Reborn After Widowhood – Chapter 29
Chapter 29
After Prince Xiang left the Chen House, Chen House returned to its mournful life with the gate closed and only servants coming in and out occasionally.
Without the threat of Chen Jizong’s possible revenge against Siyi Hall, Chen Jingzong could continue to climb over the wall and go hunting with peace of mind.
In autumn, there were more and more game on the mountain. There were bright red and round wild dates, which have large cores and little meat but sweet and sour. There were plump and shiny chestnuts, remove the outer hard shells and dry them before putting them in a pot and frying them with sugar, it would be soft and sweet, or stewed with pheasant, the meat was delicious and the soup was fragrant.
In her previous life, Hua Yang had a poor appetite. Even though she was trapped in Siyi Hall every day with little activity, she was still thin.
Now Chen Jingzong had been secretly feeding her with all kinds of wild game for several months. When the weather gets colder, Chao Yun took out a set of plain white brocade mourning clothes that were cut and sewn according to her size at the beginning of spring. After Hua Yang put them on, she felt that the arms and chest were very restrictive.
Frowning slightly, Hua Yang walked to the half-person-high mirror she brought from the capital.
Her upper body was reflected in the delicate mirror.
Snow-white neck, slightly pink cheeks.
“You are so fair…”
Chen Jingzong’s seemingly serious but actually teasing voice rang in her ears again. Hua Yang deliberately avoided contemplating the connection between her fairness and his desire, approaching the mirror instead. She raised her hand to touch her face, then her chin, and asked Chao Yun unhappily, “Am I much fatter than before I got married?”
Originally she was not a thin beauty, but belonged to the relatively plump kind. The women in the palace all praised her for her graceful and luxurious appearance like a peony, and Hua Yang also liked herself like this.
But plump was a kind of beauty, and being fat was another kind of body shape.
Because of this mourning life, she could not wear too much jewelry or colorful and beautiful dresses, as a result she was not even interested in admiring herself in the mirror.
Chao Yun wanted to make the princess happy, but looking at the princess’s breasts, which were so tightly wrapped by her clothes and seemed about to pop out, Chao Yun knew that the princess would not believe her lies, so she could only whisper: “It seems a little fat, but only a little bit. If it’s not for this autumn clothes, I wouldn’t have noticed it, so it’s really just a little bit. The clothes just need simple alteration, then it will fit.”
Hua Yang pursed her lips and deliberately contracted her jaw. She was relieved that she didn’t have a double chin yet, but also secretly decided to make a change.
In the evening, Chen Jingzong came back. In the afternoon, he went to another town and brought back a pork shank.
Over at Fucui Hall, Luo Yuyan had never come here to get meat again since she gave birth to her daughter. Moreover, Erlang and Sanlang had finished the mourning in advance and could eat meat dishes. Sun shi also specially increased the portion, which was to secretly feed her daughter-in-law to nourish her body.
Chen Jingzong sent the pork shank to the kitchen and ordered Chao Yue to braise it while he went to fetch water for a shower.
After a quick wash, he put on his clothes and came out. Then he saw Chao Yun stepping in from outside, with a smile on her face and a shuttlecock made of pheasant feathers in her hand.
“Prince Consort.”
Seeing him, Chao Yun saluted quickly.
Chen Jingzong: “You make it yourself?”
Chao Yun nodded. The pheasants brought back by prince consort in the past had very bright tail feathers. Chao Yue, who was in charge of killing the chickens, collected the most beautiful ones and saved a lot, which came in handy.
Chen Jingzong guessed and asked: “Princess wants to play?”
Chao Yun still nodded.
Chen Jingzong said nothing more and sat on a chair drinking tea.
Not long after Chao Yun entered with the shuttlecock in hand, Hua Yang came out. Without even looking at Chen Jingzong, she took the shuttlecock and went to kick it in the yard.
Chen Jingzong stopped her: “Just kick it in the house. If you’re doing it outside, what if the shuttlecock flies high and is seen by the Main House, then the old man no longer treats you as a filial daughter-in-law?”
If she didn’t take the old man seriously like she treated him, it wouldn’t matter where she played. The problem was the way she looked up at the old man…
When Hua Yang turned around, she happened to see the sarcasm on his face.
In fact, she didn’t even need to look at his face, just the reminder he just gave was so sinister.
Hua Yang glared at him, but did not go out again, and ordered Chen Jingzong instead: “You move the dining table first.”
