A life of ups and downs is pure joy

Bai Zhi saw from afar that there was a woman lying on the couch, wearing a magnolia-colored woven long dress embroidered with pomegranate patterns. Her hair was casually tied into a slanted bun and a white jade hairpin was inserted in it.

Her eyes were lightly closed, her thick eyelashes were slightly curled up, and her whole face was as exquisite and perfect as the meticulously crafted masterpiece of Nuwa. When you got closer, you could smell a fragrance.

"Oh, it looks like he is exhausted and has fallen asleep." Chu Xia saw Lin Qinghuan sleeping on the couch as soon as she entered the room.

"Girl, wake up." Chu Xia gently walked forward and patted Lin Qinghuan.

"Chuxia, I'm a little sleepy." Lin Qinghuan opened his eyes, which were difficult to lift, rubbed them gently and said in a daze.

"Have some tea to wake up, Baizhi is here." Chuxia and Baizhi went forward together to help the beauty on the couch.

"Why are you here? Is there something I can help you with, grandma?" Lin Qinghuan only then noticed that there was a maidservant on her left, so she asked.

"When the old ancestor heard that the young lady was pregnant, he was very happy, but he couldn't bear to let you go to the yard, so he asked me to come and check on her and bring some supplements to the yard." Bai Zhi said softly.

"Grandma loves me so much. I haven't had time to finish the supplements you sent me a few days ago, and now you've sent me another bunch." Lin Qinghuan said a little embarrassedly.

"Young Madam, if it weren't for some unexpected events, the old ancestor would have treated you better. Baizhi should go back to serve and come back to pay her respects after some time." After saying these strange words, Grandmother Xiao's maid bowed and went back.

"What does she mean by this?" Lin Qinghuan looked at Chu Xia curiously and asked.

"I don't know. I rarely saw her before and I wasn't familiar with her. I only heard that Bai Zhi was very arrogant and the third and fourth-rank maids were afraid of her." Chu Xia said.

"Maybe it's because I'm serving the ancestor of this mansion." Lin Qinghuan said casually, but he kept muttering Bai Zhi's words in his heart, always feeling that she had something else to say.

"Miss, shall we go back to the yard? I guess my son-in-law should be able to come back for lunch at noon." Chu Xia said.

"Well, let's go back. I still have to tell you the recipe for the small kitchen. My husband must have had no good food or drink these days. He must have suffered." Lin Qinghuan smiled and said, and Chuxia stepped forward to help her up.

After entering Jinhan City, Xiao Yi's carriage went to the East Palace first, and after about an incense stick's time, it drove to the Xiao Mansion.

"Why haven't you come back yet?" Lin Qinghuan stood at the door of the inner courtyard and kept looking at the gate of Qingbo Courtyard.

"Brother Dayuan has come to deliver the message. He has gone to pay his respects to the old lady and will be back soon. The old lady may be happy and chatted with her for a while longer. Young lady, please go back and sit and wait. It's so tiring to stand." Yun Xiang stood by and supported her and said.

"Okay." Lin Qinghuan nodded, and let the maid help her walk inside.

"The eldest master is back." He had only taken a few steps when he heard the voice of a maidservant bowing from the outer courtyard.

Lin Qing happily turned around and walked out. Yun wanted to quickly catch up with the anxious young lady.

"Young Madam, slow down!"

When Lin Qinghuan saw the slender figure appearing at the door, she couldn't help but stop and just watched the tall and handsome Xiao Yi walking towards her.

"Huan'er, why are you standing here in a daze?" Xiao Yi walked over quickly, picked up Lin Qinghuan and said.

"Son-in-law, please be gentle..." Chuxia ran over in panic and shouted.

Xiao Yi gently put Lin Qinghuan down, and then the couple smiled at each other and looked at Chu Xia who was running over.

"Huan'er, I was so happy to see you that I forgot that things are different now." Xiao Yi took Lin Qinghuan's hand and put it in his arms. "Let's go inside and talk. It's a bit cold outside. Your hands are icy."

"Husband, have you been having trouble eating or sleeping these days? I notice that you've lost some weight." Lin Qinghuan dismissed the servants and only left Chuxia and Yunxiang to serve them at mealtime.

"There were so many urgent things to do that I had no time to eat or drink. Fortunately, everything went well." Xiao Yi nodded and said.

"Then eat more. These are your favorite foods." After Lin Qinghuan finished speaking, Chuxia poured some of the cordyceps and hen soup that had been simmered for four hours into Xiao Yi's bowl, and also put a few pieces of tender chicken into the bowl.

"I heard from mother that you can't stand greasy food and the smell of meat lately. Are you uncomfortable?" Xiao Yi asked with some concern as he looked at Lin Qinghuan's bowl full of vegetarian dishes.

