Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Li Zhi was a big fan of horse riding.

The endless grassland stretched to the horizon, looking like a green-coloured sea.

He rode his horse with a sense of boundless freedom.

He was the head of the imperial guards, and there were huge responsibilities on his head. So opportunities for fun were rare. That was why he took Shen Qingqing along to enjoy the day together.

However, Li Zhi didn’t quite consider Shen Qingqing’s comfort.

At first, she was amazed by the stunning views—the bright blue sky, lush green grass, and a refreshing breeze. It was a sight unlike anything in the capital or Jiangnan. But soon enough, the thrill of the scenery was overshadowed by the ride. The hard saddle was uncomfortable, and it rubbed roughly on her delicate thighs.

“Stop, stop!” 

Suddenly, Shen Qingqing smacked Li Zhi’s arm, wincing in discomfort.

Li Zhi pulled the reins, unsure whether to laugh or feel sorry for her after hearing her complaints.

“Let’s head back,” she suggested, glancing at the palace roofs. Now she wanted comfort, nothing else.

 But Li Zhi wrapped his arms around her waist and said gently, “If we come to the grasslands, we have to experience it fully. Otherwise, what’s the point?”

Shen Qingqing couldn’t help but think to herself that she was really here for the whole lamb roasted over a bonfire under the stars, not just for the endless green fields.

Li Zhi seemed to read her mind and whispered playfully in her ear, “I’ll treat you to dinner tonight, but you’ve got to stick with me for some daytime adventures.”

Shen Qingqing couldn’t help but blush.

“Does it hurt when the horse walks like this?” Li Zhi asked with concern as the horse walked slowly like a leisurely stroll in a garden.

Shen Qingqing shook her head. It would be less uncomfortable without the bumps.

Li Zhi then held his young wife with one hand and loosely grasped the reins with the other, allowing the horse to go forward as it pleased.

Tightly pressed against the man, Shen Qingqing felt ashamed. ‘This posture makes it really hard not to daydream.’

In order not to have such thoughts, Shen Qingqing pointed to the silver-belt-like river in the distance and said, “I want to go for a walk by the river.” 

Li Zhi said yes, turned his horse around, and the couple rode slowly to the river.

The river looked narrow from a distance, but when Shen Qingqing reached the river, she discovered that the river was about three meters wide. 

As it was midsummer, various coloured wildflowers had bloomed on the riverbanks.

As they approached, grasshoppers would jump out one after another and flee to a place where they would not be disturbed.

“Where does this water come from?” Standing by the river, Shen Qingqing looked around to see any mountains but could only see the green grassland.

“There are snow-capped mountains over there. This river originates from several springs in the mountains. In the summer, the snow on the top of the mountain melts and flows into those springs, increasing the water level. In autumn, the water level will drop, and some sections of the river will even dry up and expose the riverbed,” Li Zhi explained while pointing in a direction far away.

Shen Qingqing looked in the direction Li Zhi pointed and couldn’t help but feel longing.

“Want to go?” Realising his wife’s thoughts, Li Zhi asked in a low voice.

‘I can’t even see the mountain peak, so it might be very far away. Oh… It’ll be very tiring even to ride a horse or a carriage.’ Thinking that, Shen Qingqing looked at the river again and continued to admire the view of the river.

Li Zhi walked beside her, leading the horse, and told Shen Qingqing interesting stories that he had encountered when he came to the grassland before.

Li Zhi was just a businessman before his sister entered the palace. Therefore, he used to follow his family’s caravan to the grassland to sell tea, salt, and silk, and then bring furs from outside the Great Wall back to Jiangnan to sell. 

Listening to Li Zhi’s words, Shen Qingqing felt like she was listening to some adventures and was soon immersed in his world.

