When Xiao Heng and Su Rong came over, they happened to see this scene. Su Yao was sitting on a bamboo chair under the banana tree, holding Tuantuan in her arms, and talking to her with a smile and her head down. She seldom smiled, but when she did, it was as if the person in the painting was blown by a breath and immediately became lively and vivid.
Even Su Rong couldn't help laughing and came over to ask them what made them so happy.
Mrs. Yuan came over hurriedly to greet them, but Xiao Heng and Su Rong politely waived her greeting. Su Yao had already stood up with a smile, and when she saw Xiao Heng approaching her and extending his hand, she naturally handed Tuantuan over without thinking too much.
These children had followed Xiao Heng back at the beginning and were not unfamiliar with him, but this was the first time they were held in his arms. Tuan Tuan tilted his head and looked at Xiao Heng seriously for a while, and seeing that he was amiable and good-looking, they leaned on his shoulders obediently.
Su Yao then told her that Madam Yuan was going to stay in Yunnan.
Xiao Heng and Su Rong had heard about this matter outside before. When they knew that Su Yao had come up with the idea of building a weaving mill to house these girls, even Cui Daru couldn't help but admire him several times, and in his words, he expressed regret that Su Yao was not a man.
Yes, now that the war in Yunnan is imminent, there are opportunities to make meritorious deeds everywhere.
Take the matter of the weaving field for example. If Su Yao were a man, this would be a great achievement!
Now hearing that Madam Yuan took the initiative to stay and take care of these children, Xiao Heng and Su Rong were a little surprised. It was Xiao Heng who reacted first and thanked Madam Yuan solemnly, saying softly: "Madam, you are really kind."
Yes, if you don’t have a good heart, you can’t do this.
Madam Yuan waved her hands in a panic, "I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it, it's not a big deal. I don't want to go back to the capital, and what's wrong with staying here? Being with these children and watching them grow up is also a great merit for me."
They talked for a while, and Tuanzi in Xiao Heng's arms had fallen asleep at some point. He took his hand out of his mouth and placed it wetly on Xiao Heng's shoulder.
Xiao Heng didn't care. He looked at the girls gently and said to them with a smile, "I'll give you meat tonight, okay?"
For a moment, the children's cheers almost blew the roof off the house.
The laughter spread far away, and even Mrs. Liao could hear it even though she was so far away. She asked what was going on. When she heard that Xiao Heng had come over to give the children extra meals, Mrs. Liao couldn't help laughing: "Your Highness is really good-tempered. Go and tell the kitchen to pay for tonight's food from my private account instead of the public account. It's mine."
She was not doing this to do favours, but these children were truly pitiful, and it also served as a reminder to her, so she was willing to make this little sacrifice.
The people below agreed respectfully, and Mrs. Liao asked someone to ask Lord Liao in front when he would be back.
As the training became more intense, the current situation became a little tense. Several nearby towns were harassed by Mu Tong's men, and small groups of rebel soldiers also appeared. Lord Liao and his men were very busy, and their meal times were irregular. However, since Xiao Heng, Su Rong and the others had already gone to the backyard, Lord Liao would probably come back for dinner today.
Who would have known that the person who went to inquire came back soon after he left the house, saying that he met the Crown Prince and the Earl of Yongding on the way, and both of them went out in a hurry. Presumably, Lord Liao would not come back for dinner tonight.
Mrs. Liao was startled, and the needle in her hand accidentally poked her index finger, and she hissed in pain.
The servants came up to help her check the wound. Madam Liao stopped and wiped it with a handkerchief. She frowned and thought for a while, then said, "In that case, let the kitchen send out the food and serve everything properly!"
She didn't know why, but she always felt uneasy.
After a few days of peace and tranquility, she felt that something was about to happen.
As expected, Master Liao did not return home that night. When Mrs. Liao got up, it was dawn and a ray of light came in through the crack in the window. She rubbed her eyes and asked, "Master, didn't come back?"
The one on duty today was her eldest girl, Chun Xiao. Chun Xiao shook her head and said, "No, I heard that the lights in the front yard were on all night."
Then it must be something important, but she didn't know how important it was. Madam Liao gathered her thoughts and said, "Tell them to make a big pot of ginger soup and send it to His Highness and the others. Make more."
Although the weather was hot, it was still a little chilly at night. They had been up all night and still needed to wake up.
After Mrs. Liao gave her instructions and dealt with a few matters, she heard the maid outside shouting in surprise that the master had returned.
She also felt relieved and hurried out to greet him.
Lord Liao had a serious expression on his face, shook his head and said, "Please help me pack some clothes. I will probably be staying in the outer courtyard for the next few days."
"What happened?" Mrs. Liao knew her husband very well. When she saw him like this, she knew that something big must have happened, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Liao Jingxu's expression was very unhappy: "This is simply ridiculous! Mu Tong colluded with Jiaozhi and used their elephant soldiers to capture several cities in a row! They are now unstoppable and I am afraid they will come for us soon!"
Mrs. Liao was also horrified, but she thought that Mu Tong was used to doing treacherous things. He had killed his father and brother before, so it was not surprising that he was colluding with others. She snorted coldly and said, "He has been arrogant for so many years. Let's see how long he can be arrogant!"
Lord Liao waved his hand, indicating that these were useless. He glanced at Mrs. Liao and said, "The medicinal herbs you asked the gentry ladies to donate money to buy are very useful. Prince Consort Tang said that the strange diseases of the local soldiers are no longer recurring. Moreover, among the local soldiers, Yang Xin and others have some research on the soldiers and can be used. You can discuss with them and see if you can gather more medicinal herbs."
There are also tens of thousands of local soldiers.
Mrs. Liao quickly agreed, and seeing that he looked tired, she reassured him.
Lord Liao shook his head and said, "I'm not tired. Your Highness is going to go out of the city to fight, and the affairs of the city have been handed over to me. I have to guard this place well. It's just that I don't have much time to take care of the family recently. There are some things that you can handle on your own."
Mrs. Liao knew what was going on, and after calming herself down, she agreed, "Don't worry, Master. I have some awareness of my son. Besides, we have a powerful county lady in our mansion now. With her around, the affairs of the inner court should be safe."
Lord Liao nodded and said no more. When he saw that everything had been packed up, he quickly walked out.