Others couldn't help but laugh when they saw how close the mother and daughter were.
Especially the two little ones, who sat on the chairs by themselves, watching the adults talking and laughing. The older one's eyes rolled around, and he slid down from the chair, then struggled to pick up his younger brother. The adults let them do as they pleased, and then the older and the younger ones pulled each other to run towards Han, "Grandma, grandma, we want a hug too."
Han let go of Xiaocao, turned around and picked up the older one, "Wow, you're so small, and you already know how to compete for favor." She smiled and went to pick up the younger one.
The little one, however, clung to Little Grass's legs and made a sound of "coo coo coo..." His words were not clear at all, and sounded like the cooing of pigeons.
Xiaocao picked him up with a smile, touched his little nose, kissed his little face, and then touched his forehead with hers.
The little fellow giggled, hugged Xiaocao's neck, and made "cooing cooing cooing" non-stop.
It’s true, Xiaocao is quite popular with children, and there are few children who don’t like her.
On the other hand, Youshi had a hint of hesitation on her face. After all, Xiaocao had caught a cold, and she was worried that the child would pass the disease on. However, she didn't say anything. She was afraid that "disdaining the young aunt" would make her mother-in-law unhappy. Besides, the young aunt was a doctor and should know her limits. Youshi suppressed her worries in her heart.
Wenren Taibo was also very happy when he saw this scene. He was only in his forties, in the prime of his life. He had many children and grandchildren, and his family was happy. His career was also going smoothly. What more could he ask for
After all, he is a man, and the kind of man who is open-minded and sees things clearly. He always believes that his children and grandchildren have their own blessings, and they do what they should do, and he will not interfere in other things. Naturally, he will not worry about Xiaocao's affairs outside like his wife does. You have to know that this girl grew up outside, and has been to many places with her adoptive father since she was a child. She has been surviving alone in the first few years, and she must have encountered a lot of things. She has her own judgment and does not need to be cared for like a child all the time.
Whatever she wants to do, let her do it. Besides, his daughter is not doing anything bad or harmful, but saving people. Others are grateful to her and owe her favors, which naturally gives her more ways and more connections. To be honest, if her medical skills are just average, it would not be good to be known as a female doctor. However, her daughter's medical skills are obviously extraordinary, so they should be used better. Anyone saved by her may become her umbrella of protection. In this way, even if she is a little straightforward and offends people with her words outside, others can't do anything to her.
However, "Come to think of it, Xuan'er seems to encounter something every time she goes out." Wenren Taibo said with a hint of sarcasm.
Xiao Cao raised her head. Is there such a thing? Could it be that she is still prone to accidents? "Dad, what you said is not right. That's because what happened is within my ability. If I don't have medical skills, it will still happen. I just won't participate in it and become a pure bystander. So how can you say that I encounter accidents when I go out?" Xiao Cao was not convinced. She was not prone to accidents.
"Yes, like me, when I go out, most of the time I am with my fourth sister, but I am basically just a bystander who can't get involved at all." Wen Renying expressed her support for the fourth sister.
"How dare you say that? I asked you to learn more, but you just wouldn't do it. Not to mention encountering a sudden life-threatening situation, even for other matters, how much can you have a say in? You can only stand aside." Wenren Taibo couldn't help but scold him.
"But there's nothing wrong with being a bystander. I'm happy to watch the fun." Wen Renying said confidently. As she said before, she has many big trees, enough for her to take turns to enjoy the shade.
"You're useless." Wenren Taibo pretended to be angry, but after a short while, he couldn't stop laughing.
Xiaocao laughed. Passersby do have their own advantages. She accidentally saw Wenren Xiaosi, who was in a daze again. Well, she should have taken Xiaosi with her when she went out. She didn't see her elder brother. Even if he didn't interrupt, he could listen quietly, play with the pendant, and enjoy himself. Only he could "wander" at any time.
"Dad, what about the follow-up situation of the snake attracting grass? Have you found out?"
"Well, we have found out clearly that Kaiping Wei took action. That kind of thing is like using a butcher knife to kill a chicken." Wenren Taibo recounted the subsequent events in detail.
Wen Renying was shocked. "How could such a thing happen?"
