Everyone loves Huo Qubing

Chen Zhang closed the coffin, immersed in grief; after careful consideration, he seemed to have made up his mind.When he spoke again, he lowered his voice, his facial expression trying to express his sincerity, but I still read the flicker in his eyes.

"Qu Bing, Daddy only has your son now." He said, "Come home with Daddy."

go home?Resting my toes on the ashtray irritably, I lowered my head not to look at him.I haven't seen each other for more than six years. The sudden meeting is a series of twists and turns. This span is a bit big for me, as if I am enjoying a drama that is being staged on myself.

The soft-spoken person in front of me who affectionately calls himself "Daddy" is too unfamiliar to me.Every time I corresponded with my mother, except for the ghostwriting because my mother couldn't write, I never left a single word about him.As for the "home" in Taiyuan, when I left the Chen family privately, I wrote to them that I would go back to live in Pingyang Mansion. During the time I stayed in Pingyang Mansion with my uncle, no one came to find me.

For the Chen family, the departure of my illegitimate child is nothing more than a lack of rations, a burden, and even a topic for gossip in the village.For me, they took away my mother and distributed all her love and care to those Chen family members who have no blood relationship with her.

Maybe Chen Zhang, one of the parents, is a busy person, and he can't think of me as a stepson on weekdays; now that Chen Xuan is dead, and the heir has a problem, so he thinks it's worth recognizing me as a son-in-law and going home to inherit the incense?Did the relatives of the Chen family agree?

"How about going back to Taiyuan with Dad?" Seeing that I didn't answer, Chen Zhang asked again.

"No, I don't want to go with you." I raised my head and met his gaze.

"Isn't it good to go home?" Chen Zhang said as he walked towards me, "Wandering in the capital is always not an option."

"I'm not your son." I stared at him warily.

"Why? Of course you are my son." He smiled unnaturally while reaching out his hand.

"My surname is not Chen." Instinctive hostility made me take a few steps back, ignoring the ashes that were trampled on the ground, I quickly turned around and walked outside the house.

"Hey, kid!" Chen Zhang's sharp words came from behind, "You have lived in the Wei Mansion for so many years, is your surname Wei?"

A momentary stabbing pain, like a light on the back.I rushed out like crazy.

"What's the matter?" When he looked up, he bumped into a man in light armor and riding boots.The second uncle stepped into the courtyard quickly, "I rushed back as soon as I received the news. How are you, are you okay?"

I shook my head and grabbed my second uncle's arm tightly.I'm very bad, I don't want to lie again this time - pretending to be strong or something, once brought back to Taiyuan, it will be useless again.

"It's okay, my uncle is here." The other party held me in his arms without hesitation.

Chen Zhang stepped out of the shadow of the room, and met the eyes of the second uncle.There was no verbal communication between the two, but when I raised my head, I felt swords, lights and swords flying over my head.

"Qu Bing is still young, and he won't be able to accept this kind of thing for a while, so don't threaten him." The second uncle dropped these words and led me back to the front yard.I held his hand tightly all the way.

***

It was getting dark, and after being dismissed, my sister sat in the kitchen eating snacks.At the age of five, she didn't feel much sorrow for Chen Xuan's death. She sat on the desk and kicked her calves back and forth, and the debris fell on her beige filial piety.

I chewed ice cubes, leaned against the door, and listened to the movement in the yard.

"The burial will have to wait until tomorrow at the latest," said the uncle's voice, "what about going to bed tonight?"

"You guys should stay in the guest room tonight, Buguang's couch happens to be empty." Da Jinniang suggested.

"Qubing stays with me, I'll sleep on the floor." The second uncle added.

"No, just let him sleep on his own couch, meet after a long time, and let their family get closer." The uncle said.

Uncle's voice fell, and the front yard fell into a brief silence.The "crash" sound of the servants pouring ice cubes came from the inner hall, and I looked at the guards standing at the door with my hair standing on end, and seriously considered whether I should sneak out now and spend the night in the inn.

"Forget it, I'll make the floor." The second uncle's words sounded like life-saving straws to me, "That's it."

***

Looking out of the window from me, the candles in the inner hall burn all night long.

There was a cool autumn air on the ground. The second uncle spread out the bedding and lay down with his clothes on. The moonlight shined on his straight nose, and half of his face was hidden in the shadows.

I sat up and leaned against the side of the couch, staring blankly at the sleeping person.

I have lived in Weifu for more than six years. Is my surname Wei?Chen Zhang may be right, but it doesn't mean that I have to follow a man who has never fulfilled his duties as a "father" for six years, and return to the blood-related Chen family that left me with dark memories.

