Chapter 144: Goose and Duck Galore
Chapter 144: Goose and Duck Galore
Sui Sui stood tall, her face determined as if she were a female general about to march into battle.
The little girl straightened her back, holding her head high, exuding confidence.
Queen Consort Qi beamed with delight, but her heart also twinged with concern.
Oh dear!
This won't do!
Piercing her ears would be too painful, and she couldn't bear the thought.
Just moments ago, she had been encouraging Sui Sui, but now she reached out and pulled her close, reluctant to let go.
Doctor Liu had grown accustomed to this scenario. He turned away and quietly prepared his tools.
He even steeled himself for the possibility that today's attempt might not succeed.
After all, there was always tomorrow to try again. If she didn't want to do it today, it wasn't a big deal.
At most, she would simply forgo wearing earrings for a while. In the capital, it wasn't uncommon for people to not have their ears pierced.
There were plenty of people who didn't have ear piercings. Some men even pierced their ears and wore extravagant earrings as a personal preference.
It was a matter of individual taste and preference, something others couldn't hinder.
Doctor Liu secretly acknowledged that the overall cultural atmosphere in the Summer Empire was rather positive.
Just as Sui Sui had steeled herself for the procedure, Queen Consort Qi pulled her back, leaving the little girl looking up at her mother with confusion, unsure of her intentions.
Sui Sui's bewildered expression tugged at the heartstrings of those who saw it.
Queen Consort Qi gently caressed Sui Sui's small ears and smoothed the tassels by her face. With a smile, she said, "Your mother is going to accompany your brother to the palace later to pay our respects to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. I would be too worried about you if I'm not around, so let's postpone the ear-piercing until tomorrow."
Doctor Liu: ...
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow... Oh, Your Highness!
Alas, there was no use in trying to persuade her otherwise.
All he could do was wait.
After all, he always carried his tools with him.
Since Liu Hemeng was coming to be Sui Sui's study companion, Doctor Liu anticipated that he would be visiting the mansion daily from now on.
Thus, he remained ever ready, prepared for whenever they decided to go through with the ear-piercing.
Liu Hemeng, standing by their side, didn't quite understand what was happening, but being the well-behaved young lady she was, she refrained from interrupting the adults' conversation. Instead, she quietly took Sui Sui's hand in hers.
Her sister's hand felt soft, and Sui Sui enjoyed holding hands with her.
Sui Sui snuggled close to her mother while also holding hands with Sister Hemeng.
The little girl was in high spirits, and the temporary delay of her ear-piercing didn't dampen her mood at all. "Okay, I'll listen to Mother," she agreed cheerfully.
It had taken all her courage to steel herself for the procedure, so when she heard that it could be postponed, she felt a tiny bit of relief.
She knew she shouldn't think that way, but she couldn't help it!
Queen Consort Qi's heart wrestled with indecision for a while longer, but ultimately, she decided to put it off until tomorrow.
As for whether they would succeed tomorrow—well, who knew?
In any case, Queen Consort Qi had informed Doctor Liu that they would try again tomorrow.
After the morning lessons concluded, Feng Xuanrui and his brothers made their way to the dining hall from the small classroom.
Upon seeing Sui Sui, they gathered around her like a swarm of bees.
Although they had seen it before, they still found her little hat adorable.
The cute little hat paired with Sui Sui's small head made them want to reach out and touch it.
It felt so nice to the touch! They stroked her hair, then played with the tassels.
"Mmm, your hair is so smooth, sister!"
"It's soft, almost like a tanuki. Nice to touch."
"Even smoother than the tassels!"
...
Children tended to get engrossed when they found something interesting.
Surrounded by her brothers, Sui Sui felt a bit overwhelmed, as if she couldn't breathe.
The problem was that her brothers' affection was quite literally heavy-handed! They stretched out their hands to touch her hat, tassels, and even poked at her dimples occasionally.
Sui Sui: ...!
