The next day, Lanqin was woken up by the younger children. Since the Fourth Master wasn't home, Lanqin had Wuxiha and Xichen sleep with her. The wet nurse slept in the side room; if Wuxiha wanted milk at night, the wet nurse would come in to feed him, and then he would be put back to sleep next to Lanqin. When Xichen was one year old, Lanqin resolutely weaned him.
"My little Xixi, you won't let Mommy sleep, will you?" Lanqin jumped up and saw that the two little ones were already crawling and playing on the bed, both wearing plain satin cotton underwear, and playing with the auspicious knots hanging from the curtains.
Ushiha seemed to have a particular fondness for Lanqin's hair. He climbed up to her head and started putting strands of her hair into his mouth.
"Mom, oh, Mom." Ushi is almost eight months old, and she can already utter clear single words with her mouth babbling.
"Oh, my little Xixi is calling for Mommy now. Come here, Mommy will hug you, but you can't eat Mommy's hair." Lanqin laughed as she pulled the hair out of Wuxiha's mouth, picked her up, and placed her on her lap to tease her.
"Father, Father." Xi Chen saw Lan Qin holding Wu Xi Ha, and he wanted Lan Qin to hold him too, so he stood up and walked towards Lan Qin.
"Oh. Xichen wants Mommy to hold him too, right? Come here, come to Mommy's side." Lanqin smiled and reached out to beckon Xichen.
Xi Chen is over a year old now, and he walks with a waddling gait, which is extremely cute. Xi Chen has fair skin, a long and slender face, and a pair of big eyes, making him a real little handsome boy.
The two children sat on Lanqin's lap, one on each side, gazing at her with adorable eyes, which melted her heart.
After playing with the two little ones on the bed for a while, Lanqin woke them up. The wet nurses and maids outside were standing outside the room, and they immediately came in to serve them when they heard the call.
Lanqin changed her clothes, washed her face, and combed her hair under the service of Nianxue and Xicha. The spring sunshine outside the window was already unstoppable, and the birds could be heard chirping on the crabapple tree by the window.
"It's April, the most beautiful time of spring." Lanqin sat upright in front of the dressing table, letting Nianxue comb her hair.
“My lady, why don’t we take the two young masters out for a stroll today? We’ll bring all the food and drinks.” Nianxue said, seeing Lanqin’s blank expression and worried that she was upset because the Fourth Master hadn’t come for quite some time.
“Alright, we’ve brought the barbecue grill. We’ll also prepare some vegetables and mushrooms. And some beef and mutton,” Lanqin said with a smile. She recalled the first time she came to this villa after entering the manor, and how she, the Fourth Prince, along with the First Prince Honghui and the Third Prince Hongjun, had their first barbecue.
"Yes. And there's also plum milk with Master's love. The two little masters' spinning wheels and rocking horses are also included." Nianxue said quickly when she saw Lanqin finally smile.
"Okay. Go and make the arrangements. Oh, and let Cui Niang in; I have something to arrange." Lan Qin suddenly remembered the girls who had been brought over yesterday.
Just as Xicha had finished dressing Lanqin in her jewelry, Cui Niang arrived. She now lived in the same courtyard as her brother and mother-in-law, a privilege granted by Lanqin, so she no longer served Lanqin in the mornings.
"Greetings to Your Highness. Your hair looks beautiful today. Especially those wind chime hair ornaments, they're so lovely," Cui Niang praised. Lan Qin also liked being praised like this. The women who had been with her for a long time knew a bit about Lan Qin's little quirks and preferences, so they complimented her in a joking manner.
"Alright, you can have these earrings." With that, Lanqin casually picked up a pair of pearl earrings from the dressing box and gave them to Xicha, and then picked up a pair of gold earrings and gave them to Nianxue.
"Thank you for the reward, Master." Both maids were delighted, not because of the gift itself—it was not unusual for Lanqin to bestow such gifts so casually. They were simply happy to see Lanqin finally cheerful.
“Cui Niang, why don’t you have your two brothers and Aunt Cui come with us for a barbecue and picnic? And those five girls, they’re all children, come out and have some fun too. You all go. Also, go and have the stables send over a pony. Xi Chen is almost two years old, let him ride a real horse.” Lan Qin immediately felt refreshed.
Seeing that Lanqin was happy, everyone excitedly went to make preparations.
Once everything was ready, Lanqin took her two children and a group of wet nurses and maids and went out.
The picnic was held at the very spot where the Fourth Prince and the princes had set up their tents. Cui Niang even brought people to set up a temporary tent for the two children to sleep in.
Lanqin stood on the hillside, looking at the clear blue sky without a single cloud, the lush green forest in the distance, and the vibrant green grass on the ground. She recalled the time she and Fourth Master went to the mountains to see the azaleas, hand in hand, sitting on horseback, gazing at the vast expanse of flowers covering the mountains and fields in the distance.
The news of Lady Nian's favor with the emperor naturally reached Lanqin's ears, all relayed by Dachun. Lanqin deliberately had Dachun go to the city every few days, without specifying what he was to do, just telling him to go and wander around with two or three friends before returning. Each time Dachun returned, he would bring Lanqin various snacks and treats, as well as some interesting tidbits. As for how he found out about the Fourth Prince's residence, Lanqin didn't ask, nor did she ask him to investigate; Dachun told her himself.
When Lanqin heard the news that Lady Nian was gradually gaining the Fourth Prince's favor, she was still a little bothered. Although it was all within her expectations, hearing it in person still made her uncomfortable. Cui Niang and the others also found out, so they were especially worried about upsetting her and served her very carefully, not daring to displease Lanqin.
Originally, the Fourth Prince had intended to accompany Emperor Kangxi on his military campaign, which is why he had Lanqin stay in this separate residence. However, now that she's lived here, Lanqin herself is starting to not want to go back. Firstly, she doesn't want to see the Fujin (Prince's wife), and secondly, she doesn't want to see this Lady Nian. She can't guarantee that she can still be as happy as before, when the Fourth Prince was with Lady Nian.
Fourth Master didn't mention taking her back, and even sent five young girls over, which probably meant he planned to let her live in the villa for a long time.
Lanqin sighed softly as she thought about these things. Turning around, she saw Fourth Master and Su Peisheng leading Muxue towards her from the direction of the villa.
The maids all saw it and their faces lit up with joy, so they worked even harder.
"Master, the master has arrived, aren't you going to greet him?" Cui Niang couldn't help but urge Lan Qin when she saw her standing there dumbfounded.
Before Cui Niang could say anything more, Lan Qin suddenly appeared and ran across the grass like a bird, just like a nimble little deer. Today, she was wearing a light blue cheongsam, and her hair was simply styled in two buns with delicate wind chime hairpins that jingled as she ran, making her look extremely beautiful.
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