In fact, not only is my surname not Wei, but the father's surname of the two people living in this small wing of Wei Mansion is not Wei.Since my second uncle could refuse the surname Zheng and change to my grandfather's surname, now I should also have the right to refuse the surname Chen—or even the right to refuse the surname Huo.

Looking up to see the lonely moonlight, take a deep breath, then lower your head, and meet a pair of water-like black eyes.

"Can't sleep?" The second uncle said softly, "Are you not used to it?"

I shook my head, I'm not young anymore, I won't recognize the bed anymore.

"Is it cold?" The second uncle got up and put the cloak on me.

I pulled him to sit beside me, buried my face into his broad chest, and listened to the strong heartbeat.His firm arms gently wrapped around my back, giving me the courage to ask questions.

"Uncle, did you ever regret leaving the Zheng family?" I asked.

The second uncle's smile passed through my chest and into my eardrums.

"No regrets." He said firmly.

"Why?" I raised my head, and those black eyes shone directly into my heart like shining stars.

"Because the Zheng family doesn't need me." The smile stretched out, and he stroked the hair on the back of my head with his big hand, "In a place that doesn't need you, you will never be able to realize your value."

***

When I woke up again, it was already high in the sun.

After I finished rubbing my sleepy eyes and looked around, I realized that I was in the second uncle's wing.Next to the desk, my change of clothes and toiletries are neatly placed there.

Last night, my second uncle couldn't hold back me, so I had to let me carry all the quilts on the floor to the couch, and squeeze a single couch with me.The last time I fell asleep like this was on a spring night half a year ago, when I tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep, this time I almost fell asleep when I almost touched the pillow.

The cold water slapped on my face, and I woke up a lot.It's been a long time since I slept so soundly, and it was dawn.

There was a smell of burning ashes in the front yard, and someone could be heard talking faintly.The servant who came to pack the bedding told me that my mother was not at home, and that she and my aunt went out to buy funeral supplies.

"Look, brother," Chen Yan ran out of my room still wearing the filial piety dress from yesterday.She spread her palms, "This is so beautiful, can you give it to me?"

I stared at the deer she was holding.It was a kneeling stag, with golden antlers bursting with magnificent and intricate branches like coral.If I remember correctly, the words "Weiyang internal system" are printed on the base of the deer.

"This one doesn't work, you can take something else."

"So, what about this?" She spread her other hand.

I held up Black Bear Town and looked it up against the sunlight, but Bear Town didn't indicate the source.

"This belongs to the eldest princess. You can't take it away. You can put it back after playing for a while, okay?" I put Xiong Zhen back into Chen Yan's palm.

"I see." Chen Yan raised her head, as if in a daze, "So these are my brother's valuables."

I scratched my head and explained: "Not necessarily, except for these two, you can choose the others."

As soon as the words fell, there was a commotion in the front yard, accompanied by the neighing of horses and hurried footsteps.

"Your Majesty, a white-haired man is sending a black-haired man. It is understandable that Mr. Chen panicked for such a big change." The second uncle was obviously defending Chen Zhang.

"But Zhongqing, this person is so courageous, he dared to leave his post without authorization." The emperor dressed as Pingyanghou was still furious, "Is it tolerable or unbearable?"

"Your Majesty," said the second uncle, "Master Chen is Qu Bing's stepfather after all, I beg Your Majesty to show mercy."

Listening to them talking about me, I couldn't help poking my head out of curiosity.

"I know I'm wrong, please forgive me!" Chen Zhang knelt at the emperor's feet and trembled, his voice and tone were completely different from yesterday.

I can't help but smile.

The Son of Heaven sighed, and asked instead: "Is my nephew agreeing to go back to Taiyuan?"

The second uncle raised his eyes and saw me hiding behind the wall, and I hurriedly shook my head and waved my hands desperately.

"Go back to Your Majesty, Qu Bing himself doesn't want to go back to Taiyuan." The second uncle said.

"Then, let me think about it again." The emperor pondered.

The courtyard fell into silence for a while, except for the chirping of autumn cicadas.

"Once upon a time, a deer met a black bear, and the black bear said, I want to eat you, ahh." My sister walked up to me with a new toy, and opened her mouth to bite.

"There is no follow-up?" I said happily, the little girl is quite good at making up stories.

"Well, no." She answered very simply and loudly, enough to attract everyone's attention—especially the eyes of the emperor, as if seeing a rare treasure.

***

When walking quickly, the belt fluttered, and the silk hem stirred up a gust of wind.The emperor snatched Heixiong Town from his sister with his hands, and looked up and down.

"Zhongqing, quickly show me your half." He waved at the second uncle.

