Chapter 11: The Crushing Weight of Mount Tai

“Miss, you’re all cleaned up. Can you promise me that wherever you go from now on, you’ll bring little Taro with you?” Little Taro spoke softly and gently.

The little one stared at Little Taro as if she were an alien, scrutinizing her from head to toe. “Little Taro, did you not sleep well last night? Why are you acting so strange? Are you possessed by a ghost?”

Little Taro, half amused and half exasperated, grabbed the little one’s hand. “Miss, Little Taro is fine. You just wait a moment, alright?” The young lady was three years younger than her. The general and the princess never treated her with restraint—they raised her like a little boy.

Moreover, given the young lady’s status, she was free from all worldly conventions, but Little Taro was different. She was born as the young lady’s maid and would remain her loyal spirit after death. Anything the young lady refused to do, she had to learn, for she was her maid.

Ling Wei looked at the completely changed aura of Little Taro in confusion. A child’s heart could not hold back her thoughts: “Little Taro, what’s wrong with you? You’re acting so weird. Did Nurse Wang hit you? Don’t be afraid; I’ll protect you. Nurse Wang definitely won’t hit you.”

Little Taro forced a wry smile as she tidied up her things. “Miss, didn’t we say we were going to eat something delicious?” Changing the subject, for the young lady would never understand her feelings—at least not now. And she didn’t need her to. As long as the young lady was happy and didn’t abandon her, she was willing to do anything for her.

The moment the little one heard “delicious food,” she forgot everything else. In front of good food, all those troublesome matters vanished from her mind. A wide smile blossomed on her small face, and joyfully, she grabbed Little Taro’s hand and dashed toward the kitchen.

“Nurse Wang, Nurse Wang, we’re here! Roast chicken, roast chicken, roast chicken!” The little one kept shouting about roast chicken. Suddenly, she misstepped and was about to fall. With a swift move, Little Taro became the sturdiest human cushion.

The chubby little one landed squarely on Little Taro, unharmed. In contrast, Little Taro felt a wave of dizziness, stars flashing before her eyes, and a surge of blood rushing through her veins. Hmm, the young lady was truly pampered by her mother.

Though Little Taro was just a young maid, both Zhan Taichen and Zhao Tingyou always treated their servants kindly. The little one was kind-hearted, without the young lady’s temper, and loved bringing Little Taro along everywhere. Whenever there was tasty food, she never forgot to bring some for Little Taro, which explained why Little Taro was also a little chubby.

“Little Taro, are you okay? Are you hurt?” The little one was nearly in tears, sobbing softly. Would Little Taro die like Little Black? Just thinking about the beloved little black dog’s death had her frightened, tears streaming down her cheeks. “No, no, I don’t want Little Taro to die!”

Hearing the commotion, Nurse Wang came out and just saw Little Taro protecting the young lady by taking the fall. She smiled with relief. Little Taro had listened to her advice but was quick to scoop up the young lady, carefully checking to make sure the little one was unharmed before turning to help Little Taro off the ground.

“Little Taro, how are you? Where does it hurt? Tell me, child,” Nurse Wang asked with a mother’s concern, her heart aching for her own.

“Little Taro, where is it hurting? It’s all my fault, sob,” the little one said anxiously, seeing Nurse Wang’s worried face. Despite her small stature, she knew Little Taro must be injured.

Sobbing, she blamed her own round, chubby figure for causing Little Taro’s pain. It was the first time she resented her plumpness so deeply.

Little Taro took a deep breath, suppressing the surging pain. “Miss, see? I’m fine, really.” Though her face was pale, she didn’t forget to comfort the little one. Nurse Wang watched this with a heavy heart, feeling the pain deep within.