Chapter 143

Translator’s notes:

Thank you Suong for your donation! With that, threshold for sponsored chapter has been reached. It’ll be released tomorrow along with tomorrow’s regular chapter.

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Yi Yi tilted her head and carefully examined this person for a while. Her little brows furrowed, and she first called out “father” probingly, before pounding her little feet as she ran over.

Zhuo’er gave that person a glance. He definitely wouldn’t say that he had long since recognized him, even quicker than his sister. Although he thought this, he still coyly walked over.

The Jing Prince was immersed in the fact that his children still recognized him, as well as the chaos of the two children surrounding him and saying “you disappeared, where did you go, you naughty”. Xiao Hua walked out, glanced over and then told the limp Chun Cao and Ding Xiang to go make food. Were they planning on going hungry tonight?

Dinner was quickly prepared. Ding Xiang and Chun Cao had a discussion in the kitchen over whether highness would stay for dinner. They concluded that it was most likely, and thus put forth their best efforts. They made use of all the ingredients in the house before coming out with four dishes and a soup.

The two brought the food out to the living room and placed it on the small red-painted square table. The two then went and hid in the kitchen.

Zhuo’er and Yi Yi also knew that this meant it was time to eat. They pulled on the Jing Prince’s robes and called out “Eat din din”. Under his considerate daughter’s guidance, the Jing Prince finally entered the residence.

The little living room had a crude little table in the center. She sat there and looked at them expressionlessly. She seemed to see him, yet also seemed to not see him.

His heart was gripped tightly. He wanted to say something but didn’t know what he should say. Xiao Hua’s following actions dispelled the awkwardness and embarrassment in his heart.

“Sit, eat.”

The Jing Prince hurriedly sat down. Xiao Hua dispiritedly rolled her eyes, and then looked at the two children.

“Not eating?”

“Eating, eating together.” Yi Yi continuously nodded and said.

Zhuo’er pulled his sister over to the two miniature tables on the side and sat down. The Jing Prince looked at them in amazement. Two little people sat obediently in their little chairs at their little table.

Xiao Hua carried two bowls of rice over and placed them in front of the children: “Eat slowly, don’t spill the rice.”

“No spill, no spill.”

“Only sister spills.”

The two little fellows used their own spoons to eat. Yi Yi scooped a couple of bites and looked at the Jing Prince.

“Father eat.”

Zhuo’er didn’t speak and frowned at the person who wasn’t eating.

The Jing Prince glanced at Xiao Hua beside him. Her face was rigid and she didn’t say anything. When she filled the bowls with rice, she had filled an extra one and placed it in front of him.

He saw that the bowl was made of crude porcelain and the rice was ordinary white rice instead of Japonica rice. The dishes on the table were very simple: luffa stir fried with egg, plain sautéed vegetables, river shrimp stir fried with garlic chives, simmered eggplant and sliced meat tofu soup.

The two children ate very happily. She also ate with her head lowered. The Jing Prince felt a little sourness in his heart as he thought how she and the children had suffered. No matter how simple her meals had been back at the estate, those simple dishes had been exquisitely prepared. It wouldn’t be like this, where stir fried vegetables were just stir fried without using any soup stock for flavoring.

The Jing Prince lifted his bowl, picked up his chopsticks and started eating. Although the flavor clearly couldn’t be counted as good, he felt it suited his tastes extremely well.

After eating, Xiao Hua cleared the table. She took the plates and bowls to the kitchen and returned to wipe the table down. She also cleaned the children’s little tables and washed her hands before taking off the children’s covers.

“Once the covers are off, you can’t play outside anymore. Understood?”

Yi Yi tried to bargain, “Then don’t take off yet.”

Xiao Hua stroked her daughter’s little face and pointed outside, “It’s already dark out.”

Yi Yi revealed an alarmed expression, her little claw covering her mouth, “When it’s dark, there’s a wolf that eats little children.”

This made Xiao Hua unsure whether to laugh or cry, “Who told you that?”

Zhuo’er said on the side: “Big fatty and Hairball.”

“Then do you still want to play outside?”

“Not going, eats little children.”

“Then have aunt Xiang heat up some water in a bit and take bathy.”

Yi Yi smiled and waved her fists, “Take bathy, take bathy. Father also takes, together with Yi Yi….”

The children still remembered taking baths together with the Jing Prince and playing in the water!

