Chapter 152: Loquats
Chapter 152: Loquats
Liu Hemeng agreed; it was a good idea.
Only after the two girls had finished dividing the gifts did they wash their hands and tidy up.
After playing with mud all morning, they were both dirty.
Once they had cleaned up, they also felt a bit hungry.
Conge had instructed the kitchen staff to prepare candied tangerine and snow pear juice early in the morning.
With the addition of rock sugar, the drink was sweet and a favorite among children.
After washing up, Suisui grabbed Liu Hemeng's hand and sat obediently, waiting for their afternoon treat.
Conge quickly had someone bring it out, one small bowl each. The drink quenched their thirst and slightly filled their stomachs without spoiling their dinner.
With the first sip, Suisui exclaimed, "It's so sweet!" She squinted, swinging her legs as she turned to Liu Hemeng.
Liu Hemeng had also just taken a sip, and it was indeed very sweet.
Compared to Suisui's enthusiasm, being two years older, she was more concerned about her teeth.
So, covering half of her face, she nodded slightly, her voice a bit muffled, "It's sweet, but my teeth can't handle too much of it. We can't drink this often, Suisui. Don't be greedy, okay?"
Dental health was indeed important.
Suisui was well aware of this.
Thus, when Liu Hemeng mentioned it, Suisui immediately nodded vigorously, indicating that she had taken her words to heart and would definitely not overeat.
As they drank, Suisui had taken off her little hat, exposing her fluffy head that just begged to be petted.
Being a child herself, Liu Hemeng saw no need for excessive self-restraint.
Acting on her impulse, she reached out to touch Suisui's fluffy head. Suisui was most cooperative, leaning in and even taking the initiative to rub her little head against Liu Hemeng's palm. "Sister, go ahead and pet me. It feels so good. I washed my hair thoroughly last night and even applied shampoo."
'Shampoo' was the term Suisui used for bath beans, which she was unfamiliar with.
However, she knew that by using it, she would smell just as wonderful as her mother, the Queen.
Liu Hemeng was most satisfied with the feel and kept responding with sounds of approval, even forgetting to drink her sugar water.
As she petted Suisui's head, she thought to herself, 'With her hair cut like this, it feels so good.'
'What if...
'I sneakily cut my brother's hair when I return home?'
With these thoughts, Liu Hemeng felt a bit guilty.
However, she soon regained her confidence.
After all, when her brother smeared mud mixed with urine on her face, he showed no regard for their sibling bond.
So, if she cut his hair, what was the problem?
There was absolutely none!
Liu Hemeng felt her logic was flawless, and that evening, she returned home and quietly cut her brother's hair.
Hmph!
Stinky brother, just wait to be petted to tears tomorrow!
After the two children finished their sweet soup, they played with the wooden blocks for a while longer until it was no longer early in the day.
If it weren't for waiting for the Princess to return, Doctor Liu would have taken Liu Hemeng to leave much earlier.
It was just that, with the Princess not back yet, he needed to wait a bit longer.
Otherwise, with no one accompanying Suisui, he would not feel at ease leaving.
Just as Princess Qi and Feng Xuanrui returned from the palace, Doctor Liu finally left with Liu Hemeng.
Before leaving, Princess Qi instructed Aunt Qiu to send a small plate of loquats.
These were tribute from Nan Province and had just arrived in the capital city today.
Aside from the palace, no one else had obtained any yet.
Princess Qi and Feng Xuanrui had just managed to arrive in time, receiving the Emperor's reward as well as an additional gift from the Empress Dowager.
Hence, they had a slightly larger quantity.
Thinking about how Liu Hemeng had accompanied Suisui for the entire day, and the young girl had been quite well-behaved, Princess Qi generously shared some with them.
After expressing their gratitude, Doctor Liu and Liu Hemeng finally departed with the loquats.
During the entire afternoon that Princess Qi had spent in the palace, she had been constantly worried about Suisui.
