Drop of Cinnabar in the Heart (6)
Yu Xiaocao stared at him. Fang Haolin couldn’t endure her knowing look any longer and admitted his faults, “Older Sister, I was wrong! In the future, I will never sneak behind the adults to go riding by myself.”
“Just where were you wrong?” Yu Xiaocao had raised her two younger siblings well in her past life, and had also done a good job raising Little Shitou in this life. She was quite experienced in the ways of disciplining unruly kids.
Fang Haolin began counting on his fingers as he recited, “A gentleman shouldn’t do things that he knows that are dangerous. I shouldn’t have gone out riding by myself as I knew that it could be bad. I also didn’t think of the consequences of my actions and weigh what might have happened. I didn’t take into account the feelings of my family once they found out...I made my father and mother worried about me as well as my older sister...I won’t do it again!”
Little Baozi also chirped in to show his good side, “I was also wrong. Lady Mother, don’t be angry. Baozi won’t dare to do something like that again.”
Little Shitou felt all of this was quite interesting and glanced at his nephew’s chubby little face as he asked, “Are you sure you won’t do it again? Then, in the future, you won’t be able to ride a horse again ah!”
Little Baozi scrunched up his face and sobbingly said, “Lady Mother, Maternal Uncle Lin isn’t reliable, so I won’t let him take me riding again. Is it ok if other people take me along though?”
Fang Haolin didn’t expect for his young nephew to change colors so quickly. He angrily huffed, “Such a coward! Once I’ve mastered horseback riding, I won’t bring you along to play!”
“I don’t need you! My lord father is better at riding than you and his horse can run really fast!” Little Baozi pulled on Xiaocao’s hand, swaying it as he asked, “Lady Mother, can I have my lord father take me riding?”
Zhu Junyang’s heart felt as if it was about to burst with happiness as he crowed, “Of course ah! You don’t need to ask your lady mother, I can give you permission. Once you get older, I will teach you personally how to ride!”
Little Baozi surreptitiously looked at his mother’s face and when he saw there was no rejection, he became happy, “Lord Father, you’re awesome. Lord Father and Lady Mother are the absolute very very very best people in the world! Lord Father, Maternal Uncle Lin has his own little horse, but I don’t have one…”
“Once you learn how to ride, I will give you an even better one! The heir of Imperial Prince Xu’s definitely requires a Ferghana horse to pair with him!” What a joke, his family was the one in charge of the imperial family’s horse-breeding program. It was a simple matter for him to get a Ferghana colt for his son.
If the emperor didn’t object...then he would bring his wife along to the horse breeding farm to stroll around and get a few wild horses to tame. What was so hard about that?
Fang Haolin suddenly felt as if his normal little horse wasn’t that interesting anymore. He shamelessly asked, “Older Brother-in-law...my good master, can you also give me a Ferghana horse as well?”
“Do you think Ferghana horses are that easy to come by? That we can just reach out and grab one ah?” Zhu Junyang saw that the youth didn’t act as an outsider at all, so he glanced at him briefly as he calmly replied.
Fang Haolin opened his eyes pitifully, “Then...didn’t you just say you were giving Little Baozi one ah?”
Zhu Junyang chuckled lightly, “Yunxuan is this prince’s son and the heir of my estate. Isn’t it right and proper for me to give such a precious gift to him? Just who are you to me?”
Fang Haolin glanced at Yu Xiaocao and then righteously said, “The eldest sister is like a mother, and a brother-in-law is like a father. I’m sure Older Brother-in-law has heard of this saying before ah?”
“This prince doesn’t have such good fortune to suddenly have a son like you!” Zhu Junyang wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of this, “That being said, General Fang is still around. Thus, this prince has no right to be your father right now.”
‘General Fang, did you know that your son, for the sake of a Ferghana horse, is willing to call someone else his father? Shouldn’t you rein this youngster in?!’ This type of fellow was just begging for a spanking. He needed to be pulled back home and disciplined!
