Anning taught the five girls about things in the Southern Yi, the laws and policies of the governnt, and explained everything in detail, then let the girls go play by themselves.
After a while, Anning specifically called Xiao Hui into the inner room to talk.
As soon as Xiao Hui entered the room, Anning asked her, "Did you visit Dong Da again the other day?"
Xiao Hui nodded, "Yes."
"Kneel down."
Anning softly scolded her.
Xiao Hui imdiately obediently knelt on the ground.
Anning stood up, "You kneel here and carefully reflect on your actions during this ti. Get up when you realize what you’ve done wrong."
"Yes."
Xiao Hui did not have a single complaint, quietly kneeling on the sowhat hard ground.
Anning did not look at her again, turned around, and left the room.
She played with Xiao Yin for a while longer before sending the children away.
When Xiao Yin was leaving, she was still looking for Xiao Hui, "Mother, where is Sister Hui?"
Anning said, "She’s inside helping mother with chores. You go play first, and she’ll co find you later."
Xiao Yin did not ask more questions and left the room with Xiao Fu.
After sending the children off, Anning called the steward to discuss matters. After finishing the discussions, she read for a bit, and soon it was alti. She called Chun Xing over to give instructions, "Have soone tell the girls to eat in their rooms. It’s cold today, no need to go back and forth."
Chun Xing sent a young maid to deliver the ssage to each courtyard.
When she returned, she softly asked Anning, "Should we... let Miss Hui get up to eat sothing?"
Anning said with a cold expression, "No need. Let her stay hungry and clear her mind."
Chun Xing was a bit worried, "Miss Hui is weak, what if..."
Just then, Xiao Yuan returned.
As soon as he entered, he saw Chun Xing’s worried face, "What’s going on? Chun Xing, tell , what happened?"
Chun Xing looked at Anning.
Anning said nothing, so Chun Xing quietly said, "Master, just take a look in the inner room and you’ll understand."
Xiao Yuan took off his cloak, hung it up, and went straight to the door of the inner room to take a look inside. He imdiately saw Xiao Hui kneeling in the room. She had been kneeling for a long ti, and now she was very unstable, almost swaying.
After taking one look, Xiao Yuan went and sat down next to Anning, "Let’s eat."
He did not plead for Xiao Hui, nor did he ask Anning why she was punishing Xiao Hui.
Anning disciplined the children in the family, and Xiao Yuan never interfered, nor would he contradict Anning.
Likewise, if Xiao Yuan was educating the children, Anning also never said anything.
The maids set the table, and the sll of the food filled the room, carrying an indescribable allure, mixed with a sense of daily life.
Xiao Hui, kneeling in the room, slled the aroma coming from outside, and her stomach had long been growling with hunger.
Ever since she ca to the Xiao Family, she had never gone hungry. The comfortable life in these years almost made her forget the days of begging before.
Those days when she was never full, freezing in winter unable to sleep, a stomach growling with hunger, not knowing if she’d survive tomorrow.
Those days felt as distant as a past life now.
But today, kneeling on the cold and hard ground, with her stomach growling, her stomach secreting acid, those mories ca back.
Xiao Hui clenched her fists, trying hard not to think about those things.
She was no longer a beggar; she was a daughter of the Xiao Family, the daughter of Xiao Yuan and Anning, one of the most prominent girls in the Nanyi Prefecture. In the future, she would be even more glorious, her days would get better and better. She might even beco a princess soday; she was no longer soone whom anyone can bully...
Xiao Hui gritted her teeth. She knew why Anning was punishing her.
She did sothing she shouldn’t have done, so she deserved to be punished, but even if she’s punished, she will never change her mind.
Anning finished her al and chatted with Xiao Yuan for a while before getting up to go into the house.
Seeing that Anning was going to teach Xiao Hui, Xiao Yuan didn’t enter the inner room but got up to leave.
Before leaving, he turned back and reminded Anning, "Let the child eat sothing first, don’t let her starve. Whatever the matter, make sure she’s full before discussing it."
"Understood."
Anning replied from the inner room.
After Xiao Yuan left, Anning asked Chun Xing to take the maids out, and she closed the door before allowing Xiao Hui to get up.
Xiao Hui had been kneeling for so long that when she tried to stand up, her legs were sore and numb, almost causing her to fall over.
