Raising a wife? The mistress of the Hou family divorced and remarried her younger uncle

Chapter 387 Aunt and Nephew 2
Several carriages followed behind Nianqing, all gifts prepared by former officials of Huainan to congratulate Su Qingwan on the birth of her son. When he lifted the carriage curtain and entered, his brows were filled with the lively smile unique to young people: "Auntie, look at me, your nephew is like a messenger. All these items in the carriage are the good wishes of my uncles."

Looking at the boxes of brocade, medicinal herbs, and various exquisite trinkets, Su Qingwan couldn't help but shake her head with a smile: "They always go to such lengths." After saying that, she called Qingyun over, "Accept them all, and carefully write down the names. I will return the favor another day."

As the sounds of the servants unloading the gifts faded into the distance, she took a closer look at the young man before her. In just one year, Nianqing had grown more than half a head taller, his skin now bearing the dark tan of battlefield experience. He was already more mature than other children his age, and now, nearing the height of a grown man, though his shoulders still bore the thinness of a youth, his eyes held the sharp glint of seasoned warriors, giving him a commanding presence. Su Qingwan looked at the faint scar on his forehead, still barely faded, and felt a slight pang in her heart—this child was clearly still a child, yet he bore the weight of the vast land of Huainan.

As if sensing the pity in her eyes, Nianqing took a half step forward and spoke softly, "Aunt, please don't worry. I'm doing well in Huainan. I was indeed apprehensive when I first returned, afraid of disappointing Mother and Aunt's expectations, and even more afraid of not being able to shoulder the legacy left by our ancestors. Now..." He raised his hand and pressed the sword at his waist, his knuckles calloused from years of holding the reins, "I have a clear mind and have gained more strength. Please don't worry, Aunt."

"How can I put your mind at ease?" Su Qingwan reached out and stroked the newly grown wisps of hair behind his ear, her fingertips trembling slightly as they touched his warm skin. "Your uncle said you were seriously injured on the battlefield of Xilin. Are you well now? The doctors from Huainan are ultimately no match for the imperial physicians. Have they examined you carefully?"

“It’s nothing.” Nianqing slightly turned his head to avoid her touch, but still maintained a docile demeanor. “The arrow wound has healed seven or eight parts, and the epidemic a while ago was just a false alarm. If Aunt is really worried, we can ask the imperial physician to come and take a look in a couple of days.” His tone was gentle, but his words revealed an undeniable certainty, which reminded Su Qingwan of her deceased elder brother—that gentle yet resilient appearance was exactly the same. Her throat tightened slightly, and she quickly turned her face away to wipe the corner of her eye.

Children of this age should be enjoying the company of their parents, but Nianqing has already grown up to be able to shelter her from the wind and rain.

“By the way,” Nianqing suddenly changed the subject, her gaze sweeping around the room for a moment, “Where’s my little cousin?”

“Xiaoyuer just fell asleep.” Su Qingwan raised her hand to signal him to be quiet. “You can give him a good hug when he wakes up.”

"I wonder if he looks more like his aunt or his uncle?"

"She's only a month old now, just a tiny, pink and chubby little thing, how can you tell the difference?" Su Qingwan looked at the baby in the cradle with a gentle smile. "But you, you've looked just like your father since you were little."

Nianqing smiled upon hearing this, his eyes and brows relaxing. "My uncles and aunts often say the same thing, that the expression in my eyes is exactly the same as my father's when he was young." When he mentioned his father, his tone was natural, without the awkwardness of the past. It seemed that during his time in the Xilin military camp, those veterans who had followed his brother must have often told him about the past.

Su Qingwan felt secretly gratified. In the past, when Nianqing first heard about his biological father's deeds, he always felt somewhat awkward, after all, he was a relative he had never met in person. Now, this familiarity felt like it filled a void.

"Is the battle in Xilin really going smoothly?" she asked softly, getting down to business.

"Thanks to the blessings of our ancestors, it was much faster than expected." Nianqing's eyes lit up as he spoke of the war. "I thought it would drag on for at least two or three years, but we won in just one year. My grandfather and father guarded Huainan for decades, and their reputation was already etched in the hearts of the people of Xilin. When I first arrived, I was always afraid of disgracing their name, especially after the first defeat..." His fingers unconsciously stroked the hilt of his sword, and his voice lowered. "My uncles all said that victory and defeat are common in war, but I couldn't sleep that night, tossing and turning, and I spent the whole night reading the military books and notes left by my grandfather and father. I just wanted to learn as much as possible so that I could save my brothers from bleeding. Every time we deployed our troops, I felt like I was walking on thin ice, so I always charged to the front, which was quite exhilarating."

He spoke of those days of swords and shadows as if recounting a dramatic legend, his excitement barely concealed. Su Qingwan listened quietly, and in a daze, she felt as if she had returned to her girlhood, nestled at her father's knees, listening to him tell stories of the battles on the frontier, watching her brother polish the long spear that had accompanied him in battle. Those tales of war and bloodshed held within them the heroic spirit she admired most.

As the sun gradually set outside the window, Nianqing's chatter, once unleashed, was unstoppable. From how he saw through the enemy's feint to his confrontation with the enemy general on the battlefield, even the youthful spirit in his eyes was tinged with the fierce courage of the battlefield. Su Qingwan listened with a smile throughout, occasionally interjecting with a question or two, her eyes full of doting affection.

She knew that once Nianqing returned to Huainan, these days of heart-to-heart talks would become fewer. The light and shadows flowing slowly under the eaves at this moment should be cherished and remembered.