Jian Ning talked with Cao and the others for a while, and when she came back with a jar of fruit paste, Xiaoyuer had just woken up and the wet nurse was feeding her. In ancient times, babies were generally weaned late.
"Xiao Yu'er, the princess' aunt is here. Didn't you say you still remembered the princess' aunt?" Mei Niang pulled Jian Ning forward, leaned over and spoke softly.
Xiao Yuer glanced at Jian Ning sideways, then looked away and continued to eat with all his might, one of his little hands still tugging at the front of his wet nurse's shirt.
Before Jian Ning returned to Zhuling County, she had told Mei Niang that breast milk has lost its antibodies after the infant is six months old. Although the nutrients are still there after one year old, they cannot meet the child's growth and development needs, and complementary foods are still needed.
"Sister, I remember what you said to me. It's not that I don't believe you." Mei Niang smiled, "But my mother-in-law said that her children ate it until they were two or three years old and didn't want to eat it anymore, so I couldn't bear it..."
"It's okay, just pair it with complementary foods." Jian Ning handed her the fruit paste in her hand. "This is thick. You can take a spoonful directly or mix it with water. Regular consumption can nourish the heart, lungs and stomach, and can also sober you up and relieve constipation."
"Oh, so many benefits!" Mei Niang continued. "Even if you get used to it, don't worry. When Manager Chen takes this ointment south, we won't have to worry about not being able to buy it in Zhuling County."
"In another year or two, I'm afraid your husband will be transferred. How can he stay in Zhuling County forever? But if I can get him a year or two, I will make sure that the ginkgo paste can be sold in every county."
"Or you can."
The two chatted and laughed for a while, then Mei Niang picked up Xiao Yu'er, who had eaten and drunk her fill. She grabbed one of her tender little hands and kissed it, then pointed at Jian Ning and said, "Look, who is this?"
Both mother and daughter had dimples when they smiled, but not on the same side. Jane Ning clapped her hands, "Come here, Xiaoyuer, can Aunt Jane hold you?"
Xiao Yuer looked at Jian Ning with her bright eyes, her little face full of smiles. After Jian Ning stretched her hand forward again, she leaned back, put one arm around Mei Niang's neck and shook the other arm several times, meaning that she didn't want Jian Ning to hold her.
"That's strange. Last time, when she was crying, she stopped crying once I hugged her, but today she's acting like a stranger."
When Mei Niang finished speaking, the wet nurse beside her said with a smile: "Young lady has grown up and knows how to recognize her mother. Mother and daughter are natural. Little babies only care about their mothers."
"Little rascal!" Jian Ning pretended to pat Xiao Yu'er on the butt, making her giggle. Mei Niang coaxed her softly, "Call me auntie."
She put her arms around Mei Niang's neck, tilted her head to look at Jian Ning with a shy smile, neither calling out to her nor asking her to hold her. After a while, her eyes rolled around, and she looked at the unfamiliar new environment curiously.
Now Jian Ning couldn't figure out whether she was Sanniang's reincarnation. Even if she was, memories of past lives might vary from person to person, and not everyone could remember their past lives before the age of three.
"My two little ones love to fight all the time. Xiaoyuer and Xiaojiuer are still young, so that shouldn't happen, right?" Jian Ning asked Mei Niang with a smile.
"They know how to fight for food, but since Xiaoyu'er is the older sister, she knows to give in to her younger brother. But her younger brother never does. When he gets angry, he grits his teeth and grabs Xiaoyu'er's face with his hands."
"Oh, then will Xiaoyu fight back?"
"No. It's strange, her daddy sometimes teases her and pretends to hit her. Her little face turns serious and she immediately raises her hand to hit her back. If she doesn't let him hit her, she will cry. But he won't hit Xiao Jiuer. Isn't that fun?"
Jane Ning didn't know whether it was interesting or not, she only knew that she kind of believed that Xiaoyu'er was Sanniang's reincarnation. Whether it was true or not, the past life had become a thing of the past. She just hoped that she would be safe and sound in this life. Seeing that she was still wearing the longevity locket she had given her around her neck, she reached out to touch it, but Xiaoyu'er shouted "Hit me" and glared at her fiercely, meaning that he didn't want her to touch her longevity locket.
"This little girl is so fierce. She won't let anyone touch her things except me. Her father sometimes won't even let them." Mei Niang smiled and sent her to the wet nurse's arms. She then asked Jian Ning, "Are you still going to make ointment? If not, why don't we go for a walk in the street?"
Just as Jian Ning was about to agree, Tong Bajin led Chen Qinian's father, Chen Dazhi, to the backyard, along with shopkeeper Tong. "Tomorrow, let's go. Tomorrow I'll take my sister to the bookstore as well."
Chen Dazhi brought with him specialties from Jin County, and also brought a letter from Dabao to his son Chen Qinian. Dabao also wrote to Jian Ning and others, but reading the letters he wrote to his family and the letters he wrote to his friends gave people completely different feelings.
Jian Ning was very happy. The letters Dabao wrote to them were very formal, but the ones he wrote to his friends were much more lively. Dabao's every move came to life on the paper while reading the letters. He mentioned Ah Man many times in the letter to Chen Qinian, saying that Ah Man was an annoying person who always pestered him because Maoqiu didn't play with her.
Dabao also mentioned his mother in the letter, saying that she was the best mother in the world, and that he must study hard to bring honor to his mother. One day, he would make his mother famous because of her son, rather than relying on his grandfather to gain prominence in front of others.
"This kid doesn't know his place." Jian Ning said this after reading the letter, but his heart was deeply moved.
Dabao is mature beyond his years and usually doesn't talk much. He has never been good at expressing his emotions. He is totally different from Ding Youtian who can just say whatever he wants to coax people. Jian Ning didn't expect that he actually values her so much as a mother.
At this moment, she suddenly felt relieved. She was already the mother of one son and three daughters. From the first day she traveled through time and space, when Sanniu jumped into her arms, she felt a sense of mother-daughter connection. The four little ones were her own children, so why should she insist on having a child for herself and Ding Youtian?
Besides, she was a doctor and knew that there was nothing wrong with her and Ding Youtian. Having a child was a matter of time, and it might come quietly when one was least expected. If it came, it would be the icing on the cake. If it didn't, it would be natural. There was no need to dwell on it.
"Trust me, I took it quietly, and I will put it back to Nian'er quietly later. I hope Madam Jian won't make it public." Chen Dazhi is a very shrewd businessman, but he has not been able to expand his business due to insufficient capital.
After receiving the letter from Manager Tong, he was extremely excited. First, he already knew that Jian Ning was Princess An Ning. Second, he also knew that Yunshan Cui and hybrid grains came from them. Moreover, the escort business jointly opened by Lao Liu and Ma Tian had expanded to the capital. He knew that this was all because of Jian Ning and Ding Youtian.
Everyone wants to move up and he is no exception. He believes that it is right to follow Jian Ning and Ding Youtian. Moreover, he does not have enough capital and can only do small things. Few merchants are willing to let him pay a small deposit and pick up more goods and then settle the payment after reselling them. This way, he will waste a lot of travel expenses and the profit will only be enough to maintain daily expenses.
It was different for Jian Ning. He came with a request, so he thought of taking the letter that Dabao wrote to his son. Maybe Jian Ning would be happy after reading it.
She was happy, and she felt more confident in getting what she asked for.
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