Qin Shuwen was surprised to see the poor boy to appear at home, but he soon figured it out. Didn’t Zhuo Yun promise to let him be free after he gave birth to a child? Maybe now he was looking for an excuse for him to leave.
As a matter of fact, Qin Shuwen no longer felt much affection for the poor boy. In his heart, he couldn’t let go of the emotional entanglement rather than the poor boy.
Both the poor boy’s son and spouse had come together. The two-year-old child began to walk slowly on his own. The clothes he wore were not very good, but not bad either. The way he wobbled was very lovely.
His spouse was not very good-looking, but according to their neighbors, he was hard-working and capable.
This was what Zhuo Yun told Qin Shuwen.
Qin Shuwen asked the poor boy about his life during the past few years.
Back then, the poor boy left the town with the money Zhuo Yun gave him. He went to a nearby town to do some small business and earned some money. Two years later, he married his current spouse. Both of them were hard-working and thus lived a good life. After they had a child, their family’s life became more and more enjoyable.
Knowing that the poor boy had a good life, Qin Shuwen was very pleased. He had been worried about how the he had been living in the past few years. Now that the poor boy had his spouse, a son as well as his own home, Qin Shuwen felt happy for him though all these had nothing to do with him.
And he felt glad in his heart, too, because he thought this time Zhuo Yun probably couldn’t find any excuse to return him to the poor boy.
The poor boy’s family stayed in the Zhuo Mansion for the whole night. The next day, Zhuo Yun asked someone to send them back.
After the poor boy left, the smile on Qin Shuwen’s face also disappeared, and he didn’t give Zhuo Yun a good time. At that moment, Zhuo Yun felt the pain that he had never experienced before. He even doubted whether he was actually nothing in Qin Shuwen’s heart?
At night, Zhuo Yun finally couldn’t bear it anymore. He decided to open it up with Qin Shuwen. No matter whether Qin Shuwen could accept him or not, he would still have a child belonging to him and Qin Shuwen.
Zhuo Yun told Qin Shuwen his previous saying that he would let him go after he gave birth to the child was not true. He would never let him leave away. Even if he didn’t like him, they two would be together. Zhuo Yun also admitted that the reason he got the poor boy here was just to make Qin Shuwen give up his love for him. And their own child would be born in eight months and their family could live a happy life, too.
Zhuo Yun had made up his mind to solve the problem. He thought the worst result would be nothing more than the present situation for both of them now. As long as Qin Shuwen was still by his side, he would be satisfied.
Qin Shuwen didn’t expect Zhuo Yun to be so frank. He had believed that Zhuo Yun would let him be free as he promised. In fact, he was ambivalent about this. Although he longed for freedom, he was not willing to leave. After all, he had lived in this place for five years and he had feelings for it.
Qin Shuwen suddenly felt that what Zhuo Yun said was a joke, just to make him laugh. Later, Zhuo Yun would tell him that it was all a lie.
Thus Qin Shuwen was furious and kicked Zhuo Yun out of the room.
Zhuo Yun knew that if he didn’t seize this opportunity, he would lose Qin Shuwen completely.
He knelt there at the door for the whole night.
The next day, when Qin Shuwen went out, he found Zhuo Yun still kneeling there. He was moved and said that he forgave him and wanted to have a try to live with him.
Zhuo Yun’s first reaction was that Qin Shuwen was teasing him, but his brain reaction was slower than his physical action. By the time he came to himself, he had already stood up and hugged Qin Shuwen in his arms.
Zhuo Yun couldn’t care whether Qin Shuwen was serious or not. What he had heard was enough.
Then the whole mansion knew that their young master and the lord were finally no longer in the cold war, and the servants could be easier in their work now.
For the past few days, Zhuo Yun had been grinning from ear to ear, and he kept on smiling even when he was sleeping.
He even hoped to stick with Qin Shuwen all day long.
Qin Shuwen also knew about Xu Ran. When he heard that Xu Ran was here, he rushed Zhuo Yun out to receive them.
After hearing Zhuo Yun’s story, Xu Ran touched his nose and realized that he could be a love expert.
……
At the moment, Liu Tong and Qin Shuwen were also talking.
At first, when the servant came to report that there was a guest looking for him, Qin Shuwen still didn’t believe that he, a Ge’er only, would have a guest to see him! When the servant led Liu Tong and the two children in, he couldn’t believe that Liu Tong was a Ge’er because he looked even taller than Zhuo Yun.
Until he saw the mole of pregnancy on Zhuo Yun’s ear, did Qin Shuwen believe that Liu Tong was really a Ge’er.
Qin Shuwen stood up and greeted with a smile, “My name is Qin Shuwen. I’m Zhuo Yun’s spouse. May I have your name, please?”
“My name is Liu Tong. I came with my husband. His name is Xu Ran. These two are my children. They are twins. The elder brother is Tangtang, while the younger one is called Guoguo,” Liu Tong introduced.
As soon as Liu Tong said that he was Xu Ran’s spouse, Qin Shuwen had an inexplicable favor on him. Especially for the food brought back by Zhuo Yun last time, he had been missing it so much.