“Once a caravan stayed at an inn outside the Great Wall. A woman from the Central Plains in mourning clothes was kneeling at the door. She was crying and looked quite pretty. She claimed that she came to the Great Wall with her father to do business. When she arrived here, she was framed by a villain, and both father and daughter lost all their money. Her father was so angry that he was bedridden and soon became terminally ill. After he died, she had no choice but to sell herself to bury her father.”

‘Is this true or a fable?’ Thinking about the possibility that could happen, Shen Qingqing glanced at Li Zhi with a raised eyebrow. “You bought her?” 

“If I were such a lustful person, at my age now, I would already be surrounded by several children,” Li Zhi replied seriously.

Hearing that, Shen Qingqing curled her lips.

“I didn’t buy her or anything like that. A steward named Du, who worked for me, buried her father and then kept her close. She was a beautiful woman, and it seemed she knew how to keep a man under her skirt. By the time we got back, she was already expecting. Once we returned to Jiangnan, Steward Du took her in as his concubine, and the next year, she gave a son for him,” Li Zhi explained more.

Shen Qingqing was a bit confused about why Li Zhi was sharing this story. So far, it didn’t seem all that significant.

Li Zhi grinned and added, “A year later, Steward Du’s first wife passed away. Right after the funeral, he wasted no time making that woman his official wife.” 

Shen Qingqing asked with a frown, “Are you suggesting that Steward Du’s first wife died under suspicious circumstances?”

Li Zhi agreed. “Exactly. Just like my second uncle. He has many concubines but never managed to have a son.”

Shen Qingqing thought about the seemingly kind-hearted Second Madam Li and realised that appearances could be deceiving.

“I’ve realised since I was a kid that more women means more troubles,” Li Zhi said, looking at Shen Qingqing meaningfully.

Shen Qingqing: ‘…So he told this story to bring this up.’ 

Thinking with a heavy heart, Shen Qingqing turned to look at the river. 

From where Li Zhi stood, he could see his wife’s almond-shaped eyes sparkling with the reflection of the water. He noticed they were clear and lively.

‘She is a sweet but somewhat naive girl.’

Li Zhi took her hand.

Shen Qingqing jumped a bit, instinctively pulling away her hand. 

But Li Zhi held her hand gently, reassuring her. “It’s just us here. No need to be polite.” 

However, her cheeks were flushed, and after a few attempts to break free, she settled down with a serious expression.

Li Zhi kept sharing stories with her.

The tales were captivating, but as the sun climbed higher, Shen Qingqing started to feel hot. Unlike Li Zhi, who didn’t mind the blazing sun, Shen Qingqing was worried about getting a tan. Her teeth were already so white that she didn’t want to risk darkening her face.

“There’s a village up ahead. Let’s grab some lunch there,” Li Zhi suddenly suggested with a smile.

Shen Qingqing nodded in agreement.

This time Li Zhi made sure to ride at a comfortable pace for his wife. 

The village he mentioned was quite small, with just a few houses scattered around. There wasn’t even an inn, but the locals were super friendly. 

A friendly couple in their forties welcomed them into their home. They had three sturdy sons; the oldest was engaged and set to marry in the fall, while the younger two were still on the lookout for partners.

The three brothers were also at home at that time, and when they saw Shen Qingqing, they were stunned for a moment. With flushed faces, they shyly glanced at her.

Shen Qingqing felt her cheeks heat up under their gaze.

But she didn’t feel uncomfortable at all; it was clear they just thought she was pretty.

The cheerful woman playfully scolded her three sons in the local dialect.

Shen Qingqing couldn’t understand what she said, so Li Zhi leaned in and whispered, “She said you’re a fairy from the moon who came down to earth. The three brothers are not even worthy of herding sheep for you, so don’t think about it.” 

Shen Qingqing couldn’t help but laugh.

She wasn’t used to the food from the grasslands, but the host was so generous and offered her plenty to eat.

Shen Qingqing forced a smile and took a few bites, but she really couldn’t eat any more and felt too shy to admit it.

Suddenly, Li Zhi picked up her bowl, transferred the rice into his own, and explained something in the local dialect to the woman who was busy hosting.

