Chapter 72: Who told me I'm so good at coaxing kids?
Li Xing'er, with one end of a chopstick in her mouth, nodded vaguely. It must be, because before she could see clearly, her mother had covered her eyes.
Li Xing'er was easily persuaded by her sister's few words and didn't dwell on it. She went straight to play with Teng Huang.
When Li Yue'er brought over the honey water, she noticed the mistress staring at her. "Hmm?"
Li Yue'er blinked. "What are you looking at?"
Qu Rong gestured towards the door with her eyes. Li Xing'er, chopsticks in her mouth, squatted down next to Teng Huang and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Sister just made me some honey."
His tone was one of great joy and appreciation.
Qu Rong reached out and took the bowl, then scoffed softly, "Always good at coaxing children."
It was clear that the mistress had overheard the conversation between the two in the inner room.
Li Yue'er pretended not to hear this and only asked, "Is it sweet?"
The mistress snorted, "So-so."
Li Yue'er, "..."
Li Yue'er let out a soft "Ah," her tone dejected, her expression listless. "I put in five spoonfuls of honey. I usually only eat half a spoonful."
She knelt down in front of the mistress, crossed her arms and rested them on her knees, raised her face, and looked intently at the mistress with her watery eyes. "Shall I add two more spoonfuls for you? You prefer sweet flavors and don't like ginger, so your mouth must have felt uncomfortable just now."
Qu Rong's eyes flickered slightly as she glanced at Li Yue'er with wariness and suspicion.
But she squatted on the ground like a puppy, and all she could say was how much she cared about her.
Even if it's a trap of sweet words, it can still lure people into willingly jumping in.
Qu Rong pursed her lips, but finally relented, "I don't feel uncomfortable anymore after drinking the honey water."
Li Yue'er, "Really?"
Qu Rong: "Mm."
Li Yue'er's eyes crinkled into a smile as she rested her chin on her hands and stared at her with great interest.
Qu Rong belatedly realized what was happening, and stared blankly at Li Yue'er, "..."
Li Yue'er bent over and half-stood, placing one hand lightly on the mistress's leg and giving it a gentle squeeze. She leaned close to her ear and said, "I was just kidding. I only put in two spoonfuls of honey."
Qu Rong, "..."
Li Yue'er breathed softly into her ear, her voice gentle and alluring, "Who told me I'm so good at coaxing kids~"
They can easily persuade you.
Qu Rong, "..."
If Li Yue'er hadn't twisted her waist and entered the kitchen with her skirt fluttering, she would definitely have pinched her face hard!
They're becoming increasingly lawless.
After Li Yue'er left, the room became quiet.
Qu Rong breathed a sigh of relief. She had to admit that after Qu Rong's antics, she felt much more at ease.
She looked down at the bowl in her hand. The bowl was spotless, washed again and again by Ming Shi, and the honey inside was added by Li Yue'er. Li Yue'er did not scoop five spoonfuls of honey for her, but when Li Yue'er ate honey herself, she only used the tip of her chopsticks to dip a tiny bit, just enough to taste the sweetness.
The warm honey water washed away the spiciness in her mouth, and at this moment, Qu Rong could only taste the sweet fragrance of locust blossoms.
She had never imagined the scene of her and Li Yue'er in front of the Ming family. Sitting here today, it seemed that she didn't have to think about anything. She just needed to sit, and Li Yue'er would take care of everything else perfectly.
No matter how unfamiliar the environment, there is always the familiar Li Yue'er.
Ming brought out bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen. "You guys, you came all this way, why did you bring things with you?"
Ming invited Qu Rong to sit over here, saying, "It's time to eat."
Cinnabar and gamboge served bowls and dishes, while Li Yue'er set up stools and brought out oil lamps.
Among the busy group of people, only Li Xing'er stood still to the side, her big eyes wide open, her small fists clenched, her lips pressed together, and she took a deep breath, all the while staring intently at Qu Rong.
