FBC -Chapter 318 Strict Punishment

The snow outside was falling harder and harder.

Although Gu Hua went to sleep in a huff and pretended not to care, her heart was tangled with worry. She tossed and turned all night, drifting in and out of a half-sleep.

Suddenly, she heard movement inside the room. Gu Hua instantly woke, her back facing the door. Her body stiffened slightly as she perked up her ears to listen.

A tiny whisper sounded: “Mama… is… sleeping.”

Another little voice, still slightly unclear in speech, replied: “Mmm… let’s… climb… up.”

Gu Hua sat up abruptly, eyes widening at the two small, dark silhouettes outlined by candlelight—two round eyes staring back at her in shock.

For a moment, the three simply stared at one another—big eyes meeting little ones.

Without hesitation, Gu Hua flipped out of bed and scooped one child under each arm, placing them onto the bed.

The two little bean-sprouts immediately burrowed into the warm blankets, lifting their round, chubby bottoms as they wormed their way inside, mumbling, “Cold… cold… Mama… cold…”

Tuantuan was cold too, and he also wanted to rush straight into the blankets, but he maintained his polite demeanor and scooted inside bit by bit.

Gu Hua was speechless—nearly furious.

Even though her own room was adjacent to the infants’ room and separated only by a beaded curtain—with both rooms heated—these two little troublemakers had run over in just their thin inner garments, barefoot.

Gu Hua hurriedly tucked the quilts around them. Thinking about how she had already been angry at their father, and now she had to be angry at her two little ones, her fury surged upward again.

Yuanyuan, once inside the blankets, couldn’t stay still. She wiggled his way toward her mother and hugged her thigh tightly.

Her chubby round face rubbed affectionately against her leg.

Tuantuan, by contrast, lay obediently on her other side, his cute little head peeking out, looking at her innocently.

Gu Hua: “…”

Ah… her son was too well-behaved.

Her eyes fell on Yuanyuan—her  tiny body wriggling like a little caterpillar.

She raised her hand and aimed a slap at the little fatty’s bottom.

Noticing her mother about to hit her, Yuanyuan quickly wrapped her short arms tightly around her leg and whined, “Mama… Mama, don’t hit Yuanyuan… hurts…”

Gu Hua’s palm landed on the blanket. She couldn’t bring herself to strike her.

Tuantuan said in his soft, milky voice, “Mama, Sister said… Mama cried… need hug Mama… young, pretty, kind… no hit Tuantuan or Yuanyuan.”

Gu Hua stared wide-eyed at her son.

He’d spoken such a long sentence.

And they knew she had cried—they had specifically come to comfort her.

How could her children be so smart?

Her heart softened all at once. How could she bear to punish them after being called “pretty and kind”?

Gu Hua’s eyes reddened as she stroked their little heads. She whispered, “Alright… Mama thanks Tuantuan and Yuanyuan. Tonight, we’ll sleep together, warm and cozy.”

Ever-reserved Tuantuan beamed. “Mama, sleep-sleep.”

Yuanyuan finally released her thigh.

Gu Hua lay down and wrapped an arm around each child.

Since birth, the children had always slept under the care of their wet nurses. They had never shared a bed with their mother before. This was their first time.

The three of them couldn’t sleep. The little ones were excited, chattering and giggling. For the first time, Gu Hua experienced the joy of squeezing into a bed with her children—her heart overflowing with maternal bliss.

Before she realized it, the twins were fast asleep, and holding their soft, warm bodies, Gu Hua slowly drifted into dreams as well.

Half-asleep, she was startled awake by loud voices.

“Hurry and look! Heaven above, hurry! How could both of them disappear?”

“They’re not here! Oh dear heavens, where could they have gone?”

“Should we report to the Princess Consort and the Old Madam?”

“No, look for them first! The courtyard gates are guarded—they shouldn’t have gotten out!”

Hearing this, Gu Hua understood: the maids and nurses had woken and realized the children were missing. The outer court was in utter chaos.

Dong Hua and Dong Qing, sleeping in the outer chamber, had also been awakened and rushed to ask what was wrong.

The nurses and maids didn’t dare say.

When Dong Hua heard the princess consort call, she and Dong Qing entered the room.

Both froze upon seeing Gu Hua holding two sleepy toddlers.

Dong Hua cried, “Ah?! Why are the young master and young miss here?”

