Chapter 190: Rest Assured

Chapter 190

Rest Assured

When the Hou and Xu Shi learned that Nie Shuang was planning to take the children along to the northern border with Song Qilin, it caused quite an uproar in the household. At first, the elderly couple strongly opposed the idea, insisting that the border was full of dangers and the children were still too young to embark on such a long journey.

"The route from the capital to the northern border isn’t far, and it’s a main supply route with many rest stops along the way. The journey will be quite comfortable,"

Song Qilin explained to reassure his parents. However, it didn’t seem to help. The old couple continued to grumble and scold their son, disapproving of the idea of subjecting the young children to hardship. They bombarded him with complaints. Ever since the grandchildren were born, it seemed like their son had lost significance in their eyes, as their love and affection were entirely devoted to the children. Song Qilin found this amusing but stayed silent as his parents scolded him. Seeing that her husband wasn’t arguing back, Nie Shuang decided to step in.

"Father, Mother, please don’t worry. When I brought the triplets with you from Huangjing, the journey was much longer than this, and they were perfectly fine. In fact, they even enjoyed the trip. The distance from the capital to the northern border isn’t that far. Besides, we don’t need to rush. If we stop frequently along the way, the children won’t get too tired."

Upon hearing their daughter-in-law’s explanation, the elderly couple found it difficult to argue further. In fact, they seemed to respect her more than their own son.

"But... but..."

The Hou’s face was downcast. No matter how reasonable the explanation, he couldn’t bear to part from his beloved grandchildren. They were the apple of his eye, and being away from them for six months would be unbearable. While the Hou struggled to come up with more objections, Xu Shi spoke up.

"Our daughter-in-law is right. The journey to the northern border isn’t difficult at all. Now that the war is over, there’s nothing to worry about. Besides, the weather is warming up, and taking the children out for a bit of travel might actually be good for them. I haven’t had much chance to go out either, so I plan to join and help look after the children as well."

The Hou felt as if he had been betrayed. Just moments ago, his wife had been helping him criticize their son, and now she was supporting their daughter-in-law and even volunteering to go along. If he continued to insist that Nie Shuang and the children stay in the capital, his daughter-in-law might become displeased and refuse to let him join the trip at all. Realizing this, he quickly changed his tune.

"Now that I think about it, our daughter-in-law does have a point. The northern border isn’t far at all. I’m quite familiar with the route and the people there. I could be of great help by showing you around,"

The Hou eagerly offered, including himself in the travel plans immediately.

Nie Shuang smiled warmly at them.

"Won’t you find the journey tiring? Perhaps it would be better for you to stay in the capital with Second Brother and Princess An Le..."

"Tiring!? I’m not that old yet. If the children can handle the trip, surely I can too."

The Hou retorted, with Xu Shi chiming in,

"Exactly, and didn’t Qilin just say the roads are comfortable?"

"Second Brother and the Princess probably want some privacy anyway. As for the third and fourth children, they spend their days studying in the palace. They’re grown up and can take care of themselves. There’s no need for me to stay behind and look after them,"

The Hou remarked, showing little concern for his other sons.

“...”

In the end, the elderly couple happily packed their bags and prepared to join the journey, just as they wished.

When Nie Shuang was putting the children to bed, she gently told the older triplets,

"Children, your father will be returning to his post at the northern border for six months..."

Before she could finish, Bao Bao, Bei Bei, and Xiao Hua Hua’s faces all fell. They glanced over at their father, who was sitting next to their mother. Bao Bao reacted first—he turned away from his father and rolled over to lie facing the wall in his corner of the bed. Bei Bei and Xiao Hua Hua’s eyes turned red, looking like they were about to cry. Seeing the three dumplings’ sulking faces, Nie Shuang had to suppress her smile. These little ones were quite comical. Meanwhile, Song Qilin’s heart ached seeing his children so sad, so he quickly tried to comfort them.

"I’m taking you with me. We’ll all go to the northern border together as a family—Father, Mother, Grandfather, and Grandmother. Doesn’t that sound good? ...Bao Bao, are you asleep already? Aren’t you happy to come with me? There are lots of horses in the army there, and you love watching horses, don’t you?"

