A life of ups and downs is pure joy

Ning Junze had lived in the Sheng Mansion for almost two months, and as the New Year was approaching, he packed up and returned to Kyoto. His eldest brother Lin Yuzhi made an appointment with him to bring his brothers and sisters from the Lin family back to the Kyoto Mansion to live for a while in the summer.

Last year's New Year's Eve was a mess. Because I was not feeling well, I went back to the garden to rest after the New Year's Eve dinner. I felt that by the time Lin Qinghuan came to his senses, the New Year had already passed, so he missed the lantern festival and the release of river lanterns.

Chuxia said that at least she had a reunion dinner with everyone and received some lucky money. This year, she was counting the days and judging by her health, she should be able to join in the fun.

After the spring, the Medical Sage will come to see the special patient of the Lin family. It is said that he also met a strange patient in the Great Yan Kingdom, and he brought the patient back to life with his miraculous hands. Lin Qinghuan asked Lin Mo if the medical fees would be increased when he came back this time.

Lin Mo stared at her for a long time without understanding what she meant. It seemed that in this era, there was no such thing as fame leading to an increase in one's worth. That was good, as it would save some money for Lin Qinghuan's father, the Grand Marshal of the Army.

It was my first time to visit Shi’an Garden. It was really different from other courtyards. In the middle of the courtyard was a huge martial arts training platform, with two rows of weapons, wooden dummies, and a huge percussion drum placed next to it.

The scenery in the courtyard is quite elegant, without any messy pavilions and gardens. The main feature is its spaciousness, where one can practice martial arts by lifting legs and kicking arms. The whole courtyard is very large, probably twice the size of Lin Qinghuan's courtyard. I heard Lin Qingyi say before that her father stayed in this courtyard all year round to practice martial arts. After all, Aunt He was also born into a family of iron ladies.

Chang Xinrui and Lin Qingwan lived in Jialan Garden, separated from Shi'an Garden by a high wall and a long corridor. Sure enough, even from Shi'an Garden, one could hear the various musical instruments from Jialan Garden. Further west was the courtyard where two other concubines lived. They seemed to have been serving Lin Mutang since they were very young, but they were rarely seen.

"Miss, this is my first time in Aunt He's yard. I wonder what it looks like here." Li Xue looked left and right, as curious as a playful kitten.

"My body was too fragile before, causing you and Chuxia to stay with me in Lingzhu Garden day and night, like being imprisoned." Lin Qinghuan sighed.

"Of course not. I could stay with you in the yard for the rest of my life without a single complaint." Li Xue held Lin Qinghuan's arm and said obediently.

She glanced at the skinny little monkey who was half a head shorter than her and said with a smile, "So you won't get married? You'll be an old maid for the rest of your life."

"Then from now on, wherever the young lady gets married, sister Chuxia and I will follow her."

"I won't get married. I will just live in the Lin Mansion all my life and wait for death." In the Lin Mansion, she is a noble eldest daughter, and is the apple of everyone's eye. Why should she get married?

"Look how majestic this sword is." Lin Qinghuan touched the weapon standing there.

"Qinghuan." Lin Qingyi pushed open the door of her boudoir with a bang, ran towards Lin Qinghuan and hugged her.

"Why did you come here so early in the morning? My yard is quite some distance away from yours." After letting go of Lin Qinghuan, she said excitedly.

"I've been feeling quite energetic these past few days, and I've been meaning to come visit you and Aunt He. It's a good idea to come early, so I took a walk here with my lunchbox." Lin Qinghuan took a piece of yam cake from the lunch box and handed it to her. "Try it and see how the new cook in my courtyard cooks."

"It smells pretty good, hmm, yam and coconut, right?" She took a big bite, chewed it, savored it for a while and said.

"Sister Qingyi, why don't you become a gourmet? You will definitely be good at it." Lin Qinghuan said as he wiped the coconut flakes from the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief.

