Xia Ruqing quickly washed up, dressed, and came out of the inner room.
Little Bun had already woken up. He had even run a large loop outside with Yellow Bean.
His little nose was frozen bright red.
Seeing the mud on his shoes, Xia Ruqing laughed and said, "Did you run off to the back garden again?"
Little Bun earnestly nodded his head.
"Mother! Yellow Bean is so amazing; he dug a big hole in the back garden, and inside there are lots of..."
"Lots of..."
Towards the end, Little Bun didn’t know what words to use to describe it.
"That..."
"Lots!"
Xia Ruqing couldn’t help but smile in exasperation. "Lots of what? You’ve been talking for so long!"
Little Bun, his voice tinged with urgency, pulled her over to take a look.
Xia Ruqing accompanied her son to the back garden.
Indeed, where vegetables had once been planted, there was now a large hole. Inside, many peanuts, walnuts, beans, and various other dried fruits were buried, some already sprouting.
She was instantly stunned. "Where did all these come from?"
Xiao Xizi chuckled from the side. "Reporting to Master, it’s the work of field mice!"
"They need to prepare for winter too. You used to grow fruit here, Master, which naturally attracted them!"
"Don’t worry, this servant can set some traps here. I guarantee we’ll catch every single one!"
Xia Ruqing nodded her head. "That’s a good idea!"
Little Bun wasn’t listening to her; his little bottom stuck out, and his eyes sparkled as he stared at the hole.
"Mother! What are field mice?"
After thinking for a moment, Xia Ruqing said, "They are naughty animals that steal grain from the fields and deliberately bite through the roots of the crops!"
"However, they are most afraid of Da Bai!" Xia Ruqing spoke as if discussing a serious matter.
Cats and mice are natural enemies, after all! She wasn’t wrong!
Although rats and field mice aren’t exactly the same, they... should both be afraid of cats, right?
Whatever, it’s close enough.
Besides, it’s not like her son will specialize in this in the future; knowing the gist is enough.
She herself only happened to learn these things during her childhood stays at her maternal grandmother’s house.
Otherwise, who would specifically learn about such things!
Little Bun’s eyes brightened again. "But Mother, why didn’t Da Bai come to catch them?"
Xia Ruqing was taken aback by the question. After thinking, she could only respond, "Because Da Bai sleeps at night, and field mice sleep during the day!"
"Besides, field mice are in holes underground, so Da Bai can’t see them!"
"Oh..." Little Bun nodded his head like a little adult.
His mischievous and clever look made Xia Ruqing want to laugh.
"Alright, it’s too cold outside; let’s go back in!"
"Okay!" Little Bun happily agreed.
Xia Ruqing smiled contentedly, picked up her son, and headed to the front courtyard.
Unexpectedly, just as they stepped into the front courtyard and before they could even enter the house, they heard an announcement from outside:
"The Emperor has arrived!"
Xia Ruqing’s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly carried Little Bun out to greet him. It was freezing cold outside.
Zhao Junyao had arrived in the Capital City that morning. He disliked grand receptions and had no patience for conventional courtesies. So this time, he hadn’t informed the palace and returned alone.
He rode a fast horse into the palace. Finding Zhaochen Palace deserted, his heart felt just as empty. Thus, without even changing his clothes, he headed straight for Qingya Residence.
「Meanwhile, the Harem was still oblivious!」
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"Greetings, Father Emperor!"
Seeing the mother and child offering their salutations, Zhao Junyao’s heart immediately swelled, feeling full to the brim.
"Rise!" With that, he helped them both up and ushered them inside.
Xia Ruqing personally attended to the Emperor, helping him change his clothes and wash up. After having someone restyle his hair, she asked with a smile, "Where did Your Majesty rest last night? Have you had breakfast?"
Zhao Junyao paused momentarily. "I traveled through the night to get back. I haven’t eaten anything!"
Upon hearing this, Xia Ruqing quickly ordered the imperial meal to be served. "It will take some time to prepare a fresh meal, Your Majesty. Please make do with this for now."
On the table was a meal that Zi Yue had just set out, which Xia Ruqing hadn’t touched!
Zhao Junyao glanced at it and then gestured with his hand. "No need to order anew, this is sufficient!"
"Let’s eat together!"
Xia Ruqing no longer stood on ceremony, smiled in agreement, and picked up her chopsticks.
On the table was a plate of steamed dumplings, filled with her favorite shrimp. These were made with the largest and finest shrimp, encased in translucent wrappers, looking exceptionally appealing. To eat one, she would gently pick it up, dip it in a ginger-vinegar sauce, and take a light bite. The wrapper was firm yet yielding, the shrimp tender and succulent—delicious to the core. She could eat them every day and never tire of them!
Another dish was braised tofu skin. There was also a steamer basket of crystal soup dumplings, and a large bowl of hot chicken noodle soup, topped with a perfectly round poached egg.
This simple meal was fragrant. It was clearly meant to be eaten, not just admired.