Reborn After Widowhood – Chapter 152
Chapter 152
Twelfth Month had always been the most lively time in the capital. As the New Year approached, merchants and people flock to the capital one after another, making the streets extremely prosperous.
On the first day of annual leave, Chen Jingzong insisted on taking Hua Yang to buy new year’s goods.
Before daybreak, the two started “arguing” on the bed.
Hua Yang: “Whatever you want to buy, just tell Wu Run. We don’t have to go outside in this cold.”
Chen Jingzong: “You are like . You always complain about feeling constrained in the palace and say you prefer the carefree life outside. But when the weather gets hot or cold, you shrink in the mansion and don’t want to go anywhere. I don’t know how can you be happy hiding in the mansion by yourself.”
Hua Yang: “Would I be happier going out to the street at this time? No matter how many people are selling things, the goods they display are all inferior. Since I don’t want to buy anything, why do I have to squeeze in with a bunch of people?”
Chen Jingzong: “I want to go. A whole family happily buy New Year’s goods together, that’s the flavor of the New Year.”
Hua Yang: “Then take Dalang and the others with you. I guarantee you’ll be full of New Year’s flavor all day long.”
Chen Jingzong: “Nephews are nephews, and you are you. There’s a layer of separation between me and them, but you and I are a real family.”
Hua Yang pursed her lips.
Chen Jingzong suddenly laughed in her ear: “Unless you still remember my words and just want to stay at home and connect with me…”
As soon as he said that word, Hua Yang covered him with the quilt and pressed his whole head under the quilt.
Chen Jingzong said in a sullen voice: “Don’t think that just because you are a Grand Princess, you can murder your husband. Our old man is not someone to be trifled with either!”
Hua Yang:……
Her father-in-law would probably never know in this life that Chen Jingzong doesn’t blindly dislike him. In fact, he often puts this father-son relationship to good use, but every time he didn’t use it in a serious way.
When the sun became warmer, Hua Yang went out with Chen Jingzong. Chen Jingzong dressed up in ordinary robes, while Hua Yang wore men’s clothes for convenience.
The carriage left the Grand Princess Mansion and headed towards Qianmen Street, the busiest street in the capital.
Chen Jingzong didn’t use the couch and deliberately sat diagonally across from Hua Yang, his eyes seemed to be glued to Hua Yang’s face.
Hua Yang glared at him several times.
Chen Jingzong: “You look quite handsome dressed like this, like a young master from a wealthy family with red lips, white teeth, and a body that has not yet grown out.”
Hua Yang: “Did you feel like this when you were thirteen or fourteen years old?”
Chen Jingzong: “I often ran in the mountains at that time, so I’m much stronger. My face and neck were tanned dark. It was only after coming to the capital that I became fair again.”
Hua Yang: “It would have been better if you had stayed dark. I definitely wouldn’t have taken a liking to a big dark face.”
Chen Jingzong: “So you and I are destined to be together.”
Hua Yang leaned into the carriage window and opened a gap, making it clear that she didn’t want to talk to him.
Chen Jingzong moved next to her, because Hua Yang’s long hair was tied up on top of her head, and because of her peeping posture, her fair and slender side neck was exposed.
Chen Jingzong held her shoulders with both hands and kissed behind her ears.
Hua Yang’s hand holding the curtain seemed to have been drained of strength. Although the gap in the curtain was very narrow, she was still worried that passers-by on the street would see Chen Jingzong’s actions.
As the light dimmed, Chen Jingzong glanced at the drooping curtain and turned her towards him.
Hua Yang: “Let go.”
Chen Jingzong: “The journey still have at least another quarter of an hour. Let me hug you for a while.”
“Isn’t it enough to hug at night?”
“The day has its own benefits.”
“I will go to the palace tomorrow and ask my brother to shorten your annual leave and let you stay in the guard station for a while longer.”
“Grand Princess is as kind-hearted as a fairy, so she can’t bear to treat the world’s officials harshly.”
Afraid of being overheard by the coachman, both of them lowered their voices. Yet the more they whispered like this, the more it felt like knowingly doing something inappropriate, making them all the more disoriented and entranced.
