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Chapter 165: He Shuran
Chapter 165: He Shuran
Tang Youqing's scream was truly bloodcurdling.
Even though Princess Qi, Suisu, and the others lived quite a distance from the Tang family's quarters, they could hear it clearly.
Seeing that Suisu was frightened, Princess Qi quickly scooped up the child, patting and soothing her gently, her voice soft as she comforted, "Don't be scared, don't be scared, Mother is here."
Autumn Auntie had already sent Haitang to find out what was going on.
Such a heart-wrenching scream could only mean something terrible had happened.
If the situation was unfavorable, someone should at least be sent to inform them and give them a hint.
Although things had been a bit uncomfortable between the families lately, social interactions and courtesies would still need to continue as usual.
Children's worlds hold no grudges.
They might refuse to play with you now, but soon enough, they could be hand-in-hand again, the best of friends.
The adult world, however, is different—it remembers slights.
Yet, one must pretend to be unbothered, sometimes even feigning that nothing happened at all.
It's tiring, but that's just the way of the world.
It's not always black and white, and sometimes, one must simply act on a whim.
There will always be helpless and unavoidable situations.
Lady He and He Shuran stayed in the outer room of the Hui character quarters, a fair distance from Suisu and the others.
The mother and daughter had just returned and were about to freshen up a bit and have some tea before checking on the evening meal.
Hearing that piercing scream, He Shuran's face turned ashen, and even Lady He was startled.
The two first embraced each other for comfort and then sent someone to find out what was going on.
Still worried, Lady He, after calming her daughter down, took her hand and headed over to Princess Qi's quarters to check on them.
By the time Lady He and He Shuran arrived, Suisu had already been soothed and was sitting down to have some tea.
Autumn Auntie had prepared a ginger, jujube, and dried tangerine peel tea, with a touch of mint for added fragrance.
The tea was brewed with dried tangerine peel as the base, resulting in a slightly bright tea soup, to which ginger, jujubes, and mint were then added and boiled together.
As it wasn't the season for fresh mint, they had to make do without it for now.
If fresh mint were available, they could add a couple of leaves to the brewed tea to enhance its flavor and freshness, making it a refreshing drink.
For those who found today's tea a bit too light, crushed peanuts and dried longan could be added.
Considering Suisu's health, Autumn Auntie had also added two dried longans to her tea cup.
Not for flavor, but so that Suisu could chew on them later.
The snack prepared was five-spice cake.
Autumn Auntie quietly reminded Suisu that it contained glutinous rice, so she should eat just enough to satisfy her craving and not indulge too much.
Suisu was an obedient child. Although she had been frightened earlier, after being comforted by her mother, she sat quietly, first pushing one of the tea cups towards her mother before taking the other for herself.
Before they could start drinking, Lady He arrived with He Shuran.
Princess Qi held Suisu's hand, signaling for her to stay put, and then got up to welcome them, "You're just in time. We were just about to have some tea and snacks, and they're all still hot. Come, take a seat."
Princess Qi had a rather favorable impression of Lady He, so she smiled and invited them in.
Lady He waved her hand, a bit embarrassed, as if to decline, but Princess Qi warmly insisted.
Lady He could only give in, leading He Shuran inside while continuing to express her concerns, "I hope she didn't scare you too much. We don't know what's happening over there, but the scream was truly terrible. I hope it's not something serious."
Due to He Shuran's frail health, Lady He would bring her to Lanruo Temple every spring to stay for a while.
It could be a few days, or even as long as half a month.
If something unexpected were to happen in the interim, it would be inconvenient for her to remain here with the child.
Nevertheless, without having paid her respects to the gods and shown true sincerity, Madame He's heart was filled with panic.
She came to inquire after Princess Qi, both out of concern and to set her own heart at ease.
"It's likely nothing serious, just children playing and getting a little carried away. I've already sent someone to find out, and we should know soon. Don't worry, please come inside." Princess Qi replied with a smile as she guided the mother and daughter indoors.
The quarters were small, and it could get quite cramped when there were many people around.
Aunt Xiang and Aunt Qiu exchanged a glance, then quietly slipped out.
At this time, only Aunt Qiu remained nearby to attend to Princess Qi.
Madame He had also only brought one servant with her.
Su Su jumped down from her chair upon seeing the pretty aunt and sister enter, eagerly reaching out to He Shuran, "Sister Shuran!"
He Shuran shyly returned the little girl's smile, her own face reddening as she timidly extended her hand.
When Su Su took her hand, He Shuran's ears turned crimson, and she froze, feeling awkward and unsure about how to proceed.
Madame He, seeing her daughter's affection for the child, gently encouraged her, "If you like someone, you must bravely express it, or how will they know that you like them?"
After parting ways with Princess Qi and the others, Madame He had shared with her that He Shuran had softly confessed, "Mother, I like Su Su."
Su Su, unlike other children her age, would not view her as a burden or think that her frail health prevented them from playing together.
Even though they had not spent much time together, one could never predict where fate and affinity would lead.
Madame He was both excited and delighted by her daughter's rare expression of fondness.
And now, witnessing her daughter's hesitance and struggle to even take a step, it was only natural for her to offer a word of encouragement.
He Shuran took a gentle breath upon hearing her mother's words, then lifted her head to meet Su Su's gaze, offering her a shy smile.
However, as soon as she smiled, her face flushed again.
Su Su, upon seeing the sister's smile, exclaimed with a smile as bright as a crescent moon, "Sister Shuran, you look so pretty when you smile!"
In Su Su's eyes, He Shuran and Liu Hemeng were like two completely different types of sisters.
Hemeng was a brave sister, one who could take her hand and soar with her into the clouds.
Whereas Shuran was a fragile and helpless beauty, one whom Su Su felt the need to protect and care for.
Recently, Su Su had been feeling like a greedy child.
Because, with these two sisters, she wanted both.
Qiao Qiao was also lovely, except that she often liked to scratch her chin.
Su Su enjoyed her company, but there was always something a little odd about it.
He Shuran wanted to say, "Su Su, you're so lovely too."
But the words stuck in her throat, as if her tongue had been sealed, not allowing her to utter a single word.
He Shuran's eyes welled up with anxious tears. She was in a panic, her heart racing.
Su Su, however, was unbothered by the silence, patiently waiting without urging or questioning, standing there with a sweet smile.
Although He Shuran was physically frail, she was two years older than Su Su, which made her slightly taller.
She lowered her gaze and found Su Su looking up at her.
This filled He Shuran's heart with a mix of sweetness and anxiety.
(End of Chapter)
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