Chapter 38: Nine Linked Rings
Chapter 38: Nine Linked Rings
Upon hearing Feng Xuanrui's words, Sui Sui felt a bit anxious. "...Is it very precious, brother?"
After asking, she thought for a moment and then added softly, "I will repay Auntie when I make something of myself in the future."
Feng Xuanrui didn't think the gift was overly extravagant. Seeing his sister's unease, he shook his head and said, "It's a thoughtful gift, but other than that, it's quite ordinary. As for repayment, we can discuss it later."
Initially, Feng Xuanrui had wanted to say, "You're my sister; you don't need to worry about repayment."
They are giving gifts not just because you're adorable.
However, he swallowed those words, as they were too complex for his sister to understand at the moment.
Feng Xuanrui felt that his sister's eyes were clear and bright.
And he wanted to protect that innocence and radiance.
Hearing her brother's words, Sui Sui felt slightly more at ease.
Qingzhou was located over seven hundred kilometers away from the capital.
With the two children in tow, their carriage traveled slowly, taking about ten days to reach their destination.
Fortunately, it was their return journey, so there was no rush or worry about delaying official business.
On their way to Qingzhou, although King Qing had taken care of Feng Xuanrui, the journey had still been bumpy and uncomfortable.
Now, on their return trip, they could afford to travel at a more leisurely pace, which made the journey slightly more bearable than the outgoing trip.
However, by evening, when they reached a small town, Feng Xuanrui still felt sore and achy all over his body.
Sui Sui had also endured quite a bumpy ride.
That night, they had not yet left the borders of Qingzhou.
They stayed temporarily in a small town under the jurisdiction of Qingzhou Prefecture.
The town was not very prosperous, and by evening, the streets were already quite deserted.
They found an inn to settle in for the night.
After dinner, the two children were so tired that they could barely keep their eyes open.
Doctor Liu cheerfully led them back to their room.
Feng Xuanrui refused to be separated from Sui Sui and insisted on staying together.
Doctor Liu called upon the older brother, Qing Shan, to accompany him in looking after the two children as they slept.
When Feng Xuanrui had been insisting on sleeping with Sui Sui, he had been full of energy and vigor.
However, after they had finished washing up and returned to their beds, Feng Xuanrui spoke no more than five sentences before drifting into a deep sleep.
Sui Sui fell asleep even faster than her brother. By the time Doctor Liu turned around, the little girl was already sleeping soundly and carefree, looking absolutely adorable.
The system felt both helpless and heartbroken.
It was helpless because once again, Sui Sui had missed out on a bedtime story due to falling asleep too early.
And it felt heartbroken because such a young child had to endure the fatigue of slow-moving carriage rides.
However, for Sui Sui, this kind of exhaustion brought a sense of belonging and security.
Because she had not been left behind!
The next day, a light rain fell, making it unsuitable for travel.
Since they didn't have to rush, King Qing decided to take a day's rest at the inn.
Doctor Liu had originally planned to discuss with King Qing about slowing down their journey, as the two children couldn't handle such an intense pace.
But now that they weren't traveling that day, Doctor Liu happily took the medicinal ointment and went to find Sui Sui.
A few days had passed, and a light layer of hair had already grown on Sui Sui's head.
After dinner, as Doctor Liu applied the medicine, he also touched Sui Sui's head gently and carefully observed the color of her hair roots before nodding in satisfaction. "Good, good. The hair that grows from now on will be black and shiny."
Feng Xuanrui had originally been playing with the toy that Sun Ronglin had sent.
Since they weren't traveling today, he and his sister had to find something to entertain themselves to pass the time.
Hearing Doctor Liu's words, Feng Xuanrui eagerly leaned in and said, "Really? Let me see! Let me see!"
As he spoke, he moved closer and gently touched the area on Sui Sui's head where the medicine had not yet been applied, carefully examining it.
Upon seeing that Sui Sui's hair was a little prickly, Feng Xuanrui's eyes lit up with delight. "Hey? You really do have hair now, sister!"
Sui Sui had no idea what nice hair was supposed to look like.
But if her brother said it was good, then it must be true. She smiled innocently, following her brother's lead.
These past few days, Sui Sui had been brushing her teeth twice a day with Feng Xuanrui, and her teeth had become noticeably whiter and brighter.
Children's baby teeth hadn't fallen out yet, and although they hadn't been taken care of meticulously before, they looked well-shaped and cute overall.
When Sui Sui smiled, she revealed a mouthful of baby teeth, looking like a little fool who could be easily tricked with a piece of candy.
Seeing his sister like this, Feng Xuanrui felt a bit worried.
His sister must not be tricked away by anyone!
After dinner, the two children took their medicine again.
Feng Xuanrui's foot had healed, but to ensure a full recovery, Doctor Liu advised him to avoid prolonged walking or standing.
Feng Xuanrui also feared developing some ailment, so he obediently followed the doctor's instructions.
It was raining that day, so they couldn't go out.
Although the damp weather made one feel a bit uncomfortable, it was nice to be able to rest for a day.
And then...
Feng Xuanrui spent the entire day trying to solve the Nine Linked Rings puzzle with Sui Sui.
The problem was, he hadn't solved it yet.
There were several times when Feng Xuanrui felt so frustrated that he wanted to smash the puzzle to pieces!
But when he turned to look at Sui Sui, who was looking at him with puzzled and curious eyes, Feng Xuanrui put on a brave smile and said, "Don't worry, sister. I'll solve it very soon."
Sui Sui couldn't tell that her brother was feeling irritable. She thought he was so amazing!
Even after listening to the instructions several times, she still didn't quite understand how to play this game. Now, hearing her brother's words, she nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling with admiration: "Brother is the best!"
"I believe in you, brother!"
"You'll solve it very soon."
...
Feng Xuanrui got lost in the chorus of "brothers" coming from his little sister.
Then, his hands moved even more vigorously to solve the Nine Linked Rings puzzle.
Feng Xuanrui thought to himself: Today, there's no way I, Feng Xuanrui, won't be able to solve this Nine Linked Rings puzzle!
But, as it turned out, there was.
Even by dinnertime, Feng Xuanrui still hadn't solved the puzzle.
He chewed on his rice angrily, thinking to himself: Tomorrow, tomorrow, I will definitely succeed!
Feng Xuanrui eventually fell asleep hugging the Nine Linked Rings puzzle.
Sui Sui fell asleep a little later, gently removing the Nine Linked Rings puzzle from her brother's embrace, lest she accidentally roll over and press against her brother in her sleep.
Sui Sui didn't understand the allure of the Nine Linked Rings puzzle, but she knew that her brother cherished it.
So, she placed the Nine Linked Rings puzzle on the bedside table.
When Doctor Liu saw that the two children had fallen asleep, he signaled to Sui Sui, "Go to sleep now, Sui Sui. If the weather clears tomorrow, we'll have to continue our journey."
Sui Sui nodded obediently and then lay down.
The inn's accommodations were a bit simple, so Sui Sui shared a room with her brother.
However, they asked the attendant for an extra blanket, so each of them had their own to cover.
Even so, this was the closest Sui Sui had slept to her brother.
She cherished this warm and reassuring moment.
After Doctor Liu blew out the candle, Sui Sui lay in her blanket, peering through the layers of darkness at her brother's silhouette, and softly whispered: Good night, brother.
May your dreams be as sweet as candy.
And may you solve the Nine Linked Rings puzzle tomorrow.
(End of Chapter)
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