Anning watched coldly, but her eyes still carried a hint of concern.
Once Xiao Hui managed to limp over, Anning pulled her to sit on the bed, rolled up her trouser leg to see, and noticed a large bruise on her knee.
Anning fetched ointnt and applied it to Xiao Hui’s knee, carefully massaging the bruised area.
As Anning massaged, Xiao Hui continued to cry, tears streaming down her face.
"It’s going to hurt, but you must work it out, or it will hurt more tomorrow. Bear with it, it will soon feel better."
Anning softened her voice, with a touch of compassion in it.
Xiao Hui suddenly burst into tears and said, "Mother, it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t hurt, I can bear it, I’m just happy that mother isn’t really angry with and still cares for ."
"You child."
Anning scolded with a smile: "You’re my daughter. Do you think I would abandon you just because you’ve made mistakes? If you make mistakes, your father and I might scold or punish you, perhaps because we are disappointed, but how could we ever abandon you? No parent in the world would truly forsake their child."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Hui couldn’t help but cry again: "Mother, I’m truly happy, even if you scold , punish , I’m happy knowing it’s because you care that you make kneel. Mother, do you know, when I was a beggar before and begged at others’ doors, seeing mothers chasing their mischievous children in the yard with sticks made really envious. I just wished for a mother to discipline , to scold and punish when I made mistakes, but also to care for . Back then I thought, if only I had a mother, even if I got hit, I wouldn’t hide."
This child.
Hearing this, Anning’s heart instantly softened.
She gently rubbed Xiao Hui’s head, "First, eat sothing."
Anning went to the outer room to bring so soup for Xiao Hui to drink, along with two rice cakes for her to eat.
After Xiao Hui finished eating, Anning asked her, "Do you understand your mistake?"
Xiao Hui nodded, "I know. I shouldn’t have thoughts about General Dong, after all... he has a wife and children. He’s much older than I am, and I know that father and mother will find an excellent husband in the future, but I just want to be with General Dong, no one else interests ."
Anning’s face darkened at this point: "How could you be so confused, you..."
"Mother."
Xiao Hui looked at Anning timidly, "Father values General Dong more and more. Before, to stabilize the troops and draw General Dong closer, he placed his family’s child under our tutelage. I know father’s intentions, but now... his wife and children might not return, leaving him alone with no ties, making him difficult to control. If I could marry him, it would be different. If I married him, he’d beco father’s son-in-law, naturally standing by our family. No one could sway him, and he would never betray father. Besides, I could watch over him."
Anning tightened her lips and looked seriously at Xiao Hui.
Xiao Hui spoke softly, "I’ve often read history books and records from various dynasties, every dynasty had princesses sent for marriages, especially when the Country was newly established, princesses were married off to draw courtiers closer. Mother, I am your and father’s daughter, this is my duty, I..."
"You underestimate and your father."
Anning said angrily, "I raised you not to send you away for alliances through marriage, making you no different from the Zhang Family. I raised you indeed hoping to receive help from you, as assistance, but with the intent for you to use your talents to help. I want you to learn skills, to be self-reliant and respectable, not to devalue yourself like this."
"Mother."
Xiao Hui, with tearful eyes, looked at Anning, "I know, I know you and father genuinely care for us, truly planning by heart. I understand your intentions, mother, but I..."
Covering her face, she cried bitterly, seemingly pouring out all the grievances in her heart.
Anning sighed helplessly, hugged Xiao Hui, and comforted lightly, "Why are you crying, just because I spoke a few words? You’re my daughter, raised tenderly to this age. Even if you’ve truly taken a liking for soone, he should co ask us properly, not just you frequently helping him. Huihui, you must keep your dignity."
Xiao Hui nodded, "Yes, I’ll listen to mother."
She leaned against Anning, hesitant to speak, yet determinedly, "Mother, I... Before being adopted by father and mother, once in a ruined temple, I was... This is the lifelong humiliation I cannot forget. Since then, except for father, mother, brothers, and sisters, I cannot tolerate other n near . Over ti, General Dong frequently visits our ho, and as I’ve interacted more with him, I realized he is actually a good man. Gradually, I found I could be around him, mother. I can’t marry anyone else; I am comfortable with General Dong. So, I thought, given the situation, I might as well do sothing for father and mother and marry him. With watching over, he can never betray father."
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