Chapter 006: The Obsession of the Gaze

Squeeze, squeeze! He Yuan really wanted to call out to his father, but what came out was still the tone of the word 'squeeze'. Feeling somewhat helpless, he put his finger in his mouth to make a pitiful gesture, sobbing, he just wanted to eat one more sesame cake, was it really necessary to make things so difficult for him?

Mother Wang, so this is what you were worried about! He Yuan let out a quiet sigh, saying, well, according to our family's speculation, this is because father has been too diligent, which makes it harder to conceive. If we go to the capital, father will have things to attend to, and the two of them will be less entangled, perhaps we will soon have a younger brother or sister!

During the New Year celebration, I laughed and said: "Some time ago, I saw them playing with a ball of yarn. The ball rolled quite far, and the two of them chased after it. In the end, they managed to catch the ball, their little faces flushed with excitement, which was quite amusing to watch. On a whim, I even drew a small portrait of them. Just take this back!" Saying this, I went to find the portrait.

Hearing Mama Wang's question, Little Olive stuffed a candy into her mouth and mumbled, "My mother told us a story, and after finishing, I followed her to sleep in the room."

This matter cannot be accomplished by my efforts alone! Seeing that Wang Mama was not looking over, the noble lady exchanged glances with He Nian, their eyes entangled.

Shall we continue to work hard tonight? He cast a meaningful glance over.

The horse-drawn carriage rumbled towards the capital city

Did you hear that? He Yuan saw Sister Gui arranging things on the other side of the table and looked over, signaling with his eyes: What Wang Mama said represents my mother's intention, you need to put in more effort!

By the next day, the elder sister tried every possible way to get Little Olive and Little Round Ball to speak. First, she had them learn to call her "Mother." Seeing that it took them a long time to produce the sound "Nie," she was overjoyed and hugged them, calling them her precious darlings. She then said to Chunying and Qiuyan, "My brother's child can call 'Father' and 'Mother' before turning one year old. I feel quite envious listening to that, while Little Olive and Little Round Ball still cannot speak, which worries me. Now that they have made sounds, I am sure they will call me in a few days. I must teach them to talk more often." In the following days, she repeated to Chunying and Qiuyan, "My brother's child can call 'Father' and 'Mother' before turning one year old. I feel quite envious listening to that, while Little Olive and Little Round Ball still cannot speak, which worries me. Now that they have made sounds, I am sure they will call me in a few days. I must teach them to talk more often." In the days that followed, Little Olive and He Yuan spent their time amidst the sounds of "Nie Nie." Although they still could not produce standard sounds, they occasionally managed to utter one or two single syllables. They walked steadily and could even run a few steps while raising their hands.

He Yuan took the cake and, giggling, walked over to Little Olive. Upon seeing that she also had a cake in her hand, Little Olive clung to He Nian's thigh and stood still. He Yuan approached and stuffed the sesame cake into Little Olive's mouth, also signaling him to take a bite. Hehe, I just took a bite of you, now it's your turn to take a bite back!

In the evening, He Yuan sought an opportunity to lean in and whisper to the noble lady: "Mother, Wang Mama took me to play with the young master in the garden, and the young master told Wang Mama that you and father were fighting under the covers last night"

Is that so? Young man, you can speak now, and you even managed to say two words in a row? He Yuan is feeling indignant, why can't he make a sound himself? Could it be a matter of character?

Two years after Mrs. He returned to Beijing, when the twins were three years old, a letter arrived in the capital, instructing He Nian to bring Guijie and the twins to Beijing as a family.

In the past few years, the political situation was unstable and public sentiment was fluctuating. The new emperor spent four years stabilizing the court, and people's hearts gradually settled. Now is a time of peace, and the new emperor has also eased his concerns regarding the He family. Therefore, He Jianzheng has written to invite the He Nian family to return to the capital.

Father! Suddenly, a voice from beside came from Little Olive, who shouted loudly: "Cake!"

