Chapter 366: The Colorful-Clothed Princess
The red candle made a soft sputtering sound, burned down to the bottom, and went out.
Candle wax dripped down the candlestick.
Until dawn.
The dripping wax formed various shapes, looking like a little person with claws bared, raising its legs high.
At the Meng Family.
Jiang Yu, who had been upgraded to the Colorful-Clothed Princess, was also baring her claws and kicking people with her legs raised high.
Jiang Yu didn’t even open her eyes as she kicked Meng Shaoxia on the butt.
“It’s all your fault, all your fault. I didn’t even get to go to Elder Brother’s wedding yesterday.”
In the past, Meng Shaoxia wouldn’t have been able to withstand his wife’s kicks, but military life was truly tempering. Meng Shaoxia could now be called “Big” Meng Shaoxia; he had grown both wider and taller, as if he had gone through a second growth spurt, becoming incredibly robust.
His physique looked a bit like a cooked North American prawn—thick back, dark red face, and muscles all over his body.
He also carried the baleful aura of the battlefield. Through repeated campaigns, his bones, sinews, and spirit had been honed. At this moment, Meng Shaoxia was very similar to Old General Meng in his youth—tall, imposing, and strong; just standing there was enough to intimidate others.
He had just returned from the battlefield and had even given Jiang Yu a scare.
But the next second, he was hugging Jiang Yu and crying like a baby, holding the twins and kissing them until their faces were covered in saliva and tears.
Jiang Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
She had grown up in a village where there were too many men who would beat their wives upon returning home, often taking their frustrations out on them after finishing work.
In her childhood, those men seemed incredibly strong to her. Although she later grew up to be The Eldest Miss and realized those men weren’t strong at all—they were scrawny, their backs weren’t straight, and they didn’t have much strength—when she was a child, seeing them beat people made her feel they were behemoths, impossibly strong.
Yet her own husband had originally been a handsome young man with a square face. Although life at home had improved, and his face had become rounder and he had gained some weight, he was still handsome. After all, in this era, being able to gain weight was considered attractive—it fell right into everyone’s aesthetic sweet spot.
But after going to war and coming back, he was dark, fat, and muscular. She had been shocked when they first met.
Then Meng Shaoxia had hugged her and cried for a while.
That night, they were affectionate together again.
And because they hadn’t been together for so long, well, adults understand…
As a result, Jiang Yu was actually pregnant again, and again, and again.
Old General Meng, having returned this time, saw his two great-grandsons at home and doted on them endlessly, smiling even in his dreams every day.
As soon as dawn broke, he would go to guard the two little cubs; with the cubs, he was content with everything.
Especially for the old man who had experienced life and death, every day he woke up felt like a day he had gained for free. Seeing the new younger generation in the family, that feeling was like a tender bud sprouting from a withered tree; his joy was irrepressible.
Yet, before he had been home for even a few months, he learned that his grandson’s wife was pregnant again.
Old General Meng’s mouth stretched all the way to his eyebrows.
After his biological Father returned, Meng Qingshe and his Father reunited and took quite a while to adjust.
Mainly because he was lectured by his Father.
Then the Father and son competed to take care of the grandsons.
Fortunately, there were two, so they could split them up.
And now, this daughter-in-law was pregnant again soon after.
At this, the whole Meng Family was incredibly excited.
Who said they had few descendants? Who said their line would end?
Now their daughter-in-law (grandson’s wife) was pregnant again.
For the past few days, Old General Meng had been going everywhere to chat with old friends every day.
Meng Qingshe also went everywhere to chat with old friends every day.
Consequently, everyone in the capital knew that the Colorful-Clothed Princess was pregnant again.
Just ask, whose daughter, after getting married, is held up and praised by the entire family?
Not only did the Father-in-law praise her, but the Father-in-law’s Father also praised her, as did the Mother-in-law and the great-grandmother-in-law, all full of endless praise. Naturally, the Emperor and Empress bestowed countless items upon her again.
Originally, they were going to move to the Princesss Mansion, but because she was pregnant, it was advised not to move, so that was called off.
The Meng Family had originally worried that after their daughter-in-law became a princess, there would be some changes, or she would become difficult to get along with. Fortunately, their daughter-in-law had a very good temperament and did not become arrogant due to being favored. She was the same as before—carefree and unchanged. All those rumors outside about her being deep and scheming were nonexistent. Moreover, their daughter-in-law’s cooking was superb, and she had fed the whole family until they were fat, forcing them to alter their clothes to be two sizes wider.
Even Old Madam Meng looked radiant and smooth-skinned, appearing younger. Now that this good news had arrived—Old General Meng had returned from the battlefield alive, and they could see new additions to the household again—it was joyous however one thought about it.
With this pregnancy, Jiang Yu craved sour foods immensely.
Although Old General Meng usually avoided being around his grandson’s wife to avoid suspicion, he took his son to the mountains every day to personally pick wild roses, sour jujubes, and all kinds of sour fruits. After they were picked, Madam Meng would plate them and send them over.
Jiang Yu ate every meal with sour jujubes, one bite of sour jujube and one bite of rice, making everyone else’s teeth ache just watching her.
Mianmian also often came out of the palace to hang out at the Meng Family.
She hadn’t expected her Elder Sister to be pregnant again.
Her Elder Sister looked quite well and was a very healthy pregnant woman; aside from loving sour food, she didn’t even have any morning sickness.