"..." Qu Rong felt inexplicably nervous and became alert.
She could have walked over gracefully on her own, but it was all Li Yue'er's fault for giving her such a bad idea, which is why she's sitting here dawdling, waiting for Li Xing'er to muster up the courage to take her hand.
Li Yue'er coughed twice.
As if receiving some urgent instruction, Li Xing'er rushed over, her hands and feet moving in unison.
Qu Rong, "..."
Qu Rong didn't know where to look for a moment.
Li Xing'er, with her small frame, poked in front of Qu Rong, her arm stiffly stretched out, and with her fair little hand, grabbed Qu Rong's sleeve, inviting her warmly, "Eat, let's eat!"
Qu Rong tried to keep a blank expression and said, "Okay."
She got up with the force of Li Xing'er's pull and was "led" by Li Xing'er to sit down at the table.
Ming peeked out from the kitchen, curiously watching this scene. She looked up and whispered to Li Yue'er, who was walking towards her, "It's rare to see Xing'er so unafraid of strangers."
Li Yue'er remained calm and composed, saying, "Perhaps it's because the mistress has a kind face that makes the children dare to approach her."
Ming Shi, "..."
While Ming agreed that the matriarch of the Qu family was beautiful, she found it utterly unbelievable that she had a kind face. Anyone with eyes could see that she wouldn't utter such a dishonest statement at first glance.
The matriarch had a cold and aloof appearance with indifferent features and a cold and distant demeanor, not at all like someone who was easy to approach.
Madam Ming glared at Li Yue'er and sighed, saying, "You would say such things just to make me like her."
Li Yue'er then stuck out her tongue and smiled, tilting her head to lean on Ming's shoulder, acting coquettishly and shamelessly, "Mother, you like her, don't you? She treats me differently."
Madam Ming didn't know how the mistress treated Li Yue'er in private, but ever since Li Yue'er entered the Qu residence, the cartloads of things delivered to her were genuine.
Ming herself couldn't figure out what she was thinking. She herself couldn't judge people well, so how could she possibly make decisions for Li Yue'er?
“Little Yue’er,” Madam Ming sighed softly, handing the bamboo basket full of steamed buns to Li Yue’er. She looked at her with gentle and tolerant eyes, “It doesn’t matter whether I like her or not. You’ll be the one living with her from now on. As long as you like her, that’s fine.”
Madam Ming raised her hand and gently touched Li Yue'er's hair, repeating her words as always, "Mother will listen to you."
Whether it's the right path or the wrong path, you have to walk it to know. Even if you find you've taken the wrong path after giving your heart away, it's okay, because you still have them by your side.
Li Yue'er's nose tingled, and her eyes felt hot. She wrinkled her nose and mumbled a soft "hmm".
Ming said in a low voice, "You're not allowed to cry. If she sees you crying, she'll really think I have a problem with your relationship."
Li Yue'er then tilted her head back, blinked to wipe the moisture from her eyes, sniffed, and cheered up again. She then carried the basket of steamed buns and walked briskly into the house.
The mistress did not sit in the main seat, but sat next to her in the lower seat.
Sitting opposite the two were Li Xing'er and Dansha Tenghuang.
Ming was the last to enter. She lifted her apron to wipe her hands, noticed that the children had left the main seat empty for her, and paused for a moment before smiling and saying, "We don't pay attention to these things in our family."
Teng Huang reached for the steamed bun. "I know, Aunt Ming. I'll eat now, I'm starving."
Qu Rong glared at her.
Gamboge pretended not to see it and even gave Cinnabar one.
Ming did not rashly serve food to the younger generation, but only verbally invited them to eat.
The bowls and chopsticks that Qu Rong used were scalded twice with hot water in front of her, and even the chopsticks that she used to serve her steamed buns were brand new.
To accommodate Qu Rong, Ming specially prepared serving chopsticks, and everyone at the table used them to pick up food.