Han gave her a sidelong glance and said, "Girl, just listen to this kind of thing and don't talk about it or think about it."
"No, I'm just a little surprised. Don't slander me, mom." Wen Renying pouted.
"Alright, I say one word to you and you'll get angry." Turning back, she saw that Xiaocao's expression had faded. Based on her previous understanding, Han knew what she was thinking. "Xuan'er, don't think too much. Some things always require compromise. The final result is already a good one after the fact."
Yes, you have to compromise. With the environment like this, can you still fight it on your own? Her mother was right. The result was already good. When the mother gave birth to a daughter out of wedlock and the daughter was vicious, others would not care whether the mother was a victim or not, nor would they think that the daughter grew up crooked because she was forced by life.
The only reality is that if the truth is revealed, this mother and daughter will not have a good ending. There is no need for outsiders to do anything, the Shi family themselves want to kill them. Because of them, the future of the entire Shi family has been ruined. It will take decades for them to recover. Compared to this, they are really like ants.
At this time, it is really ridiculous that Lord Zhang, the main culprit, stepped forward to take the mother and daughter back, take care of them and educate them, and even gained a reputation for being loyal and righteous.
Xiao Cao also knew that Miss Shi was wrong and her mind was too vicious. In that situation, when she took revenge on one person, didn't she think about how many innocent people might be involved? She also wanted to implicate the Wen family. From this point on, she should be punished, but she couldn't escape the fact that she was pitiful and sad. Her identity was awkward, and she could even be said to be inferior to a concubine's daughter. After all, it had been more than ten years. Who could be sure that she was the blood of the Zhang family? Moreover, who could guarantee that her mother had not had an affair with other men in the past ten years? All these were stains. It seemed that she had saved her life, but when she entered the mansion of Zhang Chengen, facing those high-ranking people, she didn't know how she would be bullied.
As for Zhang Junliang, knowing that Miss Shi wanted to harm him, would he let her go easily? And what would he do? I think the whole Cheng'en Mansion would stand on Zhang Junliang's side. Even the so-called father who took her back might not just want to gain a good reputation. After all, he has no shortage of children, and even women, there are so many young and beautiful ones. Would he still care about a crazy woman who is not sure whether she is clean or not
The more I think about it, the more I feel that for that mother and daughter, Zhang Chengen's mansion is a wolf's den and a tiger's mouth.
Forget it, don’t think too much about it, it’s boring.
Wenren Taibo could also guess what Xiaocao was thinking. After all, when it came to matters between men and women, this girl would not tolerate any sand in her eyes. So he turned to talking about the Queen Mother's seventieth anniversary celebration, and a grand ceremony was necessary.
"In this case, won't the Ministry of Rites be busy next?"
Wenren Taibo nodded, "Yes, there are many things to prepare. I am afraid that I will be back very late in the next three months, and it is possible that I will stay in the government office."
It's good for a man to be busy, not to mention that he is only in his forties, so he can stay busy for a while. However, the Minister of Rites is old, so he may just do some talking, and most of the things may fall on the two vice ministers. Han still feels distressed and worried that Wenren Taibo will be tired.
Wenren Taibo saw through her thoughts and said, "Don't worry, there are so many people in the Ministry of Rites. Besides, this is not just the Ministry of Rites's business. When we are really busy, we can just borrow people from other places. For the sake of the Empress Dowager's future, I believe no one will be unhappy." Wenren Taibo was not stubborn, and he would not take on everything just to win credit.
Speaking of which, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites was several years older than him, already in his early fifties. He was anxious and had long wanted to make a move to the next level. Of course, as a Vice Minister, it was impossible for him to become a Shangshu directly. The best way out was to go to the local area and serve as a governor. It would be good if he could continue to do so. If there was another great opportunity, he would naturally come back and either join the Six Ministries as a Shangshu, or join the Chengdu Imperial Envoy of the Censorate, and then join the Cabinet.
Whether it is the six ministers or the chief censors of the Supervisory Council, there are only a few positions, but the number of governors is relatively large. Of course, being able to sit in the position of governor is also enough to be honored for a lifetime. After all, the positions of governors are still relatively rare.
As for the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, he tried his best to go to the lower levels, but in the eyes of Wenren Taibo, there was only one word: hanging. He could only stay in the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites for a few more years, but that might be the end of it.