Finally, as the noise on Qianmen Street got closer and closer, Chen Jingzong held Hua Yang with one hand and stretched out his other hand to open the curtain again.
The cool wind of the Twelfth Month blew, and the beautiful color on the grand princess’s face gradually faded.
She took out the handkerchief in disgust, soaked it with some warm water, and wiped the sides of her ears and neck little by little.
The drawer also contained her commonly used facial cream. Chen Jingzong took out a white porcelain bottle, scooped out some colorless and fragrant facial cream, and helped her apply it.
His fingertips were covered with a thin layer of calluses, gently scratching the grand princess’s delicate skin.
Hua Yang’s long eyelashes drooped down, holding back the waves of throbbing, secretly regretting that she shouldn’t have let him help. No matter where his hands touched her, they seemed to be deliberately teasing.
When the carriage stopped, Hua Yang already looked normal.
Before getting out of the carriage, she warned him in advance: “I am wearing men’s clothing right now, please pay attention to your behavior.”
Chen Jingzong: “If you wear women’s clothes, I don’t need to pay attention?”
Hua Yang:……
They walked in the front, while Chao Yun and Zhou Ji followed closely, and some guards followed secretly at a distance. In addition to protecting the grand princess, they would also be responsible for helping the grand princess and prince consort carry things later.
Hua Yang really didn’t know what to buy, and she had never had the experience of going out to buy New Year’s goods in person.
Chen Jingzong was responsible for guide her along.
“Buy some melon seeds and nuts and eat them on the way to Tangshan.”
In the mountain goods store, Chen Jingzong ordered two kilograms of nuts that suited her taste. He paid, while Zhou Ji carried the items out and handed them to other guards.
Chen Jingzong glanced at Zhou Ji a few times and asked casually as he walked to the next shop: “You are in your mid-twenties, right? Your family hasn’t arranged a marriage for you?”
Zhou Ji’s face was slightly red and he said: “It has been arranged. In a few days, relatives on both sides will send her to the capital and we will get married here.”
Chen Jingzong was very surprised. When he saw Hua Yang being calm, he knew that she had gotten the news.
He continued to ask Zhou Ji: “You don’t seem to have taken any long leave in the past two years. What does your fiancée look like? Have you seen her?”
Zhou Ji: “I haven’t seen her before. My mother wrote a letter and said she looks very good.”
Chen Jingzong: “Aren’t you afraid that they will fool you and find you an ugly one?”
Zhou Ji: “No, and I’m not picky. Just as long as it’s not too ugly.”
Chen Jingzong: “Okay, if you get married before the end of the year, tell me and I will also go to your house for the wedding banquet.”
Zhou Ji was flattered. With his status, prince consort was willing to appreciate his face, which was the honor of their family.
After the chat, Chen Jingzong concentrated on walking around the shops with Hua Yang, and bought a lot of food and clothing. When the two of them walked to the carriage, Zhou Ji and other guards had their arms full of things.
After getting in the carriage, Chen Jingzong settled the score with Hua Yang: “You knew Zhou Ji was getting married, why didn’t you tell me?”
Hua Yang: “What does his marriage have to do with you?”
Chen Jingzong: “It doesn’t matter much, but the sooner you tell me, the sooner I know that you have no other intentions for him, and the sooner I feel at ease.”
Hua Yang didn’t bother to pay attention to him.
Chen Jingzong: “But Zhou Ji is really honest. He dares to marry a girl he never met before.”
Hua Yang: “There’s no other way. His hometown is in Pingliang Prefecture. It’s too far away. It’s not easy to go back and forth.”
If some of the officials’ children in the capital did not take the imperial examination, they would probably find some idle jobs in various guard stations. However, they were still working for the imperial court, and could still have a bright future. Serving as guards for these princesses, even if they work for life, the highest position they could reach was that of Zhou Ji. Men with background and connections were not interested in such roles. Therefore, when her father emperor selected her bodyguards, he directly ignored the powerful children and chose young, strong guards from humble background who were skill in martial arts but lacked ambition.
