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Chapter 227: Comforting Little Sister
Chapter 227: Comforting Little Sister
With so many children, the adults kept a watchful eye from a short distance away.
If they weren't close by, they wouldn't be able to notice the children's moods in time.
The children were too engrossed in their play to pay much attention to anything else.
Su Su's mood dip was just a fleeting moment of sadness as she reminisced about the past.
Even Feng Xuanrui, who was holding her hand, didn't notice.
At that moment, Shen Huatang asked softly, causing Liu Hemeng to look up in confusion.
The other young masters also turned their heads in surprise.
Suddenly finding herself the center of attention, Su Su felt a little embarrassed.
Instinctively, she snuggled closer to Shen Huatang.
As the little girl snuggled against her, Shen Huatang felt her heart bloom with a delightful sensation. So, this is how it feels!
She raised her hand subconsciously, gently looping it around Su Su's neck, and pulled the child closer to her.
It was then that Feng Xuanrui realized what was happening, pouting slightly as he grumbled, "My sister doesn't like rainy days."
With Feng Xuanrui's words, the others gathered around worriedly, forming a circle around Su Su and Shen Huatang. They asked questions in a flurry of chirps and chatter.
Not far behind, the Qi King heard these words and furrowed his brows in confusion. He turned to the Queen and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with our little cutie? Is it that damnable Chen family again?"
When mentioning the Chen family, the Qi King deliberately elongated the word 'family', making it sound vague and indistinct.
The Queen understood and nodded slightly before explaining, "...It's not just that. Her birth mother left on a rainy night. Although Su Su was very young at the time and may not remember much, there was still a bond between them. It's understandable that she would feel a knot in her heart."
Hearing that Su Su's birth mother had left on a rainy night, the Qi King's heart twinged with pain.
He felt for the child.
Soon, his heart twisted with a sour feeling.
After listening to the Queen's explanation, the Qi King immediately grasped the crux of the matter.
When Chen Sanniang was alive, Su Su's life in the Chen family was already difficult.
This birth mother...
She probably didn't dote on the child much and was likely thinking of using her as a bargaining chip to extort some benefits from the Jinyang Marquis Manor.
These thoughts filled the Qi King with disgust, and he turned his face away in distaste.
With Feng Xuanrui speaking up, Su Su honestly admitted that she didn't like rainy days because, in the past, rain meant there was no food to eat.
There was no need to even mention the young masters from the Wang Manor or Shen Fuzi's family, who all came from comfortable backgrounds. None of them had ever worried about not having food to eat.
However, Shen Huatang knew what it was like to go hungry.
Sometimes, when she was engrossed in her books, she would realize later that she had missed a meal, and that empty feeling in her stomach wasn't pleasant.
Especially when she went too long without eating, the acidity in her stomach would rise to her throat, leaving a burning sensation that was truly uncomfortable.
But when they were hungry, there was always food available.
The servants in the manor prepared meals early in the morning, and even if they missed the regular mealtimes, someone would keep the food warm on the stove, waiting to serve them.
But in Su Su's previous life, that wasn't the case.
Hearing this, Shen Huatang's eyes reddened, and she hugged Su Su gently, "Don't be afraid, from now on, you'll always have food to eat."
Liu Hemeng's eyes also turned red, and she gently patted Su Su's shoulder, "That's right, Su Su, don't be scared. From now on, we can eat whatever we want."
"Yes, yes! Our little sister can eat whatever she wants!"
"Let's go to the farm tomorrow and slaughter a sheep!"
"That's not a bad idea!"
"I hope it's a sunny day tomorrow!"
...
The children's lively chatter helped dispel the somber mood that had settled over Su Su as she reminisced about the past.
Moreover, children's emotions were fleeting, and they quickly forgot their sadness once they were engrossed in their play.
After washing up, they had their meal.
Following lunch, the children stood on the veranda and played for a while before returning to their respective courtyards to sleep.
Shen Fuzi had a designated resting place in the Wang Manor—the best room in the guest courtyard.
Knowing that Shen Huatang was coming today, Princess Qi had instructed the servants to freshen up two rooms earlier in the day, ensuring that both Shen Huatang and Liu Hemeng would have a place to rest during noon.
However, the three children refused to part ways and insisted on staying together.
Eventually, they all ended up sleeping in the main courtyard, holding hands even as they drifted off.
Princess Qi watched them with a gentle smile before quietly exiting the room.
Qi King chose not to go inside, not wanting to make the young girls feel uncomfortable with his presence.
Now, seeing the princess emerge, he smiled and asked, "Has my good girl fallen asleep?"
Princess Qi nodded and gestured for Aunt Qiu to summon the steward.
There weren't many daily matters to attend to in the manor.
However, with people coming and going, there were always reports to be made to the princess, and preparations had to be made early in the morning.
Aunt Qiu promptly went to fetch the steward.
Upon entering, the steward first gave a brief account of the routine matters reported from the other estates, which weren't particularly complex.
It was mostly news about a ewe giving birth to a lamb that day and another bountiful harvest from the fish pond.
Compared to the manor's extraordinary productivity on the day of Su Su's return, Princess Qi now remained calm and collected throughout the report.
It was Qi King who was taken by surprise upon hearing that one of the cows on the estate had given birth to triplets. He nearly spilt his tea as he exclaimed in astonishment, "Really? It's quite rare to have triplets. Most of the time, it's just one, and even twins are difficult to raise."
Steward Li nodded and smiled. "Ever since the Sixth Young Master returned to the manor, the productivity of our estates has been remarkable. I believe it's a blessing from a virtuous person."
Although the stewards had their private doubts about the matter, they kept them to themselves.
After all, it was indeed rare to have triplets! And for all three calves to survive was even more astonishing.
However, they didn't say much and only murmured privately among themselves.
Now that the king had expressed his surprise, Steward Li casually commented on it.
He thought it wasn't a big deal and that it was more important to keep the master happy.
With the recent incident involving Qi Wang's mother, the mood in the manor hadn't been the best over the past two days. So, Steward Li chose to share only pleasant news.
Hearing this, Qi King nodded. "Little Six is indeed a blessed child."
After saying this, he sat back down, picked up his tea, and smiled. "But the one with even more blessings is our good girl."
Princess Qi didn't want to pay him any mind and turned her head to look at Steward Li, signaling for him to continue.
Steward Li continued with a smile, "In the morning, He Manor sent gifts, expressing their gratitude for our princess's care for He Manor's second young lady during their time at the temple."
He Furen had already sent gifts before they descended the mountain, so this was likely a gesture to express their sincerity.
Princess Qi guessed that there might be another reason as well.
Perhaps there had been new developments in He Shuran's medical treatment.
Perhaps the child would be able to stand on her own after all.
Princess Qi naturally hoped that He Shuran would recover. She felt that any child favored by Su Su must have a good character.
The princess was pleased at the prospect of Su Su having another playmate.
With these thoughts in mind, she smiled and said, "Let me see the gift list."
Second Watch
(End of Chapter)
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