Of course, if he was willing to take a step down and become a third-rank councilor in the governor's office, it would be quite possible, but how could this councilor be compared with the six ministers? Moreover, the number of councilors in a governor's office was not fixed. Some places had one or two, some places had three or four, or even four or five. The struggle would be even more intense.
However, no matter what the truth is, he still wants to give it a try and wants to take advantage of this opportunity to perform well. Wenren Taibo is naturally happy to oblige him.
Sometimes you have to try before you know if it works.
As for the end, if it still fails, it is unknown whether you will be satisfied with your efforts or feel even more frustrated and dissatisfied. The mentality of each individual varies greatly.
"But Your Majesty, this gift is a bit troublesome." Han frowned, thinking about what to give.
It won't do to give an expensive gift, nor will it do to give an ordinary gift. It's best if it's special and meaningful, but of course it can't be too ostentatious. So, no matter it's for a long life or a long life, this gift is the most troublesome.
"The princes fought fiercely, and one by one they got into trouble, and they were the first to be criticized by the emperor. The emperor has a close relationship with the queen mother, and he is also a very filial person. If he can please the queen mother, he can also get a compliment from the emperor. Therefore, the princes will probably rack their brains for gifts. So when we prepare gifts, we would rather be lost in the crowd than stand out."
"That way, things will be much easier." Just prepare a copy so you have more things to choose from.
As for such matters, the younger generation could not intervene, so they naturally listened quietly, and then they would sneak into the palace and taste the taste of the imperial banquet. Xiao Cao only knew that the state banquet in the previous life was the best, with color, fragrance and taste, and the presentation and shape were also magnificent. It was said that the requirements of "taste as the core and nourishment as the purpose" were adopted, including the royal food recipes, folk snacks, famous dishes from all over the world, and the eight major cuisines in China. They were widely collected and the best were gathered to form a unique series. Just looking at the pictures would make people drool.
In her previous life, Xiaocao had the opportunity to attend a state banquet with her mentor, but because of an emergency major operation, she followed her mentor into the operating room and missed it regretfully.
I don’t know if this imperial banquet is on the same level as the state banquet.
Wen Renying sat down next to Xiaocao without knowing when, "What are you thinking about, Fourth Sister?"
"Is the imperial banquet delicious?"
Wen Renying chuckled, "Fourth sister is thinking about this."
"Then Xuan'er had better not hold out too much hope. This imperial banquet looks good, but the taste is a little lacking. It's not that it's not well made, it's just that things that should be eaten hot can usually only be eaten cold, and things that should be eaten fresh basically have no taste when they enter your mouth."
Xiaocao understood that the technology of keeping food warm and fresh was not good enough, especially since the imperial power was supreme and they were in the palace. There were countless rules and regulations, and there was no atmosphere for tasting delicious food.
Thinking of this, Xiaocao no longer had much expectations. After all, she was not a person who cared much about food.
Seeing that it was getting late, Han was worried that Xiaocao had not fully recovered yet, so she asked him to go back and rest early.
Xiaocao held the little guy in her arms, and when they reached the door, she was about to return him to his mother, but the child held on to Xiaocao and refused to let go.
Yu was a little embarrassed and tried a little harder.
Xiao Cao hurriedly stopped her, "Sister-in-law, this child has signs of illness. I just touched the acupuncture points on his body and he felt comfortable. That's why he keeps holding me. You can touch these acupuncture points too. Just rub them gently. You and big brother don't have to worry. It's just a minor problem. It was discovered early. Big brother will go to my place later to get some medicine. They are all ready. Feed him a little before going to bed. He will be full of energy tomorrow morning. But he still needs to be fed once more to consolidate the situation."
You took the child over. She was worried, but still a little skeptical. After all, the child looked fine and in good spirits. However, when she was massaging the acupoints on the child, the child looked very comfortable, obedient and quiet, so she couldn't help but believe it.
"Then Xu'er, go with your sister to get the medicine quickly. Fortunately, the disease has been discovered. Otherwise, if the disease breaks out in the middle of the night, the child will suffer and the adults will be in trouble too." Han said hurriedly. She did not doubt Xiaocao's words at all.