Chapter 126: Twists and Turns
The decision for Qingyan and Jindou to go with Qiu Henian was now set.
Qingyan felt much relieved all of a sudden. As long as the family was together, there was nothing to fear. He discussed this matter with Aunt Li and others. After all, if he left, Fragrant Melody Pavilion would definitely be affected.
But they all understood; it was an unavoidable decision. No one wanted to give up the shop they had worked so hard to build.
Fortunately, Qingyan never kept things to himself. He explained the procedures clearly. However, the selection and procurement of goods would require more effort from Qiuniang and Shen Min.
San Yao almost ended up on the conscription list, but because he cultivated a lot of fields last year, the court encouraged farmers to farm, and he was exempt from military service.
The war never started. As Qingyan had expected, the abducted people were returned by the Wild Wolves, and the court compensated the border herdsmen for their losses.
However, the Forbidden Army stationed at Fengyu Pass did not withdraw, and there was no sign of easing the conscription.
Qiu Henian said that the court deliberately took this opportunity to expand the military strength of Fengyu Pass to permanently deter the Wild Wolves in the northern border.
Qingyan no longer harbored any illusions and began to pack things to take away. He fed Xiaozao fat and strong in preparation for the upcoming long journey.
Seeing that the war was not going to happen, the people of the county became jubilant, sweeping away the oppressive and anxious atmosphere, and the streets became more crowded.
As for the conscription, as long as there was no war, apart from the wealthy who were not worried about food and drink, ordinary families were willing to send their children into the army to find a way out.
Just as the couple had almost finished arranging everything at home, there was a sudden turn of events. Another letter arrived from Fengyu Pass.
The letter was still sent by Lao Huang. He said that he had begged his superiors, and considering Qiu Henian’s many years of service in the Forbidden Army and his military merits, and now having a wife and children, they had removed his name from the conscription list.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Qingyan knew that if the war had broken out, there would have been no easing of the situation.
The couple put all the packed-up things back. No one felt it was troublesome; they just felt fortunate.
Sure enough, a few days after the letter arrived, the county announced the conscription list, and Qiu Henian’s name was not on it.
…
After all this hustle and bustle, one or two months passed.
After March, the weather gradually warmed up. Whether there was a war or not, the land had to continue to be cultivated.
A few days ago, when they said they were going to fight, they sold a lot of food. Now they didn’t fight, and the villagers who bought more don’t want to send them back. They bought them back at the original price, and there was no complaint.
Of course, these people were few.
Others knew that San Yao was a very fair person, and when they met him, they were polite.
San Yao didn’t care about these trivial matters. This year, more land was sold for conscription, and he put more energy into it.
He let his second brother help him counsel, and the two of them have been in the field for two days. They have chosen dozens of acres of land either renting or buying it.
This year, the scale of the land has expanded a lot, and there are more hired workers plowing during the spring. When he was especially busy, Qiuniang cooked dinner in the morning, pushed the cart to deliver lunch every day, and went to the store in the afternoon, also busy with work.
In mid-April, Jindou became six months old.
After half a year, the child had changed a lot, and turning over was no longer a problem, and he could sit and crawl.
Qingyan took him to the shop every day. When he was busy, he put him on the mat to play by himself.
He sar on the mat and bit the toys in his hand while calling the passing guests “Ah, Ah.”
He was extremely white, like a doll made of ice and snow. When he smiled, he giggled. Everyone wanted to tease him.
Some old ladies did not buy things and just wanted to see Jindou every day and play with him for a while. If Qingyan didn’t bring his child that day, they would feel very disappointed and feel that the day was meaningless.
After half a year, Jindou didn’t wake up so often at night, just feeding milk in the middle of the night and changing diapers.
Qiu Henian got up to feed him every night. After feeding him, he went to bed, saving a lot of worries for Qingyan, allowing him to sleep all night.
Feeling good, his whole person became spirited.
Qingyan’s month’s recovery went well, and now he felt even better.
