Wei Luo placed the tea bowl on the chair between them, saying, “I made a spur-of-the-moment decision at noon and had Chang Feng fetch them. They aren’t siblings, but they’re roughly the same age.”
“Why didn’t you get one for me?” Yin Hui glanced over.
Wei Luo turned his gaze toward Yin Hui, who, biting her lip, looked at him with a touch of resentment.
Wei Luo had no option but to respond, “If you truly desire one, I’ll have Chang Feng purchase another tomorrow.”
Yin Hui retorted, “Never mind. It would have been a pleasant surprise if you took the initiative to give it to me. Requesting it myself made it lose its meaning.”
Wei Luo found himself at a loss for words.
As evening approached, Yin Hui instructed the children to wash their hands; it was time for dinner.
The two brothers and sister who received the gift were overjoyed. Xiao Heng, typically composed, glanced into the yard several times while eating, his eyes gleaming. Xiao Xun and Xiao Ning finished their meals early, set aside their chopsticks, and hurriedly went to find their dogs.
Xiao Heng also desired to join them but remembered his responsibilities. After dinner, he obediently stood by his father, waiting for him to check his homework.
The laughter of Xiao Xun and Xiao Ning echoed from the yard. Xiao Heng’s gaze flickered, and he promptly averted his eyes.
Wei Luo smiled and said, “Go and play; I won’t check tonight.”
At that moment, Xiao Heng’s eyes seemed to sparkle with stars, brimming with joy.
Wei Luo added, “Go.��
Xiao Heng looked at his mother, turned around, and darted out.
Wei Luo then looked at Yin Hui.
Yin Hui snorted, “Being a strict father has its advantages. One gift, and there’s a reprieve from inspecting homework, quite a trade-off for my years of meticulous care.”
Wei Luo responded, “You’re spouting nonsense again.”
As they lay down to sleep, the lights dimmed. Wei Luo embraced her from behind and began to address a matter on her mind, “You’re becoming bolder, daring to give me the cold shoulder last night.”
Yin Hui whispered, “I felt sorry for Xiao Xun. With Si Lang and Liu Lang, Xiao Heng wouldn’t be lazy. Xiao Xun is still young; what’s wrong with him taking a break? Look at how tired he was today, yet he remained sensible, even expressing a desire to go to the palace to study after waking up and eating. You can’t just overlook it because the child is sensible. Out of the three children, Xiao Xun fears you the most. If you ask him if he’s tired, how would he dare to tell the truth?”
Wei Luo asked unexpectedly, “He entered the palace this afternoon?”
Yin Hui nodded and also shared the details of Brother Xun’s encounter with Emperor Yongping.
Wei Luo unconsciously touched her hand, recalled her words in his mind again, and suddenly saw himself in Xiao Xun’s position when he was a child.
He, too, worked the fields with his father. When his father asked if he was tired, he denied it without hesitation, even though his hands and feet were sore. He persevered through studying, with his elder and second brothers taking sick leave. Despite suffering from a headache and brain fever, he pressed on.
Why did he do it?
The purpose was to show his father his hard work and garner more affection. Born of a concubine, his biological mother wasn’t favored. His father rarely visited her, spending the least amount of time alone with him, so he had to strive harder.
But Xiao Xun didn’t have to endure such a situation. Even if tired, he dared not speak the truth.
Wei Luo tightly squeezed his wife’s hand, shaking it repeatedly, and finally said, “I was negligent.” These few words of self-blame stirred a ripple in Yin Hui’s heart.
She had complained, but she never expected Wei Luo to admit his shortcomings.
That was actually just an insignificant matter. She felt distressed seeing her son exhausted, and then her dissatisfaction with his coldness fueled her anger even more.
In all fairness, Wei Luo was already a very good father.
After getting into the carriage after busy spring farming, it was Wei Luo who wiped the faces of the two brothers, and it was him who hugged Xiao Xun all the way after he fell asleep.
Yin Hui turned around and buried her head in his arms, saying, “You’re a good father. Even after being busy with work, you look after the children. I only spoke because I felt bad for a moment. Don’t take it to heart.”
Once a tigress guarding her cubs, she had transformed into a soft and obedient kitten.
Wei Luo rubbed her head and said, “Take a rest at the end of the month, and I will take you out for a walk.”
The scenery in the south of the Yangtze River was beautiful, but the family had been in Jinling for so long, and they had been busy with social gatherings, so they hadn’t had a chance to go for a walk.
In the past in the Yan Palace, the gates were guarded by guards arranged by his father, and he was not allowed to come in and out at will. Now he lived alone in a separate mansion, and he was more free.
After giving gifts to the children and proposing a spring outing, Yin Hui raised her head with a flattered expression.
Wei Luo caressed her face lightly and turned over.
The children were the happiest when they heard the news. They didn’t know what their parents had talked about, they only knew that they could go outside to play, and they all hoped that the end of the month would come soon.
Wei Luo did not break his promise. On the day of the end of the month, the family of five changed into regular clothes and set off in the same carriage. They climbed a mountain to enjoy the scenery and took a boat tour on the lake. In the evening, they ate at the most famous restaurant in the capital. They didn’t return to the Shu Mansion contentedly until they had a good time.