Min Yueqing was pondering something when she walked to the square table.

Sure enough, the table was filled with all sorts of food. The boiled prawns looked very fresh, the braised mutton smelled delicious, and the sea bass that the little one had enjoyed at noon was served again. The other seasonal vegetables and freshly made pastries also looked appetizing.

The cooks at Hejing Courtyard seem to have good skills, and they have a good grasp of the portion sizes of the vegetables. The seasonal vegetables and pastries are all served on delicate little plates.

Pei Ji picked up a peeled shrimp and ate it with satisfaction.

Seeing that the young master liked it, Ah Zhu kept peeling shrimp shells, placing half of the peeled shrimp on the plate in front of the young master and the other half on the young lady's plate.

The young master hadn't eaten so heartily in a long time. The ingredients they had received in recent months were not fresh, even to them, let alone the young master who had been pampered since childhood.

For the past few months, the young master would only eat a few mouthfuls of white rice and then put down his chopsticks. When he was hungry, he would drink plain water because he was too young to drink tea and could only drink warm water.

In just a few months, her chubby little face had lost all its baby fat. Every time Azhu saw this, she couldn't help but curse Liu Shi in secret. She was so stingy that she even skimped on the child's food.

Now that everything is fine, Ah Zhu is so eager for the young master to finish his meal so he can make up for all the weight he lost. As a result, his servants keep serving Pei Ji food, and Pei Ji's plate is almost piled up like a small mountain.

Min Yueqing found it amusing and knew that Azhu was concerned about the little one, so she didn't stop her.

Pei Ji was initially enjoying his meal, but he was dumbfounded when he realized that the food on his plate wasn't decreasing no matter how much he ate; in fact, it was increasing.

Min Yueqing caught a glimpse of the little one's bewildered expression out of the corner of her eye and was amused. She finally spoke up to defuse the situation, saying, "You don't have to finish it all. Just eat until you're full."

Then he said to Ah Zhu, "Give him a small bowl of chicken soup."

Pei Ji finally breathed a small sigh of relief, put his mind at ease, and sipped the warm chicken soup.

Min Yueqing had almost finished eating, and she took a bowl of chicken soup that Azhu had served her and slowly drank it. She said to Azhu and the other woman, "There's still enough food. You can eat here for a while to avoid trouble."

A-Zhu and the other person naturally agreed happily.

After washing up in the evening, Min Yueqing still slept with the little one.

First, the baby felt so good and warm to hold, it was impossible to refuse; second, Min Yueqing felt that the original owner's worries were justified.

Pei Han's sudden demotion stirred up Liu's ambitions, and she now coveted the title. If Pei Han's departure made him too far away for her to control, then the young boy left in the Earl's mansion would be in danger.

Whether Liu wanted to eliminate any potential threats or was simply driven by impotent rage, the little one was an easy target for her.

Although Min Yueqing was confident in her martial arts skills and could definitely protect the little one, she didn't dare to be too overconfident. After all, there were many secrets and intrigues in the inner quarters of ancient mansions. Just look at how many TV dramas focus on these inner quarters, some even going on for 100 episodes—it's truly terrifying to think about.

It's safer to keep it with you at all times.

Furthermore, Pei Han has been gone for more than half a year, and no one knows where he is or whether his journey was smooth or not. He has not sent any news back.

However, sometimes no news is good news.

In the following days, Min Yueqing did not rush to leave the mansion. Although she was quite curious about what the capital of the Great Qian Dynasty looked like, considering that she was still a semi-illiterate, it was more important to improve her cultural literacy first.

About half a month later, Min Yueqing had basically completed her task of learning commonly used characters and had made some progress in imitating the original owner's handwriting. She decided to go out of the mansion for a stroll.

Azhu is very skilled at embroidery. A few days ago, Min Yueqing asked Azhu to make her a set of men's clothing.

Of course, Ah Zhu was shocked when she heard her young mistress's request. She made sure it was for her several times before going down to make it with a blank look on her face. After it was finished, she didn't see her young mistress actually wearing it, so she just assumed that her young mistress was just having a whim.

Unexpectedly, early that morning, Min Yueqing asked her to bring out the men's clothing she had made. Not only did she change into the men's clothing, but she also instructed her to style her hair into a men's bun.

Looking at the elegant young lady in front of her, holding a folding fan, Azhu wondered if she was dreaming.

Why would such a well-educated and virtuous young lady from a respectable family suddenly want to dress as a man? And why would she instruct the young master to also be dressed in outdoor clothes? She had a bad feeling.

But Ah Zhu still wanted to struggle a bit, so she asked weakly, "Miss, what are you trying to do?"

Min Yueqing replied casually, "I'm not going to do anything, just going out for a bit. You all stay home obediently, and I'll bring you delicious food and fun things when I come back."

Ah Zhu nearly fell headfirst to the ground.

As soon as Amei stepped into the room, she heard these lewd words and stood there stunned.

Next, Amei and Azhu launched a series of persuasive attacks, trying their best to get Min Yueqing to give up this terrible idea, but of course it was all in vain.

Min Yueqing hadn't originally discussed it with them; she just wanted to let them know in advance so they wouldn't worry if she suddenly disappeared.

Min Yueqing waved her hand, signaling the two women to go out and do their own thing.

She also specifically stated that this matter should not be publicized, and it was best not to tell anyone else in the courtyard, as she was not sure whether the people in Hejing Courtyard were all trustworthy, or whether there were any spies in the main courtyard.

Not only did Ah Mei and her companion fail to dissuade the young lady, but they were also tasked with confusing everyone, and left with tearful faces.

Min Yue had observed early on that the west side of Hejing Courtyard was only separated from the outside of the mansion by two walls. These two walls were practically non-existent to her. After confirming the location, she planned to use the same trick again.

Min Yueqing pulled the little one along to the west courtyard wall and tempted, "Lele, do you remember the blindfold game we played last time?"

With Pei Ji's excellent memory, it was impossible for him to forget. So Pei Ji obediently closed his eyes again according to his mother's instructions. However, this time when he opened his eyes, he was no longer at the main gate of the courtyard.

Pei Ji stared wide-eyed at the street in front of him. The street was bustling with activity on both sides, with shops and stalls, and occasionally cows and mules could be seen in the middle of the street.

Of course, Pei Ji didn't recognize cows and mules; he had never seen either of these creatures before. To him, they were simply animals similar to horses. He had a keen eye and had already noticed that both animals were harnessed to carts—they looked just like horses, didn't they?

It has to be said, Pei Ji was right.

Pei Ji hugged his mother's neck, looking around so much that he was dizzy with excitement. He couldn't find a moment to ask how his mother had managed to go from inside the mansion to outside in such a flash.

Perhaps it doesn't matter, after all, for tiny human infants, parents are almost like gods, magical beings who can help them fulfill their wishes.