The Jiang Family's Little Girl Has Magic Powers

Chapter 81

"Seen enough?" Lu Yi was so angry he wanted to strangle the little thing. He actually had the audacity to peep.

Thinking of the earlier situation that had all been seen by this little stinker, Lu Yi was so embarrassed that his toes could claw out a He An Hospital. Baby Dumpling giggled twice, trying to muddle through.

"I didn't see anything, really, I was just, just walking Bai Xiaoshi to eat grass, passing by here, passing by!"

"Humph!" Lu Yi saw her perform, with one side of his mouth pulled high. Did Bai Xiaoshi need her to lead it?

Other people might not know how sneaky this little thing was, but didn't he know?

Seeing the "do you think I'm stupid" expression on Lu Yi's face, Jiang Yuqing knew she couldn't get away with it, so she honestly lowered her head to admit her mistake: "I'm sorry, Third Senior Brother, I was wrong."

Lu Yi gave a cold laugh: “From now on, I don't want to see you again for at least a day!” With that, he slightly moved his hand outwards and waved to throw her out.

Thrown, out, went.

Falling from this height wouldn't kill anyone, but it would still be very uncomfortable.

Baby Dumpling climbed up, touched her sore little butt, and didn't dare go find him to reason things out. She felt guilty.

What was worse was that Bai Xiaoshi was still gloating in her consciousness, hahaha laughing wildly, mocking her for deserving it.

She was so angry she wanted to kick Bai Xiaoshi into a ball and punt it out like a ball. In the end, she still stuffed it back into the spirit realm out of sight, out of mind.

Humph, she didn't want such an ungrateful spirit beast anymore!

Baby Dumpling ate humble pie and walked out somewhat drooped.

But when she thought about it, she would soon have a dashing and beautiful third senior sister-in-law, and she was happy again in an instant.

She walked while humming a messy little tune: "Today is a good day, things you think of in your heart can come true... We common people, are really happy today..."

That night, as expected, Lu Yi didn't come back. Jiang Yuqing understood what was up.

Well, it looked like she could only go back to her hometown in Qing Prefecture alone for the New Year.

It was asking to be struck by lightning to break up a loving couple.

The next day at first light, a convoy of carriages marked with the "He An" insignia set off from the Qing Prefecture Marquis Mansion, passed through the main gate of the capital, and headed south.

So everyone knew that the young mistress of the Qing Prefecture Marquis Mansion was being escorted by her second senior brother's men to go back to her hometown in Qing Prefecture to spend the New Year.

In fact, Jiang Yuqing was still in the capital.

That convoy was indeed sent south by her second senior brother, but it deliberately passed by the front gate of the Qing Prefecture Marquis Mansion to pick up some things, creating the perfect illusion that Jiang Yuqing had returned to Qing Prefecture.

If you could get home in a day, who would be willing to jolt around in a carriage for a month unless their brain had holes.

So during the day when Doctor Qiu went out, she would be closed up cultivating in the spirit realm. She would only come out at night to chat with her master.

She had set up an isolation formation in the Spring Returning Courtyard, unless she allowed it, no one could hear a peep, let alone break in by force.

As for her Third Senior Brother Lu Yi?

How many days has it been since he came back?

Don't know!

It was best not to mention a person without feelings who forgot his master (sister) once he had a wife!

The little New Year in the north was the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, one day earlier than the south. After the little New Year passed, the Spring Festival drew nearer day by day.

Jiang Yuqing used illusion arts to disguise herself as a middle-aged woman. She started going out shopping, preparing things to bring back for her family.

Whether it was clothes, jewelry, or little knick-knacks, as long as she felt it was good and suitable for her family to use, she bought everything—the baby had plenty of money.

On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, at first light, Jiang Yuqing bid farewell to Master Qiu and rode Bai Xiaoshi, embarking on the road home.

She and Bai Xiaoshi both wore high-level invisibility talismans so they wouldn't frighten passersby. Her current talisman-drawing ability provided twelve hours of effectiveness with one talisman. It was enough for her to fly back to her hometown in Qing Prefecture.

She also used spiritual power on herself to cast a protective barrier so she could freely enjoy the scenery below without fear of strong winds.

At noon, the girl and her spirit beast found a secluded mountain top to stop at. They ate some food and replenished their spiritual power at the same time. Afterwards they set off again, straight until night fell when they finally saw the silhouette of Qing Prefecture City indistinctly appearing below them at the front.

Jiang Yuqing was instantly excited. She was almost home.

After flying a short while longer, the beautiful village shrouded in the night appeared below her.

They had arrived at Xijin Crossing.

Jiang Yuqing let Bai Xiaoshi land right in front of her family's front gate. She removed the invisibility talisman from herself. Then she took out two huge packages and tied them onto Bai Xiaoshi as saddlebags.

