Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 1.1

Chapter 1.1

June’s weather was unpredictable. While strolling down the official road, Mr. Shen Tingwen and his family heard a loud thunderclap and realised it was about to rain.

“Mom, please try not to freak out. My dad has asked some people to go ahead and check if there is somewhere to hide from the rain.”

“Please quickly return to the carriage and make sure to avoid getting wet in the rain.”

“Yes Mom, why don’t you go inside first.”

The sky made loud noises, and the carriage moved around very roughly. Shen Qingqing couldn’t sleep well anymore. She frowned and opened her eyes. The inside of the carriage was very dark. Shen Qingqing was lying down and facing the wall. When she heard her brother calling for her, she turned her head and looked outside, feeling a bit confused.

“Slow down, sit properly, otherwise you will fallen down” Mrs. Shen, who came from outside, helped her daughter in time. Looking at her daughter’s red face and blurred and moist almond eyes, Mrs. Shen smiled softly. Everyone else cared about their sons, but she loved her only daughter the most. She wished she could carry her daughter in her arms wherever she went and raise her lovingly for the rest of her life.

Shen Qingqing suddenly recalled where she was. She quickly looked at her pretty mother. Shen Qingqing saw her good brother Shen Su through the bamboo curtain. He had a very attractive face.

“Brother” Shen Qingqing said, feeling confused. She was travelling with her mother in the carriage, while her father, her older brother and younger brother were walking. ‘Why did my brother come over?’

The little sister who had just woken up looked foolish. Shen Su smiled a little and said, “It’s going to rain. The ride will be rough if we drive fast, so please be prepared.” After he spoke, a strong wind came in along with raindrops.

Water droplets landed on Shen Qingqing’s face, making it feel both refreshing and slightly irritating. Shen Qingqing moved her head and hid in her mother’s arms.

“Can you use your mom’s clothes instead of a towel to clean your face?” Mrs. Shen smiled and gently squeezed her daughter’s visible, light-red earlobe.

Shen Qingqing smiled secretly.

-Advertisement-

Part of the main road was far away from other places. The Shen family’s group of carriages drove fast for 30 minutes before reaching the bottom of a mountain.

It was raining cats and dogs and the carriage couldn’t go up the mountain. All the people, except a few guards, had to go to Koizumi Temple on the side of the mountain to find protection from the rain.

Walking became more difficult after they wore raincoats. Shen Tingwen walked in front while holding hands with his six-year-old son, Shen Wang. Mrs. Shen was supported by the maid and walked in the middle. Shen Su and Shen Qingqing, brothers and sisters, followed side by side.

There was only a little moss growing on the stone steps and it made them very slippery. So, the masters and servants walked carefully.

Even though that was the case, Shen Qingqing felt happy. She enjoyed watching the rain the most. When she was a kid, she used to secretly go out when it rained, walking with her bare feet in small, clean puddles. After a while, her wet nurse found her and took her away. She couldn’t do whatever she wanted anymore because she had to follow the rules and manners of a lady. She started behaving differently as she grew older.

Shen Qingqing was calm and content as she watched the rain in the mountains while her brother held her hand. She noticed that the rain looked like a curtain, and the faraway green mountains were covered in clouds and mist, making it resemble a magical fairyland. The rain formed little droplets on the leaves and fell down slowly. The ticking sound on the stone steps was also very nice.

Shen Qingqing stopped looking around and focused on walking only after she became tired from climbing the mountain.

The person who was taking care of the temple welcomed them. The Xiaoquan Temple was a temple in Cangzhou that was not well-known or visited often. Besides the abbot, there were  just four more monks in the temple, and not many people usually visited the temple.

Now he heard that Mr. Shen from Shenge’s hometown in the capital was coming to stay for the night, the abbot was happy, so he called four monks to quickly clean out a few guest rooms, and then stood in front of the door together to welcome the distinguished guest.

After a long wait, some voices were finally heard from the road on the mountain. The abbot seemed serious, and when he raised his eyes, he noticed a few people walking on the path covered by leafy trees. The man was in his thirties and had a kind-looking face. The woman had shiny eyes and light skin. Her beauty was so captivating that even monks couldn’t resist looking at her.

‘They are probably Master Shen and his wife.’

The boy in the middle of the couple had thick eyebrows and big eyes. His eyes were dark and he looked around a lot, showing that he was mischievous. The other young man had attractive looks and was very calm. And there was a girl beside him.

The abbot couldn’t help but be startled.

Have a nice day!