146 Nine Yin White Bone and An itchy Claw
“Follow your interests.”
This was how Xiaoguo had educated Zhuang Zhuang.
Xiaoyi was stunned. He felt that Zhuang Zhuang’s mother was really amazing.
Zhixia nodded vigorously, feeling that Xiaoguo had spoken very well. Interest was indeed important.
Zhuang Zhuang looked at everyone’s eyes and couldn’t help but feel excited for Xiaoguo. This feeling was even better than when others praised him.
Outside the door, the two figures who had just stepped into the main hall heard Xiaoguo’s words.
The group of kneeling palace maids and eunuchs lowered their heads, not daring to breathe loudly.
Shao Zhan waved his hands for them to get on their feet.
Then, the two of them exchanged glances and walked out of Kunning Palace.
“Not bad. Your wife is really a talented woman.”
When they came out of the door, Shao Zhan elbowed Jiang Danhe and teased him.
Jiang Danhe’s face was filled with joy and he gladly accepted Shao Zhan’s praise for his wife. He looked so happy that it seemed as though Shao Zhan was praising him.
The two of them came and left without a trace. However, after hearing what Xiaoguo had said, they had a much better impression of her.
Jiang Danhe liked Xiaoguo even more now. If it weren’t for the man beside him, he would have entered the house long ago.
As for Shao Zhan, he just felt that these two were really outstanding. One of them was good at literature and the other was good at martial arts. It would be best if they could both stay in the capital.
Xiaoguo declined Xiaoyi’s offer to have Zhuang Zhuang stay in the palace. She left with Zhuang Zhuang and Jiang Danhe in a carriage.
Along the way, only Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang’s voices could be heard. There seemed to be an invisible circle surrounding the two of them that no one else could enter. The mother and son chatted happily while Jiang Danhe sat by the side feeling upset.
When they returned to the mansion, the food was ready, so the three of them went straight to the lobby.
Li Shouji happened to be sitting in a chair waiting for everyone to be seated. When he saw the family of three walking over from afar, he let out a sigh of envy.
The dishes on the dining table were very sumptuous. Xiaoguo helped Zhuang Zhuang with some of his favorite dishes. Jiang Danhe, who was watching from the side, was envious. He couldn’t help but knock on his bowl, signaling Xiaoguo to help him with the food too.
Li Shouji said, “It’s rude to knock on the bowl.”
Xiaoguo didn’t respond but Zhuang Zhuang burst out laughing.
Li Shouji felt like he had found a soulmate, and gave Zhuang Zhuang a big drumstick.
Even though Jiang Danhe was feeling angry, he did not dare to slam the table again. He had already frightened Xiaoguo by banging the table in the morning. If he were to do it again, not only would he scare Zhuang Zhuang, he would also create the impression that he was a violent man. “No, no, Jiang Danhe, calm down!”
Jiang Danhe’s face was contorted with anger, it was as exciting to watch as the face-changing opera.
Xiaoguo wasn’t sure if he was going to act out. Feeling worried that he would get angry at Zhuang Zhuang, she tried to pacify him by giving him a piece of chicken.
Jiang Danhe’s mood immediately turned sunny, one could almost see rainbows around him.
Li Shouji gave Xiaoguo a thumbs-up. “You’re awesome! You’ve tamed a lion! I’m impressed, sister-in-law!”
Xiaoguo couldn’t understand the looks that Li Shouji was sending her way, so she smiled politely and focused on eating.
Jiang Danhe was still nibbling on the diced chicken, it was as if he was tasting a delicacy.
Li Shouji was disgusted. He couldn’t bear to look at the man.
After the meal, they went back to their rooms. Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang back to Jiang Danhe’s room and locked the door.
Jiang Danhe was locked out. He rubbed his nose and turned to knock on Li Shouji’s door.
The next day.
After Xiaoguo was done washing up, she brought a basin of warm water back to the house and placed it on a shelf. She then went to the bed and called out to Zhuang Zhuang, who was still sleeping.
“Zhuang Zhuang, get up.”
When Zhuang Zhuang heard this, he only muttered to himself before turning his head to the side and continued to sleep.
