socalfunplaces Chapter 343 A Lie Made in Kind
Chapter 343 A Lie Made in Kind
Princess's Residence
"Going on vacation for two months?"
The eldest princess's eyes were somewhat dazed: "You were able to leave the capital for so long?"
The princess was naturally asking about Wen Zongji.
Wen Zongji said, "It was a coincidence. The Crown Prince intended to appoint me as the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, but the current Minister of the Court of Judicial Review has not yet retired. The Crown Prince needs time to handle this, and the Shuntian Prefecture does not need me to be here all the time. So I asked the Crown Prince and Lord Chai for two months of leave."
Of course, no matter how highly regarded an ordinary official is, it would be impossible for him to get a two-month vacation. To put it bluntly, it was Wen Zongji's extraordinary status that made him stand out.
The eldest princess didn't care about any of that. She was pleased that Wen Zongji was willing to take his wife and children out for a trip. She said, "That's good. I only left the capital when I was young, when I accompanied my father on a tour. The Great Chu is vast and has beautiful landscapes. You should go out and see more of it."
Hearing this, Pei Rujing's eyes flickered, and she said, "Mother, why don't you come with us?"
"What?"
The eldest princess was stunned.
Wen Zongji quickly realized what Pei Rujing meant and said, "Mother-in-law, what my wife says is right. Why don't you come with us?"
The eldest princess waved her hand: "What would it look like if I followed your family out on a trip? Others would probably say that I'm meddling too much."
Pei Rujing walked over and took the princess's arm: "Mother, this is not like you. When have you ever cared about what irrelevant people think? Just come along... Besides, those two little ones can be quite a nuisance sometimes. If you keep an eye on them for us, my husband and I can have more peace of mind."
Wen Zongji chimed in, "Rui-ge'er is at the age where he likes to run around everywhere, and it's easy to lose sight of him if we're not paying attention... Ling-jie'er is even more difficult to take care of. She likes to follow people she's close to, and those maids and servants can't coax her at all. Mother-in-law, please consider this a favor to us."
Rui Ge'er really wants to say that he is very well-behaved and never runs around without saying goodbye.
But he was intelligent and could tell that his parents were trying to persuade the princess.
Lingjie didn't quite understand what the adults were saying, but she was at the age where she was very good at imitating others. Seeing Pei Rujing holding the eldest princess's arm, she imitated her, swaying as she walked to the eldest princess's side and hugging the princess's leg: "Grand...Grandma..."
The eldest princess had been so captivated by Pei Rujing that she hadn't noticed Ling'er at all. Before she knew it, Ling'er was right in front of her, startling the princess. She quickly picked Ling'er up, exclaiming, "Oh dear, Grandmother didn't even notice! Ling'er walked all this way by herself?"
Wen Zongji immediately said, "She's recently learned to walk, and she always walks by herself, wobbling along. If you're not careful, she'll wander off somewhere. She's still unsteady on her feet. Even if she falls and hurts herself while walking, she cries so pitifully, as if she's been bullied."
"I didn't notice either. Luckily, he didn't fall this time, or I would have had to comfort him for a long time."
He had noticed Ling Jie'er's actions; the maids had protected Ling Jie'er and walked to the Princess's side before stepping back a few steps. But when advising the Princess, he naturally had to make his words sound more serious.
The eldest princess kissed Ling'er: "You must cry if you fall and hurt yourself, our Ling'er is so delicate."
Her attitude began to soften.
Pei Rujing and Wen Zongji both understood what was going on. The couple exchanged a glance and decided to try to persuade him again later.
After the princess finished her lunch, having been persuaded, Pei Rujing happily instructed, "Aunt Wan, quickly have someone pack our luggage; we're setting off tomorrow."
Aunt Wan replied, "This servant will arrange it immediately."
Seeing Pei Rujing so happy, Lingjie also clapped her hands with a smile, "Yay!"
Wen Zongji, who had just finished feeding her, smiled at her and said, "Ling'er is very happy, isn't she?"
"Yay—"
"Mother-in-law, you see, Ling'er wants you to come along too."
The eldest princess took Ling'er from Wen Zongji's arms and said with a smile, "My dear, I'm not doing this for you guys, I just can't bear to part with Ling'er."
Pei Rujing said sweetly, "Yes, yes, it's all because Sister Ling has a lot of influence."
The eldest princess rolled her eyes at her, glanced at Rui-ge'er, and worried that Rui-ge'er might be upset, so she pulled him to her side: "I also want to see Rui-ge'er more."
Rui Ge'er was a bit older after all, and upon hearing this, he said, "I like playing with my maternal grandmother."
The princess laughed even more heartily upon hearing this.
Wen Zongji and Pei Rujing looked at Rui Ge'er with admiration in their eyes.
Good son!
……
Thinking that they still had to go to the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence, Wen Zongji's family did not stay at the Princess's residence for long. After having lunch, they left the Princess's residence not long afterward.
On the carriage
Rui Ge'er asked Wen Zongji, "Father, was that the white lie you just told?"
"What?"
"Father clearly saw Ling'er walking towards her maternal grandmother, but he said he didn't see her. And I was clearly being very good, but Father said I was running around and making Father and Mother worry. Neither of these are lies."
Wen Zongji never expected to receive a question from Rui Ge'er.
Instead of giving a perfunctory answer, he said, "Yes, that's a white lie. Sometimes we inevitably have to tell lies to make our family happy or to make something better, but if the intention behind the lie is good, then it's a white lie."
"But it is wrong to lie for one's own selfish gain."
Rui nodded thoughtfully.
Wen Zongji had previously explained the difference between lies and white lies to him; otherwise, Rui-ge wouldn't have brought it up today.
Today's lesson was a real-world experience, and Rui-ge'er has a more thorough understanding of it now.
Pei Rujing did not interfere with Wen Zongji teaching his son. She held Ling'er's little hand, clapped her hands, and praised, "Our Ling'er has done a great job today, she's really awesome."
Ling'er sat in Pei Rujing's lap, and could tell that Pei Rujing was praising her. She grinned happily and said, "Great..."
"Yes, Ling'er is great."
Lingjie was even happier, and turned to Ruige to boast, "Brother...you're awesome..."
Rui smiled at her and patted her head: "Ling'er has always been great."
Ling Jie'er then looked at Wen Zongji.
Wen Zongji also praised it.
Lingjie looked around the entire carriage with her little head, and seeing that she couldn't see anyone else, she gave up the idea of getting more people to praise her.
Wen Zongji couldn't help but laugh when he saw this: "The little guy is quite narcissistic."
She needs everyone to praise her before she's satisfied.
The carriage went directly to the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence and then back to the county princess's residence. They couldn't wait until dinner to go to the Marquis's residence; this was the perfect time.
First, go over and chat with Mrs. Jiang. After Wen Chuanhong and the others finish their shifts, the family will sit together for dinner and talk about their upcoming two-month trip from Beijing.
Wen Zongji had already made arrangements for his time at the Marquis's residence, so he accompanied Pei Rujing to play with Lingjie.
Although Lingjie was more mischievous than Ruige, she was also more fun, and Wen Zongji and Pei Rujing both liked to tease her.
Rui Ge'er, who was standing nearby, also joined in.
For a moment, the carriage was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.