Chapter 5: The Angry Little Silkworm Cocoon
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The little one thought about finishing quickly so they could leave the manor. Without fuss, she began to eat the glutinous rice balls in big, angry bites. Each time she took a bite, she glanced over at her mother, who sat idly nearby, and chewed fiercely, as if what she was biting wasn’t a rice ball but the flesh of the troublesome mother herself.
The burly man beside her worried whether the little one was biting too hard, unsure if her tiny teeth could withstand it.
Leaning contentedly back in the pear-shaped chair, the little one sighed in happiness. Her chubby hands gently rubbed her round belly. Mmm, so full. So happy.
The burly man’s smile never faded. Seeing the little one so adorable, he wished he had a camera nearby to capture the moment, so when she married and he missed his daughter, he’d have something to hold onto. He was momentarily lost in thought before snapping back to reality, wondering why those unwanted memories had crept in again.
The present was peaceful—he had a sweet, innocent daughter and a fiery-tempered wife. That was enough for him. Tenderly, he rubbed the little one’s belly, gently massaging to soothe her digestion.
Zhao Tingyou watched the scene before her, her eyes unknowingly reddening. The sadness lasted less than a minute before vanishing, replaced by an unshakable resolve. For this happiness, she and her husband would persevere, no matter the cost.
“Daddy, let’s leave the manor,” the little one looked up expectantly at the burly man. His large hand seemed magical; a gentle rub eased the pain from her swollen belly.
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Hearing the soft, sweet voice, Zhao Tingyou involuntarily stepped forward, struggling to speak. “Lingwei, we...” Before she could finish saying “let’s go,” an urgent shout interrupted her.
“General! Princess! Something’s wrong! Something’s very wrong!” A freckled young boy, no taller than five feet, came stumbling in, his face flushed from running.
The burly man swiftly stepped out, catching the boy before he fell. “Erzi, what happened? Don’t rush. Tell me slowly and clearly.”
The little one watched her flustered father and mother in silence. She couldn’t understand a word the freckled boy said, but she knew she wouldn’t be allowed to leave the manor again. Her parents were about to abandon her once more to handle important matters.
Though so young, she neither cried nor fussed, turning away coldly and silently retreating to her chamber.
By the time the burly man and Zhao Tingyou realized the little one was missing, her short legs had already carried her to her small bed. With a thud, she threw herself under the covers, curling up tightly like a cocoon, hiding her small head beneath the blanket regardless of air or breath, unwilling to come out.
After questioning the servants, the couple learned that the little one had insisted no one follow her on the way back, choosing to run back to her room alone in a huff.
Zhao Tingyou hurried forward, but her slender hand was caught by the burly man’s vein-marked palm. “Wife, I will go,” he said firmly, his eyes resolute. Seeing this, Zhao Tingyou yielded.
The burly man gave Zhao Tingyou a steady look, then entered the little one’s room alone. Inside, he saw the smooth, soft silk quilt wrapped into a cocoon on the small bed. The cocoon gently rose and fell. He gave a wry smile, scooped up the little one wrapped inside with the quilt, and whispered an apology: “Lingwei, Daddy isn’t a good father. Daddy is like a little dog; it’s right for you to be angry. If you didn’t keep your promise to Daddy, he would be angry too. Daddy broke his word. Lingwei, Daddy is sorry.”
The small cocoon twitched slightly. The little one had resolved not to speak again. The room was filled with nothing but the sound of their breaths.
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The little one thought about finishing quickly to leave the manor, not caring about anything else. She bit into the rice balls in big, angry mouthfuls, every bite followed by a glance at her mother, idly sitting nearby. She chewed fiercely, as if biting not the rice balls but the flesh of the troublesome mother.
The burly man worried whether the little one was biting too hard and whether her tiny teeth could handle it.
Leaning contentedly in the pear-shaped chair, the little one sighed in happiness. Her chubby hands rubbed her round belly. Mmm, so full. So happy.
The burly man’s smile never faded. Seeing the little one so adorable, he wished he had a camera to capture the moment, so after she married and he missed her, he’d have something to hold onto. Lost in thought briefly, he wondered why those unwanted memories had returned.
The present was peaceful—with a sweet, innocent daughter and a fiery-tempered wife, he was content. Tenderly, he rubbed the little one’s belly, gently massaging to soothe her digestion.
Zhao Tingyou watched the scene, her eyes unknowingly reddening. The sadness lasted less than a minute before vanishing, replaced by unshakable strength. For this happiness, she and her husband would persevere, no matter the cost.
“Daddy, let’s leave the manor,” the little one looked up eagerly at the burly man. His large hand seemed magical; a soft rub eased the pain in her swollen belly.
Hearing the soft, sweet voice, Zhao Tingyou stepped forward, struggling to speak. “Lingwei, we...” Before she could say “let’s go,” an urgent shout interrupted her.
“General! Princess! Something’s wrong! Something’s very wrong!” A freckled young boy, no taller than five feet, came stumbling in, his face flushed from running.
The burly man stepped out swiftly, catching the boy before he fell. “Erzi, what happened? Don’t rush. Tell me slowly and clearly.”
The little one stared at her flustered parents, unable to understand a word the freckled boy said. But she knew she wouldn’t be allowed to leave the manor again.
Her parents were about to abandon her again to handle important matters. Though so young, she neither cried nor fussed, turning away coldly and silently retreating to her chamber.
By the time the burly man and Zhao Tingyou realized the little one was missing, her short legs had already carried her to her small bed. With a thud, she threw herself under the covers, curling up tightly like a cocoon, hiding her small head beneath the blanket regardless of air or breath, unwilling to come out.
After questioning the servants, the couple learned that the little one had insisted no one follow her on the way back and had run back to her room alone in a huff.
Zhao Tingyou hurried forward, but her slender hand was caught by the burly man’s vein-marked palm. “Wife, I will go,” he said firmly, his eyes resolute. Seeing this, Zhao Tingyou yielded.
The burly man gave Zhao Tingyou a steady look, then entered the little one’s room alone. Inside, he saw the smooth, soft silk quilt wrapped into a cocoon on the small bed. The cocoon gently rose and fell. He gave a wry smile, scooped up the little one wrapped inside with the quilt, and whispered an apology: “Lingwei, Daddy isn’t a good father. Daddy is like a little dog; it’s right for you to be angry. If you didn’t keep your promise to Daddy, he would be angry too. Daddy broke his word. Lingwei, Daddy is sorry.”
The small cocoon twitched slightly. The little one had resolved not to speak again. The room was filled with nothing but the sound of their breaths.