Pampered By All In Different Planes-Chapter 697 - 500: Little Crybaby, Beautiful and Charming, The Rugged Man Spoils His Wife with Seduction 50
The next day.
A family of four dressed in plain clothing and discreetly left the palace.
Ming Yi and Ming Xi rarely ventured outside the palace, exhibiting an unusual curiosity about everything, lingering endlessly in front of the small vendors’ stalls.
Before leaving, Su Zhiruan had prepared a purse for each of them, and the two children would buy anything they liked. Many stall owners, seeing how cute the children were, also gave them many freebies.
Even though the two little ones were only three years old, their talents and interests were already apparent.
Daughter Ming Xi loved to study and create intricate gadgets, and she even made a small wing that could lift a person into the air. If the palace attendants hadn’t been so terrified and stopped her, fearing she might fall, she would probably have flown all over the place.
Su Zhiruan, however, did not deliberately stop her nor suppress the child’s nature, but after all, a three-year-old child was too young, and she also had to consider the child’s safety.
As for Ji Mingyi, he was entirely different from Ming Xi, with a relatively more steady personality and a preference for studying classics and historical texts.
Now, Su Zhiruan and Ji Xiaoyuan watched their daughter meticulously examining a meticulously crafted wooden bird in her hand, while their son was flipping through a timeworn ancient book at the neighboring stall.
"One’s a humanities student, one’s a science student," Su Zhiruan shook her head helplessly.
Ji Xiaoyuan, holding a bag in one hand and Su Zhiruan in the other, chuckled lightly, "I wonder what they’ll be like when they grow up."
Su Zhiruan recalled some words she had read before, "The joy of raising children lies in watching them grow bit by bit, shaping their future, and looking forward to their growth. It’s like playing a simulation game until you’re old, watching vibrant, young children, as if looking through time and space to your own younger self. When they see us off, they too will have children and will grow old — that’s the cycle of life."
"Hmm." Ji Xiaoyuan tightened his grip on her, nodding seriously, "Just like— raising ourselves all over again."
The children wandered far ahead, and the couple hurriedly followed.
They bought a lot of mountain goods, with Ming Yi and Ming Xi picking leaves, touching small fish and shrimp, and collecting many beautiful stones. They played all day, and as dusk fell, they boarded the carriage and soon fell asleep, one resting on Ji Xiaoyuan’s leg, the other leaning in Su Zhiruan’s arms.
The daughter’s cheeks were rosy, leaning in Su Zhiruan’s arms, her little hand still clutching her sleeve, "Mama..."
The golden light refracted through the curtain’s gaps, dancing in the jar full of small fish and shrimp. The horse trotted slowly, heading in the direction of the imperial palace.
*
The next five years were relatively peaceful, with the Wan Dynasty gradually stabilizing. While Su Zhiruan handled governmental affairs, she returned much authority back to the little emperor, which also made her life less stressful.
Ming Yi and Ming Xi studied in the archive room with the little emperor, and besides that, Su Zhiruan and Ji Xiaoyuan found teachers for them based on their interests.
"Papa, Mama!! Look at my new invention!"
Ming Xi had grown much taller, and at this moment, she joyfully entered carrying a large contraption. She almost tripped over the doorstep but was steadied by Ming Yi in time. After regaining balance, she blinked and thanked, "Thank you, brother!"
"Watch where you’re going," Ming Yi said with a small stern face, looking like a little adult, "or Papa and Mama will worry."
"Don’t worry, don’t worry," Ming Xi waved her hand carelessly, suddenly thinking of something, her eyes brightened, "Hey? The palace has too high thresholds; why not invent a ramp for them?"
"Thresholds serve a purpose," Ming Yi said, pulling her inside, his expression so serious it seemed like an academic discourse, "In the classics, a threshold is a boundary between inside and outside, in Feng Shui, it’s equivalent to the head of a house and symbolizes status. Its practical functions are to guard against dust storms, snakes and rodents, and rain and snow..."
"Huh?" Ming Xi couldn’t listen any longer, covering her ears as she shook her head, "Can it really guard against snakes and rats?"
"I’m going back to improve the thresholds!" Ming Xi was still filled with enthusiasm.
Su Zhiruan set down the last petition, leisurely sipped her tea, and watched the two children discussing.
Beside her was Ji Xiaoyuan, who was organizing and compiling information on agriculture. He said jokingly that in future, when they fully retreat to the countryside, he could grow more crops.
