Both of them froze.
Liu Wan added, "A gentleman can wait ten years for revenge. Only by staying alive will you have a chance, won't you?"
Indeed, if Qing Sheng were drowned in a pig cage, what would be the point of fighting just to salvage their pride?
Besides, unless they let this matter go, neither Xie Jinqiu nor the Old Madam would allow Qing Da and his daughter to live.
Qing Da clenched his fists and nodded. "Eldest Madam, you've always foreseen things with uncanny accuracy. We'll listen to you."
The two left behind the local specialties from their hometown and departed.
Wang Xia marveled, "This is excellent donkey-hide gelatin cake! It doesn't look store-bought-it looks homemade. I've heard homemade donkey-hide gelatin cake is packed with ingredients and nourishes the blood and vital energy even better than what's sold outside."
Liu Wan paused for a moment. "How thoughtful!"
Little Wanwan sucked her thumb and stared longingly.
Ever since she was born, it had been milk, milk, and more milk. Now she wanted to eat everything she saw.
Liu Wan went to check Zi Xing's and Zi Mu's schoolwork. Because Zi Xing had broken the vase his father had given his mother while practicing martial arts, Liu Wan had punished him by making him stand outside her room.
When she returned to the room, she discovered that a piece of donkey-hide gelatin cake was missing from the table.
Meanwhile, a tiny figure sat facing away in the corner, looking soft and sweet as she sucked on something.
Curious, Liu Wan went over. The baby turned around, brown liquid smeared over nearly half her little face, and hid whatever she held behind her back.
"What are you eating?" Liu Wan asked.
Little Wanwan shook her head frantically.
[I didn't sneak any donkey-hide gelatin cake.]
[Mother, I was only having a taste. I can't bite through it.]
Liu Wan froze, staring thoughtfully at the brown liquid on her little face.
"Did you sneak some donkey-hide gelatin cake?"
Little Wanwan shook her head fiercely and hugged her mother's leg, babbling anxiously, "N... no..."
[Mother, how did Mother know?]
[I hid it so well. Could it be that a mother's and daughter's hearts are connected? Aaaah!]
Liu Wan thought, Would you like to take a look at what you've smeared on my clothes?
The little one was still shaking her head when a warm trickle suddenly flowed from her nostril. She stared blankly at the nosebleed smeared on her mother's clothes.
Oh no, this is bad. Too much nourishment.
But I really only sucked on it a few times.
Ah, so much blood! Am I going to die?
Liu Wan anxiously scooped her up and ordered Pan Chun to fetch the Residence Physician.
After taking the little one's pulse, the Residence Physician prescribed medicine to clear her internal heat, finally stopping the gushing nosebleed.
Little Wanwan sat on the bed with her head lowered, sneaked a glance at her mother's expression, then lowered her head again.
Liu Wan fished a damp piece of cake from her little trouser pocket and stared steadily at her.
One big, one small, they stared at each other with wide, round eyes. Neither spoke.
In the end.
Little Wanwan joined Xie Zixing outside the door for punishment.
The only difference was that the little one sat bolt upright, staring blankly at her brother.
[Brother Zi Xing, did you sneak donkey-hide gelatin cake too?]
"Little sister, you're only a few months old. All you have to do is act cute and drink your milk, and Mother will be happy, won't she? Having one useless son like me is enough for her!"
Xie Zixing quietly crouched down and straightened her pacifier.
Little Wanwan babbled softly, "Bwuv... eat..."
[Bwuvver Zi Xing, what did you sneak to eat that got you such a long punishment? Your little sister really has rotten luck. Before, I could always act cute and get away with it.]
Xie Zixing said, "You're asking what I sneaked to eat? I didn't sneak anything!"
Little Wanwan thought, Sure enough, my brother and I really are of one mind!
Xie Zixing added, "I only broke the vase Father gave Mother. Father's been sent to Anyuan County as a lucky mascot. I was afraid Mother would think of him whenever she saw the vase, so I broke it on purpose."
Little Wanwan thought, That's exactly what I'd expect from you.
