Chapter 42: Little lamb

That evening, Bao Ning waited until it was nearly midnight, but Pei Yuan still hadn’t returned.

While waiting, she had retrieved the wood carving she’d thrown out the window earlier that day—the one she had been working on depicting his back. She finished carving the face too. It took her quite a bit of effort, but the result was lifelike, just like a miniature version of Pei Yuan.

Though Bao Ning felt uneasy and a little disappointed about how busy Pei Yuan had been recently, she still supported him. He had his own ambitions, and as his wife, she believed she should encourage him.

That’s why she kept waiting for him, even preparing a little surprise, hoping he’d be a little happier when he got home, and feel like he wasn’t fighting alone.

She had planned it all so well.

But Pei Yuan never came back.

He stayed out all night—without even telling her.

To say she didn’t mind, or wasn’t upset, would be a lie. Bao Ning’s thoughts spiraled all night. When she woke the next morning, her head was still foggy.

Liu Momo brought her water for washing. Seeing her pale complexion, she asked with concern, “Madam, did you not sleep well last night?”

Bao Ning reached for Pei Yuan’s side of the bedding. It was ice-cold and perfectly smooth—no sign that anyone had slept there. Though she was already sure he hadn’t come home, a flicker of hope still lingered. “Did the Fourth Prince leave very early today?”

“No,” Liu Momo replied, confused. “I haven’t seen the Fourth Prince at all this morning.”

Bao Ning’s heart sank.

She exhaled softly and pushed the thought aside, loosely gathering her hair and getting dressed.

As she passed her dressing table, she caught sight of the little wooden figure she had carved for Pei Yuan. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she picked it up and locked it away in the bottom of her vanity.

Her day continued on as usual. She checked on the leeches—many had already hatched. Though quite a few had died, the ones that survived were lively.

She counted them one by one. There were only twenty-six—far fewer than she had hoped for.

After breakfast, Qiu Lingyan came by early to play. She didn’t have many friends in the residence, and Bao Ning had been feeling lonely too, so the company was welcome.

The bracelet had been melted down. The mold Liu Momo brought back from the smithy was simple—just two iron blocks that fit together with a groove in the middle for pouring in the melted gold, forming a long cylinder.

Bao Ning used a small hammer to round it out into a more refined shape. Then she dampened the patterned paper she had traced earlier and laid it over the surface, carving the design into the gold slowly with a knife.

The process wasn’t difficult for her. The pattern repeated itself, so after a bit of initial awkwardness, it became easier. Meanwhile, Qiu Lingyan chatted with her from the side.

“Big Sister, is your husband good to you?”

Bao Ning smiled lightly. “He’s quite good.”

“Is he very busy during the day? I really want to meet him. You’re so beautiful and skilled—your husband must be very handsome and gentle too.”

Bao Ning paused in her work. “Mm, he is quite handsome.”

Perhaps because of last night’s events, Bao Ning really didn’t want to talk about Pei Yuan. Just thinking of him made her feel a quiet sense of fear and resistance.

It wasn’t the fact that he hadn’t come home that upset her—he might’ve been busy, or had his reasons. That part she could understand. What she couldn’t accept was that he hadn’t even told her.

That showed he didn’t care—she wasn’t in his heart.

That was the part that hurt the most.

Sensing that Bao Ning didn’t want to continue that topic, Qiu Lingyan fidgeted with her nails and changed the subject. “Big Sister, do you know how many children my father has?”

“How many?” Bao Ning asked.

“Sixteen!” Qiu Lingyan replied. “I’m the youngest. I don’t know why, but after I was born, my father never had any more children.”

Bao Ning was surprised. She had known General Qiu was a romantic, but she hadn’t realized just how much.

Qiu Lingyan continued, “They say Father’s favorite woman passed away the year I was born. After that, he never set foot in the inner courtyard again—not even in my mother’s chambers. My mother was furious and argued with him for a long time.”

She added, “That’s what I heard from the maids in my mother’s courtyard. I’m telling you in secret—Big Sister, you have to keep it a secret!”