"Ah? Oh." The second uncle groped through the lapel for a while, and found half a bear.The Son of Heaven snatched it away, and with a click, the two halves merged into one.

Facing the light, I saw five petty seal characters - "Qimen Xiaoqiying Camp".

"Little girl, where did you find this?" The emperor leaned over and glared at his sister.

Before I could react, my sister pointed at me: "I took it from my brother's bedroom."

As soon as I finished speaking, I watched my sister dumbfounded as she took out several stone rings from the folds of her filial piety robe, together with the gold-plated deer ring in her hand, and put them all at the emperor's feet.

"And these are all brother's." She left herself completely.

I couldn't help but sigh with my forehead, although I told my sister that I can choose whatever I want, but it only takes a while, is she going to take all my family fortune away!

"It's true that there is no place to find after breaking through the iron shoes, and it doesn't take much effort to get it!" The emperor was overjoyed when he saw the pile of stone carvings, he laughed and patted me on the head and shoulders, "I turned the capital city upside down before. It was just to snatch the tiger talisman from Prime Minister He Tian. But I never thought that the tiger talisman would be taken by my nephew to press the tent."

Hearing this, I, who was in a panic avoiding the attack, couldn't help being stunned.This thing that looks like a copper town is actually a tiger charm?Tiger Talisman Tiger Talisman, as the name suggests, looks like a tiger.

"This matter was due to my negligence, and I deserve death." The second uncle silently rescued me from the emperor's clutches.

"Children, those who don't know are not guilty, haha." The emperor tossed the two-in-one black bear in his hand up and down, looked down at my second uncle and me with a very happy mood, "Zhongqing, you and Qubing, the two of you Secretly put together this tiger talisman in the mansion, and you can force the palace with me."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked, and the second uncle's brows immediately cast several shadows.

"Your Majesty, this is a coincidence, and it all depends on your majesty's discernment. I will be punished by your majesty for my negligence. I only ask your majesty to understand, and I have no second thoughts." As he said this, he straightened up, like an eagle guarding a chick. It seemed that my sister and I were blocked behind.

The Son of Heaven sneered: "I am happy today, just to make a joke, why should Zhongqing be so nervous."

The second uncle frowned: "Your Majesty, there are certain things that cannot be said indiscriminately."

The emperor sighed, and carefully put the pair of tiger charms into his arms.

"Let's get back on your feet," he signaled, "I'm in a humble state on this trip because I heard that something happened in Zhongqing's house, so I came here to see it. With such unexpected gains, how could I blame Zhongqing?"

The second uncle stared at the tiger talisman in the emperor's hand, opened his mouth, but said nothing.The melancholy gradually faded away from his eyes, he led my sister and me to stand up, gently cupped his hands and replied: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding."

The Son of Heaven also felt the subtle change in attitude of the second uncle, and his eyes kept wandering back and forth on the three of us.

"Since my nephew found the Tiger Talisman for me, let's count the merits and demerits of the Chen family as equal." After a while, he turned to the eunuch accompanying him and said, "I passed on my commandment, 'Chen Zhang will be transferred back to Beijing from now on, and someone from Taiyuan will be dispatched as soon as possible. Prime Minister Tian decides the candidate.'"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness." The second uncle finally had some joy on his face.

"As for Chen Aiqing, you—" the emperor caught a glimpse of his stepfather who was still kneeling and trembling on the ground, and paced back and forth thinking for a while, "Well, now that the Wei family is spreading branches and leaves in the capital, it is also in need of manpower. Taiyuan Chen Aiqing can't control it , a Wei family can always take care of it, right?"

Chen Zhang kowtowed desperately: "Thank you Your Majesty for not killing, the guilty minister will surely go through fire and water, and he will not hesitate to do so."

***

After Chen Xuan's funeral was over, Niangqin and Chen Zhang stayed in Wei Mansion for a while longer, until Zhan Shi Mansion in Maoling Town was finally arranged.

"Qu Bing, think about Mother's suggestion again, you are Mother's child after all." Before leaving, Mother looked at me sadly.

"Son, don't try to persuade me." Chen Zhang carried his sister into the carriage, turned around and said to his mother, "It's not that we have to recognize this kid. Even if we can't have children, the Chen family doesn't have nephews who can be adopted. "

"But, Qu Bing is my son, I recognize him." Mother said sadly.

"Forget it, let's go." Chen Zhang sighed and took the reins of the horse.

"Goodbye, brother!" My sister poked her head out of the window.

"Goodbye, sister. Take care, mother." The wheels were rolling, and I waved, "Now that we live closer, I will visit you often."