Don't underestimate the weight of any fat person, regardless of their age.
Hongzhao looks chubby, but he's really heavy when you pick him up.
Fortunately, Dong'e Hailan is not a pampered girl, and she can endure the short time that Hongzhao is held on her lap.
“I used to see Consort Dong’e often carrying Tana and Hongzhao around, and I thought they were very light. They’re such small little things, but I didn’t expect them to be so heavy,” Dong’e Hailan said embarrassedly.
“A mother’s strength comes from carrying her own child. She’ll get used to it, even if the child is a bit heavy. My third sister-in-law just got married. She used to be a pampered young lady, so she’s still quite delicate and naturally can’t handle it. But when you have your own children, even when they’re older, you’ll be able to carry them easily,” Tong Wanyan said.
Dong E Hailan recalled the behavior of her sisters-in-law: "The sisters-in-law in the family rarely held the babies themselves. They would occasionally hold them when they were first born, but as they grew up, the wet nurses would hold them."
Tong Wanyan was surprised and puzzled for a while, but after thinking about it carefully, she understood the reason.
“Everyone has their own way of living, as long as you like it,” Tong Wanyan said.
Dong E Hailan embraced Hongzhao, her face beaming, the bitterness she felt when she first arrived gone.
She was convinced that Tong Wanyan, Tana, and Hongzhao were all lucky stars, and now that she had them in her arms, she felt at ease.
Seeing how carefully Dong E Hailan was holding Hongzhao, Tong Wanyan felt relieved.
“My fourth brother is getting married in September, and we’ll soon have another sister-in-law,” Dong E Hailan said.
While in her boudoir, Dong'e Hailan and Ulanara Fanghui didn't interact much. Knowing that Yuqing Palace had a good relationship with Yinzhen, she took the opportunity to inquire about the future Fourth Prince's wife.
"The upbringing of a Grand Minister's family goes without saying. I met her a few times when she came to the palace last time. She is a bit younger than us, but she does things meticulously and is a good match for Fourth Brother. In the future, she will definitely be a virtuous and generous wife." Tong Wanyan had high praise for Ulanara Fanghui.
For some reason, Dong'e Hailan felt jealous of Ulanara Fanghui and resentful of Consort Rong.
If Consort Rong hadn't used her as a pawn, causing her to have unpleasant memories with the concubine, she might be a frequent visitor to Yuqing Palace now.
“My fourth brother is upright and meticulous, and he is most suited to be paired with a virtuous and generous wife,” said Dong E Hailan.
"Father has excellent taste. The wives he has bestowed upon the princes are all exceptional girls, one in a million. My third brother's wife is well-versed in poetry and literature, and she is a perfect match for my third brother," Tong Wanyan said.
Dong E Hailan smiled shyly, but in her heart she was cursing Yin Zhi.
He was a lecherous man; even with her in his life, he would still frequently sneak off to the back courtyard. Sometimes he would visit the rooms of three concubines in a single day, truly managing to treat them all equally.
The dirty secrets of one's own family should not be known to outsiders.
Tong Wanyan didn't often pay attention to what happened in Yin Zhi's backyard.
She wasn't the type to meddle in other people's business, and besides, she had no relatives or friends with them; speaking up would only invite resentment.
“In a few more years, things will be even more lively in the prince's quarters. His younger brothers are all almost of marriageable age,” Dong E Hailan said.
Tong Wanyan agreed, "Since you married into the palace, there have been many happy events. This is a good omen."
Tong Wanyan was so good at talking that Dong E Hailan's smile grew sweeter and sweeter.
After chatting happily for a while, Dong'e Hailan's arms gradually became unable to hold Hongzhao anymore.
Thinking that she had been holding the twins for so long, she believed that she should have received some of their good fortune, so Dong'e Hailan asked the wet nurse to take Hongzhao away.
Just then, Hongzhao got tired of sitting on her lap and went to the wet nurse's arms without crying or fussing.
Her adorable appearance melted Dong E Hailan's heart.
There was no special banquet. In the side hall, only Tong Wanyan and Dong E Hailan chatted for an hour until their throats were dry, and they had no more topics to discuss.
Without needing to be invited by the host, Dong E Hailan took her leave herself.
She also had to go back and keep an eye on those unruly little devils in the backyard, lest they take advantage of her absence to do something underhanded.
After seeing Dong E Hailan off, Tong Wanyan returned to the South Courtyard with her two children.
The clothes she wore to receive guests were rather elaborate, so Tong Wanyan changed them after returning home.
Hongzhao, like Tana, had his clothes removed and was dressed in a bright red bellyband and silk trousers, looking extremely festive.
When Granny Ling came to report on household affairs, Tong Wanyan casually mentioned Dong E Hailan to her.
"After meeting my third sister-in-law, I realized how comfortable my life is. Besides the master's thoughtfulness, I really owe a lot to the nanny's help with things in the backyard. Chunque and Xiazhu, those two maids, used to be so impulsive, but now, thanks to the nanny's guidance, everyone praises them when they go out," Tong Wanyan said.
Granny Ling sat affectionately beside Tong Wanyan on a low stool. She gave her the preferential treatment of the Crown Prince's wet nurse, but did not treat her and her servant as equals.
"Good fortune is something one accumulates oneself. The concubine is kind-hearted, how could her life not be good? There are others in the backyard of Yuqing Palace. The princess who came in with the concubine back then has now disappeared without a trace. The concubine's support back then was not as good as any of them." Granny Ling saw things very clearly.
"Two years have passed in the blink of an eye. I didn't think much of those hard times back then, but now I'm terrified when I think about them. It's all thanks to the Emperor's mercy that he didn't hold a grudge against me. Given what happened back then, I was treated kindly enough to be confined to the courtyard of Yuqing Palace for the rest of my life." Tong Wanyan sighed with emotion whenever she thought of her ambitious and scheming self when she first married into the palace.
Ling Mama smiled without saying a word; she knew the Crown Prince, whom she had raised.
Yinreng was vengeful, and his initial leniency towards Tong Wanyan was only because of her stunning beauty.
Later, the two became very harmonious and got along even better than ordinary farming couples, their relationship based entirely on genuine affection.
Granny Ling was very busy, but she was happy to help Yinreng and Tong Wanyan relieve their worries.
She's destined to be a hard worker all her life. If you really let her go home and enjoy a life of leisure as a retired noblewoman, she'd feel uncomfortable all over.
After glancing through the account book handed to him by Granny Ling, he found the accounts to be clear and without any faults.
Tong Wanyan rewarded Granny Ling with a few practical items and some easy-to-eat snacks, and Granny Ling left happily.
With foreign affairs settled, Tong Wanyan finally had time to tease her chubby son.
Tana and Hongzhao sat on Tong Wanyan's bed, crawling around barefoot on it.
The toys that the wet nurse always carried with her were scattered on the bed sheets, creating a mess.
Tong Wanyan took off her shoes and socks, sat cross-legged on the bed, and reached out to pull Hongzhao in front of her.
"Little Hongzhao, did you enjoy sitting in your third aunt's lap today?" Tong Wanyan firmly denied that she was jealous.
What a conflicted woman! She clearly approved of Hongzhao and Dong'e Hailan's intimacy, but when she actually saw the two of them together, she would feel upset and unhappy.
Seeing his own son sitting in another woman's lap, so adorable and endearing, made him feel terrible.
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