By then, the sky was already pitch black.

It was said that one felt timid approaching their hometown.

Seeing again this house shrouded in the night, never appearing in her dreams yet never forgotten, so familiar, Jiang Yuqing had mixed feelings of apprehension and joy.

She also didn't know if they had eaten dinner or not. At this time, they probably had already eaten.

She hadn't told her parents about coming home for New Year. She wanted to surprise them. They should be very surprised, right!

In the hall, the Jiang family had already finished eating. The servants were clearing the table.

The men sat around the coal stove drinking tea and discussing plans for the fields next year, while the women discussed what styles of spring outfits they should make for the well-behaved precious girl after New Year.

The boys either quietly listened to the elders' conversation or gathered in twos and threes playing little games.

Bai Xiaojiu, who was lazily lying next to its exclusive stove after eating its fill, suddenly stood up. It twitched its nose twice, and its steel whip-like tail swept urgently.

Then, beams of excitement shot out of the tiger's eyes. It tilted its head back and gave a long, resonating roar that shook the floorboards and greatly startled everyone in the room.

Right after, it leaped high up and dashed out in a few bounds, making straight for the front gate.

Everyone in the room was stunned, then they thought of a certain possibility at the same time. Coming to their senses afterwards, they swarmed towards the front gate like crazy.

Jiang Yuqing was just about to knock when she heard a flurry of footsteps inside. Then came the sound of the wooden door bolt being slid open. As soon as the door opened, a large figure burst out from inside.

This silly Bai Xiaojiu pressed its two big paws down firmly on her. It desperately stretched its big head forward, zealously rubbing its face against her. If Jiang Yuqing hadn't reacted quickly with her hands, her pretty little face might have been washed several times over by it already.

While nuzzling her, it let out aggrieved awoos: "Master, you've finally come back. I thought you didn't want me anymore."

Jiang Yuqing was moved and hugged its big head: "How could that be, our Bai Xiaojiu is so cute. No matter how long I'm away from home, I'll never forget about you."

"Master, next time you leave, can you bring me with you? Bai Xiaojiu doesn't want to be apart from you again."

She agreed decisively to this request: "Okay!"

Bai Xiaojiu was finally satisfied.

Jiang Yuqing pushed Bai Xiaojiu away and used its strength to stand up. She saw the doorway was packed full of people.

In the faint lamplight from under the eaves, Jiang Yuqing clearly saw her mother, her father, paternal grandparents, uncles and aunts, as well as brothers.

Each and every one of them looked at her emotionally.

Baby Dumpling then put her hands on her plump waist and loudly announced, "I'm home!"

With this shout, Lu rushed over first and swept her long missed precious daughter into her arms. Tears of excitement and joy rolled down her cheeks as she held her tight.

Feeling the warmth against her neck, Jiang Yuqing also couldn't help her eyes reddening. She hugged Lu's neck tightly and tenderly conveyed her longing: "Mother, baby missed you so much."

"Mother missed you too!" Lu raised her head and kissed her daughter's face.

Jiang Wenyuan suppressed his stirred up emotions and walked over to encircle his wife and daughter: "Let's go back inside to talk, it's cold out here!"

And so, the big group of people once again bustled noisily back to the lamp-lit great hall.

After kissing her mother, Baby Dumpling also kissed her father, then paternal grandparents, uncles and aunts, and brothers last.

Hearing that Baby Dumpling hadn't eaten yet, Lu asked what she wanted to eat. Jiang Yuqing said she wanted rice noodles.

Her Second Aunt Zhu happily went to personally make delicious food for her.

Everyone asked Jiang Yuqing why she was standing alone outside the door. Where were the people who brought her back?

Jiang Yuqing vaguely said: "It was too late, they were in a hurry to get home. I told them to drop me off at the door and let them go." She decided to talk to her parents privately later about what really happened.

Jiang Wenyuan carefully looked over his precious daughter and saw that compared to when she left home, she had grown a little taller and was less gangly. Her hair was also thicker and grown to below her shoulders.

Her skin was even whiter and rosier than as a baby, brimming with vitality.

From these alone, it was evident that Baby Dumpling had been well taken care of during the six months she spent in the capital.

Baby Dumpling began telling them about her life in the capital.

She talked about the beautiful, park-like grounds of the magnificent Qing Prefecture Marquis Mansion, and the large lake within the mansion that was filled with beautiful lotus blossoms in the summer.

She told them about attending a flower-viewing party at Princess Ronghua's Residence and seeing the gorgeous peonies there.

She told them about how nice Jing Yan, the Emperor and Empress, and Li Deshun treated her.

She told them about how she and her master transformed the He An Clinic into the He An Hospital...and much more.

Everyone listened with great interest.

Only Jiang Wenyuan sat in the shadows with red-rimmed eyes, not saying a word.