"What is that? By the way, father and mother are still sleeping. Let's go back to my room." As soon as the words fell, the door of Aunt He's room was pushed open.

"Huh? Huan'er, hey, General, look who is in the yard." Aunt He looked at Lin Qinghuan with surprise, then turned around and shouted to Lin Muchang who was still being helped to put on his clothes.

"Hahahaha, Xiao Huan'er is healthy now and strolls around the mansion every day." Lin Mutang spoke inside with full energy and a loud voice, worthy of being a general who has experienced hundreds of battles.

I came here early in the morning just to get a free breakfast and save some money for Lingzhuyuan. After all, there is a freeloader named Lin Ancai, who is probably sitting there alone eating the crab roe porridge made by Huang Mama and the blood bird's nest stewed pear made by Lin Qinghuan.

"Qinghuan, try this bamboo shoot. It's picked from the bamboo forest in the back mountain and pickled. It's sour, crisp and very appetizing." Lin Qingyi picked up a large piece of bamboo shoot with chopsticks and put it on Lin Qinghuan's plate.

"Hmm, crisp and refreshing. This is the first time I've eaten bamboo shoots with this taste. I have a large bamboo grove in my yard, but I never see any bamboo shoots." Lin Qinghuan has always wanted to wait until new bamboo shoots emerge before picking them to make a dish of venison and bamboo shoots. Just thinking about it makes him think it's delicious.

"If there are bamboo shoots, I'll break off several and take them back to the yard." Lin Qingyi said while drinking porridge.

"I just said that I remembered there were a few bamboo shoots growing, but they disappeared overnight. I asked around in the yard but couldn't find any. After all this time, you picked them off." Lin Qinghuan said there were no bamboo shoots, but Chuxia insisted that there were none. After all this time, Lin Qingyi picked them off and took them back.

"Hahahaha, when spring comes, I'll take you to the back mountain to dig the freshest bamboo shoots. Daddy's favorite is venison and bamboo shoots slices." Lin Qingyi said.

"Huh?" Lin Qinghuan looked at Lin Muchang in surprise. It turned out that he also liked this.

"The greedy cat has found the source." Aunt He said with a smile.

She and Lin Mutang smiled at each other, no further words needed.

"By the way, Qinghuan, you have to control your eating. Second sister said that you had a fever due to indigestion in the past few days." Lin Qingyi did not allow Lin Qinghuan to have a second bowl of soup.

"When did Huan'er have a fever again? Why didn't I hear about it?" Lin Mudang put down his chopsticks and touched Lin Qinghuan's forehead with his hand.

"It's okay, I've recovered a long time ago. It must be because I ate too much when I went to Aunt Xue's courtyard that day." Lin Qinghuan thought about it and felt uncomfortable because of the indigestion in the past few days, so he put down his bowl and chopsticks.

"Sister Feng's cooking skills have always been very good, and Yier always says that the cakes made by her mother are not as delicious as those made by Aunt Xue." He Su said.

"But the most amazing thing about Madam He is her kung fu skills. She is known as the Iron Lady." Lin Qinghuan looked at her with eyes full of admiration.

"Hahaha, I haven't heard the title of Iron Lady for a long time. Huan'er, how did you know it?" He Su looked at Lin Qinghuan with a smile in the corners of his eyes.

"It was my fourth brother who told them. He also told the story of how Empress He broke into the enemy camp on horseback and burned the food supplies." When Ning Junze told them this, Lin Qinghuan found it really hard to associate this incident with the woman in front of her whose eyes were full of tenderness.

"I remember Susu was only in her early twenties that year?" Lin Mutang smiled calmly, and the past came to his mind.

"General, time flies."

Seeing the two people in front of them looking at each other and smiling knowingly, Lin Qinghuan and Lin Qingyi also found an excuse to go to the yard to play, leaving the two of them with the free space to be alone and reminisce about the past.

