Chapter 4: Two Little Grandsons

Chapter 4: Two Little Grandsons

The night breeze was gentle and cool. Yin Hongxue sat in Chen Youyan's arms, covered with a cloth to block the wind.

Yin Hongxue clutched a small bundle in his hands, his whole person still in a daze.

What did it mean that from now on he would be the Gu family's child groom, and that he must serve Gu Chaoning well?

Thinking of what his stepmother had told him before they left, Yin Hongxue cautiously poked his head out from Chen Youyan's embrace and looked at Gu Chaoning sitting across from him.

Gu Chaoning was holding Gu Muan in his arms. Gu Muan had played all day without a nap, and was now rubbing his eyes and yawning, drowsiness taking hold.

Gu Chaoning held Gu Muan with one arm while gently patting his back with the other. Both of them were also wrapped in cloth.

As if sensing the gaze, Gu Chaoning slowly looked over and met Yin Hongxue's eyes.

Yin Hongxue blinked and smiled at Gu Chaoning.

He thought to himself, serving Chaoning Ge—did it mean fetching water for Chaoning Ge to wash his feet like he did at home? Or washing Chaoning Ge's clothes? Or patting his back to lull him to sleep like Chaoning Ge did with An Geer?

Seeing him smile, Gu Chaoning couldn't help but smile back.

Yin Hongxue shyly shrank back into Chen Youyan's arms.

He thought, Chaoning Ge is good to him—plays with him, gives him cakes, helps him cut grass for the chickens—so becoming Chaoning Ge's child groom and serving him was something he was willing to do.

*

By the time they returned, the sky was pitch black. On the road through Xiaohe Village, apart from their family, there was only the occasional sound of dogs barking.

They had spent the whole day on buying Yin Hongxue, which had taken up a lot of time. Fortunately, the Gu family knew they would be back today and had left the door unlocked for them.

"Mother! Father!" That evening, Gu Wen had trouble handling the donkey cart on his own, so once he opened the door, he called out to his parents.

Hearing the shouts, there was immediate movement inside the house. Wang Xiuxiu was the first to come out, holding an oil lamp.

As she walked, she instinctively counted heads in her mind.

One, two, three, four... five?

Wang Xiuxiu thought she was seeing things and hurriedly brought the lamp closer.

Actually, the moonlight outside was very bright—she couldn't have been mistaken. Wang Xiuxiu held up the lamp, and as soon as she got close, she met a pair of big, fluttering eyes.

Wang Xiuxiu was stunned for a moment, then looked at Chen Youyan, who was holding Yin Hongxue, puzzled: "Youyan, this, this... what's going on?"

"Ma, this is Xue Geer. Is there hot water left in the kitchen? I want to give the child a bath."

Hearing about a bath, Yin Hongxue shrank cautiously into Chen Youyan's arms.

That meant "we'll talk about it later." Wang Xiuxiu nodded repeatedly. "Yes, your father and I figured you'd be back around now, so we boiled two pots of water."

Gu Daniu was a step behind and called out as soon as he came out the door: "What took you so long? Did something come up?"

Seeing Gu Wen struggling with the donkey cart, Gu Daniu shuffled over in his straw sandals, his feet slapping the ground.

As he got closer, Gu Daniu helped Gu Wen with the cart while his gaze instinctively searched for his eldest and youngest grandsons.

Without anyone needing to point it out, he immediately met a pair of timid, fearful big eyes.

Hmm, the youngest grandson seemed a bit taller, but why didn't he seem happy?

Gu Daniu then looked at Gu Chaoning, who was holding Gu Muan and bouncing him a little, feeling how heavy he was.

Hahaha, the eldest grandson couldn't carry him again, and the youngest grandson was still this chubby...

Wait a minute.

Gu Daniu looked back at Chen Youyan's arms. Chen Youyan happened to bounce the child in his arms at that moment.

Wait—there were two little grandsons!?

Chen Youyan noticed Gu Daniu's confused look and patted Yin Hongxue, prompting him: "Xue Geer, this is Grandpa," then he pointed to Wang Xiuxiu, "and this is Grandma."

Yin Hongxue said in a very soft voice, "Grandpa, Grandma."

Gu Daniu and Wang Xiuxiu quickly responded.

The two elders' expressions were pretty funny. Chen Youyan called Gu Chaoning to come with him to the bathhouse to help wash the two little boys.

This left the space open so Wang Xiuxiu and Gu Daniu could ask questions freely.

Though called a bathhouse, it was really just a small room built next to the kitchen, with a bathing tub, wooden basins, and such—handy for water access.

In winter, the Gu family would also wash clothes in that room, since the kitchen's heat kept it warm.

"Put your little brother in the basin first," Chen Youyan said.

There were two bathing tubs in the room—one for Gu Daniu and Wang Xiuxiu, one for Gu Wen and Chen Youyan—but Gu Muan was too small to use one.

Since they bathed every day in summer, it was easy to clean him up. Chen Youyan was quick with his hands, first wiping Gu Muan clean, then telling Gu Chaoning to carry him inside to bed.

Chen Youyan then looked at Yin Hongxue.

Yin Hongxue was already six, so Chen Youyan probably didn't need to undress him.

Yin Hongxue shrank by the door. Seeing Chen Youyan look over, he hesitated for a moment, then obediently undressed and sat in the big wooden basin.

Chen Youyan's breath caught.

The little boy's body was fair and thin. His back, waist, thighs, inner arms, and other places hidden under his clothes were covered in bruises of varying shades—some deep, some light.

Especially on his inner arms, bruise upon bruise, as if the old ones hadn't healed before new ones appeared.

