Chapter 127: The Fifth Lady

Chapter 127: The Fifth Lady

It really was Xiao Bao!

An Qing dropped the hoe in her hands and hurriedly ran towards the edge of the field. Perilla and Cui Liu followed closely behind, their faces filled with visible joy—they hadn't seen their young master for a long time.

As soon as the carriage stopped, Xiao Bao couldn’t help but lift the curtain and rush towards An Qing below. Just as he was about to jump down, he was swiftly pulled back by Yinqi, who grabbed his collar from behind.

"Don't you know how heavy you are? Have you considered whether your mother can handle it if you jump like that? You're six years old now; why are you still so reckless?"

After being scolded by Ama, Xiao Bao pouted but knew his father was right—he had just been too excited to see his mother.

"Little Master, let me carry you down," Ma Xiang said from the side.

The little one responded with an "Oh" and obediently extended both hands. Ma Xiang then lifted him down.

An Qing was about to go forward and hug her son, but the little one, taking advantage of his small size and agility, suddenly latched onto her leg.

"Wah wah wah, Mother, you lied! You said you would come pick me up soon, but it's been so long. I've been waiting on the grasslands every day for you to come get me. Do you know how hard my days have been?!"

He cried loudly, although it seemed more like a lot of noise without much actual crying. Still, An Qing had never seen him cry so fiercely before and felt at a loss.

It seemed the child was genuinely upset.

Yinqi glanced at his son with a hint of annoyance and then looked at An Qing, saying, "Don't listen to his sob story. I heard from Duo Lan and Wuritu that he has been running around happily on the grasslands all day."

Xiao Bao glared angrily at his father for exposing him and tried to argue, "I was just pretending to be happy to avoid worrying Grandpa and Grandma."

An Qing raised an eyebrow. Oh, the little one had improved; he even used the term 'pretending to be happy.'

However, she believed him. After all, Xiao Bao was only six years old and had been separated from his parents for the first time for such a long period. Even if he was carefree, it must have been tough for him.

An Qing gently stroked his face and said apologetically, "This time, it was Mother's fault. I missed you every day we were apart."

Xiao Bao complained but didn't want to upset his mother further, so he generously said, "Mother, I'll forgive you this time, but not next time, okay?"

An Qing smiled and nodded, "Okay."

Seeing the quick reconciliation between mother and son, a hint of a smile appeared on Yinqi's face.

The boy had been angry with him the whole journey for not picking him up on time. He thought Xiao Bao might cause trouble when he saw An Qing, but he was easily appeased, making Yinqi worry unnecessarily.

But Yinqi didn't realize that Xiao Bao had already vented his anger during the journey, which is why he was so easy to please now.

"Mother, are you reclaiming land here? Let me help you," Xiao Bao said enthusiastically, stretching his neck.

An Qing readily agreed.

She had never restricted Xiao Bao. If he wanted to play in the fields, she wouldn't stop him. Initially, she hoped he would inherit her farming skills, ensuring someone to carry on her legacy. But later, she realized he simply enjoyed playing in the fields and wasn't particularly interested in farming. So, she let it go.

If he wasn't interested, that was fine. He could do whatever he liked, no pressure.

Many soldiers and civilians were busy reclaiming land in the fields. They noticed the commotion around An Qing, and those who recognized Yinqi guessed Xiao Bao’s identity.

"That's the Fifth Beile and Lady's son, isn't he? He looks so good, like a little fairy."

"You're right. We've lived so long and never seen such a beautiful child. As expected of royal offspring, he looks blessed."

"..."

Children naturally attract each other. When Xiao Bao ran into the fields, he immediately headed towards a nearby little boy.

Many local villagers had brought their children to help reclaim the land. Some younger ones were carried on their parents' backs, while older ones helped out as they could.

An Qing didn't stop them. Although she felt bad about having children help, she understood that during these lean times, families had little food left. Working on the farm provided meals, allowing them to save some food for their children.

So, she instructed the officials preparing meals to make extra portions, ensuring everyone could eat their fill.

The villagers appreciated this kindness and worked harder in return.

The little boy Xiao Bao approached was Dog Egg, who had come with his family. His grandfather, Old Man Li, was also there.

"Hello, my name is Hong Zhi. What's yours?" Xiao Bao greeted warmly.

Dog Egg, surprised that someone would talk to him, stuttered, "Y-You’re welcome. My name is Dog Egg."

Xiao Bao hesitated for a moment. Dog Egg?

Who names their child that?

He thought his mother naming him Xiao Bao was casual enough, but this was even more casual.

However, Xiao Bao was a well-behaved child and never mocked others based on their appearance or name. His mother said it was impolite.

"Are you Fairy Auntie's son?" Dog Egg asked, puzzled.

Xiao Bao scratched his head, confused, "Who's Fairy Auntie? I'm my mother's son."

Dog Egg pointed to An Qing nearby and said, "Fairy Auntie is the Lady."

Xiao Bao responded with an "Oh," "That's right, she's my mother."

He proudly tilted his chin. His mother was very beautiful.

More beautiful than anyone else's mother.

