Chapter 159: Yearning for Aunt’s Place

Just as Chen Feng and the others arrived at the corner gate of Tangyuan, they saw the round-faced Chu Hanyan and the Luo siblings, under the escort of Mama Song, Mrs. Wei, and two guards, walking out. Chu Hanyan was still carrying the large swallow doll she had been playing with when she sleeps.

Chen Feng was surprised, “Where are you off to, little miss?”

Pouting, Chu Hanyan said, “The twentieth, resting, going to Aunt’s… home.”

Mama Song coaxed, “Sweetheart, Ms. Chen is here at Tangyuan today. Let’s stay home and play, okay?”

“No… want… to go… to Aunt’s house, it’s… fragrant…” Chu Hanyan stubbornly insisted.

The little girl was becoming quite shrewd. She didn’t go on ordinary days, choosing to wait until Chen Feng’s rest day fell on the tenth. She even brought the large swallow doll, clearly intending to take a nap at Luyuan.

Chen Feng smiled, “You’re quite the capable one, knowing that Aunt is resting today and wanting to take a break at home. Alright, Aunt invites you to come over for a visit.”

Chu Hanyan pursed her lips and smiled, pulling her hand away from Mama Song’s and reaching out to Chen Feng. Chen Feng held her little hand and led her towards Luyuan.

With a spacious home and the help of Aunt Mu, having the little girl over at Chen Feng’s own house didn’t feel burdensome. She first spent some time playing games with the children in the west corridor for about a quarter of an hour before leading them into the south room of the west wing to play with building blocks.

While they were playing, there was a knock at the door. As Shanzhi opened it, Yang Chao’s loud voice was heard, “Dabao, Aunt Chen, my sister and I have come to your place. We can stay at your house for two days.”

Chen Feng and Dabao came out to see old lady Huang leading the two siblings into the house, with Old Yang following behind in a carriage.

Yang Chao scolded Chen Dabao, “You didn’t even tell us when you moved. We came to your house first, and they said you’d moved here…”

Chen Dabao began to explain.

Chen Feng lifted Yang Qian and said, “Welcome, Aunt has missed you.” She noticed that Yang Qian’s eyes were a bit swollen and asked, “What’s wrong, did you cry?”

Upon hearing this, Yang Qian’s eyes welled up with tears, and she sniffled, saying, “Aunt Chen, Dad sent a message saying he won’t be coming home for the New Year. He doesn’t want his mother, son, or daughter…”

After her words, she burst into tears.

Yang Chao’s eyes turned red, and he pouted deeply.

Old lady Huang explained, “Yesterday, our master sent a message, saying that business in the capital is particularly busy, so he can’t come back for the New Year. As a result, the children were upset and cried all day yesterday. They insisted on coming here, and our old lady allowed it.” The siblings had been clamoring to come to the Chen house, and the old lady of the Yang family had finally given in after their persistent demands.

Chen Feng thought that since Yang Mingyuan was working hard and making good money in the capital, there should be some sacrifices to be made. Moreover, she was very fond of the two siblings, especially Yang Qian. She smiled and said, “Alright, Aunt welcomes you to stay at our house. You can stay for as long as you want, there are plenty of rooms at Aunt’s place.”

The two children felt somewhat relieved after hearing this.

After leading them into the west wing, she let them play with the blocks at the table. Yang Chao was immediately drawn in. When Yang Qian saw Chu Hanyan, she smiled and happily went to sit next to her, saying, “Little Hanyan, I’ve missed you so much.” With a pout, she shared her sorrow, “Little Hanyan, let me tell you, my dad doesn’t want me at all. He won’t be coming back for the New Year to see me. I feel so sad, I keep crying and crying and crying…”

It’s unclear how many times she said “crying.”

Chu Hanyan had already forgotten who she was, but since the other party’s attitude was so good, she kept smiling and said, “Miss… Dad… misses… Aunt more.”

Her words deeply moved Chen Feng. However, thinking back to the conversation with Qiqi that night, she felt somewhat uncomfortable. If Chu Lingxuan remarried, no matter if his future stepmother was good or not, she wouldn’t like it if her stepdaughter was too close to outsiders. The little girl was so reliant on her, even more so than her own family. Chu Lingxuan wouldn’t be pleased, and his future wife would surely be unhappy. In this situation, not only would the little girl be unlucky, but she might also end up in a difficult position.

She decided to observe the situation. If Chu Lingxuan became engaged, she would have to find a way to prevent the little girl from becoming too dependent on her.

Chen Feng took Aunt Mu to the kitchen to make some cheese cakes and cooked a few dishes that the children liked.

Seeing Mrs. Gao heading home for lunch, she gave her a few cakes and a bowl of braised pork to take back. She also told her to have Dahua and the Daya to come to Luyuan for lunch, and then have Shanzhi take them back in the evening. She also told Shanzhi to go with Mrs. Gao to the village to pick them up.

Chen Feng could see that Mrs. Gao was eager for her children to mingle with the kids from wealthier families. When Mrs. Gao heard her response, she smiled broadly and left with Shanzhi.

The food was ready and served on the low rectangular table in the south room of the west wing. Along with Chen Feng, the eight children sat around the table to eat.

Chen Feng had been teaching Chu Hanyan to feed herself with a spoon for the past few days. Despite making a mess and getting food all over, she insisted on not letting Mama Song feed her. The other children were managing to eat on their own, though Yang Qian, accustomed to being fed by her nanny, ended up with a table full of food.

As they were halfway through their meal, Miao suddenly arrived, panting heavily.

Before she could say anything, Chu Hanyan burst into tears, crying, “Don’t want go… home, don’t want… Dad, want to eat… Aunt’s food… want to sleep… at Aunt’s place… sobbing…”

Surprisingly, her anger had stimulated the little girl’s intellect even more. Not only did she deduce that her father had returned and understand Miao’s purpose, she also spoke so much in one go.

Although the content of her words was distressing, the progress she had made was significant. Chen Feng, Mama Song, Mrs. Wei, and Chen Dabao were all delighted, while even the chatterbox Yang Qian was amazed, saying, “Little Hanyan can say so many things!”

Proudly, Chen Dabao said, “Qian, you don’t know, Hanyan is so capable.”

Mrs. Wei took Miao out of the south room.

Chen Feng comforted the little girl, saying, “Don’t cry, you can sleep at Aunt’s place.”

Then, she went to the main room.

Miao said, “Master has returned…”

It was true!

Chen Feng said, “What should we do? She cries when we mention going home. How about you go back and tell your Master, and then return after she’s had her nap?”

Mrs. Wei said, “I’ll go back and explain things to Master. Perhaps he’ll be pleased about Hanyan’s progress. And I’ll bring a few pieces of cake as a gesture, as Master enjoys sweet treats.”

Chen Feng then packed a few pieces of cake for her to take back.