Chapter 581 Leaving Xiaoman to You

"Brother, are we leaving now? Do we need to pack up for a while?" Lu Qin's mother felt uncomfortable when she thought of Xiaoman.

If possible, she hopes to collect some small gadgets for Xiaoman, even if they are just for eating, because she is a mother after all.

It doesn't matter if Xiaoman blames her when he grows up, but Lu Qin's mother hopes that he will stop wasting time on internal affairs.

"We have to pack up and leave at noon." Zhang Heyao looked at her deeply.

"Okay, I'll make you some food to take with you on the road. I'm almost done making shoes for Xiaoman, I'll hurry up and finish them..."

Seeing her bewildered and anxious, Zhang Heyao's heart softened and he said in a deep voice, "No hurry. I'll wait for you."

After saying that, he actually sat down on the stone bench in the yard, as if he was going to wait there.

Lu Qiniang: "...You go back and pack first. I'll come over when I'm done. It's a good opportunity to see you off."

"You keep busy." Zhang Heyao said, lying on the stone table. "I'm tired. I'm going to take a nap. Don't make any noise."

"Don't sleep here!" Lu Qiniang said.

Zhang Heyao, however, remained silent.

Going to sleep already?

Lu Qi Niang patted his shoulder and said, "Brother, go into the room and sleep."

There is a Luohan bed in the flower hall, where people can sleep.

She went in, tidied up, and made the bedding.

Zhang Heyao didn't refuse.

But he lay there on his side, his eyes not closed, his gaze passing through the open door, silently following the figure busy in the kitchen.

Watching her knead the dough and chop the stuffing skillfully, watching her hurriedly find the soles and needle and thread, her fingers flying as she worked... every movement touched his heart.

After this separation, I really don’t know when we will meet again.

I don't even know if this will be the last time we meet in this life.

The future is uncertain and Zhang Heyao cannot see clearly what the future holds.

The country and the family are undergoing tremendous changes, and fate is unpredictable. Who can guarantee that they can remain safe and sound and escape unscathed from the chaotic world?

If life really came to an end, Zhang He thought, what he would like to remember is not the high position in the government, nor the weight of power, but this moment - this morning that is so quiet that it seems to have frozen time.

He lay on the Arhat bed, the sun was shining outside the window and the breeze was not dry.

And she was busy in the kitchen a few steps away, taking care of him and their children.

The soft sounds of pots and pans, the aroma of steaming pastries, and her occasional, suppressed gasps...all of this constituted the last and warmest picture of "home" in his mind.

"Saya, Sanaya--" Lu Qiniang's heart was in a mess. After a long time, she remembered with regret that she had not brought Xiaoman over.

She wants to accompany Xiaoman for a while longer.

"Mom, I'm here. What's wrong?" San Ya came out of her room, holding the small wooden sword she made for Xiaoman and polishing it.

"Your brother is returning to Beijing today. Go and pick him up for dinner."

"We're going back to Beijing today? Isn't it still two days away?"

"Stop talking so much and take him back first."

Now that Lu Qiniang remembered it, she didn't want to waste a single moment with Xiaoman.

"Okay, I'll go right away." San Ya didn't delay and rushed out immediately.

Xiaoman soon followed Sanya.

He didn't know what was going on and just followed San Ya.

Lu Qin's mother asked him to go over and try on shoes, and he went over obediently.

Lu Qiniang was almost reluctant to take her eyes off him.

"Do the shoes fit?" She squatted on the ground and asked Xiaoman with a smile.

Xiaoman nodded, took a few steps, and indicated that it was suitable.

"That's fine." Lu Qin's mother said, "I'm not as skilled as your elder sister, but it's fine as long as it's comfortable to wear on the road. After we return to Beijing, I'll ask your elder sister to make you a better one."

"Mom made it beautifully too."

San Ya knew her brother was leaving, and she felt a pang of sadness. She took out a box of her treasured dragon beard candies, but deliberately broke off only a small piece for him: "Here, try it."

Xiaoman tasted the sweetness and looked at her eagerly.

She wanted it, but she didn't say it, and she acted pitiful, hoping that her sister would soften her heart.

San Ya really likes teasing him.

Seeing this, Lu Qiniang grabbed the candy box and stuffed it into Xiaoman's arms: "All for you, take it!"

Xiaoman held the box, hesitated for a moment, and then handed it back to Sanya.

San Ya felt sad and amused, and patted his little head: "Silly boy, everything I teased you with is yours!

Only then did Xiaoman happily hug the candy box.

After thinking for a moment, he carefully picked out a handful of the fluffiest sugar threads and tiptoed to Lu Qi's mother's mouth: "Mom, eat."

Tears welled up in Lu Qin's mother's eyes instantly. She hurriedly lowered her head and tried to cover them up by straightening her son's clothes. Her voice was choked with sobs but she smiled: "Okay, okay, Xiaoman is so good and sensible..."

Zhang Heyao was touched by her forced smile. He stood up, straightened his slightly wrinkled robe, and walked out.

When Xiaoman saw him, her little body stiffened noticeably, her eyes suddenly widened, and she looked down at the candy in her hand, feeling too guilty to look up again.

After hesitating for a moment, he stuffed the candy into San Ya's hand, then came over and hugged Zhang Heyao's legs and acted coquettishly.

Zhang Heyao knew the little thing's tricks too well.

Xiaoman is really good at "reading people's minds and serving them the right dishes" and knows clearly what tricks will work for whom.

She is well-behaved and sensible to Lu Qinniang, acts pitiful and cute to San Ya, and acts like a spoiled child to herself.

But every time, it accurately touched the softest part of his heart, making him feel pain deep in his bones.

"Go eat." Zhang Heyao touched his head, feeling pity and... reluctance.

"Qiniang, come in, I have something to tell you." He looked at Lu Qiniang who was secretly wiping away tears with her back to him.

He could have waited.

But seeing her pretending to be strong, Zhang Heyao couldn't help it.

"What's the matter? Tell me." Lu Qiniang took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and followed him into the flower hall.

Xiaoman was holding his precious candy box again, sitting on the stone bench, eating the candy in small bites and with great satisfaction.

What troubles could a child have?

Just a box of candy makes me extremely happy.

That’s great.

"I don't plan to bring Xiaoman with me when I return to Beijing this time," said Zhang Heyao.

Lu Qiniang suddenly raised her head and looked at him in disbelief, as if she didn't understand what he said: "Not taking Xiaoman? Brother, you want to leave Xiaoman to me?"

She thought about it, but didn't dare mention it.

Because she knew that Zhang Heyao really treated Xiaoman as the apple of his eye.

Moreover, their family is now actually "rebels and traitors". If they follow her, no one knows what will happen in the future.

"Yes." Zhang Heyao said calmly, "No matter who becomes the emperor in the future, I hope Xiaoman will be safe and sound."

If Prince Yan's ambition was thwarted, his position would be secure and he could still protect Lu Qiniang and Xiaoman.

If Prince Yan succeeds, then with the relationship between Xiao Yan and Prince Yan, as long as Lu Qiniang asks, Prince Yan should show leniency and let Xiaoman not be implicated.

The capital city is about to be in chaos.

Letting Xiaoman stay with Lu Qiniang in the temporarily peaceful northwest is safer than returning to the capital.

Although Zhang Heyao didn't want to be separated from Xiaoman, he was also worried that he would have no excuse to see Lu Qiniang in the future.

This decision almost tore out two pieces of flesh from his heart.

However, he still made this decision.