When Grandma Li saw that her granddaughter's forehead was red, she quickly hugged her and gently patted her to comfort her.
"Your mother has a bit of a temper, but she makes a lot of sense. You seem smart, but you're actually prone to overthinking. Whoever you care about, you'll protect them to the core. And if anything goes wrong, you'll blame yourself!"
"You can't think like that. You're still a child. Others will take care of you. You don't need to worry or exert yourself."
"Even if it requires your hard work, it's not allowed anymore. Your mother and I are back! We can't handle this ourselves, but your uncles and brothers are still here!"
"If anything happens, let them fight, fight, and figure out a solution. The men of the Li family aren't useless! What's the use of them if they can't protect you and keep you safe? They've just been wasting so much of your time!"
As Old Lady Li spoke, she seemed to wish she could drag her children and grandchildren out and beat them up.
It's their fault for not taking good care of her and making their granddaughter suffer!
"Yes, you just stay at home and don't have to worry about anything from now on!"
Tao Hongying chimed in, then thought for a moment and said to her mother-in-law, "Mother, this still won't work. If that shameless little beast from the Lu family spreads this around, it'll be our Fu Niu'er who suffers the most, her reputation will be ruined. It's too much of a loss. Why don't we let Fu Niu'er go with the fleet to Quanzhou..."
Jiayin panicked upon hearing this, "Mother, the situation is bad right now, it's a critical moment, I can't leave!"
Tao Hongying glared at her and said angrily, "What use is a little girl like you if you stay here? Listen to me, go to Quanzhou for a while, and you can come back after your father and the Marquis finish their northern expedition."
Jiayin didn't know how to explain to her mother, and just as she was getting anxious, a white shadow suddenly darted in through the window. Startled, Tao Hongying grabbed her mother and daughter and shoved them behind her!
Jiayin quickly said, "Mother, don't worry, there are three!"
Sanjo?
Upon closer inspection, Grandma Li and Tao Hongying realized that the creature squatting on the table with its big tail swishing was none other than the little fox they kept at home!
Tao Hongying couldn't help but step forward, pat the little fox, and scolded it, "Where did you go to be naughty? Running back in the middle of the night, you scared me to death!"
Grandma Li waved and called to the little fox with a smile, "Three of you, come here! The fleet has brought you back some dried fish! You can eat your fill when they're delivered to the dock tomorrow."
The little fox immediately darted into the old lady's arms, chirping and whining, its big tail rubbing against the old lady's chin, making the old lady laugh.
Tao Hongying also tore off a piece of coarse cloth and wiped the little fox's paws. Finally, she casually asked, "San Tiao seems to have gained a lot of weight? Who has been taking care of it lately? Has it been eating too much meat?"
Jiayin was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized that something was wrong.
Originally, when she left the palace, she left San Tiao with the Third Princess to raise and keep her company.
But the third princess has gotten married, so who has been taking care of the little fox these past few days?
It doesn't look like it's suffering from poor eating and sleeping habits!
The little fox's eyes darted around, and it quickly jumped out of the old lady's arms. Then it squatted down in front of Jiayin, chirping and gesturing with its two front paws.
Jiayin listened for a while, then whispered a guess, "You mean, the black box in Kunning Palace was moved out?"
"Chirp!" The little fox nodded, chirping even more cheerfully.
Jiayin frowned and asked a few more questions, to which the little fox responded with animated gestures.
Grandma Li and Tao Hongying were too shocked to utter a sound when they saw the fox and the human communicating like this.
Although I already knew that my daughter had some amazing abilities, and that the little fox was no ordinary creature, but...
Jiayin stroked the little fox's fur, gave it two small fish cakes, and then said, "If you don't feel tired, go back early. There are many people in the palace these days, so please be careful."
The little fox hugged the fish cake and happily started munching on it.
Jiayin looked up and saw that her mother and grandmother looked surprised, so she carefully explained a few words.
“Grandma, Mother, the little fox is naturally clever. After following me for a while, it can communicate in a few simple sentences. When I stayed in the palace, I relied on it to gather a lot of information.”
