kvmb Chapter 320 Homophone
Chapter 320 Homophone
A thick quilt was placed in the large wooden tub, and all sorts of toys were inside. Xue Chenxi sat inside, tugging at a Luban lock.
Le Xi unlocked the Luban lock and handed it to Xue Chenxi, who threw it into the basin and then grabbed another one to hand to Le Xi. The two of them took turns unlocking and throwing the locks, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Nianyao exclaimed, "You're so patient!"
Le Xi looked up at the sound, delighted: "Sister's back? Where are Yunfan and the others?"
"I'm going back now, they might be a few more days." Nianyao took Xue Chenxi out of the basin and kissed her soft little face: "Did you miss Mommy?"
Xue Chenxi stared intently at Nianyao, her lips trembling as if she were about to cry, but before she could utter a sound, she wrapped her arms around Nianyao's neck.
Nianyao's heart melted instantly. She buried her head in Xue Chenxi's neck, took a deep breath, and made Xue Chenxi giggle.
Lexi exclaimed, "She's so easy to take care of, so well-behaved and always smiling, she never cries."
The pleasant milky scent in my nasal cavity dispelled the lingering smell of blood, and also dispelled the unpleasantness and grievances of the past few days.
Nianyao's eyes reddened, and her voice was a little unsteady: "You're really my good baby."
Le Xi gently replied, "Yes, she's very well-behaved. Sister, who named her Chenxi?"
Nianyao said, "It was... named by Luo An. She was born at dawn, so she was named Chenxi (Dawn), symbolizing hope and new life."
The name Yun Ting almost slipped out of her mouth. After speaking, Nian Yao glanced at Le Xi out of the corner of her eye, feeling rather guilty.
Le Xi praised, "It sounds nice, and it's the same as my name."
Nianyao's heart skipped a beat. If Lexi hadn't reminded her, she wouldn't have noticed at all. Was Xue Yunting's choice of this name a coincidence or intentional?
Nianyao smiled somewhat reluctantly: "Scholars always give their names nice-sounding ones. If it were me to name a child, it would definitely be something like 'little grass' or 'little flower'."
Le Xi was holding a rattle, which jingled loudly. Xue Chenxi snatched the rattle away, threw it on the ground, and pointed at the large wooden basin, struggling to get down.
Although Nianyao was reluctant, she put her back in the basin, and Lexi squatted down to continue helping her untangle the Luban lock.
Nianyao picked up the bell from the ground. The bell was made of pure silver and had a design of a rising sun with radiant light on it.
While playing with Xue Chenxi, Le Xi kept an eye on Nian Yao: "I carved this, isn't it pretty?"
Nianyao exclaimed in surprise, "You can do this too?"
Le Xi said, "I take care of Chenxi all day long and don't have much else to do, so I've carved some little trinkets. Silver is soft, so carving isn't complicated. I used to have to practice dancing, but I won't be dancing anymore, so I need to find something to do. It's not good to be idle all the time."
Nianyao said, "If you like dancing, you can continue. Wuming and Qiyang won't stop you."
Le Xi smiled and said, "Several years ago, Yun Ting once lamented that the Xiangji dance had been lost for many years and no one could reproduce its beauty. So I studied ancient books and consulted dance masters from all over the world, and recreated seven or eight parts of the Xiangji dance. At the palace banquet, the Empress took a liking to it."
I do have some talent in dancing, but I'm not the best dancer in the Imperial Music Bureau. The Empress probably chose me as a musician because of the Xue family's influence.
The main reason I was willing to become a music official was that there was a lot of gossip about me when I lived in the Xue family mansion, and I wanted to escape that environment. Now that I have left the Imperial Music Bureau and resigned from my position as music official, I have no regrets whatsoever, and I have absolutely no desire to practice dancing again.
Anyway, Qi Yang can afford to support me, and I've saved up some money on my own over the years. My mother will also give me a dowry when I get married. From now on, I can be a leisurely general's wife, taking care of the children and doing housework, which will be quite nice."
Nianyao looked at the delicate silver bell in her hand and chimed in, "If you don't like dancing, then don't dance. Being happy is the most important thing."
Lexi said, "Mother says I do everything well, like taking care of children very well. Do you believe that, sister?"
Nianyao immediately replied, "Of course I believe you, you're so smart."
Le Xi said, "Qi Yang is a general and is away from home most of the year. After I got married, I lived alone in such a big house, which felt empty. Why don't you leave Chenxi with me for the time being, and take her back to me when you've settled down?"
After going through all this trouble, is this all it's for? Is Lexi even trying to outsmart her?
Nianyao felt a chill in her heart, and her tone softened: "Although I'm not good at taking care of children, but..."
"Nianyao." Madam Xue practically ran over. "You're back! Are you alright? Where are Yunfan and the others? How's the battle going? Are you all unharmed...?"
Xue Yunyao followed behind and interrupted Madam Xue: "Your Majesty, please don't get agitated. Sit down and talk slowly."
Nianyao briefly explained the situation regarding the war: "Don't worry, Aunt, we're all fine. Yunfan is a general now and can't come back, so I'm just a figurehead as the military supervisor, which is why I came back first."
Madam Xue said repeatedly, "It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright. Yun Yao is so ignorant and has caused you trouble."
Xue Yunyao drawled out her words, pouting and complaining, "Mother..."
Nianyao smiled and said, "Yunyao is very capable, unlike ordinary girls who are delicate. I like her very much. Aunt, I want to ask you about someone."
Madam Xue asked in confusion, "Who is it?"
Nianyao said, "There's a small, dilapidated house in Yongning Lane, supposedly where Luo An's father used to live, and there used to be an old woman there. I went there today and saw that the house had collapsed. Where did that old woman go?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Xue immediately understood: "That old woman was the late Emperor's wet nurse. There are two keys to that house; one key is with Master Luo, and the other key is with the old woman."
The emperor neither repaired the house nor allowed anyone else to touch it, so the house became more and more dilapidated. Ordinary people dared not go there, and only the wet nurse would go to check on it every few days.
That day, Master Luo… Luo An, you and the others went, but Grandma pulled Luo An away, urging him to go to Xuanzhi Mountain to see the late Emperor. That very night, the wet nurse passed away in that house; the imperial physician said it was a natural death. The next day, a heavy rainstorm completely destroyed the house.
The wet nurse and the house have been waiting for Luo An to arrive? Will they be able to rest in peace once Luo An arrives?
Madam Xue suddenly sighed: "Alas, to be honest, that boy Luo An is stubborn. He's been on Chongming Island for several years and hasn't come to visit."
Nianyao didn't want to comment, so she remained silent.
Lexi seized the opportunity to interject: "Mother, didn't you say a few days ago that it's inconvenient for my sister to take care of a child while she's always on the go? Why don't you let her leave Chenxi with us to raise? I was just talking to my sister about this."
Madam Xue was rather uncomfortable: "Nianyao, ever since Yunting left, I've always felt like something is missing in my heart. But since Chenxi came to the manor, I've been watching her every day, and I'm slowly feeling a little better."
I joked with Lexi, saying that before Lexi gave birth, she could keep Chenxi at the manor. After Lexi gave birth, you could take Chenxi back. But that was all a joke; ultimately, the child is yours… and it's up to you to decide.”
Xue Yunting gave the child to her not only to find the child's parents, but also because she couldn't have children. However, this was clearly Xue Yunting's child, and everyone knew it, yet they pretended not to know.
Nianyao immediately softened: she had no right to refuse the child's biological grandmother.