"Sister Yi, I always heard that you like to wield swords and guns, but I've only seen you spar with Fourth Brother once. Why don't you let me see your skills again?" Lin Qinghuan sat on the steps of the martial arts training platform, looking at the dazzling array of weapons, curious about how to use these magical objects.

"Come, let me play for you."

Lin Qingyi jumped lightly onto the stage and casually picked up a slender reed-leaf spear. She stood on the ground with her right leg alone, her left toe perpendicular to the ground, her thigh raised to waist height, her right hand bent a quarter of the spear shaft, the reed-leaf spear leaned diagonally against her left shoulder, her body straight. Just one opening movement revealed a solid foundation of skills. Then, Lin Qingyi's light body and smooth and flowing set of fancy spear techniques were vividly displayed in front of Lin Qinghuan.

"Sister Yi, you are so awesome." As she and Chu Xia shouted, Lin Qingyi demonstrated the long sword, short knife, and her father's favorite long stick techniques respectively, which made her admire this unique girl more and more.

Biyun handed Lin Qingyi a handkerchief to wipe her sweat. She wiped it gently a few times and put it on the wooden tray. Then she sat next to Lin Qinghuan, blinked her bright eyes a few times, looked at Lin Qinghuan and asked, "How is it, have you learned it?" She chuckled at the speechless expression of her sick sister.

"Sister Yi, I'm afraid I will never be able to learn the first move you started with in my lifetime." Lin Qinghuan thought for a moment, looked at Lin Qingyi with resentment and said.

"With your small body, it's best for you to be a weak girl." He looked at her smugly after saying that.

When the two were chatting happily, they saw their father's deputy general hurriedly asking for a meeting outside the courtyard gate. The maid who reported the matter ran to Aunt He's room. After a while, Lin Mutang and He Su hurried out of the courtyard gate.

"What happened?" Lin Qinghuan asked Lin Qingyi with a confused look on his face.

"Something big must have happened in the military camp, otherwise Lieutenant General Li wouldn't have come to the inner courtyard to find my father in person. If it wasn't inappropriate, I think he would have gone into the courtyard himself." Lin Qingyi reasoned and guessed.

In the afternoon, I heard that Lin Mutang and He Su had reorganized themselves and then set off for Yinan. It must be that the Nanbang Kingdom was ready to make a move again.

"Sister Mo, why is the Nanbang Kingdom always confronting us?" Lin Qinghuan thought of the assassin two years ago and still gets awakened by nightmares.

"The people of Nanbang are a barbaric nation that values the use of force. They always have their eyes fixed on Yinan County. If it weren't for my second uncle and father guarding Yinan, the local people would have been devastated and driven to a life of displacement."

Lin Mo also gritted his teeth when he spoke of Nanbang Kingdom.

"Yinan is not a good place for elder sister to marry into!" Lin Qinghuan said anxiously.

"Don't worry, Huan'er. Big sister is the princess. No one can hurt her. Besides, your second uncle is in Yinan. Now your father is gone too. Don't worry." Lin Mo comforted her while pounding the medicine.

After listening to Lin Mo, she felt relieved. "That's good, that's good."

"By the way, Huan'er, I have something I want to ask you about the reason why Concubine Xue had a miscarriage in her early years."

"Hmm? You mean that time in the early years?"

"Yes, do you know the specific reason?" Lin Mo stopped what he was doing and asked her.

"I heard it was caused by fatigue. What's wrong, Sister Mo? Is Aunt Xue's health not good again?" She looked at Lin Mo puzzledly and asked.

"Huan'er, Aunt Xue's body is seriously damaged. It's not caused by that mouthful of Buddha Leaf Grass." Lin Mo looked at her seriously and said.

"The damage was severe. Do you suspect the first slip wasn't due to fatigue?"

"Well, miscarriage due to overwork is not caused by deficiency of Qi and blood. I suspect it is caused by taking or wearing something for a long time. In addition, Aunt Xue gave birth to Qingru and Zhichuan with such a broken body. It is really very damaging to her foundation." Lin Qinghuan felt that there was something else in Lin Mo's words.

