A child's hope

The conversation was cut short when servants brought the food in. Smelling the delicious fragrance suddenly permeating the room, Liu'er started drooling. Food! Ay long last!

The rules, however, stated that one must wait until the head of the family took his first mouthful. Liu'er gave a heated look at Ji Mo Yuan. On the other side of the table, Ji An's fingers clutched his tunic and he sneaked a shy glance at his father. His stomach grumbled quietly.

Tang Lu tested every dish with a silver needle, looking for poison.

Once his manservant was done, Ji Mo Yuan picked up a pair of chopsticks and reached for the bowl of roasted chicken sprinkled with honeyed sesame seeds. He picked up a bit and put it on top of Ji An's bowl of rice. He repeated the process several times, always choosing his son's favorite food.

Only when Ji An's plate all but overflowed with food did he start digging into his own bowl of rice. They all followed suit in relief.