An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

Qiuyi Manor was a vast expanse, more than double the size of Qingshan Manor. It was home to crops Jing Chunxi had never seen before: vine-twisted fruits and vegetables, and thick-leaved medicinal herbs, glistening in the sun. Most of them had been brought from Qingshan Manor, so they were growing exceptionally well.

After dinner every day, Jing Chunxi always liked to stroll around the farm. Sometimes he would squat by the edge of the field to observe how people tended their crops, and sometimes he would stand under the fruit trees and look up to count the unripe fruits.

Xu Zize often followed her. Her master did not mention going back, and Prince Jing and Prince Hong seemed to be planning to stay for a long time, which made her even less anxious to return to Qingshan Villa.

That morning, the aroma of freshly ground soy milk wafted through the courtyard. Jing Chunxi was sipping the milky yellow liquid from his bowl when Xu Zize suddenly tapped the rim of the celadon bowl with a bamboo chopstick. "Xi'er, have you been to the hot springs?" As he spoke, the morning light filtered through the carved window lattices, casting tiny specks of light on his clothes. "This season is perfect for hot springs. It's neither as dizzy as winter nor as stuffy as midsummer."

Jing Chunxi put down his bowl, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the tassel of the jade pendant on his chest. The two princes looked up at this. Prince Jing raised his gray eyebrows slightly, while Prince Hong wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and looked over at him gently, as if he was also interested.

She noticed that her master had changed into a long, narrow-sleeved indigo gown with silver embroidered cuffs, which made him look more energetic than usual. She thought to herself: Even after twenty years of suffering in the outside world, the prince's lost son still has a royal temperament. He should be able to find a wife this time.

"Let's go and take a look first." Jing Chunxi pinched her thin sleeves, "I didn't bring so many changes of clothes when I went out." She only brought two sets of plain dresses when she came. The set she washed last night was still hanging outside the wing room, and the morning dew had not dried yet.

Jing Yi was peeling a hard-boiled egg. He placed the polished egg into Jing Chunxi's bowl and said with a smile, "Let's get familiar with the route now. We can wait until dusk if we really want to soak it." He turned to Ah Qi, who was standing in the corridor, and said, "Go to the warehouse and get two new sets of training clothes. They should be made of fine cotton. They should be the sizes of Miss and Qiyue." Turning back to Jing Chunxi, he explained, "There are plenty of training clothes for the children in the mountains. They're all fumigated with mugwort."

Jing Chunxi's eyes lit up at this arrangement. The mist at dusk was indeed more intimate and comfortable than during the day. She nodded, the jade hairpin pendant swaying gently in her hair. "Well, I'll see."

After breakfast, everyone strolled along the gravel path surrounding the manor. Honeysuckle flowers lining the path were in full bloom, their golden blossoms nestled among the dark green leaves, emitting a sweet fragrance. After walking for about half a cup of tea, Jing Chunxi thought they'd reached the hot springs, but Jing Yi led them around a clump of giant, hanging wisteria vines before revealing the hidden, narrow path ahead.

"The wisteria is so beautiful! Mother loves flowers the most!" Chunxi couldn't help but sigh. Qingshan Villa really didn't have such a beautiful view. In his heart, he even thought that when Pu Ge'er had a vacation, the whole family would come here to stay for ten days or half a month.

Jing Yi, who was walking in front of them, was moved when he heard this.

"This path is cleverly built." Xu Zize tapped the ground with the tip of his flute. On the seemingly natural mountain path, each raised stone had been polished into a shape suitable for stepping on, and the gaps were filled with fine pebbles, making it both slip-resistant and comfortable to walk on.

Jing Chunxi lifted her skirt and followed her master, and found that the bushes on both sides of the path had been carefully trimmed and would not scratch her robes.

The hot spring is hidden in a rocky hollow halfway up the mountain, with a massive rock rising above it like a roof, sheltering the pool. As you approach, steaming water vapor, tinged with a faint odor of sulfur, hits you in the face. Condensation drips from the rock face, creating tiny ripples on the surface. It feels like a peaceful and tranquil time.

Prince Jing lifted up the corner of his robe and squatted by the pool. He stretched out his hand to test the water temperature and suddenly frowned: "It's just a small puddle?" It was clearly a pool of five or six feet square, but he called it a small puddle with a look of disgust on his face.

The bottom of the pool is covered with a layer of natural pebbles, and there are blue-gray stone slabs around it. Bubbling hot streams constantly gush out from several cracks.

Jing Yi took out a bamboo tube from the groove in the rock wall to scoop water, and explained with a smile: "Father, don't look down on it. This spring is very prosperous."