Chen Jingzong’s mouth was not honest, but he was not stingy when asked to do things. He grabbed one side of the dining table with both hands and carried it to the side easily.
The space in the middle of the main room became larger. Hua Yang moved her hands and feet, lifting up the cumbersome skirt with one hand, and then kicked the shuttlecock.
She wanted to increase her activity and lose weight, so when she kicked, she was very focus.
Chen Jingzong stood on one side with his arms folded. At first, he was looking at the shuttlecock flying up and down. As he kept watching, his eyes fell on Hua Yang’s rosy face, and then moved down.
Hua Yang hadn’t kicked a shuttlecock in a long time, and she couldn’t control it very well. The shuttlecock flew around, and her figure also turned around in all directions.
When facing Chen Jingzong again, the slender and tall prince consort was hard to ignore. Hua Yang took a distracted glance and saw Chen Jingzong’s eyes staring at her…
Two balls of fire flew into his face. Hua Yang grabbed the shuttlecock and threw it at him in anger!
Chen Jingzong caught the shuttlecock, looked at her figure walking towards the inner room quickly, and smiled.
“Put it away, it’s time to eat.” He threw the shuttlecock to Chao Yun who didn’t know what happened.
Chao Yun just knew that the princess must have rusty in kicking because she was out of practice, and the prince consort actually laughing over there, which made the princess angry!
She went to wipe the shuttlecock, and Chen Jingzong moved the dining table back to its original place. Thinking that the pork shank would not be cooked so quickly, Chen Jingzong went to the inner room.
Hua Yang sat by the window and glanced at him. She picked up the storybook on the table and lowered her eyes expressionlessly.
Her expression was arrogant, with only the blush remaining on her cheeks.
“I thought only girls from ordinary family liked to play this. It turns out that the princess is also a master at it. When a beautiful figure moving, it’s like a flying snow swallow.”
Chen Jingzong sat opposite her and complimented.
Hua Yang gritted her teeth.
“A flying snow swallow ” was a good word, but when it came out of Chen Jingzong’s mouth, it seemed to be tainted with other meanings.
The shuttlecock would still be played in the future, but Chen Jingzong must not be allowed to watch.
“Okay, why did you suddenly think of kicking the shuttlecock?” Chen Jingzong asked again.
Of course Hua Yang would not tell him the reason.
After reading a few lines of words, she noticed that Chen Jingzong was too quiet and wondered if his eyes were dishonest again. Hua Yang raised her eyes and looked up.
Chen Jingzong leaned his head against the back of the chair. His eyes were closed, seemingly to be falling asleep.
The Chen family was known for having many literary scholars, but he was the kind of strikingly handsome man, almost bordering on sharpness. It was only when he closed his eyes that he concealed the sharpness, revealing a touch of the gentleness that all the men in the Chen family possessed.
“Tired?”
Hua Yang asked. After all, he had been running outside all day long. If he was tired, she would urge the kitchen to bring dinner as soon as possible.
Chen Jingzong shook his head: “No, I’m just thinking about something.”
Hua Yang: “What are you thinking about?”
Chen Jingzong opened his eyes and looked at her.
The moment their eyes met, Hua Yang felt wary and glared at him: “If you dare to talk nonsense again, you will sleep here tonight.”
Chen Jingzong looked helpless, leaned back in his chair and continued to sleep.
This also prove that what he was thinking just now was indeed not a serious matter!
Hua Yang picked up the book and went outside.
It was getting dark outside the window.
When dinner was ready, Chao Yue brought out a plate with a lid on it like a thief, and told the masters to wait until she retreated before opening it.
The other dishes were also put on the table. Chao Yun and Chao Yue left together and closed the door from outside.
Chen Jingzong opened the lid, revealing a plate of red-roasted pork shank, exuding an alluring aroma.
Hua Yang:…
Chen Jingzong picked up the chopsticks and saw that the pork shank was nicely burnt and soft, he could tear it off with almost no effort.
“This is the best piece, here, it’s for you.” Chen Jingzong said, moving the meat to her side.
Hua Yang immediately covered her bowl with her hand and said calmly: “Having these things over and over, I’ve long been tired of eating them. Recently, I just want to be vegetarian.”
Chen Jingzong was stunned.
Hua Yang picked up her chopsticks and picked up another vegetarian dish.
“Really?” Chen Jingzong raised his chopsticks.
Hua Yang didn’t respond.
Chen Jingzong then ate it himself.
