The General's Darling Is Delicate-Chapter 398 - 261: Lady Qi

The door opened from the outside, and a woman of about thirty walked in slowly.

Her jet-black hair was styled into a Yodari hairstyle, adorned with pearls and jade. Her face was beautiful, and unlike those slender women, she had a full figure, suggesting a life of luxury and ease.

With a smile that came before she spoke, Madam Qi laughed politely, "Madam Mu, I’m disturbing you again."

Ayimu opened a restaurant in Nanqi and renamed it to Mu Yi, and others addressed her as: Boss Mu.

Yet, this Prefect’s wife always called her Madam.

She was a single noble, what madam, how annoying! 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Knowing it was a disturbance yet visiting daily, truly unrivaled!

Ayimu’s smile was slightly detached, but she would not show it on her face. Instead, she responded with equal politeness, "You’re not disturbing, it’s just that your visit is badly timed. My little grandson just fell asleep."

The little baby, whom Ayimu told others was her daughter’s son.

This daughter was also the master...

Her master claimed she couldn’t bear to watch and went off to enjoy life elsewhere, leaving Dora in Ayimu’s sole care.

She dared not find a wet nurse; the child’s growth rate was faster than others. To outsiders, it may not look too different, but experienced wet nurses would surely notice the oddities.

So Ayimu could only sacrifice all her time to care diligently for the baby.

Yet she was willing; Dora was so well-behaved, easily endearing.

"It doesn’t matter, I just want to see him, is that okay?" Madam Qi glanced at the maid behind her, who carried a large basket of children’s toys to the Eight Immortals table in the front hall.

Ayimu’s lips twitched, "The child is still too young to use these. Please don’t bring any more next time, or I won’t welcome you."

The last sentence, Ayimu said with utmost sincerity.

She really wasn’t too fond of this Madam Qi.

She had people from the Yecheng Bureau in the city, and as soon as Madam Qi first tried to get to know her, Ayimu had looked into this person.

It was said that over a year ago, because the Magistrate wanted to elevate a concubine to a wife, Madam Qi made a big scene and even attempted to drown herself.

After being rescued, she awoke insane.

The former Madam Qi was tough and shrewd, extremely harsh to the mansion’s concubines’ sons and daughters.

After going mad, she locked herself in a room for over half a year, possibly disillusioned with the Magistrate, and her temperament changed completely.

Her greatest hobby became experimenting with various delicacies in her courtyard, turning the once slender beauty plump with indulgence.

Though people in the city said the Prefect’s wife had bettered, Ayimu always felt this woman approached her with ulterior motives.

A food enthusiast eyeing her restaurant, perhaps?

But seeing how much she adored Dora seemed genuine.

In any case, Ayimu preferred to keep a respectful distance from this woman.

Yet, Madam Qi persistently visited her residence, hard to avoid.

Madam Qi seemed oblivious to Ayimu’s disdain; after setting down the children’s toys, she took two bags from her bosom.

Affectionately pulling Ayimu’s hand, "Last time I saw you feeding the child raw milk directly, that’s not okay. A baby’s digestive system is delicate and could lead to diarrhea.

This is milk powder I made myself, one from cow’s milk, the other from goat’s milk. Try it and see which Dora prefers. I’ll make more when you finish."

As Ayimu was taken aback, Madam Qi went to the basket on the Eight Immortals table and took out a small bottle wrapped in golden satin, "This is a feeding bottle. When mixing the milk powder, open the lid, and remember not to use boiling water, forty degrees is just right.

For measuring the water temperature, use this."

Madam Qi spoke as she pulled out a thin tube from the golden satin.

Ayimu looked at Madam Qi, perplexed, feeling her actions and words were peculiar.

As strange as her master!

Just as she was about to ask why she was doing all this, the sound of a baby’s cry came from inside the room.

The two women exchanged a glance, and surprisingly Madam Qi ran in before Ayimu.

By the time Ayimu entered, Madam Qi had already picked up the baby from the cradle with great skill.

Her method of soothing the child was far superior to Ayimu’s.

Ayimu felt increasingly uncomfortable with Madam Qi’s behavior of taking over.

She stepped forward and took Dora, "Let me do it."

The baby had stopped crying and laughed joyously in Madam Qi’s arms.

With four little teeth already grown, looking ever cuter.

Madam Qi reluctantly handed Dora back to Ayimu, glancing at how she held Dora, unable to resist correcting her.

Ayimu’s brow furrowed, prompting Madam Qi to close her mouth, and she awkwardly chuckled, "I’ll go make some milk powder for Dora. Would you like to see how it’s done?"

Ayimu had never seen milk powder, but she had heard Nuannuan mutter about it, saying ’it would be nice if this world had milk powder’.

But something given by a stranger, Ayimu dared not let Dora drink it.

She decisively declined, "No need, Dora isn’t hungry yet..."

"Waa—"

Before Ayimu finished speaking, the baby cried out again, as if protesting she was not satiated yet.

Ayimu blushed and quickly sat on the couch, picking up the now-cool milk on the table to feed the baby.

Stopped by Madam Qi, "Madam Mu, you really can’t feed a baby like this. Right now it may seem like nothing much, maybe just diarrhea. But as he grows, his digestive system will become fragile.

The milk powder isn’t poisoned. I’ll mix a little and let you try it."

Madam Qi picked up an empty teacup from the table. Inside, there was a warm water stove, and the water was no longer too hot.

She poured some warm water into the cup, measured with the clean tube, and the red line traveled up the tube, reaching a spot slightly above the black-marked line.

Madam Qi waited meticulously for the water temperature to cool, until it was just right on the black line, before using a wooden spoon to take a spoonful of milk powder from the bag.

After stirring evenly, she drank it right in front of Ayimu.

"It really is nothing, I wouldn’t harm a little baby."

Ayimu recalled the Yecheng Bureau’s investigation and thought internally: You’ve probably harmed quite a few...

Apparently reading Ayimu’s hesitation, Madam Qi assured sincerely, "I’m living in the County Magistrate Mansion. If Dora shows any sign of trouble, you’re free to report me.

Give it a try. Otherwise, if the child keeps having diarrhea, her mother would worry too."

Ayimu thought it over; Dora had indeed been having diarrhea recently, and she had dismissed it as acclimatization issues.

She hadn’t considered the milk being the problem...

After all, Madam Qi had a point; if she wanted to please her, there was no reason to harm Dora.

In the end, Ayimu accepted the bottle Madam Qi handed over...