The jade pestle also took long enough and was collected. This stuff didn’t waste effort. It took longer to use in the first year, but every year thereafter, it can be worn once a month.
Day after day, Qingyan has also changed somewhat, but others may not necessarily notice.
But the person who shares the bed with him every night naturally knew it.
Qingyan had fully recovered physically, and they no longer needed to be discreet about their nighttime activities.
With the child sleeping longer, Jindou went to bed early every day, leaving them plenty of time. For two consecutive nights, the couple finished their chores and had nothing to do. They spent time together reading and talking, interspersed with intimate moments every one or two days.
Previously, Qiu Henian often had Qingyan hold his bent legs and lie on his back during their activities in bed, and Qingyan could see what he wanted with lowered eyes.
Now there was a noticeable change. Qiu Henian preferred to approach from behind. At that time, he would always torment the soft flesh into various shapes.
Qingyan always blamed him afterwards for pinching him too hard.
Once, after everything was done, Qingyan knelt on the bed and glanced back, complaining, “Why do I seem to see your handprint?”
Qiu Henian’s gaze darkened as he also looked there.
Qingyan himself didn’t know that his body’s contours had been gradually changing over these months. His buttocks were fuller, making his waist appear slimmer, and the two hip indentations became more pronounced.
Qiu Henian focused his gaze, his voice deep, saying, “Let me take a look.”
Saying this, he leaned over. Qingyan thought he was going to rub himself, so he obediently waited.
Unexpectedly, what he got was a hot breath and an itch and pain from being bitten on the top.
Qingyan didn’t want to continue and was about to cry.
The man quickly put him on his thighs, held him in his arms, and comforted him for a long time.
The next day, Qingyan laboriously looked at himself in the bronze mirror and found not only clear fingerprints but also a bite mark.
…
Children often played together if they had children. After Jindou turned six months old, he could sit and respond vaguely to adults. Other children from other families came to their home more often.
After dinner, when there was nothing to do, Qi Yinglan often held Zhuangzhuang to play together.
Chen Yu occasionally came over.
However, he complained that Jindou was fairer than Jiuliang of his family. The number of times he came was not many.
Once he came, the two children looked at each other and said “Ah Ah”, not knowing what each other was talking about.
As they chatted, Jiuliang reached out and snatched the cotton doll from Jindou’s hand.
Jindou “Ah Ah-ed” twice. His eyes widened, and he was so angry that his saliva turned into a silver thread, hanging on his chest. When he grabbed it, the action was so fast that people couldn’t react, and he snatched the doll back again.
Little Jiulang cried with a “wow.”
He had already started to speak, and reached out to Chen Yu, who was drinking tea on the side, crying incessantly, “Dad, dad…”
Chen Yu had long seen through this, and glared at him unhappily, saying, “What a troublemaker!”
Then he went over and picked up the child, saying, “Let’s go home.” and left unhappily.
Qingyan smiled helplessly and went to pick up Jindou. Jindou held the cotton doll in his hand and “Ah Ah” which seemed to be telling on him.
Qingyan touched the child’s head and whispered in his ear, “It’s okay, he can’t take it away. Dad is watching. If you can’t snatch it from him, Dad will help you snatch it back.”
The next day, Qingyan took Jindou to Chen Yu’s house next door. Jindou handed one of the cotton dolls to Jiulang, who looked exactly the same.
He “Ah Ah” gave one to Jiulang, who took it over and was very happy.
Chen Yu saw it and smiled. When Qingyan carried the child back, he insisted on bringing back a bag of apples.
That bag of apples was much more valuable than the cotton dolls he sewed himself.
Qingyan fantasized that when Jindou grew up, since the two families lived so close, he and Jiulang would certainly become friends.
Thinking about how the two children would get along in the future was quite interesting!
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
The peddler replied, “He asked about everything from your childhood to now, especially your marriage. He offered money to your younger brother, but your brother felt humiliated and refused it. However, he answered all his questions, and afterwards, your stepmother secretly took the money.”
