Lan Fang fed Xie Chenghui a bowl of milk. Soon, seeing that he was a bit sleepy, his small hands clutching his fists and rubbing his eyes.
Xie Fengran's heart softened. She pulled the child into her arms and gently patted him.
Maybe he felt safe in Xie Fengran's arms, or perhaps he was tired from crying just now. Before long, he fell asleep.
Listening to his deep breathing, Xie Fengran held him for a while longer. Thinking he wouldn't be woken up, she then handed him to Lan Fang, instructing, "Be gentle. Hand him to the wet nurse."
Lan Fang nodded and reached out to take the child. But before she could touch him, she saw her young lady withdraw her hand.
“...” What's going on?
“Don't bother. Go and call the wet nurse here. Then go get a thicker cloak. The night breeze is cold. If you go out like this, you might catch a cold!”
Lan Fang responded and called He Xiang in to find the cloak while she went to fetch the wet nurse.
Before long, the wet nurse came in with Lan Fang.
This wet nurse was found by the old Madam Xie. After observing for a while, Xie Fengran found that she truly cared for Chenghui and took meticulous care of him. So she put her mind at ease and only inquired casually from time to time.
Seeing the wet nurse this time, she asked the usual questions, “Has the young master been eating well recently? How about his sleep?”
The wet nurse was not very old, in her early thirties. Her husband used to be a scholar on the outskirts of the capital. He died unexpectedly, leaving behind two children at home. Having no other choice, she came to the Marquis Mansion to be a wet nurse.
Hearing Xie Fengran's question, she quickly replied, “Reporting to the eldest young lady, the food from the small kitchen suits the young master's taste. He eats a bowl of rice at every meal. He just doesn't like to eat vegetables very much. His sleep is also good.”
Xie Fengran nodded and handed Xie Chenghui over, “Be gentle. Carry the young master back to his room to sleep.”
The wet nurse looked at Xie Chenghui's rosy face as he slept. A soft look flashed in her eyes. She reached out to take him. But for some reason, her body stiffened.
Xie Fengran had been watching her. Seeing that she stopped moving, she was a bit puzzled, “Do you have something else to say?”
The wet nurse looked hesitant, “Eldest young lady, I don't know if I should say this or not. But if I don't say it, the young master will really suffer. I just can't bear it.”
Xie Fengran sat up straight, her face turning serious, “What's going on? Is there something wrong with Chenghui?”
“No, it's just that the young master's teacher is too strict. The young master has just started his enlightenment. The homework the teacher assigns is really too much. The young master has to stay up very late every day to finish it. Like today, this is already a small amount. If he fails to complete it, the teacher will beat his palm. I really can't bear to see the young master work so hard. That's why, that's why...”
“Why didn't you tell me earlier?”
He's only three years old. Why assign so much homework to him?
What kind of lousy teacher is this!
If it weren't for the presence of others, Xie Fengran would have cursed out loud!
“This was the old Madam's idea. I thought you knew about it, so I didn't dare to say anything!”
She had been in the mansion for a short time, but she also understood that the child in her arms was the only heir of the Marquis Mansion of Determining the Country. It was normal for him to work hard.
But the child was full of energy. Now he was listless every day because of the homework. That's why she couldn't hold back and said it.
Xie Fengran's face didn't improve because of the wet nurse's words. Instead, it became even more solemn.
After a while, she calmed down a bit and told the wet nurse to go back.
The wet nurse had been gone for a while, but Xie Fengran still sat there motionless.
Xie Chenghui's pitiful look was imprinted in her mind and wouldn't go away. Through him, Xie Fengran seemed to see herself as a young girl, lonely and helpless, trapped in the study of the Green Pine Courtyard. Those rules and fetters tightened little by little.
Gradually, they molded her into a flawless aristocratic young lady. But no one ever asked her if she was willing, if she needed it, or what she wanted!
“Miss...”
Lan Fang looked at Xie Fengran with full of worry in her eyes but didn't dare to touch her rashly.
It had been a long time since the young lady had looked so lonely and desolate. It seemed that the young master's matter had really affected her!
Xie Fengran came back to her senses. Looking at the dark room, for a moment, she didn't even realize whether this was her boudoir or the study in the Green Pine Courtyard. She didn't come to her senses until Lan Fang lit the lamp.
“What time is it?” When she opened her mouth, her voice was a bit hoarse.
Lan Fang handed her a glass of water, “It's already the Hour of the Boar. Miss, go to bed early. Tomorrow is the day of the interview.”
Xie Fengran nodded. She had to solve these problems, but she had to pass the interview first so that she would have more chips to negotiate with her grandmother.
Lan Fang quickly served Xie Fengran to wash up.
The night passed in silence. The next day, Xie Fengran woke up early. Although she didn't need to cram at the last minute, there were still some things she needed to instruct.
Lan Fang had been on night duty last night. This morning, Liu Yi came to serve. She reached out to serve Xie Fengran a bowl of porridge and reported in a low voice, “Miss, that Nanny Shen has been pulling the little maid who went with you to inquire since you came back yesterday. Do I need to warn her?”
“Don't pay attention to her. Keep an eye on the doctor to change the dressing on time. If she's a sensible person, she should know what to do best.”
Seeing Xie Fengran's attitude, Liu Yi also knew what to do, “Don't worry, Miss.”
Xie Fengran ate a bowl of porridge, two steamed buns, and a purple rice and Chinese yam roll, then put down her chopsticks.
Just as she was about to instruct Liu Yi, she saw Zhu Qing come in from outside.
“Miss!”
“Didn't you go to the manor? Why did you come back so soon?” Xie Fengran was a bit strange.
Zhu Qing explained, “I went to the Lingfeng Teahouse to deliver something. Only then did I know that my senior brother was invited into the city by the prince last night and was in the teahouse. So I didn't go to the manor. After seeing my senior brother, the prince told me to come back and accompany you, for fear that some ignorant person might bump into you.”
“How could someone bump into me during the interview of the Women's College?”
Xie Fengran didn't take it seriously. She knew who Qin Junxing was referring to, but she didn't think anyone would dare to cause trouble on such an occasion.
She turned around and instructed Liu Yi, “Since Zhu Qing is back, you accompany Chenghui to study today. Remember to tell the teacher that Chenghui is the only heir of the Marquis Mansion of Determining the Country. If anything goes wrong, he won't be able to bear the consequences!”
When Xie Fengran said this, her expression was calm, but the aura on her body was so overwhelming that it made people breathless.
Zhu Qing was in awe of the usually gentle and soft young lady who had such a side. But Liu Yi knew that the young lady was really angry this time!
She immediately responded seriously.
Zhu Qing had been here for a while and also understood a bit of Xie Fengran's temper. Seeing that she was unhappy, she wanted to divert her attention, so she told her what she had just seen.
“Miss, when I came back just now, I saw someone from the Second Young Lady's courtyard invite a doctor into the mansion. Do you know who is ill?”
“Who?” It couldn't be that Xie Yunxi was pretending to be ill and didn't want to go to the interview, could it?
On such an important occasion, half of the powerful people in the capital would go. She didn't believe that Xie Yunxi wouldn't be tempted.
Zhu Qing shook her head, “No, it's the Second Young Lady's tutoring nanny. I overheard a bit. It seems that she broke her leg. That's why the Second Young Lady asked someone to invite the doctor into the mansion.”
“Tutoring nanny?” Xie Fengran's expression was a bit strange —
Could it be what she was thinking?