Xiao Hua didn’t say anything, and let the two play inside. She went to the kitchen.

Yi Yi ran to the Jing Prince’s side and climbed on his leg. Once she was seated, she called her brother over as well. Yi Yi was a warmhearted little child, and would always happily share the good stuff with others. This included calling the Jing Prince to eat, bathe, and also calling her brother to sit on father’s leg.

The two children each sat on one leg. The two year old children knew how to express their own thoughts already, thanks to Xiao Hua always speaking seriously with them. Yi Yi wasn’t as smart as her brother, and would garble a bunch of unintelligible sentences. Basically, there wasn’t much focus. Children were like this at this age.

However, Zhuo’er was clear spoken. He continuously asked several questions, putting the Jing Prince in quite a sorry state.

Especially since his son was sitting upright on his leg, his little brows furrowed, looking extremely solemn. He looked like an adult who was interrogating him.

Zhuo’er said—

“Where did you go?”

“You were naughty and ran off.”

“Big fatty’s dad is always coming over.”

Due to Xiao Hua’s influence, the Jing Prince had also spoken quite a bit to the children in the past. Since his daughter’s sentences were jumbled up, he wouldn’t respond as much. But since his son could speak clearly, the Jing Prince was also cautious in his answers.

“Father had business to take care of, very busy.”

Zhuo’er frowned as he seemed to think it over, and asked: “Went to earn money?”

This sort of thinking came from the little fellows in the alley. Because Zhuo’er would always hear about how so and so’s dad was off earning money and buying him tasty things. He had also gotten a share of those tasty things, and he felt that it wasn’t anything special. After all, what hadn’t he eaten at the Jing Prince Estate? After moving, Xiao Hua also hadn’t mistreated the children. It’s just that father going off to earn money to buy tasty things for his children became a logical line of thought for him.

Therefore, Zhuo’er looked left and right, up and down, and then used his little hands to feel around the Jing Prince’s chest, “Where’s the tasty things?”

The Jing Prince was frozen, and truly couldn’t react.

Zhuo’er gave him a “you’re really dumb” sort of look and said: “Hairball’s dad always buys him something tasty when he goes to earn money. Big Wang’s dad as well.”

 He left the rest unsaid, but the Jing Prince could understand his meaning. The other dads got tasty things for their children when they earned money, why didn’t you buy any? Furthermore, Yi Yi seemed to understand this as well, and blinked her large eyes on the side waiting to eat. At this moment, the Jing Prince was extremely wretched and didn’t know how to respond.

“Your dad—-ummm—–“

“Didn’t manage to earn money?”

There were also children in the alley whose dads didn’t manage to get any money and thus couldn’t eat anything good. Zhuo’er also knew this.

 “Ummm—-“

Zhuo’er pondered with his brows furrowed. The Jing Prince felt very nervous. What should he do? He didn’t buy anything tasty. Could he make up for it later?

Who knew what Zhuo’er ended up saying was, “Mom probably won’t use a big stick to hit you. Mom isn’t as fierce as Big Wang’s mother.”

“But you still have to properly earn money. Otherwise you might be hit by a big stick.”

What in the world was he on about? The Jing Prince was completely confused.

“Mom, don’t use big stick to hit dad.”

Yi Yi’s voice suddenly sounded. Only then did the Jing Prince realize that Xiao Hua had reappeared at some point. She was carrying half a bucket of water. Chun Cao was behind her also carrying a bucket.

The Jing Prince hurriedly stood up and took the bucket from Xiao Hua’s hands. Only after pulling twice did she let go.

He held the bucket in hand but didn’t know where to go with it. Xiao Hua kept walking and he followed behind.

Chun Cao really wanted to cover her face. She finally understood why Ding Xiang tried to stop her from helping when madam wanted to carry water inside. Seeing how she wouldn’t be persuaded, she could only let her go. His highness’s previous image in Chun Cao’s mind was completely ruined. The little young master and mistress even said that his highness couldn’t earn enough money to buy food and would get beaten by mom with a stick.

It was all Big Wang’s mom’s fault. She didn’t even try to keep it hidden when she beat her man, and would chase him all over the alley. The children were all corrupted.

For some reason, Chun Cao only felt very speechless and very amused, but didn’t feel afraid.

There was one bathtub in the small bathroom and a large wooden basin. The Jing Prince stood there still holding the bucket of water. Chun Cao walked up and poured the water into the wooden basin. He then also emptied out his bucket. Although his actions were a little clumsy, his job was still completed without mistakes.

