Chapter 141: Back to the Manor

Chapter 141

Back to the Manor

After leaving the palace, Nie Shuang headed to the Hou Manor. Lately, the Hou and Xu Shi would take the grandchildren to play at the manor every day. Nie Shuang understood their intention—they wanted the children to see Yong An Hou Manor as their home and build familiarity with the place.

As she stepped down from the carriage and entered the quarters, she heard the sound of laughter. The children were playing with their grandparents. The Hou and Xu Shi sat on the floor, making funny faces while playing with their grandchildren—there was no trace of the once intimidating Hou and Elder Furen. Da Ge, threw himself at his grandfather with full force. He was a sturdy boy for his age, with strong legs and quick steps compared to his younger siblings. The Hou leaned backward by the force, but he held Da Ge tight while laughing heartily.

"Bao Bao is strong. When you grow a little older, we’ll train in martial arts together."

Bei Bei, who was lying flat on the floor gazing at the ceiling, looked like a tiny adult deep in thought. He was the first to notice Nie Shuang and immediately sat up, giving her a sweet smile.

"Mom..Mom..."

His smile was irresistibly charming as he waddled over to her. Nie Shuang bent down and embraced him. Upon hearing his brother, Da Ge quickly turned and scrambled off his grandfather’s lap, toddling after his younger brother.

"Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom,"

He shouted louder than Bei Bei. When he reached her, he tried to squeeze into her arms as well, only to be met with a tap on the head from Bei Bei. However, Da Ge’s head was tough and didn’t feel a thing, still attempting to push Bei Bei aside to make room.

Xiao Hua Hua, who had been playing with her grandmother, smiled sweetly when she saw her mother. Slowly, she began to follow her brothers, though she wasn’t as steady on her feet, so Xu Shi followed closely to support her.

Nie Shuang gathered both her sons in her arms and watched as her little daughter slowly made her way over. She looked as adorable as a doll, and her tottering steps, accompanied by a bright smile, made anyone want to scoop her up.

"Mom is back,"

Nie Shuang said gently to her daughter, and Xiao Hua Hua echoed.

"Mom, back. Mom, back."

Nie Shuang extended a hand to take her daughter into her arms as well, and soon all three little ones were sitting snugly on their mother’s lap. The Hou couldn’t help but glance over with a touch of envy. As soon as their mother arrived, his little grandkids had forgotten all about him.

Xu Shi gazed attentively at her daughter-in-law and made a comment with care,

"Shuang Shuang, have you put on a bit of weight lately?"

Upon hearing this, Nie Shuang smiled, thinking it was finally time to tell them the news. She responded brightly,

"I’m six months pregnant."

An immediate silence fell over the group. Xu Shi and the Hou were left speechless, mouths agape. It had been exactly six months since Song Qilin left. Could their son be this astonishing? The three little dumplings hadn’t even grown up yet, and here she was pregnant again. They were already overwhelmed taking care of the current three. But as soon as they recovered from their shock, they beamed with joy, asking her excitedly.

"Is it true? When did you find out?"

Nie Shuang scratched her nose, feeling a bit guilty.

"Well...since we first arrived in the capital."

Rather than scolding her for delaying the news, Xu Shi playfully slapped her hand and gently scolded,

"Look at you, pregnant and still working non-stop every day without taking a break to care for yourself. If Qilin finds out, he’ll blame me for not taking better care of his wife."

At the same time, Xu Shi hurriedly helped the children down from their mother’s lap, worried that they might accidentally bump into her pregnant belly. Upon mentioning Song Qilin, Xu Shi felt a deep pang of longing for her son. If he knew that another child was on the way, he would surely be overjoyed. The Hou, not knowing much about caring for a pregnant woman, could only praise his daughter-in-law, saying,

"Daughter-in-law, this is wonderful. These little radishes are going to have a new sibling."

Suddenly, an amusing image of a vegetable patch filled with plump white radishes, each with the face of one of his grandchildren, popped into the Hou’s head, making him laugh heartily. Xu Shi, holding Nie Shuang’s hand, asked with concern,

"Wouldn’t it be better for you to move in here? You’re pregnant, and staying in that house alone makes me uneasy. Whether you accept the position as the household matriarch or not doesn’t matter. You still have three children, and if there’s an emergency, we can help take care of things."