Her Elder Sister was living very well at the Meng Family, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. As a family, her Elder Sister was already very accustomed to it, even blurting out “going home,” referring to the Meng Family.
Regarding her Father becoming Emperor and her Mother becoming Empress, Jiang Yu had the least reaction.
The phase of going from starving to being well-fed had felt very distinct, but after that, she didn’t really have any special feelings. Perhaps it was because her material demands weren’t high, focusing mainly on being full. So, once she was full, she felt very satisfied; as for higher pursuits, she didn’t have any.
Now that she was pregnant again, she was also very happy. For her, at most, it was just a bit difficult when giving birth. She didn’t need to worry about raising the child at all; there were several matrons following her, and her Mother-in-law, grandmother-in-law, Father-in-law, and grandfather-in-law all took turns watching the child. Once she gave birth, she didn’t have to raise them herself and could continue to eat, drink, and play as usual.
Moreover, after getting pregnant, she could righteously make demands, wanting to eat all kinds of strange things.
One day, she suddenly wanted to eat peacock… It was just a passing remark, but Old General Meng actually went and got her a peacock…
It didn’t taste very good; the meat was a bit stringy.
For Jiang Yu, being able to eat was a very good thing.
The only downside was that because she was a pregnant woman and still in her first three months, she couldn’t attend her Elder Brother’s wedding.
They were worried that the crowds would bump into her.
So, thinking about it early in the morning, she was still a bit angry and kicked her husband several times.
Meng Shaoxia was thick-skinned and didn’t get angry after being kicked.
He even comforted her: “Are you tired from kicking? Take a rest, let me massage your feet, and then you can continue kicking?”
Jiang Yu was amused to the point of laughing.
“We have to go to the palace today. It’s all your fault, we’re late again.”
“It’s my fault, it’s my fault.”
Meng Shaoxia smiled good-naturedly, grabbed his wife’s fair and chubby feet, and began to massage them earnestly.
Jiang Yu had been a bit embarrassed at first, but during the late stages of her last pregnancy, her husband had massaged them all the time. After the couple had become intimate, they were very close. Usually, they always wanted to cuddle, lean on each other, and touch; it made them feel at ease.
During this time, with her husband away at war, she had truly felt the house was very desolate, and she had been very afraid in her heart. Fortunately, he had returned.
Although her husband had quite a few scars on his body, fortunately, none were too serious.
The two of them found that a short separation was better than a new marriage; their relationship was even closer, and things developed naturally.
“Husband, I had a nightmare last night. I dreamt that you actually got engaged to someone else. In the dream, Father, Mother, Elder Brother, and little sister were all gone, and you also left me. I didn’t want to live anymore, so I found a rope and hanged myself. I kept kicking my legs, kicking my legs, and when I woke up, I found I was kicking you. It was such a scary dream.”
Meng Shaoxia paused after hearing Little Yu’er’s words, then continued to massage her feet.
He didn’t know why, but when he heard the dream Little Yu’er described, he felt as if he had also had it, only he couldn’t remember it at all. But as Little Yu’er spoke about it, it was as if he had some impression of it. Hearing it made his heart feel cold. His eyes would involuntarily well up with tears.
“Your feet are cold, let me warm them up for you before you get up.”
Meng Shaoxia held Little Yu’er’s feet and pressed them against his chest.
“Dreams are the opposite of reality. Don’t think nonsense, don’t be afraid.”
“Mother, Mother, Father, Father.”
“Bang, bang, bang!”
“Bang, bang, bang!”
The heavy knocking on the door outside made it easy to imagine the two little boys, like little mallets, scrambling to pound on the door, instantly scattering the strange thoughts in the room.
Meng Shaoxia got up quickly.
Jiang Yu also put on her clothes.
The two little boys, who were about the same height, were already stumbling around walking. They had sweet mouths, were sturdy, had strong legs, and arms like lotus roots. The older brother nimbly wanted to enter the room by himself, with the younger brother following closely behind.
Then, they saw the older brother fall, and the younger brother followed by falling too. The two fell together, but neither cried.
“Come on, come on, stand up.” The younger brother shouted while lying on top of the older brother.
“Get off me.” The older brother shouted.
The younger brother rolled off the older brother, then the older brother stood up and pulled the younger brother, who was lying on the ground, up.
The maidservants and matrons watched; since they weren’t hurt, they let them act on their own. The two children were not delicate and were very healthy.
Jiang Yu finished getting dressed and made up, then took her husband and children to the palace together.
They sat in the carriage.
She sat next to her husband, while the two children were kept sitting opposite them, eating snacks the whole way, swinging their legs, and feeling carefree.
With children and a pregnant woman in the carriage, they traveled very slowly.
Passing by a bookstore, someone asked: “Shopkeeper, do you still have the newly released’Secret Guide to the Colorful-Clothed Princess’s Domestic Fighting’?”
“Oh, customer, you’re late. It sold out within the first two days of release. How about you wait for the next batch? Pay a deposit, and I’ll save one for you when the next batch arrives.”
Jiang Yu laughed cacklingly in the carriage upon hearing this.
“Husband, have someone buy me a copy later too. I want to learn too.”
“Buy, buy, buy.” Meng Shaoxia said dotingly.
The carriage wheels rolled steadily, the road was wide, and they traveled forward all the way.
Thank you for reading + listening 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