When half the plate of pork shank was eaten, Chen Jingzong asked her again, but Hua Yang still refused to eat.
Chen Jingzong was no longer polite.
Hua Yang wanted to eat, but she didn’t want to get fat anymore.
After rinsing her mouth, Hua Yang told Chao Yun: “Get a lantern and follow me to the garden.”
Chen Jingzong: “It’s getting dark.”
Hua Yang just ignored him.
Chao Yun lit a lantern, but Chen Jingzong snatched it away.
Hua Yang just wanted to move her body, it didn’t matter who accompanied her. But when Chen Jingzong followed, she warned him to keep his mouth shut. It’s okay for him to talk nonsense inside the house, but what if someone else heard it outside?
Chen Jingzong silently held the lantern.
The small garden was just behind Siyi Hall. It was quiet at this time, and there was no one else except them.
Hua Yang began to circle around the small garden.
On the third lap, Chen Jingzong suddenly asked: “First, you’re playing shuttlecock. Second, you’re not eating meat. Do you think you’re getting fat?”
Hua Yang said deliberately: “Nonsense. My mother said that I am naturally beautiful and will not gain weight no matter how much I eat.”
Chen Jingzong: “Since you won’t gain weight, why are you tossing around?”
Hua Yang:…
She just wanted to test whether Chen Jingzong noticed that she was fatter. Unexpectedly instead of taking this opportunity to mock her, he lied through his teeth.
The way this person looked at her came to mind, and the pair of hands that clung to her side at night and refused to let go came to mind. What else did Hua Yang not understand?
“I’m willing to toss around.”
For this tossing around, Hua Yang actually walked around the garden for half an hour. Because she was wearing soft-soled embroidered shoes, which were a bit too thin, so her feet became sore.
Chen Jingzong walked with her at first, but later he sat on a stone bench in the middle of the garden and kept her company with his eyes.
Hua Yang couldn’t walk anymore, so she went around to the intersection leading to Siyi Hall. She ignored Chen Jingzong and left.
Chen Jingzong picked up the lantern and chased after her.
The bathroom was already filled with water. Hua Yang rested for a while and took a bath after her breathing calmed down. Although she was exhausted, she was extremely satisfied. As long as she persisted like this, she was not afraid of getting weight.
When she returned to the inner room after taking a bath, Chen Jingzong was already lying on the bed.
Hua Yang looked at the ground and found some water stains, so she knew that he had washed his feet.
After turning off the lights, Hua Yang crawled to the bed. Because Chen Jingzong was always dishonest, the two of them always slept on separate quilts.
Hua Yang was tired, so she closed his eyes and was about to fall asleep.
Chen Jingzong’s voice suddenly came from behind: “You have indeed gained seven to eight recently, but I think it’s just the right amount of plumpness. You really don’t need to lose weight.”
Hua Yang only heard “seven to eight catties”!
He was a martial artist who often handled swords and spears, so he could definitely make a pretty accurate judgment about the weight of anything he held in his hand.
Some nights, Chen Jingzong either carried her to his lap and sat her down, or pulled her into his arms and lay on his stomach. These gave him the opportunity to weigh her.
“I don’t care what you think, I want to change back to how I was before.” Hua Yang said indifferently, “Next time you watch me get fat without reminding you, if I find out, you won’t be able to touch me again in the future.”
Chen Jingzong:…..
Isn’t it just gaining seven to eight catties? The way she talked so seriously, it was as if he was watching her become terminally ill.
He really liked her current body better, but thinking that the delicate princess would rather walk for half an hour to change back, Chen Jingzong sighed, lifted the quilt, and said to her: “Come here.”
Hua Yang frowned: “What do you want?”
Chen Jingzong patted his chest: “Lie down here, let me weigh how much you have lost after walking so long tonight.”
Hua Yang:…
She did want to know the effectiveness of tonight’s exercise, and besides Chen Jingzong, she had no other way to measure it.
“You go down and take a few steps with me in your arms.” Hua Yang sat up and commanded. If she really lay down on him, it would be like a sheep entering a tiger’s mouth.
Chen Jingzong stood beside the bed in his middle coat.
Hua Yang moved over.
Chen Jingzong supported her back with one hand and picked up her legs with the other. He strode around the inner room and said seriously: “It’s about one less than the last time I hugged you.”
Hua Yang:…
Why does it feel like he’s just fooling people?
🤣🤣🤣🤣 their relationship is so funny
It’s always so fun reading their interactions 😳🤣