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After school, Dabao didn’t go home through the Tangyuan gate with Chen Lu as usual but headed towards the inner courtyard. From now on, this would be his home.
Although he preferred Fengyuan and Luyuan a bit more in his heart, having his mother and little sister here made him happy. He went straight to Yanxiang Pavilion.
He saw his mother and sister waiting for him outside the pavilion.
Dabao happily ran towards Chen Feng but was caught by Autumn, who was prepared.
Autumn said with a smile, “Madam isn’t feeling well, so you can’t rush around like this.”
Dabao worriedly tugged at Chen Feng’s skirt and asked, “Is mother sick?”
Chen Feng wiped his face with a handkerchief and chuckled, “No, I’m just a bit tired.”
Autumn supported Chen Feng into the courtyard, while Chu Hanyan gave Dabao a small wooden figure she bought at Yingshuan Monastery. The two children followed their mother hand in hand. When they reached the main room, instead of going inside, they headed towards the back courtyard.
Dabao knew they were going to Energetic Courtyard and stopped in his tracks. He hesitated, saying, “Mother, I don’t want to go to Energetic Courtyard. I want to stay in Yanxiang Pavilion, closer to you.” He knew his mother wouldn’t agree to this request, but he still wanted to make a final effort.
Chen Feng turned around and said, “Yesterday, you promised your father and me to stay in Yanxiang Pavilion for only a day and then go to Energetic Courtyard. Isn’t that right?”
Dabao lowered his head without saying a word.
Chu Hanyan quickly tried to please her mother, “Mother, I promised you and father yesterday that I would go back to Serene Courtyard today.”
Chen Feng smiled, “Yes, little Yan is a good girl who keeps her promises. But Dabao is also a child of his word. Also, Zhui Feng’s family doesn’t want to be far from you, they have already moved to Energetic Courtyard, and Qiqi and Gray’s nest has also been moved to their sister’s place.”
Dabao looked at his mother, then at his sister, unable to bring himself to do something even less than what his sister would do. Besides, he had visited Energetic Courtyard before and realized that it was just a wall separating his sister’s courtyard from his. If his sister spoke there, he could hear it on his side. And then there was Zhui Feng and his family, Qiqi, and Gray…
As he pondered, Chu Hanyan said, “Brother, don’t you want to be neighbors with your sister anymore? You said you liked being neighbors with me that day.” After speaking, she looked at Dabao with teary eyes, her little mouth pouted.
Dabao couldn’t bear to see his sister upset and quickly said, “No, I like being neighbors with my sister…” He glanced at Chen Feng and added, “And I also like being neighbors with mother.”
Chen Feng chuckled, “We are neighbors already. When you walk out of the Energetic Courtyard gate, your sister’s residence is on the left, and if you cross the bridge ahead, you’ll reach mother’s residence.”
Dabao thought about it and agreed.
Moreover, having spent over a month apart from Chen Feng before, he had gotten used to the days when his mother wasn’t around. Although he was reluctant deep down, he had to accept the reality of living separately from Chen Feng.
However, he added a condition, “Sister and I will occasionally spend a night with mother.”
This arrangement was acceptable. Chen Feng nodded in agreement.
Pretending not to notice Dabao’s teary eyes, they all headed straight to Energetic Courtyard. Mrs. Wei, now called Mama Luo, along with Summer and Xiaozi, were waiting at the entrance.
Dabao greeted the Zhui Feng’s family first upon entering the courtyard, then proceeded to the main room. Mama Luo and Xiaozi bowed to the new master, while Summer handed them two purses containing silver ingots.
Chu Hanyan’s monthly allowance was twenty taels of silver, so from now on, Dabao’s would also be twenty taels. Chen Feng gave him forty taels for the two months of this year, along with an additional fifty taels. This, coupled with his Lunar New Year red packet, gave him a modest sum of wealth.
It was agreed that Summer would handle the accounts, while Mama Luo would manage the money since her family was there. Mama Luo would go back to her own home at night, and Summer and Xiaozi would take turns standing guard during the night.
After sorting everything out, they all proceeded to Hai Tang Hall. Adjacent to the Second Gate, Hai Tang Hall was where Tangyuan entertained guests. It consisted of three large rooms without a central courtyard, surrounded by over a dozen weeping crabapple trees. The dining room was now located there, and at noon and in the evenings, the entire Chu family would gather there for meals.
Before entering the hall, the sound of Li Xuan’s crying could be heard. He wanted to continue playing in Fengyuan, but Mama Wei coaxed him to go back to Yanxiang Pavilion first for a bath and a change of clothes. Golden Swallow, Qiqi, and Gray had accompanied him all day and had grown impatient, already taking Wangcai to play in the woods.
The old marquis was already seated in the hall. Chen Feng and the others paid their respects to the old marquis, while the two children leaned against him. Chen Feng tried to pick up Li Xuan, but Mama Wei quickly intervened.
Mama Wei, being perceptive, noticed Mrs. Li’s behavior and quickly said, “No need, Madam, I’ll hold him.”
Mama Luo and Mama Song had also noticed the situation and discreetly kept an eye on their young masters, ensuring they didn’t disturb Chen Feng.
Blushing slightly, Chen Feng smiled at Li Xuan in Mama Wei’s arms and asked, “What’s wrong, little Xuan?”
Li Xuan pouted and cried, “Fengyuan, ladder, hole, want to play.”
For a child of over four years, this expression was not very clear. However, it was the best Li Xuan had expressed himself so far. Previously, apart from asking for food, he had never made any specific requests or spoken this much.
Mama Wei happily said, “Oh, my clever boy. Tomorrow, we’ll go play on the ladder and in the hole.”
Mama Luo and Mama Song finally understood that the child had some intellectual disabilities. It seemed that Madam had brought him here for treatment.
Smiling, Chen Feng wiped away Li Xuan’s tears and said, “Yes, we’ll go tomorrow. Auntie and sister will accompany little Xuan.”
In the evening, Chen Feng noticed Mama Li sending the maids away and hesitating to speak. She said, “Mama Li, just say what you need to say directly, why hesitate.”
Mama Li then whispered, “Madam, have you thought about who will serve the Master in the future?”
Chen Feng was taken aback and asked, “What do you mean?”
Mama Li hinted, “Once Madam is pregnant, she can’t serve the Master anymore. Who will serve him then? Old people feels that it’s important to find a suitable person to avoid future troubles. Like Mrs. Tang, it’s a good thing she passed away. When that vile woman was alive, she often caused trouble between the old lady and the madam, making the madam shed many tears…”
Chen Feng understood—Mama Li was asking whom to appoint as a concubine or maid for Chu Lingxuan. In ancient times, most women were irrational, including even clever women like Madam Jiang. They believed that once a woman was pregnant, she should find a mistress for the man.
Her good mood vanished instantly, and she coldly said, “Oh, this matter, I’ll ask my husband about it when he returns.”
She thought to herself that Chu Lingxuan had initially agreed not to have concubines. Plus, she believed he wasn’t interested in women, or else there would have been women before her or after Lady Ma.