Chapter 74: Daily Life + Raising a Child (Part 4)
As dusk settled, the candles inside the house were lit.
After dinner, Xiao Xu and Yun Sheng sat together at the desk.
Xiao Xu picked up his brush to write, and Yun Sheng ground the ink for him beside him.
The scent of ink mingled with the faint fragrance of magnolias outside the window, warming the quiet room.
Xiao Xu wrote for a while, then paused slightly, and said as if casually: "Today I was talking with Scholar Li, and he mentioned a retired palace lady named Su. She is virtuous and talented, and especially good at teaching young children. I was thinking, should we invite her to our residence to teach Zhizhi and give her some guidance on her studies?"
Yun Sheng looked up at him and said, "Isn't it too early? Zhizhi has only just turned four."
Xiao Xu said, “When I was one year old, my father invited a tutor to read aloud to me to correct my pronunciation. When I was two, I started practicing calligraphy. By the age of three, I could recite chapters of the Analects.”
Yun Sheng paused for a moment, then gently stroked Xiao Xu's arm: "Zhi Zhi is neither the eldest son nor does he need to take the imperial examination. Even for you, I feel sorry for your difficult childhood."
Xiao Xu took her hand in return, his fingertips caressing her warm palm: "I don't want her to be like an ordinary young lady, confined to the inner quarters of the house. My daughter should have a wider world, to understand reason and righteousness early on, so that she can have a broader vision in the future."
Yun Sheng nestled into his arms, her cheek pressed against his chest, and she could hear his steady heartbeat: "But I was thinking that she's so young, and she should sit properly and listen to the lecture. I was afraid she'd get bored."
Xiao Xu chuckled: "Indeed, it can't compare to when you taught her needlework, always letting her make a mess of the whole house with silk threads, and when you took her to recognize flowers and plants, she always ended up chasing butterflies and playing in the garden."
"Oh, so His Highness thinks I spoil her too much."
"How dare I?"
Xiao Xu lowered his head, his breath close to his: "And you, at what age did you start reading and writing?"
Yun Sheng blinked and recalled, "I was about six or seven years old. My mother first taught me 'Admonitions for Women' and 'Inner Instructions.' Later, my father saw that I was interested and allowed me to listen in from behind the screen when my brother was studying. It was intermittent and far less systematic and rigorous than what you taught me."
Xiao Xu's fingertips gently stroked her cheek, his eyes deepening: "So you feel sorry for my hardships when I was a child because you feel that I missed out on a lot of playtime?"
Yun Sheng nodded: "Hmm, I can't imagine what it would be like for a one-year-old to listen to those obscure articles. If only we knew..."
Before she could finish speaking, her voice faded into a hurried and warm kiss.
Xiao Xu gently bit her lip, his voice deep and hoarse as he said, "Didn't you say you felt sorry for me? Why are you talking about other people?"
"...What do you mean 'other people'? That's your daughter."
Ironically, Xiao Xu was jealous of his own daughter.
But soon, as the kiss deepened, Xiao Xu wrapped his arm around Yun Sheng's waist, and unconsciously helped her stand up from the chair, then brought her closer to him, almost making her sit on his knees.
Yun Sheng thought that he wasn't jealous at all; he just wanted to take this opportunity to kiss her.
The sounds of kissing and the increasingly intimate rustling of clothes could be heard from inside the room.
Yun Sheng's breathing became slightly disordered, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the front of his shirt.
Even now, holding hands and embracing can still make two people's hearts race, and kissing can easily ignite passion and desire.
It was a moment when feelings were running high and could ignite at any moment.
Suddenly, a muffled thud was heard.
Yun Sheng's eyelashes trembled, and she suddenly opened her eyes. As soon as she caught a glimpse of that small figure out of the corner of her eye, she was already moving to push Xiao Xu away and stand up.
But she had only retreated a little when Xiao Xu grabbed her waist and pulled her back, causing her to fall against his firm chest, her face flushed with heat.
