"Is Qiao'er here? I'd like to see her." After several dishes were served, Liang Laifu spoke up. "Don't worry, we're really just here to eat."

Ling Dapeng didn't answer immediately. He glanced at the men at the table before hesitatingly saying, "I'll go take a look."

"Brother Liang, is this your daughter? She absolutely has to come back. You can afford to raise her."

"That's right, how can you let someone else raise your own daughter? What kind of good daughter can be raised in a place like this?"

“Yes, that’s what I think too, but I was the one who gave her away in the first place. Now I want to talk to her properly, at least to let the child know that it’s not that I don’t want her,” Liang Laifu said, his eyes fixed on the direction Ling Dapeng had gone.

"Mom, something terrible has happened! Liang Laifu says he wants to see Xiao Qiao'er!" Ling Dapeng exclaimed as soon as he entered the kitchen.

"Why won't he see me? What does he want?" Tao Wanniang said discontentedly. "Is this some kind of 'courtesy first, then force' approach?"

"Mother, it's alright, I'll go see her." Little Qiao'er took a deep breath, straightened her chest, and tightened her little face.

"Alright, go ahead. Dapeng, tell Dahu to keep a close eye on things and make sure Xiaoqiao doesn't get hurt!" Tao Wanniang said upon seeing this, afraid that if she went out, she would want to tear Liang Laifu apart.

"Mother, don't worry, I will definitely protect Qiao'er." Ling Dapeng replied earnestly, and also took away a few dishes.

"Qiao'er!" Upon seeing Xiao Qiao'er come out, Liang Laifu immediately stood up. "Qiao'er, let your father take a look. Have you gained or lost weight?"

Xiao Qiao took a deep breath, walked up to Liang Laifu, and said calmly, "Of course I've gained weight, and I've also grown taller, but you probably don't know how tall I used to be."

"How can you talk like that, child?" Before Liang Laifu could speak, a man from the escort agency scolded him, "This is your father."

“I know you are my father, but you left home three years ago and haven’t come back since,” Xiao Qiao’er said loudly. “You married a rich girl and gave me away. You already have a son, what do you need me for? I’m here, eating well, living well, with a loving mother, and brothers and sisters-in-law. I don’t want to go with you at all.”

Liang Laifu's face stiffened. How did that timid little girl become so eloquent?

"Qiao'er, your father has his reasons," Liang Laifu said with a bitter face.

"What hardship? You just want me to go back and serve you and my stepmother, right? She's not my biological mother. I won't go back with you," Xiao Qiao'er said indignantly.

"Qiao'er, how can you say that? Even if Xinlan isn't your biological mother, you have a younger brother!" Liang Laifu wanted to take Xiao Qiao'er back. If she went back, she could take care of his son; even if Tao Wanniang wanted Xiao Qiao'er, he could get back the money he had given her.

“That’s not my brother, that’s your son with that rich girl. I like it here, I like cooking, I like baking, and Mother will teach me. I can support myself in the future, when I need my father. You gave me away, and now I don’t need him anymore, so don’t look for me anymore!”

Xiao Qiao shouted at Liang Laifu, then turned and ran towards the kitchen.

"Qiao'er!" Liang Laifu wanted to chase after her, but the Ling brothers suddenly stood in front of him.

"Sir, the kitchen is a restricted area, no unauthorized personnel allowed. You should eat your meal!" Ling Dahu said.

"Yes, sir, does your wealthy daughter know you've come to ask for Xiao Qiao'er back? When we were in Shan Hai Prefecture, didn't you say your new wife didn't want to see Xiao Qiao'er and told our whole family to get out of Shan Hai Prefecture?"

Ling Dapeng said this because Bai Yumei had just reminded him.

Other guests cast curious glances at this place, but they mostly just looked and didn't say anything about what happened at other places.

But Liang Laifu felt awkward when he noticed the stares from others, and his face showed some disappointment when he sat down.

"Brother Liang, this girl is outrageous. Since you've already given her away, just let it go."

"That's right, girls are worthless. You already have a son, so you don't need this kind of unfilial girl."

Hearing Xiao Qiao'er's words, Liang Laifu couldn't quite put his finger on it, but his simple explanation was enough for most of the others at the table to guess the reason. However, it was best for outsiders to meddle in this family matter.

“My Qiao’er wasn’t like this before. She used to be very well-behaved,” Liang Laifu said dryly, implying that the child had been led astray.

"Let's eat! This restaurant is really authentic. This braised pork intestine has no fishy smell at all."

"This wine is not bad either, Brother Liang. Don't be sad. If you miss your daughter, come and visit often. It's okay if you don't keep her by your side."

Liang Laifu was speechless when he heard the escorts who had told him on the way that they would definitely help him get his daughter back. They had turned against him just because the food was good. What a bunch of ignorant brutes.

He glanced towards the kitchen. This little beauty was really giving him a headache. Five hundred taels of silver—was he going to lose it all?

After Xiao Qiao returned to the kitchen, she started sobbing. She wasn't a very brave person, and those words she had just spoken had exhausted all her courage.

Tao Wan's mother felt heartbroken seeing this and immediately put her arm around Xiao Qiao'er to comfort her.

"Cry, if you feel uncomfortable, just cry it out, and you'll feel better after crying it out!"

"Mother, am I unfilial? I embarrassed him in public!" Xiao Qiao'er sobbed.

“It’s alright, what you said is true,” Tao Wanniang said. “Moreover, you’re very brave to express your true thoughts, little Qiao’er.”

"Yes, Qiao'er, you've even inherited some of your mother's courage," Wang Hongyu praised. "Our little Qiao'er is very precious; how could he just take her away whenever he wants and give her away whenever he doesn't?"

“That’s right, Xiao Qiao’er. You’re smart, capable, and sensible. You’re ten years old now, and in a few years you’ll be a young lady. You should listen to your heart.” Tao Wan’s mother comforted her. “Although he is your father, he hasn’t fulfilled his duty of raising you. If you ever think about his kindness in giving you life, you can go and see him.”

Little Qiao'er buried her face in Tao Wan's arms and cried, but she quickly calmed down.

“I told him that when I needed my dad, he didn’t want me, and now I don’t need him anymore,” Xiao Qiao’er said earnestly, wiping away her tears.

"Yes, we know." Tao Wanniang looked at the child, knowing that there was some stubbornness in her voice.

After Liang Laifu and his group finished eating, they left without mentioning Xiao Qiao'er again. Tao Wanniang was somewhat surprised. Didn't Madam Wu say before that the escort agency wouldn't want someone like Liang Laifu? Had something happened during this escort mission?

Feeling puzzled, Tao Wan's mother called over Yang Song, who was strolling outside, and asked him to find out what was going on.