Chun Cao left and Xiao Hua stripped the children before putting them into the wooden basin.

The wooden basin was very big, and the children could sit facing each other without feeling cramped. The moment she got in, Yi Yi was like an aquatic dragon entering the water. Her hands continuously splashed water at her brother across from her. Zhuo’er endured for a bit before splashing her back, the two of them playing quite happily.

“Enough, enough. How are you supposed to take bathy if the water’s all splashed out??!”

“Take bathy, take bathy.”

She crouched there, washing the two white little bodies. A strand of hair hung over the left side of her face….

The Jing Prince leaned in and crouched next to her, pretending to be focused on her washing. Finally, he couldn’t resist from stroking her strand of hair with his hand….

Xiao Hua’s breath caught and a sour feeling rushed up her throat. The hand holding the towel suddenly paused before continuing to wipe the children’s bodies.

She soon finished washing. Xiao Hua took a large clean towel from the shelf and wrapped Yi Yi up. Neither Ding Xiang nor Chun Cao were there so she stuffed her into the Jing Prince’s arms.

“Carry her to the bed.”

These were the first words Xiao Hua said to him since he came. He felt a hint of excitement in his heart, and happily carried his daughter to the bedroom.

Xiao Hua wrapped her son up and followed behind.

The clothes for the children were already laid out on the bed by Chun Cao, but she herself was nowhere to be seen. Xiao Hua dried the children off and put their clothes on for them. At this moment, Ding Xiang and Chun Cao carried two large buckets of heated water inside. It was for Xiao Hua’s bath.

After finishing up with the children, Xiao Hua took her clothes and went inside to bathe. The Jing Prince sat on the bedside. He looked at the two children on the bed, and then snuck a glance at the bathroom. The sound of water splashing rang out, and the Jing Prince’s mouth involuntarily dried up as his body grew hot.

He really missed her….

As he was spaced out, Xiao Hua finished bathing and walked out. Her fair skin sparkled under the lamplight. She was dressed neat and properly, not like in the past when she would come out with her clothes casually draped over her.

This was a sort of distance….

The Jing Prince’s mood instantly became gloomy.

Xiao Hua looked at the sky outside and said: “If you aren’t leaving then sleep with the children. I’ll sleep in the children’s room.”

She left after speaking, leaving the Jing Prince behind to face Zhuo’er who was staring at him with his small eyes and Yi Yi who pulled his hand. He let out an inaudible sigh and covered the children with the blanket, waiting for them to fall asleep.

It was silent inside the room and the lamps weren’t lit. The moonlight shone through the window and bathed the room in a hazy silver light.

A large silhouette crept into the room. He stood there for a while before taking off his outer clothes and fumbling into the bed.

As he embraced the person he yearned for night and day, she opened her limpid eyes and stared straight at him.

“Nothing to say to me?”

In the dark, the Jing Prince’s face turned undetectably rigid for a moment. His mouth moved in, both rubbing against her lips while murmuring softly, “….Xiao Hua’er, I miss you….”

His hands moved underneath as well, seeming impatient but also trying to waive away the question.

Xiao Hua pushed at him, yet wasn’t able to push him away. She struggled a few times, but he got more stimulated the more she struggled. His lips moved to her neck, licking, biting and sucking. His long fingers lifted her shirt and pulled her chest wrap down as his lips followed….

The sound of breathing and panting intermingled with his body’s unique smell….

Actually Xiao Hua also missed the Jing Prince a little. How could she not miss him? She had always been waiting for him to come give her an explanation, but didn’t expect this guy to have learned to play dumb and avoid the topic…..

Very soon, Xiao Hua no longer had the mind to think about other things. She decided to interrogate him properly later.

……

Author’s words:

Haha, no “kabe-don” that the readers wanted. But there was “bed-don”.

Zhuo’er and Yi Yi’s actions are based on my sister-in-law’s three year old (when he was two). Kids nowadays are very sharp, not dim-witted like us in the past.

Kids at their age can already understand simple adult conversations. When they want to listen, they can understand it. When they don’t want to listen, then they won’t understand it. Sometimes you tell them something and they’ll pretend not to understand on the surface. If you tell them again next time when they’re listening properly they will understand.

Of course, little Zhuo’er is a little mature for his age. Yi Yi is more like the dim-witted type. Ha!