Chapter 72072 Small Figure
Chapter 72
Meng Yuning pretended to get down from the ground: "I'll help you."
"No, I can do it myself." Qi Jingyan said, turning the wheelchair with both hands, adjusting the direction, facing the couch sideways, then supporting the wheelchair with one hand and the couch with the other, and moved himself onto the couch.
Seeing how easily he moved, Meng Yuning couldn't help but smile and said, "Your Highness is truly becoming more and more proficient."
Qi Jingyan smiled without saying anything, straightened his back and sat up: "Thank you for your help, An Ning."
Meng Yuning crawled around behind him on her knees and patted his shoulder: "Raise your arms."
Qi Jingyan did as he was told and stretched out his arms.
Meng Yuning gently put her arms around his waist from behind, but found that he was very tall. She knelt behind him and couldn't see from his shoulder to the front like she could see Yi'er. So she used her hands to grope for the position on his body through his clothes.
Summer clothes are thin, and the fingertips can touch the firm muscles through the clothes. Meng Yuning couldn't help but sigh. She didn't expect that this person hadn't exercised for so long, but his muscles were still so strong.
Qi Jingyan suddenly felt a tingling sensation in his waist and abdomen, and his back immediately tensed up, and he pressed down the hand that was groping around.
Meng Yuning pulled her hand back and patted the back of his hand: "Don't get in the way."
Qi Jingyan had no choice but to slowly withdraw his hand that was blocking his body.
Yi'er stood beside them, her pair of black eyes rolling around, taking in everything the two did.
He looked at it for a while, then suddenly squatted down, moved closer to his brother, stretched out a finger, and gently poked Qi Jingyan's waist: "A Ning, brother's belly button is here!"
The little kid's voice was crisp and a little proud, as if he had accomplished something great.
Meng Yuning leaned over from Qi Jingyan's side and took a look. Seeing where Yi'er pointed, she pressed her palm there and said with a smile, "Our Yi'er is really smart."
Qi Jingyan shook his head and laughed, raised his hand and patted Yi'er's little butt lightly, "Go play somewhere else."
Then he held An Ning's hand and moved it up half an inch. "It should be here."
"Oh, okay." Meng Yuning followed the position he pointed and demonstrated it to him again: "Two fingers above the navel, make a fist with your right hand and press it here. Hold your right hand with your left hand, and then press hard."
Afraid that he wouldn't understand, she leaned forward slightly and suddenly tightened her arms: "Just like that, press hard."
Qi Jingyan suddenly felt something warm against his back, his breathing stopped and his fingertips curled up unconsciously.
After Meng Yuning finished demonstrating, she asked, "Have you learned it, Your Highness?"
Qi Jingyan's Adam's apple moved slightly, and he said softly, "Hmm."
"That's good." Meng Yuning finally let go and sat back on the couch: "I'll teach Mu Ying and the others. Your Highness, please take the time to teach Mu Shan and the others as well."
Qi Jingyan agreed, and using one hand to support the couch and the other to support the bed, he moved himself steadily onto the wheelchair.
Meng Yuning then noticed that his ears were red, and she couldn't help but point at them curiously: "Your Highness, why are your ears so red?"
Qi Jingyan looked into those clear, moist eyes and was silent for a moment before saying, "Maybe it's the heat."
Meng Yuning picked up the palm-leaf fan on the couch and fanned herself twice: "That's right, the weather is getting hotter."
The breeze blew across her cheek, causing a strand of hair on her temple to float up, fluttering around, as if scratching Qi Jingyan's heart, making him want to reach out and rub it.
As the sun rose higher, Meng Yuning thought about how long they still had to study, so she waved her fan to drive them away: "Your Highness, please go quickly, otherwise it will get even hotter at noon."
Qi Jingyan nodded slightly and said to Yi'er, "Let's go."
"Yier is here." Yier responded and put on his shoes and went downstairs.
Meng Yuning also got down from the bed, holding Yi'er's little hand, and the three of them walked out of the room together.
Mu Shan took the wheelchair and pushed Qi Jingyan forward. Meng Yuning held Yi'er's hand and walked them out of the gate of Yanfu Residence.
She squatted down, straightened Yi'er's clothes, touched Yi'er's little hand, and said in a gentle voice: "Yi'er, study hard with your brother. An Ning will make you something delicious at noon."
Yi'er's eyes lit up and he nodded heavily, "Okay."
Seeing Qi Jingyan quietly waiting not far away, Meng Yuning gently let go of Yi'er's little hand and said with a smile, "Go."
Yier walked forward a few steps, then ran back and threw himself into Aning's arms, rubbed his little face in her arms, and then ran to chase his brother.
After walking about ten steps, she turned around and waved her little hand: "An Ning, go back. Yi Er will be back after finishing his studies."
Meng Yuning smiled and said yes, then stood in front of the courtyard gate, quietly looking at the small figure following the wheelchair.
The little kid took his time and hurried with his short legs to catch up with the wheelchair. As he ran, the blue headband on his head fluttered gently.
