In the east side room, Yue Qingxin watched the children, but her mind was uneasy, unsure of what was happening outside or if there was any movement, which made her very anxious.
"Big sister, we're back." Just as Yue Qingxin was worrying, she heard Shen Xiaoyan's voice.
Yue Qingxin looked up and indeed saw Shen Xiaoyan enter, with Zheng Wei and Sima Han following behind her.
"How is it? Where is that Grand Princess Zande?" Yue Qingxin asked eagerly, a smile on her face.
"She has already left." Sima Han strode to Yue Qingxin's side and quietly explained what had happened earlier.
Yue Qingxin breathed a sigh of relief after listening, then frowned, "If you revealed your identity to her like that, what if she tells the Emperor?"
Although the Emperor had only expelled them from the capital back then and hadn't intended to kill them, they had finally found a peaceful life and had their children. If Grand Princess Zande told the Emperor about their current situation, what if the Emperor decided to deal with them?
"No, if she had that intention, she wouldn't have left so readily today, nor would she have sat down to talk with us properly," Sima Han said with certainty.
He wasn't trying to comfort Yue Qingxin; this was genuinely what he thought.
Grand Princess Zande hadn't returned to the capital for so many years. Even though she was the Emperor's aunt, she hadn't seen the Emperor in a very long time.
Her understanding of the Emperor was, at most, based on what others said.
Before she could fully understand the Emperor's temperament, she wouldn't completely side with him. After all, her own brother, the Grand Emperor, was still alive.
Seeing Sima Han's calm expression and his direct gaze without any avoidance, and seeing that Shen Xiaoyan and the other two also looked relaxed, Yue Qingxin knew there was no major issue and finally relaxed.
"By the way, sister, what does the Emperor look like?" Shen Xiaoyan, remembering that Baili Ziyun was going to the palace as mentioned by Grand Princess Zande, was curious about the Emperor's appearance.
Logically speaking, Sima Han, apart from his darker skin, was a handsome man. His brothers should be similar to him. Then why would Baili Ziyun fancy Zheng Wei?
It wasn't that she thought Zheng Wei was less attractive than Sima Han. It was just that Zheng Wei was merely a commoner with no official position.
When there wasn't a significant difference in appearance, shouldn't women compare the status of two men?
"Hehe, this..." Before Yue Qingxin could answer, she covered her mouth and started laughing.
Shen Xiaoyan looked at Yue Qingxin in confusion. Was there anything funny about this question?
"Imagine Sima Han now, then add about 100 catties to his weight." Yue Qingxin said, trying to suppress her laughter, and then covered her face and continued to laugh.
Shen Xiaoyan's mouth widened in disbelief.
She carefully looked at Sima Han. He was indeed handsome, but no matter how handsome a man was, if he gained 100 catties, he would only become ugly.
Sima Han also wanted to laugh but was trying his best to hold it in.
It was his flushed face that made him look even more amusing.
Shen Xiaoyan imagined what Sima Han would look like after gaining 100 catties, and then imagined Baili Ziyun's slender figure nestled beside the Emperor.
That was truly...
A beautiful flower stuck in cow dung.
The wet nurses had been sent out when Shen Xiaoyan and the other three entered. Otherwise, if they were to discuss the Emperor like this, they would have scared the wet nurses to death.
The four children were lying on the kang bed, looking at the adults who kept laughing in front of them, all with bewildered expressions.
Finally, unable to bear being ignored, the little ones wailed and waved their small arms, trying their best to attract Shen Xiaoyan and the others' attention.
Because it was summer and the weather was hot, but the children were still too young, they couldn't put too much ice in the room. They could only dress the children in less clothing to help them stay cool.
Therefore, most of the children's clothes only covered their bellies, with their arms and legs exposed.
Seeing the four children stretching out their fair, tender, and chubby arms, waving them back and forth, Shen Xiaoyan felt her heart melt into a puddle.
Those who haven't become mothers can never truly understand the feeling of having children.
In her past life, Shen Xiaoyan also liked children. Before the apocalypse, when she saw people pushing their babies for a walk, she would always be unable to resist teasing them.
But that was a simple liking for the cuteness of children. When she saw them cry, she would feel annoyed, as the crying was ear-piercing.
However, now that she was a mother, experiencing the growth of three children day by day from pregnancy, and looking forward to their birth.
Sometimes she couldn't help but imagine their appearance, thinking about making clothes, toys, and all sorts of delicacies for them, fearing she wouldn't give them enough.
During childbirth, she had exerted all her strength. Although there were no accidents then, she still thought that if anything were to go wrong, she would die to ensure the children were born safely.
With Zheng Wei around, she believed the children would be well taken care of.
Fortunately, in the end, they were all safe.
Now, watching the children grow up day by day, she discovered different changes in them every day.
Not to mention how happy she felt when she saw them smile, but even hearing them cry, Shen Xiaoyan's heart felt as if it were being squeezed by a large hand.
Whatever she could give, Shen Xiaoyan wanted to give them the best.
Because of this, all the children were raised to be fair and plump. Not only were they not sick, but they hadn't even coughed once.
"These little arms, segmented like lotus roots," Zheng Wei rubbed the soft flesh on the soft arm, laughing.
"This means your daughter is growing well. If she were like a skinny monkey, wouldn't you be worried to death?" Shen Xiaoyan pouted. Why did she detect a hint of displeasure in Zheng Wei's tone?
"I'm not displeased," Zheng Wei, sensing Shen Xiaoyan's thoughts, quickly explained, "I'm just afraid she'll eat too much and sweat. If she gets prickly heat, it won't be good."
Shen Xiaoyan gave him a faint look. "Hmph, there's no need to worry about that. Didn't I ask Uncle Fan to concoct some powder? Just apply some after bathing her every day."
The powder Shen Xiaoyan mentioned was a purely natural talcum powder that she had asked Fan Yong to develop. Of course, this was the formula for talcum powder from her past life, which she had found in some books in her space, and then extracted after removing the chemical components.
It had to be said that Fan Yong really had some talent in this area; he had actually managed to create it.
According to Fan Yong, this was thanks to his son's contribution. Although his son was not in good health, due to taking medicine frequently, he was more familiar with Chinese medicinal herbs and had a greater talent for compounding medicine.
Speaking of talcum powder, a flash of inspiration struck Shen Xiaoyan.
Summer had just begun, and there would be even hotter days ahead. If this talcum powder were made well and sold, it would surely be very popular.
Shen Xiaoyan immediately shared her idea and then looked at Zheng Wei and the others with wide, expectant eyes.
Zheng Wei was accustomed to Shen Xiaoyan's eyes lighting up whenever she talked about making money. Although they weren't short of money now, and the fruits in the orchard behind them would soon ripen, which would bring in income, Shen Xiaoyan was still so passionate about making money, and he supported her.
"That's a great idea. It's just that if we sell it, we don't have any shops. Moreover, the quantity must be very large, right? Relying only on Doctor Fan and his son, it might not be enough. Even with Aunt Zhou, who knows a little, we can't produce much," Yue Qingxin directly expressed her thoughts.