Chapter 176: Cousin Is Good at Taking Care of Children

Aunt Qiu hurried in, whispering, "The Marquis Protecting the State has come to visit."

Princess Consort of Qi was startled by what she heard.

People come to Lanruo Si to offer incense and pray for blessings; if there's no major or urgent matter, they generally don't conduct socializing or flattery inside the temple.

After all, it wouldn't be appropriate with the Buddha watching, would it?

A holy place of the Buddha, tainted by worldly desire, never looks sincere.

So when the Marquis Protecting the State suddenly came to visit, Princess Consort of Qi was taken aback.

She thought it must be some urgent business that forced him to come.

After regaining her composure, Princess Consort of Qi stood up, straightened herself, and glanced again at Zhou Shi.

Zhou Shi instantly understood, pointed toward Sui Sui and Song Kuan, and said, "I'll take the two children to the back courtyard; I heard the temple's vegetables are thriving, so let's have a look."

Princess Consort of Qi nodded, then, still uneasy, said, "Sui Sui is frail; don't let her wander too far. If she gets tired, have Aunt Xiang hold her…"

Even a brief separation from Sui Sui made Princess Consort of Qi uneasy.

Zhou Shi, listening nearby, couldn't help but want to laugh; she restrained herself, barely holding back laughter.

Zhou Shi also has children; having come to the temple today and left the younger one at the Residence, she too felt uneasy.

Therefore, she could understand Princess Consort of Qi's concerns.

After giving her instructions, Princess Consort of Qi watched anxiously as Zhou Shi led the two children to the back courtyard.

Sui Sui didn't quite understand why she had to go out with her second aunt.

As she left, she kept looking back at Mother Consort step after step.

Seeing the little girl's pitiful expression, Princess Consort of Qi almost lost control, but fearing the Marquis Protecting the State might have important business and the child's presence would be inconvenient, she resolved not to let Sui Sui return.

Although Sui Sui wasn't very happy, Brother Song Kuan was kind; he would braid little rabbit toys for her, play with her, and when she got tired, he said he would carry her.

Song Kuan ate well and grew strong; though not as tall as Feng Xuanrui, he still gave a sense of security.

He had a gentle temper and spoke in a soft voice; in no time Sui Sui was coaxed into a dizzy haze, almost declaring with a little nod: "Tonight I'll go home with Brother Song Kuan!"

But her heart still held onto her brother; Sui Sui quickly realized, gently shook her head and said, "Brother Song Kuan, I'm sorry, I need to go back to the Residence to find my brother."

Brother is the most important!

Song Kuan had originally planned to lure the child back to the Residence for two days of play; when it failed, he felt little regret.

It was just an attempt.

He thought…

If the mountain won't come to him, he'll go to the mountain!

A person has two legs; aren't they for running?

So in a few days he'll go to Aunt's Residence to play!

Song Kuan is good at handling children; he had originally honed this skill to look after a younger sister.

But his mother gave birth to a younger brother.

He recalled his brother as a chubby, cute child.

Although he often laughed and peed on his face, Song Kuan thought, kids can't control their waste; it's normal.

Only…

Later, how did his brother become such a brat?

Thinking of this, Song Kuan felt some regret: had he been born a sister, it would have been better.

If he had a sister, he wouldn't have to think about luring other girls back to the Residence.

The problem is, he hasn't succeeded yet!

With that thought, Song Kuan sighed lightly, "It's okay, Sui Sui. If you're happy, I'm happy."

Song Kuan's mood was steady; he didn't chatter like other kids his age, like a bear ripping the roof tiles.

He quietly led Sui Sui to see wildflowers, the vegetable patch, and the various little insects crawling in the soil.

When Sui Sui was scared, he would protect her and then crush the insects.

Zhou Shi watched from the side, feeling a pang of envy: "He's never been this gentle with Brother Ping at the Residence."

The maid beside them couldn't help but laugh, "Second Young Master also looks after Fourth Young Master."

Fourth Young Master is four and a half this year, right in the early stage of being a brat.

Even though Second Young Master has a gentle temperament, he sometimes gets so angry he jumps his feet.

The two young masters tussling in the Residence is a common occurrence.

Zhou Shi also understood that the two brothers, having fought since childhood, develop deep bonds.

But watching Song Kuan so protect a little girl made Zhou Shi feel both sour and restless.

She thought…

How about having another?

She's still young, under thirty; having one or two more wouldn't be a problem.

When she gave birth to her second child, Song Ping, Zhou Shi was in pain for three days, leaving a deep psychological scar.

Thus, in recent years she has avoided the idea of having more children.

Now, seeing Sui Sui, she can't help feeling stirred again.

A well‑behaved, gentle young lady—who wouldn't want one?

Zhou Shi liked it more and more, the more she thought, the more she was moved.

She thought, if it's hard to compete with Princess Consort of Qi, the big aunt, for a child, why not have one herself?

On the other side, Princess Consort of Qi greeted the Marquis Protecting the State at the meditation hall's doorway.

Observing the gender distinction, Princess Consort of Qi was very careful with propriety and did not invite him inside.

Marquis Protecting the State also didn't notice these; after coming over, he first paid respects to Princess Consort of Qi, then asked, "Sui Sui?"

Afraid Princess Consort of Qi would overthink, Marquis Protecting the State quickly explained: "I came to find Sui Sui to ask about her last charcoal briquette; the briquette that little girl made is good, very good!"

After the charcoal briquettes were dried, Marquis Protecting the State eagerly packed them up and brought them back to the Ministry of Works site.

Then, accompanied by his colleagues, he lit a charcoal fire on a warm spring day.

Initially, everyone thought the charcoal was somewhat ugly.

But as they kept burning it, everyone felt something was wrong.

This charcoal—

It's somewhat burn‑resistant!

Of course, only those with the correct proportion are a little more burn‑resistant.

Those with incorrect proportions were weeded out early.

The quantity of Sui Sui's briquettes that met the proportion wasn't large.

After testing, they quickly selected a batch with ratios such as three‑seven and four‑six.

Of course, this proportion is the rough data they got after dismantling the briquettes, then carefully dissecting and analyzing them.

Such charcoal briquettes don't mean much to the nobles of Jing Cheng.

None of them lack the money for a bit of charcoal.

But if it were used in ordinary people's homes…

How many lives could be saved this winter?

The Ministry of Works is regarded as the least favored and lowest‑ranking of the Six Ministries.

Therefore, many lower‑rank officials of the Ministry of Works come from modest backgrounds; although they have prospered now, their clansmen may still be living average lives.

Or rather, fellow villagers and clansmen may also be enduring difficult days.

If such charcoal were available…

Initially, everyone just chuckled, taking it as a daily experiment.

But after discovering the briquettes' special trait, everyone couldn't help urging Marquis Protecting the State to quickly recruit this talent into their Ministry of Works!

The second watch falls at 7 p. m.