On a winter night in the northern frontier, the wind howled and snow fell heavily. Yet, the inner courtyard of the General's Mansion remained warm and cozy.
Inside the warm room, a heated kang bed swelled up. Lu Qi, like a big kid, lay on the bed, letting his toddler, Xuan Ge'er (Lu Mingxuan), who had only recently learned to crawl, use his broad back as a "mountain" to climb over. Xuan Ge'er struggled to climb, his little face turning red, and finally succeeded in climbing over the "mountain peak," clapping his little hands excitedly and giggling.
"Good lad! You've got potential! No wonder you're my son, Lu Qi! You're really capable." Lu Qi immediately sat up and started playing a game of lifting his son up high with him, which made Xuan Ge'er scream repeatedly.
Shen Zhao sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) holding Xi'er (Lu Mingxi), who was wrapped up like a little dumpling. He watched the father and son playing around and smiled gently: "Be gentle! Don't drop our son!"
Xi'er nestled quietly in her mother's arms, her big, dark eyes watching her brother and father play with curiosity, her little mouth blowing bubbles.
At this moment, An'an came in carrying a plate of freshly roasted sweet potatoes that smelled so tempting: "Come on, eat them while they're hot to warm your body." The old woman following behind her was also carrying a small bucket of warm milk.
Lu Qi put his son down and immediately went over to pick up the largest roasted sweet potato. Even though it was so hot he was grimacing, he wouldn't put it down. He broke it in half, revealing its golden, glistening flesh, which emitted a wonderful aroma. He blew on it, carefully broke off a small piece, and fed it to Shen Zhao's lips: "Zhao Zhao, try it, it's so sweet!"
Shen Zhao took a small bite from his hand; it was soft, sweet, and warmed her heart. "Mmm, delicious." She broke off an even smaller, softer piece and gently fed it to her daughter in her arms. Xi'er smacked her lips, seemingly enjoying the sweet taste.
Xuan Ge'er was anxious because everyone else was eating while he had nothing to eat. He quickly crawled forward on the kang (a heated brick bed) to get some food. An An saw this and immediately picked Xuan Ge'er up.
An'an poured the milk into a small bowl and fed it to Xuan-ge'er, who was watching eagerly, little by little with a spoon. The little guy drank it with relish, and a ring of white whiskers appeared around the corner of his mouth.
"Big brother hasn't come back yet? Where did the three little ones go? Why weren't they brought along?" Shen Zhao asked hurriedly.
“Your older brother just sent someone back to say that the snow is too heavy, so we’ll be staying at the camp tonight. He told us not to wait. The three little ones are with Grandma, and the wet nurse will bring them over in a bit,” An’an replied, handing Lu Qi a bowl of warmed milk as well. “You should drink some too, to warm yourself up.”
Lu Qi took the bowl, gulped down a big mouthful, sighed contentedly, and reached out to hug his wife and daughter. Looking at Xuan Ge'er, who was struggling to climb onto the sweet potato on the kang, and An An, who was smiling beside him, he felt that no matter how strong the wind and snow outside, it could not blow away the warmth and peace in this room.
"It's so good to have you all here," he said in a muffled voice, resting his chin on Shen Zhao's head and closing his eyes.
Just then, the wet nurse came in with three little ones, making the place even more lively.
"Mommy, Mommy, I want to eat roasted sweet potato..."
"Mommy, I want some too... Peel it for me first..."
"I want to drink milk, Mother..."
The three little ones immediately started clinging to An'an, leaving her overwhelmed. Shen Zhao quickly stepped forward to help, and Lu Qi smiled contentedly at the lively and heartwarming scene.
Outside the window, snow raged. Inside, candlelight flickered, and the aroma of food mingled with the sweet scent of a baby's milk, creating the warmest melody in the cold northern night.
Meanwhile, in the distant Xiling Royal Palace, a thunderous explosion ignited by "Drunken Dream" is unleashing a massive wave, exposing long-hidden conspiracies and ambitions to the light of day, and foreshadowing a complete reshuffling of the power structure.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com