"Sister Mo, isn't your condition good? Doesn't Aunt Xue drink nourishing soup every day?" She looked at Lin Mo anxiously, having a bad premonition.

"Huan'er, I tried my best. Aunt Xue has always prevented me from telling you." Lin Mo lowered his eyes, frowning sadly. "It's all because of my limited medical skills. If only my master were still alive, it would be great. Now there is only one person in the world who can save Aunt Xue."

There was a lot of noise in Chenxiang Garden. Lin Zhichuan chased Lin Qingru with an innocent smile. Xue Feng sat beside her and looked at her two children with a smile, coughing from time to time. Mother Zhang looked at her worriedly from the side.

"Hey, Huan'er, when did you come?" Lin Qinghuan stood there looking at her, feeling very uncomfortable. It was not until she saw him that Lin Qinghuan realized that he had been standing there in a daze for a long time.

"Sister Huan, are you missing Ru'er and Zhichuan?" Lin Qingru ran over happily, with little Zhichuan stumbling after her.

"Let me see if Zhichuan is heavier?" Lin Qinghuan gently picked up the cute little kid and touched Lin Qingru's head.

"Sister Huan, Zhichuan has learned to call you sister today. Zhichuan, call her out quickly." Lin Qingru now acted like a sister, teasing Lin Zhichuan gently.

"Sister~" Lin Zhichuan called out in a baby voice, and then gently kissed Lin Qinghuan on the face.

Mother Zhang came over and took Lin Zhichuan away. Xue Feng was sitting on a rattan chair and waved to her. Lin Qinghuan walked over quickly.

She pulled Lin Qinghuan and asked softly, "Huan'er, come and sit down. Let Aunt Xue take a look at you."

Lin Qinghuan sat next to her and looked at her pale face. Tears of sadness streamed down her face. "Aunt Xue, why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell Dad?"

"Huan'er, what's wrong? Aunt Xue is fine." Xue Feng started crying when she saw Lin Qinghuan, and she didn't know what had happened for a while.

"Aunt Xue, your health is like this now. How long are you going to hide it from Huan'er?" Lin Qinghuan hugged her and started crying.

Xue Feng knew that Lin Mo had finally told Lin Qinghuan. She didn't say anything, but just patted Lin Qinghuan gently. After the child calmed down, she wiped Lin Qinghuan's tears and spoke.

"Good boy, you are getting better and better now, and Aunt Xue has nothing to worry about. If Aunt Xue is gone in the future, you should take good care of Ru'er and Zhichuan, especially Zhichuan, because he doesn't know anything yet." She looked at Lin Qinghuan and said calmly.

"Aunt Xue, I don't care. I won't let anything happen to you. Sister Mo said that Doctor Bu can save you." Lin Qinghuan wiped her tears, held her hand, and said affirmatively.

"Good boy, don't cry. Life and death are determined by fate. If you are lucky enough to be cured by the Divine Doctor, it is fate. If not, it is also my fate. Now, as long as you four brothers and sisters are well, Aunt Xue has nothing to be unwilling about." I don't know why Xue Feng has such a clear understanding of life and death.

"Aunt Xue, you used to take care of Huan'er, but from now on, Huan'er will take care of you. In Huan'er's heart, you are like her biological mother."

Lin Qinghuan hugged Xue Feng and said firmly. She looked at Qingru and Zhichuan who were feeding fish in the distance. They had happy smiles and looked so carefree. She was sure in her heart that no matter what, she would never let them be like her and Ancai, without a biological mother. Xue Feng gently touched her hair.

Suddenly a picture flashed through Lin Qinghuan's mind. She used to lie on Xue Feng's knees like this. Xue Feng gently massaged her scalp with a comb. Lin Qinghuan fell asleep comfortably on her legs. The scene appeared in her mind very realistically, as if she had experienced it herself.