Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei's gazes fell on the jade pendant simultaneously. Shen Xiaoyan examined it closely, then shook her head. "It looks no different, just a jade pendant. The quality is good, that's all."
Zheng Wei also shook his head. "I don't know the exact secret hidden within the jade pendant, but it was indeed because of this jade pendant that Zheng Xiang recognized me as his son. Yet, it was also because of this jade pendant that I died at Zheng Xiang's hands."
Shen Xiaoyan was shocked. Died at Zheng Xiang's hands?
Had she misheard?
"You didn't mishear. I truly died at Zheng Xiang's hands. Once Zheng Xiang was certain I didn't know the secret in the jade pendant, he cast me aside like worn-out shoes and finally, with great affection, delivered the killing blow."
"He... isn't your father?" Shen Xiaoyan didn't know whether to comfort Zheng Wei or curse Zheng Xiang as worse than an animal.
"I only learned from Zheng Xiang's mouth before I died that I wasn't his son. He had merely saved my mother by chance when she was carrying me. After I was born, my mother took me to the residence of Prince Duan and entrusted me to Zheng Xiang's care before disappearing herself."
"Initially, Zheng Xiang treated me well. But when I was ten years old, he heard from somewhere that this jade pendant I always wore held a great secret, and that obtaining this secret would grant him anything he wished."
"Therefore, he staged an assassination himself to lure my mother out and obtain the secret within the jade pendant. However, he didn't succeed, so he harbored murderous intent towards me. He had my face disfigured and threw me onto Baiyun Peak. Little did he know, I was rescued by the Zhu family, survived, and reappeared before him eight years later."
Listening to Zheng Wei recount the experiences of his previous life, Shen Xiaoyan felt an immense heartache, more agonizing than her own two previous deaths.
After all, she had only been bitten to death by a zombie, while Zheng Wei had been repeatedly harmed by those around him, ultimately dying at the hands of someone he trusted.
"Mimi, don't feel sad for me. That was all in a past life. In this life, I have you, and I have our child. All the hardships of the past life have vanished like smoke."
Hearing Zheng Wei's comforting words, Shen Xiaoyan didn't speak. She simply reached out, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her face on his chest.
Zheng Wei had described it very simply, as if it were merely two sentences. Yet, Shen Xiaoyan understood that Zheng Wei must have been in immense pain and suffering before he died in his past life.
She didn't know how to offer words of comfort, so she could only hold him like this, letting him know that she would always be by his side.
As for Zheng Xiang, they were not yet capable of confronting him. But one day, she and Zheng Wei would go to Shengjing together and personally settle the grievances from both their past and present lives.
They embraced silently for a long time. Shen Xiaoyan suddenly remembered something. "What is Sima Han's identity? Did you know him in your past life?"
Zheng Wei nodded gently. "A'han is the youngest son of the former Emperor, always dearly loved by him. Unfortunately, for some reason, the new Emperor ascended the throne. The new Emperor was uneasy about A'han, so he found an excuse to deal with him, stripping him of his title and banishing him from Shengjing. As for Yue Qingxin, she is the daughter of the Grand Tutor. At that time, A'han and Yue Qingxin had just been married for a short while, but their love was deep. Yue Qingxin followed A'han when he left. I met A'han in my past life three years after I returned to Shengjing. We hit it off immediately. It's a pity that he died even earlier than I did, and Yue Qingxin followed him in death. They had no children."
Shen Xiaoyan's eyes widened, finding it hard to believe that people like Yue Qingxin and Sima Han met such an end in their past lives.
"Fortunately, in this life, I married you, and I met A'han early. We are all doing well now," Zheng Wei said, planting a light kiss on Shen Xiaoyan's forehead.
Shen Xiaoyan had always struggled to understand why she had been reborn in the apocalypse. Although she had gained a space, she hadn't lived long before dying.
Now, it seemed, the reason she had lived that life was to arrive here at the right time and meet the best Zheng Wei.
"Yes, you have me, our child, and your good brother from your past life. We are all doing well, and we will continue to do so. Heaven gave us a chance to live again, surely not for us to experience death once more."
Shen Xiaoyan looked at Zheng Wei with determination, speaking each word slowly.
"Wah!"
A child's cry suddenly rang out from outside, instantly breaking the heavy atmosphere between Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei. They looked at each other and smiled, walking out together.
"What's wrong? Why is Mommy's little Ruan Ruan crying? Do you miss Mommy?"
Shen Xiaoyan held Ruan Ruan in her arms and whispered to soothe her. Indeed, after a moment, Ruan Ruan stopped crying.
Because she had just been crying, tears still clung to the corners of her eyes and her eyelashes. Her tear-streaked face was incredibly moving.
"Miss is indeed closer to Madam. As soon as Madam holds her, she stops crying."
The wet nurse responsible for feeding Ruan Ruan stood by, smiling subserviently. The smile on her face crinkled her full cheeks into a shape resembling a chrysanthemum.
"Of course. They say daughters are their mothers' close little cotton-padded jackets. Ruan Ruan knows Mommy will be sad if she cries, so she stops. Isn't that right, little Ruan Ruan?"
Shen Xiaoyan said this while winking at Ruan Ruan in her arms, as if Ruan Ruan could truly understand her words.
"Madam, why was Miss crying just now? Was she hungry?" Zheng Wei, who had been silent, asked the wet nurse after seeing Shen Xiaoyan carrying Ruan Ruan inside.
The wet nurse was startled by Zheng Wei's tone and quickly lowered her head, respectfully replying, "She wasn't hungry; she suddenly started crying while asleep. The two young masters are still sleeping soundly and were fed milk together earlier..."
The wet nurse's voice grew softer and softer, afraid Zheng Wei might become angry with her.
However, Zheng Wei had no intention of being angry. Firstly, children crying was normal. He had read in books within Shen Xiaoyan's space that crying when young could even exercise their lung capacity.
Secondly, he recalled Shen Xiaoyan's words just now, that daughters were their mothers' little cotton-padded jackets. Could it be that Ruan Ruan sensed her unhappiness and cried because of it?
These were mere thoughts, impossible to verify, and could only be considered.
"Later, after the two young masters wake up from their nap, feed them milk, and then bring them inside."
"Yes."
The wet nurse curtsied in agreement and watched Zheng Wei enter the inner room.
"Ruan Ruan, your daddy's grumpy face is going to scare people again," Shen Xiaoyan said to Ruan Ruan in a low voice, glancing sideways at Zheng Wei.
"If you talk nonsense again, I'll spank your bottom..." Zheng Wei said with a meaningful smile.
"You're the one talking nonsense in a serious tone," Shen Xiaoyan pouted, no longer continuing to bicker with Zheng Wei.
After the full moon banquet for the three treasures, spring planting followed closely.
Shen Xiaoyan had already explained in detail to Bai Yonggui the matter of cultivating striped melon seedlings.
Therefore, Shen Xiaoyan did not need to cultivate striped melon seedlings for the villagers this year. However, the number of striped melons they planned to plant this year alone was much more than last year.