"Now when I eat these light dishes, I find them very delicious. My mother is very attentive to me. She can even make these dishes taste like a palace banquet in different ways. Huan'er doesn't feel uncomfortable at all." Lin Qinghuan said with a giggle.

"Silly girl, I brought you some gifts, including sweet fruits and coconut-flavored yam cake." Xiao Yi pinched Lin Qinghuan's little face and said.

"Ah."

After dinner, the couple went to the study together. Chuxia went to the water room and brewed a pot of the best jasmine tea, placed it on the tea table, and then left.

"Husband, has mother told you about Sister Li?" Lin Qinghuan leaned beside Xiao Yi and asked casually.

"They said she was sent to a nunnery in her hometown. I never thought she would do such a thing. It's somewhat inconsistent with her usual behavior."

Xiao Yi found a book on the low desk next to him that Lin Qinghuan had marked with many questions and started reading it.

"Husband, don't you believe it was her who did it?" Lin Qinghuan sat up and asked.

"It's not a matter of belief or not, I just feel a little surprised. Aunt Liu Rong said that it's a good thing that this thing didn't hurt you yet, otherwise it wouldn't just be her problem." When Xiao Yi said this, Lin Qinghuan kept looking at him, and his tone was so indifferent.

"Husband, if Huan'er does something wrong one day, how will you punish me?" Lin Qinghuan asked.

"You?" Xiao Yi looked up at Lin Qinghuan, "I've said before that if you make a mistake, I will be punished along with you."

Lin Qinghuan looked at him and couldn't help but chuckle, "Husband, if I made a serious mistake and you were punished for it without any fault, wouldn't that be extremely unfair?"

"It's my fault for letting you make a mistake, so of course I have to be punished." Xiao Yi said seriously.

"You stupid blockhead." Lin Qinghuan hugged Xiao Yi's arm tightly and leaned against him and said coquettishly.

"I have marked all these. Are you tired now?" Xiao Yi put down the book in his hand, then hugged Lin Qinghuan in his arms and asked.

"I'm not tired. Are you tired, husband?" Lin Qinghuan asked, grabbing Xiao Yi's hand.

"Come with me to rest for a while, and I'll get up later to help you copy the big characters." Xiao Yi kissed Lin Qinghuan and said.

"Okay." Lin Qinghuan wanted to get up, but Xiao Yi hugged her again.

"I'll carry you back. From now on, you don't have to walk a step with me here." Xiao Yi stood up and bent down to pick up Lin Qinghuan.

"Husband, I have legs and can walk by myself." Lin Qinghuan said coquettishly, but her little hands hugged Xiao Yi's neck very obediently.

"I want to pamper you, hold you, and make you the happiest woman in the world."

After Xiao Yi finished speaking, he carried Lin Qinghuan in his arms and went into the house with her affectionately under the eyes of the maids in the entire yard.

"I'm so envious of the young lady..."

"Yes, the eldest master loves the young lady too much."

"What a happy couple..."

Shuyin stood in the corridor, listening to the maids watering the flowers and sweeping the yard whispering to each other. Looking at the closed door, she suddenly felt a long-lost sense of relief.

"Even if it was me back then, I might not be as happy as I am now."

In the camp outside Yinan City, Lin Mutang was shirtless, and a military doctor poured wine to disinfect his deep knife wounds, and burned the silver needles used to sew the wounds.

"My Lord, please be patient."

Zheng Linfeng stood beside Lin Muchang in armor with a righteous look on his face. Lin An frowned and looked at his father, whose face was covered with beads of sweat as he endured the pain.

When the old general's sweat had soaked his lower clothes and the long and painful stitching was finally over, the eldest son-in-law Zheng Linfeng and the youngest son Lin An hurriedly took out the shirt and put it on their old father.

"Father-in-law, what happened?" Zheng Linfeng helped Lin Muchang lie down and asked anxiously.

"I'm really old. I could even get stabbed by that little brat." Although Lin Mutang was seriously injured, his voice was still as deep as before.

"It's all my fault that I'm incompetent and caused my father-in-law to be seriously injured." Zheng Linfeng said with great self-blame. Lin An next to him reached out and patted his brother-in-law on the shoulder, signaling him not to do that.

"On the battlefield, swords and knives have no eyes. A little injury is nothing. Fortunately, we have the upper hand in this battle. I want to see how long they can hold on." Lin Mudang said with a calm smile.

"I see the weather is getting colder, and the enemy's food supplies are probably running out. It looks like they'll retreat in the next few days. Second Uncle and Brother Bai are still putting pressure on the front lines. I just told my father-in-law not to worry anymore. Leave the rest to us. My father-in-law's battle yesterday has already disrupted their morale."

Zheng Linfeng had now swept away the gloom from before, his face full of confidence and joy.

"Alright, remember not to mention my injury in the letter you send home. Just tell them the good news. Your grandmother and mother have always been prone to wild imaginations, and I don't want to see that female general riding back again."