Since giving birth to Gu Muan, Chen Youyan had become especially prone to tears. He blinked rapidly to hold back the tears.

Turning his head, he saw the little boy looking at him with a look of embarrassment and worry.

Chen Youyan pretended he hadn't seen anything, keeping his expression neutral as he used a loofah to scoop hot water over Yin Hongxue's body.

Seeing that Chen Youyan didn't ask, Yin Hongxue quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Luckily, Chen Fulang hadn't asked.

Before leaving, his stepmother had told him that if Chen Fulang asked about the bruises, he should say he fell.

Otherwise, if Chen Fulang found out he'd been punished for getting up late or cutting grass too slowly, he might think Yin Hongxue was a lazy, bad kid and stop liking him.

Yin Hongxue felt timid and scared inside, but he also felt that lying wasn't quite right.

Fortunately, Chen Fulang didn't ask him.

Yin Hongxue relaxed, swishing his hand through the water.

To be honest, at first, in the heat of the moment, he had agreed to Gu Chaoning.

But holding Yin Hongxue, swaying the whole way back on the mule cart, Chen Youyan had long since calmed down.

After all, it was about raising another child, and going behind the elders' backs to make such a decision. Chen Youyan couldn't shake a nagging unease.

But now, seeing Yin Hongxue covered in bruises, Chen Youyan's heart, which had been bobbing like a cork in water, suddenly settled.

He suddenly realized that Gu Chaoning was right, and that he and Wen Ge had done the right thing.

Even if Xue Geer had the worst life possible in their home, he'd still be better off than he was in the Yin family.

With this thought, Chen Youyan's resolve grew even firmer. He deliberately dug out the powdered bath beans that Gu Wen had bought him before, scrubbed Yin Hongxue clean, and then carried him to the bedroom.

On the large heated brick bed (kang), Gu Muan was already sound asleep, and no matter how much Gu Wen poked his face or pinched his hands, he wouldn't wake up.

Gu Muan was still young and still slept with them, while Gu Chaoning, being older and male, had long been moved to sleep alone in the eastern wing.

Chen Youyan placed Yin Hongxue next to Gu Muan, then swatted Gu Wen, who was deliberately causing mischief.

"If you wake him up, I'm not dealing with him."

Gu Wen, having received a loving smack from his husband, finally let go with satisfaction.

He first gave his husband a sheepish smile, then rolled over to make room.

Yin Hongxue, seeing Chen Youyan hit Gu Wen, widened his eyes in shock and alarm.

And when he saw that Gu Wen wasn't angry but instead smiled, he was so surprised his jaw dropped.

Chen Youyan, seeing how cute he looked, couldn't resist poking Yin Hongxue's cheek.

When Yin Hongxue looked over, Chen Youyan smiled especially gently: "Alright, go to sleep with An Geer now."

Chen Youyan shot Gu Wen a look and walked out.

That look nearly undid Gu Wen, and he immediately got up and followed.

But before he could even hug Chen Youyan for some affection, Chen Youyan ordered him to go dump out the bathwater used for the two children.

Dumping the water was easy—there was a drainage channel in the corner of the bathhouse that drained outside.

Gu Daniu was a mason, earning a living with his craft.

When Gu Wen was young, he couldn't get into books, and wanted to take up masonry with Gu Daniu, but because he was too young, Gu Daniu apprenticed him to a carpenter in town for three years.

At that time, Gu Daniu's intention wasn't to push him to learn much, just to keep him from wasting his days.

Although Gu Wen had no head for books, he was serious about learning a craft, and since he could read and understand blueprints, he picked it up even faster.

After three years, he hadn't mastered it, but he was decent enough. When he returned, he worked with Gu Daniu on masonry, and he kept up his carpentry skills too.

Thus, with both Gu Daniu and Gu Wen as craftsmen in the family, their house was a cut above the rest.

After dumping the water, Chen Youyan ordered Gu Wen to call Gu Chaoning for a bath, and after both he and Chen Youyan had washed up, they finally got a moment alone.

"Yan Geer..."

With two children still in the room, Gu Wen's voice was barely above a whisper.

Chen Youyan pulled Gu Wen's head into his arms, wearing a thoughtful expression.

"Yan Geer, you know the first time I saw you..."

"Wen Ge," Chen Youyan wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying. He held Gu Wen's head steady with both hands and looked at him seriously, "What do you say we head into town tomorrow?"

In the night lit only by moonlight, Chen Youyan's eyes were like bright stars, utterly captivating.

Gu Wen pouted, wanting to kiss him, but Chen Youyan kept his face away, preventing him from getting close. He rushed to agree, "Alright, alright, let's go to town."

Hearing what he wanted, Chen Youyan was satisfied, pushed Gu Wen's head away, and rolled over to go to sleep.

Gu Wen blinked. He hesitated. "Yan Geer?"

Chen Youyan, dead tired from the day: "zzzz..."

*

A night breeze stirred the sheer curtain at the window. Gu Chaoning stared at the moon outside the window, thinking back on his past life.

At what age had Yin Hongxue shown up at the marquis's mansion?

Gu Chaoning felt it best to stick to the same timing as his past life, or even push it later.

If Yin Hongxue returned while the affairs of the marquis's mansion were still unresolved, that would be a real problem.

But how old had Yin Hongxue been when he went back?

In his past life, he had only been focused on butting heads with him, so he truly knew nothing.

An eight-year-old body couldn't handle staying up so late, and he was about to pass out from exhaustion.

The only thought running through Gu Chaoning's mind was:

Tomorrow, I'll pester Papa and Dad to go to town and buy fabric to make clothes for Xue Geer.