Chapter 6

 

The remaining fish soup was not wasted, including the fish head and meat, all fell into Chen Jingzong’s belly.

Having just made her cry, Chen Jingzong was a little embarrassed when he ate. He took her little spoon and scooped the food slowly, instead of holding the bowl and pouring it directly into his mouth like before.

Hua Yang sat across from him and continued writing letters home.

She did not hide anything, so Chen Jingzong openly watched her write. He saw that the first page she wrote was all about how his family took good care of her on the road, and the lines were full of satisfaction for them. The spoon in Chen Jingzong’s hand hit the corner of his mouth, and some soup was spilled down. He hurriedly dodged but luckily it didn’t fall on his clothes, but his movements were quite large, making him look clumsy.

Hua Yang glanced at him sideways.

The disgust was still there, but it didn’t have the usual hatred, more like criticism.

Chen Jingzong was tickled both body and mind by this look, but he promised her not to be so lustful, so he had to pretend that his heart was calm.

“You’re only reporting the good news and not the bad news?”

Putting down the spoon, Chen Jingzong guessed that this was the only way to explain why she had been resentful on the road, yet the narration she wrote seemed like a different person.

Hua Yang: “It’s just the truth. Apart from you, your family really cares about me. As for the poor conditions of the inn and the busy traffic, it is inevitable.”

Chen Jingzong: “Why apart from me? Where did I treat you badly?”

Before Hua Yang could settle old scores, Chao Yun’s voice came in: “Princess, Prince Consort, the old madam is here!”

The couple looked at each other, Hua Yang stood up and cleaned up the desk, while Chen Jingzong quickly hid the soup pot and other items… in the clean room.

Hua Yang:…

She would probably never use this set of utensils again.

When Chen Jingzong came out, she glared at him before walking out.

Sun shiit's like 'Mrs.' but instead of referring to husband's surname it indicate her maiden name was following Zhen’er into the yard, followed by her close maid, La Mei.

Sun shi was the wife of the cabinet elder, Chen Tingjian.

She was born in Lingzhou City. Her father was a teacher in the official school and was very knowledgeable. Chen Tingjian often visited her father before he met Sun shi and asked to marry her.

After her mother-in-law passed away, the daughter-in-law Sun shi wore white clothes and a sandalwood hairpin on her hair. She was dressed like an ordinary woman from a small town. However, she was beautiful when she was young, and later she followed Chen Tingjian as an official wife. Able to enjoy wealth and honor naturally her bearing was impressive, and she looked like a rich madam at first glance.

Siyi Hall was only separated from the main house by a corridor. Yesterday evening, Hua Yang was frightened by a snake screaming. Both Chen Tingjian and Sun shi heard it, and Sun shi rushed over to comfort her. Today she came over to take a look, very worried that the delicate daughter-in-law princess would fall ill from fear.

After inquiring with Zhen’er, Sun shi saw Hua Yang coming out of the central house, followed by her fourth child.

Her eyes swept over the faces of the young couple, Sun shi narrowed her eyes slightly.

Something doesn’t feel right!

The princess disliked the rudeness of the Old Four, and the Old Four also disliked the arrogance of the princess. The two disliked each other when they were together, but now they looked very harmonious!

Could it be that the princess finally discovered some advantages of the Old Four, such as when being afraid of snakes and insects, she could let the Old Four block it?

While Sun shi was thinking = secretly, Hua Yang felt sour after she was reborn and see her mother-in-law again.

Almost everyone in the entire Chen family respected her, but among them, her mother-in-law treated her the best.

Her father-in-law and two brother-in-law were men. Even if they want to show consideration to her, they rarely met and talked to her alone. The two sisters-in-law were more afraid of her, or they didn’t want to be seen as deliberately flattering, so they rarely took the initiative to get close to her. Only her mother-in-law often came to visit, showed concern and considerate to her.

Maybe there was also a bit of fear, but Hua Yang could distinguish between sincerity and surface courtesy, and her mother-in-law really liked her.

Such a good mother-in-law, but in her previous life she was devastated by the triple blow of her father-in-law’s death from illness, the whole mansion’s imprisonment, and the unjust death of her oldest son.

“Mom, you are here.”

Hua Yang walked a few steps quickly and held her mother-in-law’s left arm.

Sun shi froze!

After the eldest daughter-in-law and the third daughter-in-law got married, they followed her sons in calling her mom. Only this daughter-in-law princess had a noble status and always politely called her mother.

