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墨書 Inktalez
An entire afternoon passed as they played.
In the past two days, Leng Yixuan experienced so many firsts that he couldn't count them all on his ten fingers.
For the first time, he ate a cold, hard bun that felt like a stone. He bathed with a ladle for the first time, slept on a hard wooden bed without any adults around, and had such a simple breakfast for the first time...
Despite all this, he felt incredibly happy, like a bird that had just escaped from its cage, soaring freely in its own sky.
Today, he created even more firsts.
Summer had arrived, and the fields were alive with many frogs jumping about.
The croaking of the frogs was quite lively.
Xin'er said that frog meat, skewered and roasted over a fire, was delicious.
So, Leng Yixuan followed Xin'er to catch frogs in the fields behind the mountain.
Catching frogs was truly a skill. Leng Yixuan had never done anything like this before, and those frogs were incredibly agile, jumping high and fast. Every time he carefully pounced, he almost caught one, but those frogs always managed to leap away just in time.
Before long, he hadn't caught a single frog but was covered in mud instead.
He looked as if he had taken a bath in the mud, dirty all over.
This made Xin'er laugh uncontrollably beside him.
Although he felt a bit frustrated inside, seeing Xin'er so happy lifted Leng Yixuan's spirits as well.
Eventually, it was Xin'er who caught the first frog. She picked up a small stick tied with a rope; on one end was the captured frog. She waved it up and down.
"Brother, frogs jump quickly; we can't catch them. My mother taught me that if we do it this way, the frogs will jump up to bite at moving things. Then we can put them in the bag," she explained slowly.
Leng Yixuan was somewhat skeptical, but when he saw Xin'er moving her hand and soon enough attracting quite a few frogs, he was amazed. The frogs came rushing over to bite at the leg of the frog tied with the rope.
Xin'er skillfully lifted each frog that bit onto the rope and quickly placed them into a bag set aside.
The bag was so high that even a frog would find it difficult to jump out.
Seeing this, Leng Yixuan was utterly amazed.
He had never known that frogs could fall like this!
Feeling curious and entertained, Leng Yixuan decided to imitate Xin'er. He picked up a stick, tied one end with a rope, and attached the other end to a frog's leg. Then he gently moved his hand, and before long, he indeed attracted quite a few frogs.
By the end of the morning, both Leng Yixuan and Xin'er had caught many frogs.
Looking at their bountiful catch, Leng Yixuan felt a sense of pride for the first time!
Yes, it was pride!
He couldn't help but feel proud that he could catch food with his own hands!
For this achievement, Leng Yixuan held onto the bag for quite a while before finally walking over at Xin'er's invitation.
Though Xin'er was young, she was undoubtedly a child of poor parents. Having little to eat in the past, wild fruits, frogs, and fish from the lake often became their snacks.
From a young age, Xin'er had learned to improve their meals, so when it came to roasting frogs, she was quite skilled.
After stringing the frogs together with a long stick, she slowly roasted them over the fire.
Before heading out, Xin'er had packed some salt in her bag. Once the frogs turned golden brown on the grill, she sprinkled some salt over them.
As the delicious aroma of roasted meat wafted through the air, both Leng Yixuan and Xin'er nearly drooled.
"Hey, brother, here are these roasted frogs for you. They're ready to eat."
After handing over a larger skewer of roasted frogs to Leng Yixuan, Xin'er took a smaller one for herself and began to eat.
Seeing this, Leng Yixuan immediately grabbed the skewer of roasted frogs and happily started eating as well, but he ate too quickly and almost burned himself.
A smile unconsciously spread between Xin'er and me.
The two children sat on the lush green grass, with endless fields stretching out before them and rushing mountains and streams behind them.
The sun shone brightly overhead, a gentle breeze blew, and the blue sky was dotted with white clouds. The two children sat close together, their clothes still dirty, but the happiness radiating from their rosy little faces made anyone who looked at them smile in return.
Afterward, Leng Yixuan and Xin'er were both full and lay on the grass for a while. Then, Leng Yixuan followed Xin'er up a tree to collect bird eggs and pick some sweet little fruits in the wild.
The fruits were dark in color, with black juice, but they tasted exceptionally sweet!
Xin'er often ate these fruits, though she didn't know their name. She munched happily.
Later, both of them ended up with blackened teeth, and they kept looking at each other's teeth, bursting into laughter.
Happy times always seemed to pass so quickly.
It felt like just a blink of an eye when the sun climbed from the east to the west, and soon it was about to set.
At that moment, Leng Yixuan and Xin'er had also grown tired from playing and decided to head back to rest, planning to play again tomorrow. However, at that moment, people from the royal residence had already come looking for them.
When Leng Junyu and Le Yao Yao received the news, they hurried over. Upon seeing their son safe and sound, they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. But looking at the muddy child with disheveled hair and blackened teeth, everyone was taken aback.