The figure beside the screen had also shrunk back behind it in the brief moment, and now only a slightly swaying dark shadow could be seen in the corner.
Yun Sheng's cheeks flushed slightly as she exchanged a glance with Xiao Xu.
Xiao Xu said calmly, "Come out."
The dark figure hesitated for a long time before finally revealing itself.
"I...I...I was looking at the flowers."
Xiao Zhiyi, who had returned at some unknown time, stood helplessly by the screen.
After a moment of nervousness, seeing the two still clinging to each other, she took small, quick steps toward them.
Yun Sheng didn't mind the child seeing them being affectionate, but what had just happened was a bit too intense and not suitable for the child to see.
She glared at Xiao Xu before pushing him away and getting up to sit back in her seat.
She reached out and took Xiao Zhiyi's hand, pulling her closer to her: "Zhizhi, when did you get back?"
"I just got back. My nanny brought me back."
Xiao Zhiyi opened her big, curious eyes, and after the initial embarrassment, her gaze couldn't help but wander between her parents.
She inadvertently met her father's gaze and, seeing no reproach in his eyes, boldly asked, "Father, Mother, what were you doing just now?"
Yun Sheng's fingertips paused slightly, and a blush seemed to spread across her face.
Before she could speak, she heard Xiao Xu's more direct reply from behind her: "Kissing."
"..."
Turning around, she immediately realized that the man was deliberately trying to get her daughter to ask the question directly.
Isn't he ashamed? Does he even want to brag about this to others, especially his own daughter?
Yun Sheng truly understands Xiao Xu; he is simply showing off.
Not only did he boast, but he also explained to his puzzled daughter in a serious tone, "Because Daddy and Mommy love each other very much, they are very close, and that's why Zhizhi was born later."
Xiao Zhiyi seemed to have suddenly learned something incredible.
Following Yun Sheng's action of hugging her, she climbed onto her mother's lap and sat down: "So that's how Zhizhi came to be."
Yun Sheng held her daughter's soft body, looking into her eyes that shone even brighter after learning about the matter, and her heart suddenly softened.
She couldn't help but look at Xiao Xu, and saw that he was also looking at her intently.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she gently replied, "Yes, Zhizhi came into this world because her parents loved each other and were looking forward to it and wishing her well."
Xiao Zhiyi smiled sweetly and nestled happily into Yun Sheng's soft embrace: "It's so nice, Zhizhi likes it this way."
"Zhizhi feels so happy."
*
A few days later, as autumn deepened, the leaves of the paulownia trees in the courtyard fell.
Regarding the important matter of whether to hire a tutor, Yun Sheng and Xiao Xu ultimately decided to respect their child's wishes and leave the choice to Xiao Zhiyi.
To the couple's surprise, Xiao Zhiyi, upon learning of this, not only did not resist studying, but also did not want to hire a tutor to come to their home to teach her; instead, she wanted to go to school.
She was only four years old, far too young to go to school.
Yun Sheng chuckled and gently tapped her daughter's nose: "Silly Zhizhi, the school is not a playground; there are rules for studying."
Xiao Zhiyi puffed out her little chest and said happily, "I know, I just want to carry my little book bag to school."
Yun Sheng guessed that Xiao Zhiyi had probably learned about going to school from her older friends, and was filled with curiosity and novelty, but didn't really want to study.
She didn't disagree, but Xiao Xu probably wouldn't allow her to have such a novel idea.
But to his surprise, Xiao Xu looked at his daughter's excited and expectant face, pondered for a moment, and then nodded and said, "Alright, let's go then."
Yun Sheng was taken aback, but Xiao Xu had already made the decision and started making arrangements in a flurry of activity.
Within a few days, arrangements were made for a private school with a good reputation in the capital, and an auspicious day was chosen.
On the day she enrolled, Xiao Zhiyi woke up before dawn.
She put on her brand-new clothes, which were specially made for her to go to school.