Mother was also quite good. She was an ordinary woman from a small place, but she was lucky enough to get a princess as her daughter-in-law. The ancestral graves of her family were already emitting green smoke!

Now hearing the daughter-in-law princess called her “mom”, Sun suddenly felt flattered!

Hua Yang saw her mother-in-law’s surprise, but she couldn’t explain anything.

She didn’t really integrate into this family in her previous life, but this time it was different. If she wanted to live a good life with Chen Jingzong, some changes had to be made.

Chen Jingzong glanced at her a few times.

Hua Yang seemed unaware and devoted herself to entertaining her mother-in-law.

Sun shi came back to her senses and asked with concern: “After sprinkling those medicines last night, did you see any more bugs?”

Hua Yang smiled and shook her head.

Sun shi looked at the mountains to the north and said helplessly: “This side is closer to the mountains, so there are more snakes and bugs. We are all used to it. Poor noble princess, you must be frightened when encountering this kind of thing for the first time.”

Hua Yang did not deny it.

In her previous life, she was really tortured by those bugs that occasionally appeared. When she was frightened, she lost her temper at Chen Jingzong, which prompted Chen Jingzong to spread pesticides everywhere, so there were fewer and fewer bugs.

She was obviously timid, but why wasn’t she afraid when she misunderstood Chen Jingzong as a ghost last night?

Hua Yang glanced at Chen Jingzong secretly.

Chen Jingzong thought she was complaining that he didn’t take good defense, but didn’t think much about it. He could guard against thieves, small snake as thick as chopsticks, but how could he guard against it when he was in the east wing?

Then again, he had to be grateful to the little snake, otherwise he would have to sleep alone in the wing room, and how could he have the happy thing he had last night.

The three of them entered the main room.

Sun shi suddenly sniffed.

Hua Yang felt guilty like a thief, she was indeed cheating, but she didn’t want her mother-in-law to find out.

Chen Jingzong explained: “Because of that snake, I checked everywhere last night and didn’t go to bed until midnight. I got up late in the morning and didn’t have breakfast until now.”

Sun shi understood and asked her daughter-in-law: “How is Princess’s appetite this morning?”

Hua Yang: “Maybe I have finally adapted to the climate here. My appetite is much better. I ate a bowl of noodles.”

Sun shi was very happy and looked at her little face and said, “That’s good, that’s good. Princess has lost a lot of weight recently, but you have to raise it back quickly.”

Hua Yang nodded, thinking that if she followed Chen Jingzong and cheat every day, her body would be back to normal soon.

After chatting for a while, Sun shi was ready to leave.

She knew that she came from a humble background, and she and her daughter-in-law princess didn’t have much common ground, everyone would feel uncomfortable if she stay too long.

Hua Yang and Chen Jingzong sent her out of Siyi Hall together.

When walking back, Chen Jingzong asked her: “Why you suddenly changed the way you called?”

Hua Yang: “I can call whatever I want, what’s there to question.”

Chen Jingzong stepped in front of her and looked down at her: “Changing the way you called is one thing. Something wasn’t quite right with you last night. Why did you cry when you were sleep?”

Hua Yang lied: “Had a nightmare.”

Chen Jingzong: “But at that time, you said you hadn’t dreamt and even threw yourself at me out of the blue.”

Hua Yang’s face turned slightly red and glared at him, “Don’t you like it?”

Chen Jingzong had a complicated look on his face: “I like it, but I have broken the rules after all.”

The implication was that if Hua Yang hadn’t taken the initiative to seduce him, he would have continued to mourn honestly.

Hua Yang believed that he was just being annoying, so she pushed the person away, quickly returned to the house, and closed the door to prevent him from following in and disturbing her writing letters home.

Chen Jingzong pushed the door open but didn’t move further. He stood for a while and then went to the yard.

In the future, he would go into the mountains more often, so he would need to make some handy bows, arrows, and fish bags.

In the room, Hua Yang wrote a letter for a while when she suddenly heard the sound of scraping wood outside. She came to the window curiously and saw Chen Jingzong sitting on a small bench under the eaves of the east wing, holding a long wrist-thick wood in one hand and a hacking knife in the other, sharpening it with concentration.

Both sleeves were rolled up above his elbows, revealing a pair of slender and strong forearms.

With his head lowered, his side face was handsome and sharp, much better looking than the guards in her aunt’s mansion.

This was her prince consort. The man she had chosen with her own eyes, even if only because of his face, it was still her own choice.

It didn’t matter if he was vulgar, she didn’t want him to die, and no one could take his life away this time.

.

