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墨書 Inktalez
"Brother? Qing? What are you doing?"
A puzzled voice rang out as Liu Anfeng approached with a plate of snacks.
He glanced up at the serious and expressionless Liu An Ting, then turned to look at the innocent and clear-eyed Qing Wu, decisively placing the snacks in front of Qing Wu. After thinking for a moment, he leaned closer to Liu An Ting and whispered, "Uncle San is back."
"Uncle San?"
Liu An Ting was still pondering why Qing Wu had been so silent earlier, feeling somewhat uneasy. He didn't understand why his sister had called him that last time but refused to do so now. For a moment, he didn't react to what Liu Anfeng was referring to and instinctively asked back.
"Yeah." Liu Anfeng, not noticing the change in Liu An Ting's expression, winked at him and said in a hushed tone, "I didn't expect he would be out for so long."
Liu An Ting gradually came back to his senses and realized the context of Liu Anfeng's words.
When Matriarch and the others arrived, their elder Liu Fangshi had not come along. Later, while they were out enjoying the streets today, they spotted Liu Fangshi in an alley across the street.
This incident had left a deep impression on their minds. Until later when they encountered Qin Shuying, and then Qing Wu was taken away and "lost," they completely forgot about Elder Liu's situation.
Recalling this, Liu An Ting felt puzzled and muttered, "Why did Uncle San just return now?" He wondered if he had lingered too long in the brothels and entertainment districts.
Hearing that Second Brother was also confused, Liu Anfeng perked up, rolled up his sleeves, sat down at the table, and while feeding Qing Wu some snacks, said, "Uncle San brought back over a dozen boxes of snacks that he picked out after browsing for quite a while at the market. He might be able to fool Uncle's family and a few others with that story. But we've lived in the capital for so long; how could we not recognize these things? They are clearly snacks from Eight Treasures Pavilion, just repackaged a bit."
After saying this, he noticed that the weight in his hand hadn't changed at all and looked over in confusion. He saw that Qing Wu hadn't taken a bite; she was just staring at him intently, occasionally glancing at the snacks with a wary expression.
Liu Anfeng then realized what was happening and huffed impatiently, "Of course I wouldn't bring you those fake things to eat. These were made by mother’s orders; you can eat them or not."
Saying this loudly, he pretended to toss one into his mouth. His eyes were also busy as he occasionally glanced sideways at Qing Wu, clearly observing her reaction.
Before Girl could yield, Liu Anfeng was betrayed by his older brother.
Liu An Ting placed a plate of snacks in front of Qing Wu and said stiffly, "Eat up." He then grabbed a clean napkin from the side and gently wiped her hands.
Liu Anfeng originally intended to use this opportunity to ease the relationship with Qing Wu. Seeing Second Brother sabotage him like this, he immediately became angry and exclaimed, "Brother! How could you do this!"
"What have I done?" Liu An Ting smiled slightly at him, about to say something more when suddenly his expression changed, and he called out behind Liu Anfeng, "Father? Why are you back so early today?"
Liu Anfeng pointed at Liu An Ting, laughing uncontrollably, "Stop fooling me. Father wouldn't suddenly appear at this time! I'm not afraid of you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he received a hit on the head.
"You little brat. Not afraid? When I'm not around, you run wild!"
Hearing Liu Fangyi's voice, Liu Anfeng turned around in shock and saw his father raising a finger, ready to scold Second.
Liu Anfeng's face turned pale as he stepped back, stammering, "Father, please let me go. Let's talk nicely. Hahaha..."
As he retreated, he inadvertently revealed Qing Wu.
Looking down, Liu Fangyi noticed the girl staring at him eagerly. Ignoring his son, he picked her up and said, "Did you hear us talking? Come on, call me 'Father' so I can hear it."
Qing Wu knew that Liu Fangyi and the He Family genuinely cared for her. She wasn't originally part of this family but had integrated into it due to her parents' acceptance and wholehearted love, allowing her to escape loneliness and find warmth in a home.
Filled with immense gratitude towards Liu Fangyi and his wife, Qing Wu tried hard for a long time and finally managed to call out "Father."
Although her voice was soft and her enunciation unclear, it was incredibly precious.
The late sound made Liu Fangyi, a tough man, suddenly soften inside. He tightly embraced Qing Wu. After a moment, he laughed heartily and joyfully called her "good child," preparing to take her to show off to the He Family.
Just now, when his wife and daughter called him "mother," that expression, that tone, was simply a blatant display of pride and provocation.
Liu Fangyi felt both envy and jealousy. However, before the flames of jealousy could ignite, he had already fulfilled his wish.
Happily striding towards the door to find the He Family, he saw the He Family and Liu Anzhi talking as they stepped into the house together.
