Chapter 110: Expressing Emotions

Chen Feng thanked him and followed into the private room. Dabao, with a basket carrying Qiqi and Gray, held onto Chen Feng’s clothes and followed them into the room.

In the middle of the private room was a large square table, already set with numerous dishes, including the braised items Chen Shi had sent.

Chu Lingxuan sat at the table and felt that it wasn’t appropriate for Chen Feng, a young lady, to share the table with them and feed Hanyan. He directed Mama Song and Mrs. Wei to move some of the dishes to a nearby table against the wall, allowing Chen Feng and Chu Hanyan to eat there. Then, he pointed at Dabao and said, “You’re a man, you’ll sit with me.”

Dabao was delighted to be included in the men’s group by Uncle Chu. He quickly sat at the table and said, “Uncle Chu, do you drink? Let me pour you a drink. The other day at the Chu Mansion, Grandpa Chu said I poured the wine just right and even rewarded me with a sip of wine…”

As he happily mentioned the incident of secretly drinking in front of his mother, Dabao quickly covered his mouth, turned to glance at Chen Feng, and said in a boastful tone, “Mother, rest assured, Grandpa Chu only dipped a little on my chopsticks for me to taste. It won’t make your son drunk.”

This remark successfully made Chu Lingxuan and the others laugh. Even Steward Luo, who was serving beside them, and Chu Hanyan, couldn’t help but smile silently.

Perched on a chair, Gray flapped its wings and chirped, “Hey, give me a bite.”

The voice sounded quite unfamiliar to Chen Feng, with a mix of accents. However, Chu Lingxuan and the others found it all too familiar and burst into laughter again.

It was the first time Chen Feng had seen Chu Lingxuan laugh so heartily and had noticed that he had dimples. No wonder Hanyan also had a pair of little dimples, just like him.

Steward Luo, chuckled, “This parrot is so clever. It didn’t take long for it to pick up the old master’s accent perfectly.”

Seeing that everyone was amused, Gray continued, addressing Chu Lingxuan, “You’ve eaten all the sweet dates. What’s left for me, an old man, to eat? You’re such a big man, yet you’re still so greedy.”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone quickly stifled their laughter.

Chu Lingxuan’s smile grew even broader, and he shook his head, saying, “No wonder the old man loves these parrots. They’re really amusing.”

Perhaps recognizing the praise for Gray, Qiqi stretched her neck and called out, “Birdie… flew away, birdie… flew away… flew away…” Her voice sounded just like Chu Hanyan’s.

This prompted another round of laughter, and everyone turned to look at Chu Hanyan. Chu Hanyan also stared at Qiqi with wide eyes, displaying an expression of clarity mixed with bewilderment, much like a newborn baby.

Chen Feng adored the little girl’s expression so much that she couldn’t help but kiss her. Only after doing so did she realize her actions and felt a sense of unease. She was only a slightly higher-ranked “master” compared to a servant. It wasn’t common for such affectionate behavior, especially towards Hanyan, and she feared it might anger Chu Lingxuan. After all, the social hierarchy in this world was strict, and people were not accustomed to such closeness.

She quickly glanced at Chu Lingxuan and noticed his momentary confusion, perhaps not expecting her to act in such a manner.

Mama Song and Mrs. Wei, on the other hand, were both surprised and fearful.

Surprisingly, Chu Hanyan burst into a smile, her beautiful little mouth resembling the blossoming peach flowers in March, much like the first time Chen Feng had encountered her in the Honglin Mountains when she saw the smile on the golden swallow’s face.

This smile was not only beautiful and innocent but also put Chen Feng’s apprehensive heart at ease, softening it like a pool of water. The beautiful little angel made Chen Feng suppress the urge to kiss her little face again and whisper gently, “Hanyan.”

Chu Hanyan gazed at her with eyes like dark grapes, let out a sound, and seemed to express a yearning. Finding she didn’t get what she wanted, her gaze gradually became vacant as she turned away.

It seemed she had never experienced such emotional expression before, she liked it and wanted more.

However, Chen Feng, brave as she was, didn’t dare to kiss her little face again.

In modern times, whenever she saw her colleagues’ or friends’ children, she would kiss, pinch, and play with them. After turning thirty, she did it even more. The children’s parents understood that this was her way of expressing affection for their children and were not only forgiving but also delighted, as modern people typically expressed their fondness for children in this manner.

But this was the “proper” ancient era.

Seeing the little girl’s expression change from hopeful to vacant, Chen Feng felt sorry, yet she could only apologize silently.

Chu Lingxuan noticed his daughter’s smile, her transition from hopeful to vacant, and realized that she enjoyed Chen Feng’s closeness. Yet, he also saw the apprehension in Chen Feng’s eyes and her reluctance to be close to his daughter. He still hoped for Chen Feng to be close to his daughter.

Lowering his head, he said, “Let’s eat,” and asked Steward Luo to join them for the meal.

Dabao sensibly poured a drink for him and then prepared a large bowl of food that Qiqi and Gray liked, placing it on the floor for them to eat. He said, “You’ve done well in mimicry, so I’m rewarding you with good food.”

Afterward, everyone started eating.

Chen Feng, unaware of Chu Hanyan’s preferences, held her while Mama Song fed her. Having eaten some red dates and a small bowl of rice in the carriage, Chu Hanyan was quickly full. As noon approached, she only wanted to sleep after eating, with tired, sleepy eyes. Mrs. Wei tucked the large swallow doll into her arms, and she soon drifted off to sleep.

Mrs. Wei, who had already finished her meal, took Chu Hanyan from Chen Feng’s arms to let her sleep, allowing Chen Feng to finally eat.

Chen Feng quickly finished a bowl of rice and then went to Lao Huai Village with Steward Luo. Since Mrs. Wang had to care for Chen Lu and carry the drowsy Dabao, she stayed back.

Lao Huai Village was close to Guanghe Town, and within less than a quarter of an hour, Chen Feng and Steward Luo arrived. The tenant farmers were waiting at the village entrance, and the group went to Lizheng’s house. Chen Feng presented Lizheng with two bags of snacks and two pieces of meat bought in town, and with Lizheng as a witness, they signed the tenancy agreement.

Afterward, Chen Feng and Steward Luo returned to Guanghe Town. Chu Hanyan and Chen Dabao were still asleep, so Mrs. Wei and Chen Feng carried them onto the carriage, and the entourage set off towards Tangyuan.

Half an hour later, just past the mid-afternoon hour, they arrived at Tangyuan.

The two children were still asleep. Chen Feng carried Dabao off the carriage, and together with Mrs. Wang, who had alighted from another carriage, they thanked Chu Lingxuan and Steward Luo.

Steward Luo advised Chen Feng to rest the next day and then teach Hanyan sewing at Tangyuan. Afterward, Chen Feng and Mrs. Wang, along with Chen Lu, boarded the carriage driven by the Chen family’s coachman. All the belongings in this carriage belonged to the Chen family, and the coachman would take them directly to Chen’s household in the northeast of Xiangluo Village.

As the carriage traveled along the winding road, the ride was much bumpier than before. Watching the familiar scenery outside and the faint view of the village, Chen Feng felt excited. Although she had only crossed over half a year ago, those two thatched houses already made her feel a sense of belonging.