her to stop, her voice cold, “I’ve already written a letter to our Granny, you’d better set off back to Jizhou now, otherwise when things get serious, your non-existent reputation will only get worse.”

“Reputation?” Lin Xiaorou paused, then suddenly let out a low laugh, “Sister, do you think at this point, I would still care about that elusive reputation?”

“The Su Family is not as simple as you think.” Unable to get angry for fear of harming the child, Lin Xiaoyue could only try to advise her.

“I know.” Lin Xiaorou’s tone was completely indifferent, “Isn’t it just that the women in the mansion have some strong tactics, and even got Aunt He involved back then? As long as Mr. Qi cares for me, what do I have to fear?”

“Naive!”

Faced with Lin Xiaoyue’s cold sneer, Lin Xiaorou curled her lips, “I’m not even aiming to be the main wife, just a concubine, why think so much? Moreover, I’m going to the border area, not the Su Family Mansion. Once there, with the Emperor far away, why would I fear those few in the mansion reaching their hands there?”

Lin Xiaoyue closed her eyes, instructing the guards outside, “Someone, take Miss Rou back to the guest room. Without my order, she’s not allowed to step out even half a step.”

This woman is a troublemaker, who knows what her true intentions are.

Mr. Qi has just regained his position and been reassigned. If she causes any incident, it could ruin Mr. Qi’s entire life.

When Lin Xiaorou heard that she was to be confined, her face immediately darkened, “Lin Xiaoyue, you can’t do this! You don’t have the courage to go yourself, and you won’t allow anyone else to go. You think you’re right in your cowardice?”

Early that morning, after realizing she misunderstood Su Qing and now being pestered by Lin Xiaorou, Lin Xiaoyue felt a bit tired. She didn’t want to argue anymore and directly had the guards drag her away.

Outside the door, Lin Xiaorou’s curses grew fainter.

Lin Xiaoyue sat down, her gaze fell on the opened scriptures, but she could no longer calm her mind to copy them.

After a while, she replaced the rice paper with letter paper, and took a small brush from the brush rack again.

Four years of marriage, Su Qing had never left this home, and she had never picked up a pen to write him a letter.

Therefore, with this beginning, her pen hesitated to fall.

Finally writing a few sentences, she felt dissatisfied, crumpling the paper into a ball and tossing it aside in frustration.

When the maid entered to serve tea, she saw several paper balls thrown on the floor.

Knowing Granny Qi was not in a good mood, the maid didn’t dare say anything. After serving the tea, she silently bent down to pick up the paper balls.

Lin Xiaoyue didn’t let her touch them, instructing her to leave them and go out.

The maid had no choice but to place all the picked-up paper balls on the writing desk, then quietly retreated.

With the brush in hand, Lin Xiaoyue’s thoughts drifted.

She recalled Su Qing’s silent reaction when she questioned him that night and the unspoken loneliness he revealed when he left.

After a long time, Lin Xiaoyue lowered her eyelashes and wrote the first word on the letter paper.

…

The night Su Qing left the Capital, staying at the post house, he received the first letter from his legal wife in four years.

There were only a few words on it — All is well at home, do not worry.

Following this sentence, Su Qing could sense the writer’s long pause, then four more words were added: Take care of yourself.

Perhaps being pregnant made her lazy; Lin Xiaoyue’s handwriting, like her, lay lazily on the paper, reluctant to get up.

Su Qing had rarely seen her write before; he never imagined that seeing it for the first time would be in the form of a letter. The soft handwriting paired with the faint concern in the words immediately gave a comical feeling.

The guard delivering the letter looked up, seeing the gloom on his master’s handsome face completely dispelled by this letter.

It was obvious that the couple had reconciled.

The guard felt a wave of relief.

When the master is well, their life as subordinates is not hard.

“Mr. Qi, do you want to reply to Granny Qi? I can take it back right now.”

Even though he knew Mr. Qi was in a good mood, the person asking still tried to be as cautious as possible.

Su Qing curved his lips, not hiding the joy in his eyes and brows, and quickly picked up a pen to reply to Lin Xiaoyue.

He initially wanted to tell her to take care at home and await his return, but after some thought, he changed the line.

Thus, the letter Lin Xiaoyue received only contained this phrase — Your handwriting needs practice.

Lin Xiaoyue turned the letter over and over; indeed, apart from these five words, there was nothing else on the paper. Speechless, she looked up at the guard delivering the letter, “Besides this letter, did Mr. Qi have you convey anything else?”

The guard shook his head, “No.”

Then asked, “Does Granny Qi wish to reply?”

“No!”

Lin Xiaoyue had eagerly gone to the study, intending to reply after reading the letter, only to find him teasing her instead.

“Your master despises my ugly handwriting, doesn’t even like reading it, so why should I reply to him?”