Ah! Little Olive also deliberately opened his mouth wide, indicating that he wanted to swallow the entire pancake. Seeing He Yuan looking at him with a cheerful smile and not taking the pancake away, although his mouth was wide open, he only took a small bite.

September 20th is a fine day for traveling to the capital. The Zheng family and the Dong family, including Fang Da and others, all came to see them off, and they bid farewell for quite some time. When Wang Mama and the maids finished packing and got onto the carriage, the young lady and He Nian finally took the small olive and the small round ball and boarded the carriage.

While discussing various matters regarding their trip to Beijing with Sister Gui, Mama Wang led Little Olive and He Yuan to play in the garden, occasionally asking a few questions: "Did the siblings sleep in the same room with your mother last night?"

"The children are really amusing!" said Mother Wang with a smile as she watched them playfully tussling nearby. "It would be great if the young lady could have a few more children!"

He Nian laughed upon hearing this and said, "Actually, it was your loud calling last night that made them aware."

As He Nian was about to hand a sesame cake to He Yuan while putting down the little olive, he saw the little olive take the sesame cake from its mouth and stuff it into He Yuan's mouth, mimicking a biting action with its own small mouth, signaling He Yuan to take a bite!

The young man is truly kind to me! Although the edge of the pancake was smeared with a little bit of the small olive's saliva, He Yuan was still touched and took a small bite. The small olive raised the sesame pancake and took a look, noticing a tiny little bite taken out, and then stuffed the sesame pancake back into He Yuan's mouth, signaling her to take another bite. When He Yuan saw the small olive offering the pancake again, she opened her mouth wide, indicating that she wanted to swallow the pancake in one go, which startled the small olive, causing her to retract her hand and pull the pancake away, stepping back several paces while mimicking a small bite with her mouth. "Little sister, just a bite is enough; it would be unkind to swallow the whole pancake." He Yuan saw the small olive offering the pancake again, opened her mouth wide, indicating that she wanted to swallow the pancake in one go, which startled the small olive, causing her to retract her hand and pull the pancake away, stepping back several paces while mimicking a small bite with her mouth. "Little sister, just a bite is enough; it would be unkind to swallow the whole pancake."

During the New Year celebration, seeing the siblings making a fuss, he had already taken a sesame cake and handed it to He Yuan, smiling as he said: "Although you cannot speak, Father has also given you a cake"

Mother Wang, what do you want to inquire about? He Yuan also has a piece of candy in his hand, and he peeled off the candy wrapper and put it in his mouth. However, he heard Mother Wang quietly ask again: "Did you see your parents hugging and playing together in the evening?"

Not just hugging and playing together! He Yuanyuan cast a vigilant glance at Wang Mama, oh, how curious the elder is about the affairs of the old folks in their room? Quite unusual!

A few days later, during her free time, the esteemed lady made a set of needlework to present to Mrs. He. Mrs. He, upon seeing that the needlework, although done in a hurry, was still exquisite, nodded and said: "Although the old master is fond of the young year, the young year must still write a couplet to take back!"

"Wow, Little Olive can talk!" He Yan was both surprised and delighted, picking up Little Olive and spinning around in a circle. Laughing, he took a sesame cake and stuffed it into Little Olive's mouth. Little Olive, munching on the sesame cake, looked proudly at He Yuan.

Aow, I'm coming to swallow it! He Yuan saw Little Olive patting his chest, appearing to be in a state of shock, and decided to tease him a bit more. He opened his mouth wide and stretched his neck, mimicking a little dog about to pounce on a bone, rushing towards the sesame cake in Little Olive's hand. Little Olive indeed hurriedly hid behind He Nian, not daring to come out.

Young man, how can this be said? He Yan secretly sweated, thinking, I must find a way to inform my father and mother that our young man has become sensible, and in the future, he should be more restrained. However, Wang Mama murmured to herself: "Our household has always had few members, the boys and girls are already over three years old, and the young mistress has not yet conceived a second child. Shouldn't we be worried?"

