The fool has become a spirit, and she can speak

Chapter 1886 Xing'er is in complete disarray

Cheng Youning chuckled, sat down on his grandmother's soft couch, and began to lie, "Grandpa has let me go out because I behaved well. I missed Grandma for a few days, so I came as soon as my confinement was lifted."

In short, he cared about his grandmother. Madam Wan was so pleased by Cheng Youning's two words that she smiled broadly, as if all her worries of the past few days had been swept away. Madam Wan said to Xing'er, who was helping to pour tea for Cheng Youning, "Xing'er, go and find some food for my grandson."

"Yes!" Seeing the old lady beaming from ear to ear, Xing'er smiled along with her. Finally, there was some joy in the courtyard.

As instructed by Madam Wan, a box of pine nut candy was soon placed in front of Cheng Youning, along with a plate of fruit. The fruit was as fresh as if it had just been picked from the tree: red lychees, purple grapes, green cantaloupe, and golden oranges, all of which were Cheng Youning's favorites.

These are all the usual foods kept in Madam Wan's courtyard, prepared according to Cheng Youning's tastes. Whenever Cheng Youning comes, the old lady has her servants bring out these dishes one by one. She is happier when these things are eaten by her eldest grandson than when they are eaten by herself.

Cheng Youning sat cross-legged on his grandmother's rosewood chaise lounge, facing a small table. He picked up a grape from the plate, peeled it, and then, across the table, put it into his grandmother's mouth.

Is it sweet?

Old Madam Wan frowned, squinted, and even though her teeth were ache from the sour taste, she still smiled and lied, "Sweet! Of course it's sweet because my grandson peeled it! I'll eat it myself. Grandma is getting old, and nothing tastes as good as it used to."

Just by looking at his grandmother's expression, Cheng Youning knew the grapes were a bit sour, which was to his liking. He was used to his grandmother's two-faced nature; whenever he saw her face scrunched up from the sourness, Cheng Youning would laugh heartily. His grandmother listened to him the most and spoiled him the most.

While they were eating fruit, Xing'er brought Cheng Youning a box of dried meat and a plate of snacks. Upon seeing the dried meat, Cheng Youning immediately said to Qiao Rong, "Take this box of dried meat with you when you leave, and give it to Da Huang when you get home."

"Yes!" The aloof young man naturally obeyed whatever Cheng Youning said!

Grandma Wan asked curiously, "Who is Da Huang?"

"hound."

"Oh!" Madam Wan suddenly remembered, "The one that was a tribute from the Southern Tobacco Kingdom?"

“That’s right, Grandma hasn’t seen Big Yellow yet! I’ll bring it over for her to see another day. I think she’s never seen such a spirited hunting dog.” Although this dog wasn’t the best at chasing rabbits, the longer he raised it, the deeper his bond with Big Yellow became. He loved Big Yellow and loved showing it off to others.

Let alone hunting dogs, even ordinary dogs are rarely seen by Madam Wan. Madam Wan would never be disappointed by Cheng Youning's suggestion. "Okay, grandson, bring them over for Grandma to see another day. Grandma has never seen a hunting dog before."

"I'll bring Dahuang in a couple of days. By the way, Grandma, my great-uncle is going to hold a spring hunt in a few days. Anyone who is interested can participate. My father and I will be there, and my great-uncle will be watching. Grandma, would you like to go and watch the hunt too? You'd like to see how good I am at hunting."

"Grandson, there must have been many people that day, and many skilled hunters. What if you were accidentally injured?" Madam Wan's worries were not unfounded. Hundreds of people were entering the hunting grounds to hunt in the dense forest, and there were dangers both visible and invisible. This would make anyone anxious, especially someone of Madam Wan's age. She was afraid that something might happen to her children and grandchildren, and she couldn't accept any unfortunate news.

"No, Grandma, don't worry. These days, my grandson is outstanding in horse racing and archery. There aren't many people who can beat me." Cheng Youning patted his chest and boasted. Qiao Rong, who was standing to the side with a cold expression, didn't want to listen, but he had no choice but to. The master he served was too arrogant. He dared to say anything and didn't care whether others believed him or not.

Sunlight streamed through the window onto the soft chaise lounge, warm and bright. Cheng Youning's shoulder felt warm and cozy from the sun. He couldn't sit still any longer. He spat the grape skin from his mouth into the dish and said, "Grandma, let me go for a walk with you. Staying cooped up in the house all day will make you grow moldy."

Madam Wan had no intention of going out for a walk, but her grandson had already picked up her shoes, so she had no choice but to agree without saying a word.

Cheng Youning helped his grandmother walk slowly out. Madam Wan looked at her grandson with great satisfaction, "My grandson has always been taller than his peers since he was a child, and now he is much taller than his grandmother."

Cheng Youning forced a smile and finally said something modest, "Grandson is much shorter than Father!"

Madam Wan firmly believed, "You'll grow as tall as your father someday!"

Driven by a competitive spirit and an overly strong desire to win, Cheng Youning said without hesitation, "Grandson must be taller than Father!"

Following behind, Qiao Rong secretly smirked. Taller than the prince? How tall must he be? Thinking of this, Qiao Rong couldn't help but straighten his back. His father, Hu Er, was of normal height, a head shorter than the prince. If he inherited his father's height, wouldn't he be a head shorter than the crown prince in the future? Thinking of this, Qiao Rong straightened his body even more, trying to make himself look taller.

Bathed in the warm sunshine, the grandmother and grandson strolled leisurely to the back garden. Cheng Youning's little hands were incredibly fast; before Old Madam Wan could even see clearly, her grandson had already picked two blue-purple cat's paw flowers, then stuck them in her hair, and even smiled, saying they looked beautiful.

Grandma Wan took her grandson's words as true and happily laughed along with him, making her seem several years younger.

Xing'er, who was standing to the side, also started giggling.

Upon seeing the swing, Cheng Youning's eyes lit up. He helped his grandmother walk towards the swing, saying, "Grandma, sit on the swing, and I'll rock you."

Upon hearing this, Madam Wan was shocked and waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "No, Grandma is too old to swing on the swing."

Xing'er, standing to the side, turned pale with anxiety. This...this absolutely cannot be allowed! The Prince and Princess are not at home; who can she ask to stop this? Seeing the Crown Prince about to put the Old Madam on the swing, Xing'er panicked. "Your Highness, the Old Madam is advanced in years; it is very dangerous for her to swing."

Cheng Youning wouldn't listen to any advice and said nonchalantly, "What's so dangerous about swinging? I'm right here! Even if Grandma flies off, I can easily catch her."

Xing'er stood in front of the swing, refusing to agree no matter what. "Your Highness, you mustn't! If you make the old lady fall, Xing'er won't be able to explain to the Prince and Princess."

"This is my grandmother. I need your explanation. Get out of my way. If you get in my way again, you're going back to Shouning Courtyard to reflect on your mistakes and you're not allowed to come out." The Shouning Courtyard that Cheng Youning mentioned was the courtyard of Old Madam Wan.