"One more thing, the grandmother, mother, and sisters in the family must be reasonable and easy to get along with." Wuxia added, "After all, once you get married, you'll be spending all your time with them in the inner quarters. If you encounter a family that's difficult to get along with, that would be really bad. Hmm, let's do it this way. I'll tell the grandmother and the others about these conditions later."
As everyone was laughing and joking, the wet nurse from Prince Yi's mansion brought over the newborn boy, Wuxia, who was crying his heart out in a particularly pitiful way.
Wu Xiao quickly got up, picked up her youngest son, and kept patting and coaxing him: "What's wrong? Are you unhappy because you can't see your mother? I'm talking to my aunts, you can't be so domineering."
"Your Highness, the little prince refuses to drink milk," the wet nurse said.
Wu Xia has given birth to three sons and one daughter so far. Chu Ye feels sorry for her, and the couple discussed trying to avoid pregnancy and not having any more children.
Therefore, their youngest son was likely their last child, and they decided to breastfeed him themselves due to lack of time. Although they arranged for wet nurses to help share the workload, perhaps due to maternal instinct, the little guy would absolutely refuse to drink the wet nurses' milk unless he was half asleep in the middle of the night.
"You're so stubborn." Wu Xiao freed a hand to tap his little forehead. "Your father and I are both very clever. I don't know who you took after. Okay, okay, don't cry. Mom will feed you now."
She apologized to her sisters and then took her child back to her own courtyard.
The previous topic came to a temporary end, and the four of them leisurely and quietly drank tea.
Chu Wan rolled her big eyes, then leaned close to Wu Shuang's ear mysteriously and whispered, "Shuangshuang, is Brother Bo home today? I didn't see him just now."
"The training in the firearms battalion is very tough, and the rules are strict. Brother Bo only got half a day off and won't be back until noon," Wushuang whispered in Chuwan's ear.
"Oh, then... could you help me arrange to meet him during lunch break?" Chu Wan asked, her voice barely audible, her small hands tightly gripping the small cloth bag in her hand. "I have something I want to ask him."
Chapter List 125 | 24
Chapter 125:
On a warm, gentle spring afternoon, the sunlight was soft and not harsh. New buds sprouted along the lakeside, pale green with a hint of yellow, swaying gently in the breeze. (Seeking Books at WWW.Qiushu.cc)
Chu Wan stood alone by the lake, her eye-catching little cloth bag still clutched in her hand. Sometimes she smiled with her eyes crinkling, sometimes she pursed her lips nervously, and every now and then she would take small, quick steps and turn around, looking restless.
A tall figure slowly approached from a distance.
Chu Wan stood still, observing intently. When the person got closer and she could see his face clearly, she was overjoyed and skipped over to greet him, sweetly calling out, "Brother Bo, you're here!"
"Shuangshuang said you wanted to see me?" Wang Hongbo asked with a smile.
"This is for you." Chu Wan pushed the small cloth bag into his arms.
Wang Hongbo unpacked the bundle and found two books on ancient relics.
“I heard from Shuangshuang that you like reading,” Chu Wan explained, her little face flushed and quite adorable. “So when I was choosing dowry items for her, I also picked out two books for you, as a way of thanking you for the sheepskin gloves you gave me last time.”
Actually, it wasn't just a casual thing; she would browse the bookstore whenever she had free time, and it took her several months to finally choose these two books. It's just that the young woman was shy and didn't want to tell him directly.
"Thank you then." Wang Hongbo didn't stand on ceremony and readily accepted the book. "This book must be expensive. Don't spend so much next time."
Chu Wan hurriedly waved her hand, afraid that Wang Hongbo would change his mind and refuse to take it: "It's not expensive! Really!" It would only cost her two months' salary.
Wang Hongbo smiled and said, "Don't be nervous." He led Chu Wan to a wooden bench under the tree and sat down side by side with her. He then asked her, "Can you understand this book? Your studies are already this advanced?"
"I don't know," Chu Wan answered honestly. "I asked many people, including my older brother, third older brother, seventh older brother, my uncle, and my maternal grandfather, before finally deciding to buy these two books for you."
Asking so many people probably took a lot of time, and it was likely not as casual and effortless as she claimed.
Wang Hongbo was grateful for Chu Wan's kindness, and his voice became even gentler as he spoke: "Actually, you didn't need to go to so much trouble. It was just a small favor for me last time."
“But my aunt taught me that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude.” Chu Wan fluttered her eyelashes like small fans and spoke with exceptional sincerity.
"Okay, you're right." Wang Hongbo raised his hand and affectionately ruffled the bun on the top of her head.
Chu Wan lowered her head shyly, her little feet shuffling across the lawn, when suddenly an idea came to her.
"Brother Bo, Shuangshuang said you're a very good student. If I ever have any questions about my lessons, can I come and ask you for help?" She clenched her little fists nervously as she spoke, afraid that Wang Hongbo would refuse her.
Everyone likes a studious child.
Wang Hongbo replied without hesitation, "Of course. However, I am usually in the firearms camp and only get one day off every ten days, so it may not be so easy for you to see me."
Didn't you say it was okay? Why are you saying all that again, as if you're making excuses?
Chu Wan was unhappy, and her little face scrunched up.
“But you can write to me.” Wang Hongbo ruffled her bun again. “I’ll tell you when I’m coming home so you can come find me right away.”
Chu Wan enjoyed the feeling of Wang Hongbo ruffling her hair, tilting her chin up and squinting her eyes in pleasure.
Brother Bo is truly the gentlest man in the world.
For some reason, she suddenly remembered the conditions for a husband that Wu Hui had mentioned earlier. He was handsome and tidy, gentle yet masculine, ambitious and promising—wasn't that Brother Bo?
But she didn't want to tell Wu Hui.
Chu Wan pouted and covered her face, realizing she was actually quite wicked. However, the thought of Brother Bo becoming Wu Hui's husband made her very unhappy. Although she didn't understand why, Chu Wan decided to follow her heart and be the bad guy. She could work even harder to find other suitable candidates for Wu Hui as compensation.
After the three-day homecoming ceremony, Chu Yao's honeymoon came to an end. He had to return to the Lingguang Guard Office to handle some business, so Wu Shuang decided to start fulfilling her responsibilities as a princess and take care of all the affairs in the palace.
The first thing is to hand over the reins to Mrs. Qiao.
Chu Yao left very early, before Wu Shuang had even gotten up. When she finally woke up, she saw that Qi Qiao and Chao Hua, who were helping her with her washing and grooming, both had strange expressions on their faces.
"What's wrong with you?" Wushuang asked while eating breakfast.
"Your Highness will find out when you go out," Chaohua said, handing over a bowl of white porridge, her reply carrying a rather meaningful tone.
Wushuang's curiosity was immediately piqued. She hurriedly finished her breakfast, grabbed her skirt, and ran out.
Upon entering the main room, the first thing you see is Mrs. Qiao standing in the middle with her hands at her sides, followed by a pile of royal blue books, almost half a person high, on the octagonal table next to her.