Aran set Chu Hengyuan’s clothes aside to soak separately and began scrubbing Father Gu’s garments first. Father Gu struck up a conversation with Chu Hengyuan, recounting some of the silly things Ranran had done as a child. He told of the day he returned from hunting to find her sitting in front of the rabbit hutch, chewing on a blade of grass just like the rabbits; it turned out she had been hungry and, unable to find anything else to eat, had watched the rabbits eating grass and decided to try it herself. He also mentioned how, when she was little, she had been terrified of thunder, clinging to his chest for dear life whenever a storm rolled in, refusing to let go no matter how hard he tried to pull her away. He marveled at how she had managed to develop such a bold spirit as she grew up.Chu Hengyuan felt a pang of heartache upon hearing this. His woman had lived such a difficult life as a child; he complained daily about the monotonous meals served by the palace kitchens, while Ranran had often gone hungry. And he thought of how he had forced a timid young girl to the point where she could kill without batting an eye—how many times must she have struggled, how many nightmares must she have endured during that time?
"Father, why are you telling Young Master all this? Aren't you afraid of annoying him with your chatter?" Aran gestured for her father to stop. Since these were embarrassing stories, she naturally did not want Father Gu to keep recounting them to Chu Hengyuan; s…
Chapter 54