Chapter 14: The Terrifying Bathtub

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Little Taro went back and forth several times, leaving no corner unchecked. She nearly dug three feet into the ground, yet still found no sign of the “mischievous monkey” the little one had mentioned. “My lady, there isn’t a monkey in here.”

The little one rubbed the back of her head and gave a foolish little giggle. “Little Taro, I…”

Before she could finish, Auntie Wang entered with a tender smile, carrying a small bathing tub. “Little Princess, it is getting late. Let us bathe and change first.”

The little one rubbed her tiny belly coquettishly. “No, no. My tummy hurts. I don’t want a bath.” She hated bathing in tubs more than anything. Boo-hoo, this tub had been made by that terrifying uncle himself. Whenever she thought of his hands, she could not help remembering how those hands had once split open a person’s head!

Hmph! Auntie Wang was so mean. She knew perfectly well how much the little one hated bathing in this tub, yet she had brought it anyway! Most infuriating of all, Auntie Wang would not let her bathe in the hot springs. She kept saying that the little one was still too young, and that hot springs were bad for her health and all that nonsense. Zhan Tai Ling Wei did not care about any of it. She liked bathing in hot springs, so she wanted to bathe in hot springs!

The little one’s thoughts turned this way and that, but no matter how she twisted them around, they all came back to one point: she absolutely would not bathe in that tub!

How could Auntie Wang not see through the little one’s tricks? Covering her mouth, she chuckled. “Is the little princess afraid of the cold and scared to wash? Tsk, tsk. If you do not bathe, you will turn into a little dirty kitten—black and filthy. Then no one will want to play with the little princess.”

Taking the hint from her mother, Little Taro nodded in solemn agreement. “That’s right. I dislike playing with dirty little kittens the most.”

Fighting alone, the little one threw a tantrum on her little bed. She rolled left and right, took two steps, then flopped down again. When she scrambled back up, her left foot caught on her right, and—thump!—she fell onto the bed. At last, she had no strength left to make a fuss. She lay flat in defeat, whimpering inwardly. It was all Auntie Wang’s fault. She had made it uncomfortable for her no matter how she lay.

Seeing her young mistress’s mischievous expression, Auntie Wang, whose eyes and brows were filled with laughter, could not help bursting out laughing. “Little Princess, this bed is almost about to collapse.”

The little one puffed out her cheeks and turned her head away in displeasure. Hmph! Auntie Wang was a rascal. Did she think the little one did not know she was laughing at her for being fat?

But then she remembered how Little Taro had been pinned beneath her earlier that day. The little one lay there gloomily and stopped making trouble. Even she felt that she had grown far too fat. How sad!

Auntie Wang had always treated the little one as her second daughter and stayed constantly by her side. Even if the little one merely furrowed her brows, Auntie Wang could tell what was on her mind. Seeing her like this, she knew that the little princess was probably regretting things again.

Without making it obvious, she changed the subject. “Little Princess, the kitchen has prepared some pastries—layer cake, chestnut cake, plum cake…”

The little one was busy regretting that she had grown too fat, but the cravings in her heart had already begun to stir. She forced them down, gave her little bottom a slight wiggle, and continued pretending to be deep in thought.

“Little Taro, since our young mistress does not want any, you and I shall enjoy them together later.”

Little Taro looked helplessly at the little one, who was puffing up her cheeks and waiting for her answer, then at her smiling mother. Caught between the two, she decided it was best to say nothing.

The little one cast a resentful glance at Little Taro, who stood silently to one side. In a fit of pique, she pulled up the small quilt and rolled herself up—roll, roll, roll—until she had become a spring roll, leaving only one fuzzy little head exposed. With her dark, shining eyes, she stared round and round at the laughing Auntie Wang and Little Taro, who had turned her head away.

After laughing for a while, Auntie Wang realized that the little one was deliberately refusing to bathe. Having no choice, she had to bring out her secret weapon. “Little Taro, if you behave tonight, Mother will take you to the hot springs tomorrow. How does that sound?”

Little Taro’s eyes lit up as she looked at Auntie Wang. Then she suddenly turned to the little one, whose round face had stretched long and whose tiny mouth was sticking up in a pout. “My lady, let us go play in the hot springs together.”

