Chapter 16 After taking a few steps in the bath, the person behind me didn't follow...
After walking a few steps, Zhao Linzhang noticed the person behind him hadn't followed. He turned back in confusion and asked, "Hmm?"
Shen Yunrong then hurriedly stepped forward. It was good that she could sew up the buttons on the brocade robe today, so that she wouldn't have to see the prince again.
Zhao Linzhang walked into the bedroom, his brocade robe already unbuttoned. He took off his outer robe, leaving only his white undergarment, and handed the outer robe to Shen Yunrong: "Thank you for your trouble!"
"No, no." Seeing that he didn't seem to want to put on another robe, Shen Yunrong couldn't help but remind him, "Would Your Highness like to wear a robe? I'll go find one."
Liu Hu had almost never entered the inner courtyard, and Xiao Liu had always been in the study in the front courtyard. Steward Tan was in charge of Zhao Linzhang's daily life, and he was guarding the bedroom door at the moment.
Shen Yunrong was too embarrassed to find an outer robe, so she went to ask Steward Tan for one.
"No need, I'm not cold." Zhao Linzhang sat down calmly.
Shen Yunrong hadn't brought any needles and thread. She was about to get up and go back to sew on the buttons before returning them when Steward Tan bowed and came in at the door: "Miss Shen, there are no needles and thread in His Highness's room. This is from your place."
They even sent her a sewing basket, so she could sew in Zhao Linzhang's bedroom.
Shen Yunrong thanked him hurriedly. After Steward Tan left, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
She breathed a sigh of relief; she was almost done sewing and could leave. Zhao Linzhang, unusually relaxed and casual, sat opposite her, his well-defined knuckles holding a book and flipping through it.
She used small scissors to cut out the shrunken Chinese knot buttons, and then sewed on the gourd-shaped Chinese knot buttons she had made the night before. Tan Zhongxin brought in tea and looked at them at a glance like an ordinary couple from an ordinary family, with the husband reading a book and the wife sewing and mending beside him.
He gently put down the teacup and stepped back, pressing the curtain down firmly.
Shen Yunrong was initially on tenterhooks, not daring to be distracted while sewing, for fear of ruining such a precious robe. Once she was focused, she forgot about the imposing man sitting motionless beside her.
After finishing the last step of sewing, she held the thread in one hand and the button in the other, unable to use the scissors.
Just as she was at a loss, a large hand appeared in front of her, and slender fingers picked up the small pair of scissors. In his hand, the scissors seemed like a child's toy, and he made a gentle snip.
I don't know when Zhao Linzhang stopped reading, but I noticed that she didn't have a free hand to cut the thread.
Startled, Shen Yunrong didn't have time to thank him before Zhao Linzhang's dry, warm hand grabbed her hand that wasn't holding the needle.
"How did it get like this?"
Shen Yunrong looked down at her hand in his palm. It was red and swollen from the tight knot that had to be wrapped around it. The weather was cold, and her hand was red and swollen from being wrapped.
"It'll be fine in a couple of days!" I used to get scratched by pebbles and twigs when digging for medicinal herbs, so this little bit of redness and swelling is nothing.
“The embroiderers can do these jobs from now on, so you can focus on taking care of the child.” Zhao Linzhang released her hand.
This sounds strange, yet it makes perfect sense, since it is indeed the work of an embroiderer.
However, there were no embroiderers in the Prince's mansion, so she dared not refute and bowed her head in agreement.
The warmth on the back of her hand was still there. She curtsied and said, "Your Highness, the brocade robe is finished. You may wear it now. This servant will take her leave."
"Wait a minute!" Zhao Linzhang went into the inner room and came out quickly: "The ointment is with Xiao Tanzi. Have him send it to you later. Apply it three times a day."
Shen Yunrong then realized that he wanted to get the same kind of imperial ointment as last time. Her hand was barely injured, so why would she need medicine? Besides, she still had that bottle of ointment from last time.
"I haven't finished using the medicine from last time, thank you, Your Highness!"
Zhao Linzhang put on the brocade robe himself, easily fastening the newly changed frog buttons: "Remember to apply the medicine!"
Shen Yunrong was reluctant to use such expensive medicine. As the year drew to a close, Zhao Linzhang was also very busy. He returned to the mansion late at night and dared not visit Xiao Siliang for fear of waking him up.
Shen Yunrong misses her daughter very much and asked Steward Tan to let her go home. They can only go home one day a month now.
Steward Tan sent her a carriage, and she happened to run into Liu Hu, who was also resting, on her way home. It was a rare sight to see him at home.
Liu Hu was playing with his daughter at the door when he saw her return, and he was also surprised.
He said to the coachman, "You go back to the manor first. I will drive the carriage back and take Miss Shen back with me."
Watching the carriage leave the palace, Shen Yunrong reached out and hugged the daughter she recognized: "Brother Liu, what brings you back today?"
"Your Highness has been going to the palace a lot lately. I had nothing to do anyway, so I came back to see my mother. I didn't know you were coming back too, otherwise I could have given you a ride." Liu Hu used the excuse of carrying Shen Yunrong's daughter to escape his mother's relentless pressure to get married.
Upon seeing the charming Shen Yunrong, he recalled his mother's praise of her. Although she was determined to remain chaste for her deceased husband, he still felt that he could try to win her over and cultivate a relationship with her daughter.
"I just suddenly remembered to tell Steward Tan that I'd be back next time." This time, her daughter actually recognized her. She looked up at her with her little face, revealing a sweet smile. The dimples on her face almost melted her heart.
"It's rare for you to come back, come inside quickly, Aunt Shen has been talking about you."
