Chapter 31

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Chapter 31: "Look, here comes the question."

Even the smallest fish is still meat.

While the guards were still eating breakfast, Qin Haoyang quickly gulped down his chicken soup with wild vegetable porridge, wiped his mouth, and headed to the river with the two small fish. The little one imitated him, tilting her head back to finish the porridge in her bamboo cup before following him closely like a little tail.

Chu Xiulan, uneasy about the children going to the river alone, followed with her unfinished porridge.

Qin Chongli watched their departing figures, pushed a piece of firewood into the flames, and sighed. "Thankfully he stayed in Qiongzhou with his mother once and learned wilderness skills from his cousins. Otherwise, none of us would know how to handle even a fish."

Silence fell over the group.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Qin Chongli looked up to find two pairs of confused eyes staring back.

"What’s wrong?" Qin Chongli frowned.

"I know how," Du Yinsui said after swallowing her porridge. "Why did you think I couldn’t handle fish?"

Qin Chongli: "…"

"Teacher, I also know how," Jiang Wu set down his bamboo cup respectfully.

Qin Chongli stared in surprise. "Then yesterday’s pheasant… the rabbit the day before… why…"

"Oh, I stopped Jiang Wu. The guards already killed them, and gutting is simple enough for children. Don’t you think Haoyang seems brighter when he has tasks?" Du Yinsui explained seriously.

Qin Chongli fell silent.

True…

His grandson had always been obedient, never complaining even when imprisoned together, even comforting him. Throughout their exile, he endured hardships without protest—except when weakened by moldy mung bean cake—always keeping pace with his own feet.

So worry-free…

So worry-free that Qin Chongli forgot how children ought to be.

Recalling Haoyang’s lighthearted steps toward the river with the fish, Qin Chongli admitted Du Yinsui had a point.

Not just Haoyang—even Yao Yao seemed livelier.

"I’ve learned something." Qin Chongli cupped his hands. "This exile road is bitter. If you know ways to ease the children’s burdens later, I’d appreciate your guidance, little Du girl."

"Don’t be so formal, Teacher!" Du Yinsui winced as if tasting something sour. "What methods? Making children happy is simple—just praise them more."

Qin Chongli: "…"

"You do praise them, right?" Du Yinsui narrowed her eyes, then glanced at Jiang Wu sitting quietly. "Oh…"

Before Qin Chongli could ask, Du Yinsui turned to Jiang Wu. "Jiang Wu, I think I see wild vegetables behind that tree past the two rocks. Could you check?"

Without another word, Jiang Wu stood and left.

Du Yinsui seized the moment. "See how Jiang Wu tenses up around you? Teacher, you must rarely praise children."

"Nonsense! I often praised her!" Qin Chongli bristled, his beard quivering. "Her recitations were excellent—I always commended her."

"But after discovering she’s a girl? Forget praise—haven’t you spoken less to him? You talked endlessly about the Emperor that one day, then barely said two words to him since?" Du Yinsui fired off rapidly.

"There are boundaries between men and women…" Qin Chongli’s voice trailed off.

"Yet you talk freely with me—aren’t we different?" Du Yinsui gave him a sidelong look. "You say you don’t blame Jiang Wu now, but you treat him differently. He’s not stupid—he feels it. If you want the children relaxed, praise them. Haoyang and Yao Yao, even Jiang Wu deserves it—eighteen is still young."

Qin Chongli wasn’t sure how the topic shifted from cleaning fish to this, but…

"Though little Du girl is young, her wisdom is remarkable, clear as day. Her few words greatly enlightened me…" Qin Chongli began sincerely, but the person on the cart frantically waved him off before he could finish.

"Teacher, you’ve learned well, but please don’t direct this at me," Du Yinsui shuddered at the overly formal praise.

"No, no," Qin Chongli laughed while waving his hand. "My daughter-in-law mentioned little Du girl is a year younger than Jiang Wu—still a child herself! Such praise is well-deserved!"

Du Yinsui: "…"

Fine, fine. I offer sincere advice only to have it boomerang right back at me.

After their brief exchange, Jiang Wu returned carrying two stubby gray-green vegetable roots.

"Did I go wrong? That spot seemed picked clean from last night—only these remained…" Jiang Wu handed them over, bewildered.

"Yes, exactly these." Du Yinsui patted the wooden board, motioned for him to set them down.

"Ahem… vegetable roots are edible too. Jiang Wu shows resourcefulness and thrift. Excellent." Qin Chongli tried his best to sound approving.

The woman standing before him looked startled, even stepping back. The one on the cart covered her face as if unable to bear watching.

Qin Chongli: "…"

What’s wrong!

Wasn’t the praise good enough?

"The roots are well-dug too—complete with fibers, nothing wasted. Jiang Wu has skillful hands," Qin Chongli pressed on stubbornly.

"Teacher… are you alright?" Jiang Wu finally snapped out of his surprise, sensing something amiss.

"He’s fine… I’m the one who isn’t," Du Yinsui slumped weakly. "I overstepped." Who knew the Crown Prince’s mentor could be so painfully awkward with compliments? This was entirely her fault!

By the fire, progress remained slow.

