Chapter 194: New Home

Chapter 194

New Home

The new home for the children was the General’s manor at the northern border. Although it wasn’t as grand as the Hou Manor, it was comfortable enough for everyone to live together conveniently. General Song had arranged for the place to be cleaned beforehand, and all the furniture was prepared, as he had planned for his wife to stay there since the time he intended to flee with her. The Hou and Xu Shi were given the largest bedroom in a separate wing, as Nie Shuang was concerned that the children’s crying at night might disturb the elderly couple’s sleep.

After getting off the carriage, the Hou and Xu Shi went to freshen up and rest in their room, planning to join the family for dinner in the evening. The elder set of triplets ran around exploring the house as soon as they stepped inside. Xiao Hua Hua looked around and then turned to her mother, saying,

"Home...new home."

Nie Shuang smiled and nodded. Along the way, she had told them that their father would be taking them to live in a new home, so Xiao Hua Hua remembered. Then she turned to her father and asked,

"New home...whose?"

Song Qilin smiled at his daughter and knelt down beside her.

"It’s Hua Hua’s. Do you like it?"

Xiao Hua Hua shook her head. The house at the Hou Manor was much bigger, and it even had beautiful flower gardens. Song Qilin was left momentarily speechless, and Nie Shuang, seeing his expression, laughed.

"They say children never lie,"

She teased him, adding a lighthearted note to the warm atmosphere. At that moment, the youngest twin, Shang’er, who had been sleeping throughout the journey, slowly opened his eyes. Seeing that he was being held by a wet nurse, he started to cry, his small mouth pouting in sadness. Song Qilin quickly took him into his arms, walking around to soothe him. Shang’er stopped crying, but as soon as he saw his mother holding his fourth brother, Min’er, he made a fuss, wanting her to hold him too. Shang’er was the youngest, and he tended to be the most demanding. Nie Shuang didn’t want to spoil him every time, so she leaned forward to talk to him instead.

Li’er was being carried by Xiao San. As she watched her older siblings walking around, she squirmed, wanting to crawl and explore. Nie Shuang was still busy managing the younger set of twins, and before she could finish, Da Ge was already running all over the house, going from one room to another, with Xiao Tong struggling to keep up with him.

Bei Bei held Xiao Hua Hua’s hand, attempting to follow Da Ge. Despite having just arrived, the children didn’t show any signs of fatigue; they were full of energy and eager to explore their new home.

That evening, Xu Shi personally supervised the kitchen. The family had been traveling for many days, and some meals along the way had been rather simple. Today, she made sure the cook prepared a special feast, not only for the family but also for the servants and soldiers who had accompanied them.

As soon as Da Ge saw the food on the table, his eyes lit up. He pointed to a chicken drumstick in one of the bowls and shouted, "That’s for Bao Bao." Song Qilin lightly knocked his son’s head.

"You little glutton, when you grow up, don’t let anyone see you act like this, or you’ll embarrass us."

Bao Bao pouted, rubbing his head, but before he could protest, his grandparents scolded his father.

"Qilin, why are you hitting Da Ge? He’s still young. You should teach him gently."

"Exactly. That’s too rough. You’ve spent too much time in the military camp, treating a small child like he’s a soldier,"

The Hou and Xu Shi chimed in agreement. Bao Bao, seeing his grandparents backing him up, grinned from ear to ear, but his face quickly fell when he caught sight of his mother’s gaze.

Nie Shuang understood why the elderly would spoil their grandchild. Although she couldn’t stop them, she still had to remind her little one of proper behavior.

That night, after the children were put to bed, Song Qilin hugged his wife tightly.

"I’m so happy. From now on, I’ll get to see you and the children every day."

"The military camp is quite far from the city, isn’t it? If you travel back and forth daily, it’ll be exhausting. Coming home two or three times a week should be enough,"

Nie Shuang suggested, not wanting him to spend all his time traveling. Before she and the children had arrived, she’d heard that he hardly ever stayed at the General’s manor, spending all his time eating and sleeping with his soldiers at the camp.

He kissed her forehead.

"You and the children have come all this way. How could I not come home? Besides, I should help you take care of them. And since there’s no war at the moment, I only need to check on the training and make sure everything is in order. Don’t worry, it won’t affect my work."

Hearing this, Nie Shuang didn’t argue further. That night, she fell into a deep sleep, exhausted from the long journey.

The next morning, Bao Bao was the first to wake up. Xiao Tong took him to the hall to play, afraid he would wake his siblings. Song Qilin was about to leave for the military camp when he saw his son. He picked him up, kissed his cheek, played a quick round of up and down, then set him down again. Bao Bao wanted to go with him, so he ran after his father all the way to the front yard. Just as his father was about to mount his horse, Bao Bao called out,

"Bao Bao goes with Daddy!"

Song Qilin looked down at the little boy staring up at him with determination. Feeling amused, he scooped up the chubby boy and jumped onto the horse together. Xiao Tong, watching in shock, wondered how the General could take such a small child to the military camp without even having breakfast. If the Young Furen found out, she would surely scold him.

"Tell Young Furen not to worry. I’ll take him to eat at the camp, and I promise to bring him back in one piece by evening,"

The General said before spurring his horse onward. With one hand on the reins and the other holding his son, the sound of Bao Bao’s excited cheering echoed as they disappeared into the distance, leaving only a cloud of dust and a bewildered Xiao Tong behind.

When Xiao Tong reported this to Nie Shuang, she simply shook her head. The father and son sometimes bickered but other times were inseparable. She wasn’t worried about Bao Bao. He was easy-going and adaptable; staying at the military camp with his father wouldn’t be difficult. In fact, with all the soldiers around, he might even enjoy it.

That evening, Bao Bao returned home covered in dirt, fast asleep in his father’s arms. Song Qilin had tied him securely with cloth while riding back on the horse. Nie Shuang took him from her husband’s arms and carried him to bed.

"So, how was it? What made you take him along?"

"I remember I promised to take him to see the warhorse formation. Today there was a training exercise, so I took him to watch."

"Was he being mischievous?"

Nie Shuang asked, gently stroking their eldest son’s head as he slept peacefully.

"Our little boy is like a monkey, running around everywhere. He talked to everyone he met, and when it was time to eat, he sat with the soldiers, refusing to sit with me. He sat at the end of the line like a new recruit. It seems he’s already made many friends in the army,"

Song Qilin recounted with a smile. Nie Shuang took the warm cloth from Xiao San and wiped down her son while saying,

"I’ve rested enough today, so tomorrow I plan to explore the city. I’m curious about the trade here in Hubei. If there’s anything interesting, I might consider starting a business."

"Tomorrow I’m free. I’ll take you around myself,"

Song Qilin quickly volunteered. Normally, when they were in the capital, he hardly had the chance to stroll around with his wife. He was already planning to leave the little ones at home and enjoy a day out alone with her.Nie Shuang didn’t object. She had secretly been thinking the same thing.