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墨書 Inktalez
Qin Yaru held Da Lang's hand, turned her head, opened the door to go home, and said softly with a smile, "Da Lang, be good. Mother will stew some rabbit for you."
Da Lang propped his head up as he watched his mother skillfully strip the fur from two wild rabbits. The two rabbit skins were intact, without a single crack. He widened his eyes in surprise, thinking how amazing it was that his mother's hands, along with a seemingly ordinary and even somewhat dull knife, could perform such a feat!
Although he appeared more mature than other children his age, he was still just a three-year-old child with simple thoughts. He did not question where his mother learned these skills; he was simply amazed. Perhaps in the hearts of all young children, their parents are capable of anything.
Seeing her son's sparkling eyes, Qin Yaru smiled as well but suddenly felt a pang of sadness. In her previous life, she had harbored some resentment towards Da Lang. Now that she thought about it, due to her own weakness and incompetence, she not only failed to shield her child from the storm but also allowed him to suffer hunger and cold alongside her. As a mother, she truly had not fulfilled her responsibilities. In contrast, the Gentle Blue Princess had given the child everything a mother should provide!
Qin Yaru paused for a moment, a self-deprecating smile appearing on her face. How ironic it was that a woman who had forcibly taken away her husband and son deserved gratitude simply because she treated Da Lang like her own?
"Mother? It smells so good!"
Her son's voice was filled with excitement, reminiscent of the innocence he had when they had not seen each other for a long time.
Qin Yaru came back to herself with a smile and saw Da Lang placing a porcelain jar on the table. The freshly cooked rabbit meat had made his hands red from the heat, yet he seemed completely unaware of it, his face full of joy.
She patted her son's head and smiled gently: "Let's pack one up and send it to your Aunt Wang." With that, she scooped out a plump wild rabbit along with its broth into a rice bowl.
Da Lang obediently carried the bowl, wobbling as he headed out. Even though his stomach was growling with hunger, he showed no signs of discontent on his face.
Qin Yaru nodded secretly; this child had a good character. At least he knew how to be grateful and did not act spoiled just because of his age.
Perhaps driven by hunger, Da Lang returned very quickly. Almost in no time at all, he bounced back through the door again, grabbed another bowl, and filled it with meat broth before presenting it to his mother.
Qin Yaru couldn't help but laugh as she took the tender rabbit meat that her son handed her. She scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and fed it to Da Lang.
Da Lang wasn't afraid of the heat; he puffed out his cheeks and swallowed eagerly, the deliciousness nearly making him swallow his tongue.
The mother and son finished off the entire rabbit, leaving nothing behind.
With more than half a pot of fragrant broth remaining, Da Lang was still drooling, clearly wanting more. Qin Yaru thought for a moment, took two eggs, scooped a spoonful of flour, mixed them together, picked a few leaves of greens, and cooked two bowls of dumplings.
The freshness of the rabbit meat combined with the fragrance of the greens made the dumplings soft and tender. As Da Lang ate, he found them just as good as the rabbit meat, even more delicious. He gobbled down half a bowl, while Qin Yaru worried that he might hurt his stomach if he ate too much after being hungry for so long. She occasionally reminded him to eat slowly, which prevented him from overindulging.
After returning for a few days, Qin Yaru had also been unable to eat or sleep well. Now, as she enjoyed the gentle breeze under the spring evening sun, she savored the simple yet flavorful meal made from quality ingredients. It brought her a sense of leisure as she sat in the yard with her son.
Da Lang sat obediently beside her, reciting the Three Character Classic that Qin Yaru had recently taught him. In just a few days, he had memorized more than half of it. His voice was clear and pleasant to hear.
Qin Yaru felt gratified by her son's progress. After all, she herself had some academic ability, and Chen Wulang was exceptionally talented; otherwise, he wouldn't have become a Top Scholar. Their son was unlikely to be lacking in talent.
While they were engaged in teaching and learning, Wang Shi came over. As soon as she entered, she laughed and said, "Our Da Lang is really impatient; he dropped your bowl and ran off before I could catch him."
Wang Shi had come to return the cleaned and dried bowl.
Qin Yaru quickly took it and placed it on the table. When she looked up, she saw Wang Shi gazing at the remaining half pot of dumpling soup with curiosity. "Consort Qin really knows how to cook! Look at this simple dish; just by your preparation, it makes one's mouth water."
"Sister Wang, if you don't mind, why not give it a try? Although it's spring, it's still a bit chilly; drinking some soup will warm you up."
Wang was not polite and served herself half a bowl to eat. Although her family was well-off, they could not eat meat every day. This time, she was indeed satisfied, eating while praising, "Indeed different. Ah, people must read and be literate; after studying, whatever they do is better than others."
"Consort Qin, the flower crown you made is even more exquisite and cheaper than those sent from Kaifeng. I went to the jewelry shop at Establish a Family today and saw that your hairpin flowers and the 'One-Year Flower Crown' have already been sold. Consort Cheng also instructed me to have you make more and send them to her for sale. A hairpin flower sells for thirty wen, and a flower crown for three guan. Calculating this way, it’s more profitable to sell the flower crowns."
Recalling the 'One-Year Flower Crown' made by Consort Qin, Wang herself found it delightful. It featured peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, peonies, Chinese peonies, chrysanthemums, and plum blossoms—all the fresh flowers of the four seasons woven into one crown. The colors of those flowers were vibrant and lifelike, adorned with fluttering butterflies and bees.
What was even more remarkable was that despite so many flowers, it did not appear chaotic at all. The entire flower crown was quite luxurious and of high quality; even noble ladies from wealthy families would find it appropriate to wear. It might even seem more elegant than gold and silver jewelry.
"When will Consort Qin make one for me? But please sell it at a lower price."
"Not at all! Sister Wang likes it; just take it! You have helped me so much over the years; I don't know how to thank you properly."
Qin Yaru appeared relaxed on the surface but felt relieved inside. Although she thought her designs were fresh—many of which would only become popular years later—and some were modern styles that should sell well, she had never made them before and lacked confidence. Now that she had no money on hand to buy colored paper, if she couldn't make them successfully, it would indeed be troublesome.
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