Amused, Xiaoguo patted Zhuang Zhuang’s little butt. “This kid is forcing me to become a grumpy mother.”
She rolled up her sleeves and stretched out her slightly cold hands. She rubbed them together so that her fingers were a bit warmer. This was Xiaoguo’s last bit of mercy towards Zhuang Zhuang.
“Three… two… one…”
When the countdown ended, Zhuang Zhuang was still lying in bed. Seeing the corners of his mouth curl up, she knew that he was doing it on purpose.
Xiaoguo raised her eyebrows. “I’m going to do it, my son!”
Zhuang Zhuang seemed to have sensed something and instantly clamped his arms tightly. He knew how powerful his mother’s Nine Yin White Bone Claw was.
“Take that!”
Xiaoguo took aim and went straight for his armpits.
Zhuang Zhuang laughed out loud the moment she touched him. There was laughter and shouting. It was a lively scene.
“Mother… Mother… Stop it, haha, stop it…”
Zhuang Zhuang twisted and turned on the bed, but Xiaoguo’s hands were stuck to him like glue. He could only keep dodging. After a short while, the attacks subsided. Before Zhuang Zhuang could react, a new round of tickling had started again.
Zhuang Zhuang didn’t have time to think. He continued to laugh, but he detected a slight difference. His mother’s hands weren’t so stiff and big.
Holding back his laughter, Zhuang Zhuang turned around and saw Xiaoguo standing at the side, covering her mouth and laughing.
“Hmm? Mother’s hands are still with her. So who was tickling me?”‘
Zhuang Zhuang looked to the side and saw the owner of the big hands standing against the light.
Zhuang Zhuang widened his eyes. How was it him?
Upon realizing who it was, there was a hint of embarrassment in Zhuang Zhuang’s smile. Seeing this, Xiaoguo felt that it was time to stop.
“Okay, okay, stop fooling around. Zhuang Zhuang, get up quickly. The water is turning cold.”
Jiang Danhe stopped what he was doing and straightened up with a smile on his face. He seemed very satisfied.
When he woke up this morning, he wasted no time in fetching water for Xiaoguo and Zhuang Zhuang. To his surprise, he heard laughter before he could enter the room.
Out of curiosity, he carefully walked in to take a look. When he saw Xiaoguo tickling Zhuang Zhuang, he really wanted to join in. This rare scene was really heartwarming and he was afraid of interrupting them, so he gently put down the basin and approached them.
Xiaoguo’s hearing was relatively sharp. Even though Jiang Danhe had set down the basin very gently, Xiaoguo still heard the sound. She turned around and saw that it was him.
Xiaoguo could see the eagerness in Jiang Danhe’s eyes, so she stepped aside. This was a little game that could improve their father-son relationship. According to experts, the act of tickling could quickly reduce the psychological distance between two people.
Jiang Danhe was delighted to see Xiaoguo step aside. Afraid that Zhuang Zhuang would detect the difference, Jiang Danhe quickly took Xiaoguo’s place.
This was the first time Jiang Danhe was touching his son. He had mixed feelings. This small and soft body was his son?
He tried to keep his movements gentle as he was worried about hurting Zhuang Zhuang. Although it was such a simple action, Jiang Danhe’s face started perspiring after tickling the boy. Part of it was from his nervousness, and part of it was from restraining his strength. When Zhuang Zhuang turned to look at him, his heart stopped for a moment. He was afraid that his son would turn his head away from him. However, the boy only paused for a moment and did not resist. This made Jiang Danhe very excited. It seemed that Zhuang Zhuang was starting to accept him.
After Xiaoguo called for a stop, Zhuang Zhuang took two deep breaths and got out of bed obediently to get dressed. His little eyes were still secretly sizing up Jiang Danhe, who had a strong presence in the room.
When Xiaoguo saw this, she laughed. Zhuang Zhuang’s awkward face was really too cute.
Xiaoguo stopped looking at him, and turned around to check the water in the basin. After sitting there for some time, the water had cooled a little. She could still use it if the weather was hot, but since the temperature in the morning was a little chilly, it was better to use warm water.
Just as Xiaoguo was about to go out and add some hot water, Jiang Danhe stood up and called out to her, passing her a basin of water.