Chapter 403: The Shy Dahu

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

When Su Xiaoxiao returned home, it was already late.

The three little fellows were actually still awake.

Dahu was catching crickets for Xiaohu, and Erhu was squatting by the basin soaking his small stones.

Su Ergou was recuperating, but he fell asleep in his room.

Dinner was cooked by Su Cheng. It was already disgusting, but he made too much all of a sudden. At this moment, Qin Canglan was sitting in the kitchen eating sweet potatoes that the family could not finish.

“Dahu, Erhu, Xiaohu.”

Su Xiaoxiao closed the courtyard door and greeted the three little fellows. Dahu caught a cricket and pounced over. “Mother! Look at the cricket I caught!”

Su Xiaoxiao looked at the big and fierce cricket and smiled. “Dahu is so powerful.”

“Xiaohu is also powerful!” Xiaohu was not to be outdone. He walked over with a jar of crickets. “Look! There’s a lot!”

“I caught them!” Dahu said. Xiaohu said, “You gave them to Xiaohu. They’re Xiaohu’s!”

He was quite unreasonable.

Erhu ran over. “Mother!”

The three little tiger heads rubbed against her arms, making her heart soften.

Su Xiaoxiao touched their heads and bent down to lift Dahu’s pants to look at his injuries.

The wound was healing well. It was already scabbed over.

“Does it hurt today?” Su Xiaoxiao asked.

Dahu shook his head.

Children were not as sensitive to pain as adults. When they went crazy, they forgot everything.

Su Xiaoxiao went to see Su Ergou again.

During the day, Physician Fu came to change Su Ergou’s dressing and bandaged it extremely well.

“I can’t eat anymore.”

“You’re so big. Why can’t you even eat sweet potatoes?”

Qin Canglan and Su Cheng’s conversation came from the kitchen.

Qin Canglan sat on the small stool like a tall bear with a black thing in his bear paw. His expression was a little indescribable.

An hour ago, he said that there were only two sweet potatoes left…

“Dad.” Su Xiaoxiao entered the kitchen.

Su Cheng’s eyes lit up as he put down the spatula. “Daughter! You’re back! Have you eaten dinner? Are you hungry?” “I’ve eaten,” Su Xiaoxiao said. Qin Canglan also smiled. “Daya!”

Su Xiaoxiao said, “Grandpa.”

Qin Canglan staggered and fell forward. The black sweet potato fell out of his hand. He hurriedly grabbed it. The disobedient sweet potato jumped a few times in his hand, causing him to almost flip the stove.

“W-What did you just call me?”

Qin Canglan, who had grabbed the sweet potato, looked at Su Xiaoxiao in disbelief.

Su Xiaoxiao said, “Grandpa.”

Qin Canglan’s aura instantly reached 2.8 meters!

His granddaughter called him grandfather!

He was a grandfather!

Although it was not Su Xiaoxiao’s first time calling him grandfather. Oin Canglan was not a fool. How could he not tell that Su Xiaoxiao was just putting on a show when she called him grandfather in the Duke’s Estate?

This time, she was sincere!

Qin Canglan couldn’t stop smiling. If not for a pair of ears blocking the way, the corners of his mouth would have reached the back of his head.

Su Cheng pursed his lips.

Thinking of something, Qin Canglan said, “By the way, Daya, I heard that you entered the palace to treat someone. Were you treating the Empress Dowager?”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded. “It’s her.”

Qin Canglan was silent for a moment before suddenly sighing. “Back then, your grandmother… was friends with her. The two of them had a good relationship. Unfortunately… Sigh, fate makes fools of people. They broke up in the end.”

Su Xiaoxiao didn’t understand. “Break up?”

Qin Canglan sighed. “She hoped to support her eldest son, Prince Nanyang, to inherit the throne, so she even looked for your grandmother. However, our Qin and Su families supported her second son, Prince Ruyang.”

“I see.” Su Xiaoxiao continued, “Can I ask why the Qin and Su families didn’t support Prince Nanyang?”

“It’s the late emperor’s decree.” Qin Canglan did not think that his granddaughter should not ask this. “Before his death, the late emperor asked someone to give a secret decree to me and the Marquis of Zhenbei at the distant border to appoint Prince Ruyang as the new emperor.” Su Xiaoxiao was deep in thought.

At Yongshou Palace, the Empress Dowager slowly woke up.

The eunuch in charge hurriedly bowed and asked softly, “Empress Dowager, are you awake?”

The Empress Dowager glanced at Princess Jingning, who was lying by the bed, and waved at the eunuch in charge.

The eunuch in charge understood and lowered his voice. “The princess has been guarding your bed. She just fell asleep.” The Empress Dowager raised her hand.

The eunuch in charge helped her slowly sit up.

“What about the child?” the Empress Dowager asked.

“Did you say… Physician Su?” The eunuch in charge brought a pillow and placed it behind the Empress Dowager’s back. He poured a glass of warm water and said, “She just left.”

The Empress Dowager leaned against the thick pillow and took the teacup. She took a sip and sighed. “She really looks like Huayin.”

The eunuch in charge smiled and said, “I entered the palace late and have never seen the old Madam. However, looking at Physician Su’s physiognomy, she seems to be more blessed than other young ladies.” The Empress Dowager handed him the teacup. “Just say that she’s fat.”

“Ahem.” The eunuch in charge was embarrassed.

The Empress Dowager paused and said, “She’s much thinner than Huayin when she was young.”

The eunuch in charge choked.

How fat was the old Duchess when she was young…

The Empress Dowager looked at the cabinet on the dressing table. The eunuch in charge understood and immediately went forward. He opened the cabinet door and took out an exquisite painting box.

He brought the drawing box to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager slowly opened the lid of the box and took out a scroll.

The eunuch in charge placed the box away and turned the oil lamp brighter.

The Empress Dowager carefully unfolded the painting.

The painting was a beautiful pavilion with four peerless women sitting in it.

The woman in purple played the zither, the woman in white raised her chess piece, and the woman in red played with the red tassel spear. She was valiant and heroic. Only a chubby little girl in blue at the side crossed her legs and leisurely ate a big drumstick.

The eunuch in charge secretly took a look.

The purple-clothed woman playing the zither must be the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was good at playing the zither, and Princess Jingning took after her.

That fat girl must be the old Madam Su Huayin.

Physician Su was indeed like her.

As for the other two women who played chess and wielded red tassel spears… the eunuch could not guess for a moment.

He had been by the Empress Dowager’s side for ten years. In these ten years, he had never seen the Empress Dowager get too close to any women.

In short, the people in the portrait had either passed away, such as the old Madam Su Huayin, or they had distanced themselves from the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager’s dry and wrinkled hand brushed across the person in the portrait inch by inch.

Things had changed, and there was no going back.

At dawn, Su Xiaoxiao woke up early.

Dahu also got up and did the horse stance in the courtyard.

The little guy had been very hardworking recently.

Su Xiaoxiao walked over and bent down to give Dahu a reward kiss.

Dahu’s face turned red.

“Haha!”

Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but laugh.

Children were so fun.

On the other side, Hu Jiusheng also woke up early and went straight to the Imperial Hospital.

The imperial physicians had also arrived.

Everyone bowed to him.

Hu Jiusheng asked, “At Yongshou Palace… Is Physician Su still treating the Empress Dowager?

Imperial Physician Zhang was the first to arrive and told him the news he had heard. “No, Physician Su left the palace last night.”

Imperial Physician Li said unhappily, “The Empress Dowager is so seriously ill, but she left just like that? How ridiculous!”

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