Slowly, Bao Bao’s chubby body rolled back to face him, not sitting up but lying there shyly, his clear eyes gazing at his father. Xiao Hua Hua, hearing this, clapped her hands in excitement.

"Horses! Neigh! Neigh!"

Bei Bei grabbed his mother’s hand and pleaded sweetly, "Go..go...go together," as if he feared she might not join them.

Seeing their children brighten up again, Song Qilin was relieved. He tucked them in, but the children, too excited, refused to sleep and kept trying to get up. Nie Shuang spoke softly,

"If you’re good, of course, Mother and Father will take you along. But anyone who misbehaves will be left behind. Now it’s time for bed, so close your eyes and sleep."

Hearing this, the triplets quickly laid down and squeezed their eyes shut, afraid they’d be left behind. Seeing them like this, both parents had to stifle their laughter until their shoulders shook. Soon, the children drifted off to sleep.

The only one who seemed unhappy was Princess An Le. When she learned that Nie Shuang was leaving, she complained,

"Oh no! I thought now that I’m married, I’d see Sister Nie often. But if you’re going to the border, who will I talk to?"

"Don’t worry, Your Highness, you won’t be lonely. Second Brother follows you everywhere,"

Nie Shuang teased, making An Le blush. Since her marriage, Song Ren, a once-sociable man, rarely appeared in public. He would go straight home after work and no longer visited taverns or spent time with friends like before. When meeting his friends, they constantly teased him, saying he was afraid of his wife. Song Ren would just smile, never confirming or denying it.

"They say outside that the Princess has him completely under her control. Some even joke that he’s so pitiful, being kept locked up in the manor,"

Nie Shuang said with a laugh. An Le frowned with dissatisfaction, her fair hands clenched into fists on the table, and her big round eyes began to water as if she were about to cry.

"Control him? Lock him up? How could I possibly do anything to him? If anything, it’s him..."

The princess’s voice trembled, and she looked as if she had been wronged.

"Your Highness, has Second Brother done something to upset you?"

Nie Shuang gently asked, trying to soothe her. She knew that the princess could be headstrong, and although Song Ren was gentle and doted on her, he wasn’t very familiar with how to treat women. She wanted to help the young couple better understand each other.

An Le grasped Nie Shuang’s hand and lamented,

"Everyone says I bully A’Ren, but in truth, it’s him who bullies me. Waah. Sister Nie, do you know? On our wedding night, he let me sleep peacefully at first, but before dawn, when I woke up, he exhausted me so much that I could barely stand for the tea ceremony. After that, I hardly left the bed. I thought he was a gentle man, but no—he’s just deceiving everyone. He’s actually a wolf in disguise."

"Do you not like him touching you? If so, maybe you should tell him directly,"

Nie Shuang asked, concerned. But An Le shook her head, her cheeks flushing the color of ripe peaches.

"I...do like it, it’s just...just that I feel completely drained. He said we need to try harder if we want twins. Sister Nie, did you have to go through this much to have your little dumplings?!"

"Your Highness," Nie Shuang squeezed her hand in reassurance, "whether or not you have twins is up to fate. As for Second Brother, if you give in to him, a strong young man like him may find it hard to restrain himself. But since you’re husband and wife, just be open with him—tell him what you like and don’t like."

An Le nodded, looking at Nie Shuang with admiration.

"Sister Nie, I don’t want you to leave..."

Nie Shuang smiled at her.

"Don’t worry, Your Highness. Second Brother has a good heart. You’ll be happy with him, I’m sure of it. And I’m only going away temporarily, not moving to the northern border permanently. You’re capable and wise. I’ll be counting on you to keep an eye on Yong An Hou Manor and Xiangyun Tea House in the capital while I’m gone."

Seeing Sister Nie’s confidence in her, An Le felt a surge of determination. She puffed out her chest and responded eagerly,"Don’t worry, Sister Nie. I, An Le, will not let you down!"