In four years of marriage, the couple had, for the first time, expressed their truest feelings on paper through letters. For Lin Xiaoyue, it was a novel attempt.

Unable to communicate directly, using letters to gradually progress might actually achieve unexpected results.

So even though she said she wouldn’t reply, she didn’t leave the study all day, constantly writing, writing, writing.

…

By the time Su Qing received the second letter, he had already been on the road for three days.

He slowly unsealed the wax and took out the note paper inside, discovering that it was full of curses directed at him.

The letter writer accused him of having a sharp tongue, leaving no regard for others’ feelings.

The letter further criticized him for deserving no love, for leaving without a word, sneaking away with his people like a thief before dawn.

She also threatened that if he dared to complain about her ugly handwriting again, this would be the last letter he’d ever get from her.

Su Qing hardly needed to think, already clearly envisioning in his mind that little woman jumping in anger because of him, writing and cursing simultaneously, crumpling the already-written note paper out of spite, refusing to send it to him, only to regret it and pick up the pen to rewrite it.

Irritable and quick to anger, she’d throw tantrums, and when she couldn’t win an argument, she’d flatter and coax, act coy and obsequious.

This was the real, original Lin Xiaoyue.

What he wanted wasn’t her “gentleness” or “consideration.”

That Lin Xiaoyue was a soulless puppet, seeing herself as Granny Qi of the Su Family, not as his woman, Su Qing’s.

Seeing the end of this letter, Su Qing wore a more joyful smile than with the last one.

The guard who delivered the message came apprehensively, but returned cheerfully with the letter relay.

Although it was a hard run, it was worth it.

…

Lin Xiaoyue received the second reply, where Su Qing asked if she had eaten without washing her hands because the note smelled sour.

“…” Lin Xiaoyue’s face darkened, and after a moment, she threw down the pen and erupted, “Whatever, whoever, I’m done serving you all!”

——

Just days ago, Granny complimented on how robust little grandson Jinbao was, but he unluckily came down with a fever one morning when his father went to the office and his mother went to school.

When Song Wei and his wife left home, the little guy was perfectly fine.

But when Granny picked him up to relieve himself and change clothes, he suddenly started sneezing one after another.

Granny Song saw the little guy languidly leaning against her, his breath warm as it came out of his nose, and was startled, even skipping breakfast to instruct Mrs. Cao to fetch the doctor.

The old doctor arrived quickly, checked Jinbao’s pulse, prescribed a formula, and gave him a massage.

The little guy, who had never been sick, was now too weak to make a fuss, lying quietly on the small couch under a thick blanket, with the occasional little cough escaping his throat.

Even though it wasn’t a heavy cough, hearing it made Granny’s heart ache.

The old doctor gave a few instructions and was escorted out by Mrs. Cao.

Mrs. Jin was boiling medicine outside the kitchen.

When the medicine was brought in, Granny Song cradled Jinbao in one arm and fed him the medicine with a small wooden spoon.

At first, the little guy thought it was something tasty, but as soon as his tongue touched the bitterness, he scrunched up his little face in discomfort, struggling with all his small limbs in Granny’s arms, stubbornly refusing to drink.

Granny Song coaxed him a few times to no avail.

The little guy, sick and without his parents around, was forced to drink bitter medicine, feeling aggrieved but unable to express it, could only pout and burst into tears.

Yet, being sick, his cries were a bit hoarse, accompanied by a few coughs.

Granny Song’s heart twisted even more, leaving her with no choice but to send Mrs. Cao and Mrs. Jin separately to the Hongwen Academy and Hanlin Academy.

No matter what, one of the couple had to come back at least.

The Hanlin Academy was closer, and Song Wei received the news, grateful for not being at the palace to lecture Emperor Guangxi, explained the situation to the Dean, and immediately rushed back.

The little guy, having developed a fever and cried for a long time, had a flushed face.

Seeing Song Wei, even though almost out of strength, he still raised his little arms wanting his father to hold him.

Song Wei glanced at the medicine bowl on the table, while taking his son into his arms and asked, “Did you call a doctor?”

Granny Song said yes, but Jinbao refused to drink the medicine, kept crying, and she didn’t dare to feed him for fear of choking. Later, when she did manage to get some in him, he spat it all out.

Song Wei understood and gently said, “No worries, I’ll feed him!”

Granny Song knew that Third Son was good with kids but still suggested, “How about I hold him, and you feed him the medicine?”

Song Wei smiled faintly, “No need to worry, Mother, I can take care of him.”

“If you run into any trouble later, just call out, Mother will be just outside!”

Song Wei nodded, looking down at his son in his arms.

Being held by his father, the little guy seemed much more at ease, no longer making noise, though a few teardrops still clung to his eyelashes, his little hands weakly clutching Song Wei’s clothes, as if afraid his father wouldn’t stay with him, his little face a mix of strength and slight grievance.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep