The Legend of Concubine's Daughter Minglan

Chapter 122

Gong Hongxiao and Qiuniang came back to pack all of their load. In the meantime when Minglan was waiting for them, she could only chat with Old Madam Qin. Madam Shao who was concerned about her husband went back and asked her daughter Young Lady Xiann to greet Minglan. Zhu shi also ordered the wet nurse to bring Young Master Xian out.

Note: The two Chinese characters for the boy and the girl are different but they look the same in Pinyin. So I'll replace Xian for the girl with Xiann for better understanding.

Minglan looked at the boy and girl carefully and couldn't help thinking, 'Kids from rich family are well fed indeed.'

Young Master Xian was not old enough to talk and could only babbling in the wet nurse's arms, looking chubby and cute. Lady Xiann was only five or six years old, but already as tall as Rong. As young as Lady Xiann was, she behaved elegantly and talked with a sense of propriety. Minglan couldn't help thinking of Rong who was jittering all the time. Then she asked, "Is Rong taking any medicine now?"

Zhu shi also knew that Rong looked not promising and sighed, "No, the doctor we have invited for her said that there was nothing wrong with her body. She just needs someone to ease her anxiety. Then she'll be fine."

Minglan lowered her head and pondered in silence. Lady Xiann, seeing Minglan being like that, tried to comfort her in a childish voice, "Second aunt, don't worry. Sister Rong is only picky about food and likes to be in a daze all day. But she is actually very healthy. Last month, the weather was so changeable that Brother Xian and I all got cold. But Sister Rong was totally fine."

Minglan, fond of the little girl's soft words and innocent look, smiled and said, "Good girl, Xiann! When your father gets better, I'll come pick you to play with Rong in the Cheng Manor. We have just made little swings in the garden."

With a brilliant smile showing on Xiann's immature face, she nodded heavily and said loudly, "I'd love to!"

Old Madam Qin looked at Xiann kindly and sighed slightly, "This girl is so filial. Ever since her father got sick, she stopped going out and didn't even go to the garden in our mansion very often."

Minglan suddenly felt pity for the little girl. According to the list of the names of the famous doctors that Madam Shao had just mentioned, it seemed that the possibility of curing Gu Tingyu was very little. Incurable diseases were still existed in the modern times, let alone the ancient times.

Xian couldn't rest tamely beside his grandmother. He wiggled his body toward Minglan on the brick bed. Minglan chuckled and held the boy up. Zhu shi was startled at first, afraid that something would happen to her son. However, Minglan supported Xian's ribs masterly and let the boy sit on her legs. Then she tickled the boy and rubbed his plump belly. Xian couldn't stop giggling, rolling back and forth on the bed.

Old Madam Qin said with a smile, "I didn't realize you are good at playing with kids."

"My nephew back at home and Xian are about the same age, so is my Eldest Sister's son." Minglan held Xian up again with difficulty and put him into the wet nurse's arms. After that, she wiped the thin sweats on her forehead with her handkerchief. Zhu shi stepped forward to hold her son while amusing him with a joyful look, saying, "We can let those boys play together afterwards. It'll be fun."

Right at this moment, a maid lifted the curtain and came into the room. She seemed a bit scared seeing Old Madam Qin and said in a low voice, "Lady Tingcan said that she was suddenly in a mood of composing this morning and that she would like to write a few poems now. So she can't come to greet Second Madam today. She asked me to apologise for her."