Upon seeing Xu Rao, Xu Bai immediately threw himself into her arms, wrapping his arms around her neck and refusing to let go.

Zhang Zhaoci laughed and said, "Alright, alright, how old are you? You're still acting like a child with your father. People will laugh at you."

Xu Bai said, "This is my own father. I miss him."

Xu Rao hugged Xu Bai and bounced him around hard, saying, "Good lad, you've gotten a lot fatter."

Xu Bai was unhappy and said, "Dad, I'm not fat, I'm strong. Look, I've grown taller and my body is more toned."

Xu Rao touched the flesh on Xu Bai's arm, nodded, and said, "You've really gotten strong, not bad, not bad. A boy should have a strong physique. Can you call someone a boy if he has soft, tender skin?"

Xu Bai said, "Yes, I want to be a man with a manly spirit."

Zhang Zhaoci gently patted Xu Bai's little bottom and said, "Man, are you getting off your dad? You weigh so much, don't tire your dad out."

Xu Bai hugged Xu Rao's neck tightly again before getting down and said, "I went to my grandmother's courtyard first. My grandmother said we're all going to have dinner there tonight."

Seeing that it was getting late, Zhang Zhaoci said, "Alright, alright, hurry up and get ready, change your clothes, and let's go to the old lady's courtyard for dinner."

The Marquis finally returned before dinner. Xu Rao went to the study in the front yard to meet the Marquis. They talked for a while, but it wasn't until dinner was set out in the old lady's courtyard that the old lady sent someone to urge them to come over. Only then did the two of them come over together.

Madam Wu's expression was not good. She and the Second Madam sat with the Old Madam in the inner room, listening to the occasional conversation between the Marquis, Xu Rao, and several of the family's sons outside. She felt very frustrated. A few days ago, when Xu Shao's daughter got married, not only did the Old Madam fail to provide any impressive dowry, but the Marquis also only gave a few hundred-tael silver notes. Madam Wu naturally knew that when the young ladies of the manor got married, the Old Madam always gave separate gifts. She didn't expect Xu Shao's daughter, who was getting married, to receive the same dowry as the other young ladies in the manor, but she was still Xu Shao's daughter. Even if she didn't care about Xu Shao's feelings, what was wrong with giving her more out of respect for her as her maternal grandmother?

Because of this, Wu made a scene with the Marquis for two days. The Marquis now stays in the study in the front yard at night and is not worried about the maids in the mansion climbing into his bed. However, the old couple have been through thick and thin for so many years, and Wu felt that this was disrespectful to her.

The old lady pretended not to see Wu's gloomy face and greeted her second daughter-in-law with a smile. There were also several granddaughters-in-law at the table.

Ning, being a shrewd and worldly person, naturally knew why Wu had a sullen face. The atmosphere at the table was unpleasant, yet she forced a smile to liven things up, not even knowing what she had eaten all night.

After the banquet ended, Ning Shi, supported by Li Mama, walked towards her courtyard, muttering softly as she went, "Oh dear, when we get back, use that little stove for boiling tea to make me a bowl of noodles. I haven't eaten anything all night, I'm starving."

When the prince returned from the front courtyard, he saw Ning Shi holding a large bowl and drinking soup from it.

The prince asked curiously, "Why are you eating so late at night?"

Ning said, "Don't even mention it. Mother had a gloomy face all night. I was afraid that my third brother would cause trouble when he came back. I spent the whole night dealing with things. How could I have had time to eat?"

Upon hearing this, the prince sighed and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Ning said, "Isn't this what we should be doing? Why are you only coming back now?"

The Crown Prince said, "I spoke with my father and my third brother in the front courtyard. My third brother has had a really tough time in Ganzhou these past few years."

Ning said, "I am in charge of the household affairs, and I feel like there are always endless things to do. My third brother is the governor of a prefecture, and there are even more things waiting for him."

The prince said, "Yes, but if I can serve as a local official and leave something praiseworthy for the people of this region during my lifetime, then my life will have been worthwhile."

Upon hearing this, Lady Ning smiled and said, "What, is the young master preparing to enter officialdom?"

The prince sighed and said, "I only regret that I didn't work hard enough in my younger years. I was forced into becoming a scholar by my uncle. Now look, my third brother is living a much more carefree life."

Ning said with a smile, "You can nurture Hua Ge'er well. I heard from Hua Ge'er's teacher that Hua Ge'er is making great progress. Given time, he might really be able to become an official like his uncle."

The prince smiled and said, "I hope so."

Ning put down her bowl and chopsticks, and the servants in the room cleared them away. They then brought water for the young master and Ning to wash their feet. After the couple washed up briefly, Ning felt uncomfortable lying down since she had just eaten, so they simply sat together on the kang (a heated brick bed) by the window and talked.

The prince leaned against a pillow, lying there somewhat lazily. Ning Shi used scissors to cut the candles on the kang table and picked up a wire basket from the side.

The Crown Prince said, "Setting up battle lines at night, what kind of battle lines wouldn't you assign servants to do?"

Ning picked up the white cotton cloth in her hand and said, "This is your underpants. Can I let someone else make them?"

Since the two got married, the prince's underpants have all been made by Ning Shi herself.

Upon hearing this, the prince sat up and said, "Be careful not to hurt your eyes. We can do it again tomorrow when the sun is out."

Ning said, “I have a lot of things to do during the day, and I can only sew a few stitches when I have a spare moment. When will Mother get better? Aunt Zhu has been gone for a long time. My third brother’s family is always away from home. She is my third brother’s mother. She can save face when my third brother comes back. But if this goes on for too long, it will make Father hate her.”

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