Chapter 2: Elder Sister

The lights in the neighboring Li family’s house remain on until the middle of the night, stubbornly refusing to go out.

Xie Zhen has a light sleep and is sensitive to light; even the slightest disturbance prevents her from sleeping. She hasn’t rested well all the way here, thinking that she could finally sleep soundly in Qingzhou, but to her surprise, she rolls around for most of the night and still can’t fall asleep.

Two little girls slept on the same bed. Xie Xian murmured and grabbed her hand, “Sister, I’m sleepy…”

She stopped moving and kept her eyes open until dawn, barely falling asleep until early morning.

Xie Xian slept soundly and woke up early. When she saw her sister still sleeping, she pulled her sleeve to wake her up. The maid Shuangyu stopped her, “Second Miss slept late last night, Third Miss, be obedient, don’t disturb sister. Let me take you to find the madam.”

Shuangyu was a maid brought back from the capital by Leng Shi. She, along with Shuangyan, used to serve Leng Shi. After coming to Qingzhou, fearing that Xie Zhen and Xie Xian’s maids were too young and incapable, she specially assigned them to take care of the daily lives of the two little girls.

Upon hearing that her sister didn’t sleep well, Xie Xian, being sensible, immediately let go of her hand and stopped bothering her. She opened her arms to be carried and said, “Take me to find mother.”

Among the three children, only Xie Xian was the most easygoing and obedient. With her soft voice and big watery eyes, Shuangyu found her adorable. She dressed Xie Xian in a light red magnolia silk gown, paired with a pink and white embroidered skirt, and soft-soled embroidered golden shoes before taking her to the main room.

Yesterday, Xie Liqing kept her busy until late, and then there was trouble in the Li family. Leng Shi also didn’t rest well the whole night. When Xie Xian arrived, she had just sat up from the bed and started grooming.

The beautiful lady after being groomed was noticeably different from yesterday.

Her eyes were enchanting, and her every move exuded charm. Paired with her cold and elegant eyes, a glance from the corner of her eye revealed countless charming sentiments.

Of course, Xie Xian was unaware of all this. She climbed down from Shuangyu, pounced into Leng Shi’s arms, and said, “Mother, sister hasn’t woken up yet!”

Afraid that she might hit the bedpost, Leng Shi quickly bent down to catch her, saying, “Your sister didn’t sleep well. Don’t disturb her, okay?”

She knew best how the two little girls were. Xie Zhen was a light sleeper like her, and since coming to Qingzhou, there was no need for them to adhere to the daily routines like in the capital. It was better to let her sleep a little longer.

Xie Xian nodded like pounding garlic, “I know!”

Leng Shi chuckled and rubbed her chubby little face.

Before long, Xie Rong also arrived at the main room, full of energy, clearly unaffected by the Li family incident yesterday. Shuangque instructed someone to bring in breakfast, with snacks from the capital and Qingzhou’s special breakfast, laid out on a full table. Although the dishes were not as exquisite as the Duke Dingguo’s mansion, they were much more abundant, making people’s appetites open wide.

Xie Xian wanted to eat walnut yogurt. Being small with short legs, she couldn’t reach the table while sitting on the pear wood chair, “I want to eat, I want to eat…”

The little one was getting anxious, and her ear-scratching and cheek-scratching gestures were irresistibly amusing.

Seeing her predicament, Shuangyu quickly picked the walnut yogurt and placed it in front of her, feeding her bite by bite. Finally getting to eat, she squinted her eyes with satisfaction and stopped talking.

Looking at the sun outside, Leng Shi put down her chopsticks and asked Shuangque to check if Xie Zhen had woken up.

After a while, Shuangque returned and shook her head.

Well, let her sleep a bit longer. Leng Shi sighed. The journey had been quite bumpy, and she felt sorry for her delicate daughters. Now that things had settled down, she should compensate them properly.

*

After breakfast, Xie Liqing happened to return.

Recalling the scene he saw at the door earlier, he couldn’t help but sigh, “The Li family just sent the doctor away. It seems their child is seriously ill. Since they are neighbors, we will inevitably cross paths in the future. It’s necessary to have interactions. Get ready, and come with me to visit them.”

Leng Shi was already considering this, figuring out how to bring it up with him. Unexpectedly, he raised the matter himself.

She said, “We can’t go empty-handed. I brought back some medicinal herbs from the capital. Although they are not extremely valuable, it’s a gesture of goodwill.”

