Chapter 16 Braiding
Mao Mao successfully ate the turkey that only appears in fairy tales.
That was a really big chicken. One of its legs was longer than Mao Mao's arm. She couldn't even hold it. She took a big bite and only suffered a minor cut.
That chicken was so big that it would take the entire Lou family to finish it.
After eating the turkey, Lou Yansui started going out every day.
Every morning after waking up, he would have his male servant carry him downstairs, where he would sit in his wheelchair and push it himself. To make it easier for him to get in and out, every step on the first floor was modified to be wheelchair-accessible.
Originally, Mao Mao would go to play with him every day and lie in bed listening to him read stories. Now, Lou Yansui reads stories to her in the small living room, the flower room, the garden, and every corner of the house.
The Lou family's villa has a large window, behind which is a small living room.
In the afternoon, the three ladies were drinking tea in the small living room.
Through the large windows, the view of the courtyard is unobstructed: a European-style fountain with gurgling water, flower beds full of flowers, a neat lawn, and a small figure running around on it.
Besides her, there were two other figures in the garden.
The two older brothers sat under the parasol. Lou Yansui couldn't walk, and Lou Hongjian was still recovering from his injuries and couldn't move around easily. They found a small ball somewhere and were playing catch with Mao Mao.
They threw the little ball out, and Mao Mao happily ran over to retrieve it, enjoying it immensely.
When she got tired of playing, she sat down next to her brothers, panting, and they coaxed her to drink water and eat snacks.
The concubines sipped their tea in the small living room, taking in the entire scene outside.
Third Concubine said, "This is the first time I've seen Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master so patient, playing with a little kid."
"Isn't this good enough?" the second concubine said. "I was quite shocked when I saw the fourth young master today. Ever since his accident, he has locked himself in his room all day long. I can't even remember the last time I've seen him."
The first wife chimed in, "Ever since Mao Mao arrived, she goes to play with the Fourth Young Master every day. Not only the Fourth Young Master, but I think the First Madam is much happier too."
The third concubine snorted, "I didn't say it was bad."
She thought for a moment and added, "I'm happy for Fourth Young Master that he can pull himself together."
The first and second wives exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.
"Mao Mao is so well-behaved." The second concubine smiled, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes deepening slightly. "Every time she sees me, she calls me 'Mom'."
The first wife also said, "Last time, the first wife bought her canned fruit, and when she ran into me, she wanted to share some with me."
Third Concubine: "What kind of bewitching drug did she give you? And Third Young Master, he just got a beating from the Marshal because of this child, yet he doesn't hold a grudge and instead of resting and recovering, he's playing with her."
The second concubine asked in confusion, "What did Mao Mao do to offend you that you have such a problem with her?"
The third concubine looked at the little baby, with short arms and legs and a chubby face. Today, she was wearing a puffy dress and was even cuter than the little angel sculpture above the fountain. She awkwardly stopped talking.
She certainly didn't have a problem with the little baby.
She's a grown woman, how could she possibly hold a grudge against a child?
She only had a problem with Mao Mao's mother, Xia Xiaoxiang.
The village girl from the countryside, relying on having a charming daughter, started to act arrogantly. Xia Xiaoxiang has been quite pleased with herself lately, fawning over the first wife every day, and even accompanied her to the salon today.
In the past, she was the one who accompanied the first wife to the salon.
The second concubine asked again, "Is it because Mao Mao's mother has won too much money from you recently, and you can't afford to lose anymore?"
The sound of the concubines shuffling mahjong tiles could often be heard from the Lou family's mahjong room.
Since Xia Xiaoxiang came to the Lou family, the concubines never needed another player to play mahjong. Xia Xiaoxiang quickly mastered the rules of mahjong and dominated the game. Before each game, she would hug and kiss her beloved daughter to bring her good luck, which earned her a lot of money from the third concubine.
The third concubine snorted, "It's just a little money, why would I care about it?"
Second concubine: "Then..."
Before she could voice her guess, the third concubine stood up and said, "Sitting here is too boring. I'll have someone bring over the phonograph so we can listen to some music."
"Why……"
Before the second concubine could say anything, she had already walked out of the small living room.
The third concubine had the servants move the gramophone to the small living room and then personally selected a record. She took the record home and encountered Mao Mao, who was going to the toilet, on the way.
The two met in a narrow passageway.
Mao Mao greeted her obediently: "Fourth Mama".
The third concubine glanced at her and replied, "Mm."
She looked around and, seeing no one nearby, beckoned to Mao Mao: "Come here."
Mao Mao obediently ran to her side and looked up at her.
After running and playing, Mao Mao's little tufts of hair were all messed up, with a few strands sticking up unruly.
The third concubine couldn't stand it anymore, so she took off the little bun on her head, used her fingers as a comb to comb her soft hair again, and combed the unruly hairs back in.
The third wife was the most fashionable lady in the Lou family. She usually paid great attention to makeup and hairstyles and always wore cheongsams, always dressed the most stylishly. At this moment, she deftly braided a delicate little braid for Mao Mao and retied her hair.
With her little bun neatly tied up, her delicate new hairstyle made her soft, adorable face even cuter than before.
The third concubine looked at her work with satisfaction and snorted, "Look at your mother, she can't even braid a hair properly. She's so stupid, she doesn't even know how to learn."
Mao Mao touched her head, found her neat little bun, and happily showed a sweet smile: "Thank you, Fourth Aunt."
The third concubine touched her soft little face again and immediately frowned: "Why is it all sunburned?"
"You wait here."
The third concubine asked her to carry the record for her, then went back to her dressing table, took a box of face cream, and carefully applied it to her little face.
Then she took the record and gently patted Mao Mao's little head: "Okay, go play."
"Thank you, Fourth Aunt. Goodbye, Fourth Aunt."
The third concubine watched as Mao Mao ran off, her puffy skirt bouncing with her movements, like a little flower bud swaying in the wind.
After she finished reading, she turned around and saw the second concubine standing not far away at the corner, smiling. She didn't know how long she had been watching.
Third concubine: "..."
The second concubine looked on with the astonishment of discovering a new continent, "You..."
"I just saw her hair was messy and gave it a quick comb!" The third concubine strode past her, her high heels clicking loudly. "Don't get the wrong idea!"
"I didn't say anything," the second concubine said with a smile. "I just noticed you haven't been back for a long time and wanted to help you pick out some records."
"..."
The second concubine then asked, "What brand of face cream is that?"
"...None of your business!!"
With her new hairstyle, Mao Mao ran back home happily.
Only one person remained under the parasol. Lou Yansui had a book on her knees, the pages rustling in the wind.
"Brother!" She raised her little hand, spun around twice in front of Lou Yansui, and showed off to him, "Fourth Auntie combed my hair."
Lou Yansui praised, "This new hairstyle is so cute, it suits you so well."
Mao Mao looked around: "Where's Third Brother?"
"He went to answer the phone."
Lou Hongjian was recuperating at home and hadn't left the house for many days. His friends, who hadn't seen him in a long time, invited him to go out and have fun.
"A new singer has arrived in Paris. She's beautiful, has a sweet voice, and her singing is mesmerizing," said Young Master Feng on the phone. "Third Young Master, aren't you bored staying home all these days?"
Lou Hongjian smiled and replied, "How could I refuse Young Master Feng's invitation? Let's meet at Night Paris at eight o'clock tonight."
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