Starting in Exile: Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Lucky Little Wife

Chapter 258 Love and Courage

The night in Xijing Kingdom was quiet and warm. The moonlight, like water, gently spilled into the courtyard of the Jiang Mansion, casting a silver veil over the ancient buildings.

A gentle breeze rustled through the flowers and plants in the courtyard, making a soft, whispering sound as if they were telling a story.

Inside Jiang Youan's room, the dim candlelight flickered, illuminating everything and creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Jia Xiaoyan sat on the edge of the bed, while Jiang Youan lay obediently in the soft quilt, his eyes wide open, looking at Jia Xiaoyan with anticipation.

His little face was round and rosy, like a ripe apple, and his jet-black hair was a little messy, which made him look even more playful and cute.

"Mommy, what story are you going to tell today?" Jiang Youan asked in his childish voice, his excitement barely contained.

Jia Xiaoyan smiled, gently stroked Jiang Youan's hair, and said softly, "Today, Mommy will tell you a story about a brave little hero."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Youan immediately perked up, sat up, and gripped the blanket tightly with both hands: "Great! I love hearing stories of heroes!"

Jia Xiaoyan gently pressed Jiang Youan back into bed, tucked him in, and began to tell her story: "A long, long time ago, there was a beautiful town where the people lived happy and carefree lives. But one day, a ferocious monster suddenly appeared. This monster was huge, covered in sharp thorns, and its eyes were like burning flames. Every night it would come out to destroy the town and steal people's food and possessions."

Jiang Youan listened intently, his eyes fixed on Jia Xiaoyan, and asked nervously, "Then what should we do? Is there any way for the people of the town to drive away the monster?"

Jia Xiaoyan gently patted Jiang Youan's shoulder and continued, "Just when everyone felt scared and desperate, a little boy named Xiaohu stepped forward. Although Xiaohu was young, he was very brave and smart. He said to everyone, 'We can't let the monster bully us like this; we must work together to find a way to drive it away!'"

"Little Tiger is so brave!" Jiang Youan couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes shining with admiration.

“Yes, Xiaohu is very brave,” Jia Xiaoyan continued. “So, Xiaohu began to observe the monster’s habits. He discovered that although the monster was very fierce, it was terrified of a plant called ‘Light Grass.’ Whenever the monster saw Light Grass, it would turn around and run away in fright.”

"Bright Grass? What's that?" Jiang Youan asked curiously.

"The Light Grass is a magical plant that grows high in the mountains and emits a dazzling light," Jia Xiaoyan explained. "Xiao Hu decided to go and find the Light Grass. He said goodbye to the people of the town and embarked on his journey alone. Along the way, he encountered many difficulties and dangers. Sometimes, he would get lost and wander around in the deep mountains; sometimes, he would encounter ferocious wild beasts, but Xiao Hu was not afraid. He overcame these difficulties one by one with his wisdom and courage."

Jiang Youan listened intently, his little fists clenched tightly, as if he were on the adventure with Xiao Hu. "And then what? Did Xiao Hu find the Bright Grass?" he asked anxiously.

"Little Tiger has been found," Jia Xiaoyan said with a smile. "After searching for several days and nights, Little Tiger finally found the Light Grass on a high mountaintop. He brought the Light Grass back to the town, and when the monster reappeared, Little Tiger rushed up with the Light Grass. The monster saw the light emitted by the Light Grass and was so frightened that it turned and ran away, never to return. The town returned to its former peace and tranquility, and the people were very grateful to Little Tiger, calling him a little hero."

After hearing the story, Jiang Youan smiled happily: "Xiao Hu is amazing! When I grow up, I want to be as brave as him!"

Jia Xiaoyan patted Jiang Youan's head: "Youan will definitely do it. In life, we will also encounter all kinds of difficulties, but as long as we are brave and strong like Xiaohu, we will definitely be able to overcome them."

Jiang Youan nodded vigorously: "Yes, I remember, Mother."

"Alright, the story is over, You'an should go to sleep now." Jia Xiaoyan blew out the candle, and the room immediately went dark, with only the moonlight from outside the window shining on the floor, forming patches of silvery light.

