"Princess Consort sister, Dou Ban didn't misidentify. I saw a mole on the palm of the person who hit me, and it looks exactly the same as the mole on Grandma Zhong's hand."
Dou Ban's words were astonishing.
As soon as he spoke, Leng Ruo Li's clean and bright apricot eyes subtly shifted, her pupils turning as she exchanged a glance with Jun Mo Han's deep, pool-like purple eyes. Both of them seemed to have guessed something.
A child of four or five years old has the purest heart and would not lie.
Just then, Grandma Zhong, carrying two pastries, walked into the living room with a cheerful smile.
"Your Highness, Princess Consort, this humble woman made two pastries for you to try first."
"Grandma Zhong, there's no need for such trouble. We can just sit and have some tea."
"How can that be? Zhong Ge and I have been waiting anxiously for Your Highness every day at the manor. And Your Highness has even brought the Princess Consort to Buyetian Manor this time. We absolutely cannot neglect you both."
Grandma Zhong's words were perfectly polite, betraying no hint of anything amiss.
"Grandma Zhong, your affection with Uncle Zhong is truly enviable," Leng Ruo Li said deliberately.
"Haha, we are actually a pair of bickering lovers. We often get into minor tiffs, but we never hold grudges. We reconcile quickly because life has to go on."
Grandma Zhong's words were reasonable, and Leng Ruo Li could also see the deep affection she held for Uncle Zhong in her eyes.
"What Grandma says is right! Spouses quarrel, but they make up in bed. The more they argue, the more affectionate they become," Leng Ruo Li chimed in casually.
"The Princess Consort is right, that's exactly the meaning," Grandma Zhong said with a smile.
Then, Grandma Zhong placed the two pastries in her hands on the table beside Jun Mo Han and Leng Ruo Li.
While Grandma Zhong was placing the pastry basin, Leng Ruo Li deliberately tried to get a look at Grandma Zhong's palm, but her hands were always covered by her sleeves, so Leng Ruo Li couldn't see.
"Dou Ban, Dou Ban..."
At this moment, a young couple rushed in from outside the courtyard. Their coarse linen clothes were covered in grass seeds and petals, and their shoes were caked with a thick layer of yellow mud.
Because of their son's sudden disappearance, this couple had been unable to eat or sleep properly. Their once handsome features had become gaunt and sallow, as if they had aged twenty years overnight.
Hearing his parents' voices, Dou Ban quickly jumped down from Leng Ruo Li and rushed into the embrace of the young couple, wailing loudly.
"Daddy, Mommy, Dou Ban missed you so much, woohoo..."
"Dou Ban, Daddy and Mommy missed you terribly too. Woohoo..."
The family of three held each other tightly in the living room for a long time. Their reunion after being lost made them cherish each other even more.
"Alright, don't be too sad. It's a joyous occasion that the child has been found. But Your Highness and the Princess Consort are still here in the living room," Grandma Zhong reminded them from the side.
At this moment, the young couple noticed the two distinguished guests in the room.
The uncle and aunt who had gone to the mountains to notify the couple had told them on the way back that the people who saved Dou Ban were the owner of the manor, King Leng, and the Princess Consort Leng.
And this couple sitting in the living room, possessing both exquisite looks and an aura of nobility, were secretly guessed by them to be King Leng and the Princess Consort who had saved their Dou Ban.
Therefore, the young couple quickly pulled Dou Ban to the King Leng couple and knelt down with a thud.
"Your humble subject (this humble woman) greets Your Highness and the Princess Consort! Thank you for catching Dou Ban, allowing our family of three to be reunited."
The young couple said with choked voices.
"Please rise quickly! Today, my husband and I came to the manor to admire the flowers. We didn't expect to encounter such a situation. However, it is fortunate that the child was caught by Your Highness, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable." Leng Ruo Li left out the last four words.
But the young couple still kowtowed to the King Leng couple three times before standing up straight.
Just then, Uncle Zhong, who had just finished picking vegetables in the kitchen, heard the crying from the living room and also came out.
"Yi Fan, Bao Qin, you must not be careless again in the future. You were lucky this time that Dou Ban was found. If there's a next time, you might not be so fortunate," Uncle Zhong said to the young couple earnestly.
"Yes, Yi Fan, Bao Qin, Dou Ban was lucky this time to be encountered and saved by Your Highness and the Princess Consort. Perhaps next time he won't be so lucky," Grandma Zhong chimed in.
"We understand. Uncle Zhong, Grandma Zhong, we will never let Dou Ban wander out of our sight to play again."
Yi Fan picked up Dou Ban with one hand and put his arm around his wife Bao Qin's waist, promising to everyone.
"Alright, go home and rest for a few days before returning to work. Dou Ban is a bit frightened. Go back and spend time with him."
Grandma Zhong, seeing how tired the couple looked, urged them to go home and rest.
Yi Fan and Bao Qin didn't say much after hearing Grandma Zhong's words. They took it as Grandma Zhong's concern for their family of three. So, Yi Fan, holding Dou Ban with one hand and his wife Bao Qin with the other, bid farewell to the King Leng couple and Uncle Zhong couple and went home.
After Yi Fan's family of three disappeared from her sight, Grandma Zhong secretly let out a long sigh. Although Uncle Zhong didn't notice this subtle action of Grandma Zhong, her movements did not escape the eyes of the King Leng couple.
It seemed that this Grandma Zhong really had something to hide.
After seeing Dou Ban and his parents leave, Leng Ruo Li took Jun Mo Han's hand and they leisurely strolled to the small river behind the small courtyard.
The riverbank was surrounded by a large meadow filled with various wild flowers and grasses. Several sparse but lush willow trees also grew on the meadow. A gentle breeze blew, and the willow branches immediately began to dance.
"Jun Mo Han, how do you know Uncle Zhong and his wife?"
"Uncle Zhong was a gardener in our prince's manor before. Later, when I bought this Buyetian Manor full of crape myrtle trees, I needed someone skilled in planting flowers and grass to manage it. Uncle Zhong volunteered to come here to manage the manor."
Jun Mo Han explained briefly.
"So, Grandma Zhong followed Uncle Zhong to this manor as a dutiful wife?"
Leng Ruo Li asked again.
"No, Grandma Zhong, Uncle Zhong's wife, used to live near this manor. After Uncle Zhong came to manage the manor, he called Grandma Zhong to the manor to keep him company and manage it together. At that time, I felt that it was fine for them to be companions, so I readily agreed to Uncle Zhong's request. Moreover, after several years, Uncle Zhong and Grandma Zhong have indeed managed this manor very well, basically without me having to worry about it."
Jun Mo Han recalled the past and said earnestly.