The plump girl was wearing a silk jacket with a white fur trim that made her cheeks look even rosier. She must have been well-fed by her stepmother, and her face was so chubby that it made people want to pinch it.
Yi Ning was completely oblivious and asked him with a smile, "Third brother, I haven't seen you often these days. Are you busy?"
"Father invited a retired Hanlin Academy scholar to come and teach my brother and me about craftsmanship. He's also been managing your shop, so he's been quite busy," Luo Shenyuan said. "Have you been naughty around Mother?"
He saw the plump girl blinking her eyes, looking round and cute. He couldn't help but touch her head, and said in a gentler tone, "Be more obedient, okay? When I'm done with this busy period, I'll hire a teacher to teach you, so you don't have to play with Yixiu all day."
What did Third Brother mean by this? Did he really want to raise her like a young lady from an aristocratic family? Yi Ning knew that Luo Shenyuan had a lot of control over her. Now that Lin Hairu was doting on her, the maids and servants in the room also obeyed her, and Luo Chengzhang didn't dare to interfere with her. So, the task of controlling her fell on Luo Shenyuan.
And since her third brother took on the responsibility of taking care of her, he has become more and more strict.
Yi Ning felt a little regretful for stopping Luo Shenyuan. She thought that she was such a grown-up, and why did she still have to be scolded by Luo Shenyuan? It was not something to be proud of.
"I still have to go to my mother's place, so I won't bother my third brother." Yi Ning said goodbye to Luo Shenyuan with a smile, but when she reached the exit of the corridor, he suddenly called out to her, "Yining, stop right there—"
Yi Ning was wondering what was going on, but Luo Shenyuan took a few steps forward and grabbed her hand.
Her little hands were red from the cold. He hadn't noticed it just now, but when he touched them, he realized they were as cold as ice.
Luo Shenyuan frowned. Snowy weather was already cold, and his handsome features took on a gloomy expression. He asked Xuezhi, who was following behind him, "How did you serve your young lady? Your hands are so cold."
Yi Ning finally understood why her third brother had called her. She defended Xue Zhi, saying, "It was snowing and cold last night, and the two turtles were frozen in the pond. I had a hard time rescuing them, and my hands are frozen red... It's not Xue Zhi's fault."
Luo Shenyuan stared at her face and sneered: "Do you have an excuse?"
Yi Ning didn't dare argue with him, so she looked up into his eyes. She noticed that her third brother was still as tall as ever, and she was still only slightly taller than his waist. She was growing taller, and he seemed to have grown taller too. His expression remained indifferent as he stared at her, as if forcing her to admit her mistake.
Yining sighed and said, "Third brother, I understand. I won't do it again..."
His expression improved a little, and he grabbed her other hand, put it in his wide sleeve, and wrapped it around her hand until it was warm.
Yining arrived at Lin Hairu with a pair of warm paws.
There was a charcoal fire burning in the room, and when I drew open the curtains, a gust of hot air came in, which was very comfortable.
Lin Hairu was counting the accounts, the food, clothing, and other expenses of each courtyard. All the important maids and servants had gathered around her, and she was overwhelmed. She let Yi Ning find a place to sit. Lin Hairu took a sip of tea to soothe her throat and continued to talk to the maid about the New Year.
The funeral in the mansion has just ended, so we have to be frugal during the New Year, but it is a rare day after all.
Yining drank the bird's nest Ruixiang had brought her and listened carefully to the second house's affairs. The second house was actually quite small. Besides Lin Hairu and Concubine Qiao's courtyard, there was also an unfavored concubine, raised by a maid who had served Luo Chengzhang since childhood. Perhaps because she was raised by a maid, she was well-behaved and discreet, always paying respects to Lin Hairu with a humble and agreeable demeanor.
Yining lived with Lin Hairu, but the adjacent wing was more like a separate courtyard, complete with a back room, a back hall, and a side hall. The only thing she didn't cook was her three meals a day, which she had at Lin Hairu's place. Lin Hairu liked Yining, and if Luo Chengzhang hadn't been staying at her place lately, she would have wanted to sleep with her, and she would have told her stories at night.
When Luo Chengzhang entered the room that day, he saw Lin Hairu and Yi Ning sitting side by side on the Luohan bed. Lin Hairu picked out amber-like cream from a delicate porcelain lid and smeared it on Yi Ning's hands. Smiling, she asked, "Yining, try it and see if it smells good. This is the rose cream that Mother Du bought from the capital..."
Yining held her hands and smelled it, then said with a smile that it smelled good.
Ever since Old Lady Luo died, Luo Chengzhang had rarely seen Yi Ning so happy. They sat side by side, one large and one small, as if they were truly mother and daughter. Yi Ning also liked her and clung to her affectionately. Ever since Ming Lan passed away, Luo Chengzhang had rarely seen such scenes. Even Lin Hairu's features had softened and become delicate. She treated the child with genuine kindness, and the child sincerely reciprocated. Thinking of his eldest daughter's instructions, Luo Chengzhang stayed at Lin Hairu's house for half a month.
Yining was also tactful and would only come to Lin Hairu at noon every day. Seeing that Luo Chengzhang and Lin Hairu had a close relationship, she was naturally happy.
It was fine for a day or two, but after half a month, Aunt Qiao couldn't sit still anymore.
When she came to pay her respects to Lin Hairu, she always said that Xuan Ge'er was not feeling well and had a stomachache. The next day he had a headache, and in short, it was unrelenting.
Luo Chengzhang still felt pity for his youngest son, so he went to Aunt Qiao's place last night.
After Lin Hairu finished giving instructions, she sat down next to Yi Ning and pinched her face: "Is the bird's nest delicious?"
Yi Ning thought it was delicious, but she was just worried about when the fat on her face would go away. Lin Hairu seemed to see what she was thinking, and waved her hand and said, "Don't be like those weak and frail ladies, it's better to have some flesh on your face to look good!" Lin Hairu liked Yi Ning's chubby face, it made her look festive and comfortable to keep. She said, "Your fifth cousin, Lin Mao, brought you a box of Tangxi mandarin oranges from Hangzhou. Although mandarin oranges are not rare, they are hard to come by in this season. I'll bring it over for you to eat later...why don't I peel one for you to try now."
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