Reborn Lady - Chapter 344
As soon as Xiao Heng left, Xiao Xun and Xiao Ning both seemed to wilt.
Xiao Ning coped better, as her brothers were usually not at home during the day. But Xiao Xun appeared to have lost his shadow. The nine-year-old child seemed a little lost.
Yin Hui led the siblings to Taoran Hall.
The previous month, Wei Luo had taken the children to work in the vegetable garden again. Now, a layer of small green leaves had sprouted. The cherry and peach trees in the backyard were in full bloom, with small green fruits starting to grow.
“Do you want to water the vegetable garden?” Yin Hui asked Xiao Xun after they had walked around Taoran Hall.
Xiao Xun nodded sensibly. “I’ll go fetch water.”
Near the wall, there was a wooden shed containing various agricultural tools used for tending the vegetable garden, including buckets for carrying water.
Yin Hui smiled and suggested, “It’s always quite troublesome to carry water. How about we dig a canal from the stream? Ah Xun, would you like to help me dig it? You’d be a big help to your mother.”
Proud to be able to assist his mother in solving a significant problem, Xiao Xun readily agreed.
In Taoran Hall, there was no wall, only a fence surrounding it, and the vegetable garden was just about three feet away from the stream.
Yin Hui used branches to mark out the location of the ditch on the ground. Xiao Xun then went to change into coarse cloth and short brown clothes before starting to work with a small shovel.
Compared to Xiao Heng, Xiao Xun was quieter and more delicate, but he was no stranger to hardship. Whether it was spring plowing, farm work, or learning martial arts and sparring with martial arts masters, Xiao Xun persevered. As a result, despite being nine years old, he had hands that were not inferior to those of a girl, and he had developed a strong physique. Si Lang, who was three years older, was already being surpassed by him.
Yin Hui dug the canal from the other end, and the two met in the middle.
Xiao Ning squatted by the stream, observing as the water slowly overflowed.
As the sun began to shine brightly, Yin Hui and her son worked together to dig a one-foot-wide ditch. They then dug two openings on the ridge in the middle of the vegetable garden to allow the stream to irrigate the crops.
“Mother, what should we do if the water continues to flow here after watering the vegetable field?” Xiao Xun asked, his brow furrowed with concern.
Yin Hui smiled and replied, “Ah Xun, help Mother think of a solution.”
Xiao Xun examined the ditch, pondering for a moment. “We can block the other end of the ditch,” he suggested.
Curious, Xiao Ning asked, “Why do we need to block it?”
Xiao Xun took his sister to the stream, squatted down, and scooped up some freshly dug soil with his little hands. He then piled it up at the water inlet of the ditch. The water moistened the mud, sticking to Brother Xun’s hands, but he found it enjoyable and worked diligently.
When Xiao Ning saw what her brother was doing, she eagerly joined him in blocking the canal. Once the canal was completely blocked, the siblings continued to gather mud from the stream. Initially, they simply squeezed mud into random shapes, but then Xiao Xun had the idea to build a house out of mud. Thus, it was Xiao Xun who designed the structure of the mansion, while Xiao Ning helped construct them according to her brother’s instructions.
As the sun climbed higher into the sky and the day grew hotter, the siblings paid no heed to the increasing heat.
Observing them for a while, Yin Hui eventually joined in the activity.
By the time the family of three sat down for lunch, although Xiao Xun and Xiao Ning still missed their elder brother, their sadness was tempered by the enjoyment of their productive day.
After a short break, Yin Hui took the two siblings to watch birds with their great-grandfather, Yin Yong. Knowing that Xiao Heng had left Beijing with Emperor Yongping that day, and understanding the children’s reluctance, Yin Yong sat under the shade of a tree, fanning himself as he recounted tales of his youthful travels to Xiao Xun, Xiao Ning, and Yin Mingli. Meanwhile, the youngest member of the family, one-year-old Yin Mingxiu, lively and cute, grew impatient with the storytelling and dragged Xiao Ning off to play elsewhere.
Xiao Ning looked helpless, but in the end, she couldn’t bear to reject her cousin and went to play with her first.
Yin Yong spoke for a long time in one breath and coughed twice.
“Hurry up and drink some tea,” Xiao Xun sensibly poured a bowl of tea for the old man.
Yin Yong smiled and praised, “Ah Xun, you’re so good, just like your mother when she was a child.”
Xiao Xun inquired, “Did my mother like to listen to your stories when she was young?”
Yin Yong reminisced, “Yes, every time I came back from my travels, your mother would pull me aside to tell stories. And if I didn’t tell her the long ones, she wouldn’t settle for the short ones.”
Xiao Xun learned some mischievous tales about his mother’s childhood from his great-grandfather.
It was almost dusk when Yin Hui brought the children back to the palace.
Shortly after their return, Wei Luo also arrived, at least half an hour earlier than usual.
“Why are you back so early today?” Yin Hui teased, “Could it be that your father isn’t here, so you’re being lazy?”
Wei Luo held the scarf in his hand, his eyes lingering around. The reason for his early return was because he was concerned that she and the children would cry together in missing Xiao Heng.
“What did you do today?” Wei Luo asked as he wiped his face.
Yin Hui disclosed the truth to Wei Luo, who was surprised by her resilience.
Yin Hui snorted, “I’m not as weak as you think. Xiao Heng is important, but Xiao Xun and Xiao Ning are equally important.”
Wei Luo smiled and pulled her into his arms, giving her a comforting hug.
After Wei Luo changed his clothes, Xiao Xun and Xiao Ning also came to greet him. Since Xiao Xun hadn’t gone to the palace for studies that day, there was no need to check his homework. After dinner, the family of four headed to Taoran Hall. Seeing the ditches that Xiao Xun had helped dig, Wei Luo expressed his approval, patting his son’s head and saying, “Well done. It will be much more convenient to grow vegetables next year.”
Xiao Xun blushed with pride at his father’s praise.
As bedtime approached, Yin Hui sat by Xiao Xun’s bedside for a while, holding her son’s little hand and reassuring him, “Mother will accompany you to the palace tomorrow morning.” Despite Xiao Xun growing older, he was still accustomed to being accompanied by his brother to the study hall in either the Yan Palace or the palace. Going alone might take some adjustment.
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