Chapter 8: It's a Big Misunderstanding

Ying-jie ignored Old Madam Liang’s grumbling and lay on the bed, gnawing on her own little hands.

She flailed about out of boredom, entertaining herself and never staying still for a moment.

Old Madam Liang looked down to see her playing happily and snorted, "What’s so fun about that? How childish."

Ying-jie couldn't be bothered with her; she continued to wave her little hands and feet, flailing away, having a grand time.

It wasn't until a sudden urge to urinate hit that she immediately furrowed her brows, let out two grunts, and soaked her diaper.

There was no helping it; in an infant's body, when you have to go, you go.

But she had forgotten that there was no loving mother here, nor Xiao Hong or Nanny Xu. Even if her diaper was wet, there was no one to change it for her.

She looked up and saw Old Madam Liang preparing to sleep, so she immediately let out a wail.

"Waa~ Waa~"

Old Madam Liang had just settled down to sleep when she was woken up, and she was immediately displeased.

"What is it? Can't a person even get some sleep?" As expected, granddaughters just weren't as likable as grandsons.

Seeing that Old Madam Liang hadn't realized her diaper was wet, Ying-jie continued to wail until her little face turned red.

Old Madam Liang was puzzled to see her crying like this. "What's wrong with you?"

She hadn't raised a child in years and had long forgotten the root cause of a baby's crying.

"Could it be that you've wet yourself?"

She reached out to open the swaddling blanket and sure enough, the diaper was wet.

"Tsk, how inconsiderate. Your grandmother was just about to sleep, and you go and cause trouble for me. Girls really aren't cute at all."

Ying-jie:...

Forget it, as long as she changed her into a clean diaper, nothing else mattered.

Old Madam Liang complained the whole way as she went out to find Nanny Xu.

When she reached the kitchen and was just about to mention the diaper, Nanny Xu smiled and offered her a piece of rice cake.

"Madam, have a taste. This rice cake was just pounded. See if it's sweet enough?"

Old Madam Liang loved this sort of thing, so she took a piece and chewed it.

"Hmm, the taste is quite good."

After eating one piece, she wanted a second, and finally added, "It would be even better if there were rice cake soup."

Nanny Xu laughed, "There is rice cake soup. It just came off the stove and is perfectly cooked. Sit down and have a bowl; it's delicious."

With food in front of her, Old Madam Liang completely forgot about the baby in the room.

The infant waited in the room for a long time, but no one came.

It wasn't until her bottom felt increasingly sticky that she truly wanted to cry.

She pursed her lips, and just as she was about to call out, she heard her mother’s footsteps approaching.

Madam Wu had just returned, and the first thing she did was go to the room to check on her daughter.

To her surprise, the room was empty, and the child was gone.

She figured the child must have been carried out, and only after asking Xiao Hong did she learn that Nanny Xu had taken the baby to the grandmother's room for goat milk.

Fearing that her mother-in-law wouldn't like her daughter, Madam Wu hurried over to Old Madam Liang’s room.

As she approached, she saw that Old Madam Liang’s door was wide open. The heat from the floor heating had dissipated, and the air inside was chilly.

When the infant saw her mother approaching, she immediately began to cry, "Waa~ Waa~"

Finally, someone had come to change her diaper; otherwise, her bottom would have frozen against the wet stains.

Hearing the sound, Madam Wu rushed over to look.

"Oh! Why is the swaddling blanket open?"

It was so cold in the room, and the door was still wide open.

Madam Wu felt a pang of heartache and hurriedly wrapped the blanket back up.

As she adjusted the blanket, she felt that the small quilt was damp.

Clearly, the diaper was soaked, and her little bottom was freezing cold.

Seeing her daughter’s little face turned pale from the cold, Madam Wu’s heart ached terribly.

"It’s all Mother’s fault. Next time I go out, I will definitely take you with me."

Her eyes reddened with heartache as she quickly carried the child back to bathe and change her clothes.

When Xiao Hong brought the hot water over, she saw Madam Wu’s red eyes and asked hurriedly, "Young Mistress, what’s wrong? Who bullied you?"

As Madam Wu placed the child into the warm water, she said angrily, "Who else? I just went to the Old Madam’s room and discovered that Ying-jie’s blanket wasn't covered, the door was wide open, and it was freezing inside. The child was frozen stiff."

"Even this diaper was wet; Ying-jie’s little bottom was chilled through. It makes me so angry."

Seeing her mother so angry, Ying-jie stretched out her short, chubby hand and let out an "Ah~," signaling her to stop being angry.

Madam Wu looked down at her daughter’s milk-soft, adorable expression, and her heart melted.

"Missing Mother, are you? Have you been a good girl today?"

Unlike the angry tone from before, Madam Wu’s voice was incredibly gentle when speaking to her daughter.

Ying-jie let out two "Ah-ah~" sounds, grabbed her mother’s finger tightly, and grinned, showing she was happy~

Seeing her daughter so clingy, Madam Wu smiled, washed her clean, dried her off, and changed her into comfortable little clothes.

Usually, when she cared for Ying-jie, she never let her clothes get wet; she would change her as soon as she wet herself.

Unlike today, where the child’s back was soaked through, which made her both angry and heartbroken.

And so, for the rest of the afternoon, Madam Wu didn't go over to Old Madam Liang’s side, intending not to speak to her for the rest of the month.

Old Madam Liang had originally intended to call Nanny Xu to change the baby's diaper.

But because Nanny Xu had interrupted her, and the rice cake soup was so delicious, she had completely forgotten about the diaper.

It wasn't until she finished the soup that she suddenly realized.

"Oh! No."

She hurried back to the room, only to find that the baby on the bed was gone.

It wasn't until Xiao Hong came over with a grim expression to say, "The Young Mistress took Ying-jie back. The child’s clothes were soaked through, and her back was freezing. When the Young Mistress carried her back, Ying-jie’s little mouth had turned white from the cold."

Hearing how serious it was, Old Madam Liang’s heart skipped a beat, and she felt a twinge of regret.

"Well, I... I didn't do it on purpose."

She knew she was in the wrong, but she still wanted to save face.

"It’s been so many years since I’ve raised a child; it was an oversight. Here, go to the kitchen and tell the cook to stew the remaining meat dumplings for the Young Mistress. Also, take that bolt of red fabric from my room to her; she needs to make a couple of new outfits for the New Year."

Xiao Hong was also angry, but since she was a servant, she could only lower her head and agree.

After she brought the items back, Madam Wu wasn't having it.

While feeding the child, she remained angry.

"Hmph, don't think a bolt of fabric will make me stop being angry! It wasn't her child who was freezing, so of course, she doesn't feel the heartache."

The more she spoke, the sadder she felt, and she leaned down to kiss her precious daughter again.

"Anyway, I am definitely not speaking to her this time!" Since her husband wouldn't be back for a month anyway, she would just give Old Madam Liang the cold shoulder for the whole month.

Seeing that she was truly furious, Xiao Hong said helplessly, "But we see each other every day; is it really possible not to speak?"

Madam Wu pouted and snorted, "It is possible, why wouldn't it be? From now on, if there’s anything to say, you can pass it on for me."

Seeing her mother so angry, Ying-jie stopped and babbled twice, telling her to stop being mad.

Madam Wu saw that she wasn't eating properly and scolded her, "Eat properly, or I’ll send you to your grandmother’s place later!"

She used the threat of Old Madam Liang’s place as if it were a place where children got beaten to scare her.

Ying-jie:...

It seems her mother is also a "three-year-old Wu."