A blush rose on Zheng Huaiyu's cheeks as he lowered his head and said, "You flatter me, Madam. I'm just a child."
Gu Qinlan smiled, then looked at Zheng Fenghui and Zheng Fengyun and said, "You two don't need to be so reserved. Come over here and let me take a look."
Zheng Fenghui and Zheng Fengyun walked up to Gu Qinlan one after the other. She gently patted their heads and said, "You two are both great. You will definitely become the pride of the Zheng family in the future."
Upon hearing this, the three women's faces lit up with joy. Seeing this, Princess Duan was also very pleased.
Princess Duan squinted and asked, "Qinlan, what do you think of them?"
Gu Qinlan withdrew her gaze and smiled, "Your Highness, they are all outstanding, especially Zheng Huaiyu. I think she has her own ideas. Don't worry, I will take good care of them."
Princess Duan nodded and said, "That's good. Qinlan, I know you're a sensible person, and I believe you'll handle your relationship with them well."
Gu Qinlan smiled and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will do my best to make them feel the warmth of home."
"Mother, please have some tea." Zheng Huaiyu bowed respectfully to Gu Qinlan, holding the teacup high above his head with both hands.
Gu Qinlan smiled gently, taking the teacup from Zheng Huaiyu's hand, a hint of approval flashing in her warm, gentle eyes. She said softly, "Yu'er, you're becoming more and more polite." Upon hearing this, Zheng Huaiyu's cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head, appearing somewhat shy.
Gu Qinlan gently patted Zheng Huaiyu's hand, leading her to sit down, and said, "These writing implements are a gift from me. I know you enjoy reading and writing, and I hope you can cultivate your character and improve yourself through reading and writing."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Huaiyu's eyes flashed with surprise. She took the gift from Gu Qinlan, carefully unwrapped it, and was overjoyed to see the writing implements inside. She said softly, "Thank you, Mother."
Seeing Zheng Huaiyu's joy filled Gu Qinlan with relief. However, her expression changed when she saw the silk handkerchief Zheng Huaiyu offered. She took the handkerchief, unfolded it, and saw a lifelike pheasant embroidered on it.
Gu Qinlan frowned slightly. She knew that the pheasant here symbolized restlessness and carried a sarcastic connotation. She looked up at Zheng Huaiyu, only to see her expectant face, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"Yu'er, what do you mean by this?" Gu Qinlan asked.
Zheng Huaiyu was taken aback, not expecting that Gu Qinlan would see through her sarcasm. She hurriedly explained, "Mother, I didn't mean anything by it. I just thought the pheasant embroidery was beautiful, so I wanted to embroider one for you."
Gu Qinlan looked at Zheng Huaiyu, whose face was flushed and eyes were darting around, clearly indicating she was lying. She smiled gently and said, "Yu'er, do you know that a pheasant here symbolizes restlessness? What are you trying to say about me by giving me this?"
Zheng Huaiyu was startled by Gu Qinlan's gaze. She lowered her head, speechless.
Seeing Zheng Huaiyu's reaction, Gu Qinlan sighed inwardly.
Although Zheng Huaiyu was intelligent, she was still young and her thoughts were not yet mature. She said softly, "Yu'er, I know you feel wronged, but don't forget that no matter what your background is, you can't rely on others. Only by relying on your own abilities can you stand out from the crowd."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Huaiyu was deeply moved. She looked up at Gu Qinlan, her eyes filled with gratitude.
Gu Qinlan looked at Zheng Huaiyu and smiled gently. Zheng Huaiyu already understood what she meant.
Immediately afterward, Gu Qinlan's gaze fell on the eldest son, Zheng Fenghui, who resembled a wide-eyed toad, so lifelike it seemed ready to leap off the table at any moment. Her brows furrowed slightly, a hint of displeasure appearing on her face.
“Feng Hui, I don’t like this ugly thing.” Gu Qinlan’s voice was gentle but firm.
Zheng Fenghui's eyes widened, and he looked completely innocent: "Mother, I heard that you like novelties. I made this toad myself, and I think you will like it."
Princess Duan, who was listening nearby, became increasingly angry. She walked up to Zheng Fenghui and said sternly, "Fenghui, this is the first time you've met your mother, and you've given her such a disgusting gift. Are you trying to frighten her?"
Zheng Fenghui's eyes widened, as if he had been greatly wronged: "Grandmother, I didn't mean that. I just wanted to express my feelings."
Princess Duan was so angry that her face turned pale. She was about to lash out when Gu Qinlan gently pulled her back: "Princess, Feng Hui was just acting on a whim and meant no harm. He is still young and has a childlike heart. We don't need to hold it against him."
Gu Qinlan regained her composure, glanced at the toad, and then looked at Zheng Fenghui, saying, "This gift is indeed unique, which makes me want to give you a novel return gift as well. Please wait one more day, and I will definitely impress you."
Zheng Fenghui's lips curled up slightly, revealing a disdainful smile: "Princess Consort, do you think I would care about your gift? Let me tell you, I don't care."
Gu Qinlan frowned slightly. Zheng Fenghui was no easy opponent, but this gift had indeed caught her off guard. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down: "Fenghui, I know you may think I can't prepare anything special, but I assure you, you'll know the answer first thing tomorrow morning."
Zheng Fenghui scoffed and said, "Fine, I'll give you one day. I hope your gift will impress me."
Gu Qinlan smiled gently, looking at the short Zheng Fengyun, a hint of tenderness in her eyes. She gently brushed a stray hair from Zheng Fengyun's forehead, her heart tightening; the child was so thin, it seemed as if a gust of wind could blow him over.
"Feng Yun, why are you so thin?" Gu Qinlan asked softly, her tone filled with deep concern.
Zheng Fengyun slightly raised his eyes, a hint of panic flashing in his clear, watery eyes. He tried to struggle to kneel down and pay his respects, but Gu Qinlan gently supported him.
"Mother, I... I'm fine," Zheng Fengyun said in a weak voice.
Gu Qinlan felt something was amiss and quickly looked at Princess Duan, asking softly, "Your Highness, Feng Yun, he..."
Princess Duan nodded slightly, her eyes revealing deep worry. She sighed softly and slowly said, "Qinlan, you may not know, but Fengyun has been weak since childhood, with a poor constitution and a heavy mind, so it has always been difficult for him to gain weight."
Gu Qinlan frowned slightly, looking at Princess Duan with eyes full of doubt and concern: "Princess, what should we do?"
Princess Duan looked at Gu Qinlan with hopeful eyes: "I hope you can help me, help Feng Yun, so that he can gain a few dozen pounds in good health."
Hearing this, Gu Qinlan felt a surge of pressure. She was just a newlywed young woman with no experience in raising children. How could she possibly shoulder such a heavy responsibility?
She looked at Princess Duan, her eyes flashing with unease: "Your Highness, I...I'm afraid I'm not up to the task."
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