After Lin Mutang finished speaking, he burst into laughter, but his eyes were as deep and bright as ever.

A month and a half after Jinhan City received the news of Nanbang's retreat, He Su covered her mouth and cried with joy.

"Your father must have been seriously injured again. Every time he was injured, he would emphasize that he was fine. Little did he know that seeing him say this over the years, my heart was in ache. He was on the front lines, and he was afraid that our family would worry about him."

"Mother, when will father come back?" Lin Qingyao's belly was much bigger than before, and she was now only willing to sit and not stand up.

"An Cai and the Bai family kid are already on their way home. Your father and Lin Feng still have some wartime matters to deal with, so they'll be back soon. They specifically told you to take good care of your pregnancy and not to worry."

He Su closed the letter in her hand and returned to Lin Qingyao and said that Lin Qingyi had been standing beside her mother He Su obediently and sensibly today and had not gone out to have fun.

"That's good. I'm just lazing around here every day taking care of my baby. Why should I worry about them?"

Lin Qingyao also breathed a sigh of relief, and looked at her eldest son Zheng Xushen who was playing with Lin Zhichuan in the yard outside, and smiled knowingly.

"Huan'er sent someone to say early in the morning that she would return home today. She has been almost sick of being cooped up for the past month. Why hasn't she come back yet?" He Su looked outside again and said curiously.

"I'll go to the door and check what's going on." Lin Qingyi volunteered.

"Go ahead. Now when you walk with Fifth Sister, you can't drag her like before. She is pregnant." He Su chased to the door and shouted at Lin Qingyi's happy back.

"Mother, I understand." Lin Qingyi's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor outside.

"She's just like the monkeys on the hillside ten miles outside Yinan City every day. How could I have such a daughter?" He Su cursed as he returned to the seat of honor in the main hall.

"Speaking of Yi'er, I'd like to ask what mother thinks of that poor boy Li Duo?"

Lin Qingyao remembered that a few days ago, Lin Yuzhi came back and mentioned to He Su and others that Li Duo was also interested in her crazy sister, but he always felt that she came from a poor family and did not dare to propose marriage.

"Li Duo is a unique child, very ambitious. Although he comes from a poor family, he has a promising future. I'm quite happy that he's interested in your silly sister. He's also good friends with Yu Zhi, which shows that his character and personality are all good. When your father comes back, we'll put this matter on the agenda. We should put this silly girl first before Yu Ancai. After all, she's already nineteen years old."

When He Su mentioned the civil servant, a relieved smile appeared on her face again. She knew what kind of personality her daughter had. She was not at all gentle and virtuous. Li Duo's background was not good, and it would be difficult to control him in the future. She would not let her own daughter suffer any grievances. If she had known earlier, she should have let Lin Qingyi stay in the academy for a few more years, instead of letting her become a wild boy now.

"I see that Yier no longer resists when Lord Li, who is good at reading, is mentioned. This shows that she can accept it in her heart. It seems that there will be another happy event in our house in the spring, maybe even a double happiness." Lin Qingyao smiled slightly, then looked towards the door again.

When Lin Qingyi arrived at the gate of the mansion, she found Hong Qi already waiting handsomely next to the stone lion beside the door. The five or six servants guarding the gate saw Lin Qingyi rushing out and stood at their respective posts with their hands down and heads lowered.

"Has Huan'er not arrived yet? Is the Xiao Mansion so far from ours?" Lin Qingyi asked.

When Hong Qi saw her coming, he stood up and stopped leaning.

"Girl, you haven't come back yet."

"I saw Mother Huang busying herself early in the morning. I wonder if Huan'er is still vomiting. Qiannan told me a few days ago that he was vomiting a lot and had lost a lot of weight. Oh, my little Huan'er must have become so thin." Lin Qingyi said with a sullen face and rubbing her hands.

"Miss, warm woman."

Biyun, the personal maid who grew up with him, finally caught up with him with the warm woman. It was difficult for a weak woman like her to serve such a master, and now she was running faster than an ordinary person.

"Give it to me, give it to me. It's really cold and my hands are freezing." Lin Qingyi hurriedly took the warmer and held it tightly in her hands.

Lin Qingru also ran out with the sound of bells ringing, still the same sound as when she was a child.

"Little Pig has also come out to pick up your fifth sister." Lin Qingyi looked at the little sister with a bright smile on her face.

"Why hasn't Sister Huan'er come back yet?" Lin Qingru asked in a soft and coquettish voice, looking into the distance.

"Here they come..." The shrill voice of the maidservant came from a distance, and then the majestic red-tiled mahogany four-horse carriage of the Xiao Mansion was seen swaying towards them.

The carriage curtain was opened by a maid, and those who came down in turn were Xiao Qiannan, the legitimate daughter of the Xiao family, Liu Xi, the female doctor, and Lin Qinghuan, the most precious person now.