Madam Qin looked bewildered. Her husband hadn't even informed her before arranging this play.

Pei Zhi was about to rush up aggressively to confront Madam Qin.

Master Qin quickly stepped forward to stop her, "No, no, your mother's death had nothing to do with her."

Pei Zhi roared, "You think it's unrelated just because you say so?"

Pei Zhi questioned, "No wonder she's kept me at the estate all these years. It must be her. She's the one who wouldn't let me come back, isn't she?"

Madam Qin waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no, I didn't."

Master Qin quickly reassured him, "You're overthinking it. You weren't feeling well at the time, and the environment on the estate was nice, so we let you recuperate there."

"Anyway, my mother is dead, and I don't remember anything from the past. No matter what you say, I have no way of verifying it."

Pei Zhi looked aggrieved. "Anyway, even if you treat me like an idiot and try to fool me, I still won't understand."

Pei Zhi stroked her face: "They didn't bring me back earlier because they thought I was beautiful and charming. They probably wanted to find me a husband so that my family could benefit from my marriage."

Qin Mian raised an eyebrow, realizing that Pei Zhi had guessed his thoughts.

"My dear girl, you've really misunderstood."

“My father was always serving as an official in other places, and he wanted to bring you back, but he never had the chance.”

"I just got back to the capital and settled in, and then I immediately went to pick you up."

"Hmph." Pei Zhi turned her head away, clearly not believing it.

Qin Mian was getting anxious. "Then what do you want me to do to make you believe in your father's heart?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhi raised an eyebrow and then looked at Madam Qin.

Madam Qin took two steps back, a bad feeling creeping into her heart.

Pei Zhi pointed at Madam Qin, "I don't need you to do anything."

"Today, I went to great lengths to prepare lunch for my mother."

"Although my mother is not my biological mother, I believe that she will also treat my feelings kindly."

"Mother didn't try it at noon today, so tonight, Father and Mother, let's both try our daughter's cooking?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Qin breathed a sigh of relief, "What a coincidence."

“I said I didn’t have much of an appetite today, so the servants tore up the lunch you had prepared yourself.”

"By now, they're probably all in the slop bucket."

Pei Zhi calmly replied, "What does it matter? Just fish it out of the swill bucket."

Madam Qin became anxious, "What are you saying? You want us to scavenge food from the swill bucket?"

Pei Zhi put one hand on her hip, her tone even sterner than Madam Qin's.

"What? You can't even do this, yet you keep saying you love me?"

"If they really loved me, why would they throw the lunch I painstakingly prepared into the garbage can?"

After Pei Zhi finished speaking, she glared fiercely at Master Qin, "Since that's the case, I might as well pack up and go back to the estate."

Qin Mian closed his eyes, his chest heaving violently.

Qin Mian was pondering whether to have this wild girl beaten to death right now to vent his anger, or...

Qin Mian suddenly remembered that he had drafted the memorial today, which was praised by His Majesty, but it ended up being signed by his master.

He usually did all the work of the master in the government office, but in the end, he didn't make any name for himself.

Even the reward that was originally his was taken away by his master, and he didn't even dare to ask about it.

Compared to one's future, what does eating food from a garbage can matter?

"Does the fact that your mother and I ate it mean you'll believe in our love for you?"

“Of course.” Pei Zhi nodded. “You were all willing to eat food from the swill bucket for my sake. How could an ordinary person do that?”

Madam Qin was about to try to dissuade him, but Qin Mian wouldn't listen to any of it.

Qin Mian waved his hand and said loudly, "Go, take the food that Miss made today out of the kitchen slop bucket and plate it!"

Having known Mr. Qin for so many years, Madam Qin could tell from his expression that he was serious.

Madam Qin's face was constantly changing color, from red to white, then back to red.

Madam Qin really wanted to kick her husband hard.

If he wants to eat, he should just eat. Why does he have to drag her along?

Just thinking about what's in the swill bucket makes me stink.

Pei Zhi appeared calm on the surface, but her heart was in turmoil.

She really didn't expect that this old man would have such courage to actually eat it?

Servants are obligated to obey orders from their masters.

The swill bucket was a mess, with leftover vegetables and all sorts of rotten fruit mixed in.

It's really not easy to find the lunch that the young lady prepared herself.

Besides, even a dog wouldn't eat the lunch that Miss made.

The servants, being considerate, scooped up some passable food from the swill bucket.

But I had the will but not the strength; what good stuff could be found in a slop bucket?

When Madam Qin saw the plates of dark, foul-smelling things that were brought out, she began to gag.

The thought of having to eat these things herself made Madam Qin unable to hold it in any longer; she dry heaved until her eyes turned red.

If she had known this brat would cause so much trouble, she should have tried it for lunch today.

Qin Mian looked at the "feast" on the table and picked up the chopsticks beside him.

It would be even better if the hand holding the chopsticks didn't tremble.

Qin Mian picked up a piece of something with his chopsticks, not knowing what it was, and put it in his mouth.

Qin Mian held his breath and swallowed it directly, only realizing the foul smell after he finished swallowing.

Pei Zhi's expression of disgust was almost too ferocious; this old man was really... too amazing.

Qin Mian took chopsticks and tasted the filth in each plate, then quickly rinsed his mouth with water.

"Look, Dad ate it all, now you can believe me, right?"

Pei Zhi's lips twitched slightly, she nodded, and then looked at Madam Qin.

Qin Mian followed Pei Zhi's gaze and looked at Madam Qin.

Qin Mian urged, "Why isn't Madam eating yet?"

Qin Mian even comforted them, saying, "Actually, it's just disgusting to look at, it's not a big deal."

Madam Qin swallowed hard and took the chopsticks handed to her by a servant.

Madam Qin held her chopsticks, but she couldn't pick up any of the filth from the plate.

Madam Qin also wanted to keep her eyes open and closed, but she really couldn't do it!

"Yes, you're right." Madam Qin slammed down her chopsticks.

"I just don't love you."

"You're the daughter of a concubine, not my own child, so why should I love you?"

"Your biological father forced me to register you under my name so that you could marry into a higher social class and become the legitimate daughter of the Qin family."

Madam Qin questioned loudly, "But I don't want a daughter at all. Why should I love the child that another woman bore for my husband?"

Madam Qin was determined to give up entirely.

She really can't bring herself to eat these things.

Why not just accept the reputation of a wicked mistress? That would be better than eating this stuff.