Qin Shuwen asked the servant to serve some pastries for the guests. After the servant left, there were only Liu Tong, the two children and he himself left in the room.
Qin Shuwen invited the two children to eat pastries, and then chatted with Liu Tong, especially about the food. He was shocked when he heard Liu Tong say that these things were made by Xu Ran.
Then as their talk went on, Liu Tong told him that Xu Ran was going to buy strawberry seedlings.
At the moment Qin Shuwen was in the family way. The strawberry’s sour and sweet taste was exactly what he liked.
During the third and fourth month every year, Zhuo Yun would get some strawberries for him to enjoy. However, he knew it was not easy to buy that kind of fruit. Thus it was really hard to eat it often.
“Liu Tong, let me ask my brother for you. They should know where there are strawberry seedlings. By the way, how many do you want?”
Liu Tong only talked about this topic to Qin Shuwen as a chitchat, especially when their relationship was not so good. How could he expect Qin Shuwen to be so helpful?
He thus felt embarrassed, “Shuwen, I am so sorry to bring you trouble.”
Qin Shuwen waved his hand, “What’s the trouble? Just send me a little more chili paste later then. I’ve been fancy to that recently.”
Liu Tong smiled, “That’s something home-made, not a valuable thing. If you finish it, just tell Ran about it.”
The two of them got along happily. Xu Ran had also told him the affair between Qin Shuwen and Zhuo Yun. Judging from Qin Shuwen’s current appearance, The problem should have been solved. Liu Tong smiled. He felt happy about it. He believed in this way, Xu Ran didn’t need to off his stupid idea now.
When it was almost dark, Xu Ran suggested to leave so that they could go to the street to have fun.
Zhuo Yun wanted to invite them for dinner, but he failed. Xu Ran had planned to take the children to the town to eat Tangyuan (glutinous rice ball), because on the 15th day, Tangyuan also has a very nice name called Yuanxiao.
Qin Shuwen also wanted to go out for fun, but because he was pregnant, and it was the first child of three months in Qin Shuwen’s belley, Zhuo Yun refused to let him go out, so Qin Shuwen could only stomp into the house with hatred, making Xu Ran and the others laugh.
The night on Lantern Festival was really lively. It was said that this was the busiest night of the year.
Xu Ran first took the family to a small stall by the roadside to eat Yuanxiao, and then they prepared to go to the street to appreciate the festive lanterns.
Both Tangtang and Guoguo had never eaten Yuanxiao. Both of them were so excited that couldn’t bear to eat it.
Xu Ran stroked the heads of the two children, “Alright, just eat quickly. From now on, you will come here every year to enjoy Yuanxiao.”
“Really?” Tangtang asked.
Xu Ran replied smilingly, “Of course it’s true. Will I lie to you?”
Both Tangtang and Guoguo replied together, “Dad won’t lie to us.”
“Surely, I won’t lie to you. Just eat it and enjoy yourselves. After that, we’ll go and buy something interesting.”
“Great,” the two children replied together.
Looking at Xu Ran coaxing the children, Liu Tong smiled and said, “You are pampering them this way.”
Xu Ran frowned, “Am I not pampering you?”
Liu Tong blushed hearing this and gently pushed Xu Ran, “Just focus on your Yuanxiao.”
“I’ll eat if you let me eat,” Xu Ran bantered.
Liu Tong frowned and ate his food silently, not looking at Xu Ran.
After enjoying Yuanxiao, the family started strolling down the street. Apart from the married Ge’ers on the street, many unmarried ones were seen on the street who were wearing brightly coloured clothes, so good-looking.
Seeing the young and beautiful Ge’ers on the street, Liu Tong regretted letting Xu Ran come. What if Ran took a fancy to someone else? In particular, many bold Ge’ers stared at Xu Ran without blinking.
Xu Ran also noticed it. He thus changed his position with Tangtang and Guoguo and let them be on his side. He and Liu Tong were in the middle, with one hand holding a child while the other holding Liu Tong.
Liu Tong was shocked when he was suddenly held by the hand. He wanted to pull back his hand, but how could Xu Ran let him escape? He held his hand tightly and raised it high so that everyone who looked at them could see it.
“How about this way, Tongtong? Won’t you still be worried?” Liu Tong heard Xu Ran ask him about it.
Liu Tong looked up and saw that many of the Ge’ers who were watching Xu Ran left in disappointment.
Liu Tong turned around and saw that Xu Ran was looking at him smilingly.
Liu Tong also smiled, “I don’t worry at all because Ran is mine. He’s mine only.”
“Mm, I’m yours only,” Xu Ran assured him.
The family bought a festive lantern and let it flow on the river. Then they solved some riddles and got the prizes of a few clay figurines. In the end, they played couplets games and got the reward of ten taels of copper coins.
This was the first Lantern Festival that Xu Ran had after he transmigrated in this world. He had enjoyed it with his beloved family members and it was full of laughter.
The moon had climbed up onto the sky. It was dark completely and they waited until the crowd slowly dispersed before heading home.
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