Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 711 - 708: Shaking_1

Mrs. Qi smiled and said to Bai Wanqing in her arms, "This is our Xiao Ba’s first Small New Year!"

Mrs. Qi’s personal nanny adjusted the thick hood on Bai Wanqing’s head, afraid that she would get cold. "Madam, please go inside to warm up so our Xiao Ba doesn’t catch a cold..."

Responding to the call, Mrs. Qi carried Bai Wanqing and stepped onto the high corridor steps. The maids and nannies hurriedly saluted and held the curtain.

As soon as Bai Wanqing arrived, she was taken into Bai Qingyan’s arms. The little girl couldn’t speak yet. She got up from the small table on the soft couch, then sat back down, pouted but didn’t cry. She climbed to Bai Qingyan’s side, holding on to her, and reached out to grab Bai Qingyan’s jade hairpin.

Bai Jinzhao and Bai Jinhua could not help but adore the chubby little Bai Wanqing. They crowded behind Bai Qingyan, covering their faces with their hands to play peek-a-boo with Bai Wanqing. When the little girl saw their identical faces appear in front of her, she leaned on Bai Qingyan’s shoulder laughing, drool running down Bai Qingyan’s shoulder.

Bai Qingyan didn’t mind. She skillfully held Bai Wanqing in her arms, wiped her little mouth with a handkerchief, and placed a piece of soft pastry by her mouth. The little girl gnawed at the pastry, getting it soaked with her saliva.

"Oh my, Xiao Ba drools too much now..." Bai Jinhua pulled out a handkerchief and bent down to wipe the little girl’s drool.

Bai Wanqing grabbed Bai Jinhua’s handkerchief and lay cutely in Bai Qingyan’s arms.

"Wow! Eldest Young Lady, look, Xiao Ba took my handkerchief!" Bai Jinhua opened her eyes wide.

"You were the same when you were young!" Fourth Madam Mrs. Wang said with a smile. "When you were her age, you loved to take your second sister’s handkerchief and looked as proud as Xiao Ba does now."

"Can’t be!" Bai Jinhua turned to look at Mrs. Wang. "Mother, you must be mistaken. It must have been Fifth Sister! The two of us look exactly alike; you must be confused."

Bai Jinzhao, who was eating pastry, looked up with crumbs around her mouth, her face innocent and adorable.

Fifth Madam Mrs. Qi covered her mouth and laughed. "Seeing how little Sixth is now, I knew... Back then when she took Jinxiu’s handkerchief, it must have been this little troublemaker."

Laughing and joking, they enjoyed a New Year’s Eve dinner. The whole family ate until the Hour of the Boar. Only when Bai Wanqing fell asleep in Bai Qingyan’s arms did Mrs. Qi let the wet nurse carry her away. Fourth Madam Mrs. Wang also took her two daughters back to their courtyard, seeing as it was late.

Only Third Madam Mrs. Li, who had drunk a couple of extra cups of rose mead, looked out at the swirling snowflakes outside the window, missing her daughter Bai Jinzhi who was fighting away from home. Her eyes were filled with tears, full of worry: "I wonder if Fourth Sister has received the winter clothes I sent her. Is she eating well, sleeping well, is she hurt? That ungrateful one... Every time she sends a letter back, she never asks about her own mother! I am just afraid... Afraid she will be like Kid, only sharing good news and not bad news. If she is hurt, we wouldn’t know."

The worry of a mother is endless, especially when her child is on the battlefield.

Mrs. Dong handed a handkerchief to Mrs. Li, comforting her softly: "Don’t worry. Kid has arranged for people around Fourth Sister. If she really gets hurt, they will send a message back."

Mrs. Li wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said softly, "When Fourth was at home, I always disliked her for not being like a proper lady. But now that she is gone... I feel empty inside! If she doesn’t learn to be a lady, then so be it! As long as she can come back safely, I won’t force her to learn things she doesn’t want to learn anymore."

This kind of New Year’s Eve felt indeed lonely without Bai Jinzhi’s lively presence. Not just for Mrs. Li... Bai Qingyan also missed Bai Jinzhi a lot, her heart worried. Her voice was slightly hoarse: "Third Aunt, it’s Kid who let you and Fourth Sister down..."

Mrs. Li snapped back to reality, realizing her own sadness was making Bai Qingyan feel bad. She hurriedly wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said, "Oh! Third Aunt just drank a couple of extra cups, don’t mind it! It’s not up to you to say sorry... Your Third Uncle should be the one saying that! The men of the Bai family are no longer here. You and your Aunt sustaining the Bai family is already difficult. Third Aunt isn’t someone who doesn’t understand the hardships. Fourth Sister being able to contribute like her brothers makes me very happy! Just that worry is inevitable!"

Hearing the cracking sounds of fire sparks from the brazier, Mrs. Li looked at Bai Qingyan with a sorrowful look. She reached out and held Bai Qingyan’s hand, gently stroking it, and said solemnly: "From last year to today, this year felt as long as a lifetime. For the remaining orphans and widows of the Bai family to safely return from Dadu City to Shuoyang, Kid... you worked hard! Third Aunt knows everything in her heart!"

Bai Qingyan’s eyes reddened with tears, she looked at her Third Aunt with a smile.

Soon, Third Madam Mrs. Li’s personal nanny helped her leave and return home.

Only Mrs. Dong and Bai Qingyan were left in Meixiang Pavilion. Mrs. Dong felt sad too... She didn’t even dare to make clothes for A Yu, in fear of letting others know A Yu was still alive and bringing him danger.

Mrs. Dong smiled and held her daughter’s hand, not speaking, only wishing for heaven to protect her children, allowing them to live a safe life. She would be content.

"Mother, this is the sweet soup that Nanny Tong and the cook came up with recently. It tastes good. I know you don’t like sweet things, but today is the Small New Year. The bitter days of the year are over, and I hope you can have sweeter days ahead. Please have a taste." Bai Qingyan smiled as she pushed the soup bowl to Mrs. Dong.

Mrs. Dong smiled and nodded, tears falling silently: "Alright!"

Sweeter days ahead...

Actually, as long as her children were still around, even the bitter days felt sweet to Mrs. Dong.

"Mother, do you think the person we sent to Dengzhou with the New Year’s gifts is on their way back?" Bai Qingyan hoped they would bring some news about A Yu for her and her mother.

Mrs. Dong looked up at Bai Qingyan, understanding why she cared about the person going to Dengzhou. She smiled and said, "The one I sent with the gifts is my steward who accompanied me. He hasn’t been back to Dengzhou for many years. I allowed him to return after celebrating the first month in Dengzhou."

Before the steward set off, Mrs. Dong had instructed him to pay attention to any news about Nanrong.

Mrs. Dong also hoped the steward would bring back some news about her son, even if just a few words.

The snow in Shuoyang City fell heavier, turning everything white. The ancient, heavy structures, blue bricks, green tiles, and red-painted columns of the Bai family’s ancestral home were covered in it.

The deep courtyard was filled with slowly falling snowflakes.

Despite the wind and snow outside, the inside of Meixiang Pavilion remained brightly lit, unaffected.

Just like the Bai family now, the wind and snow could no longer easily shake them.