She wore a light green cross-collar ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with a matching vest over it, and a small silk ribbon tied around her waist. Her hair was also neatly combed into two buns, each tied with a jade-green hair tie.
This outfit was different from the soft everyday clothes she wore at home or the gorgeous dresses she wore when meeting guests, but she looked at herself in the bronze mirror from left to right and found it extremely novel.
Xiao Zhiyi kept showing off to her parents: "Daddy, Mommy, this dress is so beautiful. Zhizhi is all grown up now."
On the carriage to school, the little guy was so excited he couldn't sit still. He clung to the window, watching the street scene rushing past, chattering incessantly: "Daddy, are the teachers at school fierce?"
"Mother, are there really that many children in the school?"
"Grandma packed some snacks in Zhizhi's new schoolbag. Can she share them with her classmates?"
Xiao Xu patiently answered her questions one by one, while Yun Sheng gently tidied her slightly disheveled clothes and hair tie, which were messed up by her excitement.
Upon arriving at the school, Xiao Xu and Yun Sheng first paid their respects to the school master and the instructors, and solemnly presented their tuition fees.
At her parents' prompting, Xiao Zhiyi performed a proper kowtow to the teacher.
The ceremony was simple yet solemn. Little Xiao Zhiyi seemed to sense the change in atmosphere, and she stopped laughing and her little face became serious.
After everything was finished, the Master led Xiao Zhiyi into the study.
The couple stood outside the window, watching their daughter being placed behind a small desk, curiously observing her equally bewildered and intrigued companions around her. Finally, she turned around and gave them a bright, slightly affectionate smile through the window.
On the return journey, the carriage was unusually quiet without the children's noise.
Yun Sheng gazed out the window for a long while before softly saying, "At first, I thought you wouldn't agree to her whim."
Xiao Xu said, "I hope she is knowledgeable and reasonable, but I never want her to achieve any great things or bear any expectations. What I learned and practiced in my childhood was all out of necessity. But for Zhizhi, I only wish her to experience all the possibilities in this world."
"She can go to school out of curiosity, or go home when she gets bored; she can be praised for her intelligence, or be gently punished for her naughtiness. She doesn't need to be perfect, she just needs to be happy, she just needs to be herself."
These words soothed her deeply, and Yun Sheng's eyes softened as she gently rested her head on his shoulder: "Yes, she will be happy because of this."
As expected, on the first day after school, Xiao Zhiyi was like a bird released from its cage, and didn't stop moving throughout the entire evening.
At the dinner table, she waved her little spoon excitedly and shared, "Today, the teacher taught us to recite 'Heaven and Earth, Black and Yellow,' and even praised me for speaking clearly."
"The older sister sitting next to me was named Wanwan, and she shared a piece of sweet cake with me."
"There is a very big jujube tree in the backyard of the school. The teacher said that when they are ripe, we can pick them and eat them."
Her eyes sparkled with the joy of new experiences.
In the evening, after washing up, Xiao Zhiyi, carrying her small pillow, habitually tried to run to her parents' bedroom, but Xiao Xu blocked her way and picked her up.
Xiao Zhiyi was taken aback and asked in confusion, "Father?"
Xiao Xu said, "Now that you've entered school, you're practically a little adult. One important thing in growing up is learning to sleep alone."
This had never been mentioned before, and Xiao Zhiyi was momentarily stunned, her eyes widening in surprise: "Does studying have to be like this?"
Xiao Xu patted her head and said gently, "It's not about studying, it's about growing up. You'll grow up slowly, and your parents are right next door. You can hear them as soon as you call them."
Under her father's coaxing, which was half rational and half about her sense of pride as an independent young adult, Xiao Zhiyi, though reluctant, still hugged her little pillow embroidered with a jade rabbit and was led by her wet nurse to her own carefully prepared little room, looking back every few steps.
The main house door was slightly ajar, and the room was quiet.