By the river, Qin Haoyang cleaned fish with practiced ease.

Though guards watched them—forbidding weapons—the rabbits and chickens from previous days had been gutted by the guards’ knives. They still had some shells gathered earlier from the riverbank. Though dull, these sufficed for scaling and gutting the small fish.

Chu Xiulan stood nearby, one eye watching Yao Yao dig in the dirt a short distance away, the other on her son skillfully cleaning fish. She couldn’t help remarking, "When you used to vanish all day with your cousins, the manor’s chickens and ducks, even the wild birds—none escaped your mischief. Back then I scolded you for running wild, always returning soot-streaked from roasting meat outdoors. Yet now, those haphazard skills prove invaluable."

Scraping scales, Qin Haoyang grumbled, "My cousins were better. They caught rabbits and chickens… roasted them tastier too…"

"Regardless of their skills, we only have you now," Chu Xiulan knelt, patting his head. She raised her voice toward her niece, "Yao Yao! Your hands are filthy from playing in the dirt. Come wash them."

The little one, who’d been absorbed in poking the ground with a stick, looked up. Her face, slightly fuller after recent meals, puffed out in anger—looking adorably comical.

But Chu Xiulan’s smile vanished before it fully formed. Several stones suddenly struck the little one, pelting her small frame until she stumbled and fell.

"What are you doing!" Chu Xiulan shouted toward the stone-throwers—a group of laughing boys. Her shout didn’t faze them; they bent to gather more stones.

Chu Xiulan sprang up, pulling her son with her, and rushed to Qin Ruoyao. "Check on your sister!" she ordered, pushing Haoyang toward the little girl while positioning herself as a shield. Facing the three stone-throwing boys, she demanded, "You hit someone! Didn’t you see? Come apologize!"

"We aimed for her, you rat-eating stinker!" yelled the middle-sized boy, hurling another stone. "You eat rats too! You’re all stinkers!"

"Stinkers! Stinkers!" The smallest boy joined in, tossing his stone.

Protecting the children behind her, Chu Xiulan couldn’t dge freely. She batted one stone away, but another struck her right leg.

The tallest boy seemed nearly grown, the middle one roughly Qin Haoyang’s age, the smallest shorter than him. Though small, their throws carried force. Ignoring the sharp pain, Chu Xiulan whispered urgently, "Haoyang, is your sister hurt? If she’s fine, both of you run back. I’ll follow."

Chu Xiulan wasn’t skilled at fighting, but she always remembered the saying her brother told her when she was young: “Never turn your back on the enemy.” Three underage boys already possessed the ability to harm others. No matter how worried she was about Yao Yao, she couldn’t expose her back to them.

Clearly, Chu Xiulan’s choice was correct.

After she deliberately scowled and shouted while staring them down, the largest boy paused his stone-throwing as if lost in thought. The smallest showed fear, but the middle-sized one seemed fearless and kept hurling stones. With only one attacker left, Chu Xiulan avoided further hits while shielding the children.

She only hoped Qin Ruoyao was unharmed and the two little ones would hurry back. Once free of worries, she’d catch one of those troublemakers and teach them what "stinker" truly meant!

“Mom, sister has a cut on her forehead and her hand’s hurt…” Qin Haoyang’s tearful voice came from behind Chu Xiulan before turning panicked. “Sister, what are you doing…”

Chu Xiulan’s heart already hung heavy. Hearing Qin Ruoyao injured her head nearly made her faint, and her son’s frantic cry shattered her composure. She spun around immediately.

Her once pristine, fairy-like child had been reduced to a grimy field mouse—now a bloodied one too…

The little one stood clutching a stone, blood streaking down her forehead untouched. Only Qin Haoyang’s grip on her waist stopped her from charging into battle. Even restrained, she pressed her lips tight, straining forward.

“Yao’er…” Ignoring the stone strikes on her back, Chu Xiulan swept the stone-clenching little one into her arms. With trembling hands, she pried the bloody rock loose. “We’ll go back first. We’ll talk later.”

As she spoke, more stones struck her, but she muffled her pain while shielding both children.

Abandoning caution about enemies behind her, Chu Xiulan pushed her son toward safety and followed with the little one. The jeers and stones didn’t chase them far.

A glance back revealed the three troublemakers swaggering away, victorious.

Near the fire, the little one squirmed fiercely in Chu Xiulan’s hold. Spotting the others, Chu Xiulan relaxed her grip slightly, and the little one slipped free.

“Yao…” Chu Xiulan gasped, but the little one darted toward the cart and flung herself onto it with a wail.

The child who hadn’t cried over her bleeding wounds or wiped her blood—ready to fight silently—now sobbed incoherently in Du Yinsui’s lap on the cart. Qin Haoyang, who’d returned moments earlier, explained everything.

“Liu family or Kong family?” Du Yinsui turned to Chu Xiulan.

“Liu family.” Chu Xiulan answered, but Du Yinsui’s calmness sent a chill through her.

Instantly, Du Yinsui’s lips curved into a smile as she faced Jiang Wu. “Look, a lesson opportunity arrived.”

Her gentle tone and smile should’ve soothed, yet everyone except the little one in her arms felt an eerie dread.