Consort Zhuang doesn't want palace intrigue; she just wants to raise her child and live a caref

Chapter 157 Plantain Pocket

Suddenly, Canglan Jingcheng excitedly pointed to a clump of plantain with spikes in front of him and exclaimed, "Mother, look! The plantain has grown antennae!" He stared at the unusual plantain with a look of amazement, as if he had discovered some new and wonderful treasure.

Hearing her son's innocent words, Su Nuannuan couldn't help but laugh. She walked over to Cang Lan Jingcheng, squatted down, and gently stroked his hair, saying, "Silly child, these aren't antennae, they're plantain seeds." Then, pointing to another plantain plant nearby, she continued, "Look, this one is still green, which means the seeds aren't fully mature yet. But that one that's turned yellow means its seeds are ripe and can be picked. Besides, these plantain seeds aren't just fun and interesting; they can also be used in medicine to treat illnesses and save lives."

After saying that, Su Nuannuan reached out and gently plucked the yellow spike. She placed the spike in her palm and showed it to the children so that they could observe the appearance of the plantain seed more clearly.

After the children finished observing, Su Nuannuan put the plantain spikes in her hand into the bamboo basket, and then smiled and said to the two little ones, "Let's go find these mature plantain seeds, and when we find them, we'll pick them and bring them back. Your mother will make you beautiful and fun plantain sachets."

Upon hearing this, the two little ones danced with excitement, clapping their hands and cheering, "Yay! Yay!"

Speaking of psyllium husks, they are a fond childhood memory for Su Nuannuan in her previous life.

Back then, children's bags were mostly filled with grains like rice, millet, sorghum, or corn. However, for adults, giving children these precious grains to play with was considered a waste. So, whenever children made such a request, adults would always grumble that it was wasting food and would be condemned by heaven.

But that doesn't stop children from stuffing food into their pockets to play when adults aren't looking.

As for whether this so-called divine retribution was real or not, Su Nuannuan didn't know. But she clearly remembered that in order to have her own pocket, she searched everywhere for seeds of various plants to replace those precious grains. And among the many alternatives, the one she loved most was a pocket made of plantain seeds!

Looking at the two delighted little ones before her, Su Nuannuan's heart was filled with love and tenderness. She asked softly, "Then let's hurry up and go find them, okay?"

"Okay!" the two little ones answered in unison. Immediately afterwards, they eagerly grabbed their respective nannies and ran with cheerful little steps to the patch of plantain growing there, carefully searching for and picking the golden spikes.

It has to be said that there is strength in numbers! Sure enough, in no time at all, a considerable number of plantain seeds had been found.

Su Nuannuan looked at them carefully, then nodded in satisfaction and said, "Hmm, these are enough to make two small and exquisite pockets."

We've been out for quite a while now; it's time to head back, or your grandmother will worry."

However, upon hearing this, Canglan Jingcheng's previously cheerful face instantly fell, and he grumbled reluctantly, "I don't want to go back so soon, I haven't had enough fun yet!"

Seeing her brother's stance, Canglan Jingyao quickly chimed in, "Yes, Mother, I haven't had enough fun yet!"

Faced with the children's whining and pleading, Su Nuannuan did not get angry. Instead, she slowly squatted down and explained earnestly and patiently, "Cheng'er, Yao'er, it's really getting late. We should go back for dinner. Also, if we go back late, not only will your grandmother worry, but the mistress will also be punished. Can you bear to see your mother punished?"

Then, she changed her approach to engage the children, saying, "Besides, although we're going back now, it doesn't mean the fun is over. When we get back to the palace, we'll work together to sort through these plantain seeds and turn them into beautiful little pouches. Aren't you excited to see how they look when they're finished?" After all, children are always full of curiosity and longing for new and interesting things, especially those they've never seen or touched before.

Upon hearing their mother's words, the two little ones' initial reluctance to leave vanished instantly. Not only did they no longer resist returning, they even began impatiently urging Su Nuannuan to hurry up and leave.

Fortunately, they hadn't gone too far. Therefore, it didn't take long for them to descend the mountain safely. When they reached the back gate of the palace, Jinse quickly stepped forward and knocked. A short while later, a soft creak was heard, and the tightly closed door slowly opened.

After Su Nuannuan led the group in, Yaoqin deliberately slowed her pace, falling slightly behind. Then, she quietly reached into her sleeve and pulled out a heavy piece of silver. With a smile, she walked gracefully to the gatekeeper, handed her the silver, and said softly, "Thank you for your trouble, Granny Cao. This is just a small token, a small token to buy you a cup of tea."

Upon seeing this, Granny Cao's face immediately broke into a bright smile. She quickly extended her hands and carefully accepted the piece of silver, repeatedly saying, "Miss Yaoqin, you are too kind!"

Keep in mind, this silver tael was worth a full two taels. For this palace, which usually didn't offer much in the way of personal gain, receiving such a generous reward of two taels was truly a rare occurrence. Especially for those responsible for guarding the palace's back gate, they were practically immune to any opportunities for personal enrichment. After all, who would normally bother coming to the back gate for no reason?

After returning to Caiwei Palace, Su Nuannuan and her entourage quickly freshened up and then took the two children to see the Empress Dowager. Now that they were back, they should at least go and report back on their leave.

Upon seeing the Empress Dowager, the two little ones, like two joyful little birds, eagerly rushed into the arms of their beloved imperial grandmother. They danced with excitement, their faces beaming as they began to recount the wondrous plants they had seen on the mountain that day.

The child's adorable, innocent words seemed to paint the entire palace with a joyful hue, making the Empress Dowager laugh heartily.

At this moment, Canglan Jingcheng said to the Empress Dowager with a serious expression, "Grandmother, after Mother finishes making the pouches for the plantain, Cheng'er will also make one for you."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager looked at Canglan Jingcheng with loving eyes and asked with a smile, "My dear grandson, what will you do if you only have one bag? Are you going to share half with your grandmother?"