Chapter 552: Recovery of Memory (two updates)_5 Chapter 552: Recovery of Memory (two updates)_5 As a result, she caught Empress Dowager Zhuang’s gaze.
Xiao Jingkong quickly retracted his little head and closed the room’s door with a humph!
Empress Dowager Zhuang went to the child’s room.
The child was facing away from her, backed into a corner next to a wardrobe.
“Come out.” Empress Dowager Zhuang said.
“I won’t come out!” Xiao Jingkong huffed, then sneaked a glance at her, “You…you feed me, then I’ll come out!”
As soon as he started to act coy, his speech became redundant.
A quarter of an hour later, Empress Dowager Zhuang and the child were sitting in the courtyard.
A small wooden table in front of them held a bowl of steaming millet porridge.
“Eat it yourself.” said Empress Dowager Zhuang.
Little Jingkong pouted, tipped back his head, cleared his throat, and put all his effort into a cry: “Wahhh—”
Empress Dowager Zhuang shuddered and spooned some millet porridge into the child’s mouth!
Old Jijiu and Xiao Liulang returned from Guozijian and Hanlin Academy.
“You don’t need to worry about those men from the Zhuang family, I will take care of them later…”
Before he could finish, Old Jijiu and Xiao Liulang walked through the passageway and saw the old lady sitting on a small stool, feeding Xiao Jingkong.
Why was the old lady, and not Empress Dowager Zhuang, because she was dressed as the old lady.
Old Jijiu had just drawn a bit of his salary in silver; his first reaction was to clutch his money bag: “I have no concealed money!”
Empress Dowager Zhuang cast him a gloomy glance.
Old Jijiu immediately fell to his knees.
Xiao Jingkong smacked his lips, “Uncle, why did you fall?”
Uncle? Empress Dowager Zhuang narrowed her eyes!
Fear seized Old Jijiu. Ah! Little monk, are you trying to trap your uncle?
Ah, not true! I’m not your uncle!
No, she’s not your aunt!
It still didn’t seem right…
Your servant and the Empress Dowager have a purely official relationship—
Reluctantly, Old Jijiu was dragged by Empress Dowager Zhuang into a small dark room.
There was a bit of a commotion.
Everyone: We don’t know, and we don’t dare to ask.
Fang Momo and Liao Quan were so frightened by Empress Dowager Zhuang that they couldn’t hold onto their knives, and without Gu Jiao and Gu Xiaoshun present, Xiao Liulang ended up cooking dinner.
Empress Dowager Zhuang was instinctively repulsed. She couldn’t explain why but she picked up her chopsticks for a taste.
How can someone who looks decent cook food so distasteful?!
Empress Dowager Zhuang was so disgusted that her body trembled and her blood roared, it felt like her crown was going to be blasted off by the chaotic energy, her head hurt again and sweat slipped down her temples.
Just then, Xiao Liulang gave her a deep look and suddenly asked, “Has Auntie recovered from her injury? Jiaojiao’s hasn’t yet, she was seriously hurt, she was close to losing her life.”
She was seriously injured…
She was close to losing her life…
“Old lady, where are you from?”
“Do you remember what kind of illness you had?”
“So little, only three!”
“Preserved fruits are expensive, don’t eat it if you don’t want it!”
“Is this how you speak to your aunt?”
“I’m going to sell the mountain goods. I’ve warmed up the food in the pot. If you’re hungry, eat. There’s also medicine, you can’t miss a dose. I’ll know if you throw it away.”
“Jiaojiao darling, come to auntie.”
“Aunt, I’ll take you home.”
Zhuang Yuexi had been pacing outside the Empress Dowager’s sleeping hall for a long time, but there was no sign of her coming out.
Two strong eunuchs guarded the door.
She eventually approached and asked, “Gentlemen, it’s getting late. Shouldn’t we remind the Empress Dowager to have her meal?”
One of the eunuchs responded, “The Empress Dowager has instructed that no one should disturb her, unless she herself comes out, otherwise we cannot go in and startle her.”
Zhuang Yuexi asked, “But it’s already so late, what if the Empress Dowager starves?”
The other eunuch smiled and said, “Miss Zhuang, don’t worry. If the Empress Dowager is hungry, she’ll have her meals delivered. Besides, there’s no shortage of food inside.”
“How can those pastries fill the stomach?” Zhuang Yuexi was visibly worried.
What Zhuang Yuexi didn’t say was that she was genuinely worried about that Gu girl.
That girl was clearly also in Renshou Palace, yet in the blink of an eye, she had disappeared. She strongly suspected that the girl had entered the Empress Dowager’s sleeping hall.
What would she do inside the Empress Dowager’s sleeping hall? What would she say to the Empress Dowager? Would she go all out to get the Empress Dowager to remember the events of the past year?
Isn’t she stupid? How could she not notice that the Empress Dowager was not genuinely pleased with the things she gave her? Her affection for her wasn’t genuine.
Did that girl manage to trick the Empress Dowager?