Count Jingâan harrumphed, clearly disinclined to bother with He Ying and her daughter.
It wasnât just He Ying and Miss Pan who felt extremely awkward because of that, but Matriarch He as well.
He Ying and Miss Pan had been under her care and protection after all.
Once everyone in the parlour had finished greeting Count Jingâan, it was finally He Dalangâs turn.
He Changqi hadnât seen his father in years. He missed his father just as much as anyone else in the family, but he knew that it was his own fault that his father was coldly ignoring him now.
Count Jingâan finally cast his gaze upon his disappointing eldest son. Fury and frustration warred within him and he ordered in a deep voice, âFollow me to the study.â
He Changqi stood up and followed the count out of Qingxi Hall with his head bowed.
Now that the count had returned, the entire estate was bursting with joy.
The news quickly spread to Countess Jingâanâs courtyard. The countess disregarded her ailing health and immediately tried to get out of bed to see the husband she hadnât laid eyes upon for years.
Luckily, He Changdi and Chu Lian arrived just in time to stop her, otherwise the countess might have made her condition worse.
The entire family gathered in the parlour in the outer court to have a reunion dinner at night.
Even He Erlang returned to the estate early this day.
The estate was bustling with noise and excitement, and it was even livelier that it was on New Yearâs Day. The dishes served for dinner were personally cooked by Chu Lian and her handmaids.
There was fragrant stir-fried pork, spicy stir-fried beef, griddle shredded cabbage, poached fish slices, old duck soup... There were more than ten dishes in total and they were all things that Count Jingâan had never eaten before.
After the meal, he couldnât help but compliment his youngest daughter-in-lawâs cooking.
Since his belly was now full with an extremely satisfying reunion dinner, Count Jingâanâs mood had become much better as compared to in the day, when he was dealing with the mess that Dalang had created.
That night, Count Jingâan led his two little granddaughters and his wife back to their courtyard.
Within the main bedroom of Countess Jingâanâs courtyard, the servants had already retreated, leaving the couple to themselves. Their two granddaughters had been taken to bed by their nursemaids.
Count Jingâan took his wifeâs hand and led her to sit by the desk. The couple was very close and they hadnât met in many years, so they were full of longing. Right now, the two of them had much to say to each other.
The count was the most concerned about his wifeâs health.
Although he had already received He Changdiâs letter, stating that his wifeâs illness had been cured, he couldnât rest easy without seeing it for himself.
Now that his previously bedridden and sickly wife was standing before him with healthy, ruddy cheeks, he was elated beyond belief.
The burly middle-aged generalâs eyes reddened and he gripped his wifeâs hand, âPeiwen, youâre finally all better.â
Countess Jingâan, Liu Peiwen, smiled along with her husband, âYes, Iâm all better now. Those days when I was trapped in bed feel like a dream now...â
âTell me how the person who healed you is like. Great Doctor Miao?â
Count Jingâan knew roughly how his wife had been cured, but he wasnât clear on the details involved.
Countess Jingâan knew that he would ask about it, so she explained the entire situation from start to end patiently.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
It took her a whole hour to finish explaining it all. She smiled as she looked at her husband, âIt must be the heavens who couldnât bear seeing me lying in bed and helped to cure me earlier so I could welcome you back to our home!â
The count chuckled and nodded. He lamented, âSanlangâs wife is really our He Familyâs lucky star. If not for her, Great Doctor Miao wouldnât have stayed in our estate so readily and helped to cure your illness. Although Mother is getting old and becoming more muddle-headed, she must have been guided by a greater power when she went to plead for this marriage for Sanlang. Iâll go thank Great Doctor Miao myself tomorrow.â
Countess Jingâan nodded in agreement, âYes, we should thank him personally.â
Immediately after, she seemed to have thought of something as she let out a giggle, âHusband, now that you mention it, Sanlang has been growing more and more ever since his wife married into our family. Heâs a marquis now! Could Sanlangâs wife be a lucky star for her husband as well?â
Count Jingâan burst out into laughter and reminded his wife, âRemember not to mention this out of our rooms, letâs just keep it as a joke between us. This kind of talk canât be spread outside, or it might draw disaster upon us.â
Now that the count had returned, Countess Jingâan had found her pillar of support once again. Her mind was now clearer than before. She hurriedly replied, âI understand.â
The two drank their tea together. When the count noticed that his wife was looking at him as if she had something she didnât quite dare to say, he had a good guess at what she was keeping in. He sighed softly, âDalang is an honest and considerate child to the bone and heâs loyal to the family. Itâs not completely his fault that his marriage with Madam Zou turned out this way. The two of them have already divorced now, so donât think too much about it. We have to take each day as it comes. As for He Yingâs child, donât worry. As long as Iâm here, Iâll never approve of their marriage. Even if Dalang were to marry again, his second wife has to be a good and kindly lady. Otherwise, Little An and Little Lin will be the ones whoâll suffer.â
Madam Liu hadnât expected her husband to have made a clear decision on the matter. A burden was lifted from her heart.
She leaned against her husbandâs side as the tightly wound nerves in her heart relaxed.