Chapter 19, Chapter 18: Yinqi, the Tenth Prince's Salted Fish Snacks

Yinqi looked completely bewildered, and Yin'e was also stunned. His friendly smile froze completely, and he stared blankly at Yinqi.

So, not only did he not understand what Yinqi was saying, but Yinqi also did not understand what he was saying.

One of them only speaks Mongolian, and the other speaks both Chinese and Manchu, but they just don't speak Mongolian. Their language systems are completely incompatible!

Yin'e felt drunk, and the expression on his fair face turned into a "囧" character. He was speechless with bitterness: the language barrier was right there. How could he communicate with his fifth brother, Yinqi? Could they just use gestures to communicate and rely on their eyes and expressions to understand each other?

Looking at Yinqi, who only spoke Mongolian, Yin'e realized once again that his future academic life would be very tough: if nothing unexpected happened, when he entered the Imperial Study at the age of six, he would have to learn Manchu, Han and Mongolian languages ​​at the same time, and receive trilingual education from a young age.

...Waaah, it makes me sad just thinking about it. Kangxi's princes were on the third day of the seventh month all year round. It was an inhuman life.

Seeing the two little ones, one big and one small, standing there dumbfounded, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang couldn't help but laugh: "I forgot that Yinqi only speaks Mongolian and doesn't usually listen to Manchu, so he probably didn't understand what Yin'e said."

After all, it was the Empress Dowager who raised Yinqi.

The Empress Dowager's Manchu was not very fluent, and the nannies and maids around her were all Mongolians who had come from Khorchin as part of her dowry. Naturally, they communicated in Mongolian in the palace where the Empress Dowager lived.

Growing up in such a purely Mongolian-speaking environment, it's no wonder that even at five years old, Yinqi only spoke Mongolian and couldn't speak a word of Manchu. As for Chinese, forget about it; Yinqi couldn't understand a single word.

The Empress Dowager beckoned Yinqi to stand beside her, and with a kind smile, she spoke a string of words to him in Mongolian.

A look of realization dawned on Yinqi's chubby, white face, and he was no longer confused. His expression visibly brightened and he became happy.

Grinning, Yinqi, who had lived in Cining Palace with the Empress Dowager since childhood and had few playmates, smiled somewhat憨憨地 at Yin'e and said loudly and excitedly, "Greetings, Tenth Brother."

Although languages ​​differ, a smile is a language in itself, a symbol of friendliness.

Sensing the goodwill shown by the Fifth Prince Yinqi, Yin'e smiled brightly at him, his lips curving upwards and his almond-shaped eyes crinkling.

The Niohuru clan was a top-ranking noble family, and the imperial concubine had also studied Mongolian, though her level was only average.

Fortunately, Sumalagu was there. She was Kangxi's first teacher of Manchu and Mongolian languages ​​and was now acting as a translator, allowing the Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, and the Imperial Concubine, who had some language barriers, to communicate freely and understand each other's meanings clearly.

A faint fragrance of Buddhist incense lingered around Su Ma La Gu, and she wore a string of Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist. She possessed a gentle, calm, and capable demeanor, neither arrogant nor humble, exuding a serene tranquility that came with the passage of time.

As the adults were talking, the fake child, Yin'e, made eye contact with the real child, Yinqi.

Yinqi looked at Yin'e curiously, showing great interest in his much younger brother and wanting to play with him. He raised his hands in the Empress Dowager's arms and waved them to Yin'e from side to side, tentatively greeting him again.

Startled for a moment, Yin'e grinned broadly, raised his hand and waved it from side to side, waving at Yin Qi and responding to him very enthusiastically.

Waving to each other, Yin'e and the Fifth Prince looked at each other and laughed heartily. Although they couldn't understand each other's language, that didn't stop them from interacting back and forth.

While waving his hand, Yin'e carefully examined Yinqi.

Upon seeing this, Yin'e's mouth dropped open, and he was somewhat stunned.

He originally thought he was already quite fat. Not only was his face round and chubby with baby fat, but his arms and legs were also plump like lotus roots. He even had a little belly sticking out, making him a size bigger than the Ninth Prince Yin Tang, who was a month older than him.

