Chapter 335: Chapter 191: No! We Need to Have More Little Padded Jackets to Wear in Rotation

Lu Yuan scratched his head and said, "That’s not true at all. I’ve always adored you, Auntie."

Hearing this, Zhao Qiao’Er pulled Lu Yuan under her arm and said, "That’s more like it. Now you’re my darling."

Lu Yuan, bent over and flailing, protested, "Aunt Zhao, there are so many people watching! Spare me some dignity!"

Only then did Zhao Qiao’Er release Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan said, "If there’s something you want to discuss, we can do it in our room tonight. I’m a Prefect now, after all. I have a certain status to uphold."

As he spoke, Lu Yuan straightened his collar and puffed out his chest, putting on airs.

’Even though I don’t like being an official, I can still use the title to act all high and mighty when I need to.’

Zhao Qiao’Er replied dismissively, "Alright, alright, Lord Prefect. What would you like to eat today? How about Aunt Song and I cook for you?"

Zhao Qiao’Er couldn’t have cared less whether Lu Yuan was an official or not.

Lu Yuan started counting on his fingers. "I want to eat..."

As they were all chatting, the tall and sharp-eyed Zhao Qiao’Er noticed a bewitching young woman standing behind Lu Yuan and the others.

Of course, as Zhao Qiao’Er was staring at Xiaoqian, Xiaoqian had already sensed the gaze upon her. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Xiaoqian gave Zhao Qiao’Er a polite smile.

Zhao Qiao’Er grabbed Lu Yuan’s hand, stopping him from listing off dishes.

When Aunt Zhao grabbed his hand, Lu Yuan looked up at her and asked, "What’s wrong, Aunt Zhao?"

Staring at Xiaoqian, Zhao Qiao’Er gestured with her chin. "Darling, who’s that woman? Don’t tell me you went out and brought us back another ’sister’."

Lu Yuan turned to glance at Xiaoqian, then said, "I forgot to introduce her. Her name is Xiaoqian. She was all alone in the world, so I brought her to Taiping City with me."

Zhao Qiao’Er brought her face so close to Lu Yuan’s that they almost kissed. "You’re not just after her for her looks, are you? Auntie will have to properly vet this one. Darling, no matter how strong your back is, you can’t be marrying four wives in less than two years."

Lu Yuan gave Aunt Zhao a loud peck on the cheek. "Aunt Zhao, what are you talking about? I barely have enough time to dote on you as it is."

After speaking, he gave Aunt Zhao’s incredibly plump bottom two resounding slaps.

The crisp sound drew everyone’s attention.

Xiaoqian, in particular, had witnessed the entire exchange.

’I’m actually impressed,’ Xiaoqian thought. ’Even a Little Fox like me isn’t as smooth as he is.’

Aunt Zhao, noticing everyone’s stares, couldn’t help but blush. "I-I’m going to go check on the baby," she stammered. "You all carry on chatting."

Hearing her, Su Liyan said, "Aunt Zhao, let’s go. We can let them chat in the main hall. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my daughter, and I’m her mother, after all."

At Zhao Qiao’Er’s words, the brief pleasantries came to an end as everyone expressed their desire to see the baby.

Zhao Qiao’Er led the way, and the group headed to her room to see the baby.

Only Su Liyan’s mother slipped away to the kitchen without a word. Her son-in-law and daughter were back.

’As their mother-in-law, she had to borrow the Zhao Mansion’s stove and make a bowl of hand-pulled egg noodles for them, didn’t she?’

It was just as the saying goes: dumplings for departure, noodles for arrival.

Before his departure, no matter how rushed he was, Lu Yuan hadn’t forgotten to eat a few of the dumplings his mother-in-law made for him.

The custom of "dumplings for departure, noodles for arrival" is a traditional folk ritual and blessing, symbolizing a proper beginning and end, a safe journey, and a happy life.

Rural people placed great importance on such customs, and Su Liyan’s mother genuinely treated her son-in-law as her own child.

After entering the room, Zhao Qiao’Er said to the two maids, "Alright, you may leave for now. There are too many of us, and the room is getting crowded."

The two maids curtsied and replied, "Yes, Madam."

Song Chi, still standing outside, watched the two maids leave the room and walk away under the eaves. Song Meiqin nudged him and whispered, "You’ve been in the army for so long. Are you getting ’thirsty’?"

Song Chi chuckled and explained, "Not at all. I was fine out there—ate well, drank well, had everything. I was just noticing that even the maids are wearing such fine cloth. After marrying my brother-in-law, you really don’t have to worry about money, Sis."

Song Meiqin warned him, "You’d better have just been looking at the cloth. I was born to be a lady; when have I ever been mistreated? Our nephew is genuinely good to me."

Seeing the happiness radiating from his sister’s face and realizing her life this past year had been far better than her time with the Liu Family, Song Chi felt his heart ease.

The moment Lu Yuan entered the room, he caught a faint scent of perfume, with an underlying aroma of milk.

The others might not have been able to smell it, but it couldn’t escape Lu Yuan’s nose. Ever since he started cultivating the Holy Body, his sense of smell had become as sharp as a dog’s.

Lu Yuan took a deep breath and said, "Mm, good milk. It smells rich and sweet. Looks like the maids have been taking excellent care of you during your postpartum confinement, Aunt Zhao."

Zhao Qiao’Er walked straight to the bedside and said without turning back, "Such a sweet-talker, my darling."

Lu Yuan added, "How could I be? Have you forgotten I practice medicine, Aunt Zhao? Observation, olfaction, inquiry, and palpation—this ’olfaction’ part is a legitimate diagnostic tool!"

Lu Yuan, having studied the *Medical Heart*, knew full well that this diagnostic "smelling" referred to listening to the patient’s voice and breath, not sniffing aromas.

He spouted this nonsense with a perfectly straight face, and since no one present was as "erudite" as him, no one dared to refute him.

Zhao Qiao’Er pulled back the bed curtains, revealing two baby girls, one slightly larger than the other, sleeping soundly side by side. One of them was even snoring softly.

"Heh, look at these two little treasures," Zhao Qiao’Er said fondly. "I fed them right before I stepped out, and now they’re fast asleep."