Page (2/3)

Little Taro went back and forth several times, leaving no corner unchecked. She nearly dug three feet into the ground, yet still found no sign of the “mischievous monkey” the little one had mentioned. “My lady, there isn’t a monkey in here.”

The little one rubbed the back of her head and gave a foolish little giggle. “Little Taro, I…”

Before she could finish, Auntie Wang entered with a tender smile, carrying a small bathing tub. “Little Princess, it is getting late. Let us bathe and change first.”

The little one rubbed her tiny belly coquettishly. “No, no. My tummy hurts. I don’t want a bath.” She hated bathing in tubs more than anything. Boo-hoo, this tub had been made by that terrifying uncle himself. Whenever she thought of his hands, she could not help remembering how those hands had once split open a person’s head!

Hmph! Auntie Wang was so mean. She knew perfectly well how much the little one hated bathing in this tub, yet she had brought it anyway! Most infuriating of all, Auntie Wang would not let her bathe in the hot springs. She kept saying that the little one was still too young, and that hot springs were bad for her health and all that nonsense. Zhan Tai Ling Wei did not care about any of it. She liked bathing in hot springs, so she wanted to bathe in hot springs!

The little one’s thoughts turned this way and that, but no matter how she twisted them around, they all came back to one point: she absolutely would not bathe in that tub!

How could Auntie Wang not see through the little one’s tricks? Covering her mouth, she chuckled. “Is the little princess afraid of the cold and scared to wash? Tsk, tsk. If you do not bathe, you will turn into a little dirty kitten—black and filthy. Then no one will want to play with the little princess.”

Taking the hint from her mother, Little Taro nodded in solemn agreement. “That’s right. I dislike playing with dirty little kittens the most.”

Page (3/3)

Fighting alone, the little one threw a tantrum on her little bed. She rolled left and right, took two steps, then flopped down again. When she scrambled back up, her left foot caught on her right, and—thump!—she fell onto the bed. At last, she had no strength left to make a fuss. She lay flat in defeat, whimpering inwardly. It was all Auntie Wang’s fault. She had made it uncomfortable for her no matter how she lay.

Seeing her young mistress’s mischievous expression, Auntie Wang, whose eyes and brows were filled with laughter, could not help bursting out laughing. “Little Princess, this bed is almost about to collapse.”

The little one puffed out her cheeks and turned her head away in displeasure. Hmph! Auntie Wang was a rascal. Did she think the little one did not know she was laughing at her for being fat?

But then she remembered how Little Taro had been pinned beneath her earlier that day. The little one lay there gloomily and stopped making trouble. Even she felt that she had grown far too fat. How sad!

Auntie Wang had always treated the little one as her second daughter and stayed constantly by her side. Even if the little one merely furrowed her brows, Auntie Wang could tell what was on her mind. Seeing her like this, she knew that the little princess was probably regretting things again.

Without making it obvious, she changed the subject. “Little Princess, the kitchen has prepared some pastries—layer cake, chestnut cake, plum cake…”

The little one was busy regretting that she had grown too fat, but the cravings in her heart had already begun to stir. She forced them down, gave her little bottom a slight wiggle, and continued pretending to be deep in thought.

“Little Taro, since our young mistress does not want any, you and I shall enjoy them together later.”

Little Taro looked helplessly at the little one, who was puffing up her cheeks and waiting for her answer, then at her smiling mother. Caught between the two, she decided it was best to say nothing.

The little one cast a resentful glance at Little Taro, who stood silently to one side. In a fit of pique, she pulled up the small quilt and rolled herself up—roll, roll, roll—until she had become a spring roll, leaving only one fuzzy little head exposed. With her dark, shining eyes, she stared round and round at the laughing Auntie Wang and Little Taro, who had turned her head away.

After laughing for a while, Auntie Wang realized that the little one was deliberately refusing to bathe. Having no choice, she had to bring out her secret weapon. “Little Taro, if you behave tonight, Mother will take you to the hot springs tomorrow. How does that sound?”

Little Taro’s eyes lit up as she looked at Auntie Wang. Then she suddenly turned to the little one, whose round face had stretched long and whose tiny mouth was sticking up in a pout. “My lady, let us go play in the hot springs together.”