Reborn Lady

Chapter 139

It was the Mid-Autumn Festival, so King Yan announced a moon appreciation banquet to be held in the other courtyard that night.

The banquet on the female guests’ side was hosted by Concubine Xu and Xu Qingwan. Yin Hui waited for the time to go to the banquet, and she still had some free time during the day.

Jinzhan went to the kitchen and brought back four plates of fruits—autumn pears, peaches, oranges, and grapes. Xiao Heng loved grapes, so Yin Hui peeled them for the little guy to eat. After removing the seeds, she divided them into three portions to avoid feeding them all at once and risking choking.

After eating a few, Ji Xianxian came with Er Lang and Si Lang. Seeing the scene, Ji Xianxian said with a smile, “The third young brother and sister are very considerate. I don’t have the patience. If they want to eat, I’ll let the wet nurse serve them.”

Yin Hui smiled, asked her to sit down, and then let the nurses attend to the three children while she entertained Ji Xianxian.

Er Lang could eat grapes by himself, while Si Lang and Xiao Heng were still breastfeeding.

Ji Xianxian glanced at them, sighed, and said, “Look, Xiao Heng is almost taller than Si Lang; he’s obviously one year old.”

Yin Hui replied, “He’s not even a year old. Besides, Si Lang is just a little thinner, and he talks as fluently as an adult, but Xiao Heng can only speak a few words.”

Ji Xianxian commented, “That’s right. The weather is good today. Don’t you want to go out for a walk?”

Yin Hui nodded, and after the children finished eating the fruits, they went out together.

As they entered the yard, Wei Luo returned from outside and saw Ji Xianxian and his wife. He greeted them politely with a smile on his face, though it still carried a certain coldness.

Ji Xianxian smiled and said, “Sir, don’t you need to accompany Father today?”

Wei Luo nodded.

Ji Xianxian then looked at Yin Hui, saying, “Then let’s not go. The third master rarely gets free, so your family should stay together a little longer.”

Yin Hui looked at Wei Luo. Seeing that he had acquiesced, she escorted Ji Xianxian to the door and led Xiao Heng back again.

“Go out and play!” Xiao Heng wasn’t happy staying in that small yard and tugged his mother’s hand to go outside.

“Let’s go,” Wei Luo said, coming over and hugging Xiao Heng.

Xiao Heng happily leaned on his father’s shoulder, as if favoring his father more than his mother that day. Yin Hui paid little mind to her son’s whims.

As they walked out of the yard, they saw the two wet nurses from the second courtyard in front, taking Er Lang and Si Lang to play outside. However, Ji Xianxian was nowhere to be seen.

“Brother!” Xiao Heng exclaimed happily.

Er Lang and Si Lang were also delighted to see him.

On the grassland, Xiao Heng left his father behind and joined Er Lang and Si Lang to play. Yin Hui and Wei Luo sat on the grass, watching the children enjoy themselves.

Their trip to the grassland was nearing its end. Xiao Heng was having fun outside every day, running more steadily as time passed.

Yin Hui peeled an orange, gave half to Wei Luo, kept the other half for herself, and kept her eyes on her son.

Wei Luo happened to glance over and noticed Yin Hui’s lips, ruddy like the petals of a begonia just watered by rain. She chewed the orange elegantly.

After a while, the three children came running back, all sweaty.

Yin Hui said, “Come here, drink some water.”

Er Lang said, “I don’t want to drink water; I want to eat oranges.”

Yin Hui smiled, “Drink water first, and then you can eat oranges.”

Er Lang grumbled but, upon glancing at the cold-faced third uncle, didn’t insist further.

Er Lang and Si Lang sat side by side opposite the brocade mat, while Xiao Heng threw himself into Wei Luo’s arms, wanting to sit on his father’s lap.

Aware that Wei Luo preferred not to be surrounded by too many people, Yin Hui asked the children to step aside after the wet nurse wiped their hands. She poured half a bowl of warm water for each of the three children.

After drinking the water, she handed oranges to them.

“Third aunt, you’re so kind. My mother doesn’t peel oranges for me to eat,” Er Lang said, a bit enviously, as Yin Hui leaned forward to feed Xiao Heng orange slices.

Yin Hui smiled, saying, “But your mother could have done some good things that I didn’t do for Wu Lang, right?”

Er Lang thought about it seriously and said, “My mother kissed me. Have you kissed Xiao Heng before?” Before Yin Hui could answer, Xiao Heng chimed in, “She kissed me!”

Er Lang didn’t believe it. “Do you know what a kiss is?”

Xiao Heng, who received kisses on the cheek from his mother every day, of course, knew what it was. Seeing that his mother was sitting beside him and couldn’t reach her, the little guy stood up in his father’s arms, turned around, held Wei Luo’s stiff face with two small hands, and leaned over. He smacked his mouth on his cheek heavily, leaving some saliva and orange juice.

After the kiss, Xiao Heng sat down with satisfaction.

Yin Hui glanced at Wei Luo. The man was motionless, as if he didn’t mind his son’s slobber anymore.

Er Lang continued to think, but no matter what he said, Xiao Heng rushed to claim that his mother did it for him too.

Er Lang refused to admit defeat and suddenly shouted, “My mother spanked my bottom. Did you, third aunt, spank Wu Lang?” Xiao Heng was stunned, not understanding what spanking was.

Si Lang, who had been silent all this time, suddenly said happily, “My mother never beat me!” As soon as Er Lang heard it, he stretched out his hand to push Si Lang. 

“What are you doing? You dare to compare with me!”

Si Lang was thin. When he was pushed down on the mat, he opened his mouth and burst into tears. 

Wei Luo reprimanded Er Lang, “Don’t hit people; help Si Lang get up.”

Er Lang shouted, “Don’t worry about me!”

Xiao Heng looked at all of it in puzzlement.

Listening to Si Lang’s cry, Yin Hui felt a little complicated. Although King Yan also cared about the concubine-born grandson, Er Lang must have heard from his wet nurse or Ji Xianxian that Si Lang, as a concubine-born, could not be equal to him. So, more or less, he understood the difference between the legitimate son and the concubine-born.

She looked at Wei Luo again.

Wei Luo had returned to his normal expression, as if it had nothing to do with how noisy other people’s children were.

Xiao Heng had eaten enough oranges and was going to catch grasshoppers.

Wei Luo was going to join his son, but when he stood up, Yin Hui caught a glimpse of him quickly wiping his face with his cuff, which was exactly where Xiao Heng had kissed him.