Under the candlelight, Xiao Xu embraced Yun Sheng and kissed her deeply, a kiss that was more intense and passionate than ever before.
Yun Sheng's breathing was slightly disordered, and she mumbled a reproachful remark between his lips: "You didn't agree to let her go to school because you had this planned all along, did you?"
Since her birth, her daughter has occupied a corner of the bed. Xiao Xu loves her unconditionally, but when things become inconvenient for her, his frustrations and dissatisfaction accumulate for a long time.
Xiao Xu chuckled, neither admitting nor denying, but simply repeated the same line about growing up and becoming independent to Yun Sheng.
Finally, his warm breath brushed against her earlobe: "Tonight, it's just the two of us in this room."
Yun Sheng's body went limp from his kisses, her thoughts drifting away. Her worries about her daughter were temporarily pushed aside by the surging tide of passion.
Once she caught her breath, she quickly pushed him away, saying, "Okay, stop kissing me. I'm going to take a shower first."
Amidst the rising steam, Yun Sheng's thoughts gradually cleared.
My daughter is sleeping alone for the first time. Will she be afraid of the dark? Will she kick off the covers?
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. After taking a bath, she dried herself, fastened her nightgown, and went outside, thinking that she should go and check on things to put her mind at ease.
But when they returned to the inner room, Xiao Xu was nowhere to be seen; only Cui Zhu was tidying up the incense burner.
"Where is Changyu?" Yun Sheng asked.
Cui Zhu smiled and whispered, "Your Highness, His Highness went to the young lady's room a while ago."
Yun Sheng was taken aback, then her lips curved into a smile, and a knowing tenderness shone in her eyes.
Even after explaining the grand principles, he still wasn't entirely at ease with himself.
At this moment, only a small horn lamp was lit in Xiao Zhiyi's room.
When the little figure on the bed heard the door open, it peeked out from under the quilt with bright, sparkling eyes. After seeing who it was, it smiled a sweet smile just like its mother's.
“Father,” she said in a soft, slightly mischievous voice, “I knew you were worried and would sneak into my room.”
Xiao Xu had already prepared a lot of comforting words and even planned how to coax his tearful daughter, but when he saw this scene, he was stunned and then felt a little amused and exasperated.
He maintained a calm demeanor as he walked to the bedside: "How can it be quiet? I came openly and honestly."
Xiao Zhiyi turned to the side, resting her chin on her small hand: "If Zhizhi is asleep and doesn't know, wouldn't that be keeping quiet?"
Xiao Xu sat down on the edge of the bed, pressed her back down on the couch, and tucked the blanket around her: "Then why isn't Zhizhi asleep yet?"
Xiao Zhiyi paused for a moment, then said truthfully, "I'm a little excited, but also a little unaccustomed. This bed is so big, and the room is so quiet. I lay there with my eyes closed for a long time, but I just couldn't fall asleep."
Xiao Xu's heart softened, and he began to consider giving up the idea.
She's still young, so it's normal for her to be afraid to sleep alone.
Actually, Yun Sheng misunderstood him. He didn't send Xiao Zhiyi to school specifically for this reason.
Her presence didn't significantly disrupt their married life, since their intimacy wasn't limited to the bedroom, and they hadn't neglected it at all over the years.
Before Xiao Xu could figure out how to respond, a warm, soft little hand suddenly peeked out from the edge of the blankets, hooked one of his fingers, and gently shook it.
Xiao Zhiyi said softly, "Father, stay with me for a while, and go back after I fall asleep, okay?"
The candlelight flickered, illuminating the daughter's pleading face.
Xiao Xu was silent for a moment before saying, "Let's go back to the main house together tonight and sleep with our parents."
Unexpectedly, Xiao Zhiyi immediately refused: "No, Zhizhi is all grown up and needs to sleep alone."
Xiao Xu actually regretted telling her those serious, profound principles.
But Xiao Zhiyi wasn't thinking about grand principles.