Xie Liqing nodded repeatedly, expressing agreement with her words. “There are also many things in the storage room. Later, I’ll have Wang, the steward, give you the keys, and you can take a look with some people.”

Leng Shi nodded, and the matter was settled.

Xie Liqing looked around but didn’t see his eldest daughter, Xie Zhen. “Where’s Gao Gao?”

“She was disturbed yesterday and couldn’t sleep well. She’s still sleeping now,” Leng Shi explained while helping him change into a cyan persimmon-patterned casual attire.

Xie Liqing suddenly felt distressed and asked not to disturb her. “Then, don’t let her go later. Let her rest at home.”

Leng Shi smiled, “She might not wake up until noon.”

“What’s the harm in that?” Xie Liqing cherished his daughter to the fullest. “Let the maids take good care of Gao Gao. If she wakes up, make something for her to eat.”

Leng Shi agreed, and the couple sat together for a while.

Xie Liqing held her hand and whispered in her ear, “Did you sleep well last night?”

Being playful, Leng Shi scolded him with a glance, not answering his question.

The more she resisted, the more Xie Liqing wanted to tease her. Shamelessly, he continued to approach her, “We’ve both had three children, why don’t we act like it…”

Leng Shi had planned to push him away, but he took the initiative and pressed her onto the noblewoman’s couch.

The two couldn’t help but be affectionate for a while. Afterward, Leng Shi’s hair was disheveled, her cheeks were rosy, and she looked quite enticing.

This kind of appearance was not suitable for public view, especially since she was going to visit the Li family. Therefore, she sat in front of the mirror with the intertwined phoenix and lotus patterns, tidying up her hair again. She changed into a lighter garment compared to the luxurious armor. After getting ready, she called Xie Xian and Xie Rong to prepare for the departure.

Hearing that the master of the Li family liked literary arts and enjoyed the company of scholars, Leng Shi picked a purple sandalwood carved crane pen holder from the storage room. She also selected a few popular hairpins and accessories from the capital, preparing them as a gift for Madam Li when they met.

*

The two families’ residences were close, and it didn’t take long for them to arrive.

Xie Xian, upon hearing that they were going to visit another family, was delighted and danced with joy. Unfortunately, her elder sister did not come with her; otherwise, she would have been even happier.

As they hadn’t sent an invitation in advance, the Li family was somewhat surprised when they learned about the visit and hastily welcomed them into their mansion.

Mr. Li Xiqing of the Li family was a wealthy tea merchant from Qingzhou, and their tea business held significant importance in the region. Mr. Li Xiqing was a shrewd businessman with wise and deep-set eyes, but his sincere smile made people feel comfortable.

Madam Li, Song Shi, had a gentle and hospitable appearance. She seated Xie Liqing and Madam Xie, instructing servants to prepare tea.

Leng Shi took the medicinal herbs from the maid’s hands and said, “Yesterday, your mansion was brightly lit. This morning, upon inquiry, I learned that the young master is seriously ill. Fortunately, I have a remedy for headaches and fever. After boiling and drinking it three times, the fever should subside by the next day.”

Song Shi was pleasantly surprised and asked the maid to take it.

Normally, upright officials avoided dealing with merchants. Although they knew the newly appointed Qingzhou governor lived next door, they hadn’t dared to visit yet. Unexpectedly, the governor’s wife had come first. She appeared to be a noble lady, willing to graciously give them gifts, leaving them deeply moved.

Leng Shi handed over the greeting gift, saying, “We came in a hurry and didn’t prepare anything substantial. Please don’t laugh at us.”

Song Shi repeatedly assured her, “These things are not available in Qingzhou. Madam’s kind intentions are a blessing for all the common folks…”

Song Shi, seeing the two adorable children, had some snacks brought in for them.

The two families chatted and, unknowingly, half an hour passed.

Seeing that it was nearing noon, Leng Shi, concerned about Xie Zhen being alone at home, was about to take her leave when a woman dressed as a servant came in from outside. “Madam, the young master has awakened!”

Song Shi, who also cared for children, stood up immediately. “How is he? Has the fever gone down?”

The servant replied, “He still has some fever, and he was speaking gibberish just now.”

Now Song Shi was a bit anxious. He had a fever for a whole day and night. Could it have damaged his brain? She sat uneasily, torn between wanting to check on her child and not wanting to neglect the governor’s family.

Leng Shi sensed her dilemma and called Xie Xian and Xie Rong over, understandingly saying, “The child is important. Madam Song, you should go and see. We should take our leave as well.”

