After Yin Hui became pregnant, she exclusively used a carefully prepared cream from the Yin Family Rouge store. The cream was colorless, fragrance-free, and light and breathable when applied to her face.
The next day, after Wei Luo washed his face, she handed him a box. Wei Luo subconsciously glanced at the two maids. Jinzhan and Yinzhan lowered their heads.
The adult, Wei Luo, was still awkward. Yin Hui pulled him behind the screen, pressed him against the bed, opened the box, dug out a bit with her finger, quickly applied it to his face, and said in a low voice, “It’s almost like a bark, so I can’t even kiss you.”
Wei Luo had no choice but to sit still and silently let her apply it evenly.
“From now on, you will use it, and strive to recover before the end of the year,” Yin Hui said as she stuffed the box into his arms.
Wei Luo caught the box without saying anything. After breakfast, he took Xiao Heng to Jinghao Hall to greet Mrs. Wen. With Yin Hui being pregnant, she refrained from walking.
Upon Wei Luo and his son’s return, they encountered Wei Yan, who was wearing official robes and had an unpleasant expression on his face.
“Second uncle,” Xiao Heng greeted sensibly.
Only then did Wei Yan notice them, the father and son, and forced a smile on his face.
Although Wei Luo was puzzled, he didn’t ask any questions, guessing that his second brother might have been scolded by his father.
Wei Yan sighed, rubbed Xiao Heng’s head with his big hands, and confided in his brother in a low voice, “I drank a little more wine in June, and a dancer happened to pass by. I accidentally bumped into her. I don’t know how my father knew about this matter. Just now, I was called over and scolded. I got grounded for a month. You tell me, you and the elder brother have done meritorious deeds, but I…”
He didn’t hide the fact that he was grounded. He couldn’t help it, so why not laugh at himself first.
Wei Luo thought of Madam Yin’s letter. He could understand his father’s anger. If he went to war in the future, and Xiao Heng still wanted to spend his time chasing girls, he would be punished.
“Drinking is a waste of time, Second Brother, you should drink less in the future.”
“Well, when I come out, I’ll treat you to a… dinner, and celebrate with you.”
Wei Yan walked away with a sense of resignation in his posture. Wei Luo seized the opportunity to teach his son, “Grandfather doesn’t like us to drink, so you should drink less when you grow up.” Xiao Heng nodded and asked, “Father, what is a dancer?”
Wei Luo pursed his lips and said coldly, “Dancers and singers are artists. Your second uncle was punished for being close to them, and you should not approach them when you grow up.”
Xiao Heng understood. Drinking was not good, playing with dancers was not good, and both would lead to punishment by his grandfather.
Back in Chengxin Hall, Wei Luo reminded Yin Hui, “Second elder brother was grounded by father. If the second sister-in-law comes, you should be more careful with what you say.”
Yin Hui thought for a while and guessed, “Does father know that the second master got another concubine?”
Wei Luo nodded.
Yin Hui felt a little sympathetic to Ji Xianxian. Ji Xianxian was also a great beauty, but why would the second master still think about the wild flowers and weeds outside all day long?
As expected, Ji Xianxian came to complain to her in the afternoon, and she kept nagging from dusk to dark.
“When did your relationship get so close?”
Wei Luo asked with implicit displeasure, worried that his wife would get stained if she was close to ink, and also dissatisfied that Ji Xianxian had occupied her time for so long.
Yin Hui smiled and said, “It’s not that I’m close to her; it’s that she often comes to see me. Since she’s here, I can’t help but talk to her, right?”
Wei Luo questioned when he remembered that Ji Xianxian was initially arrogant in front of her, “What does she say to you?”
Yin Hui replied, “It’s all trivial things in the house, such as how the second master, Er Lang, and Si Lang were angry with her, such as how she deals with the concubines. I just listen to her, don’t talk, listen a lot, and learn something.”
Wei Luo raised her eyebrows, “What have you learned?”
Yin Hui deliberately said, “I learned how to get along with concubines. Now you don’t like maidservants, but when I get old and with my fading beauty, you will definitely find someone. If I have a younger sister as my companion, I will be prepared for any danger.”
Wei Luo let out a light snort, disdainful of such nonsense.
About half a month later, the imperial court awarded the soldiers who had made great contributions to the fight against Jin.
The officers and soldiers of the Imperial Guard could be promoted based on their military merits. In the three guards of King Yan’s mansion, they were all self-appointed subordinates of King Yan. The number of official positions was fixed. Unless someone died or offended King Yan and got demoted, it was basically difficult for high-level military officers to change. For example, the three commanders Feng Su, Gao Zhen, and Yang Jingzhong, no matter how great their achievements were, they would not be able to rise up, and they would be rewarded with rich gold, silver, and silk.
King Yan went to the guard to distribute the rewards in person, and his five sons all followed.
After returning, Wei Luo said to Yin Hui, “Liao Shisan beheaded many Jin soldiers and won a hundred taels of silver.”
Liao Shisan only received silver rewards.
Yin Hui was very happy for Liao Shisan and then remembered something, “What happened to Mr. Feng and Qiuniang?”
Wei Luo, not particularly interested in other people’s affairs, shared what he knew, “He wants to marry Liao Qiuniang, but she doesn’t want to marry.”
Yin Hui was already aware that Feng Teng liked Liao Qiuniang, but she didn’t know whether Feng Teng wanted to marry her, take her as a concubine, or engage in a more casual relationship. Curious, she asked, “Did he tell you himself that he wanted to marry Qiuniang?”
“No, but Liao Shisan saved his life, so he wants to recognize him as a father in public.”
Yin Hui was shocked. Recognize him as a father in public? Perhaps he wanted to recognize him as a father-in-law in public?
It turns out that Feng Teng indeed wanted to recognize Liao Shisan as his father-in-law. Grateful for Liao Shisan’s life-saving act, Feng Teng’s parents agreed to the marriage proposal with Qiuniang. Feng Teng immediately urged his mother to arrange a matchmaker to go to their house to propose marriage.
Mrs. Feng, being straightforward in her actions, wasted no time and sent a matchmaker to Liao Shisan’s family while he was taking a bath.
When Mother Liao heard about Feng Teng’s proposal and the family’s situation, she was overjoyed and asked her husband, “You work under Master Feng, what do you think?”
Liao Shisan thought Feng Teng was a good person, grateful for saving his life. However, it seemed that the young man had taken a liking to Qiuniang long ago.