She slowly closed her eyes, her hand still hooked around Xiao Xu's finger, and said softly, "I also want to grow up quickly, it's just that I'm not used to it at first."
"But my father loves me and my mother loves me, so I'm not afraid at all."
Xiao Zhiyi's long eyelashes, like two small fans, cast quiet shadows under her eyes.
After a long time, so long that Xiao Zhiyi was already breathing evenly.
Outside the window, a bright moon quietly climbed to its zenith, silently bathing the small room, which was tightly enveloped in love, in its clear, bright light.
Xiao Xu lowered his head, kissed his daughter's forehead, and said gently, "Yes, Daddy and Mommy both love you very much."
*
The days after the start of winter were blessed with a mild winter festival thanks to a fresh snowfall.
This is a festival that has become popular in Beijing in recent years. It is modeled after the Lantern Festival. On the first full moon of the eleventh lunar month, various lanterns are hung in several bustling streets in the city to set up night markets. The purpose is to use the warmth of the lanterns to dispel the winter chill and to pray for a prosperous year to come.
On the day school ended, as Xiao Zhiyi, carrying her small schoolbag, prepared to board the carriage sent by the mansion as usual, she was surprised to find that a slender hand lifted the curtain from the inside, revealing her father's smiling eyes, while her mother sat beside him, gently waving to her.
"Daddy! Mommy!" the little girl exclaimed in surprise, scrambling onto the carriage and throwing herself into Yun Sheng's arms. She couldn't help but reach for Xiao Xu's hand, "Why did you all come together?"
"I've come to pick you up from school." Yun Sheng smiled as she untied her schoolbag and brushed away a snowflake from her temple.
As the carriage moved, Xiao Zhiyi began chattering again, sharing which characters the teacher had taught that day, which classmate had made a fool of themselves while reciting, and how she had received a new stone seal for calligraphy practice.
She was so immersed in the joy of seeing her parents come to pick her up that she was so excited to share it with them that she only realized what was happening when the carriage turned a corner and she heard the noisy voices outside the window. She then belatedly peeked out the window and exclaimed "Eh!"
Xiao Zhiyi turned around and asked in confusion, "This isn't the way home."
Yun Sheng pulled her back to her side and then told her, "There's a lantern festival in the city today for the Winter Warmth Festival. Your father said he'd take us to visit it."
"Really!" Xiao Zhiyi jumped up from her seat instantly, her cheers almost lifting the roof off the car. "The Lantern Festival! There's a Lantern Festival! Daddy's the best!"
Xiao Xu reached out and steadily supported his daughter, who was jumping around with joy: "Sit tight, you'll have plenty of fun to do later."
Stepping off the carriage, one is greeted by the crisp, clear air unique to winter, mixed with the warm, sweet aroma of roasted chestnuts, roasted sweet potatoes, and osmanthus wine.
Along both sides of the long street, colorful lanterns competed for attention, their dazzling lights illuminating the snow-covered eaves and bare tree branches in a dreamlike way.
The crowds were dense, and the air was filled with laughter and chatter, making it even more lively than during the day.
With one hand protecting Yun Sheng and the other holding Xiao Zhiyi, whose little head was swaying excitedly from side to side, Xiao Xu slowly merged into the crowd.
Xiao Xu stopped in his tracks as he passed a stall selling velvet flowers and delicate little jewelry.
He carefully selected a pale yellow velvet flower adorned with tiny pearls and pinned it to the side of Yun Sheng's black hair bun. He then picked up an even smaller and more adorable pink begonia velvet flower and pinned it to his daughter's double buns.
The stall owner praised repeatedly, "Sir, you have excellent taste! Your wife and daughter look even more beautiful than the flowers wearing this!"
Xiao Zhiyi happily stroked the new baby on her head, her smile so wide her eyes disappeared.
Yun Sheng looked at her daughter and nodded, "Yes, it looks good. Let's pay."
A troupe of acrobats was performing fire-breathing in the open space ahead, surrounded by layers of people.
