"Yes."
Shen Qing placed her hand on her abdomen, her gaze gentle.
"Does that mean I'm going to be an uncle?"
"Yes. In a few more months, he'll come out and meet us."
"That's great!" Shen Yan was so excited that he almost jumped off the stool. "I'm going to have a little nephew!"
Shen Qing looked at him with a smile. "You only like little nephews? What about little nieces?"
Shen Yan quickly said, "No! I like them all!"
Shen Yan nervously looked at Shen Qing's belly. What if the little niece inside heard and thought he didn't like her?
"Sister, can you tell if it's a boy or a girl now?"
Shen Qing shook her head. "Not yet."
Although at this stage, one could tell the gender by feeling the pulse, she didn't want to know, so she deliberately didn't let anyone tell her.
Whether it was a boy or a girl, it was her child, and she was equally looking forward to its arrival.
Knowing in advance would take away the fun.
Seeing Shen Yan looking so tense, Shen Qing said with a smile, "Don't worry. He's still very small and won't hold a grudge against his uncle."
"That's good." Shen Yan let out a sigh of relief.
If the little nephew or niece held a grudge and didn't like him as an uncle after birth, he would really be heartbroken.
"When he's born, I'll definitely give him all my best things!"
Shen Qing was a bit curious. "What things?"
Shen Yan frowned and thought. His best things...
"Maybe I'll give him all my schoolwork..."
Shen Qing was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing with tears in her eyes.
Zhu Xing couldn't hold it in either and joked, "My lord, you'd better keep your schoolwork for yourself. Hahaha..."
Shen Yan blushed. It seemed a bit inappropriate to give schoolwork to a newly born little nephew or niece? He'd better wait before giving it.
"By the way, sister, there's another thing. Mother is sick."
Shen Qing knew he was referring not to Liu Xuan but to Jiang Shi.
Shen Qing was silent for a moment. "What did the doctor say?"
Shen Yan sighed and said like a little adult, "The doctor said it's due to pent - up emotions. Mother always stays alone and doesn't see anyone. She hasn't even taken her medicine for the past few days. I've seen Sister Caidie crying secretly several times."
Shen Qing frowned tightly. "This won't do."
"So I came to find you, sister, hoping you could persuade mother not to overwork herself."
Shen Yan hung his head. He didn't know much about Shen Mian's incident. He only knew that she had tried to harm Shen Qing. It was her own fault and she couldn't blame others. But Jiang Shi had always been good to him. Now, it seemed that only his sister could persuade her.
Shen Qing's mood was also complicated. After Shen Mian's incident, she had been somewhat avoiding Jiang Shi. "I'll go back and have a look when I'm free."
The snow outside wasn't very heavy and stopped soon.
Shen Yan stayed for a while longer and then went back. He had a lot of schoolwork to do. Since becoming the heir, every day of his was fully scheduled, but he didn't feel tired at all. Instead, he felt fulfilled.
The next day was sunny. The snow that hadn't accumulated much melted completely, as if it had never snowed.
On the third day, Shen Qing took a carriage back to the Protector - Duke's Mansion. Her belly was gradually getting bigger, and it wasn't convenient for her to move around. Moreover, due to the special nature of this pregnancy, Doctor Meng had also advised her not to go out if possible.
When she went out today, she not only took Yingxiu and Zhu Xing with her but also had many secret guards following. The inside of the carriage had also been renovated, and Yingxiu had laid a thick cushion inside.
Shen Qing was helped out of the carriage by Zhu Xing. Everyone in the Protector - Duke's Mansion came to greet her as usual. "The eldest miss is back!"
Seeing Shen Qing's belly, everyone was very surprised. When did the eldest miss get pregnant? How come her belly was already so big? There had been no news before.
But in a place like the Guangping Marquis's Mansion, the eldest miss should be careful.
Alas...
The eldest miss had a hard life, but now that she had a child, her future days would surely get better.
After entering the mansion, Shen Qing went straight to Jiang Shi's main courtyard. The person who came to greet her was Caidie.
Shen Qing asked, "How is mother?"
Caidie sighed. "It's still the same. When the eldest miss had an accident, the madam fainted once. Then there was the incident with the second miss... Even if the madam were made of iron, she couldn't bear it!"
"I'll go and see mother."
Caidie stopped her and hesitated. "Let this servant go and announce your arrival first. Madam, she..."
Shen Qing nodded. Caidie went in to announce and came out soon, shaking her head at Shen Qing with a bitter look.
"Madam said she won't see the eldest miss. She feels ashamed towards the eldest miss. In the future, with the eldest miss in the Protector - Duke's Mansion and the Shen family, she can rest assured."
On the way back, Shen Qing's mind was full of what Caidie had said. All the words in her heart finally turned into a sigh.
Mother had her own choice, and she should respect it.
The moment Jiang Shi knew Shen Qing was coming, she burst into tears.
She wasn't a good mother.
She had tried to balance between her two daughters, but in the end, both daughters were hurt.
Now that Shen Qing had someone to protect her, she could rest assured.
In the future, she just wanted to be a mother.
Less than half a month later, news came from the Protector - Duke's Mansion that the Protector - Duke's madam had passed away.
When Shen Qing heard the news, she was drinking medicine. A salty tear fell into the medicine bowl and quickly disappeared in the steaming white mist.
Jiang Shi's funeral was on a day when it was snowing heavily. Despite this, there was a constant stream of people coming to pay their respects.
Ji Junye mixed among the people coming to pay their respects. When there was no one around, he approached Shen Qing and supported her arm. His ink - black eyes were full of pity.
"Don't be too sad. For her, this is more of a relief."
"I understand." Shen Qing nodded, but even if she wasn't sad, she had been exhausted these days.
After the burial, Jiang Shi's memorial tablet was moved to the Shen family's ancestral hall.
Ji Junye suddenly asked, "Can I go in and offer incense?"
Shen Qing seemed not to have expected him to ask such a question. After thinking for a while, she nodded.
As the king of the country, offering incense in the Shen family's ancestral hall was an honor in every aspect.
Shen Qing personally lit three incense sticks for him. Ji Junye took them, then lifted his robe and knelt on the ground.
Shen Qing was startled at first, then her eyes welled up with tears.
With his status, there was no one left for him to kneel to except heaven and earth. But today...
He knelt not as an emperor but as the son - in - law of the Shen family.
Shen Qing silently accepted this. After he inserted the incense into the incense burner, the two walked out hand in hand.
Outside the door, Shen Yan saw everything. It had to be said that this scene was a bit beyond the comprehension of little Shen Yan.
After Shen Qing took a nap and went to rest, he couldn't help but approach Ji Junye and ask, "I saw you before. Are you my brother - in - law?"
Ji Junye glanced at him. "Yes."
Shen Yan's eyebrows were twisted like two caterpillars. "What about him?"
"Him" naturally referred to Xu Yanchi.
"He and your sister will get divorced sooner or later."