After I traveled through the book, I fought back in the Hou Mansion

Chapter 376

Du Lingfeng stared at Luo Shuiyao with a sincere look and said seriously, "She's beautiful, just like mother."

Luo Shuiyao smiled faintly: "Thank you for the hairpin, brother. I like it very much."

Seeing her eyebrows relaxed and full of joy, Du Lingfeng's mouth corners unconsciously raised.

The brother and sister stayed here for a long time. Du Lingfeng took out many childhood toys from the wooden box and handed them to Luo Shuiyao: a small wooden sword, a wave drum, a small round fan... Some of the items were old and even showed signs of damage due to age.

Luo Shuiyao didn't care at all. She held them gently in her hands and put them in her arms as if they were treasures.

Although Du Lingfeng still looked calm, the increasingly bright light in his eyes could not hide his good mood.

After noon, figuring it was almost time, Luo Shuiyao helped him bury the box back in its original spot. Their hands were smeared with dirt, but thankfully the weather had been fine, so a gentle tap of the dirt rustled away. The brother and sister walked back side by side along the path, the spring breeze, carrying the scent of grass, brushing against their hair, casting tiny shadows of light.

.........

Elsewhere, the Right Prime Minister's wife prepared some snacks, changed her clothes, and had a nanny bring them to look for her children, only to find them in vain. She frowned when she learned from the maid that Luo Shuiyao and Du Lingfeng had already left the courtyard. Just as she was about to send someone to look for them, A Bao reported that the two had gone to the back garden to enjoy the scenery.

The wife of the Right Prime Minister wondered: "What is there to see in the back garden? It's just like that." After thinking about it, she ordered Abao to take people to find the person and they could go shopping after having some snacks.

But after searching for a long time without success, Abao and his men returned home disappointed. However, the nanny who often assisted Madam knew the answer - every time Madam cooked, the young master would hide for a while. She looked at the dim sum that was gradually cooling down on the table and suggested, "Madam, maybe the brother and sister have encountered something interesting. The dim sum will affect the taste if it is cooled down. Why not share it with these girls and boys and let them taste your cooking skills? We can make it again when the young master and the young lady come back."

The Right Prime Minister's wife wasn't a stingy person, and she didn't consider these pastries precious. She glanced at the steaming cakes on the table, thinking that they would lose their flavor if they cooled down. She could just make them again when the children returned, and nodded in agreement. "Take them and divide them up."

Upon hearing this, the servants hurriedly expressed their gratitude. After all, it was respectable to be able to taste the cooking skills of the First Rank Lady.

The wife of the Right Prime Minister did not notice the changes in everyone's expressions. After giving her instructions, she turned around and left with the nanny.

Everyone took the snacks and their expressions changed. Although the ingredients were top-notch, the sweetness was so cloying that it made people frown. However, due to their status, no one dared to spit it out, and they could only force themselves to swallow it. Only a few servants with a strong sweet tooth ate with their eyes shining, relishing it.

…………

Luo Shuiyao embraced the old plaything Du Lingfeng had given her, and the two siblings walked side by side toward the residence of the Right Prime Minister's wife. Although she had previously avoided leaving because the food was too sweet and difficult to swallow, she had ultimately offended her mother. It was getting late, so Luo Shuiyao felt compelled to go over and say hello before leaving.

Upon entering the courtyard, I saw the Right Prime Minister's wife sitting in the porch, sewing embroidery. Her embroidery skills had been renowned throughout her homeland since the Right Prime Minister's pre-eminent days. Even now, in her spare time, she often took advantage of fine weather to sit beneath the eaves, her needles darting through the silken surfaces, weaving images of flowers, birds, insects, and fish. When the maid announced, "Young Master and Young Miss have returned," she paused, lowered her embroidery frame, and raised her eyes, a smile already playing on her lips. She waved towards the two, motioning them to come over.

As the siblings approached, the Right Prime Minister's wife's gaze first fell on the small wooden sword and wave drum in Luo Shuiyao's arms. She was all too familiar with those patinated, old objects; they were her son's favorite childhood toys. Then, her gaze swept over the specks of dirt stained the hem of Du Lingfeng's plain white gown. A flicker of understanding flashed across her eyes, and the smile on her lips deepened. She shook her head and sighed, "You two, brother and sister, are just children after all. You're not young anymore, yet you're still so playful."

When Du Lingfeng saw his mother, he pursed his lips tightly but his expression remained calm.

Luo Shuiyao placed the item in her arms on the table with great care, patted her clothes to make sure there was no dirt on them, then stepped forward, took the arm of the Right Prime Minister's wife, and said coquettishly, "This is a treasure my brother gave me. I love it! We ran out to play without telling you. Mother, you won't be angry, right?"

The Right Prime Minister's wife tapped her nose in amusement and said, "How could that be? Mother will never be angry with you."

Then, she moved her gaze upwards, and when she saw the jade hairpin in Luo Shuiyao's hair, she was slightly stunned, and hesitantly reached out to touch the hairpin.

Seeing her raise her hand, Luo Shuiyao leaned against her without moving. Seeing her withdraw her hand with a complicated expression, she whispered, "This is what my brother gave me. If mother doesn't think it's good, I'll take it off."

"No, you can wear it." The Right Prime Minister's wife's expression became gentle. "You look good wearing it."

Seeing this, Luo Shuiyao hurriedly helped the Right Prime Minister's wife back to her seat, personally poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her before obediently sitting down beside her. She also invited Du Lingfeng to join her. Du Lingfeng sat down as he was told, his gaze fixed on the teacup before him, as if flowers could bloom from its rim. His quiet demeanor was already familiar to the mother and daughter, so they ignored him.

The Right Prime Minister's wife took the teacup and took a sip. Her gaze fixed on the jade hairpin in Luo Shuiyao's hair, as if looking through it into the distant past. She sighed softly, "This warm jade hairpin was found by your father. The top of the jade material has a natural crimson tint, so your father had it carved into the shape of a plum blossom and gave it to me. But your brother loved it so much when he saw it that he insisted on taking it away. Mother told him that men shouldn't use hairpins like this, and if he liked it, mother would find another jade material to make him a men's one. But he refused and held it tightly in his arms, refusing to let go. Later, mother questioned him for a long time and found out that he wanted to leave it for his sister..."

At this point, her eyes became slightly sore again, "This child really treats you as his sister. What a pity..."

Luo Shuiyao quickly stood up and put her arm around her shoulders, placing her hand on her mother's and stroking it gently. "Mother, I've heard people say before that people who aren't related by blood can become mother and daughter because the child loves their mother and can't bear to see you suffer, so they borrowed someone else's womb to be with you. I lost my biological mother when I was young, and being your daughter now is a great fate."

She raised her head, a gentle smile lingering in the corners of her eyes, "Mom, please look forward. Our lives will only get better and better in the future."

"Okay, okay..." How could the Right Prime Minister's wife not know that she was comforting herself? The bitterness in her heart gradually dissipated. Yes, it was a rare fate. She got such a caring daughter for no reason. How could she not be happy? She gently patted the back of Luo Shuiyao's hand with her palm, and warmth appeared in her eyes: "Mother is satisfied. As long as you are safe and healthy, mother will not ask for anything else."

The mother and daughter chatted tenderly about family matters for a while, and then Luo Shuiyao stood up to say goodbye. Although the Right Prime Minister's wife was reluctant to let her go, she changed her mind and thought that they could see each other every day in the capital, so she did not try to keep her. As Luo Shuiyao was about to leave, she suddenly remembered something and hurriedly called her daughter, "Come over for dinner tomorrow. You like your mother's cooking, so I will prepare more for you tomorrow."