Hearing this, Nie Shuang agreed. Though she wasn’t worried for herself, she did worry for her children. At least here, their grandparents could help keep a close eye on them. So, she agreed.

The Hou sighed in relief. Since the whole matter with Chen Yuelan had been resolved, Nie Shuang had refused to move back and hadn’t even mentioned the household matriarch position again. He had thought he wouldn’t be able to convince her.

"Uh...about Song Qilin’s concubines, they’re still living in the manor. But Qilin hasn’t had any dealings with them. If you’re uncomfortable, they can be sent away."

The Hou quickly offered this, worried that Nie Shuang might still have lingering concerns about the concubines.

Nie Shuang wasn’t one to dwell on such matters. Qilin had already explained about the two concubines before, so she wasn’t bothered. She knew they were merely courtesans, who sold only their skills, bought to cause her distress. For those women, marrying into the Hou Manor was already the best fortune they could hope for. If they were expelled from the manor, even if they were given money to start over, their future wouldn’t necessarily be secure. Worse, they could end up back in the world of prostitution.

"I’m about to open a new tea house, and I still need a lot of staff. If the two concubines have skills and are willing to work, I can assign them appropriate duties."

The Hou didn’t object to her idea. Xu Shi, however, was worried that Nie Shuang might move back to the remote Lian Fang Quarters where she used to live, so she quickly interjected,

"Why don’t you and the children stay in Xu Yang Quarters, where Qilin lived? I’ll have it cleaned and prepared right away, and you can move in tonight."

Nie Shuang laughed until her eyes crinkled. The Hou and Xu Shi seemed so eager, almost as if they were welcoming back a beloved daughter. Xu Shi saw her daughter-in-law’s smile and couldn’t help but smile back, feeling an immense fondness for her. Nie Shuang was truly a delightful young woman. The Hou, upon hearing that Nie Shuang and the children would be staying in the Hou Manor that very night, was overjoyed. He immediately ordered the servants to fetch her maids and wet nurses and to gather some of her belongings. At that moment, Song Ren walked in and saw the Hou and Xu Shi busily giving orders to the servants. After greeting his sister-in-law, he asked with curiosity,

"Father, Mother, what’s going on? I see the servants running around everywhere."

Xu Shi turned to him, beaming.

"Your sister-in-law and the children are moving back into the manor."

Hearing this, Song Ren smiled brightly.

"Really!?"

He clasped his hands together in a gesture of gratitude towards Nie Shuang, speaking with heartfelt appreciation.

"Thank you, Sister-in-law, for giving us another chance. You’re part of our family, and for anything we’ve done wrong, please forgive us."

"What’s there to forgive? We’re family, aren’t we? There’s no need for formality between us."

Her response made them all look at her with gratitude. Xu Shi’s eyes welled up with tears. Determined to decorate Nie Shuang’s quarters to the best, she excused herself to personally oversee the preparations. Meanwhile, the Hou was busy pulling his beard off his grandchildren’s chubby hands. Earlier, while the adults were conversing, Da Ge led his younger siblings in teasing their grandfather. Normally, the children bickered, but when it came to teaming up to play tricks on their grandfather, they showed remarkable unity. At the moment, the Hou was anxiously wondering if his beard would survive until the children grew up. Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, Nie Shuang turned to Song Ren and asked,

"Second Brother...I have something to ask you."

"Please, ask away, Sister-in-law..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Nie Shuang fired the question without giving him a moment to prepare,

"Is the person you secretly like Princess An Le?"

She stared at him intently, watching for his reaction. The moment the question left her lips, Song Ren froze in shock. He stammered, lowered his gaze, and his cheeks flushed a deep red—looking very much like a young man in the throes of first love.

"S..Sister-in-law...what are you talking about?"

No doubt about it! Second Brother liked the princess!Seeing his flustered reaction, Nie Shuang felt reassured. However, she decided not to tell him what Princess An Le had already set in motion. That...was something better left for the princess to share herself...