Yinzhen went to work at the Ministry of Justice and was indeed as busy as he had predicted, so he naturally could no longer come home for lunch every day.
Tong Cheng'er was pregnant and dared not run around, so she could only resume the old routine of having someone prepare food for her and send it to her before lunch.
Having received an "instruction" from Yinzhen, the Third Prince's wife often took her son to Tong Cheng'er's place, sometimes staying there for an entire day.
When the Third Prince found out, he was furious, but there was nothing he could do. After all, his wife and sister-in-law had a good relationship, and if he stopped them, others would probably say he was petty.
He is very concerned about his image, and he would never dare to do something like this.
Although the Third Prince's wife didn't have any romantic feelings for him, she still cared about him. Knowing that he was unhappy made her happy.
At noon, Tong Cheng'er, following the advice of the Third Prince's wife, dined at the mansion.
After the meal, the Third Princess Consort teased her son while remarking, "The cooks in your household are truly different from those elsewhere. I eat here every day, and when I look in the mirror this morning, I feel like I've gained quite a bit of weight."
Tong Cheng'er smiled upon hearing this: "That's wonderful! It would be a great deed for me to help Third Sister-in-law get plump up!"
The Third Princess Consort smiled, and Prince Hongqing, who was standing to the side, suddenly muttered, "So late, so late—"
He was young and couldn't speak clearly, but Tong Cheng'er and the Third Princess Consort understood what he meant.
Tong Cheng'er, who was pregnant, adored children even more. Seeing this, she laughed and said, "It's delicious! Why don't you let Hongqing stay with your aunt from now on? Your aunt will have someone cook delicious food for you every day."
Hongqing was quite amusing; she turned her head to look at the Third Princess Consort and said, "Mother."
The Third Princess looked at him with a smile, and tapped her son's forehead with her finger: "You little ingrate, you don't want your mother anymore just because your aunt's food is delicious?"
Hongqing was stunned when she heard this. After a while, she hugged the Third Princess's leg and said, "I want Mother, I want Mother."
Tong Cheng'er and the Third Princess laughed even more heartily.
"Hongqing is really clever; Third Sister-in-law has taken good care of her."
Looking at her fair-skinned son, who looked like a little dumpling, the Third Princess Consort couldn't help but feel even softer: "As long as he is well cared for and can live a healthy and peaceful life, I will be content."
She has become more and more insightful with age; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to live such a carefree life now.
She didn't have many demands for her son. She would be satisfied if he didn't follow in his father's footsteps. Of course, it would be good if he had some ability as well, but she wouldn't force him to do anything else.
Tong Cheng'er sighed, "Third Sister-in-law is content with what she has, that's good too."
As the two were talking, Gao Wuyong came over.
How did you get here?
Gao Wuyong was sent by her to deliver food to Yinzhen. In the past, he would not come back after delivering the food unless there was something else.
Gao Wuyong smiled and said, "Master said that the food that the Princess Consort sent over today was very delicious. Master was afraid that the Princess Consort would be bored at home, so he invited two female storytellers to come over and entertain her."
A female storyteller?
Tong Cheng'er wasn't surprised, but the Third Princess Consort was indeed quite surprised. The Third Princess Consort was a lady from a prominent family, and she rarely left her home.
Before she got married, because her surname was Dong'e, her mother hired a strict nanny to teach her manners, and she rarely had the chance to go out.
Most places with storytellers are teahouses or similar establishments where all sorts of people gather, places she has never been to, and she has only heard of storytellers from stories.
This female storyteller was something I had never heard of before.
Storytelling is a public activity, and it's something no woman would do.
That's why the Third Prince's wife couldn't help but be amazed.
Tong Cheng'er spoke up: "What does Third Sister-in-law think?"
Third Princess Consort: "That sounds quite interesting, let's listen."
Tong Cheng'er then said to Gao Wuyong, "Have someone come over!"
Gao Wuyong was delighted upon hearing this: "Yes, Madam, this servant will bring the person here immediately."
After Gao Wuyong left, the Third Princess couldn't help but say, "Fourth Brother really cares about you. I've never heard of a female storyteller before. It must take a lot of effort."
Women are already resistant to showing their faces in public due to societal influences, and storytelling also requires a certain talent. The deeper you think about it, the more you realize how difficult this is.
Tong Cheng'er smiled upon hearing this: "Since Third Sister-in-law says it takes a lot of effort, it must be quite difficult. Third Sister-in-law should listen to it to her heart's content later, so that the effort won't be in vain."
Third Princess Consort: "That's for sure."
No sooner had the two finished speaking than Gao Wuyong brought over two female storytellers. The two female storytellers looked to be around thirty years old. They were not bad-looking, but they were fair-skinned and decent-looking.
Although the two faces are different, they both have a festive feel to them.
It makes people feel much better just by looking at it.
Seeing how well the two men suited her, the Third Princess couldn't help but say, "These two are truly remarkable; just looking at them makes one happy."
Upon closer inspection, Tong Cheng'er's mood did indeed improve considerably.
"Indeed, the president!!"
With round eyes and a round face, he has a lucky appearance. He is not fat, but he is definitely not thin either. He is not ugly either, but he does have a lucky look.
The two female storytellers entered without any stage fright, and greeted each other with smiles.
Tong Cheng'er leaned back in her soft chair, telling them to dispense with formalities, before saying, "Let's begin! Anyone can go first."
Both of them: "Yes."
One of them stepped aside, and then a man facing them spoke, "Let's get back to the story and hear my tale from back then. This story begins in the time of Emperor Huizong of Song..."
This female storyteller was indeed quite skilled; her tone and manner were exactly the same, and the story was not cliché. It was about a scholar from Shandong during the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song and a fox spirit from the mountain.
Tong Cheng'er wasn't particularly fond of love stories, but this person's story was truly captivating, and it was certainly unconventional.
The story of the scholar and the fox spirit who repays his kindness in a common folk tale must be heart-wrenching, tender, and full of eroticism.
But what the female teacher said was quite different.
The fox spirit was rescued by the scholar, so she repaid his kindness by transforming into a woman to take care of his daily life. The scholar was determined to pass the imperial examination and go to court. He studied very hard, was upright, and was also good-looking.
The fox spirit spent every day with the scholar and gradually developed genuine feelings for him, but she dared not reveal them at all and could only secretly love him in her heart.
The scholar was poor, and both his parents had passed away. Studying was an expensive affair. Although the scholar was not completely ignorant of worldly affairs, the money he earned from copying books for bookstores, writing letters for others, and drawing pictures was barely enough to support his studies.
The fox spirit, naturally unwilling to see her benefactor worry about such mundane things, plucked her own fur and transformed it into exquisite embroidery, selling it for a good price to support the scholar's studies.
The scholar was grateful for everything she had done. The fox spirit was extremely beautiful and talented, and naturally she was also moved, but because she was penniless, she did not reveal her feelings.
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