He alone knew that behind all these seemingly wonderful and interesting things, his precious daughter had endured and sacrificed so much for him.

The letters she wrote home always shared the good news but never the grievances, injustices, injuries, or suffering she endured.

If Qin Jue had not written to inform him, he would not have known his daughter went through so many harrowing experiences in the capital.

She was at an age where she should have been pampered and doted on in his embrace, yet she had taken on the storms that he should have shielded her from with her tiny shoulders.

He had failed his daughter.

His daughter was so adorable and heartbreaking.

Lu beside him noticed her husband's distress and looked at him questioningly.

Jiang Wenyuan lightly shook his head without speaking.

Just then, Zhu came in carrying a large bowl of delicious steaming rice noodles, immediately drawing Baby Dumpling's attention.

The soup with pork bones and yellow beans, the crispy pickled bean sprouts, minced meat, scallions, the fried tasty yellow beans...one mouthful of the smooth rice noodles was incredibly appetizing.

She had craved this in the capital but couldn't get it there. Next year when she returned, she would bring more rice noodles and pickled beans so the mansion's cooks could make it for her whenever she wanted.

After the meal, Baby Dumpling unpacked the packages and began distributing gifts to her family.

For Lu, there was a set of emerald headdresses, a set of pomegranate flower headdresses with ruby, a pair of bangle bracelets carved from fine jade, and a set of rouge and powder with two weasel brushes.

The emerald headdress was won from gaming at Princess Ronghua's Residence. The pomegranate ruby headdress was bestowed by the Empress before her return. The bangle bracelets were gifts of gratitude from the Marchioness of the Town Patrol General after Baby Dumpling cured Yuan Wuyang.

For Jiang Wenyuan, there was a white jade hairpiece, a rare antique book, an exquisite Duan inkstone, and a box of pine soot inksticks.

The white jade hairpiece was bought at the Yin Building. The rare book was obtained at the Fuwei Academic Forum. The top-quality Duan inkstone and pine soot inksticks were gifts from Jing Yan.

Reportedly, they were originally from the Mu En Marquis Mansion's collection. Jing Yan had taken a liking to them after seeing them listed in the catalog at the Wen Yuan Pavilion and later bestowed them to Baby Dumpling.

For Grandpa Jiang, there was a large fox-fur cape, a pair of deerskin boots, and an elegant warming stove. Growing older, Grandpa felt cold easier now. Receiving these gifts from his granddaughter delighted him immensely and he put them on immediately.

For Old Lady Hu, there was also a large fox-fur cape in a different color, along with a bejeweled golden headdress, and a pair of creamy white jade bangles.

Old Lady Hu was overjoyed with her gifts, profusely praising her thoughtful granddaughter.

For her two uncles, there were two differently styled jade hairpins and a set of books on agriculture for each. Baby Dumpling had sourced the books from all the major bookstores in the capital and later found more interesting ones at the Imperial Library Wen Yuan Pavilion. The Emperor had let her take them, seeing how much she liked them.

For her two aunts, there were exquisite bejeweled golden headdresses, jade bangles, rouge and powder sets, and weasel brushes for each aunt.

The rouge and powder sets were from the renowned Shu Fang Pavilion in the capital city, while the weasel brushes were gifted by the Empress - precious items with only a few in each box, so Baby Dumpling could only give two brushes to each aunt.

The gifts for her brothers catered to each of their diverse interests.

For her eldest brother Jiang Yujiang, who enjoyed reading and had recently become an academy student, Baby Dumpling presented calligraphy brushes and two travelogues she had found interesting during her search of bookstores in the capital, later discovering more captivating ones at Wen Yuan Pavilion that the Emperor had let her take.

For Jiang Yuhe, there was a precious sword. The boy was utterly delighted at the gift, immediately unsheathing the blade and swinging it around, nearly chopping up the flower rack before his father stepped in to restrain him.

For her third brother Jiang Yuhu, there was an abacus. For her fourth, fifth and sixth brothers, there were treasures from the capital catering to their individual passions. For Jiang Yuchuan, her closest brother, there were also calligraphy brushes and a set of historical records.

The clever young scholar had an outstanding talent for academics. Their father said he would be taking the academy exam after New Year's in February.

Finally, Baby Dumpling had carved jade amulets for peace and protection for each family member, instructing them to be sure to wear them.

Even the servants received gifts. For the young maids like Lu Chun and Gu Yu, there were fashionable embroidered silk flowers from the capital, one box with six blossoms for each, and two pairs of silver eardrops. The colors varied for each girl.

The older servants each received a silver hairpin while the manservants and her brothers' young attendant boys received more practical gifts of two taels of silver each.

In an instant, the room was filled with sounds of joy and celebrations for the abundant gifts.