They did not play; instead, they were hiding under the quilt and fighting. Mother cried out in pain, "Ah! Ah!" When Little Olive heard Wang Mama's inquiry, she imitated Sister Gui's moans, patted her little chest to calm herself, and said: "Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night and heard Mother groaning, as if Father was bullying her. I got up to take a look, and it turned out they were hiding under the quilt, twisting and turning while fighting! Later, I shouted loudly, 'No fighting!' and they fell silent, obediently going back to sleep!" I got up to take a look, and it turned out they were hiding under the quilt, twisting and turning while fighting! Later, I shouted loudly, 'No fighting!' and they fell silent, obediently going back to sleep!

Mrs. He, seeing the striking resemblance in the painting, hurriedly instructed Ziluo to put it away. For a moment, she gave many instructions to He Nian and Guijie, merely advising them to be cautious in all matters upon her return to the capital, to rise early and retire early, and to pay close attention to all matters concerning the twins, emphasizing that they must not be careless in any way.

Uh! Upon hearing this, Sister Gui blushed. When He Nian entered the room, with no one around, she complained to him, saying: "We have been married for several years, yet you still act like a wolf or a tiger. Last night, when Xiao Ganlan and Xiao Yuanqiu came in to sleep, I asked you to be quieter, but you insisted on making a fuss. Today, Xiao Ganlan has even started to mimic Wang Mama's speech."

He Nian pointed at the plate and, instead of hurriedly handing her a cake, teased her, saying: "Little round ball, if you call out 'daddy', daddy will give you a cake!"

Dear parents, could you please not treat us as if we are invisible? He Yuan looked up and saw the impenetrable exchange of glances between He Nian and Sister Gui, and he deeply felt that finding the right person could lead to such affection.

Listen, it seems that the small round ball is saying something like 'rotten'. Sister Gui heard He Yuan seemingly making sounds in her sleep, and covered He Nian's mouth, saying: 'The little olive and the small round ball can walk now, but they still cannot speak. Could it be that they are learning to talk in their dreams?'

As September marks the birthday of Old Master He, Mrs. He pondered for a while and decided that it would be inappropriate not to return, so she resolved to set off. At that moment, she put away Miss Gui's needlework and noticed that He Nian had also written the couplets. She smiled and said, "The Old Master and Old Mistress have been constantly talking about their sons and daughters all day long. Since they cannot see them at this moment, we should at least draw a small portrait to show them when we return."

The He family, under the elder master, has five branches of descendants. The eldest branch, He Qianjin, and the third branch, He Qianshui, along with the fifth branch, He Qiantu, are all legitimate offspring. The second branch, He Qianmu, and the fourth branch, He Qianhuo, however, are illegitimate. All five branches have married daughters from prominent families. Among the grandchildren of He Nian's generation, apart from He Nian, who is the most favored by the elder master, the majority of the other branches have also married daughters from noble families, making the He family deeply rooted and flourishing.

"If you weren't so... then how could I possibly hold back from calling out?" The young lady's face turned even redder, and after a moment, she asked, "Don't you have something to say to me?"

I turned the calendar and chose to go to Beijing on September 20. I still need to hurry and pack my things.

After sending Mrs. He off, the young lady smiled and said to He Nian: "Madam is now going back to the capital first, but I wonder when we will also return to the capital? You must tell me again about the people and matters in your household."

As she listened to He Nianshu speak of the members of the He family, she sighed: Such is the nature of prominent families and noble clans!

He focused intently and listened carefully, expressing surprise: "It seems like they are saying something about 'millet'. Could it be that today you fed them millet porridge and tofu, and now they are dreaming about it, mentioning it in their dreams?"

He Yuan silently shed tears and decided to go to the corner and draw circles

On this day, sesame cakes were being made at the He residence. He Yuan noticed that the sesame cakes were small, flat, and fried to a light golden color, with sesame sprinkled on both sides, exuding a delightful aroma. She found one piece insufficient and wanted to eat another, but unable to speak, she could only point at the plate on the table and make "ya ya" sounds. Ever since He Yuan became a child, not only had her emotions become childlike, but her cravings also resembled those of a child, particularly her fondness for sweets and pastries.