Help, she couldn't breathe!
Queen Consort Qi watched the rambunctious boys with a fond smile, gently reminding them, "If you keep crowding her like that, your sister won't be able to breathe."
Her words snapped the boys back to attention, and they quickly stepped away from Sui Sui.
Feng Xuanrui took it a step further by pulling Sui Sui protectively behind him. "You all don't know how to take care of your sister properly. Step aside and let me do it!"
Feng Xuanbo: ?
Showing off again?
Feng Xuanbin was the first to bristle at this. Puffing out his little belly, he marched forward. "Why can't I do it? I'm amazing! I can fight and carry things. Sister, let me take care of you!"
As he spoke, he even puffed out his chest to challenge Feng Xuanrui.
Feng Xuanrui was momentarily caught off guard and was indeed pushed back a step. However, in his retreat, he accidentally bumped into Sui Sui, causing her to fall and land on her bottom.
"Ahhh! Sister!" Feng Xuancang exclaimed in concern.
Feng Xuanjie quietly walked over and gently helped Sui Sui to her feet.
When Sui Sui fell, she had a bewildered look on her face, unsure of what had just happened. How had Seventh Brother bumping into her big brother resulted in her taking the tumble?
This question was a bit tricky for Sui Sui.
After all, she had no concept of something like a bullfight where one bull knocks into another without making direct contact.
Sui Sui, completely oblivious, tilted her head in confusion.
Feng Xuanrui didn't understand her reaction and turned to her with concern. "Sister, does anything hurt? Are you alright?"
Sui Sui had only fallen on her bottom, and it didn't hurt at all.
Hearing her brother's question, she gently shook her head.
Seeing Sui Sui shake her head, Feng Xuanrui felt relieved and turned back to face Feng Xuanbin, ready to continue their scuffle.
Feng Xuanbin actually felt quite guilty, but before he could squeeze through to apologize to his sister, Sixth Brother threw a punch at him.
Feng Xuanbin: ...!
Oh no! Sixth Brother's going to kill me! Run!
As the children noisily played and bickered, Queen Consort Qi watched with amusement. Seeing that Sui Sui wasn't hurt, she decided not to interfere further.
As for the boys' roughhousing...
It was best not to get too involved unless they started breaking heads.
Generally, as long as they didn't hurt each other, it was fine.
Besides, their energetic antics were a sign of good health and vitality.
Their lively spirits were a positive omen, symbolized by the character for 'alive' in 'lively dragon and lively tiger.'
So, letting them play and make a ruckus was perfectly fine.
After a while, Queen Consort Qi led them to wash their hands for lunch.
For noon, their main course was a variety of four-colored steamed buns and oil-glazed honey cakes.
Considering the princes would have physical education class in the afternoon, the table was laden with four meat dishes: grilled chicken, roasted venison, goose and duck galore, and carp tartare.
In addition, there were several vegetarian dishes to round out the meal.
The final soup course was a clear pigeon broth.
For dessert, they had sweet red bean soup with a handful of dried cherries sprinkled on top.
The entire spread was a delightful array of colors and flavors, a feast for both the eyes and the palate.
Once Sui Sui was seated, she didn't know where to look first, her eyes flitting from one dish to another.
Queen Consort Qi smiled and gently patted her little head. "Sui Sui, which dish do you like? Mother will have someone serve you some."
After Queen Consort Qi gave the signal to start, the princes eagerly began serving themselves.
Their movements were a blend of boldness and elegance, never forgetting their manners as young nobles.
Seeing her brothers dig in with relish, Sui Sui's appetite was piqued.
When Queen Consort Qi asked her preference, she pointed to the goose and duck galore and whispered, "I want to try that one."
Although many of the dishes were new to Sui Sui due to the chefs' creative endeavors, the goose and duck galore was particularly tantalizing with its proximity and rich aroma.
The enticing scent proved too much for Sui Sui, so she wanted to start with that dish.
(End of Chapter)
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