Chapter 123: Childlike Innocence (Third Watch)

Lao Jiu had been incredibly happy these past two days, beginning each morning by engaging in a battle of wits with his three children. He had never imagined that a one-year-old child could be so intelligent. Naturally, he believed this was because they were his own; while it was a feat for any family to have one clever child, his family was blessed with three.

In truth, the children weren't playing any complex games with him; they were simply fiddling with the animal and fruit illustrations Yan Yan had drawn for them. What set them apart from other children was their ability to accurately distinguish between each one. As if he had discovered a new world, Lao Jiu kept rearranging the cards and questioning them repeatedly, yet the three children never once made a mistake.

Watching Lao Jiu constantly shuffling the cards, Yan Yan couldn't help but laugh. "My Lord, they aren't relying on the position to remember. No matter how you change them, they won't get it wrong." Lao Jiu looked at her in surprise. "Then what are they relying on to remember?"

Yan Yan was momentarily stumped by the question. She shook her head in confusion. "I don't know, they just remember." Lao Jiu didn't believe her for a second and continued to tease the children with tireless enthusiasm.

Seeing his interest, Yan Yan suggested, "My Lord, why not test them on poetry? They know poetry too." Lao Jiu’s eyes widened further. "They can't even speak yet, how could they possibly recite poems?"

Yan Yan chuckled and began slowly, "White feathers float on the green water, red webs push the clear..." Before she could finish, the three children pursed their lips in unison and chirped, "Wave!"

Lao Jiu was stunned, then burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. He lifted Hongzheng and tossed him into the air. Hongzheng was startled for a moment but immediately broke into giggles, continuing to look at his father expectantly, hoping for another turn. Sweetheart was clearly more timid; though she pouted slightly, she didn't cry.

After playing with the children for a while, Lao Jiu asked Yan Yan, "What else can they do?" Finding Lao Jiu particularly endearing while playing with the children, Yan Yan recounted a long list of their mischievous antics. Lao Jiu listened, laughing heartily from time to time, and the room was filled with a warm, cozy atmosphere.

With mid-August approaching, the children were turning one. Lao Jiu thought of the "zhua zhou" ceremony—the first birthday divination ritual—and sighed deeply. While this little cottage was cozy, holding such an important ceremony here felt somewhat desolate.

At lunch, he brought this up with Yan Yan. Because the rooms in the fishing village were quite small, Lao Jiu had been eating with the children lately. He still remembered their first meal together; he had been genuinely frightened. It wasn't a meal; it was a war. The children were actually very well-behaved, waiting for Nanny Song and Cui'er to wash their hands and sitting obediently in their special chairs to be served.

However, their pace was terrifying. Lao Jiu had barely finished a bit of fish, and even with his slow pace of deboning, Hongzheng had already polished off a bowl of fish and rice. It was nothing short of a frantic scramble. Furthermore, Lao Jiu noticed that apart from Sweetheart, Hongzheng and Hongzhuang were more attached to meat than they were to Yan Yan. Whenever they were disobedient, Yan Yan only had to threaten to withhold meat at dinner, and they would instantly become perfectly behaved. Lao Jiu couldn't help but rub his forehead; the food on the table was quite good, so why were they so ravenous?

Lao Jiu had become clever these past few days. He would watch Yan Yan feed them, then sternly announce that whoever ate the slowest would get an extra piece of meat. Yan Yan scoffed at his method, suspecting the children would go to the other extreme, but to her surprise, it worked quite well. She was left speechless; the children were only one, and their wits were no match for Lao Jiu's.

Lao Jiu was immensely proud of his progress in parenting, feeling more accomplished than he did after completing an imperial mission. He acted as the mealtime supervisor, watching the children with a hawk's eye. The children didn't mind the surveillance at all; they thought their father was waiting to praise them, and the bond between father and children flourished.

Today, Yan Yan sensed Lao Jiu had something on his mind. After the children finished, she signaled for Nanny Song and Cui'er to take them away. She began picking bones out of the fish for him and asked casually, "What is my Lord thinking about?"

Lao Jiu sighed. "Let us set off for Yongping Prefecture in a couple of days. We have to meet those Englishmen there anyway." Yan Yan was taken aback. "Have the official robes been brought back?" Wang Quan'er had only left three days ago; he couldn't have even reached the capital yet.

Lao Jiu shook his head, looking at her. "I want to hold the children's first birthday ceremony in Yongping." Yan Yan smiled; she understood his struggle. In his eyes, living in this fishing village was a slight to the children. He didn't realize that this natural and peaceful environment was the best setting for their growth.

She didn't intend to explain this, however. Letting him feel a bit guilty now would only make him dote on them more later. Hongzheng and Hongzhuang would be fine, but Sweetheart would eventually have to remain in the capital and not be married off to Mongolia.

At this thought, she marveled at herself—the children were only one, and she was already worrying about their weddings. She pulled herself back and smiled. "Very well, I will follow your arrangements. However..." Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"What devious idea do you have now?" Lao Jiu knew that look well.

Yan Yan leaned in close and whispered, "My Lord, I once heard Mr. Mu say that the foreigners like to hold banquets for high-level meetings. Why don't we use the children's birthday as an excuse to hold an informal meeting with them?"

"An informal meeting?" Lao Jiu repeated the term, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. Yes, if it were informal, many restrictions would be lifted. He tapped her forehead gently. "You clever head..." Yan Yan rubbed her forehead, smiling softly.

Very good. Changing Lao Jiu's destiny would begin with this informal meeting.