"Now that the Third Princess has married and the Crown Prince has returned to the palace, I can no longer stay there. But the one in the palace probably doesn't have much time left. He's ruthless and strange, and I'm worried he might harm my adoptive father and the Northern Expeditionary Army. The little fox is keeping a close watch on things in the palace for me, and he'll come back to report if anything happens."
"Therefore, I cannot leave Xindu for the time being. I must wait until my godfather and my father return safely."
Grandma Li and Tao Hongying exchanged a glance and both sighed.
Jiayin dared not stay any longer, fearing that her mother and grandmother would insist on sending her away. So she quickly said, "After the Third Princess returns to her parents' home tomorrow, news of the Empress's death will spread in the palace that night. At that time, Grandma and I will go to the palace every day to mourn her."
"Mother doesn't need to, but she needs to keep an eye on things at home, in the Earl's mansion, and in the village. Be careful not to break any taboos or give others a handle to use against you."
"I'll go back to my room to prepare some things; it's easy to get heatstroke in this weather."
After saying that, she picked up the little fox and went back to her room, then quickly hid in her spatial dimension.
The little fox was overjoyed and immediately ran off to eat fruit and survey its territory.
Jiayin found an ice cream, ate it in a few bites, and finally came to her senses.
Actually, saying that I'm preparing things isn't really an excuse.
When an empress of a country passes away, her body must be laid in state for at least seven days, and all officials of the third rank and above, as well as their wives and concubines, must mourn for seven days.
Even someone as young as her would find it very difficult to endure.
Moreover, older people probably wouldn't be able to stick to it for even a day.
Jiayin didn't want her grandmother to suffer as soon as she returned.
However, the Li family was also in the eye of the storm and could not take leave.
We'll have to think of some ways to protect ourselves.
The water bag with a straw that my second uncle and others used when the crown prince was appointed last time was quite good.
Products from Zhengjiazhuang are guaranteed to be of the highest quality.
She has five or six left, which is enough.
There are also pills to refresh the mind and relieve heatstroke, cotton pads to protect the knees when kneeling for a long time, and convenient and filling snacks...
Jia'an rarely comes back, and he is dragged along by Mao Ge'er, Zhimin, Xiujie and Guo Wenhao to stay at the Ye family's side room on the kang (heated brick bed).
The Marquis has been away from home for a long time, and only Dongmei guards the courtyard on weekdays, so it is really desolate.
Now that a few boys have come to stay with her, she is quite happy.
Not only was herbal tea prepared, but there were also fruit platters, snacks, and treats such as melon seeds and peanuts.
The boys had secretly drunk a little wine earlier and were now slightly tipsy and in high spirits. So they thanked Aunt Mei and gathered together to eat and talk, their laughter carrying far and wide.
Outside the courtyard, the patrolling villagers and veterans occasionally heard this, and they all felt incredibly at ease.
It wasn't until late at night that the courtyard, the surrounding area, and the village finally quieted down...
The next morning, since there was no court assembly, Li Lao Er, Mr. Wen, and Liu Zhiheng all stayed for breakfast, which was quite unusual.
After the meal, the cat brothers reluctantly took several baskets of chilled lychees and went back to Luo'an with Li Laosan.
Li Laosan was also reluctant to leave, but his mother was coming back to stay permanently, and the college would be on holiday in half a month, so there was no need to dwell on this temporary reunion.
Besides, the boys are all lively, so we can't just let them travel on their own.
Most importantly, in times of crisis, if someone plots against him, he can provide some protection.
Jia Huan, missing the restaurant, also went back to the city.
After all, it's close by, and he can come back in the evening to have dinner and chat with his grandmother.
At this moment, Zheng Wu personally led a group of people to escort four horse-drawn carriages back.
Jia'an gave Jiayin a wink, and Jiayin understood. She got up and went to the door with her brother.
Two unremarkable wooden boxes, mixed in with a pile of seafood, were carried to the princess's residence.
Two updates today!
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