Somehow, Meng Yuning's eyes suddenly felt warm and her heart felt empty.
For so long, Yi'er has been by her side from morning to night. This is the first time they have to be separated for such a long time.
"Oh." She sighed softly, and a feeling of reluctance and melancholy like an old mother sending her child to kindergarten suddenly emerged in her heart.
She stood there for a while, until she could no longer see Yi'er, then she turned around and walked back.
---
After returning to the west wing, she called Mu Ying, Qiu Lian, and Meng Yu over to ask about purchasing summer clothes for the mansion.
Qiulian glanced at Mu Ying and Meng Yu, and when they both gestured for her to speak, Qiulian stepped forward, bowed, and reported in a clear and organized manner, "To answer your question, young lady, we have visited several silk and satin shops in the city and have purchased all the materials for summer clothes."
"After comparing many options, I finally chose Ruihe Embroidery Workshop, the largest in Canghai County. Their embroiderers are skilled in their craftsmanship and have a good reputation in the city."
"When the owner of Ruihe Embroidery Workshop heard that it was our Prince Shen's Mansion that wanted to make clothes, she insisted on waiving the wages. I thought our Palace didn't need the money, so I politely declined."
"This matter was handled appropriately." Meng Yuning praised, then her expression became serious and she warned solemnly: "When you go out in the future, you must always remember that the reputation of our Prince Shen's Mansion is the most important." She couldn't control other people, but the people under her must not cause any trouble for Yi'er and Qi Jingyan.
Everyone's expression was startled, and they all bowed: "The servants will remember the young lady's teachings." "The subordinates will remember the young lady's teachings."
Qiulian went on to say, "The owner of the embroidery workshop is quite a straightforward person. Seeing that we insisted on paying, he stopped refusing and immediately gave us a very reasonable price, two cents lower than the market price."
Qiulian took out the contract from her sleeve and handed it to Meng Yuning with both hands: "This is the signed document, please take a look, young lady."
Meng Yuning took it and read it carefully. Although it was mostly traditional Chinese characters, she understood it by guessing. Thinking that Mu Ying was also there at the time, she felt relieved.
The corners of her lips curled up slightly as she handed the receipt back to Qiulian, her tone filled with praise: "You are becoming more and more thorough in your work. Please keep this receipt."
Qiulian agreed and took the receipt with both hands.
Meng Yuning asked again: "Did you say when it will be ready?"
Qiulian, "The material has been taken from the cloth shop this morning. The owner of the embroidery shop has promised that the work will be completed within seven days."
Meng Yuning nodded with satisfaction: "Very good."
After asking about the summer clothes, Meng Yuning asked Qiulian and Meng Zhu to go back and do their work first. The two agreed, bowed and took their leave.
Meng Yuning looked at Mu Ying: "Mu Li and Meng Jin haven't come back yet?"
Mu Ying clasped her fists and replied, "My lady, they left the house at noon, saying they were going to the North Street market today."
Business can't be rushed, so Meng Yuning said, "Okay, let them take their time shopping."
The room became quiet. Without Yi'er by her side, she felt a little bored for a moment.
After thinking for a while, he said, "If you have nothing to do, come with me to the open space outside the mansion to take a look."
Mu Ying agreed, took an oil-paper umbrella and followed, and the two of them left the west wing one after the other.
Arriving in the courtyard, Meng Yuning saw Meng Yin and Meng Yu had just hung out their washed clothes, so she invited them to join her. They wiped their hands and hurried to follow.
The four of them ran towards the main gate. When Mu Jiang heard that Miss Meng had gone out of the mansion, he hurriedly followed her with four or five guards and accompanied her out of the mansion.
The group first went to take a look at the lotus pond, and saw that the wild grass and vines that had covered the edge of the pond had been cleared away at some point, and the entire lotus pond looked much cleaner.
A flat path has also been cleared beside the lotus pond, and a layer of fine sand and gravel has been laid. I think you won't get your feet muddy when you walk on it on rainy days.
After walking along the lotus pond for a while, the group turned to the large wasteland in front.
No one has set foot here for many years. It is overgrown with trees and weeds, and looks very desolate.
Since Su Yang was not there, Meng Yuning didn't dare let everyone go too deep inside, so they just walked around the periphery.
She picked up a stick and pushed aside the weeds taller than a person, discovering the faint traces of former ridges. Since it had been a field before, the soil should be suitable for growing vegetables.
Mu Ying asked curiously, "Miss, what are you going to do with this land?" Several people looked at her curiously.
Meng Yuning stood at the edge of the wasteland and said to everyone with a smile: "We have so many people in our house eating, and buying food every day is also a considerable expense."
"If we open up this piece of land, grow some seasonal vegetables, raise some chickens and ducks, and then add some fish fry to the lotus pond, we can save a lot of money in a year."
She had mentioned this to Qi Jingyan last night, and Qi Jingyan said he would ask Mu Yun to take care of it. But Mu Yun had gone out early this morning, so he probably hadn't had time to make arrangements yet.