Upon her return, after briefly listening to Shaoyao's report on the manor's matters, she immediately headed straight for Suisui.
As the little girl played with a set of Chinese puzzle rings, the Princess of Qi quickly took two steps forward and enveloped her in a warm hug, holding her close and saying affectionately, "My Suisui."
Sensing the familiar scent of her royal mother, Suisui happily snuggled closer and replied endearingly, "Mother, I missed you, too."
Who could resist such adorable cajoling from a child? The Princess of Qi certainly couldn't.
Holding Suisui in her arms, she wished she could be a carefree ruler who cared only for beauty and not for the empire.
Each visit to the palace yielded abundant gifts from the empress dowager.
On this occasion, the Princess of Qi had intentionally selected some vibrant fabrics. Now, as she held Suisui, she presented the options: "Suisui, look, which one do you like? Mother will have someone send these to the Imperial Tailor to have them made into beautiful clothes for us. Wouldn't it be lovely for us to dress up prettily?"
Suisui wasn't greedy for possessions; she simply loved being close to her mother.
However, vibrant colors often captivated children.
After being brought over by her mother, Suisui's eyes widened at the array of items.
Fabrics, jewelry, trinkets, spices...
There were quite a few things, filling two large boxes.
Even the horse pulling the carriage seemed to walk with heavier steps on their way out of the palace.
The Princess of Qi invited Suisui to choose, and Feng Xuanrui also urged his sister to pick first: "Sister, this color is lovely; it's like a washed sky."
"This one's nice, too."
"And this amethyst hairpin... Well, I can't use it yet, but it's still nice to keep."
...
Although Feng Xuanrui was a young master, his aesthetic sense was on point.
Everything he chose was indeed quite exquisite.
And Suisui, being the obedient little sister, readily agreed with her brother's choices.
If he said something was good, she nodded.
If he indicated something was nice, she nodded again.
...
The siblings shared a close bond, and after the Princess of Qi put Suisui down, the two continued to hold hands as they looked at the items together.
Princess of Qi:? (No translation needed, as it's a question mark)
For some reason, she felt a twinge of sadness.
However, regarding her son, she decided to let it go and not dwell on such things.
He would be starting his classes tomorrow, and by then, Suisui would be all hers again.
With these thoughts, the Princess of Qi felt a little better.
They spent a good deal of time selecting gifts, and the Princess of Qi chose a large portion, stowing them away in Suisui's private treasury, building up her daughter's personal wealth.
Among the fabrics and jewelry were also loquats.
This fruit was entirely new to Suisui.
The Princess of Qi carefully explained, and Feng Xuanrui even peeled one right then and there to feed to Suisui, letting her know that it was edible.
It had a sweet and sour taste, and the flesh was soft and delicious.
The fruit wasn't large, and after peeling and removing the pit, there wasn't much flesh left.
Suisui felt that she hadn't even had a chance to savor the taste properly before the fruit had disappeared into her belly.
She felt a bit regretful about it.
The little girl was so captivated by the loquats that she was practically drooling, and the Princess of Qi couldn't help but feel amused by the sight.
Not wanting to laugh out loud and hurt Suisui's pride, the Princess of Qi turned her head and instructed Haitang: "Pick a few loquats. Tonight, we'll make a sweet soup with lily and loquat, and send some to the various courts so everyone can try this fresh treat together."
Haitang promptly acknowledged and left to carry out the task.
Shaoyao hesitated on the sidelines, unsure whether she should bring out Suisui's gift.
The box that Suisui had asked her to prepare in advance, with the help of her Aunt Qiu, was essentially a leaked exam question.
Shaoyao thought about how she could politely remind the Princess about the lively, wriggling earthworm in the beautiful box.
Before Shaoyao could figure it out, Suisui excitedly ran up to the Princess of Qi with the box in her arms. With an obedient expression and an innocent smile, she said, "Mother, I've prepared a gift for you!"
(End of Chapter)
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