Chapter 281: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
Chapter 281: A Child in the Rockery
Qi Wangfei was momentarily stunned.
She had little impression of the Wei family's sons.
Since the Wei family had some distant marital ties to the Jinyang Marquis' household, Qi Wangfei instinctively paid them little attention.
Now, hearing Lu Xinglan mention it, she curiously looked toward the maid who had spoken.
The maid quickly replied, "Madam is referring to the eldest young master. The one just now should be the third young master, born to Madam Xiaoxu."
With that clarification, Qi Wangfei and Lu Xinglan understood.
Madam Xiaoxu was the secondary wife of the Marquis of Huaiyang. The child earlier was her son, younger than the eldest young master by a few years.
After hearing this explanation, Lu Xinglan’s brows remained furrowed. She muttered softly, "So much for Madam Xiaoxu's reputed virtue. Bringing her biological son to such an event while completely ignoring her stepson?"
She finished with a disdainful twist of her lips.
Qi Wangfei, listening nearby, was amused. "It’s not our household’s business, so it’s best not to comment. Perhaps the eldest son is older and accompanies the Marquis instead?"
This reasoning seemed plausible.
Lu Xinglan thought it over but didn’t continue the topic. Instead, she turned her attention to teasing Suisui.
After all, it didn’t concern them directly. Why bother overthinking it?
As long as it didn’t involve their own children, that was enough.
Lu Xinglan wasn’t particularly worried. Her two sons were older and currently studying at the academy, making it inconvenient to take leave.
Her young daughter was unwell and remained at home, so she hadn’t brought her children today.
Her husband, the Marquis Cheng, might occasionally act foolishly, but today wasn’t one of those times. He hadn’t recklessly insisted she bring any concubine-born children to socialize.
The Marquis Cheng’s household had always lived cautiously, avoiding unnecessary trouble. If the Marquis dared to act out of line, Lu Xinglan’s father would likely show up at their door, ready for a confrontation.
After a while, Suisui grew bored. She also felt uncomfortable with the frequent glances cast her way—some were appraising and unfriendly.
Unhappy, she turned and nestled her face into her mother’s neck.
Seeing her child’s waning enthusiasm and noting the time, Qi Wangfei decided it was time to head back. She carried Suisui as they prepared to leave.
Not knowing where Feng Xuanrui and the others had gone, Qi Wangfei, feeling uneasy, took Lu Xinglan along to search for them.
After combing through several spots where children might gather, they still couldn’t find her two mischievous boys.
This made Qi Wangfei furrow her brows. Just as she was about to give up and return, Suisui pointed at a rockery and softly said, "Someone’s there."
At her words, not only Qi Wangfei but also Lu Xinglan froze in surprise.
Instinctively, Lu Xinglan turned to look at the rockery.
This rockery was ornamental, separating a small garden from a pond. It was quite a distance from where they had been admiring flowers.
Beyond the rockery was the backyard of the Marquis Fu’s household, where the women resided.
Qi Wangfei trusted Suisui’s words and was immediately concerned about potential trouble.
She exchanged a glance with Lu Xinglan, who signaled to a sturdy servant woman nearby to investigate.
The servant carefully examined the area, peeking into every nook and cranny of the rockery. Suddenly, she cried out, "Oh my, there really is a child here!"
The exclamation startled both Qi Wangfei and Lu Xinglan.
They exchanged another glance before hurrying toward the rockery.
The child was stuck in a crevice at the edge of the rockery.
The space was small, barely enough to fit two children around four or five years old. Any larger child would have been entirely squeezed in.
At present, the child was curled up inside, their face obscured. They seemed semi-conscious.
The servant woman tried to reach in to pull the child out. However, the gap above was too narrow for her arm to reach all the way. After multiple attempts, she still couldn’t grasp the child.
Out of options, the servant tried reaching from below.
But as soon as she touched the child, they flinched in shock and curled even tighter into the crevice.
Each time the servant moved, the child withdrew further.
Qi Wangfei: …
Lu Xinglan: …
If this continued, the child would end up wedged in the crevice, unable to move.
Lu Xinglan raised her hand to stop the servant’s actions. "Wait, wait."
As she spoke, she turned to look through the crowd of servants, trying to pick one with a slender frame to see if they could slip into the gap and push the child out.
If the child kept shrinking into the crevice, they would be stuck for sure. That would cause serious trouble, and they might even have to break the rockery.
At that point, the noise would be so loud that it would attract the attention of the entire household.
What a mess this would be for a birthday banquet. It was unclear who had caused this disturbance by doing such things here.
The thought alone annoyed Lu Xinglan.
However, the gap in the rockery was too small, and even the most petite maid couldn’t fit through it.
Finally, Suisui spoke up. "I’ll go. I’m small; I can fit."
Qi Wangfei could hardly bear to let her child go.
The situation inside the rockery was unclear, and the child appeared to have been injured. Who knew if they were dangerous or not?
Qi Wangfei instinctively shook her head, but Lu Xinglan immediately intervened. "No, no, Suisui can’t go in! You’re just a child!"
Suisui glanced at the child curled up in the rockery, then softly said, "But this brother doesn’t seem well."
If he didn’t come out soon, he might end up like the sick children from the village, left to die without anyone noticing.
Suisui didn’t want the other child to die.
She spoke with a touch of sadness, "If he’s unwell, will he die? Mother, I don’t want any other children to die."
Suisui thought back to when she had been abandoned on the back mountain, left to wait for the wolves to eat her. It was her brothers who had saved her then.
Wasn’t this brother also in need of someone to save him in order to survive?
Suisui believed she was a brave and kind child, someone who could help.
Her tone was soft and a little choked with emotion.
Qi Wangfei couldn’t bear for her precious child to endure such hardship, but she also couldn’t let Suisui go into the rockery.
Lu Xinglan was even more reluctant, and immediately gestured to a quick-footed maid, "Quick, go ask my sister-in-law to come. If she’s busy, send a reliable servant or maid, and also bring a physician. We need a smaller child as well."
Once the child was rescued, the situation needed to be handled quietly.
Lu Xinglan, though a member of the Lu family, was now married and was considered an outsider. She didn’t want to interfere too much, as it wouldn’t be proper for her to make decisions that affected the household.
It would be her sister-in-law who should take charge. She didn’t want to overstep and risk causing discord with her family.
The maid quickly responded and hurried toward the banquet area.
Suisui, still worried, craned her neck to look into the rockery.
The child, who had been motionless, suddenly twitched. The sight made Qi Wangfei’s heart ache, and she exclaimed, "This—this won’t do!"
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