Song Shi, concerned about her child, didn’t insist on them staying and saw off the Xie family. She hurriedly walked to the backyard.

The child indeed hadn’t recovered from the fever, causing Song Shi great distress. Thinking of the remedy Leng Shi had sent, she gritted her teeth and quickly had it prepared, hoping it could save her child’s life.

*

After they returned home, they discovered that Xie Zhen had already woken up.

The little girl sat on the steps of the door, resting her chin on her hands, staring in the direction of the entrance. She was still new to Qingzhou, feeling somewhat uneasy. Despite Shuangyu’s attempts to persuade her, she refused to go back.

Only when she saw her parents and siblings did she happily stand up, calling out, “Mother, Father!”

Leng Shi, seeing her from a distance, felt a tug at her heartstrings at the lonely appearance. She quickly went over and lifted her up, saying, “Why is our little lamb sitting here?”

Xie Zhen pouted, “Where did you all go? How could you leave me alone?”

Leng Shi explained, “We went to visit the neighbors, the Li family. You were still sleeping, so we didn’t wake you.”

Upon learning the reason, Xie Zhen no longer felt as low-spirited as before.

As for which family they visited, she didn’t care at all.

Children’s emotions come and go quickly. Soon, Xie Zhen was playing with Xie Xian and Xie Rong, becoming a cheerful group of three. Among the three children, Xie Zhen was the most mischievous, and her laughter was the clearest. When she smiled with her eyes squinted, it seemed like she could make anyone agree to anything, even asking for the stars in the sky.

A few days later, the Li couple, with their little son Li Yu, visited the Xie residence in return.

Because of that given remedy, Li Yu was able to recover, and Song Shi was extremely grateful to the Xie family.

Madam Xie was receiving guests in the front, and Xie Zhen wanted to take her sister to see. “Ah Xian, let’s go to the front yard.”

Xie Xian had no interest, squatting under a tree digging for earthworms, not lifting her head. “I’m not going. Brother said if I dig up earthworms, he’ll take me fishing.”

Xie Zhen stomped her foot. “What’s fun about fishing?”

Xie Xian looked up. “What’s fun in the front yard?”

The two stared at each other, and Xie Zhen childishly hummed, “Then, I’ll go by myself!”

Ignoring Xie Xian, she pulled her skirt and walked towards the front yard.

The twin fishes shook their heads and followed helplessly.

Xie Zhen was naturally lively. Wherever there were many people, she liked to run there. Now that she heard there were guests at home, she naturally wanted to go and see.

She was small with short legs, so she couldn’t walk fast. It took her a quarter of an hour to reach the main hall. Voices came from inside, including her mother’s and another unfamiliar voice. She was about to walk into the room when someone walked out at the same time.

The person had a fair and white face, long and curly eyelashes, even cuter than her sister Ah Xian. However, he looked a bit small, pale, as if recovering from a serious illness. Xie Zhen blinked and looked again, finally remembering to ask, “Who are you?”

This was Li Yu, the only son of the Li family who came with Song Shi. He was about five or six years old, still shorter than Xie Zhen.

Li Yu, being stared at so unabashedly, said with a frown, “My name is Li Yu.”

Xie Zhen heard it as “Li Yu,” as there was a character “玉” (yu) in her mother’s maiden name. Subconsciously, she thought of Li Yu as a girl. Since he was a guest at home, she should treat him warmly. “You’re really beautiful. I’m five years old this year. How old are you? Can I call you Little sister Yu in the future?”

Li Yu’s face turned pale, and it took a while before he said, “I’m not a sister.”

Xie Zhen’s mind worked quickly. “Little sister Yu?”

It’s not Xie Zhen’s fault. Li Yu was just too beautiful. At first glance, all attention was on his face, and there was no time to notice his attire. Moreover, recovering from a serious illness, dressed in a pale white outfit, he appeared even more delicate…

Li Yu was annoyed and corrected firmly, “裕 (Yu) means abundance, not sister or brother. You should call me ‘Brother’!”

Xie Zhen understood and widened her eyes in disbelief.

Such a beautiful little person is actually a boy?

She couldn’t believe it!

In a moment of curiosity, Xie Zhen remembered when she used to bathe with her older brother Xie Rong when they were younger, noticing the differences in certain areas. Almost instinctively, she reached out and poked Li Yu’s lower body.

After a long while, there was silence in the corridor.

She awkwardly withdrew her hand, “Oh…”

Looking up, Li Yu’s face was red and blue again, his eyes seemingly wanting to devour her.

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