Chapter 129: She's My Real Little Sister!
Chapter 129: She's My Real Little Sister!
The candy in Liu Hemo's hand was made by Doctor Liu himself, with tangerine peel juice added to the mix. Even the candy wrapper was handmade by Liu Hemo's mother, and it was just as beautiful as any made by modern craftsmanship.
The system observed, feeling that...
The ingenuity of humans is truly remarkable!
Liu Hemo was only allowed three candies a day, and now she took out all three, placing them in Su Su's tiny hand. "Little sister, take these. They're delicious tangerine peel maltose candies, very sweet. I'm giving them all to you, but you must only eat a little each day, or your teeth will rot and fall out."
Dental health was important.
Moreover, her fifth and seventh brothers had both emphasized this point, and Su Su always kept it in mind.
Hearing the reminder from her big-eyed sister, Su Su obediently nodded. "I know, sister."
The little girl was well-behaved, readily addressing her as sister without the affectionate 'Mengo' suffix.
Liu Hemo's eyes curved into crescent moons upon hearing Su Su's response.
Noticing that Su Su didn't even have a purse with her, Liu Hemo took it upon herself to give her own purse to Su Su. "Here, take this too, little sister. We can tie it around our waists and keep small items inside."
Su Su didn't understand much, but Luo Luo had recently taught her not to casually accept things from others.
Thus, faced with Liu Hemo's enthusiasm, Su Su didn't know how to refuse and could only look helplessly at the Queen Mother.
It was normal for children to exchange gifts when meeting for the first time.
Moreover, these gifts weren't particularly valuable; what mattered was the thought and kindness behind them.
Thus, Princess Qi smiled and gestured to Su Su. "It's okay for you to accept your sister's gift, Su Su. Later, you can return the favor with a gift that you like and think is suitable for your sister, alright?"
Whether between adults or children, it was important to maintain a reciprocal relationship for the friendship to endure.
Princess Qi thought that while children might be young, they should still be taught the proper etiquette and manners.
Just because a child was small didn't mean one should indulge them excessively.
Spoiling a child was akin to killing them with kindness.
Princess Qi always kept this principle in mind.
Hearing the Queen Mother's words and recalling her encounters with Rong Lin and Ruo Yi in Qingzhou and Wenzhou, Su Su thought of the gifts they had given her.
Grandfather Liu had helped her prepare return gifts at the time.
So, when someone gave her a present, it was customary to reciprocate.
Luo Luo had also told her that it was a form of etiquette.
With these thoughts in mind, Su Su happily accepted the purse and candies from Liu Hemo.
After some consideration, she took off a jade bangle she had just put on that morning and held it out to Liu Hemo, her voice shy and hesitant as she said, "For you, sister."
The Queen Mother had said that gifts should be reciprocated.
Su Su couldn't think of anything else she had with her.
This jade bangle seemed to be the most valuable item on her, and the Queen Mother had assured her that these things would be hers and that no one could take them away.
Su Su thought that if they were truly hers, she should be able to give them away, right?
Not entirely sure, she glanced at the Queen Mother after giving the gift, meeting her gentle, warm smile.
That smile put Su Su at ease.
She felt that the Queen Mother probably didn't mind.
Liu Hemo hadn't expected her little sister to give her a gift as well.
Doctor Liu's family background was decent, and Liu Hemo's aunt was a concubine, so she had seen her fair share of nice things.
The jade bangle was of good quality, the type of item one could take or leave.
However, since it was from Su Su, Liu Hemo cherished it. She fiddled with it, admiring it from all angles for a while, before finally saying happily, "Thank you, Su Su! I like it a lot!"
Hearing her sister express her liking for the gift, Su Su's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled.
The little girl heaved a long sigh of relief, looking adorable with a hint of childish charm.
Seeing this, Liu Hemo couldn't help but laugh.
The jade bangle was a tad too small for Liu Hemo's wrist. Su Su was already much smaller than a typical five-year-old.
Liu Hemo, on the other hand, was well-nourished and physically active, and her birthday fell in February, so she appeared considerably larger than the average seven-year-old.
Naturally, she couldn't wear the bangle.
However, the child was very understanding and didn't fuss about it not fitting. Instead, she cherished the bangle and carefully put it away.
Without a pouch on her, Liu Hemo thought for a moment and then handed the bangle to her grandfather for safekeeping. "Grandfather, please keep this safe for me. Give it back to me when we return home, okay?"
Liu Dafu smiled and readily agreed.
Now that the two girls had met, Liu Hemo wanted to take Su Su to learn about medicinal herbs.
Liu Dafu wasn't in a hurry to examine Su Su's pulse just yet, so he let the children play together for a while before finally taking Su Su's pulse.
After examining it, he didn't say much, only vaguely indicating, "She still needs to be supplemented with more nutrients. She's still too thin."
Princess Qi gave him a concerned look, to which Liu Dafu responded with a reassuring glance, implying that it was probably just a matter of making up for past deficiencies.
Princess Qi felt slightly more relieved.
After taking Su Su's pulse, Liu Dafu prescribed a few more medicinal meals. Princess Qi gave the prescriptions to Aunt Xiang, and just as she was about to arrange for the two girls to play, they heard Aunt Qiu come in and announce that the Grand Princess and her entourage would be arriving shortly.
The party's departure from the capital had been quite grand, and the gatekeepers had been keeping a close eye on their progress, intending to report their approach early to facilitate a timely reception by the host family.
As the Grand Princess was an elder, Princess Qi made some simple preparations and then gently explained to Su Su, "Mother needs to go and greet that respected elder, Su Su. Would you like to come with me, or would you prefer to play with your sister here?"
Su Su was very attached to Princess Qi.
Princess Qi was afraid that suddenly leaving Su Su alone might make her feel anxious and abandoned.
A child who had never received love or a sense of security before might be fearful of being left alone again, right? Princess Qi didn't want Su Su to be overly afraid, so she made sure to explain things clearly before temporarily leaving her.
Su Su thought of what Luo Luo had told her—that sometimes, adults needed to do things that weren't convenient for children to be a part of. And so, Su Su understood.
She knew that Mother was about to do something that wasn't suitable for her to tag along.
Su Su felt a little disappointed but understood the reasoning behind it. She didn't cling or throw a tantrum; she just nodded obediently and said, "I understand, Mother."
Seeing the child's overly mature reaction, Princess Qi's heart ached.
However, the Grand Princess was an elder, and Princess Qi didn't want to neglect the proper etiquette of the royal family.
So, after briefly instructing Liu Hemo, she hurried out.
Liu Hemo had originally planned to take Su Su to play with bamboo dragonflies.
Upon hearing that the Grand Princess was on her way, Liu Hemo turned and rested her chin gently on Su Su's shoulder, but without actually applying any pressure. She then asked in a soft voice, "Has Ying Qiao'er arrived yet?"
(End of Chapter)
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