Chapter 72: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
Chapter 72: Milk and Red Date Porridge
While the Qi Wangfei was listening to Feng Xuanrui's recent experiences, Suisui was already with Feng Xuanrui and Aunt Qiu, getting cleaned up.
Physician Liu had previously allowed the children to be cleaned with the screen separating them. But Aunt Qiu would not permit such a thing. Upon hearing that the children were being cleaned together with a screen in between, she shook her head with a smile, saying, “That’s not appropriate. It’s not good for Suisui’s reputation. Since conditions were simple before, it’s different now that she’s back. They need to bathe separately.”
Hearing that it was for his sister’s reputation, Feng Xuanrui reluctantly followed Qing Shan and Qing Shui to another cleaning room.
Aunt Qiu, along with two maids, helped Suisui bathe. Aunt Qiu had already guessed that Suisui was likely a pitiable child, but she was still shocked when she saw the extent of Suisui’s injuries after she undressed.
Her eyes couldn’t hide the pity and distress. Seeing the old wounds on Suisui’s small body, Aunt Qiu thought, “Such a young child with so many injuries. Is this family heartless?” She used bath beans gently and carefully on Suisui.
The sweet, familiar scent wafted through the air, and Suisui quietly noticed it. It was the same pleasant scent she had encountered earlier from the beautiful aunt.
Suisui liked it very much. As she got dressed, she subtly lowered her head to smell it a few times.
The household didn’t have any suitable clothes for a girl of her age, so Suisui was still wearing the clothes she had brought with her. Aunt Qiu was dissatisfied with the clothes, finding them not soft enough, not stylish enough, and not good enough. She thought that Suisui needed softer silk or fine cotton due to her injuries.
While helping Suisui get dressed, Aunt Qiu wondered what her lady would decide. If necessary, she thought, “I can take care of her myself. Such a pitiful child. I can’t imagine how she would grow up if she were sent back.”
Suisui, behaving obediently, thanked Aunt Qiu: “Thank you, Aunt.”
The polite and well-behaved child made Aunt Qiu’s heart ache even more. She lovingly patted Suisui’s head and asked gently, “Are you hungry?”
Aunt Qiu had already prepared some milk and red date porridge before they started cleaning, fearing it might delay dinner. So, she had only prepared a light snack for the children.
Suisui was a bit hungry, having eaten only a modest meal at noon. However, as she was not familiar with Aunt Qiu and her brother wasn’t there, she hesitated to speak up and softly shook her head: “Not hungry.”
Aunt Qiu could tell Suisui was a bit hungry from her flat stomach. Seeing her reluctance to admit it, Aunt Qiu shook her head and said, “Suisui, you need to be honest. It’s not good to lie.”
Hearing she shouldn’t lie made Suisui anxious. She shook her head and whispered, “I’m a bit hungry.”
Seeing Suisui’s timid look made Aunt Qiu’s heart ache again. She gently patted Suisui’s head and then took her hand to lead her outside. “Aunt will take you to have some milk.”
Milk?
Suisui had only had milk once before, back when her brother had someone bring it from outside the inn. It had tasted a bit off, and her brother said it had an unpleasant smell. He promised that once they returned to the capital, he would let her taste the milk prepared by the household cook, which would be much better with red dates or fruits added.
After that incident, Suisui had never had milk again.
Now, hearing Aunt Qiu mention it, Suisui was curious but didn’t dare to ask.
Feng Xuanrui had finished his bath by now, cleaned up, and put on his jade pendant and headband, adding a touch of nobility to his appearance.
When Suisui saw him, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Brother looks so beautiful!”
Feng Xuanrui appeared completely different at home compared to on the road. While he looked like a regular young noble on the road, at home, his appearance was marked by a layer of wealth and nobility.
Hearing Suisui’s praise, Feng Xuanrui was quite pleased and walked with a bit more swagger, proudly lifting his chin and saying, “Not bad, not bad!”
Seeing that Suisui was still wearing her old clothes, Feng Xuanrui was somewhat dissatisfied. “Later, I’ll have Mother find someone to measure you and make some new clothes. Then, you’ll look beautiful too, okay?”
Suisui couldn’t imagine wearing such luxurious clothes, but hearing her brother talk about it made her excited. Her eyes sparkled even more than the precious stones on Feng Xuanrui. “Yes, I’ll listen to Brother!”
Her obedient and cute demeanor made people want to pat her on the head again and again.
Aunt Qiu, watching the interaction, hesitated to correct Feng Xuanrui’s overly indulgent behavior but ultimately decided against it. “Let the child enjoy it.”
Having seen her brother and now feeling more at ease in the luxurious residence, Suisui was less afraid. She was still thinking about her clay pot.
Because Lele had said that if she took good care of the plants and transplanted them outside, she might get some surprises in the summer.
Suisui wondered if the surprises were truly something exciting. She wasn’t sure, but she was newly interested in planting and wanted to know more.
So, as they walked, she didn’t forget to ask Feng Xuanrui, “Brother, what about our flowers? Do they need watering? Why aren’t they sprouting? Is it too cold?”
Suisui had many questions, and Feng Xuanrui showed no impatience. For what he didn’t know, he turned to Aunt Qiu and asked, “Aunt, what should we do?”
“Do we need to heat them if it’s too cold?”
……
Aunt Qiu patiently answered all the children’s questions. For things she didn’t know, she promised to find out from others.
Suisui listened intently, trying her best to remember the answers.
While she was focused, a sound of running footsteps and a child’s excited shout, “Sixth Brother!!!” came from nearby.
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