Still stunned, Bao Ning nodded and agreed.

Logically, Bao Ning knew she shouldn’t ask more—this was Qiu Mingshan’s private family matter, and she shouldn’t get involved. But her curiosity won out.

She probed gently, “Lingyan, do you know who that woman was?”

Qiu Lingyan shook her head. “No idea. It’s a secret. None of us younger ones know. But I heard there’s a portrait of her hidden in Father’s study. He treasures it and never shows anyone. But every time he returns from the northern border, he spends the whole night in the study looking at it—and crying.”

“Ah,” Bao Ning murmured, asking no further.

She just found it strange. If General Qiu loved that woman so deeply, why take on so many concubines and have so many children? And after she passed, he suddenly became faithful?

It wasn’t fair—to the woman he loved, or to the concubines. It was all just so bizarre.

Bao Ning suddenly thought of Pei Yuan again. If he became successful and famous one day, would he end up doing the same thing? This kind of deep-rooted flaw in men…

She didn’t want to think about it anymore.

Focusing back on the bracelet in front of her, she spent another hour or so finishing the carving. Afterward, she took a round wooden stick and bent the gold cylinder into a bracelet, carefully tapping the ends together.

It looked almost exactly like Qiu Lingyan’s original one. Overjoyed, Lingyan ran back to her own courtyard and returned with her most cherished sweets to give Bao Ning, thanking her again and again.

They ate lunch together.

Still, Pei Yuan didn’t come home.

Bao Ning no longer felt disappointment—just a kind of numbness.

Qiu Lingyan told her the kitchen staff in the back courtyard had raised some lambs.

“Sis, I sneaked over a few days ago—they’re so cute! But the kitchen said they’re raising them to be eaten. Once they’re fat enough by New Year’s, they’ll be slaughtered.”

Qiu Lingyan wrinkled her nose. “It’s such a shame. One of them was just born half a month ago—its eyes are especially pretty. But it was born early and looks weak. The kitchen aunties said it probably won’t survive.”

Bao Ning was intrigued. “Where is it?”

“Just in the courtyard behind the kitchen,” Qiu Lingyan said, inviting her. “After lunch, let’s go see them together!”

Bao Ning smiled and agreed, but before they had finished eating, a maid came looking for Qiu Lingyan.

“Seventh Miss, the Sixth Miss has returned from the temple. She couldn’t find you and is angry. She wants you back.”

Qiu Lingyan hunched her shoulders, nervously putting down her chopsticks. “Can I stay just a little longer?”

The maid’s tone was polite but firm. “You know the Sixth Miss’s temper. If you’re late, she’ll come get you herself. Do you want that?”

Qiu Lingyan immediately stood up.

“Sis, I have to go…” she apologized, timidly. “Can I come again tomorrow?”

Bao Ning got up as well to see her off, smiling. “Of course you can.”

Relieved, Qiu Lingyan waved goodbye and left with the maid. Bao Ning stood at the doorway, watching them disappear around the corner.

When she returned to the table, the dishes were already cold. She had no appetite, so she let it be.

She washed her face, took a short nap, then brought Ah Huang to see the lambs Qiu Lingyan had mentioned.

Sure enough, the little thing was terribly frail—only about a foot tall. Bao Ning picked it up; it was soft and limp, resting its head on her shoulder, breathing heavily. Its joints were severely swollen, and its tiny legs trembled and twitched.

“It’s congenital lameness—something it was born with from the womb,” the kitchen matron explained warmly to Bao Ning. “It probably won’t live more than a few days. It can’t eat much either, and no one really has the time or energy to care for it. Such a pity.”

She added, “And it’s too skinny—if we butchered it now, it wouldn’t even taste good. It’s all bones.”

Ah Huang propped his front paws on Bao Ning’s knee, stretching his neck to sniff the little lamb’s rear.

The lamb wagged its short tail at him—whether it was itchy or a greeting, it was hard to tell.