"When I came over, I saw them looking at me and talking. Do you know what they were saying?" Xiao Bao whispered.

Dog Dan didn't hide anything and replied honestly, "They all say you're a little fairy child."

"A little fairy child?" Xiao Bao was puzzled. "Why do they call me a little fairy child?"

Dog Dan scratched his head and answered, "It's probably because you're the son of Fairy Auntie, so they call you a little fairy child."

Xiao Bao thought about it and found it made sense; if his mother was a fairy, then he being a little fairy child wasn’t wrong.

The two children chatted for a while and gradually became familiar with each other. Before long, they were playing with the other kids nearby as well.

An Qing watched from afar but didn't take it too seriously. Xiao Bao had always been a social butterfly, and she never worried about him wherever they went. Sometimes, she even wondered how she and Yinqi could have given birth to such a social butterfly.

"Is Eleventh Uncle also a social butterfly?" she asked.

Since the little one looked so much like his eleventh uncle, their personalities should be quite similar too.

Yinqi looked puzzled. "Social butterfly? What does that mean?"

An Qing thought for a moment and explained, "It describes someone who isn't timid when interacting with people and can talk easily with anyone."

Yinqi shook his head. "No, Eleventh Uncle has always been shy. Xiao Jiu used to tease him behind his back, saying he acted like a little girl."

An Qing was even more confused. If he wasn't like Little Eleventh, then who did he resemble?

Yinqi glanced hesitantly at the distance and said, "Don't you think his personality is somewhat like Third Elder Brother's?"

An Qing was taken aback and instinctively looked in Yideri's direction. She saw him chatting animatedly with a group of soldiers, who were walking towards them as they talked.

These soldiers were sent by Boding to relieve others, and her third brother must have met them on the way over.

Indeed, there was a resemblance.

Yideri was talking to someone when he suddenly looked up and saw An Qing and Yinqi. He was surprised for a moment, then said something to the person beside him and walked over.

"Brother-in-law, when did you get back?" he asked in surprise. "I just came from the government office. Why didn't I see you?"

Yinqi called out, "Third Elder Brother," and then replied, "We just arrived and haven't gone to the government office yet. We came straight here."

Yideri responded with an "Oh," thinking that made sense. "Where's Xiao Bao? Didn't you bring him?"

Yinqi pointed to a nearby area. "He's playing over there."

Yideri turned and indeed spotted his nephew among the children. Without hesitation, he rushed over to Xiao Bao.

"Xiao Bao!" he shouted from a distance.

Xiao Bao turned around, saw his third uncle, and ran excitedly to him. "Third Uncle!"

The big and small pair reunited successfully, and Yideri picked up the little one and placed him on his shoulders.

An Qing smiled and shook her head, then retracted her gaze and started discussing serious matters with Yinqi.

"Did you encounter any trouble in Fengtian Prefecture?"

This time, he stayed longer than planned, which suggested some issues had arisen.

Yinqi didn't hide anything and nodded slightly. "Yes, we encountered some trouble, but everything is now resolved."

Actually, it wasn't a major issue. The primary problem in establishing the agricultural experimental field was securing land. Fengtian Prefecture had many official fields, and after thorough investigation, he chose the most suitable location.

However, part of these official fields was occupied by local Manchu aristocratic families. Shengjing was the ancestral homeland of the Manchu people, and many members of the Eight Banners had their roots there. This situation was expected.

In the past, it might have been overlooked, but since the agricultural experimental field needed to be established, the government had to reclaim these fields. As the person in charge, Yinqi was tasked with this responsibility.

So, in recent days, he had been dealing with these Manchu aristocrats. As the saying goes, even a strong dragon finds it hard to suppress the local snake. Fortunately, his maternal grandfather was there, familiar with the local situation and respected in the community, making many things easier to resolve, albeit taking some time.

Fortunately, everything was resolved, and the project was now progressing smoothly. With his maternal grandfather and uncles overseeing it, he was able to go to Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner to pick up Xiao Bao and rush back.

Hearing that everything was resolved, An Qing didn't ask further, trusting Yinqi's capabilities.

"Did you greet my maternal grandfather, grandmother, and uncles on my behalf?"

After leaving the Forbidden City, they headed straight to Horqin and later to Heilongjiang, without visiting the elders in Shengjing, which was indeed impolite.

Yinqi patted her hand and said, "Don't worry. My maternal grandfather understands and won't blame you. Your official duties come first."

Then, he remembered something else. "Mother wrote a letter to my maternal grandfather recently, explaining the situation and saying many good things about you."

An Qing was surprised to hear that Concubine Yi had written a letter on her behalf.

Her beautiful mother-in-law was truly kind-hearted, not only not blaming her but also speaking well of her!

She couldn't help but feel deeply moved.

No, she had to write a long thank-you letter upon returning to the capital, expressing her boundless love.

Love should be expressed loudly!

So, half a month later, Concubine Yi in the Forbidden City suddenly received a letter from An Qing, wondering what had happened since it wasn't their usual correspondence day.

When she anxiously opened the letter and read the overly affectionate words, she was stunned.

Was this girl on something?!