Situ Yan praised his wife for her thoughtful planning.
As the couple chatted and walked towards their chambers, they saw a tiny figure, swaddled like a ball, leaning against the doorframe and trying to move outward. Nanny Xu followed closely, feeding him egg custard, "My dearest little ancestor, it's so cold outside, can't we just stay in?"
The little figure let out a few "ah-ah" sounds, but stubbornly took his short steps forward, only to be scooped up by Hong Shao and brought back inside.
Lu Nianfu, even from a distance, could hear his dissatisfied cries.
It was a pity he couldn't speak yet, his exclamations of "ah-ah-ah" only conveying his displeasure, making others want to laugh.
Situ Yan felt sorry for his son, "We have the heated floor, and the long corridor is also warm. It shouldn't hurt to let him walk around a bit, should it?"
Lu Nianfu also felt that keeping the child cooped up indoors all day wasn't right, "Have someone lay carpets in the corridor later, and wrap the pillars and corners. That way, he won't bump into anything."
"We should have done that long ago. Yao'er hasn't been very happy these past two days. Hurry and arrange it, I'll take him out for a stroll first."
"Don't talk nonsense. Which morning have I not taken him out when there was no wind? That boy's heart is already wild. The wind is strong now, don't be reckless."
Situ Yan didn't feel the cold, but seeing Lu Nianfu wrapped in fox fur, he swallowed the words that were about to be spoken.
He had internal energy to protect himself, and his wife's sensitivity to temperature differed greatly from his.
As the couple stepped onto the stairs, Yao'er appeared at the doorway again. This time, Nanny Xu didn't stop him, "Your Highness, Princess, the young heir probably heard your voices. No matter how we try to hold him, he's not settling, he keeps lunging outwards."
Situ Yan strode forward, scooped up his chubby son, and lifted him high, eliciting a burst of "giggle-giggle" laughter.
Amidst the laughter, a red sachet swayed before Situ Yan's eyes.
It was hanging from Yao'er's belt.
Even such a tiny thing had one? Did he know what money was?
Yao'er clearly didn't. His father carried him around the long corridor, making him laugh, and he didn't even notice when the sachet was pulled off.
When Nanny Xu came with people to lay the carpet, Situ Yan took the opportunity to hand the child over to her, then held up the small sachet before Lu Nianfu's eyes, not saying a word, but with a look of grievance.
Lu Nianfu, amused, pointed to the one hanging from his waist.
Situ Yan said, "The day before yesterday, when we ate at Zui Xiang Lou, that money was already spent."
"Look again."
Situ Yan weighed it, it was still weightless, but upon opening it, he found a banknote of one hundred taels. He immediately cheered up, "When did you put it in?"
"When your sachet was empty. As a prince, how could you be seen with an empty sachet?" Lu Nianfu teased, "What if a girl was singing at the restaurant? You couldn't even produce some tip money, could you?"
Situ Yan was dismissive, "Why would I go listen to a girl sing?"
"Hoo-hoo-hoo," so boring.
"It was just an analogy."
Situ Yan re-tied the sachet, already planning its destination. "My lady is the best. Since you came home early today, how about we go out for a meal?" After dinner, they could go to the jewelry store and buy you a bracelet or hairpins.
"At this hour, the kitchen has likely prepared dinner. It would be a waste."
"Then I'll take you out for a late-night snack. It's almost Chinese New Year, the night market closes late, and it's quite lively."
Lu Nianfu hesitated, "Didn't Father Emperor assign you homework? Do you have time?"
"Time, you can always squeeze it in. You haven't accompanied me to the streets in a long time." Situ Yan swayed her hand, "A few days ago, I ate a bowl of lamb wontons at the street corner. With a wrap, the taste was simply marvelous."
"As a prince, you still eat street food? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?"
Situ Yan mumbled, "One cannot forget their roots. You don't know how much I craved this late-night snack when I was broke."
People who practiced martial arts consumed more energy than ordinary folk. Lu Nianfu, thinking of his past hardships, softened her heart and agreed.
Her five-month pregnant belly was showing, but it was not noticeable under her winter clothes. After eating wontons and wraps, they walked side-by-side through the night market. Lu Nianfu hadn't eaten such snacks in a long time and wanted to try everything she saw. By the end of the street, she had eaten a candied haw, a piece of frozen rice cake, preserved plums, and finally packed a portion of crispy buttered snail shells.
Situ Yan was used to it, only reminding her, "After eating so many sweets, remember to rinse your mouth with green salt when we get back."
"Can't be helped. Who can resist the child's cravings?"
"Girls are all like that." Situ Yan imagined raising a picky eater daughter, and her mood brightened.
On the matter of their child's gender, Situ Yan had always stuck to his guns. Could a person who loved sweets be a man?
Lu Nianfu also thought it would be a girl, as the reactions during this pregnancy were the complete opposite of when she was carrying Yao'er.