Chapter 175 - 175: Eat If You Have Nothing to Do

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Jiaru eagerly reached out to take the food, but the young prince quickly stopped her and ordered a servant to prepare a plate.

Rul er, displeased, glared at Li Longji. “These are all mine. You can’t eat them!”

“Alright, I won’t eat them. They’re all yours.”

It was only at this moment that Qiao Mai noticed him. “Oh. I’ve been so busy talking to my sister that I forgot about you.”

“Sister, no need for formalities.’

Qiao Mai handed the letter and documents from her bosom to Jiaru. “This is a family letter, and these documents are from Uncle Wang, requesting your assistance in delivering them to the Emperor.”

“We’ve heard about the snow disaster in Wei City. There should indeed be a protocol for this.”

“Lord Wang submitted the documents half a month ago, but there has been no response. Could it be that someone is withholding them?”

“It’s not that, but the Emperor’s health has been poor. He is still recovering.”

“Oh? Isn’t the Crown Prince overseeing the affairs of the state? Is no one handling the government affairs?”

The young prince shook his head. “The Emperor’s intentions are inscrutable. With these documents not reaching him, he cannot make any decisions at the moment.”

Qiao Mai placed the documents back in her bosom. After reading the letter, Rul er wiped away tears.

But when the young prince brought the fruits, she immediately smiled and ate happily.

“Eating too much sour food isn’t good for you. Please eat in moderation.”

“Hmm.”

When the mirrors were brought in by the servants, Rul er had them taken to her bedroom.

Afterward, they all sat down for a meal, but Ru’er hardly ate anything and mostly consumed the fruits.

She couldn’t stand the smell of meat and felt nauseous when she tried to eat it. Qiao Mai shook her head, thinking she was lucky to have three sons and a daughter and didn’t need to go through pregnancy again. Seeing a woman like this made her anxious.

She’d rather endure injuries and bleeding than go through pregnancy again.

After the meal, the young prince went out to handle his affairs while Jiaru held Qiao Mai’s hand and led her into her bedroom. She had her maids open the boxes containing the mirrors, checked them for any damage, and sent one to the former queen and another to the current queen. She also sent out a large and a small mirror to others. Finally, she distributed the remaining mirrors one by one.

Ru’er retrieved fifty thousand taels of silver from her private chamber and handed it to Qiao Mai.

“We’re sisters, so you must accept it.”

“Alright, thank you, Your Highness.” “Stop being so formal. We will always be sisters.”

“Then why give me the silver?”

“This is a formality. You need capital to purchase these things, right?” Helpless, Qiao Mai took several hair ornaments from her shoulder bag.

“Those aren’t worth fifty thousand taels. I’ll add these to it.”

“Thank you, sister. I knew you were the best to me.”

“Don’t flatter me. First, I prioritize my husband, then my children, your grandparents, and finally you.”

“Haha, I don’t care. I think you’re the best to me, and that’s final.”

“You have a sweet tongue. No wonder the young prince likes you so much. How have you been during your time here?”

“It’s been fine, but I often encounter rivals when my husband has social gatherings.”

“Even after the marriage? Are they still interested?”

“Ah, the prince can have concubines and mistresses. Do you know that royal mistresses are not like those in ordinary families?”

“Do you want him to take concubines?”

“I don’t want to, but I can’t stop him. He’s a prince. However, he promised not to take concubines for five years.”

“Then make the most of these five years. Grow well, and be strong. When he has concubines, your life, and your child’s life, will become chaotic, like walking through a forest fire every day.”

Rul er’s lips quivered. “I’m so scared.”

“Be strong for the sake of your child. Since you married into this family, you must face all this, or your child will suffer.”

“Yes, I will slowly become stronger.”

Qiao Mai glanced at her, thinking she had a good heart but was too kind and would likely be taken advantage of in such a family.

“I’ll be leaving early tomorrow morning.”

“Can’t you stay a few more days?”

“I’ve been away for half a month, and there’s much to do at home. Do you have any other cravings? I’ll look for them this afternoon.”

“I want to eat taro, bamboo shoots, your family’s sticky corn, and strawberries.”

Qiao Mai looked out the window, somewhat speechless. This girl was quite demanding.

“Can’t you stay a few more days?”

Rul er, with her big watery eyes, looked like she felt quite wronged.

“I can’t.”

“Alright, find more food for me, okay?”

“Sleep for a while.”

Qiao Mai got up and left. She couldn’t stand how pregnant women transformed into different people. She thought Ruler would become more mature, but instead, she seemed to regress.

Qiao Mai left the mansion and was glad she brought pickled vegetables, kimchi, spicy cabbage, and spicy radish from home.

She heard that pregnant women often craved these flavors, so she took a jar of kimchi from her space.

She knew Ruler wanted these things, so she took two baskets from her platform. Along with that, she bought a box of spicy strips, popcorn, crispy rice, and hawthorn-flavored lollipops. She figured that if Ruler acted like a child, she would indulge her.

Rul er slept until it was nearly dark. When she woke up, she asked for Qiao Mai and was surprised that she hadn’t returned yet.

Anxiously, she heard the sound of horses neighing at the door and hurriedly got up. Her maids quickly held her back and helped her outside.

“Finally, you’re back! I was so worried.”

“I went to get some food for you. I really owe you. Are you still worried about

“Of course.

The servants got off the carriage and quickly began moving the items into the house. Ruler stood by, watching with longing eyes.

“Wow, everything looks so delicious!”

“Eat slowly. Some food can be stored, but others can’t. Use your discretion.”

“I had some sour fruits for lunch and don’t feel as nauseous now.” Entering the living room, she circled around the baskets of food. “Quickly steam some taro for me. What’s this?”

“It’s kimchi. Try it.”

“Hmm, it’s delicious. Spicy strips, popcorn, and crispy rice! I love these.”

“Can you handle spicy food? We also have some spicy radish, pickled by my family.”

“I can.”

Ru’er’s trusting nature led her to believe in Qiao Mai too easily. Could she really bring all these things from her home in just one trip? Rul er didn’t give it much thought.

“You’re craving sour and spicy foods; could it be twins?”

“Thanks for your kind words. Maybe I’ll have twins.”

Qiao Mai noticed Ru’er’s pregnant belly and extended her spiritual sense to examine it. She could see two small points attached to the uterine wall.

It seemed that she might be carrying twins. However, Qiao Mai didn’t reveal this information. A doctor could easily confirm it later in her pregnancy. Before coming, she had prepared a batch of pills to protect the pregnancy.

“Ru’er?”

“Yes, Sister, I know you’re hungry. Just wait. Dinner will be here soon, and we can eat together.”

“This is a bottle of pills to stabilize your pregnancy. Keep it safe. Hopefully, you won’t need to use it.”

Rul er accepted the pills with a smile and placed them in her pocket.

“You always give me such good things.”

Qiao Mai smiled and poured herself a cup of hot tea.

The young prince entered the room at this moment and saw the room filled with baskets.

He smiled and said, “Sister, you brought all this delicious food. How skilled.”

He glanced at Qiao Mai deeply, but she didn’t respond to his comment.

“Think about what else you’d like to eat. I’ll be leaving tomorrow after breakfast.

“I don’t need anything else. When my pregnancy stabilizes, I’ll come to visit you.”

The young prince’s face became stern. “Even when your pregnancy is stable, you shouldn’t travel recklessly. The road is bumpy. If you miss your family, please invite your parents to come. This is your first pregnancy, and you must take good care of yourself.”

“Hmph, you’re so strict. I won’t talk to you anymore..”