Jiang Youan closed his eyes and soon drifted into a sweet dream. In his dream, he became a little hero like Xiao Hu, riding a white steed, wielding a sword, defeating one monster after another, and protecting his homeland.

Jia Xiaoyan sat quietly by the bed, looking at Jiang Youan's sleeping face, a gentle smile on her face.

After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Youan stirred in his sleep, letting out a soft murmur. Jia Xiaoyan immediately turned around, returned to the bedside, sat down again, and gently coaxed, "Youan, be good, keep sleeping." Jiang Youan seemed to hear his mother's comforting words and fell back asleep peacefully, though his little hand still tightly gripped the corner of the blanket, as if it were his support during his adventures in his dreams.

The next morning, warm sunlight streamed through the window and fell on Jiang Youan's bed. Jiang Youan slowly woke up, and as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Jia Xiaoyan sitting by the bed, smiling at him.

"Good morning, Mom!" Jiang Youan rubbed his eyes, his face beaming with a bright smile.

"Good morning, You'an. Did you sleep well? Did you dream about Xiaohu?" Jia Xiaoyan asked, gently stroking Jiang You'an's hair.

Jiang Youan nodded excitedly: "I dreamt about it! I dreamt that Xiao Hu and I defeated a lot of monsters and protected the town!"

Jia Xiaoyan smiled and said, "You're so great! Do you remember why Xiaohu was able to succeed in the story Mommy told last night?"

Jiang Youan tilted his head, thought seriously for a while, and said, "Because Xiaohu is very brave, not afraid of difficulties, and also very smart, he found the Bright Grass."

“That’s right!” Jia Xiaoyan said confidently. “So, in life, no matter what difficulties you encounter, Youan should face them bravely like Xiaohu and use his wisdom to solve problems, okay?”

“Yes, I understand, Mother!” Jiang Youan replied firmly.

After breakfast, Jiang Youan took Jia Xiaoyan to the courtyard. The courtyard was shaded by green trees, with lush flowers and plants, and birds singing merrily in the branches. Jiang Youan ran around on the grass, chasing butterflies one moment and squatting down to observe ants moving their nest the next, having a great time.

"Mommy, look!" Jiang Youan suddenly pointed at a butterfly and exclaimed excitedly, "That butterfly is so beautiful!"

Jia Xiaoyan walked over and said with a smile, "It's very beautiful. You'an, do you want to catch it?"

Jiang Youan hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I don't want to. It's happy flying around in the flowers. If I catch it, it will be unhappy."

Jia Xiaoyan patted Jiang Youan's head with satisfaction: "Youan is so kind, he knows how to respect the feelings of small animals. That's a wonderful quality."

Just then, Jiang Youan noticed a spider weaving a web in the corner. Curious, he walked over, squatted down, and observed it closely. He watched as the spider busily moved about on its web, and soon, a delicate web was completed.

"Mother, the spider is so amazing! It wove its web so quickly!" Jiang Youan exclaimed.

Jia Xiaoyan squatted down and said, "Yes, spiders work very hard to weave their webs. They have to spin silk again and again to create such a beautiful and strong web. Just like the little tiger searching for the light grass, it takes a lot of effort."

Jiang Youan looked at the spider and nodded thoughtfully: "I understand. Nothing is easy, and you have to work hard."

In the afternoon, Jiang Youan and Jia Xiaoyan returned to their room. Jiang Youan took out his paintbrush and drawing paper and sat down at the table to draw earnestly. Jia Xiaoyan watched quietly by his side, without disturbing him.

After a while, Jiang Youan ran up to Jia Xiaoyan with the drawing in his hand: "Mommy, look at my drawing!"

Jia Xiaoyan took the drawing. It depicted a little boy holding a bunch of glowing grass, with a ferocious monster in front of him. The little boy had a confident smile on his face. Next to the drawing, crookedly written, "I want to be as brave as Little Tiger."

"Youan's drawing is fantastic!" Jia Xiaoyan praised. "Isn't this the little hero in your heart?"

Jiang Youan nodded vigorously: "Yes, I want to be a brave person in the future and protect everyone!"

Looking into her son's determined eyes, Jia Xiaoyan was filled with emotion and anticipation.