Phi-Fic Chapter 38 He's always been stingy and miserly.
Chapter 38 He's always been stingy and miserly.
"Brother, brother~"
After saying this, the clever Lou Xiaobao hurriedly jumped off the stool, pitifully tugged at Xin Moling's large official robe, blinked at him, and looked like a cute and obedient little boy.
Seeing this, Lou Shenghan picked up his son and moved closer to Xin Moling, then said with a smile, "General Xin, look how cute and lively my son is. He and the princess are quite close friends despite their age difference. I'm sure you heard what His Majesty said this morning: I will be going to Lizhou with Prince Ze tomorrow, and I'm really worried about leaving my son alone at home. General Xin, please grant my request, considering that my son lost his mother at a young age and I have been raising him alone as both father and mother!"
She secretly pinched her son's little bottom, signaling him to be cute. Lou Xiaobao didn't disappoint, calling out to Xin Moling in a childish voice, "Guoguo~ Hug baby~ Guoguo hug~"
The child stretched out his little hand, wanting Xin Moling to hug him. Lou Shenghan quickly put the child in his arms, his movements swift and smooth, without any hesitation, and then took a big step back.
Looking at the innocent and bewildered eyes of the child in her arms, Xin Moling was stunned for a second before saying, "What is Prime Minister Lou doing? You are leaving the capital tomorrow. You should entrust Lou Xiaobao to a reliable person and leave him in the General's Mansion. What kind of behavior is this?"
"In my opinion, the General's Mansion is a reliable place. You see, even the Princess has agreed, so Xin Moling, you should agree too!"
After Lou Shenghan finished speaking, he secretly winked at Xin Moyan, who was standing to the side. He couldn't possibly disobey his sister, and sure enough...
"Brother, it's really pitiful for Xiaobao to be home alone without his parents to take care of him. Besides, Xiaobao is so well-behaved and obedient. Yan'er is also bored at home, so he can keep me company!"
Xin Moyan stepped forward, reached out and patted Lou Xiaobao's head, then tugged at her brother's sleeve and shook it, her eyes filled with a pleading look.
Seeing her expectant look, and the child in her arms staring at him with clear, innocent eyes, Xin Moling had no choice but to nod slightly in agreement.
"I knew it, my brother is the best!"
"Hello, baby! Hello, Mommy!"
"Lou Xiaobao, Yan'er is not your mother."
"Mother~"
"..."
Seeing Xin Moling's expression gradually turn ugly, Lou Shenghan made an excuse about being busy with official duties and hurriedly left the General's Mansion, forgetting to give his son a few words of advice.
If this drags on any longer, what if Xin Moling gets angry and sends her son back to the manor because Xiaobao keeps calling his sister "Mommy"? That would be terrible!
"Little Bao! Shall I take you for a walk in the garden?"
Lou Xiaobao clapped his hands and excitedly shouted, "Great! Mommy~"
The brother and sister did feel somewhat helpless, but it seemed that a three-year-old child couldn't really understand reasoning.
Xin Moling didn't say anything more. She just sat down at the table, rested her chin on her hand, and watched with great interest as the two of them played the game.
Xin Moyan carried him to the swing set, made him hold onto the ropes on both sides, and then slowly and gently swayed the swing, making Lou Xiaobao giggle.
After playing for a long time, until Xin Moyan's arms were sore from shaking him, she finally picked him up and led him to the pond to see the goldfish.
"Yan'er, come and have some water!"
Xin Moling waved to her. Although Lou Xiaobao called Yan'er "Mother", it was still more lively with another child in the mansion. Yan'er's personality became more cheerful and lively.
She pulled Lou Xiaobao to sit down in front of her, took the water her brother had poured, gave the little guy a sip first, and then said excitedly, "Brother, Xiaobao likes that swing. Let's have a smaller one made for him another day!"
"Alright! I'll give the order later."
After speaking, he looked them up and down and asked slowly, "Yan'er, what conditions did Lou Shenghan agree to just now?"
"Brother~ Hehehe~"
She awkwardly touched her nose, but she couldn't hide it from her brother.
Xin Moling's lips curled up slightly. In just a few days, she had figured out Yan'er's personality quite well. Even if Yan'er loved Lou Xiaobao, she would not let Lou Shenghan get his way so easily.
"Yan'er, Lou Shenghan has always been stingy and miserly. I'd like to know what you made him agree to?"
"Hehe~ Brother, Prime Minister Lou said he'd give Yan'er two shops on West Street, and then..."
Xin Moyan smiled mischievously, her eyes instantly sparkling. She lowered her voice and said mysteriously to him, "Then I asked Prime Minister Lou to add another thousand taels of silver, and he agreed. I think the silver and the deed will be delivered to the manor soon!"
He was filled with disbelief. Lou Shenghan was notoriously stingy. He only ever sent gifts to the Prime Minister's residence and had never seen him take anything out of his pocket to give away. Yet Yan'er actually asked him for a thousand taels of silver!
"Yan'er, did he really promise to give you a shop and money?"
"Hmm!"
"Brother, were you on good terms with Prime Minister Lou in the past?"
She knew that Lou Shenghan used to look down on her, but since they were both officials in the court, she wondered what their past relationship was like. If they had any grudges, she should try to stay away from him as much as possible.
Xin Moling raised her beautiful eyebrows and pondered for a moment before saying, "Lou Shenghan has been the prime minister for three years. Although we are officials in the same court, we often discuss state affairs in the imperial study in private. However, he has always loved to use his glib tongue, so I rarely pay attention to him."
"I was thinking that if my brother had a grudge against him, then Yan'er would ignore him in the future."
Hearing his sister's words, Xin Moling laughed happily. He knew that Yan'er would always consider his feelings.
"Hehehe~ Yan'er is still the most considerate brother."
"Mommy~ Potty~ Baby pee~"
A soft, sweet voice interrupted the siblings' conversation. Lou Xiaobao rubbed his eyes, looking somewhat sleepy.
"Lou Xiaobao, Uncle will take you to pee. You can't pee on yourself, okay?"
"Mom, go~"
"Uncle tells you, men and women should not touch each other, and only men can help with such matters."
The little guy seemed a bit confused, staring blankly at Xin Moyan.
"Little Bao, be good. Let your brother take you. After lunch, I'll put you to sleep, okay?"
When Lou Xiaobao heard that his mother was going to coax him to sleep, his eyes immediately lit up, and he nodded vigorously.
Before long, Lou Shenghan sent his attendants with the agreed-upon deeds to the two houses and a thousand taels of silver, along with many of Lou Xiaobao's everyday clothes and the small blanket he usually slept in.
In the room, Lou Xiaobao lay on the inside of the bed wearing his undergarments, with Xin Moyan lying down beside him, gently patting his little belly and coaxing him softly, "Good baby, I'll tell you a story, Xiaobao, just close your eyes and go to sleep!"
"Mmm! Mommy's getting bigger~"
"Yes, that's right! Once upon a time, there was a princess named Snow White. She was extremely beautiful, but her mother died when she was very young, and her father married a very fierce wife..."