The Princess Consort of Pingyang sat to the side, her face completely calm. She was already used to her best friend randomly blurting out strange words from time to time.
"Well, emotional intelligence and intelligence quotient are both characteristics of a person."
"A person with a high IQ learns things very quickly; you could say they understand a concept the moment it is pointed out."
"A person with high emotional intelligence makes people feel very comfortable when interacting with them."
"As for people with low emotional intelligence, well, you know?"
Xu Jinxin did not continue, but merely winked at Duoduo.
Duoduo thought for a moment and suddenly understood a little.
"I get it! Auntie Xu, you are someone with high emotional intelligence and low IQ!"
"Pfft!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh out loud.
Xu Jinxin was dumbfounded.
Duoduo was very confused. "Mother, did I understand it wrong?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang looked at the devastated Xu Jinxin and laughed again.
"Not at all! You are absolutely right!"
"Su Xian! You've learned to be bad too!" Xu Jinxin's eyes widened.
"Little Duoduo, are you praising me or insulting me? How am I someone with a low IQ?"
"Do you know that calling someone's IQ low is an insult?"
Duoduo stuck out her tongue.
"I'm sorry, Auntie Xu, I said the wrong thing."
Xu Jinxin waved her hand.
"Forget it, considering you praised me, I forgive you!"
"You were the one who only explained half of it and misled Duoduo," the Princess Consort of Pingyang defended her daughter.
Xu Jinxin helplessly hugged her own daughter. "Yingniang, this mother and daughter pair are bullying your mother. You have to help me."
Yingniang hugged her mother back.
"Mother, they have high IQs, so doesn't that mean we have low IQs?"
Yingniang's words made Xu Jinxin instantly freeze.
Beside them, the Princess Consort of Pingyang laughed so hard she was trembling.
"See! I told you, you didn't explain it clearly, and the children misunderstood!"
Xu Jinxin sat up straight.
"Uh, that's my fault. I will correct it."
"This IQ thing, it's not just high or low. There is also a middle ground, which is just ordinary people."
"People with high IQs are like your father and Duoduo."
"People with low IQs are what we usually call fools."
"So, saying someone has a low IQ is cursing them!"
Yingniang opened her mouth wide, unable to believe her ears.
"Then just now, I called myself a fool? Doesn't that make me a real fool?"
Seeing her daughter's sad expression, Xu Jinxin patted her shoulder.
"That wasn't your original intention. It's mother's fault, don't blame yourself!"
"Auntie Xu, what about emotional intelligence? Besides high and low, are there people in the middle?" Duoduo asked, determined to get to the bottom of it.
Xu Jinxin held Yingniang, thought for a moment, and then answered very carefully.
"There are, but when describing people's emotional intelligence, it's mostly discussed in terms of high and low."
Duoduo nodded, indicating she understood.
Lianxin walked in. "Your Highness, dinner is served."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang pulled Duoduo up. "Let's go, time to eat!"
Xu Jinxin happily pulled Yingniang along. "I've racked my brains for so long, I need to eat some good food to replenish my energy."
Duoduo was a little confused. "Auntie Xu, did you have classes too?"
Xu Jinxin didn't dare speak carelessly.
"You don't just use your brain in class. Thinking about things requires brainpower too."
Duoduo nodded.
"Right! Then Auntie Xu should eat more later!"
"Absolutely!"
With Xu Jinxin around, there was no strict adherence to the rule of no talking while eating.
While eating, she asked.
"Yingniang, what was taught in class today? I can't believe you fell asleep."
"We learned about taking pulses." Yingniang said while eating.
"Huh, didn't your father teach you?" Xu Jinxin found it strange.
"He did, but Master Zhang came back, so father gave all the classes to Master Zhang."
"Father also said that from today until we depart, all classes will be taught by Master Zhang." Yingniang said, suddenly finding it hard to swallow her food.
Yingniang could foresee that she would probably sleep through most of the upcoming classes.
So embarrassing!
"Sister, there are also Nanny Li's classes!" Duoduo added after swallowing the food in her mouth.
"The morning and evening exercise times still belong to Master Li."
As Duoduo spoke, she sped up her eating.
"Slow down, be careful not to choke," the Princess Consort of Pingyang hurriedly advised.
"Mhm, Master Zhang finished class late today, and it's almost time for evening exercises. I'm going to be late!"
Duoduo took a big bite of rice.
"It's fine, just let Li Jin wait a bit longer. A little delay won't hurt."
"No! A person must be punctual and trustworthy. I can't make the master wait!" Duoduo corrected Xu Jinxin.
Xu Jinxin felt a pang of heartache.
Duoduo was just a child not even five years old, yet she was working so hard.
She barely had any time to rest, and who knew if her little body could handle it.
"Come, Duoduo, drink some more soup. It's good for your health!"
Xu Jinxin stood up, scooped a bowl of soup, and placed it in front of Duoduo.
"Thank you!"
Duoduo smiled sweetly at Xu Jinxin.
"Eat up, don't rush. It's not like you're a boy needing to take the imperial examinations."
"Doing just enough is fine, why push yourself so hard?"
Xu Jinxin sighed.
"Because I want to become strong! Father says that only by becoming strong yourself can you control everything!"
"Mother, Auntie Xu, I'm done eating! Take your time!"
After Duoduo finished speaking, she put down her bowl and chopsticks.
Yingniang hurriedly finished the rice in her bowl and followed Duoduo out.
Xu Jinxin had not yet recovered from Duoduo's words.
"Jinxin, what's wrong?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang saw Xu Jinxin holding a piece of food in her chopsticks, frozen in place, completely motionless.
Xu Jinxin snapped back to reality. She placed the food into her bowl and then looked at the Princess Consort of Pingyang with a solemn expression.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang was a bit taken aback by Xu Jinxin's gaze.
"What is it? Is there something wrong with me?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang looked herself over, but found nothing out of place.
"Su Xian, does the Prince of Pingyang value Duoduo highly?" Xu Jinxin spoke very slowly, as if weighing every word.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang smiled.
"Of course he does."
"Although at first, the Prince and Duoduo didn't get along well."
"But I can see that the Prince is extremely fond of the child."
"It's just that, as you said, he has low emotional intelligence and doesn't know how to express himself."
"He clearly wants Duoduo to do better, but the words that come out of his mouth sound very disdainful."
"It even made Duoduo ask me if the Prince disliked her."
"However, after the child went to save the Prince, it seems that knot in her heart has disappeared."
"Now she mutters every day about when her father will come back. It makes me a little jealous!"
Xu Jinxin watched as the Princess Consort of Pingyang complained about her daughter just like any ordinary mother.
She remained silent.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang chattered on for quite a while.
It was rare to have someone willing to listen to her vent, so she naturally poured it all out.
"Jinxin? Am I being too talkative?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang noticed that after she had spoken for so long, Xu Jinxin had no reaction.
Xu Jinxin shook her head.
"Su Xian, I mean, what if."
"What if the Prince of Pingyang is raising Duoduo as if she were your only child, would you regret it?"
