"Indeed! Uncle has not seen them either," said Yang Chuxia as she instructed Mingcui to go fetch the children.
Old Mu nodded in agreement, "Thatâs true, we havenât had the chance to see them before."
Upon hearing Baili Yanâs words, Yangyang tilted his head to think for a moment, but suddenly corrected him, "No, Cousin Uncle, my grandma said my brother and sister are a boy-and-girl set of twins, while my elder brother and I are simply twins."
"A boy-and-girl set of twins?" Baili Yan smiled.
"Yes, a boy and a girl together are called a boy-and-girl set of twins." The little guy didnât realize that only children of the imperial family can be called that.
Yang Chuxia was aware of the imperial familyâs particular superstitions and naturally knew about this common folk term too, but although she knew it, no one dared to speak of it in front of them.
Now that Yangyang had said it, she was afraid he might have touched upon his forbidden area.
Yang Chuxia was just about to speak when Lele said, "Brother, what Cousin Uncle said is correct. Children born together are twins, and only the imperial familyâs offspring can be called a boy-and-girl set of twins. Quickly tell Cousin Uncle you made a mistake."
Lele pushed Yangyang slightly then turned to Baili Yan, "Cousin Uncle, my brother is young and naĂŻve, he speaks without understanding; you wonât take it to heart, right?"
Yangyang was very obedient to his brother, and hearing his brother say this, he hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, Cousin Uncle, I misspoke just now, please forgive my childish blunder," and finished with a scratch of his head, looking up at Baili Yan to win favor.
"Heh heh, cousin brother and sister-in-law have taught their children well."
Old Mu laughed as well, "Ha ha, they really are two clever children."
Yet Yang Chuxia felt full of comfort. Her two sons were not even five years old yet, but they were so smart. And even after being apart for so long, they were not estranged from each other, which was truly commendable.
"Itâs alright, your uncle wonât take a childâs words to heart," Baili Yan said as he patted Yangyangâs small head, thinking to himself that since the boy had already said âdonât take a childâs words to heartâ, if he did, it would seem very ungracious. What a crafty child, knowing how to trap others with his words at such a young age.
Soon the servant girls brought over two small bundles, and Old Mu and Baili Yan each took a look before carrying them down. The two brothers also held hands as they went down to see their younger siblings.
Due to Eunuch Cuiâs presence, Baili Yan and Old Mu, out of courtesy, did not ask about the Shandong affair, merely inquiring about Yang Chuxiaâs household before taking their leave. Before leaving, Baili Yan also mentioned that he would send someone to invite her to visit the Third Princeâs residence in a few days.
However, Eunuch Cui mentioned on parting that the Emperor had permitted the Eldest Young Master to stay outside the palace for only one day, and he would come to fetch him the following evening.
Suddenly, Yang Chuxia felt a bit uneasy; it seemed the Emperor wasnât yet willing to return her son to her.
After the group had left, Yang Chuxia returned to the courtyard where the family was currently staying, where the two brothers were each surrounding a small bed, chattering away.
"Mother!" Lele looked up and saw her, his face breaking into a smile.
Yang Chuxia stepped forward and swept him back into her arms, "Son, now that there are no outsiders, tell Mother if you are well in the palace."
"Mother, donât worry, Iâm fine in the palace; no one dares to bully me, and if they try, Iâll just bully them back. After all, Iâm a child, and even if I go a little too far, the adults wonât have the heart to blame me." He completed his statement with a mischievous wink.
"Mother knows youâre clever, but youâre still too small." After a pause, she added, "By the way, why didnât Uncle Ye Er and Sister-in-law Li leave the palace with you?"
"I asked them to stay in the palace. He didnât say I could go home, so I need them to look after the yard, lest someone take advantage of my absence and cause trouble in my yard."
Hmph, there had been an occasion before when he went to visit his cousin uncle and returned to find someone had put a snake in his bed. However, these were details he couldnât share with his mother.