“Your Highnesses, in front of us is the main road but there are too many people to allow the carriage to go through.” The carriage driver was Imperial Prince Xu’s personal aide. Today, the army was coming back in glory so there were many commoners out to see the procession. Consequently, all of the main streets were plugged full of people. He had noticed that many of the noble matrons and young ladies had abandoned their carriages to walk on the streets instead.
Zhu Junyang looked at Yu Xiaocao’s slight swell of a belly and remarked worriedly, “How about...let’s go back to the estate ah? It’s not as if you haven’t seen the army come back before. Let’s not try to mingle with all of these people now.”
Yu Xiaocao flicked a look at Little Baozi, who had raised his chin pathetically and was regarding her with pleading eyes. As long as he was willing to bear the brunt of his son’s disappointment, she had no objections.
“Lord Father, you’ve already promised me. How can you refute it now?” Little Baozi had tears in his two large eyes as he sobbed piteously.
Zhu Junyang looked at him in disapproval, “A man doesn’t even cry when he’s injured and bleeding. Are you a little girl crying over something like this?”
Little Baozi pouted, “Then Lord Father needs to realize that you always go back on your words. Are you not afraid that you’ll become a big fatty and that Lady Mother will no longer like you ah?”
Yu Xiaocao giggled and laughed, “Little Baozi, where did you hear that people who go back on their words become fat ah?”
Little Baozi felt a bit embarrassed after seeing his mother laughing, “Everyone always says that ‘eating one’s words will make one grow fat’, so aren’t I right about thinking Lord Father will become fat ah? Lady Mother, if Lord Father becomes a big fatty, you won’t like him anymore, right?”
“You’re right! If your father truly became a big fatty, I’ll find a new father for you, alright?” Yu Xiaocao had begun teasing her son again.
Little Baozi frowned so hard that his face wrinkled. He thought for a long time before he finally shook his head, “Although Lord Father has some faults here and there, it’s not so bad that he needs to be switched. Lady Mother, let’s just accept him for who he is for now and don’t switch, alright?”
“Hey, you two, do you think this prince isn’t here right now? You want to switch me out? Just who gave you the guts to do so?” Zhu Junyang had become quite unhappy and his entire face had become dark. A gust of cold air billowed off his body.
Yu Xiaocao continued to tease, “Just look, not only does your father not keep his promises, but he also has a bad temper. How about I find you a good tempered father who never gets angry and follows your desires all the time?”
Little Baozi had no doubts about this and he shook his head even harder, “Not good! A father who does everything I ask is poison in disguise and will only spoil me rotten!”
“Oh! Our Little Baozi even understands that this is bad ah! Not bad, not bad!” Yu Xiaocao planted a kiss on her son’s face, making him giggle in glee.
Zhu Junyang’s expression had become darker as he remarked sourly, “Wife, did you forget about something?” ‘Don’t just make our son happy ah; can’t you see that this prince is sad ah? Make me feel better ah!’
“Oh right! We’re still a bit away from the Medicinal Cuisine House. Let’s head over fast. Otherwise, we won’t be able to see the show!” Yu Xiaocao put down her son and, with the help of her maids, came down from the carriage.
Little Baozi let out a gleeful cheer and impatiently exited the carriage. Yu Xiaocao grabbed onto his hand and said in warning, “Be good! There are a lot of people around, so there might be kidnappers prowling looking for young and pretty children like you. They want to sell kids into little sweatshops that won’t give you food or water and will beat you all day with a whip!”
Little Baozi had been thoroughly frightened by this and obediently held onto his mother’s hand as they stepped forward. He didn’t dare to rush through the crowd on his own anymore. Within his youthful heart, the sweatshops were a very scary place that tormented little children.
The two of them, encircled by guards, headed towards the Medicinal Cuisine House and had completely forgotten that there was an abandoned and frustrated prince behind them.
Little Shitou and Fang Haolin exchanged looks after looking at their older brother-in-law’s upset face. They stifled their giggles and jumped off the carriage, speeding off towards their older sister and nephew. There were too many people on the streets and their older sister was pregnant. They needed to keep her safe and stop people from bumping into her.