This was because her father emperor doted on her. But if she was not a favored princess, father emperor would probably reluctant to let a heroic man go to waste next to his daughter.
Hua Yang had three hundred guards, but she didn’t know them all. She only knew that Zhou Ji was willing to be loyal to her.
In fact, some people thought that working as a guard for the princess was a good job. It had a good salary and there was no need to risk your life on the battlefield. It was very safe. However, those who firmly believe that they could make great achievements and promotion on the battlefield naturally avoid position serving by a princess’ side.
Chen Jingzong had known about Zhou Ji’s background, and the Chen family was also not a wealthy family. Chen Jingzong had nothing to look down on Zhou Ji. He was only surprised at the boy’s honesty.
Hua Yang: “You think everyone is like you, and don’t take the words of the elders seriously all day long.”
Chen Jingzong: “Why didn’t I take it seriously? They asked me to enter the palace to let you look. Didn’t I go there obediently?”
Hua Yang: “Don’t you dare not go? If I were just an ordinary official’s young miss, would you be willing to listen to Father’s arrangements?”
Chen Jingzong: “I definitely won’t listen, so it’s still you and me who are destined.”
Hua Yang:……
The carriage stopped outside the gate of Grand Princess Mansion.
Wu Run stood at the gate to greet them, and then walked on the left side of the grand princess. As he walked along, he said, “This servant heard that Cousin Master over there has just given birth to children. The twins are both young masters.”
Hua Yang nodded, indicating that she understood.
Chen Jingzong didn’t seem to hear him. It wasn’t until he entered Qifeng Hall and washed his hands and face, and the couple were the only ones in the room, Chen Jingzong smiled and said: “There are three fat great-grandchildren born in this Twelfth Month alone, your grandmother must be smiling from ear to ear right now.”
Hua Yang glared at him.
After her cousin and Tian shi got divorced, he has not yet remarried. Now he had three shu sons before he has a main wife, then any family who wanted some face would not marry their good daughter to him.
Grandma would definitely be happy to hug her great-grandson in her arms, but in term of face, she probably a bit embarrassed. So when her cousin’s first concubine gave birth to his eldest shu son at the beginning of Twelfth Month, her uncle and aunt didn’t send anyone to spread the news. They didn’t pay much attention to the “washing the third” or the one-month celebration. Even though this time it was twin sons, no matter how joyous the occasion, it still wasn’t enough for the Qi family to host a banquet.
After all, the Qi family was Hua Yang’s mother clan. Chen Jingzong was still making sarcastic remarks here, it would be strange if Hua Yang still gave him a good face.
Chen Jingzong: “Speaking of which, your cousin is quite impressive. Either he doesn’t have children, or when he does, it’s two pregnancies resulting in three sons.”
Hua Yang raised her eyebrows: “Why, are you envious?”
Chen Jingzong was secretly mocking Qi Jin. When he heard what she said, he immediately said seriously: “What’s there to envy? My son is not necessarily filial. If he’s born like me and makes you and me angry all day long, it’s better not to born.”
Hua Yang: “Since you know your virtues, why don’t you change them?”
Chen Jingzong: “The old man has never been a good father to me, so why should I be a good son to him? Unless he bows to me first, no one can expect me to be a filial son in front of him.”
Hua Yang was silent.
Chen Jingzong: “Do you think what I said makes sense?”
Hua Yang: “The previous sentence is okay.”
Chen Jingzong: “Which sentence?”
Hua Yang: “If I give birth to a son who is like you, it would be better not to give birth at all.”
She felt that she did not have the patience and good temper of her mother-in-law. It was already tiring enough to deal with Chen Jingzong, and if there was a little scoundrel who didn’t pay attention to anything…
Chen Jingzong looked at her frown eyebrows, looking very disgusted.
Chen Jingzong:…
It doesn’t matter if he dislikes it, she shouldn’t!
If there really was a son like him, the two of them would hold her up and serve her like an ancestor. She would be so happy she’d wake up laughing from her dreams!
Thanks! Chen jingzong successfully managed to convince hua yang to go out, LOL