Chapter 1813 – Daily Life of a Baby
As the saying goes, “Three turns, six sits, seven rolls, eight crawlings, and then they can walk,” which refers to the several important stages a child experiences before their first birthday.
Of course, just to clarify, this applies to normal children; some may develop a bit earlier or later, and that’s perfectly fine.
Jiang Pengji never expected that early and late development would both appear in her twin daughters.
Princess Lian had only cried once since birth. Even when her diaper was wet or soiled, she merely scrunched her little face and looked up with her big, watery eyes at anyone in her sight. Quiet, calm, and utterly adorable, she could melt anyone into a puddle of affection.
In stark contrast, her twin sister, Princess Yan, exuded the commanding presence of a baby boss, radiating an air of entitlement all over.
As the two little tykes grew older, their personalities seemed to switch.
The once quiet and soft Princess Lian transformed into a mini tyrant, constantly wriggling in discomfort, while the baby boss maintained her serene laziness, unyielding like a mountain. It was not uncommon to see the nine-month-old Princess Lian wobbling down the hallway, with a house maid attempting to assist her. But Lian’s adorably pouty face would instantly turn fierce, babbling an incoherent refusal.
The maid dared not refuse, simply trailing behind her.
Princess Lian’s territory expanded from just the nursery to the hallways, and then from the hallways to the little yard. To facilitate her activities, the flowers and ornamental rocks previously planted in the yard were removed, replaced with a neatly laid stone path covered in soft, thick fabric at the edges to prevent her from bumping into anything. With more space to roam, she started to attempt evolving from walking to running.
The result was as expected.
With her toddler legs still wobbly, merely standing and walking was a feat; how could she possibly run?
After just two steps, her knees buckled, and she tumbled forward.
When she fell for the first time, her usually smiling little face scrunched up, and tears threatened to overflow from her eyes.
Just as she was about to cry, her sister managed to shove a pacifier into her mouth from who-knows-where.
The pacifier, coated with her big sister’s favorite milk and a hint of sweetness, entered her mouth, and instinctively, she began to suck on it. Before long, she’d forgotten all about crying.
Seeing her sister calm down, Princess Yan expertly plucked the pacifier from Lian’s mouth and stuffed it into her own.
With no teeth yet, she often drooled in her sleep, and having the pacifier helped a bit.
How could the Old Commander stand the thought of drooling in her sleep with so many eyes on her?
Such a scandalous history must not exist!
In the midst of enjoying her pacifier, Princess Lian was like, “???”
Fortunately, she had her own pacifier, and the maid promptly fetched it for her, restoring peace to the Eldest Princess.
After sucking on the pacifier for a while, she seemed to gain endless strength, skillfully propping herself up to wobble around.
What followed was a never-ending cycle of “fast walk, slow run, fall down, want to cry, get pacifier for comfort, regain energy, continue walking, continue slow running, continue falling…” until she finally exhausted herself and fell asleep curled up next to the Old Commander.
The Old Commander hardly moved all afternoon, aside from giving her sister the pacifier now and then; otherwise, she lay in various positions, scrutinizing her older sister.
When Princess Lian insisted on cuddling to sleep, the Old Commander remained stubbornly still, sucking on her pacifier like an unmoving rock.
The only time she willingly got up was when…
She glanced sideways, shooting a “biubiu” gaze at the maid who had been taking care of her.
The maid, having cared for her for a few months, had already deciphered all the meanings behind the little princess’s various glances, eyebrow raises, and tiny expressions.
Carefully, she lifted the messy Eldest Princess away from the little one.
The little princess stood up steadily, refusing any assistance as she walked off to the washroom.
The toilet was also child-sized, and after use, dedicated personnel would clean it and spray fragrance to combat any unwanted odors, so she didn’t have to worry about any stink bothering her.
Despite her unsteady movement, the Old Commander’s pride drove her to complete the formidable task of using the toilet on her own.
She definitely didn’t want to be carried to the toilet like her big sister.
As a self-respecting baby, she rejected any invasion of personal privacy, such as those dreadful split-crotch pants.
Of course, bathing and other such activities still required assistance.
Having taken care of her personal needs, the Old Commander returned to her sleeping spot, pondering the mysteries of life.
Nearby, the twins seemed to sense something; even with their eyes closed, they rolled around and soon enough, piled onto the Old Commander with all their limbs.
Tsk, the little brats of the Jiang family.
The Old Commander accepted the little one’s affection, and surprisingly, she didn’t push her away.
In their shared fondness for babies, she and Jiang Pengji bore striking similarities.
The more they lacked, the more they craved.
Jiang Pengji had never caught a fish in her life, and the Old Commander was in a similar boat. Her heavy-handedness had imbued her soul with an air of menace, making her the least favorite among skittish little creatures. But Princess Lian’s fondness and closeness to her brought her joy, leading the Old Commander to consider this child as her own daughter. Of course… if only this little one could refrain from munching on her face in her sleep or rolling half her body on top of her.
Babies aren’t heavy, but the Old Commander, being a baby herself, felt just a bit squished.
Around ten months old, finally able to run two steps without falling, the Eldest Princess discovered a new joy.
She wanted to hold her sister’s hand and walk, and run together!
But the Old Commander sternly declared her rejection!
However, the determination of a baby is something adults can’t grasp; she would not give up on this decision until something new appeared to entertain her.
“Nei nei…”
The Old Commander lazily turned away, refusing to look at her sister’s pitiful yet expectant little face.
Seeing this, the Eldest Princess stood up, took a couple of steps, and sat down next to her again, continuing to pat the Old Commander’s shoulder.
Rolling her eyes, the Old Commander turned over once more.
They went back and forth like this for a whole hour until the Eldest Princess finally got sleepy and yawned.
Exhausted: <з> ready to yield.
Well, the Old Commander merely had to turn over while lying down, yet her sister was the one who kept getting up, walking, sitting back down, and standing again—naturally, the energy expenditure was much greater.
Relieved to see her relentless little sister finally surrender, the Old Commander secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She really didn’t want to keep flipping over like a pancake: <з>
The Eldest Princess covered her mouth, yawning twice, then suddenly her little ears perked up, and she sprang to life like a shot of espresso.
“Scare scare!”
She pointed towards the door and shouted.
After a moment, footsteps approached, and Wei Ci appeared, adorned in a lake-blue scholarly robe, stepping into the light.
The Eldest Princess jumped up and dashed toward Wei Ci, but her knees got weak a few steps away, and she almost fell.
Wei Ci reached out to steady her and bowed respectfully.
“Minister Wei Ci greets the Eldest Princess.”
The Eldest Princess declared, “Scare scare!”
The maid stepped forward and greeted Wei Ci respectfully before taking the twins to change into a fresh outfit.
“Why did you arrive so early today, Mister?”
While waiting, the Lady Official attending to the twins offered hospitality to Wei Ci.
“Not much to do, so I finished up quickly and came over. The Lord has entrusted me with the important task of teaching the princesses, which is a sign of his trust in me. I cannot let him down; I will give my all to repay this trust,” Wei Ci smiled as he asked, “How have the two princesses been today?”