Shen Yunrong gave a slight bow, carried her daughter into the house, and her mother was also very surprised to see her return: "Nini has been making a fuss these past few days, it's good that you're back."
Nini is about the same age as the little prince, could it be that she's about to start teething?
The little one has grown up a bit, and Shen Yunrong always finds her daughter somewhat familiar, but she doesn't know who she looks like, nor does she resemble her. Neither she nor her mother have dimples on their faces.
"Mother, look, is our Nini about to grow her little teeth?" Shen Yunrong looked at her daughter's mouth and saw that there were no white little teeth.
"Mother, if the child is not feeling well, please ask someone to send me a message." Her mother was also in poor health, and she felt very guilty for helping her take care of the child.
"I know, your master is a good master. He sent a lot of things over last time." Mother Shen took out a bag of flour. Her daughter had returned, and she was preparing to make dumplings.
She couldn't tell her mother why Zhao Linzhang had sent the gift, lest she worry: "The prince saw that I had taken good care of the young master and it was a reward for me."
The daughter's clothes were clearly ill-fitting, and there were several stains on her chest. Compared to the young master, the daughter looked like a little beggar.
"Mom's old bones can still move, so you just focus on your work. I'll take care of the children!"
This child is well-behaved; he can play by himself for most of the day if left on the kang (heated brick bed). Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to take care of him, who is half-buried in the ground.
She understood her mother's meaning: take advantage of this good job to save more money, since her daughter was still young.
In this world, money is more reliable than men.
She dared not bring the precious hairpin back this time, as nowhere was as safe as the Prince's mansion. She only brought some loose silver, enough for her mother and the others to have a good New Year.
"Yes, Mom, I might not be able to come back until after the New Year. Don't be stingy with money, have a good New Year with the children."
Mother Shen patted the flour off her hands and took out a red cotton-padded jacket: "It was prepared a long time ago. This is a new New Year's outfit made for Nini."
Shen Yunrong took the clothes. They were a size too big for the child and could probably be worn until next year. She had worn similar clothes when she was a child. Fortunately, the coat was thick, so it didn't matter if it was a little big; the important thing was that it kept her warm.
"Mother, you should also get some new clothes made." Shen Yunrong looked at her mother's clothes, which looked like they had been worn for many years and were no longer recognizable as their original color.
"Mom has plenty of clothes, come and eat dumplings."
The mother and daughter ate dumplings, while Nini cooked rice porridge for her.
After lunch, Liu Hu was about to return to his residence when he called out to her at the gate, "Miss Chen!"
This time, her daughter clung to her tightly, tears streaming down her face from her large eyes.
This pitiful sight of her not daring to cry loudly, only daring to shed tears, deeply pierced Shen Yunrong's heart. If she had a father, they wouldn't have to be separated like this.
Heartlessly handing the child to her mother, she boarded Liu Hu's carriage. Liu Hu sped away, lest his mother take the girl home for him to meet.
“Miss Chen, you can come back to take care of the child after the young master is weaned.” Liu Hu noticed her sadness, and he also saw Nini’s tearful face.
"Yes!" Shen Yunrong smiled bitterly. The young master of a wealthy family was breastfed until he was three years old. She didn't know when she would be able to go back to be with her daughter. She could never save enough money.
Upon returning to the Prince's residence, Zhao Linzhang was already back and was having people pack their things to go to the estate.
Shen Yunrong was still shaken by the assassination attempt last time. Zhao Linzhang, thinking of the same thing, comforted her, saying, "Tan Zhongxin has made all the arrangements. There's a hot spring in the manor; soaking in it can improve your health. I'll take Siliang there for a soak."
I happen to have some free time these two days, but I don't know when I'll be busy again. Hot spring baths are most effective in winter, and Zhao Linzhang also wants Siliang to have a strong body.
Chief Steward Tan came from the palace, and his arrangements have never gone wrong.
Shen Yunrong was the only wet nurse Zhao Linzhang brought with him.
They took a bath, while Steward Tan and Shen Yunrong stood guard outside. Steward Tan carried the clothes for Zhao Linzhang to change into, while Shen Yunrong held the young master's clothes.
From time to time, Xiao Siliang's excited shouts could be heard from inside, which made Shen Yunrong smile.
The little prince loves playing in the water. It's too cold, so when we give him a bath, we just quickly wash him and wrap him up. He can't enjoy soaking and playing in the water as much as he does today.
"Get up!" Zhao Linzhang called softly, and Steward Tan and Shen Yunrong hurriedly brought the clothes inside.
Zhao Linzhang was wearing a middle garment. The soft fabric, soaked in water, clung tightly to his body, outlining the contours of his bulging chest muscles. His dark hair dripped water continuously, and water droplets slid down his angular face and disappeared into his collarbone.
Xiao Siliang struggled to go down, and Shen Yunrong hurriedly wrapped his writhing body with a large cotton cloth. She inadvertently caught a glimpse of the bulge that was about to erupt from Zhao Linzhang's lower abdomen.
Her cheeks flushed crimson as if burned, and she clutched the child tightly in a panic, stammering, "This servant will dress him, dress him!" She slipped into the room next to the hot spring and, with trembling fingers, dressed Siliang.
Zhao Linzhang belatedly looked down at himself and saw her ears, which were red as if dripping blood, and her eyes were deep.
The chubby little boy, upon seeing Zhao Linzhang, danced with joy and babbled, begging him to hold him.
Zhao Linzhang laughed and said, "Are you going to sleep with your godfather tonight?"
Her eyes swept over Shen Yunrong, and her cheeks flushed pink again. She was the young master's wet nurse, and wherever the young master was, she had to be there too.
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