Chapter 526 - Chapter 526:1
Chapter 526:1
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Li Jinghua led Little Treasure over, followed by a string of servant girls and old servants. She handed Little Treasure to Mu Yangling. “I thought about it and decided to leave Little Treasure with you for the time being. I’ll let him return to my place after I’ve sorted out the matters in the residence.”
Mu Yangling was stunned. “You’re letting Little Treasure stay with me?”
What she understood as taking care of Little Treasure was that Li Jinghua would carry him over when she had things to attend to. Anyway, there were so many servants around, and there were only two children. It was very simple.
However, looking at the luggage that the old servant was carrying, Li Jinghua clearly wanted Little Treasure to stay here.
Li Jinghua asked Little Treasure to play with Little Bear. When she heard this, she nodded and said with a smile, “Yes, indeed.” She paused before continuing, “Although my residence is airtight now, if I want to take charge of the residence’s matters, there will definitely be many people coming and going at my place. There might be gaps in the future. Since I can only focus on so many things at once, I can’t watch over the child at all times. Thus, I think it’s safer to leave him with you.”
Now that she abruptly snatched the rights to take charge of the residence’s matters, Madam Wu, Madam Xu, and the others would definitely be unconvinced. There were two ways to exclude her. One was to make her fall sick. If she wasn’t in good health, she naturally could not take charge of things in the residence. The other was to let something happen to Little Treasure. If something happened to her child, she certainly would not be in the mood to care about these things. This power could naturally be taken back then.
Having lived amid the fights and struggles within an aristocratic family since she was born, Li Jinghua had long learned to look ten steps ahead before taking each step.
She could be responsible for her own safety. Even if she failed, she could admit defeat and wouldn’t blame anyone.
But she didn’t dare to gamble with Little Treasure at stake.
This child was more important than her lifeblood. She might only have this one child in her life, so she could not afford to be negligent. In addition, his body was weaker than ordinary children, so Li Jinghua did not dare to take the risk.
Initially, she wanted to let Wen Cui watch Little Treasure. With Wen Cui keeping an eye on her, she would be at ease. However, Li Jinghua changed her mind after only two days.
Wen Cui was devoted to her, but she could not be equally devoted to Little Treasure. When she stayed by Little Treasure’s side, her gaze was still on Li Jinghua. This made Li Jinghua very dissatisfied and even more worried. She had no choice but to leave Little Treasure with Mu Yangling.
After all, other than Wen Cui, Li Jinghua trusted Mu Yangling the most.
Moreover, Mu Yangling doted on the child very much and rarely left her child’s side every day, even when she ate and slept. Even when she practiced drawing the bow for two hours a day, she remained in the inner room where the child was not far away.
Moreover, Li Jinghua had to admit that although Mu Yangling’s methods were rough and she rarely managed the servants, her servants were still considered obedient.
This was perhaps because she had a capable assistant, Mama Wang, and Spring and Rain to help her in the house. But although there were some Qi Manor’s servants mixed in the courtyard, they were still orderly and well-disciplined.
In short, after analyzing the pros and cons, Li Jinghua was all the more certain she wanted to keep Little Treasure at Mu Yangling’s place. Anyway, she lived next door and could come to visit her son every day after she was done with work. Other than the fact that her son did not sleep in the adjacent room at night, there was no difference.
Mu Yangling, on the other hand, nodded as she watched the two children who were already sitting and chattering excitedly in their kids’ language. In any case, taking care of two children wasn’t much different from taking care of one…
When Little Treasure found out that he was going to stay at Fourth Aunt’s place, he climbed down the bed excitedly and circled the room excitedly. Then, he climbed onto the bed and hugged his younger brother. “Bear Bear. Sleep with Bear Bear.”
Mu Yangling touched his head and said, “Sure, you can sleep with Bear Bear tonight, as long as you don’t press him down.”
Little Treasure smiled widely.
The two children played excitedly for a long time. As Little Bear was still young after all, he immediately fell asleep after eating and drinking to his heart’s content. After playing with the toys in boredom, Little Treasure also felt sleepy. He lay beside Little Bear and fell asleep.
Mu Yangling covered the two children with a small blanket and had them brought out. Then, she took her big bow and stood steadily with her legs apart. Looking sharply at a jade ring hanging at the corner of the house, she pulled the bow to its fullest. Then, she let go and pulled it to its fullest again…
Before Mu Yangling came, Qi Xiuyuan had asked her to conceal her strength. Her abilities were a trump card to save her life. Hence, after arriving in the capital, she did not dare to practice archery in the courtyard. Instead, she practiced in the house or in Qi Haoran’s martial arts hall behind.
Ever since she had a son, Mu Yangling started practicing archery in the house.
It was not that she did not want to go to the martial arts hall. It was naturally more open and comfortable to draw the bow there, but she would miss her child. Every time she practiced for less than 15 minutes, she would want to come back to see what her son was doing, whether he was crying, and if the servants were doing their best…
In the end, she had no choice but to practice in the house. In any case, children that young slept for pretty much half the day. It was enough for her to practice for two hours while they were sleeping. As long as she ensured that her lower body was still stable and her arm strength did not weaken and her accuracy did not drop, it was fine.
Other than Mama Wang, Spring, Rain, and Li Jinghua, no one else in the residence knew that she was practicing archery in the house. Perhaps Wen Cui could guess. After all, she knew that Mu Yangling had gone to save Qi Xiuyuan and Qi Haoran back then…
After practicing for two hours, Mu Yangling asked Spring to fetch water to take a shower. She changed into her home clothes before going to check on the children. The two of them were still sleeping soundly and showed no signs of waking up.
The nanny hurriedly said with a smile, “The young masters are probably too excited from playing, so they want to sleep more.”
Mu Yangling nodded slightly. “I know. Go down and eat first. Come back and watch them later.”
It was already time for lunch. When Mu Yangling saw Little Treasure’s wet nurse, Nanny Wang, get up and leave, she quickly stopped her. “Do you get your food from the big kitchen or the small kitchen?”
Nanny Wang immediately bowed and said, “Fourth Madam, my food is all prepared by the small kitchen. I take the food back to Zhaode Hall to consume.”
Mu Yangling nodded slightly. After some thought, she said, “I’ll get someone to move the small kitchen to my residence later. You and the two young masters can eat in the courtyard. There’s no need to make another trip.”
Nanny Wang agreed.
Mu Yangling immediately called Mama Wang over and said, “Since there are people coming and going in Sister-in-law’s residence now, it’s not safe to leave the small kitchen there. Get someone to move the small kitchen over later. Other than the chef, replace all the servants in the kitchen with people in our residence. Choose those whose entire families stay in the Imperial Capital.”
“Then Eldest Madam’s food…”
“Just send it over when it’s prepared. Moreover, if Little Treasure stays here, I figure Sister-in-law will take her daily three meals here. Mama Wang, Sister-in-law is mainly worried that someone will harm the young masters while power is switching hands in the residence, so you must keep a tight watch on the entrances. No matter how lively Zhaode Hall is, Mama Wang, don’t let too many people in and out of here.”
Under Mu Yangling’s sharp gaze, Mama Wang’s body trembled and she hurriedly agreed respectfully..