Chapter 142: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
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**Chapter 142: Choosing Gifts**
Suisui nestled in her mother's arms, her small hands wrapped around her mother's neck.
When she heard her mother ask her, Suisui nodded, her voice soft: “I had fun, Mother. Sister Qiaoqiao is very nice.”
The brothers were nice too, but since the third brother of the Ying family often pulled her hat and scratched her neck, Suisui felt that they weren't as good.
So, Suisui honestly praised the sister without mentioning the brothers.
Qi Wangfei was smart enough not to ask more.
Children’s affections are simple and straightforward—they come and go quickly.
There’s no grudge that lasts overnight; sometimes, they could be fighting one moment and holding hands the next.
The children at the mansion often played like this, so Qi Wangfei was used to it.
She gently coaxed the little girl and asked what she wanted for lunch.
From time to time, she would also turn to Liu Hemeng, making sure to divide her attention equally so that none of the children felt ignored.
Qi Wangfei was aware of Suisui's scratched chin. Knowing that the Sun family had already apologized and that the child had been comforted, she didn't bring it up again.
However, when she hugged Suisui, she looked closely at the wound and, seeing that it was just a faint red mark, she finally felt relieved.
In the afternoon, Qi Wangfei Consort needed to take Feng Xuanrui to the palace to greet the Empress Dowager.
Since she had not yet informed the Empress Dowager about Suisui, it wouldn’t be proper to bring her along.
So, in the afternoon, Suisui would have to stay at the mansion and play with Liu Hemeng under aunt Xiang's care.
Qi Wangfei worried that Suisui might feel uneasy.
As she walked to the rear courtyard with Suisui in her arms, she gently explained, “Mother has to take your brother to the palace this afternoon to greet the Empress Dowager. After he came back, your brother hasn’t had the chance to pay his respects yet.”
“In the afternoon, Suisui can play in the mansion with Sister Mengmeng and aunt Xiang, okay?”
“Mother will return soon, so don’t worry, okay?”
“This time, Mother will inform the Empress Dowager about you, and next time you can come with us.”
Qi Wangfei’s voice was very gentle.
Suisui didn’t fully understand everything, but she knew she couldn’t be with her mother and brother in the afternoon, which made her feel a little sad.
She thought she was becoming more and more fragile.
Before, no one cared about her, and she felt no sadness. Now, just the thought of being separated from her mother for an afternoon made her feel sad.
Feeling a little down, Suisui clung tightly to her mother’s neck, gently rubbing her head against her mother’s shoulder.
The fuzzy little head rubbed against her, causing a tickling sensation, but it was also warm.
Sensing the little girl’s dependence, Qi Wangfei softened her tone further, “Don’t worry, Suisui, Mother will be back soon, and I’ll bring you some treats, alright?”
Suisui softly leaned against her and whispered, “I’ll listen to Mother.”
Although Suisui was still a bit sad, Qi Wangfei wanted to bring her along but knew it wasn’t the right choice.
If she brought Suisui to the Empress Dowager without informing her beforehand, there could be consequences. If the Empress Dowager liked her, things would be fine, but if not, it would be much harder for Suisui to make a good impression later.
Qi Wangfei wanted everyone to love and cherish Suisui.
So, she didn’t want to take any chances that might disadvantage Suisui.
The Grand Princess had sent many gifts to express her gratitude.
To distract Suisui, Qi Wangfei decided to take her to unwrap the presents.
These gifts were originally meant to be examined and logged into the storeroom inventory.
In the past, Qi Wangfei would only glance at them briefly, leaving the detailed management to aunt Qiu.
Now, to cheer up Suisui, she personally accompanied her to open the gifts.
The Grand Princess had chosen the gifts thoughtfully, as they represented her gratitude for saving her life.
Among the gifts were two boxes of jewelry.
Qi Wangfei opened the boxes to find neatly organized and meticulously arranged items, making it easy to keep records.
After a quick overview, she took out a pair of small purple jade gourd earrings and showed them to Suisui, “Suisui, do you like these little gourd earrings?”
The glimmering purple jade gourds were exquisitely crafted and looked delicate and cute.
Suisui didn’t have her ears pierced yet, and although Qi Wangfei wanted to pierce them, she was worried that Suisui might be scared, so she planned to consult Physician Liu first.
Turning to Liu Hemeng, Qi Wangfei called, “Mengmeng, come pick something too.”
Aunt Qiu quickly noted down the jewelry box's items.
Being called, Liu Hemeng didn’t hesitate. She thanked Qi Wangfei and chose a pair of green jade drop earrings.
The earrings were lovely, with a fresh and cool look, perfect for spring and summer.
After choosing, Liu Hemeng politely thanked Qi Wangfei again.
Qi Wangfei had already set Suisui down, as she couldn’t carry her all day.
Seeing Liu Hemeng’s well-behaved manner, Qi Wangfei gently patted her head.
Her hair was neatly combed and slicked with oil, so it didn’t feel as soft as Suisui’s.
Compared to that, Suisui’s soft little head was much more pleasant to touch.
Qi Wangfei smiled inwardly but didn’t show it.
She didn’t want the children to feel any discomfort.
Seeing Sister Mengmeng accept her earrings without hesitation, Suisui touched her own ears and quietly asked, “Mother, do they just poke straight through?”
Suisui thought the curved golden hooks on the earrings were meant to pierce directly into her ears.
Scared, Suisui hugged her mother’s leg, clearly showing her reluctance.
Suisui didn’t want the earrings; she was frightened!
Noticing the little girl trembling, Qi Wangfei Consort chuckled softly, gently stroked her fluffy head, and reassured her, “No, no. We’ll ask Grandpa Liu about it later.”
Ear piercing was usually a straightforward but painful process.
Typically, two beans were pressed on either side of the earlobe until it became numb, then a needle was pushed through.
Afterward, a clean thread would be threaded through to keep the hole open, and it would need to be pulled regularly to prevent it from closing.
This procedure was usually done when children were very young.
At that age, their ears were small, and they could be coaxed even though they felt pain.
The earlier the piercing, the less likely it was to close up if properly maintained.
Now that Suisui was old enough to remember, Qi Wangfei feared this would leave a lasting negative impression, so she wanted to consult Liu Daifu before deciding.
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