"Yes, Mother," Lian Wanzhen wholeheartedly agreed, snatching the conversation, "That time when little sister wrecked Clan Uncle’s shop and even landed him in jail, in the end, everything turned out fine—she sorted out the mess herself."
Su Ran couldn’t help but laugh, the shadow of distress swept from her face, chiding, "That really was quite the scare, dad and mom were terrified, though it turned out to be a false alarm. Ah, still don’t know what to do with her."
Lian Wanzhen seized the moment, "Mother, little sister is so lovable and smart; she must be doing very well. You shouldn’t worry about her."
Lian Musu said with a smile, "Mother, our family doesn’t have to drift from place to place anymore; our lives are getting better and better. The Capital City is so vast, even Clan Uncle bumped into my son by chance–what else couldn’t happen? I believe there must be a way to see Nannan as well. Please be at ease and focus on nurturing your health; that’s what really matters. Otherwise, Nannan will be worried about you."
Lih Qingshu also joined in to persuade her.
With the collective comfort from everyone, they finally managed to bring a smile to Su Ran’s face.
She said, "Today is a day of quadruple happiness, let’s not let my concerns dampen the mood, come on, eat some more."
As she spoke, she placed a serving of vegetables on each person’s plate.
Everyone started to eat.
Only Lian Musu did not pick up his chopsticks.
Seeing this, Su Ran asked, "Musu, what’s wrong?"
Lian Musu glanced at his father and Clan Uncle, who were now quarreling so intensely they seemed ready to test their strength against each other, and after a moment’s thought, he whispered, "Mother, as for how Nannan is getting on, Clan Uncle might know something."
All the way here, Clan Uncle hadn’t mentioned little sister at all, nor did he show any sign of worry. When he met their mother, although he brought up Xiao Bao when chatting with her, he learned from their dad that Clan Uncle doted on little sister very much. It was completely illogical that he didn’t mention her, which meant there must be a problem.
Therefore, he deduced that Clan Uncle knew little sister was in the palace, and he knew how she was getting on, and he also knew she was doing very well, which is why he didn’t worry at all. At the same time, due to little sister’s special status in the palace, Clan Uncle couldn’t discuss it on the road, which is why he kept silent.
Clan Uncle shouting for someone up on the roof further confirmed his suspicions.
When he returned with people, it would be necessary to inquire about how little sister got into the palace and how she was doing now, among other things.
However, everyone was too happy at the moment, especially his dad, and there were too many people around, which made it inappropriate for discussion. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Wang San and the others, but the matter was of great importance. The fewer people who knew, the better.
Fearing his younger brother and dad would act impulsively, neither Lian Bao nor he mentioned to Lian Wanzhen or Lian Changhe about little sister being in the palace; they just said she was doing well. As for the specific details, only his mother and the three of them knew.
He had intended to wait until after the meal, close the doors, then ask Clan Uncle all at once. He believed his mother intended to do the same.
But seeing Mother so anxious, he couldn’t bear it, so he spoke up prematurely, sharing his own deductions.
Su Ran was startled, so much so that her chopsticks dropped without her realizing.
"Big brother, why didn’t you say so earlier?" Lian Wanzhen who had keen hearing also caught on, immediately stood up, and was about to call out.
Su Ran slammed the table, "Wanzhen, sit down."
Lian Wanzhen jumped in fright and sat down right away, but he couldn’t help wanting to say something still.
Su Ran said sternly, "Eat your meal properly!"
Lian Wanzhen dared not say anything more and sullenly began to eat, eager to ask but not daring to, knowing that when mother was angry, there was always a reason...
Su Ran felt her heart pounding; her eldest son never spoke without certainty, and now that he spoke this way, he must be sure of something.
There was no rush, she needed to stay calm, she must stay calm...
But when she looked at the two quarreling people, she couldn’t keep her composure, though it wasn’t the right time to ask about her younger daughter’s situation, letting these two continue arguing indefinitely was an utter waste of time.
If it were any other day, it might have been fine, but at this moment, upon suddenly learning that her daughter was so close, her heart was burning with urgency, and she couldn’t hold back any longer.
For so many years without any news, she had missed her Nannan terribly, and yearned to know if her little girl was well.
She couldn’t wait any longer!
With this thought, she abandoned her usually gentle disposition and assumed the authoritative air of a family matriarch, turning her gaze to Lian Changhe.
Upon seeing this, Lian Wanzhen buried his head in his rice bowl, not daring to let out a breath. He knew all too well what this demeanour from his mother meant...
In this courtyard, Su Ran overflowed with a mother’s love, unable to endure the wait any longer.
In the Side Hall of Canglan Court, there was also a maternal love passed down from generation to generation, though it was somewhat askew.
After her bath, Lian Hua lazily nestled in the round chair, nibbling at the tip of her pen, writing stories on paper for the baby in her belly, furrowing her brows in thought from time to time, then swishing the pen rapidly across the page.
The loose, light-colored nightgown she wore was soft, comfortable, and liberating. Under the soft lamplight, it enhanced the brightness of her eyes and the beauty of her features—her fair, tender skin, her luscious, plump cheeks, her large almond eyes, and her curved eyebrows made her look delightful.
The round chair was made specially for her—spacious and comfortable with a soft backrest. When she sat down, her waist was perfectly supported by the backrest, extremely comfortable without tiring her waist.
After finishing a moralistic story titled "The Fish That Swam Slowly Was Eaten," she put down her pen and blew on the paper with force, looked at it, and felt very satisfied.
She had a knack for writing such little tales, logical and convincing, very realistic—sometimes too realistic. Occasionally she considered whether such stories were suitable as bedtime stories to lull her baby to sleep in the future.
Thinking this, she looked over her shoulder at Xiao Qing, "Go call Xiao Jizi for me, have him take a look at this."
Bedtime stories should teach lessons and have a slow pace conducive to sleep, Xiao Jizi had said, and it was something she realized from the stories told by His Majesty as well.
Xiao Qing had just learned to read and couldn’t really discern well. Whatever she wrote, Xiao Qing thought was good. She had thought the same, but every time Xiao Jizi read it, he had different ideas, which she found very sensible.
For example, Xiao Jizi said that in her story "How to Tame a Ferocious Dog," the mention of using steamed buns as a way to outthink the dog, described as fragrant and soft, made one hungry just hearing about it. It also talked about overpowering through strength, repeatedly mentioning hitting, throwing stones, and relentless pursuit, all of which were too exciting.
These were all unsuitable for bedtime stories, as they would keep the child too alert. She agreed with this because even after reading it herself, she would become hungry and energized, and it made her reminisce about the glory days when she used to teach a lesson to the bullies at school.
"Yes, mistress, Xiao Jizi is just outside, I will call him in," replied Xiao Qing.
Xiao Qing agreed, promptly heading out.
As she arrived at the small hall, she bumped into a tall figure entering. She hurriedly saluted, "Greetings to His Majesty."
"Hmm, you may leave," the Emperor headed towards the inner chamber.
"Yes." Xiao Qing respectfully withdrew, knowing there was no need to call Xiao Jizi anymore.
Lian Hua turned her head and saw him, her face brightening with a smile, standing up and waving her hand, "Your Majesty, come and help me take a look."
The Emperor’s eyes softened, and he strode over, looking at what his Little Concubine had written. After reading a few lines, he inquired, "This is?"
It was written with... quite some realism.
So that’s why the fish in Huaqing Pool were all gone...