Chapter 602: The Past is Dead (1)
Count Jing’an harrumphed, clearly disinclined to bother with He Ying and her daughter.
It wasn’t 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 Jing’an, it was finally He Dalang’s turn.
He Changqi hadn’t 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 Jing’an finally cast his gaze upon his disappointing eldest son. Fury and frustration warred within him and he ordered in a deep voice, “Follow me to the study.”
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 Jing’an’s courtyard. The countess disregarded her ailing health and immediately tried to get out of bed to see the husband she hadn’t 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 Year’s 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 Jing’an had never eaten before.
After the meal, he couldn’t help but compliment his youngest daughter-in-law’s cooking.
Since his belly was now full with an extremely satisfying reunion dinner, Count Jing’an’s 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 Jing’an led his two little granddaughters and his wife back to their courtyard.
Within the main bedroom of Countess Jing’an’s courtyard, the servants had already retreated, leaving the couple to themselves. Their two granddaughters had been taken to bed by their nursemaids.
Count Jing’an took his wife’s hand and led her to sit by the desk. The couple was very close and they hadn’t 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 wife’s health.
Although he had already received He Changdi’s letter, stating that his wife’s illness had been cured, he couldn’t 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 general’s eyes reddened and he gripped his wife’s hand, “Peiwen, you’re finally all better.”
Countess Jing’an, Liu Peiwen, smiled along with her husband, “Yes, I’m all better now. Those days when I was trapped in bed feel like a dream now…”
“Tell me how the person who healed you is like. Great Doctor Miao?”
Count Jing’an knew roughly how his wife had been cured, but he wasn’t clear on the details involved.
Countess Jing’an knew that he would ask about it, so she explained the entire situation from start to end patiently.
It took her a whole hour to finish explaining it all. She smiled as she looked at her husband, “It must be the heavens who couldn’t bear seeing me lying in bed and helped to cure me earlier so I could welcome you back to our home!”
The count chuckled and nodded. He lamented, “Sanlang’s wife is really our He Family’s lucky star. If not for her, Great Doctor Miao wouldn’t 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. I’ll go thank Great Doctor Miao myself tomorrow.”
Countess Jing’an nodded in agreement, “Yes, we should thank him personally.”
Immediately after, she seemed to have thought of something as she let out a giggle, “Husband, now that you mention it, Sanlang has been growing more and more ever since his wife married into our family. He’s a marquis now! Could Sanlang’s wife be a lucky star for her husband as well?”
Count Jing’an burst out into laughter and reminded his wife, “Remember not to mention this out of our rooms, let’s just keep it as a joke between us. This kind of talk can’t be spread outside, or it might draw disaster upon us.”
Now that the count had returned, Countess Jing’an had found her pillar of support once again. Her mind was now clearer than before. She hurriedly replied, “I understand.”
The two drank their tea together. When the count noticed that his wife was looking at him as if she had something she didn’t quite dare to say, he had a good guess at what she was keeping in. He sighed softly, “Dalang is an honest and considerate child to the bone and he’s loyal to the family. It’s not completely his fault that his marriage with Madam Zou turned out this way. The two of them have already divorced now, so don’t think too much about it. We have to take each day as it comes. As for He Ying’s child, don’t worry. As long as I’m here, I’ll 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 who’ll suffer.”
Madam Liu hadn’t expected her husband to have made a clear decision on the matter. A burden was lifted from her heart.
She leaned against her husband’s side as the tightly wound nerves in her heart relaxed.