The matron laughed at the sight. “Aside from being weak, this little one is perfectly fine. Very smart, really. As smart as a dog, actually. Quite lively, too.”

Bao Ning reached out and stroked the lamb’s ear. It was long, soft, and fuzzy—reminded her of a little donkey.

“Matron, how much for the lamb? I’ll buy it and take it home to raise,” Bao Ning said, asking Liu Momo to bring out some money.

The kitchen matron was surprised and quickly waved her hands. “It’s just a lamb! No need for money. If the young madam likes it, take it—take it even if you want to eat it now. The general gave instructions to take good care of you however we can.”

“I must pay,” Bao Ning replied with a teasing smile. “Let’s keep it clean between us. From now on, no matter whether this lamb lives or dies, you’re not allowed to come asking me for anything because of it.” Still, she insisted on paying. “But I will trouble you in the future to send over some lamb’s milk.”

The matron was pleased and readily agreed, “Of course! We’ll deliver fresh milk every morning—guaranteed the freshest!”

Bao Ning thanked her with a smile and carried the lamb back to her courtyard.

She spent the whole afternoon with one lamb and one dog. The lamb was truly gentle and clever, bringing a refreshing change to her day—so much so that she even forgot the unhappiness Pei Yuan had caused.

The bed in her room was a canopy bed—almost like a little enclosed room. All four sides were enclosed with carved wooden panels, with a small wooden door on the side used to climb in.

Curtains and gauzy drapes hung around it, blocking any view from outside, and the little wooden door could be locked.

It was a bed that gave a strong sense of safety—Bao Ning really liked it.

After dinner, she bathed Ah Huang, dried him off with a cloth, then wiped the lamb’s hooves clean and took both of them onto the bed to play.

Lameness was usually due to underdeveloped bones, so Bao Ning gave the kitchen some money and had them fetch her bone meal, which she mixed into the lamb’s milk and spoon-fed it.

The milk smelled fragrant. Ah Huang wanted to drink some too, but Bao Ning didn’t have the heart to share. She just dipped her finger into the milk and dabbed a drop on his lips.

Ah Huang whined in protest, but she nudged him aside and focused on feeding the lamb. It drank over half a bowl of milk and, once full, drifted off to sleep curled up in her arms.

Even though she had told herself she wouldn’t wait for him, once night truly fell, Bao Ning still found herself thinking of Pei Yuan.

The canopy bed’s door was wide open. She sat at the bed’s head and could see the candle burning on the table.

The flame had burned most of the way down—by her guess, it was already past 9 p.m. again. Bao Ning’s eyelids were heavy, barely staying open, while Ah Huang had already taken three naps.

“No more waiting!” she muttered, pursing her lips, and slammed the bed’s wooden door shut with a thud. She pulled the covers up to her nose and closed her eyes to sleep.

Pei Yuan came back while Bao Ning was half-asleep. She vaguely heard some rustling. Suddenly alert, she opened her eyes and saw a shadow of someone sitting beside her, taking off his shoes.

Startled and disoriented, she thought it was a thief. Her heart pounded wildly—and with one hard kick, she sent Pei Yuan flying off the bed. With a loud thud, she slammed the bed door shut and locked it.

The lamb woke with a soft baa.

Bao Ning had kicked with full strength. Pei Yuan hadn’t expected it, so he was completely caught off guard. He crashed off the bed, landing flat on his back.

Staring at the ceiling, Pei Yuan was dazed. It took him a long moment to sit up, gritting his teeth.

“Ji Bao Ning! Have you gone mad?!”

In his entire life, he had never been knocked down like that by anyone.

His pride was just as bruised as his body.

Still sitting on the floor, he pounded on the canopy bed’s door. “Ji Bao Ning, are you not being a bit much? Open this damn door!”

“Woof!”

“Baa—!”

His commotion had woken everyone up inside the bed. First came the dog, then the lamb.

Pei Yuan could only recognize the dog’s bark—the other sound he didn’t understand and couldn’t even begin to guess.

From inside, Bao Ning heard him shout, “What are you hiding in there?!”

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