Li Xing'er was clearly not used to it, so she held her bowl and waited for the older sisters to feed her. She ate whatever they put on her with serving chopsticks and was not picky at all.
Today is not only Li Xing'er's birthday, but also the Lantern Festival.
Ming was a little uneasy. She didn't want to ask Qu Rong directly, but she could ask Li Yue'er, "Will it be alright for the mistress to stay here for the festival?"
She wasn't trying to kick people out; she was just worried that there were elders in the Qu family waiting for Qu Rong to celebrate the festival.
Before he could even finish swallowing, Teng Huang waved his hand and mumbled, "It's alright, we don't celebrate holidays."
If it weren't for the arrival of Yue'er this year, the mistress wouldn't have taken them to the estate for a hot spring to celebrate the New Year; at most, she would have led them to welcome guests for a different meal. If things got busy, a simple meal of dumplings would have sufficed.
If it's like this during the Lunar New Year, then it's even more so during the Lantern Festival.
Ramen Huang raised his index finger and swallowed what was in his mouth. "This is the first lively New Year I've ever had since I started following my mistress."
Ming looked at Qu Rong, who was eating quietly with her eyes down, slow and deliberate, very elegant and quiet.
Madam Ming was delighted, thinking that the mistress of the house truly lived up to her reputation as a lady of high birth. Knowing that no one was waiting for her to go back for the festival, Madam Ming kept them a little longer after the meal, letting them go out to release lanterns.
Garcinia tinctoria helped with the tidying and cleaning, and only after they finished did they carry the lamps out together.
There is a small river in the academy that flows from the back mountain, passes through the academy, and flows into the big river outside.
Although students go home for the Lantern Festival, for those living in the academy, the academy itself is their home.
So after dinner, people would gather in twos and threes to release river lanterns, both to join in the fun and to pray for good fortune in the coming year.
Those with good craftsmanship who can make Kongming lanterns can release them. Those with average skills who don't want to spend too much money can release small river lanterns.
Li Yue'er stood by the river, holding her skirt with one hand, bending over and half-squatting, while holding a river lantern in the other hand and placing it on the river.
Qu Rong stood behind her, afraid that she would slip, so she held her forearm tightly with one hand and lifted the hem of her skirt with the other, frowning and whispering, "Slow down."
Li Yue'er turned her head to look behind her, her eyes bright, and deliberately asked, "How slow do you want it?"
Qu Rong, "..."
She's not proper.
Qu Rong had a wicked idea. She deliberately pushed Li Yue'er forward gently with the hand holding her forearm, and then pulled her back.
As expected, Li Yue'er screamed in fright, not only retreating but also wrapping her arms around her shoulders and squeezing into her embrace.
Qu Rong laughed silently, her chest heaving.
Li Yue'er sensed it and angrily pinched her side.
Under the bright, round moon, the two of them frolicked by the river, bathed in its soft light. When Li Yue'er went to release the lanterns again, Qu Rong followed behind her, silently lifting up her skirt.
On the arched bridge over the river, Teng Huang bought a Kongming lantern from someone else out of his own pocket, and together with Dan Sha, they stood at the highest point of the bridge and released the lanterns in their hands.
Of the five children, the youngest, Li Xing'er, was the most well-behaved, always staying close to her mother.
Ming smiled and turned her gaze away from the distance. She then taught Li Xing'er how to light the lantern. The mother and daughter pushed the lotus lantern into the river together, splashing the water to let the lantern carry their hopes further.
After the first wave of fireworks outside finished, Li Yue'er, along with her mother and sister, escorted the three of them, including the mistress, to the outside of the academy.
Qu Rong boarded the carriage, and Dan Sha placed the empty food box at the back of the carriage and tied it with a rope.
Teng Huang didn't want to go back, but she knew that Aunt Tan had returned to the house tonight, and she had to stay by the mistress's side with Dan Sha.
