The Princess Consort of Pingyang hurriedly stopped her, "The Prince does not eat food from outside."
Duoduo hesitated for a moment, withdrawing her hand in slight disappointment.
The next second, the oiled paper package in her hand was taken away.
"It's just a bit of pastry, why wouldn't I eat it?" The Prince of Pingyang said with a straight face, opening the package.
Inside the oiled paper were a few small baked flatbreads.
The Prince of Pingyang paused and looked at Duoduo, "Just this?"
Duoduo nodded.
"Father, have a taste, it's very delicious!"
Duoduo looked at the Prince of Pingyang with a face full of expectation.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang wanted to stop him, but she saw the Prince of Pingyang pick up one of the flatbreads and take a small bite.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang watched him nervously.
Tasting the unique texture, a flash of surprise crossed the Prince of Pingyang's eyes.
The Prince of Pingyang looked at the flatbread in his hand. "It actually has a filling?"
Duoduo revealed a bright smile.
"Mhm! Father, do you think it's good?"
"I saw it by accident today, so many people were crowding around trying to buy some."
"I thought it must be delicious, so I asked Master Li to help grab some!"
The Prince of Pingyang took another bite.
The outer layer of the flatbread was very crisp, but the inside was a mix of salted vegetables and diced meat.
The salted vegetables neutralized the greasiness of the meat, and the addition of roasted crushed peanuts made the flavor very rich.
The crispy aroma of the dough mixed with the savory scent of the meat and salted vegetables made it quite delicious.
"Not bad," the Prince of Pingyang offered a rare compliment.
He finished the rest of the flatbread in one bite.
"Since Father likes it, I'll have the servants go buy more later!"
Seeing that the Prince of Pingyang really liked it, Duoduo instantly became happy.
"Oh right, Father, Mother also bought some fashionable new fabrics."
"She said she wants to make new clothes for you!"
Duoduo chattered away, recounting everything she had seen today to the Prince of Pingyang in full detail.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang also listened with great interest.
Especially the part where Duoduo prescribed medicine.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang was very curious, "Duoduo, why did you have that old woman carry water and go for walks every day?"
Duoduo smiled sweetly.
"Because she suffers from a deficiency syndrome."
"With a deficiency syndrome, if she were from a wealthy family, she could be nourished with precious medicinal herbs."
"But her family is completely destitute; they definitely couldn't afford it."
"So, I thought of a solution for her."
"Through physical labor, her body will naturally grow stronger."
"An idle body leads to a weary mind. Only when the body gets busy will everything else naturally improve."
The Prince of Pingyang nodded.
"Not bad, that makes sense."
"Duoduo is so smart!" the Princess Consort of Pingyang praised.
"It's just a little cleverness, nothing worth praising."
"Your achievements today are all because Master Zhang has taught you well."
"Right now, you've only learned the superficial basics from Master Zhang!"
The Prince of Pingyang lectured Duoduo with a stern face.
Duoduo nodded obediently.
"Mhm! Today, Master Zhang said he would pass on all his deepest knowledge to me!"
Then, Duoduo recounted the argument between Master Zhang and Li Jin in the carriage.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang said in surprise, "Didn't Your Highness invite Master Zhang over to teach Duoduo?"
"Why would he hold back? Fortunately, Master Li used reverse psychology, so Master Zhang finally decided to teach Duoduo."
The Prince of Pingyang understood very well that this was just human nature.
However, he was somewhat surprised that Li Jin would help Duoduo like this.
The Prince of Pingyang looked thoughtful.
Li Jin was Xu Jinxin's husband. If it weren't for the fact that Xu Jinxin was his wife's close childhood friend, Li Jin would not have come to Duoduo's side.
It seemed that all of this had long been predestined by fate.
He had knowledge, martial arts skills, and capability!
Yet such a person had neither become an official nor achieved a great career.
Now, he was willing to serve as a teacher and guard for Duoduo. What was his true motive?
The Prince of Pingyang held the teacup in his hand, unconsciously skimming the tea foam with the lid.
Seeing her father deep in thought, Duoduo closed her mouth and stopped talking.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang quietly waved her hand, stopping a maid who wanted to come forward to clear the table.
The Prince of Pingyang suddenly set down his teacup.
"Alright, you've both had a long morning. Go back and rest."
After saying this, the Prince of Pingyang pushed his own wheelchair and left the room.
Duoduo and the Princess Consort of Pingyang looked at each other in dismay.
"Let's go, we'll head back to our room for a midday nap. Aren't you supposed to learn etiquette from Nanny Li this afternoon?"
"Mhm!"
Hearing her mother's words, Duoduo immediately jumped down from the stool.
Nanny Li was very strict, so she couldn't afford to slack off.
Besides, during the time Nanny Li had been away, she had long forgotten everything she had learned previously.
Whenever Duoduo thought about this, her heart would race with anxiety.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang didn't use the maids' help. She personally helped Duoduo take off her outer clothes and then tucked her into bed.
Duoduo rolled around on the bed and peeked her little head out from under the blanket.
"Mother, your blanket smells so nice!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang also lay down.
"You smell nice too, Duoduo!"
Duoduo looked curious. She raised her arm and sniffed herself.
"I don't smell like anything! Mother is lying!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang hugged Duoduo, burying her face in the girl's neck and taking a deep sniff.
"It's fragrant, so fragrant!"
"So fragrant that Mother wants to take a bite. Maybe eating Duoduo's flesh will grant immortality!"
Duoduo was amused and giggled continuously.
"Mother, you only get immortality from eating the Tang Monk!"
"I'm not the Tang Monk, I can't do that!"
Duoduo said this while laughing nonstop.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang also laughed, "How do you know if I haven't tried?"
"What if it actually works? How about Mother takes a bite to find out."
Saying this, the Princess Consort of Pingyang leaned close to Duoduo's shoulder.
Duoduo was a little scared, but she bravely didn't dodge.
"Okay, Mother, but you have to be gentle! I'm afraid of pain!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang hadn't expected Duoduo to say such a thing.
She froze.
She was only teasing Duoduo just now. A normal child would have surely screamed and dodged away.
But Duoduo actually let her bite, only asking her to be gentle.
This child!
She truly made one's heart ache with affection!
The Princess Consort of Pingyang sighed.
Duoduo raised her small hands and hooked them around the Princess Consort of Pingyang's neck.
"Mother, don't sigh. Sighing makes people old."
"Duoduo doesn't want Mother to grow old. Duoduo wants Mother to stay young forever!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang smiled. She lay back down and hugged Duoduo, letting the girl lie on top of her.
"As you grow up, Mother will naturally age. Mother isn't a monster, how could I stay young forever?"
Lying on the Princess Consort of Pingyang's chest was a very novel experience for Duoduo.
She reached out her small hand and gently stroked the Princess Consort of Pingyang's cheek.
"Mother, I will find a medicine that will make you immortal once you take it!"
"Where in this world could there be an elixir of immortality?"
"Alright, go to sleep now."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang turned to her side, embracing Duoduo and closing her eyes.
Duoduo silently thought to herself: the place Aunt Xu talked about had inexhaustible electricity, so there must be an elixir of immortality there too!
