Quick, female general, I traveled through time to save my father

Chapter 335: The Mother of the Bomen Raises Her Stepson 2

Shen Junyaoyao's eyes fell on the plate of exquisite osmanthus cake, his fingertips moved slightly, but he still did not reach out.

Seeing this, Sirong simply picked up a piece and handed it to him.

"Try it. This is made by the newly hired Jiangnan chef in the mansion. It's sweet but not greasy. You should like it."

Shen Junyao paused, then finally took it and whispered, "...Thank you, mother."

He took a small bite, the sweet fragrance melted on the tip of his tongue, and his brows unconsciously relaxed a little.

Sirong smiled and said softly, "This will be your home from now on. Don't feel constrained."

She paused and added:

"I'll ask the housekeeper to find a teacher for you later. Songxueyuan is close to the study, so you can take classes there if you like. Your father's collection of military books and strategies is also there. If you're interested, you can take a look."

When Shen Junyao heard this, his eyes moved slightly, and he finally looked up and looked at her seriously.

In the next few days, Shen Junyao lived in Sirong's yard. The mother and son ate together every day, and everything went well.

There is only one thing, when Shen Junyao was taking a bath, he would not allow the servants to serve him closely.

At first, Sirong didn't care, thinking that the child was getting older and starting to pay attention to privacy. But when the embroiderer from the mansion came to make new clothes for him, an elderly maid hurried in to report:

"Madam, the young master seems to be injured."

Sirong paused, the teacup in her hand splattering onto her sleeves. She stood up abruptly, not bothering to wipe the tea, and followed the nanny towards the side room.

In the side room, Shen Junyao was standing by the window in a plain white inner garment, and two embroiderers were carefully measuring his shoulder width.

Seeing Sirong suddenly barge in, his pupils shrank slightly, and he subconsciously put his hands behind his back, his back straight.

"Jun Yao." Si Rong suppressed her anger, but her voice was a little deeper than usual. "Turn around."

Shen Junyao pursed his lips and remained motionless, a trace of struggle flashing in his eyes.

Sirong said no more, took two steps forward, and gently grasped his wrist. The boy's wrist bones were slender and cold to the touch, and she realized that he was actually trembling slightly.

"Mother..." He called out softly, as if he wanted to explain, but was interrupted by Sirong's next action -

She lifted his sleeve.

Crisscrossing scars covered the pale arms, some of which had already scabbed over, while others still had a hideous purple hue.

Sirong's breathing stagnated, and her fingertips almost dug into her palms.

This was definitely not an injury caused by an ordinary collision! She suddenly ripped open the fabric on his back, and an even more horrifying scene suddenly came into view:

There was an old burn on his shoulder blade, the scar twisted like a centipede. There was also a burn on his waist, new wounds piled on old ones, and there was hardly a piece of intact skin...

"Your uncle's family?" Sirong's voice trembled as she looked straight into Shen Junyao's eyes, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth.

The little person lowered his head and said nothing, his fingers unconsciously clenching the corner of his clothes.

Judging from the age of the wounds, some of them should have been from three to five years ago. At that time, Shen Shigen, now known as Wu Weibo, had just been conscripted.

At that time, Shen Junyao was probably only four or five years old.

What kind of deep hatred could make a group of adults do such a cruel thing to an unarmed child?

Sirong did not continue to ask Shen Junyao the reason, but asked someone to notify the housekeeper, prepare the car, and immediately leave the city and return to her hometown.

At this time, Sirong seemed to understand why Shen Junyao, after growing up, would do anything for the heroine and give up everything he had.

Be it his father, stepmother, or uncles and brothers, none of them seemed to have given Shen Junyao any warmth when he was weak.

Until I saw the heroine, who could wet her skirt for a kitten but still smile happily.

Perhaps it was just that moment that touched a certain emotion in Shen Junyao, making him feel that the heroine should be so beautiful.

She would rejoice when a flower bloomed, and shed tears when others suffered. She lived so brightly and freely, as if she had never known the word "critical" in this world.

It was a light he had never seen before.

Shen Junyao once stood in the dark, looking at her silently.

Seeing that she didn't have to worry about being left unattended after getting wet in the rain, she didn't have to be afraid of getting scolded for getting her clothes dirty, and she didn't have to be like him, afraid of even getting sick.

She was like a handful of clean water, while his hands were covered in blood, and even touching her was a blasphemy.

But the more this happened, the more he became obsessed with wanting her for himself. All the light in the world should belong to her alone.

And he was willing to be the shadow that held up her light.

The roads in ancient times were not smooth, and it would take half a month of bumpy journey to return to Wu Weibo’s hometown.

The official road had been in disrepair for a long time, and when the wheels rolled over the potholes, the car body tilted suddenly, and Sirong's forehead almost hit the window frame. Shen Junyao subconsciously stretched out his hand to block her, his arm stretched straight, like a silent shield.

Sirong was stunned for a moment, then gently held his wrist and pulled him back to his seat.

"It's okay," she whispered, her fingertips brushing against the old scar on his palm that hadn't faded yet.

Shen Junyao's eyelashes trembled, he didn't say anything, but just tightened his fingers.

This was the first time he took the initiative to protect someone.

Before the carriage came to a complete stop, a commotion was heard outside.

Sirong lifted the curtain of the car and saw more than a dozen people standing at the city gate. Shen Shigen's elder brother Shen Shishan was standing at the front, rubbing his hands. He had a smile on his face, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were so tight that they could kill a fly.

Behind him followed his wife and children, dressed in silk and silver, and further behind them were several elders of the clan, all leaning on a cane, looking very venerable and respected.

"Oh, Madam Bo is finally here!" Shen Shishan hurried over, his voice so loud that it seemed as if he wanted to announce it to the whole city. "You must have had a hard time on the way here. We've prepared a banquet at home and are waiting for you."

Shen Shishan didn't even look at Shen Junyao the whole time.

This neglect wasn't deliberate, but a habit, like passing by a dead tree or a stone, not even glancing at her. He greeted Sirong warmly, saying, "Madam, you've been traveling so long," but he didn't even glance in Shen Junyao's direction.

It was as if this boy didn't exist at all.

Shen Junyao stood half a step behind Sirong, his face calm, not even his eyelashes trembling.

He's already used to it.

Shen Shigen's eldest brother originally opened a small grocery store in the county town. When the imperial court recruited soldiers, every household had to send one male to the battlefield.

At that time, the old lady of the Shen family was still alive, and Shen Shishan, as the eldest son, should have been the head of the family. However, he coaxed his mother into making the decision to send his second brother, Shen Shigen, to the battlefield on the pretext of "keeping the family business."

At that time, Shen Shigen had just lost his wife and could only entrust the young Shen Junyao to the care of his eldest brother's family. He packed his bags and went to the border, while Shen Shishan stayed in the grocery store and continued to be the manager.

When the old lady was alive, although she was partial to her eldest son's family, she would not let her second son's grandson starve or freeze. Although Shen Junyao did not eat well at that time, he did not starve.