Mu Jiang perked up when he heard this. "Miss Meng wants to open up new land, so let the brothers come. We have nothing to do these days and are bored."
Meng Yuning smiled: "Okay, I'll tell His Highness later and you guys can come back."
Mu Jiang clasped his fists and replied, "I am at your service at any time, Miss Meng."
There was nothing interesting to see on the wasteland except weeds, so Meng Yuning led everyone back.
When passing by the lotus pond, she asked Mu Ying to pick a few lotus buds that were about to bloom. Mu Ying stood up quickly and picked a large bunch and handed it to Meng Yuning.
Meng Yuning took the pink and white bouquet, lowered her head to sniff it, and walked back with it in her arms.
After returning to the house, he placed a few in the main house and the west wing, and stood there admiring them for a long time.
---
Seeing that it was getting late, Meng Yuning went to the back kitchen, planning to prepare a sumptuous opening dinner for Yier.
Seeing Meng Yuning coming, Mu Shan clasped his fists and saluted, saying respectfully, "Miss Meng, I bought some fresh ingredients today."
As he spoke, he pointed out to her one by one: two plump lamb chops, half a bucket of lively shrimps, and two clucking free-range chickens.
She asked what they were having for dinner, and Mu Shan said, "For lunch, we'll have stewed pork with radish and some bok choy. For dinner, we'll have stewed fish with tofu and stir-fried bean sprouts. The brothers caught fish in the pond this morning. We have a big bucket of them. Miss Meng, would you please pick two and make some dishes?"
Meng Yuning understood that although the family was tightening their belts, the food they ate had not been reduced.
If you think about it carefully, it makes sense. Putting aside the issue of identity, Yi'er is a child who is still growing, Qi Jingyan is a patient who needs to recuperate, and Doctor Tang is an elder at age. All three of them need adequate nutrition, and it is natural for them to eat well.
As for her, she benefited from it as well.
She quickly thought about it in her mind and quickly decided on the menu for today. "Then I'll make crystal shrimp dumplings, braised lamb chops, and mushroom chicken soup."
She had made braised lamb chops and mushroom chicken soup before. When Mu Shan heard that she wanted to make these two dishes, he ordered two guards to prepare the lamb chops, kill the chicken, and prepare the ingredients.
Meng Yuning called two guards to help process the shrimp: "Pick out the shrimp thread, and then peel the shrimp."
While everyone was working, Meng Yuning mixed flour and starch together, kneaded the dough with boiling water, and put it there for later use. At the same time, she asked Meng Yu to cut a piece of pork with fat and lean meat and chop it into meat paste.
When there are more people involved, work happens faster. Soon, everyone prepared all the ingredients. Meng Yuning put the braised lamb chops into the pot first, then stewed the mushroom and chicken soup into the pot, and then started to make shrimp dumplings.
She chopped the washed shrimps, put in the minced pork, added various seasonings, stirred in one direction, then added chopped green onions and shredded carrots and stirred evenly.
After the filling is prepared, take out the dough that has been proofed, pinch it into pieces, roll it into thin skins, use a spoon to scoop an appropriate amount of dumpling filling onto the skin, and wrap it into a crescent-shaped dumpling.
In this way, after all the fillings are wrapped, start steaming them. In about an incense stick of time, baskets of crystal clear shrimp dumplings are ready.
The chicken soup and lamb chops were still stewing over there, so Meng Yuning took this opportunity to pick out a longevity fish, cleaned it, and braised it.
Thinking of making six dishes and having everything go smoothly, I fried some bok choy and added a dish of mapo tofu.
After finishing everything here, the lamb chops and chicken soup were ready. Thinking that Yi'er's class was about to end, I quickly called a few people and took the food to the main courtyard.
He also specifically instructed Mu Ying to invite Divine Doctor Tang to dine with him at Yanfu Residence. Unexpectedly, Mu Ying reported back, "Divine Doctor Tang left the house half an hour ago."
Doctor Tang has always been casual, so Meng Yuning didn't care. She went to the yard full of purple flowers and picked some flowers. She put them in a small ceramic pot and placed it on the dining table.
Then he went to the bathroom to wash his hands and face, and changed into fresh clothes.
Mu Ying came to report that the two princes had already left the Qingke Hall and were walking back, so Meng Yuning asked Meng Yin and others to set the table for the meal.
Just as the arrangements were completed, Qi Jingyan came in on a wheelchair, with Yi'er sticking out her little butt and pushing hard: "An Ning, Yi'er is back."
Seeing the small figure, Meng Yuning immediately smiled like a flower and took two steps at a time to go forward.
Qi Jingyan also looked at her with a smile, and even stretched out his hand, wanting to hold her wrist and say a few words to her.
Unexpectedly, the girl turned around and walked around him, coming straight to the back of the wheelchair, hugging Yi'er in her arms, and her voice became choked: "My baby Yi'er, do you miss An Ning?"
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