Liu Fangyi did not notice the annoyance in his wife and daughter's eyes. Just as he was about to speak, Liu Anzhi spoke first: "Dad, Uncle San and Aunt San are arguing."
The He Family hesitated and asked, "Sir, should we go take a look?"
The room had been filled with joy, but who would have thought that suddenly a piece of news would disrupt the mood?
Liu Fangyi paused for a moment, lowered his head, and rubbed his daughter's head a few times, saying, "How can I be considered his proper brother? He certainly won't listen to me. Why bother going to that uncomfortable situation?"
Liu Fangyi was born to a concubine of the old master. Although the Matriarch and his elder brother treated him fairly well, he was still rejected and bullied by the legitimate Third Brother. As they grew up, their bond was not as deep.
The room fell into silence for a moment.
As a faint sense of sadness began to permeate the surroundings, suddenly a very soft gurgling sound reached everyone's ears.
Everyone turned towards the sound and saw Qing Wu wrinkling her nose, her face flushed with embarrassment. After hesitating for a while, she softly uttered one word.
"Hungry."
Upon seeing that the most obedient Daughter was hungry, everyone lost their inclination to feel sad. They quickly sprang into action, instructing to set up dinner and hurriedly calling someone to help Qing Wu wash her hands...
On the morning of the second day, the weather was clear.
As soon as the He Family heard that Qing Wu had woken up, they hurried over, planning to personally dress her in the newly sewn clothes. Upon entering the room, they discovered that the girl was still half-asleep, her eyes barely open, nodding off as if she would fall asleep again at any moment.
This was to be expected. Qing Wu was still young and easily fatigued. Everyone had been too happy the previous day, and they had stayed up a bit late. How could she have had enough sleep at this hour?
The He Family felt sorry for her and did not mention anything else. They instructed the maids to take good care of her and did not let Qing Wu get up, allowing her to continue dozing off.
This nap lasted for more than half an hour.
Only then did Qing Wu truly wake up. Her eyes sparkled brightly, filled with vitality and energy.
The He Family then called Mama Huang to help dress her in the clothes that had been prepared long ago.
She wore a white short jacket and cotton pants, embroidered with silver plum blossoms and bamboo, looking both adorable and elegant.
Mama Huang couldn't help but exclaim, "The young lady is truly beautiful. With such looks and demeanor, she resembles the madam quite a bit."
Although she was not their biological child, the He Family had already grown fond of this lovable girl through their interactions. Hearing that she resembled herself made the He Family even happier, and they excitedly instructed, "Bring that pair of twisted silver bracelets for the young lady to wear. They will match this outfit perfectly."
Seeing that Qing Wu's clothes were ready, Mama Huang urged Danqing and Peach Silk, "Aren't you two going to help the young lady wash up? If you delay any longer, you'll be in trouble!"
Previously, when the He Family allowed Qing Wu to continue sleeping, it had caused some delays. Now they needed to hurry so as not to be too late and lose decorum.
The maids knew that today was the young lady's formal first visit to pay respects to the Matriarch, so they dared not be careless and quickly got busy according to their tasks. By the time everything was ready, it was already bright outside, with warm golden sunlight streaming through the windows onto the floor.
As the He Family took Qing Wu's hand and stepped into the Matriarch's door, everyone else had already gathered. Even the most unreliable brothers, Wen and Wu, were sitting quietly beside their sisters.
In front of everyone, the mother and daughter who had just stepped into the room appeared extremely eye-catching. They walked up to the Matriarch and greeted her respectfully.
The Matriarch glanced at the He Family, waved her hand dismissively at the tea residue, and said, "It’s indeed comfortable in the capital; it seems you’ve developed a habit of sleeping in and getting up so late."
The He Family knew that she was often at fault in front of the Matriarch, so it was better not to speak. Hearing these words now, she did not refute a single one, merely standing quietly with her head bowed.
Having gained nothing from her, the Matriarch, feeling annoyed, shifted her gaze to the charming girl. After a moment, the corners of her lips curled slightly, revealing a faint smile. She then beckoned Qing Wu over.
The He Family was anxious that the Matriarch might blame Qing Wu and listened nervously from the side, not daring to be careless.
Unexpectedly, the Matriarch, who had been extremely critical of the He Family earlier, suddenly softened her expression when facing Qing Wu.
Clearly, the girl had come with the He Family, yet at this moment, the Matriarch did not mention anything about "being late" or "sleeping in." Instead, she held her hand gently and said, "If your health isn’t good, you should rest more. With so many hours in the evening, is there really a need to get up early?"
The Matriarch turned to the He Family, her voice tinged with displeasure: "It’s chilly in the morning; with such a child who is also weak in health, how can she be out here in the cold so early? In the future, unless there’s something important, let Qing Wu come whenever she wakes up. There’s no need to adhere strictly to etiquette."
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