Gu Hua sighed helplessly. “Go tell them to come carry them for washing.”

“Yes.” Dong Hua quickly went out to call the servants.

In moments, the room filled with people.

The nurses and maids responsible for the twins dropped to their knees in terror.

Gu Hua said seriously, “They’re so small. You must stay alert while sleeping—otherwise you won’t know if they wander off.”

The servants all kowtowed, crying out together, “Your Ladyship is right! We accept punishment!”

Gu Hua was always gentle with the servants. Even if they made mistakes, she seldom punished them.

But matters involving her children were different. The twins had left their beds and no one noticed—an enormous oversight.

After what had happened with Sister Zhilan, Gu Hua couldn’t let it go.

Her face chilled, and just as she was about to speak, Tuantuan said timidly, “Mama pretty and kind… doesn’t hit people.”

Gu Hua: “…”

She glared at him. Tuantuan smiled sweetly, dimples appearing on his chubby, fair cheeks.

Who did he inherit those dimples from?

Gu Hua was helpless.

She swept the room coldly. “Take them to wash up.”

The servants were moved to tears and praised her for being pretty and kind.

Gu Hua: Where did this phrase even come from?

The two children were carried off, bundled in thick jackets.

Dong Hua and Dong Qing helped Gu Hua wash and dress.

After a moment of thought, Gu Hua said, “Dong Hua, go summon the stewardess from Fulutang.”

“Yes.”

The stewardess of Fulutang had been sent by the Old Madam and had served her for decades.

Gu Hua would not allow another incident like Zhou Zhilan’s. Her children could not suffer even the slightest danger.

She had been too well-protected before, not needing to manage many things in the manor herself. Zhou Zhilan and Zhou Chunyu had managed everything flawlessly.

But she was the Princess Consort—she must take responsibility.

The stewardess entered and bowed. Since she was elderly, Gu Hua usually did not make her kneel.

Gu Hua’s face turned stern. “Kneel.”

The stewardess froze, stunned, staring up at her.

The always gentle princess consort was now solemn and severe.

With a jolt of fear, she instantly knelt.

Gu Hua forced her voice to harden. “Stewardess, Mother sent you to care for the twins. She says you even cared for the Prince when he was young. I trusted you.”

Cold sweat broke out on the stewardess’s forehead. “Your Ladyship, this servant was too negligent. I didn’t secure the young masters properly. If anything happened to them… this servant would not want to live.”

Her eyes reddened.

“This servant knows her mistake. Please punish me.”

She kowtowed heavily.

Seeing her sincerity, Gu Hua’s expression softened.

She glanced at Dong Hua.

Dong Hua stepped forward to help her up. “Stewardess, Her Ladyship seldom punishes the servants. But now that thieves are lurking about, and with Sister Zhilan’s recent incident, Her Ladyship worries that someone may attempt wrongdoing again. You all must be utterly vigilant.”

The stewardess cried harder, nodding vigorously. “It truly was my failure.”

Gu Hua’s tone softened further. “It’s partly my fault too. When they climbed into my bed in the middle of the night, I should’ve informed you immediately. I… was simply too happy as their mother and got careless.”

The stewardess panicked. “Your Ladyship must not say that! It’s our fault for sleeping too soundly. From now on, I’ll assign people to stay awake through the night.”

Gu Hua sighed. “The children are at an age where they’re very mischievous. Although I don’t blame you fully, there must still be punishment as a warning.”

“This servant will accept anything without complaint.”

“Half a month’s monthly wages will be deducted.”

The stewardess’s eyes widened. “That’s too light!”

Gu Hua continued, “Dong Hua, you’ll become the lead senior maid of Fulutang. Assist the stewardess more. The twins are older now—reduce the wet nurses to two, keep the remaining two. And choose two maids with good martial skills.”

Dong Hua answered quickly, “Yes.”

Fulutang housed the stewardess, four wet nurses, four second-rank maids, and two rough-work maids.

Gu Hua felt the stewardess was getting old and did not have the energy to keep up. And with Yuanyuan behaving like a mischievous monkey, someone had to be alert enough to catch her.

They needed reliable people with good stamina.

Upon hearing that only half a month’s salary would be deducted, the servants of Fulutang all breathed sighs of relief, praising the princess consort for being truly pretty and kind.

The manor offered generous pay—the monthly salary was only a portion. During festivals and holidays, they received extra rewards, often amounting to twice their regular pay each year.