Yet Leng Yixuan had no idea how disheveled he looked; he resembled a wild child. When he saw his family arrive, he excitedly threw himself into Le Yao Yao's arms, joyfully whining.
"Mother, you finally came! Xuan missed you so much!"
"Xuan, my Xuan! Mother finally found you! It's good that you're safe; it's good that you're safe."
Although she knew her child was fine, after two days and nights of tension, as her heart relaxed, Le Yao Yao couldn't help but feel a mix of lingering fear as she laughed and cried.
After all, from the moment she learned that Xuan was missing until now, she had been filled with anxiety. What if something had happened to Xuan? What would she do then!?
She truly couldn't bear to imagine the consequences! Fortunately, heaven had been kind; Xuan was safe.
Seeing her mother holding her and crying with laughter, Leng Yixuan realized that he had worried her these past few days. He immediately reached out to wipe away her tears.
However, he was covered in dirt, and his hands were muddy as well. Instead of drying her tears, he ended up smearing mud all over her face. This made him feel a bit guilty. Yet, Le Yao Yao didn’t mind at all.
As long as her son was safe and sound, she cared about nothing else.
Standing beside them, Leng Yixuan took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the mud and tears from her face, softly comforting her.
“Le Yao Yao, it’s alright now. The child is back, so you don’t need to cry anymore.”
Her tears were breaking his heart!
Upon hearing Leng Junyu's words, Le Yao Yao understood that he was worried about her. She nodded and stood up but still held onto Leng Yixuan's hand, afraid that he might disappear again.
At that moment, Xin'er, who had been standing nearby, was startled by the sudden appearance of so many people. Seeing this, Leng Yixuan immediately released Le Yao Yao's hand and ran over to Xin'er, taking her small hand and bringing her in front of Le Yao Yao with excitement.
“Mother, this is Xin'er! Xin'er knows a lot of things! Today we went frog fishing together, roasted frogs to eat, and even collected bird eggs! It was so much fun!”
Leng Yixuan proudly recounted all of their adventures from the day, his little face glowing with joy.
This was the first time Le Yao Yao had seen such an expression on her son's face. After all, given Leng Yixuan's status, he was usually surrounded by maids and servants. Even when there were children his age around, they rarely played so wildly.
Despite this, Le Yao Yao could see the happiness radiating from her son.
Her beautiful eyes swept over to the little girl holding Leng Yixuan's hand.
The girl looked to be about three or four years old, dressed in simple clothes but incredibly cute.
Her delicate skin seemed soft enough to break with a gentle touch. Her features were also very refined; just by looking at her now, one could imagine she would grow up to be a beauty!
However, facing a crowd of unfamiliar faces made Xin'er a bit shy. With Leng Yixuan pulling at her hand, she lowered her head and politely greeted Le Yao Yao.
“Hello, Auntie. My name is Xin'er.”
The voice of Nuo Nuo was as sweet as cotton candy.
Hearing this made Le Yao Yao's heart flutter with joy.
Thinking about how Leng Yixuan had finally found a fun companion, Le Yao Yao looked at Xin'er with increasing fondness.
After exchanging a few words with Xin'er, Li approached them with a nervous and hesitant expression. When she reached Le Yao Yao and the others, she took Xin'er's hand and intended to kneel in front of these important figures, but was quickly helped up by Le Yao Yao.
After all, it was thanks to Li's help that they had found their son.
Speaking of which, when Li left home that morning, she had no idea how to find Leng Yixuan's family; she only planned to inquire about any missing children.
To her surprise, when she stepped onto the street, she found it heavily guarded, with soldiers patrolling everywhere as if searching for something.
Later, she noticed those soldiers holding a portrait and continuously questioning passersby. Curious, Li went over to take a look. When she saw the person depicted in the portrait, she realized that the little boy from her home was actually someone of great significance!
In the entire Celestial Yuan Dynasty, who didn't know of the Second Prince? Renowned for his military achievements, skilled in martial arts, and strikingly handsome, he had tragically fallen off a cliff five years ago, leaving everyone in disbelief. Yet five years later, he miraculously returned to life and married the Princess of Great Xia.
These events were no longer news in both countries.
This prominent figure was a great hero of their Celestial Yuan Dynasty, someone far beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. How could Li not feel excited and bewildered when they appeared before her today?
Especially as she stood before this stunning pair of young individuals.
Though they seemed to be around the same age as her, the woman before her wore a pure white veil and silk skirt that accentuated her graceful figure, light and agile.
With hair as dark as silk and skin as fair as lotus petals, her exquisite face resembled that of a celestial being descended from heaven, making one dare not approach but only admire from afar...
And beside her stood a tall man dressed in luxurious black attire that highlighted his noble presence. The aura he exuded was so commanding that it made one want to prostrate at his feet in reverence...