In front of Siyi Hall was Fucui Hall, where Chen Jingzong’s third brother’s family lived.

Chen Xiaozong was a Tanhuacandidate who came in third place in the palace imperial examination who was full learning and literary talent. Now he returned to his hometown to mourn and could not go out if it was not important. He could only obey his father’s instructions and teach his nephew, niece and two sons to study in his own school.

Chen Xiaozong didn’t like hanging around the children. When his father gave the order, he subconsciously pushed it on his eldest brother: “Father, Eldest Brother is more knowledgeable than me, and his temper is the most like yours among our brothers. He is serious and steady, and can control Erlang and the others. Why don’t you let Eldest Brother teach?”

Chen Tingjian said expressionlessly: “I let you teach just to hone your temperament. Your eldest brother is already stable enough, so there is no need for him to come.”

Chen Xiaozong:…..

After teaching all morning in the school at the main house, Chen Xiaozong felt exhausted.

Watching his niece and Dalang return to Guanhe Hall, in the corridor, Chen Xiaozong continued to take his Erlang and Sanlang to Fucui Hall.

After entering the courtyard, her saw his wife standing under the eaves of the corridor, holding her already very pregnant belly with one hand and raising her neck behind her, as if she was smelling something.

Chen Xiaozong was puzzled: “What are you doing?”

Luo Yuyan asked the maid to take her sons to wash their hands first, then walked to Chen Xiaozong and whispered to him: “I seem to smell the aroma of fried fish, you try it.”

Chen Xiaozong laughed without trying: “How is it possible? It’s impossible for our family to eat meat and fish, and there are no other families behind us. Even if there are people eating fish on the street at the front, today is north wind, and the smell will never reach our side. ”

Luo Yuyan pursed her lips: “Who said there is no one behind us? The fourth brother and the princess live there, and they have a small kitchen! Hmph, she’s a princess and can’t bear hardships. Maybe mom specially sent fish and meat over there! I don’t care, I carry your family’s seed in my belly, and I haven’t eaten meat for almost three months. I’m not greedy but child is. Erlang and Sanlang are both smart, aren’t you afraid of starving me and make this one stupid?”

The princess was miserable, was she not? She was also the daughter of the Marquis family in the capital. She grew up enjoying delicious food, so how could she feel sad about a fish meal?

Chen Xiaozong: “Impossible. Father is very strict, and mom also obeys him. In other aspects, they take care of the princess, but they will never do this. It’s even more impossible to let the steward buy meat, and give people the handle for nothing.”

Luo Yuyan: “But I smell fish!”

Seeing that she even swore, Chen Xiaozong took a sniff, but he didn’t know whether it was really not there or his nose didn’t have Luo Yuyan’s ability, Chen Xiaozong didn’t smell anything.

At this time, the maid from the main house brought lunch, which consisted of white rice with three dishes and one soup. Of course, both the dishes and the soup were vegetarian.

Chen Xiaozong helped his wife into the house first, and Erlang and Sanlang also came over after washing their hands.

Erlang was five years old and understood that his family would be in mourning for his great-grandmother. Sanlang was three years old and didn’t understand those big principles. Seeing that his favorite meat was not on the table, his little face was filled with disappointment and he looked at his father and mother with aggrieved eyes. He wanted to go back to the capital. When he was in the capital, he had meat to eat every day. His grandfather’s hometown was so poor that every meal was just vegetables and white porridge.

If Luo Yuyan didn’t smell the fish, she could bear it. But after smelling it, she felt aggrieved when she thought that her father-in-law favored Siyi Hall, and she couldn’t eat!

Chen Xiaozong saw the gloom at the dinner table and felt very uncomfortable in his heart.

The main reason was that his wife, a daughter of marquis mansion, was now pregnant and could only eat these. How can he bear it too?

“Eat first, I’ll think of a way.”

Chen Xiaozong said warmly.

His Tanhua title was not earned for free. He had a handsome face, graceful demeanor, and a soft voice that could coax people. Which woman could stand it?

Luo Yuyan took a look at her husband’s handsome face and decided to endure it a little longer.

She was not unreasonable. Everyone was in mourning and she had no objection. But if her father-in-law allowed the fourth house to open a small stove, then she wanted the same treatment!

After the meal, Chen Xiaozong sat in the main room for about two quarters of an hour before going to Siyi Hall.

Zhen’er was sitting on a small stool at the entrance of the courtyard, holding needle and thread in her hand, and a sewing basket beside her legs.

