This was the first time Duoduo had ever seen the Princess Consort of Pingyang look so serious.
Her heart was filled with apprehension as she shuffled over to the Princess Consort of Pingyang, taking three tiny steps for every normal stride.
"Hold out your hand!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang kept a straight face, her tone stern.
Duoduo timidly held out her hand.
"Mother, please don't be angry. I know I was wrong."
Seeing the long-absent look of timidity on Duoduo's face, the Princess Consort of Pingyang's heart softened.
However, she immediately forced herself to harden her heart.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
The Princess Consort of Pingyang pulled Duoduo's hand over and struck it hard three times.
"Mother is hitting you because you knew perfectly well that this flower is poisonous, yet you still went to pick it."
"Your father has taught you many times that a wise person does not stand under a falling wall, but you knowingly broke the rules!"
"Mother is only giving you three smacks on the hand this time. If there is a next time, you will be severely punished!"
As soon as the Princess Consort of Pingyang finished speaking, she saw tears quickly roll out of Duoduo's large eyes.
Pea-sized tears rolled down, one after another.
There was no loud crying, nor were there any aggrieved explanations.
Duoduo just stood there, letting the large tears fall.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang thought her actions just now had frightened Duoduo.
Looking at Duoduo's dazed and stunned appearance, her heart finally softened.
It seemed she was still better suited to being a loving mother.
It would be better to leave the role of the strict father to the Prince.
"I'm sorry!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang pulled Duoduo into her arms and gently stroked her back.
"Mother was just worried about you earlier, which is why I yelled at you so loudly."
"Mother was wrong. Mother apologizes to you!"
Duoduo reached out her small hands and tightly hugged the Princess Consort of Pingyang's neck.
She hugged tighter and tighter, as if she wanted to embed her entire self into the Princess Consort of Pingyang's body.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang was a bit surprised. She hurriedly tried to pull Duoduo away to see what was wrong.
But not only did Duoduo not let go, her little body pressed up even closer.
She hung her entire body onto the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
"Duoduo, what's wrong? Did Mother hit you too hard?"
Feeling Duoduo's small body trembling continuously, the Princess Consort of Pingyang began to panic.
"Mom... Mom... Mommy!"
Duoduo's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang's body stiffened.
"W-what did you call me?" Her voice trembled, unable to believe what she had just heard.
"Mommy!" Duoduo cried out.
"Mommy! Mommy, I was wrong! Waaah!"
Duoduo burst into loud sobs.
As she cried, she kept calling out, "Mommy!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang felt as if something had firmly squeezed her heart.
"Oh! Mommy is here! Don't cry, don't cry!"
Duoduo wailed loudly, continuously calling out "Mommy!"
Tears fell from the Princess Consort of Pingyang's eyes without warning.
"Yes! Yes! Mommy is here, don't cry!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang held Duoduo tightly, constantly comforting her.
Beside them, Lianxin couldn't help but turn her face away to secretly wipe her tears.
Baihe waved her hand, and all the servants attending in the room quietly retreated outside.
Before leaving, Lianxin took Yingniang away as well.
Duoduo kept crying and crying, as if she had suffered the greatest grievance in the world.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang felt an unbearable tightness in her chest.
"Good child, Mommy shouldn't have hit you. Mommy apologizes to you!"
"No!" Duoduo hugged the Princess Consort of Pingyang's neck and kept shaking her head.
Duoduo cried until she was tired, refusing to let go of the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
Her little body still hiccuped with sobs from time to time.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang gently patted Duoduo's back and didn't push her away.
Slowly, the Princess Consort of Pingyang heard Duoduo's breathing by her ear gradually steady.
Duoduo had fallen asleep.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears.
Her eyes were incredibly sore.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang sighed and laid Duoduo down.
Fast asleep, Duoduo's brows were tightly furrowed, and her hands and feet flailed about, as if she was very frightened.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang hurriedly grabbed her hands.
"Sleep now, Mommy is here!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang gently patted Duoduo, humming a little tune that her own wet nurse used to hum to her when she was a child.
Duoduo fell back into a deep sleep.
Looking at Duoduo's sleeping face, the Princess Consort of Pingyang couldn't resist touching her cheek.
Duoduo's cry of "Mommy" just now had absolutely shattered her heart.
Perhaps this child was exactly as the Prince of Pingyang had said.
Duoduo was definitely their child; it was just that a mistake had occurred when the child was reincarnated.
Now, Heaven had taken pity on them and sent the child back to their side.
After experiencing such great joy and sorrow, the Princess Consort of Pingyang also felt exhausted.
She held Duoduo and got into bed.
Outside the room, Lianxin heard that it had gone silent inside.
Worried, she quietly pushed the door open to take a look.
When she saw the Princess Consort of Pingyang and Duoduo sound asleep in bed, she quietly retreated outside again.
"Sister Lianxin, how is Duoduo?"
Yingniang asked very anxiously.
Lianxin bowed in greeting.
"Miss Li, the young Princess has fallen asleep."
Yingniang blinked.
"Then I will take my leave for now. When Duoduo wakes up later, please let her know."
"Yes, this servant will certainly pass on the message."
Yingniang turned and left, while Lianxin sat down by the door.
When the Princess Consort of Pingyang woke up and opened her eyes, she saw Duoduo lying beside her, watching her unblinkingly.
When Duoduo saw her open her eyes, a shy look appeared on the little girl's face.
"When did you wake up? Why didn't you wake Mommy?"
Duoduo's large eyes stared at the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
"Mommy?"
Her cherry-like small mouth gently uttered the word.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang sat up.
"What's wrong? Does your hand hurt? Let Mommy see."
Duoduo blinked, then she sat up and wrapped her small hands around the Princess Consort of Pingyang's waist.
"Mommy!"
Duoduo's milky, childish voice seemed to carry a hint of uncertainty.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang stroked Duoduo's hair.
She didn't know what was going on with Duoduo, but she still comforted her gently.
"Mommy! Mommy!"
Duoduo called out with increasing urgency.
"Oh my! Are you planning to burrow right back into Mommy's belly?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang teased as she looked at Duoduo wriggling against her.
"Mhm! I want to!"
Duoduo nodded very affirmatively.
"That way, Mommy and I will be the closest, closest, closest of all!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang was slightly stunned.
She seemed to understand why Duoduo was acting so out of character today.
She had never given birth to a child.
So, towards Duoduo, it was mostly out of pity for her background that she had been so endlessly accommodating.
However, true mothers and daughters could not exist on blind indulgence alone.
There would be anger, sadness, disappointment, and even scolding and spanking!
What she thought was kindness, the sensitive Duoduo had clearly understood the true reason behind it.
Because of that, the child had been extremely well-behaved.
Today, she had been genuinely angry. That flower was poisonous, and if something terrible had happened to Duoduo...
Out of fear, she had punished Duoduo, but that very act had allowed Duoduo to feel true familial love.
This child truly made one's heart ache for her!
The Princess Consort of Pingyang embraced Duoduo.
"I'm sorry. This is Mommy's first time being a Mommy. I haven't done a good enough job, and I've disappointed you."
