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Upon returning to the Donghui Courtyard, Lu Man had the east wing rooms prepared. These were intended for her mother to stay, with furniture and decorations all in place, now temporarily allocated for Song Mo. With the accompanying maids, the five rooms would suffice for them.
She instructed delicate ornaments to be put away and replaced with child-friendly decorations. Instead of bedding, there hung a canopy. Children from such households typically carried their own bedding when staying elsewhere.
She also devised a menu. Detoxifying soups could upset the stomach, so she planned nutritious and visually appealing dishes.
Around midday, Prince He and old Princess He personally escorted Song Mo to the Crane Hall. It was explained that Song Mo liked Lu Man and Sweet Pea, and Princess He, seeing him without a mother, agreed to him staying at the Donghui Courtyard for a few days.
Upon receiving the news, Lu Man, accompanied by Jiang Zhankui, Jiang Jiu, and the long-awaited Sweet Pea, went to the Crane Hall to pick them up.
Princess He continuously praised Lu Man, leaving her slightly embarrassed. The others, including the Young Madam Han, presumed it was due to Lu Man saving the old Princess He.
Song Mo was not reluctant to leave his grandmother, in fact, he was delighted for his first extended stay away from home.
Starting with a lengthy expression of longing and excitement, tugging on Lu Man’s skirt, he imitated adults by respectfully saying to Jiang Zhankui, “Please pardon our stay at your mansion.”
Amused by the situation, Jiang Zhankui played along, understanding Song Mo’s high status and responded courteously “Please, welcome, welcome.
The old Marquis quipped, “These two pretenders are no fun.”
Song Ming likely knew Lu Man’s current living space was limited, as he brought only two maids and four servants for Song Mo. None of these servants had served Song Mo previously. The steward maid, Mama Duan, and the head maid, Xiang Chun, were from Princess He’s entourage.
After tidying Song Mo’s room at the Donghui Courtyard, it was evening.
The group headed to the main dining hall for dinner. Just as the meal was served, the old Marquis and Jiang Zhanyan arrived. With a witty smile, the old Marquis remarked, “You must have delicious food tonight since you’re hosting.
Blushing, Jiang Zhanyan said, “Grandfather dragged me here, saying you must have golden crispy pork today…”
Lu Man hurriedly replied, “Welcome. However, we don’t have golden crispy pork today, we have golden chicken popcorn instead, equally delicious.”
The chicken popcorn was warmly received and appreciated.
The old Marquis requested a small plate for himself, saying, “Delicious, I’ll take some back for the Changting.”
Jiang Zhanyan also requested, “Please set aside a small plate for me to take back for my mother.”
Song Mo chimed in quickly, “I want some too, to show respect to my grandmother and father.”
Given their insistence, Lu Man reluctantly agreed.
It wasn’t that she was unwilling, but in this era, for chicken popcorn, one needed tender, male chickens weighing less than a pound. Additionally, only two small chickens could be made into a large dish. With the chicken popcorn nearly devoured, only two suitable chickens remained at home, requiring them to be slaughtered for tomorrow’s meal.
After dinner, bidding farewell to the old Marquis and Jiang Zhanyan, Lu Man led Song Mo and the Sweet Pea back to his temporary residence. Knowing that Lu Man was going to treat Song Mo, Jiang Zhankui and Jiang Jiu obediently refrained from disturbing them.
A warm fire burned in the room, providing coziness.
Lu Man removed her cloak and thick coat, then helped Song Mo out of his cotton robe. Both sat on the heated kang in lighter attire. Lu Man gently held his adorable face, kissing him all around, causing Song Mo’s face to blush and his ears to turn red.
She then joyfully embraced him, holding him close, and asked, “When you arrived, did your grandmother and father mention treating your illness?”
Song Mo replied, “Yes, they told me to be good and listen to Sister-in-law.”
Lu Man gently tapped his head with her chin and softly asked, “Do you listen to her?”
“Yes, I don’t want to get sick.”
“Do you trust Sister-in-law?”
“I do! Sister-in-law cured Grandmother’s severe illness. I trust her completely.” Song Mo replied without hesitation.
Moved by his complete trust, Lu Man continued, “Because Sister-in-law gave your grandmother acupuncture, she got better, unlike your mother. Isn’t that right?”
“Um.” Song Mo initially agreed but then looked up at Lu Man with tears welling up in his big eyes. Pouting, he asked, “Is Sister-in-law going to give me acupuncture too?”
Seeing his pitiful expression, Lu Man couldn’t bear it. She wiped away his tears with a handkerchief, speaking in a softer tone, “When you’re ill, you need to take medicine and get acupuncture for the illness to improve. Mo, rest assured, since we have such a good relationship, I’ll insert the needles gently, it won’t hurt, just like a mosquito bite…”
After talking for a while and promising that Sweet Pea would accompany him to sleep that night, the young boy continued to sob softly. Lu Man, with a heavy heart, added, “Be obedient, Sister-in-law and Sweet Pea will be with you while you sleep, alright?”
Although scared of needles, the temptation was too strong for Song Mo. Pouting, he asked, “Really?”
“Absolutely true.” Lu Man affirmed.
Handing Song Mo over to Mama Duan, Lu Man instructed him to lie on his back, half-reclining in her arms. Sweet Pea was then encouraged to play on top of the tall cupboard, within Song Mo’s line of sight.
Having made a promise to Sweet Pea earlier to spend more time with Song Mo, Lu Man and Lu Ying sat on the brocade stool, while Sweet Pea on top of the cupboard grabbed Song Mo’s attention. Mama Duan positioned her hand to partially obscure Song Mo’s view, blocking his sight of the row of long silver needles on Lu Ying’s lap.
Lu Man signaled to Qingqing, who then gestured to Sweet Pea. In response, Sweet Pea leaped up, showcasing acrobatics by hanging on the cupboard’s edge.
Excited, Song Mo laughed, and as Lu Man and Lu Ying swiftly inserted the silver needles into his Zhongwan, Shangwan, Sanyinjiao, and Sanyinjiao acupoints.
As Song Mo reacted with crying and movement, Mama Duan held his upper body tightly, while Xiang Chun secured his legs.
Lu Man chuckled, “All done. Does it hurt? Not at all, right?”
Song Mo stopped moving, realizing it wasn’t as painful as he imagined. Sweet Pea’s antics on the cupboard distracted him.
After half an hour, Lu Man removed the needles, hugged Song Mo, kissed him several times, and praised, “There’s no child braver than you, Mo. Not even Sweet Pea can compare.”
Suspiciously, Song Mo asked, “Really?”
Unapologetically teasing him, Lu Man responded, “Of course, even Sweet Pea would cry if given a shot, not just acupuncture.”
As she finished speaking, a series of loud meows echoed from the top of the cupboard.