[Just what I'd expect from you. First place in mischief, and a little crybaby too. Even getting punished for breaking things doesn't teach you a lesson. Who else would she punish?]
[Still, that vase was cheap and ugly. Father gave his mistress a valuable antique, but gave Mother a vase you could find anywhere as a token of love. I really have to hand it to that scumbag.]
Xie Zixing froze.
Father had a mistress?
[That mistress really is something, though. The son she raised wipes the floor with Brother Zi Xing. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Tragic.]
Xie Zixing's scalp prickled. Could the Male Lead his sister kept mentioning be the mistress's son?
He secretly clenched his fists.
Tomorrow, he would practice until his sword fell apart, even if he had to go without food or water.
And he would smash everything Father had given Mother!
Inside the room, Liu Wan looked at the invitation on the table and told Pan Chun, "My elder brother is getting married in a few days. We'll first visit the Imperial Palace to help the Princess prepare her dowry, then attend the wedding banquet at the Princess's Residence."
A princess was usually granted a residence after marrying. Perhaps her brother and his wife would live there from then on.
As it happened, the Princess's Residence was quite close to the Marquis's Residence.
As for why she wanted to enter the palace, naturally, it was because she had overheard Little Wanwan's thoughts about wanting to go there.
She summoned Wang Xia as well. "Go hire a cook who makes baby food. It's time Wanwan had something else to eat."
Wang Xia nodded and left.
At the doorway, she saw Xie Zixing looking at her pleadingly. The baby sitting on the ground with a pacifier in her mouth was watching her too.
They seemed to be hoping she would announce that their punishment was over.
Wang Xia shook her head, sighed, and walked away.
A maid rushed in. "Bad news, Eldest Madam! The Zhong Family has come to break off the engagement!"
The Zhong Family, the wealthiest family in the Capital, was the family whose daughter was engaged to Fourth Master.
Liu Wan asked, "Did they give a reason?"
The maid replied, "Madam Zhong said Fourth Master keeps a mistress outside who has borne him a child, and that he's morally corrupt. She's demanding they break off the engagement!"
Little Wanwan pricked up her ears!
Wow.
Who leaked that?
What a beautiful job!
Xie Zixing looked curious too. Ugh, Fourth Uncle really isn't fit to be called human. Pah!
Their mother's voice came from inside. "I tried to stop this engagement in the first place. I have no authority to deal with it now. Tell Fourth Master to handle it himself!"
Whether the marriage went ahead was their business.
After learning from her daughter what Fourth Master had done, Liu Wan no longer wished for that girl to marry into the family either.
She might be rather spoiled, but she was still her parents' treasure. How could they let her marry into a family that would all suck her blood?
Sure enough, not long after the maid left, Xie Jinqiu hurried to Liu Wan's Courtyard with others in tow.
"Sister-in-law, you have high standing. Please put in a good word for your younger brother. Only you can save this marriage for me."
Xie Jinqiu pleaded with her.
In the middle of such a serious occasion, a tiny figure actually crawled over the threshold.
Liu Wan's temple throbbed. She went over and picked her up.
Seeing this, Xie Zixing copied his sister and crawled over the threshold too, looking at Liu Wan pleadingly.
Liu Wan said, "Go stand outside!"
"Oh!"
Xie Zixing crawled back out, wanting to cry but finding no tears. He had clearly done exactly what his sister had, so why were the results worlds apart?
Mother, you're playing favorites.
Boohoo.
Little Wanwan covered her mouth and giggled.
[Sure enough, I'm still Mother's favorite little baby. I'm here for the juicy gossip. Fourth Uncle, hurry up and talk!]
Xie Jinqiu had no attention to spare for the children. He told Liu Wan, "Sister-in-law, I don't know who's spreading rumors out there. Only you can win the Zhong Family back. You know the state the Marquis's Residence is in right now. We can't do without the Zhong Family's help!"
"You're a Third-Rank Imperial Lady. As long as you speak up for your younger brother and clear my name of this slander about a mistress's child, they'll believe you."
[What the hell? You want to stake my mother's reputation on vouching for you?]
Before you continue