Chapter 50: Their Reason
Ye Lingyue was watching from a tree, enjoying her snacks.
She really didn’t expect that Song Yulan would have such a huge reaction as though the whole world was collapsing.
"Husband..." Song Yulan sobbed to Ye Jincheng. "I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die!"
Ye Jincheng hurriedly lifted and hugged his wife from the ground, trying to console her. She was still sobbing loudly.
"What about our kid...?" She continued to sob, crying like a mother who lost her child.
Ye Lanxi and Ye Lingrui were a little surprised when they heard that. "Cousin... your wife is pregnant?"
At this moment, Ye Jincheng already determined that the brothers actually didn’t have malicious intentions toward them, so he nodded.
"My wife is two months pregnant," he muttered, his face full of conflicted expression. He didn’t know whether he should be happy or not.
The couple were actually looking forward to having their first child. Ye Jincheng knew how much Zheng Huizhen’s expectation had tormented his wife for the past three years.
His mother kept on pressuring Song Yulan to have a child, so impatient that her words sometimes hurt her. In the first year, Zheng Huizhen was still patient, but from the second and third year, she began to make unpleasant remarks.
Upon hearing the news that their family was punished with exile, if there was something they were relieved about, it was that they didn’t have a child yet.
Which parents want their child to suffer?
It was until a week ago that Ye Jincheng took the initiative to ask Physician Yi to take a look at his wife. Song Yulan had been feeling under the weather for some days.
After Physician Yi took a look at her pulse, they actually received such shocking news.
"Mr. Ye Jincheng, your wife is pregnant."
They didn’t know how they should feel at that moment. This child had come at such an unexpected time, just in time when life started getting rough.
It was also unknown whether they could keep the child or not. Song Yulan, of course, insisted on keeping the child.
Hormonal pregnancy sometimes affected her emotions. She would tell Ye Jincheng she was feeling uncomfortable or didn’t have any appetite for the food that the imperial guards had distributed.
Ye Jincheng realized that their current life was unsuitable to take care of her pregnancy. He also hadn’t told the news to her mother yet.
Then, one day, as Song Yulan was complaining about the hot weather, she accidentally blurted out the idea about running away.
"Husband, have you thought about running away? We can build a better life for our child..."
The idea sprouted just like that, and once it started to take a root, it was unstoppable. They began to imagine the beautiful life somewhere with just the three of them.
Alas, at this moment, they suddenly realized the dire consequence of their choice. The beautiful life in their imagination crumbled just like that.
If the imperial guards found out, Ye Jincheng would use his wife’s pregnancy to keep her safe, pleading the punishment should befall only him.
But... he has forgotten their current status. They were merely prisoners.
What right do they have to bargain with the imperial guards? Moreover, would the imperial guards care about their lives at all?
They would essentially also send their child to death.
Ye Lingrui added, "Yan Luo has made such severe mistakes twice, each which could have warranted him with execution if he were a normal imperial guard. Do you forget he is from the Yan family?"
His words woke the couple up.
"Our child won’t die..." Ye Jincheng consoled her. "Ah Yu... let’s go back, alright?"
Ye Lingyue was surprised at how easily he was persuaded.
"But husband..." Song Yulan was obviously unwilling. She cried to Ye Jincheng’s chest heartbrokenly.
Ye Lanxi clicked his tongue. "You just need to endure three more weeks. Why so impatient? Aren’t you two completely destitute right now?"
"Even if you have some money, not only you will be sleeping on the streets, you will also have to do it while the imperial guards or the local authorities are chasing after you! Which life do you think is more miserable?"
Despite his biting words, Ye Lanxi had a good intention.
At this moment, Ye Jincheng also finally decided. He grabbed Song Yulan’s hands. "Ah Yu, let’s go back. Lanxi is right... how bad can the situation in the place we are exiled be?"
Ye Lanxi suddenly handed out some copper coins to them. He coughed awkwardly, clearly not used to acting so kindly. "Here, buy something for your wife."
The coarse steamed buns weren’t enough nutrition for the pregnant Song Yulan after all.
"Thank you, thank you, Cousin." Ye Jincheng didn’t refuse.
"Don’t be in a hurry to return, Cousin. Might as well enjoy the time here too." Ye Lingrui smiled gently.
He suddenly walked to the nearest tree and held out his hand. "Yue’er?"
Ye Lingyue jumped from the tree, scaring the couple so much that they nearly jumped in fright.
"Lingyue?" Ye Jincheng muttered doubtfully.
The light from the oil lamps from the stall owners at the market could only reach their place with faint dim light. They couldn’t see her full face amidst darkness.
Ye Lingyue waved her paw, blinking innocently at them.
The couple had questioning looks in their eyes. How could a fool also slip away under the watchful eyes of the imperial guards? However, they were tactful and kept the questions to themselves.
They spent quite some time in the night market, almost forgetting the time if not for Ye Lingrui who reminded them.
Seeing that all of the imperial guards might wake up soon, they hurriedly went back, tiptoeing around carefully after they arrived around the camping site area.
Just as they were about to walk closer, they suddenly heard a familiar voice of a man near them.
"What are you doing here so early? Are you all planning to run away?"