Jin Wang handed the cyan bag in his hand to Xiao Shunzi, and got into the carriage.
Chunâer was originally in the carriage, but as soon as she saw Jin Wang entering, she hurriedly got off. The carriages used by the rich and wealthy were all well designed. Not only was there a place for people to sit in the front, but there was also a wooden beam on the back of the carriage for people to sit on. Chunâer went to sit in the back next to another eunuch.
The carriage started to move, but it wasnât going very fast.
Inside the carriage, Jin Wang sat beside Xiaobao.
âWhy did your mother have you come?â Unlike Yaoniang, Jin Wang didnât honey his words when talking to children. The way he talked to Xiaobao was how one would talk to an older or more mature child.
To be honest, Jin Wang had learned this from Yaoniang. However, although this was how Yaoniang often spoke to Xiaobao, she didnât expect him to reply in such a sophisticated manner. Jin Wang was of the same thought, but he was also aware that Xiaobao was much smarter than other children of the same age. He felt that speaking to his son like this would help his mind develop quicker.
Every now and then, Xiaobao would answer his questions. His answer may be strange, but it was still a sign that Xiaobaoâs logic and reasoning were gradually taking shape. Jin Wang was more than pleased to see this. But at home, Yaoniang was usually the one who would speak, so in comparison, he seemed to have fewer words.
âMother said this is fatherâs first time to go to work.â
Jin Wang nodded.
âMother also said that when father sees Xiaobao, his anger will vanish.â
Anger? Why did she think heâd be angry?
Xiaobao glanced at Jin Wang, who seemed to be having a hard time making sense of his words, and said, âMother said that father has worked hard. She also said that Grandfather Emperor was bad, and deliberately bullied father.â
Yaoniang did say the first sentence, but as for the rest of it, Xiaobao made it up himself.
Jin Wang laughed a bit. This lass seemed to have gotten more and more courageous recently. She even dared to say that His Majesty was bad. But it did seem like something she would say. That time when he was watching her praise the emperor, she seemed quite insincere.
As for deliberately bullying him? That wasnât quite true either. At most, it could be said that he wanted to suppress these unfilial sons of his. The only problem was that some things simply couldnât be suppressed. Hopefully, when his Father Emperor realizes this, he wonât be too disappointed.
âIn the future, words like Grandfather Emperor is bad shouldnât be casually said. If heardââ Jin Wang used language that would be relatively easy for the child to understand the severity of the matter, âXiaobao wouldnât be given any cake.â
Xiaobao felt an urge to smack his head against a wall. Although he doesnât mind acting cute towards his mother, when facing his father, he couldnât help but feel awkward. Now that his father said such an immature phrase with a solemn expression, he found it quite difficult to accept.
But the main thing was that to pretend to be the baby he is, he had to give him a befitting reply.
âEat cake. Xiaobao wonât say it.â
Normally, Yaoniang would say some encouraging words to Xiaobao after something like this. Wanting to be like Yaoniang, Jin Wang, who rarely showed any appreciation for his son, decided to borrow from her usual method. He glanced at the cyan pouch next to him, and remembered that there were still two pieces of pastries from before that he had yet to eat. He opened the bag and took out a small box.
The box was specially made. It was half a foot long and four inches wide. With gold painted on it, the black box appeared to be delicate and well sealed. He opened it and saw that there was still a piece of water chestnut pastry and a piece of lotus root cake inside. Jin Wang wasnât too fond of eating sweets, so Yaoniang only put in a piece of each. She also made sure to include some savoury desserts, which had been all eaten by Jin Wang.
The lunch provided wasnât enough to fill him up, so he ate some snacks to curb his appetite.
Jin Wang placed the box in front of Xiaobao, who felt a little ashamed. He misunderstood Jin Wangâs intentions and thought his father believed he was begging for cakes.
Seeing that his son wasnât making any moves, Jin Wang thoughtfully said, âThis is what your mother packed earlier this morning.â
In the past, as long as Yaoniang was mentioned, Xiaobao would always enjoy the food. This time, Xiaobao also stretched out his hand to take it, but it wasnât because of his mother. It was because he had thought it through. He was only a baby, so how would he know what shame was?
They werenât far away, so by the time Xiaobao finished his first pastry, they had already reached home.
The father and son got out of the carriage. Jin Wangâs legs were long, while Xiaobaoâs legs were short. Coupled with the sun shining brightly up above, Jin Wang simply picked him up and carried him all the way to the Rongxi Courtyard.
Indeed, the courtyard where Yaoniang was living was still called Rongxi Courtyard. Originally, building this manor was only for appearanceâs sake. It would only be occupied on the few occasions when Jin Wang returned to the capital. This was why many of the yards remained unnamed. A few days ago, Yu Chan brought up how inconvenient it was for the courtyard to be nameless. Yaoniang was too lazy to come up with a new name, so she simply renamed it Rongxi Courtyard.
In Rongxi Courtyard, awaited Yaoniang, looking forward to their return. As soon as she saw Jin Wang and Xiaobao come back, she rushed up to greet them.
Although it was almost July, it was still very hot. There was a bucket of ice in the corner of the room, filled with ice cubes. The window was ajar, letting a gentle breeze blow in, making the room cool. The pillows and armrests on the big Kang next to the window have long been cleared away and were replaced with cooling bamboo mats.
At this moment Erbao was lying on the mat with a piece of cloth under him, looking curiously around him.
Erbao was now a month old. But for the sake of amassing good luck, it was common to only celebrate the babyâs third day and first birthday. Reaching a month old wasnât as big of a deal. So when Erbao reached a month old, it was simply Jin Wang, Yaoniang and Xiaobao sharing a meal together.
Erbao resembled Xiaobao from when he was younger. They were both white and tender, with delicate features and phoenix eyes. But this was only Yaoniangâs thoughts, because back when Xiaobao was just born, she was the only one to have seen him.
With curiosity in his eyes, he looked at the people around him, wondering what they were doing. Erbaoâs mouth uttered sounds that perhaps only himself would understand and he wiggled his little hands and feet in the air. He was still unable to flip himself over and he could only tilt his head. Seeing how no one was paying attention to himself, the child became anxious and made bigger movements and louder sounds.