But after seeing the Fifth Prince, Yin'e realized what it truly meant to be a tiger-headed, robust, and strong man.

The Fifth Prince was very tall, probably because he was raised from a young age by the Empress Dowager, who was accustomed to Mongolian cuisine. He grew up drinking cow's milk and goat's milk and eating beef and mutton, and was very strong.

He was tall and fat, and in the gradually cooling October weather, he was wrapped in a thick fur coat, making him look like a round, fluffy ball at first glance.

His gaze fell on Yinqi's face, and Yin'e carefully examined his appearance, discovering that Yinqi and the Ninth Prince Yintang bore some resemblance.

However, Yinqi was too fat, and his round face made his features flat and spaced far apart, so his appearance was not as delicate and beautiful as Yintang's. He gave people a more honest, gentle and simple feeling.

Noticing Yin'e's focused gaze, Yinqi stopped his incessant waving of his hands. He put himself in Yin'e's shoes and thought about it for a moment, then suddenly realized why Yin'e was staring at him.

Taking off the purse he wore at his waist, Yinqi stepped forward and handed over the purse, which was stuffed full of unknown contents: "Tenth Brother, here. This is beef jerky, it's very fragrant and delicious."

Yin'e couldn't understand and looked at the purse handed to him by the chubby Yinqi with some confusion, not knowing whether to accept it or not.

He hesitated, then looked up at the smiling Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager, before turning to the Imperial Concubine and blinking his large, watery, dark eyes to ask for her opinion.

Although Consort Niohuru's Mongolian language skills were only average, Yinqi didn't use any obscure words, and she understood without Sumalagu translating. Under Yin'e's questioning gaze, she nodded almost imperceptibly, indicating that the matter was harmless and that accepting the purse was nothing to worry about.

Having received the hint, Yin'e was indeed a little curious about what Yinqi wanted to give him, so he took a few steps forward steadily with his short legs without being shy, gave Yinqi a bright and innocent smile, and said softly, "Thank you, Fifth Brother."

The bulging purse was no showpiece, nor was it light; when Yin'e took it, his little hand involuntarily sank under its weight.

Blinking, Yin'e clumsily used his chubby, short fingers, still bearing the chubby dimples of his hands, to untie the purse. After some effort, Yin'e finally managed to open it and saw that it was stuffed full of beef jerky.

The beef jerky sprinkled with white sesame seeds exuded a rich, savory meaty aroma, constantly stimulating Yin'e's sense of smell and making his mouth water.

God knows how much he has suffered in terms of diet this past year. He drank milk for a year and only recently started eating complementary foods. He hasn't eaten any flavorful food for a whole year!

Although he was very tempted, Yin'e hesitated, looking at the beef jerky in his hand without making a move: he was already one year old and could eat beef. But the question was, could his still-growing baby teeth really bite through the beef jerky?

Yin'e expressed deep doubt.

Seeing that Yin'e didn't move, Yinqi assumed that he had never eaten beef jerky before and didn't recognize it—in this life, Yin'e had indeed never eaten it before, so he earnestly emphasized, "It's delicious." After thinking for a moment, Yinqi urged in a childish voice, "Tenth Brother, eat quickly, it's very delicious, I like beef jerky the most."

At this moment, Yin'e also made a decision, picked up a piece of beef jerky and stuffed it into his mouth.

Even if his baby teeth can't bite into beef jerky, it's good to taste it! This year's diet has been heartbreakingly bland, and if it continues like this, Yin'e is afraid that he will forget his love for food.

With the beef jerky in his mouth, savoring the savory and meaty flavor bursting between his lips and teeth, Yin E happily squinted his eyes: It's so delicious, waaaah... It's been so long since I've had such good-tasting, fragrant, and delicious beef. This is what it means to be alive!

With a mouthful of beef jerky in his mouth, Yin'e looked at Yinqi with bright eyes. His round, large, and watery almond-shaped eyes were filled with sincere gratitude and thanks. He looked at Yinqi as if he were a savior who had rescued him from dire straits.

At this moment, Yin'e unilaterally declared that Yinqi was his good friend and the best brother in his life!

A note from the author:

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Yin'e: I'm alive QAQ

Yinqi: I sensed the presence of my kind.