Hearing footsteps in the corridor, Zhen’er poked her head and saw the third master Mr. Tanhua wearing plain clothes and a crown scarf, handsome and graceful like a jade tree.

Zhen’er’s cheeks were slightly red, she quickly packed up the things around her and stood up.

“Third Master.”

“Well, I have something to ask your Prince Consort, please go and pass the message.”

All three brothers lived in one-entrance courtyard, once stepping inside it was easy to bump into the female family members. He was respectful to his older sister-in-law, also didn’t dare to be rude to the sister-in-law princess, so when he wanted to see the fourth brother, he always talked in the corridor.

Zhen’er took the order and ran to tell Chao Yun.

In the central house, Hua Yang and Chen Jingzong had just finished eating. There was a long fish bone and many small thorns on the plate in front of Chen Jingzong.

There was not a single thorn on Hua Yang’s side. Chen Jingzong picked out all the thorns and then put the meat for her.

“Princess, the third master is here to look for prince consort.”

Chao Yun told Zhen’er not to leak her mouth before coming in to report.

Hua Yang looked at Chen Jingzong: “Could it be they smell something?”

The aroma of roasted fish was stronger than that of stewed fish soup. Although Chao Yue followed Chen Jingzong’s example and closed the doors and windows tightly, some of the aroma still escaped.

Chen Jingzong: “So what if they smelt it. As long as you and I don’t admit it, they can’t say anything.”

He asked Chao Yun to pour tea. His mouth was greasy, and he had to rinse his mouth before meeting his third brother, otherwise the evidence would be too obvious.

Hua Yang watched him getting busy, thought for a while, and said, “Third Brother is not a greedy person. He is probably here for Third Sister-in-law. Third Sister-in-law is pregnant and vegetarian diet is indeed pitiful.”

It was said that many sisters-in-law were prone to comparison and quarrels, but this would never happen to Hua Yang.

In her previous life, both sisters-in-law were respectful in front of her, and Hua Yang was aloof and would rather stay by herself than chat with her sisters-in-law.

The brocade dress, fine clothes, and jewelry she used were all imperial gift, she had no need to envy others.

Coupled with the fact that she had witnessed the misery of Chen Xiaozong and others walking in the snow wearing hand-chains and shackles, Hua Yang was more likely to be soft-hearted after being reborn.

Chen Jingzong spit out the tea in his mouth and looked at her like she was a fool.

Hua Yang frowned: “What?”

Chen Jingzong: “You’re not a princess; you’re clearly a fairy descended to earth, unaware of the troubles of the mortal realm, wanting to help anyone you pity.”

Hua Yang was ridiculed by him, causing her fair face to turn from white to red, then red to green.

Chen Jingzong spoke before she did: “Do you think I’m stingy? Just a fish, but I don’t even want to divide it with my brother and sister-in-law?”

Hua Yang didn’t think so, she just felt that if the third house already knew their secret, then it would be okay if Chen Jingzong occasionally sent a fish or a chicken. After all, there was a pregnant woman over there.

Chen Jingzong sneered: “I went to catch fish because I saw you were too thin and wanted to replenish your body. If Third Brother really feels sorry for Third Sister-in-law, he can go by himself. Don’t look at him as a scholar, he didn’t enter the capital until he was seven or eight years old. when he was a child, he also ran around in the mountains. Even if he can’t catch pheasants and rabbits now, if he wants to eat fish, he knows where to find it.

“He didn’t go on his own because he was afraid of being discovered by the old man, ruining his reputation as a gentleman and filial son. If he gets the meat from us, both of them could feel at ease, thinking that we were the ones who broke the rules first. If the old man found out, their greediness is justifiable because they have pregnant woman. What excuse can you and I have, say that you are a noble princess who cannot endure hardship?

“Don’t say they won’t reveal the secret. They have Erlang and Sanlang over there. Third brother is sly, but can two children fool the old man?”

Hua Yang:…

Chen Jingzong: “Fortunately you are a princess. If you are the daughter of an ordinary family, if you have more sisters-in-law after you got married, you will be bullied for the rest of your life.”

After saying that, he flicked the hem of his clothes and walked away.

Hua Yang gritted her teeth.

Chao Yun persuaded in a low voice: “Princess, don’t be angry, there is some truth to what Prince Consort said.”

Hua Yang understood that. What she was angry about was Chen Jingzong’s attitude. If you want to be reasonable, just be reasonable, do you have to be so sarcastic?

She heard that many prince consorts are respectful in front of the princess. Why is Chen Jingzong different? Even father emperor never talked to her like that!

Previous     TOC     Next