Chapter 498 - 189: Extra Examination by Grace
Chapter 498: Chapter 189: Extra Examination by Grace
When Mr. Sheng mentioned the tragic downside of the bandit suppression campaign—the dozens of lives lost and injured—his heart ached with regret.
It wasn’t that his political record had been tarnished, but that dozens of people had died during the New Year festivities, preventing so many families from celebrating properly or sleeping soundly.
Naturally, these families needed to be compensated. He had already instructed his subordinates to handle the matter immediately. But he couldn’t neglect the heroes who had survived, either.
Thinking of Chen Song, Mr. Sheng couldn’t help but praise him again. "Cautious and steady, brave and resourceful. For him to be just a minor county deputy is truly a waste."
Both Zhao Jing and De’an understood the implication of a promotion, but it wasn’t appropriate to ask about it directly.
Learning that Chen Song had only suffered a minor, accidental injury and was now almost fully recovered, they both felt a weight lift from their shoulders. They then bid farewell to Mr. Sheng and got up to leave.
When they left the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office, Sheng Saya and Sheng Kaolin came out with them.
The siblings wanted to stroll through the streets for a bit and then have lunch at the Golden Jade Restaurant.
The Prefectural Magistrate’s Office was truly very close to the Zhao Family’s residence.
It was only a few hundred meters away, not even requiring a carriage. It was just a short walk.
De’an was in high spirits, having learned that his father’s life was not in danger and that a promotion was imminent. Along the way, he found the time to tease the boy.
He said to Sheng Kaolin, "My family has two wolfhounds, a mother and her son. One is named Zhaocai, and the other is Jinbao. Jinbao is really fun. He can fetch a ball, he’ll wag his tail at people, and if you call his name, ’Jinbao,’ he’ll bark at you as if he’s answering."
Sheng Saya rolled her eyes at De’an. ’As if other people’s dogs can’t fetch, wag their tails, or bark. If it can’t even do those things, is it really a dog?’
However, Sheng Kaolin had been so sheltered growing up that he had hardly ever seen small dogs or cats, let alone wolfhounds.
His curiosity was immediately piqued, and he looked at Sheng Saya with pleading eyes, wanting to go to the Zhao Family’s house to play with Jinbao.
How could Sheng Saya bear to refuse her little brother?
Although this little brother wasn’t hers by birth, he had been raised under her watch ever since he was born. She had even personally chosen his name, "Kailing."
He was her brother, true, but he was almost like a son to her.
Sheng Saya relented with a sigh. "Fine, fine. If you want to go, then go, as long as our hosts are willing to have you over."
Zhao Jing nodded at the little one. "You can go if you want to."
De’an went a step further, grabbing Sheng Kaolin’s hand and turning to run down the alley. "Jinbao has very sharp ears! He’ll come to the main gate to greet us when he hears my footsteps. We’ll see him in just a second!"
The two of them shot off like a flash, disappearing around a corner in the blink of an eye. Sheng Saya was frantic, terrified that Chen De’an was kidnapping her brother. Stomping her foot, she yelled, "Chen De’an!" while hiking up her skirts and breaking into a run to chase after them.
When Zhao Jing arrived at his front gate at an unhurried pace, Chen Wanqing was standing before the spirit screen that faced the main gate, looking out.
Seeing him enter just as calmly, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and teased him, "I thought you’d gotten lost."
"I can’t get lost. A grown man like me, useless at everything but studying—most people wouldn’t even bother picking me up if I were."
Chen Wanqing chuckled. "Jing, you’re being too modest."
"I’m just telling the truth."
As they walked past the spirit screen, the sounds of frantic yelping and cheerful laughter grew louder.
Zhao Jing paid it no mind, turning a deaf ear to the noise as he carefully relayed to Chen Wanqing the news he had gotten from Mr. Sheng.
When Chen Wanqing heard that her father wasn’t injured—and had, in fact, performed a meritorious service with a chance of being promoted to the Prefecture—her previous gloom vanished, and her spirits were instantly lifted.
"Really?"
"Would I lie to you?"
"I’m not saying you’re lying, it’s just... this news is so good, I can’t quite take it in all at once. This is wonderful! Mom and Dad will be coming to the Prefecture soon! This is truly the best news I’ve heard all year."
"Don’t be so quick to say that. There might be even more good news this year."
"What good news?"
Mrs. Zhao had been drawn over by the commotion in the front courtyard and happened to overhear the last part of their conversation.
To a woman of her age, "good news" usually meant only one thing: a new addition to the family.
Mrs. Zhao instinctively glanced at Chen Wanqing’s stomach.
But she quickly remembered that the young couple had seen a doctor before the New Year. The doctor had said that Jing was prone to overthinking and was under too much stress, making it unlikely for him to have children in the near future.
’Could it be that during the New Year, Jing relaxed and Wanqing got pregnant?’
The moment Chen Wanqing saw the look in Mrs. Zhao’s eyes, she knew exactly what she was thinking. To prevent her mother-in-law’s hopes from getting too high only to be dashed, she quickly diverted her attention by relaying the news Zhao Jing had brought back.