Extra 4: Admiring the Young Lady

As the New Year approaches, the streets and alleys are bustling with red lanterns hanging everywhere.

"Sugar figurines! Freshly painted sugar figurines!"

"Little girl, would you like some candied dates?"

"Tanghulu is two cents a string, buy two strings and get one free—"

The vendors' shouts rose one after another, fearing that they would be outdone by others, and no one was willing to make less money.

"Bai Sui'an, stop right there!"

The shuttlecock flew out from the dark alley, and a small figure suddenly jumped out and disappeared in a flash.

"Madam...Madam!" Bai Moyan stood at the door with a helpless look on his face, begging bitterly, "Don't be angry, be careful of the one you're pregnant with. Old Du said that this baby looks like it's a daughter."

"Bai Moyan, I'm warning you, if you can't teach your son well, you won't have a daughter either!" Rong Qing's face was ugly. Perhaps she was furious, so she twisted her husband's arm hard. "Look at him, he spends all day either climbing over walls or climbing trees. Now he's even learning to use a slingshot to shoot at other people's windows. He's so lively and energetic, how can he look like a premature baby?"

She had little strength, and pinching Bai Moyan was like a kitten tickling him, without causing any pain.

"Madam, please calm down." Bai Moyan laughed dryly, stretched out his hands to hold her in his arms, and comforted her in a deep voice, "An An is used to running around with me in the military camp, and his temper has become wild. He didn't mean to hit the neighbor's window. He just missed the cicada..."

"You're still pleading for him?" Rong Qing couldn't help but sneer and raised his hand to twist his ear.

"Husband..." Bai Moyan lowered his body towards her and begged for mercy in a low voice, "Madam, An An was born prematurely, please forgive him, and... also forgive me."

"Bring that brat back to me right now, and let's go to the corner together and reflect on our mistakes. Otherwise, I'll take your daughter and run away from home!"

The woman's coquettish voice rang in his ears. In order to protect his wife and daughter, Bai Moyan could only nod and agree, "I will definitely catch An An back. Madam, you go back and rest first."

Rong Qing snorted coldly, then let go of his hand and turned to go into the east wing.

Someone set off firecrackers, and they exploded under his feet. Bai Sui'an screamed, jumped away in three or two steps, looked up, and saw Su Zhijun's little face, which was red from the cold.

It turned out that he had actually run to the Su family.

"Sister Cui?" Bai Sui'an was young and spoke incoherently.

"An An!" Su Zhijun's face turned pale with fear when she saw it was him. She hurried over to check, "Why did you suddenly appear? I didn't even see you. Are you okay? Were you hurt?"

"It's nothing serious, sister." Bai Sui'an said crisply, tiptoeing to look into the house, "Is Aunt Su home?"

"Mom is in the house looking at the account books. Are you looking for her?" Su Zhijun was relieved to see that he was really not shocked. She smiled softly and said, "Then sister will take you there."

After she finished speaking, she took Bai Sui'an's soft little hand and walked towards the house.

By chance, Ping'er was seen going to school with a cloth schoolbag on her back.

"elder sister……"

As soon as she opened her mouth, Ping'er's face turned red.

But he didn't expect Su Zhijun to just glance at him coldly, raise his chin slightly, snort coldly, and walk past him with the little girl in his hand.

Ping'er paused, the blush on her face gradually fading, her eyes filled with surprise, and she murmured, "What's going on... I shouldn't have offended her, right?"

It was clearly she who kissed him first.

If anyone is going to hum, it should be him.

Ping'er was confused and couldn't figure out what she had done wrong no matter how hard she tried.

"Ping'er, it's time to set off."

An Zhicheng harnessed the car, and Su Chen stuck his head out of the small window and waved to the people at the door.

Ping'er took a deep look into the mansion, then responded and ran down the steps, "I'm coming."

-

In the east wing, Su Cheng flipped through the account books in his hand, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly. "The shops that bought the dowry have made quite a bit of money these days, but after the girls' school opened, not many children enrolled."

"It's not easy for girls to learn to read and write, and it's even harder for those old-fashioned people out there to accept it. Madam, don't worry too much. Once the first batch of girls from the school pass the imperial examinations and become court ladies, and the old-fashioned people see a way out, they'll definitely agree to let their daughters go to school in the future." Qing Shuang rubbed her forehead, speaking softly, "Just leave it to time."

"Aunt Su!"

"mother."

A familiar voice came from outside the door. Su Cheng looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was the child of the Bai family. He immediately smiled happily, "It's An An, how come you have time to come here?"

Bai Sui'an was a little sly, sticking out his tongue and avoiding the question, "Of course I missed Aunt Su, that's why I came to see you at the Su's house."

Su Cheng couldn't help laughing and gave him a reproachful look. "Tell me, what did you do wrong?"

Bai Sui'an chuckled and crossed his fingers. "I wanted to learn how to shoot arrows like my father did, so I made a slingshot. I originally wanted to shoot cicadas, but I ended up shooting a hole through the window paper of my neighbor next door... My mother beat me, so I ran away."

Hearing this, even Qingshuang and Cailian at the back couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Su Cheng was helpless and waved at him, "Come here, Aunt Su."

Although Bai Sui'an usually looked like a little firecracker, when he saw Su Cheng's round belly, he walked over to her politely and leaned against her gently, "Auntie Su..."

"Your mother can't outrun you, but she also knows that you always come to me when you make a mistake. I guess it won't be long before your father comes to take you home."

Such a farce happens every three days.

This kid from the Bai family is indeed difficult to manage.

It's like a devil child coming to the world.

Su Cheng didn't expect that her words would come true. While she was speaking, the Bai family's carriage had already stopped outside the house.

"Prince Consort, slow down."

Bai Moyan stepped on a footstool and got off the carriage. When he looked up, he saw another carriage coming from afar, with a wooden sign with the word "Su" hanging in front of the canopy.

The carriage stopped in front of the Su family's gate. A pair of slender hands lifted the curtain and Xie Suzhou slowly got out of the car. His peach blossom eyes did not look around, but only walked towards the mansion in a hurry, holding two food boxes in his hands.

"Su——"

"Thank you, sir!"

Before Bai Moyan could speak, a girl in her early twenties came running over with her skirt lifted up. The tassels on her bun were swinging around, but she didn't care much.

Xie Suzhou turned around slowly upon hearing the voice, and when he saw the person coming, his brows furrowed instantly. "Miss He, why are you here?"

The girl pursed her lips and smiled, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face. "I wanted to stop Master Xie in front of the palace gate, but the carriage was moving too fast, and I didn't have time to speak..."

"I'm asking." Xie Suzhou frowned even tighter, "Why did you appear in my house?"

The girl was stunned for a moment, obviously frightened by his indifference. After a moment's pause, she smiled again, "Thank you, sir. I have heard of the deeds of Fanghua County Master and admire her very much. Could you please introduce me to her so that I can see her beauty?"