This pair of young individuals was truly a perfect match—so breathtakingly beautiful that it nearly took one's breath away!
Thus, when Li approached them, she couldn't help but feel an urge to kneel in worship.
However, Le Yao Yao immediately reached out to help Li up, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth, making her already stunning face even more radiant.
In that moment, Li felt as if a hundred flowers were blooming beside her.
Moreover, the woman's hands were incredibly soft, like the finest silk. It was enough to make anyone's heart flutter, even Li's, who was also a woman, feeling a sense of unworthiness.
Though both were women, their differences were like heaven and earth!
One was a noble phoenix from the sky, graceful and unparalleled in beauty, evoking envy and admiration.
The other was merely a mountain chicken on the ground; while she had some charm, she could never compare to the phoenix!
Thus, after feeling those soft hands, Li was startled and quickly withdrew her own.
After all, the woman before her was so beautiful and elegant, like a fairy—someone not meant for an ordinary person like her to touch.
Understanding Li's hesitation, Le Yao Yao simply smiled gently, her red lips curving into a warm expression.
"Thank you for taking care of Xuan, I am truly grateful," she said.
Even though she was already a princess, Le Yao Yao never acted with airs of nobility nor looked down on others because of her status.
After all, she came from a newly wealthy family; many things at school were sponsored by her father. Yet she mingled easily with children from ordinary families.
Her upbringing taught her that everyone is equal—there are no superior or inferior people.
So when faced with such a friendly Le Yao Yao, Li felt both honored and surprised.
She thought to herself that this princess truly had no pretensions, unlike some noble families who always looked down on those beneath them...
For the first time, Li felt respected; her heart blossomed with joy and surprise.
Later on, as Le Yao Yao chatted casually with Li, she learned about Li's impoverished background. Her husband had run a small business that eventually failed, leaving them with a mountain of debt. Out of necessity, Li had to leave her daughter at home alone while she worked long hours washing clothes and doing menial tasks for noble families.
Fortunately, her daughter was sensible and incredibly well-behaved, which brought Li comfort.
When she heard about the situation at Li's home and saw the tiny Tile House, it felt somewhat insulting to offer money. Nevertheless, Le Yao Yao insisted on giving Li a thousand taels.
Li hesitated, unsure whether to accept it.
After all, their family was poor, but they also had their pride.
However, Le Yao Yao understood Li's thoughts and smiled as she encouraged her.
"This isn't for you; it's just a small token from me, your aunt, for Xin'er. I truly like this child very much. Xuan has had few friends since childhood and doesn't seem to play with anyone else as happily as with your Xin'er. Therefore, I hope that Xin'er can grow up happily. Use this money to pay off your husband's debts first, and with the rest, you can start a small business or something. That way, you won't have to work outside all the time and can spend more time with Xin'er. After all, she's still so young, and leaving her at home alone is quite worrying..."
After a lengthy speech from Le Yao Yao, Li finally accepted the money.
Their family was indeed very poor.
They still owed a significant debt, and her husband had to work away from home for years to repay it.
Even though she was worried about Xin'er, she had no choice but to work for those Noble Families. She could endure the insults and hardships of her job, but leaving Xin'er alone at home made her anxious—what if something happened?
With these thoughts in mind, Li accepted the money.
Later, Le Yao Yao took Leng Yixuan back home.
After all, Leng Yixuan had been playing all day and was covered in dirt; she wanted to take him back for a good wash.
As for leaving, Leng Yixuan felt quite reluctant. After all, he had never played so joyfully before in his life like he did over the past two days.
However, he knew his mother was worried. Having been away for two days and one night already, he decided to listen to her and boarded the carriage that had been waiting for them.
Before he left, though, Leng Yixuan made sure to say a proper goodbye to Xin'er, promising they would play together again tomorrow. Only after receiving her agreement did he reluctantly depart.
Sitting in the carriage, Le Yao Yao noticed her son showing such reluctance towards someone else for the first time and felt a sense of happiness in her heart. After all, it's better for children to have more friends.
As Leng Yixuan gazed outside the moving carriage, she continued to look until she could no longer see Xin'er. Reluctantly, she withdrew her gaze.
Noticing her mother, who was smiling at her, Yingying instinctively leaned against her, indulging in a moment of affection. However, it wasn't long before a frown creased her brow, revealing a troubled expression.
Seeing this, Le Yao Yao grew concerned and asked, "Xuan, what's wrong?"
The once vibrant Xuan now appeared as wilted as a frostbitten eggplant, and Le Yao Yao was alarmed.
Hearing Le Yao Yao's words, Leng Yixuan opened her big eyes and looked at her mother. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke up. "Mother, I've grown something strange that others don't have. Am I going to die?!"
"Ah? What are you talking about? What strange thing?"
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