He pointed to the crevice on the west side, where he saw a torrent of water rushing down the cliff. "The girl and I have discussed this. When the water level is lower in autumn, we will expand two pools nearby and use bamboo pipes to divert the water there." When he mentioned "the girl", the tenderness in the smile lines at the corners of his eyes could not be melted even by the moisture.

Jing Chunxi leaned over, following the sound of water. The curtain of water at the cliff edge shone with a rainbow of colors in the sunlight, splashing like pearls as it plunged into the deep valley. She couldn't help but exclaim, "So much hot water is wasted! What a waste! Mother said that hot springs can invigorate the meridians and are most effective for colds. Regular bathing can prolong life."

"Once it's fixed, invite your mother in for a soak," Jing Yi said, seeming a little guilty, stealing glances at his father and brother. Prince Jing squatted down, tested the water temperature with his hand, and smeared some more on his face. Prince Hong, lost in thought, gazed at the distant mountains. The two of them looked normal, even nodding imperceptibly, expressing their approval of Jing Yi.

At this moment, Jing Chunxi suddenly leaned in front of Jing Yi. The little girl stared at her master for a long time without blinking, her black and white eyes. Just when Jing Yi was about to get angry, thinking that she had seen through something, she turned to Prince Jing and said, "Grandpa Prince Jing, when the princess is able to get out of bed, why don't you bring her to the manor to recuperate?" She circled her fingers around a clump of wild mint by the pool. "Not only can we soak in the hot springs, but the mountain air is also fresher than the palace, making it perfect for recuperation."

The branch in Prince Jing's hand snapped with a thud. Prince Hong looked up sharply, and father and son exchanged glances, each seeing surprise in the other's eyes. This proposal was not only thoughtful but also thoughtful beyond his years—it satisfied Jing Yi's filial piety while giving the princess a legitimate reason to leave the palace.

"Excellent!" Prince Hong clapped his hands and said, "Everyone in the capital knows that my mother is seriously ill. It makes perfect sense for her to come to the manor to recuperate." He lowered his voice and said, "Even if that person becomes suspicious, it's not right to stop the patient from seeking medical treatment."

Prince Jing twirled his beard and pondered, then suddenly threw half a branch into the pond: "Chun'er, what do you think?" He called "Chun'er" very naturally, as if the twenty years that had passed had never existed.

Jing Yi's Adam's apple twitched. He had originally planned to disguise himself and sneak into the palace to visit, but now he saw the light of day. "Son...son, of course I'm happy." His voice trembled slightly, and he unconsciously glanced at Jing Chunxi, as if seeking some kind of permission. "It's just right...it's just right to invite you to accompany mother..."

"It's settled!" Prince Jing waved his hand, and the cloud pattern embroidered with gold thread on his cuffs sparkled in the sun. "I will go to the palace a few more times to make a fuss. Then I will claim to be sick, saying that I am so angry about that person in the palace that I bring the princess here to hide away in peace and quiet!" He spoke with a beaming eyebrow, and there was a smile in the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He didn't look old at all.

Jing Chunxi nodded happily, patting her empty little purse. "Then Master, hurry up and repair the pond. Do your best. Money won't be a problem." She counted on her fingers, "The stone materials, the craftsmen, the bamboo pipes for the water, all need to be good... Consider it a gift to congratulate Prince Jing and his son on their reunion. Congratulations to Prince Jing on the birth of his son."

Everyone was stunned at first, then burst into laughter. Prince Jing laughed so hard he nearly fell into the pond, only to be caught by Prince Hong. "It's a blessing to have a son...hahahaha...it's indeed a blessing to have a son!" He wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes and looked at Jing Yi with a look full of love. A son who had been missing for over 20 years was found, wasn't that a blessing?

As the laughter died down, the old prince suddenly frowned: "Since it's a happy occasion, how can the host family save money?" He deliberately said to Jing Chunxi with a fierce face, "Tell your mother, don't fight with me this time. The money for the repairs will be considered as our Jingwang Mansion. When the pond is repaired, we old couple will come here every year to soak in it for health!"

"Got it!" Jing Chunxi smiled and hid behind Xu Zize, then poked his head out and said to Prince Jing: "Master, you must repair the pond to be sturdy, so that it can be used for decades - when the time comes, Grandpa Jing, please don't be stingy with the money."

"You little girl!" Prince Jing pretended to hit her forehead, but when he raised his hand in the air, he changed it into a flower-picking gesture and plucked a petal from her hair that had fallen at some point.

Seeing this, everyone couldn't help laughing again, and even the small fish in the pond were frightened and swam to deeper parts of the pond.