Song Zhao was reunited with her mother and daughter, and the concubines congratulated her.
Consort Hui said, "That's wonderful. When Princess Ruo Xin returns to Sister Song's side, I can also bring Chengjing along. He can have a playmate with his sister."
Song Zhao's face stiffened, her eyes dull,
as if she hadn't fully accepted the fact that she suddenly had a daughter.
Ning Wanshuang glanced at her and said impatiently,
"Alright, let's disperse for now. Concubine Yi, you stay. Take that unfamiliar thing of yours back with you later."
The concubines dispersed as instructed,
whispering to each other as they left,
"If we're talking about someone who can handle Concubine Yi, it's only Noble Consort Chen. Look at how she can't even catch her breath in front of Noble Consort Chen. I've been holding back this anger for so long, and this might help me relieve it."
Little did they know,
as soon as they left, the expressions of the two people left in the palace changed.
Song Zhao deeply bowed to Ning Wanshuang and choked out,
"Thank you, Sister Wanshuang, for taking care of so much for me."
Ning Wanshuang just smiled casually, "No need to mention it. I have something for you to see."
She took a small booklet from the edge of the table and tossed it to Song Zhao from a distance.
Song Zhao took it and flipped through it briefly. She saw that the booklet was actually an account book, recording all the expenses for the children, their daily necessities, clothes, and other detailed expenditures.
Song Zhao puzzled, "What is this...?"
Ning Wanshuang said, "In all the years I have raised your daughter, a total of 735 taels and 3 qian of silver have been spent. Please repay me as soon as possible."
As Song Zhao examined the account book closely, she realized that each expense had a reason behind it.
For example, when Ruo Xin learned to speak, Ning Wanshuang noted:
[August 3rd, the first time she spoke, rewarded her with an embroidered bellyband, costing 12 taels of silver.]
And when Ruo Xin learned to walk, Ning Wanshuang wrote:
[At one year and three months old, she could stumble and walk. Although she's clumsy compared to Jin Yue, she still rewarded her with two pairs of Phoenix Feather and Northern Pearl shoes, costing 16 taels of silver.]
And so on, the list goes on and on.
She said with her mouth that she wanted Song Zhao to repay the debt, but in reality, she wanted to meticulously record every milestone of the child that Song Zhao missed,
so that she could personally show them to Song Zhao in the future, providing her with some comfort.
Song Zhao understood Ning Wanshuang's intention. The crooked and twisted words on the account book were not pleasing to the eye, but they carried a warm and comforting power. They seeped into her heart, causing her eyes to well up with tears.
Ning Wanshuang couldn't stand her melodrama and said coldly,
"Don't think that you can avoid repaying your debt to me by pretending to be wronged here."
Song Zhao raised her eyebrows and, although tears couldn't be held back, she smiled and said,
"What I owe you, I'm afraid I won't be able to repay in this lifetime."
Ning Wanshuang said firmly, "Since you know you can't repay, then live well and slowly repay it."
As they were speaking, a wet nurse came in and reported,
"Consort Yi, Princess San has arrived."
Upon hearing this, Song Zhao's heart trembled, and she quickly wiped away the tears from her cheeks.
She turned around and saw a little person being led by a nanny, holding a toy drum, bouncing towards her.
Song Zhao was filled with excitement, but she couldn't show the slightest hint of it.
She could only look at Ruo Xin indifferently, as if she was looking at a completely unrelated stranger.
And Ruo Xin, passing by her, took small, brisk steps and nestled into Ning Wanshuang's embrace, sweetly saying:
"Mother Consort, Mother Consort, look at the toy drum Chenghuan brother made for me."
She spun the small drum, making a 'thump, thump' sound.
The sound entered Song Zhao's ears and resonated infinitely, as if there was a small hammer striking her heart, leaving her inexplicably sour.
Ning Wanshuang gently stroked Ruo Xin's forehead, her eyes filled with love, soft like water.
"Look at you, only concerned with playing, your face all dirty, like a little kitten."
She took a silk handkerchief and wiped Ruo Xin's cheeks, then gestured to the nanny, saying, "You don't have anything to do here, you can leave."
Song Zhao watched them, the harmonious interaction between mother and daughter, while she stood aside and became an outsider, inevitably feeling lost and melancholic.
After the nanny left, Ruo Xin suddenly jumped down from Ning Wanshuang's arms, taking small, hurried steps towards Song Zhao. With a serene smile, she revealed two faint dimples.
"Mother?" she tilted her head, looking at Song Zhao with some confusion, as if confirming something.
After a moment, before Song Zhao could recover, the little one took her hand and smiled even more.
"You are Mother! Mother Consort! Mother has returned!"
Song Zhao was shocked. She looked at Ruo Xin, then at Ning Wanshuang, stumbling over her words.
"This... Ruo Xin and I have just met, why is she able to...?"
Ning Wanshuang smiled. "Since she was able to remember things, I often showed her your portrait and told her that you are her biological mother who carried and gave birth to her. But due to unavoidable circumstances, we couldn't keep her by our side."
Her voice softened, and she beckoned to Ruo Xin.
"Don't you often praise the beautiful mother in the painting? Now that you've seen her, is she just as you imagined?"
Ruo Xin nodded happily. "Mother is even more beautiful than in the painting."
The warm words transformed the sourness in Song Zhao's heart into sweet honey in an instant.
She crouched down and embraced Ruo Xin, tears in her clear eyes.
"Good child, let Mother give you a kiss."
She pressed her cheek against Ruo Xin's, feeling the child's tender and smooth skin, just like when she used to embrace Cheng Yu.
Speaking of Cheng Yu, he should be four years old now.
Song Zhao missed him dearly, but she also knew very well that it would be difficult for them to meet again in this lifetime.
But at least the child was still alive and well, and that brought her some peace of mind.
Ruo Xin didn't understand why Song Zhao was crying, but obediently wiped away the tears on her face with her little hand.
"Why is Mother crying?"
Song Zhao smiled. "Mother is happy in her heart."
Ruo Xin laughed along with her.
Ning Wanshuang chuckled sarcastically. "Alright, you two shouldn't linger here. Let's sit down first."
Song Zhao stood up, intending to hold Ruo Xin's hand and sit together on the chair.
But the little one quickly broke free from her grasp and shook the tambourine again, running into the arms of Ning Wanshuang.
Song Zhao was momentarily stunned, but soon understood in her heart.
Indeed, how much could such a young child understand?
Naturally, she would be close to whoever raised her.
She thought that if she forcibly took Ruo Xin back at this moment, it might also hurt the child's feelings.
So after careful consideration, she suppressed her reluctance and said to Ning Wanshuang:
"Sister Wan, you know my current situation. If Ruo Xin stays with me, I'm afraid..."
"You don't have to say anything." Ning Wanshuang saw through Song Zhao's thoughts at a glance and quickly interrupted her, her face full of pride:
"You raise your own daughter. You've benefited from me all these years. Haven't you benefited enough? Are you still expecting me to raise your daughter until she gets married? Tsk tsk... you're quite the schemer."