Xiao Zhiyi suddenly felt her body lighten as Xiao Xu steadily lifted her over his head and placed her on his broad shoulders.
With a sudden burst of open view, the little girl could see the fire-breathing performer's thrilling and spectacular show, and she clapped and screamed with excitement.
Xiao Xu turned his head and asked Yun Sheng, who was also looking up beside him, "Sheng Sheng, do you want to hug me too?"
Yun Sheng pinched his arm, which earned her a low, pleasant laugh.
Arriving at a stall where archery could be won, one could see various lanterns hanging from an exquisite bamboo frame as prizes.
Xiao Xu paid the money, drew his bow, and nocked an arrow.
He fired three arrows in quick succession, each hitting the bullseye. Amid cheers from the stall owner and onlookers, he selected a silk lantern painted with lotus flowers for Yun Sheng and won a lifelike koi lantern for his daughter.
Xiao Zhiyi hugged the koi lantern, which was almost as big as her body, and was overjoyed: "But the peach blossom lantern in Mother's room is still the most beautiful."
Xiao Xu said, "That was unique to your mother; there's only one of its kind."
Xiao Zhiyi smiled and said, "I know, it's a token of love that Father gave to Mother."
Xiao Xu smiled, without explaining that the tokens of love he gave were not just that lamp.
We walked, looked around, and ate our way through the journey.
The sugar figurines are sweet and crispy, the hot almond tea is comforting, and the freshly baked plum blossom cakes are fragrant, sweet, and soft.
As dusk settled completely, the city lights shone even brighter.
When they reached a relatively quiet bridgehead, Xiao Xu stopped, and Yun Sheng took out a handkerchief to wipe the sugar stains from her daughter's lips.
Xiao Xu asked, "Zhizhi, are you full?"
Xiao Zhiyi patted her round little belly and answered loudly, "I'm full!"
Have you had enough fun?
The little girl looked at the still-bright lights in the distance and the faint sound of string and wind instruments, hesitated for a moment, and then honestly said, "It seems not yet."
Xiao Xu chuckled and gestured with his hand.
Mu Shan, who had been following the crowd at a distance, quickly walked over, extended his hand to the young mistress, and said calmly, "Young Miss, would you mind accompanying me for a while longer? There are shadow puppet shows and stalls selling unusual trinkets ahead."
Xiao Zhiyi glanced at Mushan, then at her parents standing hand in hand. Her big eyes darted around, and she instantly showed a knowing expression, letting out a drawn-out "Oh~~~".
She puffed out her chest like a little adult: "Father, Mother, are you going on a secret rendezvous?"
Xiao Xu chuckled and flicked his daughter's forehead with his finger: "Nonsense, Father and Mother are husband and wife, lovers. This is not a secret rendezvous."
Yun Sheng nodded and echoed, "This is perfectly aboveboard."
So, Xiao Zhiyi gave a knowing look and then, with Mu Shan holding her hand, they walked happily toward the more bustling stalls.
She had only taken a few steps when she suddenly turned around, waved at them, and shouted, "Daddy! Mommy! Have fun! You don't have to come back tonight!"
The clear, childlike voice carried far through the winter night air, attracting the attention of many passersby.
Yun Sheng's face flushed red instantly. She instinctively tried to turn her face away and hide in the shadows, but Xiao Xu's strong arm grabbed her waist and pulled her into his embrace.
"What are you afraid of? We're not having a secret rendezvous."
As soon as he finished speaking, under Xiao Zhiyi's bright gaze, Xiao Xu lowered his head and kissed Yun Sheng's lips.
This kiss carried the sweetness of sugar, the chill of a winter night, and even more so, the burning love between them.
In the distance, Xiao Zhiyi, who was being carried by Mu Shan, watched her parents embracing each other in the dim light. She hugged the koi lantern in her arms with satisfaction, and a big happy smile bloomed on her little face.
Tonight is wonderful.
————————
The End!
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