She didn't tell Yue'er about this, but waved to her in a lighthearted tone, "You guys go back, I'll come pick you up tomorrow."
“Okay.” Li Yue’er subconsciously took two steps forward, and the mistress lifted the carriage curtain to look at her.
Li Yue'er waved to her.
The mistress glanced at her twice, then nodded and pursed her lips at her mother, passing by her.
Ming gently reminded her, "Drive carefully on the road."
Compared to the lanterns hanging at the entrance of the academy, the road in the distance appeared somewhat dark, even with the moonlight shining through.
The carriage slowly drove away until it disappeared into the night, at which point Li Yue'er took her mother's arm and walked back.
Before the mistress and the others left, Ming added firewood to the bottom of the pot to keep the water warm, and now she scooped it out to wash.
Having spent a long time with the mistress, Li Yue'er gradually adopted the mistress's habits as her own. Before going to bed, she would meticulously clean herself. Without a heated floor or sufficient charcoal fire, she shivered as she got into bed after cleaning herself.
She curled up in bed, waiting for her younger sister to wash her bottom and feet before coming in, then she hugged her warm body to keep warm.
Today is Li Xing'er's birthday, and Madam Ming made her a silver bracelet, a small and round one. It's something other children have from birth, but she only got it this year.
Li Xing'er cherished it very much, and now she took it out and put it on her wrist for Li Yue'er to see.
Li Yue'er naturally prepared a gift for her younger sister as well. She used her own monthly allowance to buy Li Xing'er a "long life and good health" lock, which she reached under her pillow and put on her sister's wrist.
The mistress clearly hadn't planned to come in and sit down before she arrived, so she hadn't prepared a gift. When she put down the lamp, she said she would make it up to her sister later.
The value of the gifts doesn't matter, but the fact that the mistress is concerned about her sister's birthday gift clearly shows that she cares about her.
Just like how her mother treated the mistress so well tonight, it was because she loved her that she wanted to make the person she liked feel comfortable, and that's why she made concessions in every way.
Li Yue'er pinched her younger sister's cheek with satisfaction and then asked them how they had been doing lately.
After her mother went to bed, the three of them huddled together and whispered to each other. Li Yue'er mainly talked to Ming Shi, while Li Xing'er listened quietly, occasionally interjecting with a question or two.
Upon learning that the mistress had given Li Yue'er a golden abacus, Madam Ming gasped and subconsciously said, "How are you going to repay such a valuable thing?"
Li Yue'er clutched her chest.
Li Xing'er raised her hand, "Pay with my body!"
The sound was loud and clear!
Li Yue'er: "...Shut up."
Li Xing'er: "Oh."
Then cover your mouth with both hands.
"Children speak without thinking." Madam Ming smiled and pulled the hand off Li Xing'er's mouth, then hugged her and covered it.
Li Yue'er continued, "Of course, I will repay it with my heart."
After she finished speaking, she realized that her words sounded too vague and unrealistic, and that Li Xing'er's "sexual repayment" was more practical and reliable.
Li Yue'er, "..."
She tickled her sister's ticklish spot.
Li Yue'er said, "When I earn money in the future, I will not only spend it on you, but also on the mistress, and I will buy her gold."
Li Xing'er looked down at her safety lock and whispered a reminder, "Sister, this is silver."
When she saw her sister scratching her again, she giggled and hid in her mother's arms.
What else could Ming possibly worry about? "If she's willing, bring her over to our house more often during holidays. I'll ask your aunts for cooking tips and let her try different flavors."
Li Yue'er readily agreed, "Okay."
While Li Yue'er and her two daughters were blowing out the lamps and chatting merrily, Qu Rong's carriage had just entered the Qu residence.
Before she even stepped out of the carriage, a maidservant hurried forward, her eyes lowered, and said, "Mistress, Aunt Tan is waiting for you in the study."
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Moon cups her chest: Sincerely~
Mistress: Abbey [Heart]
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