After hearing this, the woman beamed with joy. She said something to Shen Qingqing, then dashed inside and returned with a black cloth bag. She gave it to Shen Qingqing while pointing at Li Zhi.

Shen Qingqing kept her smile and gave Li Zhi a playful wink.

Li Zhi grinned and said, “This is a gift from her, so you should take it.” 

Shen Qingqing looked puzzled and whispered, “Why is she giving me a gift all of a sudden?”

Li Zhi shrugged and said, “She said that you two get along well.”

Shen Qingqing didn’t believe her husband’s words, but she couldn’t confirm it.

“Let’s finish up,” Li Zhi said, passing her bowl back. 

Shen Qingqing glanced down and noticed that there were a few bites of rice left, while Li Zhi’s bowl was still filled.

After they finished eating, they exchanged thanks and said their goodbyes.

As they rode out of the village, Shen Qingqing turned back and saw the family still standing at the door, watching them leave.

“Did you really enjoy the food that much?” she asked, recalling Li Zhi’s empty bowl. She honestly thought the food was pretty bland.

Li Zhi gave a wry smile and said, “Not really, but I didn’t want to hurt their feelings.”

Shen Qingqing studied him for a moment, surprised by how thoughtful he was.

“By the way, what’s the deal with this stone?” she asked, pulling out the round, fist-sized white stone from the black bag the woman had given her.

“So, this woman said that after three years of marriage without a baby, she went to pray at the Aobao. She bowed three times, and then this stone rolled down from it. She took it as a sign from the gods, and after that, she had three sons in a row. She was convinced that the stone was the reason for her good fortune,” he replied after putting the stone into the bag.

“Hold on, why did she give me this stone?” Shen Qingqing asked after thinking for a few seconds. ‘It seemed Li Zhi had told some nonsense.’

[In Chinese religion, an Aobao (敖包) is a mound-shaped altar used for worship by Mongols and connected ethnic groups. The Mongolian word “Aobao” means “heaps of stones.”]

Li Zhi looked at his wife’s belly and replied cheerfully, “You’re not eating much, so we need a reason. I just said,  you’re dealing with morning sickness and have lost your appetite.”

Suddenly, it clicked for Shen Qingqing. ‘No wonder the woman was so eager to help her!’

Feeling a mix of anger and embarrassment, Shen Qingqing didn’t want to stay in his embrace and playfully pushed him away.

Li Zhi chuckled and pulled her back into his arms. Just as he was about to comfort her, he noticed some dark clouds rolling in the sky. With a serious expression, Li Zhi said, “Looks like it’s going to rain.” 

Shen Qingqing glanced up at the black clouds and felt a bit anxious.

“The weather on the grasslands can change quickly. Sometimes there would be hail. We need to head back to the palace fast. Just hang in there for a bit,” Li Zhi said firmly. And without waiting for her response, he urged his horse into a gallop.

The wind picked up out of nowhere, stinging her face. Shen Qingqing wanted to face it, but the pain was too much, so she ended up hiding in Li Zhi’s arms.

Li Zhi kissed her head to soothe her and urged their horse to go faster.

The palace loomed ahead, but dark clouds rolled in behind them, unleashing a downpour that soaked them to the bone.

Shen Qingqing struggled to catch her breath.

Luckily, there was no hail; otherwise, with the rain coming down like this, they and their horse would have been in serious trouble.

Since officials weren’t allowed to ride horses in the temporary palace, when they reached the gates, Li Zhi scooped Shen Qingqing onto his back and dashed inside.

The rain was very hard, and everything looked blurred. So Shen Qingqing didn’t have time to worry about the gossip that might arise from this situation. With her forehead pressed against Li Zhi’s strong back, she felt like a tiny ant in a raging sea, and he was the only piece of driftwood she could cling to.

If he survived, she would too; if he fell, she would follow.

End of chapter 42

Have a nice day!