The next day, as expected, both children overslept.

Min Yueqing didn't mind at all; it was a good opportunity to stay in bed together. Although she didn't need much sleep, it wasn't like she couldn't sleep. After all, who would rather sit than lie down?

By the time Pei Ji woke up naturally, the sun was already high in the sky. Min Yueqing figured they couldn't leave anyway, so she might as well take the two children out for a stroll, see the local customs and culture of Tongcheng, and find some good food.

Although she knew perfectly well that the one behind all this trouble was none other than that eunuch Jia, and that if one plan failed, another would surely follow, hiding in the inn was not her style.

She just went about her business as usual, and if Eunuch Jia could come up with some novel ideas, she could even find it amusing.

Upon hearing that they were going out to play, Pei Ji and Shi Tou immediately responded enthusiastically. They quickly got ready and pulled Min Yueqing outside. Pei Ji still remembered Min Yueqing's words and reminded her as they walked, "Mother, you said you would tell a story yesterday."

Min Yueqing chuckled to herself. The little rascal was really clever, managing to do both things perfectly.

After going downstairs, Min Yueqing first asked a young waiter about the busiest street in the city, and only after getting directions and directions did she leave the inn.

She didn't keep the little one in suspense and began to answer his questions seriously as soon as she came out. "Well, this story starts last year. Lele, do you remember when Daddy was suddenly sent away?"

Pei Ji pouted and nodded, "Father didn't wake me up when he left."

Pei Ji remembered it all very clearly, not missing a single detail of those two days. He was still very angry that his father had quietly left while he was asleep.

Min Yueqing was sweating. This little brat's memory is really something else. She can't be perfunctory with him in the future, or he'll probably remember it for the rest of his life. "Daddy was sent out because of a bad person. This person couldn't stand Daddy's talent, so he deliberately hindered Daddy's future. The person who sent people to do bad things yesterday was also that bad person."

Pei Ji was furious and hurriedly asked, "Who is that bad guy?"

Min Yueqing thought for a moment and decided that there was nothing to keep secret, so she answered directly: "Jia Ren, he is a eunuch in the emperor's service."

Pei Ji asked, puzzled, "Do eunuchs have that much power?"

Min Yueqing was somewhat surprised and asked, "Does Lele know what a eunuch is?"

Pei Ji didn't know why his mother was curious about this, but he still obediently answered, "It's in the book, I've seen it."

Min Yueqing suddenly remembered that Pei Ji read books every day, but she had always thought that Pei Ji read basic primers, at most a few books of poetry and prose. The few times she had noticed, it was indeed these kinds of books. She didn't expect that he even read history books.

Min Yueqing thought to herself that Pei Han was truly magnanimous; the books he found for his child were incredibly rich in content, and he wasn't worried that the child wouldn't understand them at such a young age.

Now that you know, things will be easier. Min Yueqing said bluntly, "Sometimes, under special circumstances, eunuchs have a lot of power."

She couldn't directly say that the emperor was incompetent and the eunuchs were rampant, fearing that her child might accidentally let something slip outside and cause unnecessary trouble, so she could only express this meaning tactfully.

Pei Ji nodded as if he understood, then asked, "Will he continue to send people?"

Stone knew the answer to this question, and he answered quickly: "Definitely. Bad guys won't give up until they achieve their goal. Back in the capital, those thugs would chase me and beat me up because I picked up something in their territory. Even after I left their territory, they still kept coming after me."

Pei Ji asked anxiously, "Then what should we do?"

Stone spread his hands and said, "Run! There are too many of them. I can't beat them. I can only run as fast as I can, run far away, and hide whenever I see one of them."

Pei Ji nodded his little head in agreement, thinking that he was right; otherwise, Shi Tou might not have survived to see him and his mother.

Min Yueqing admired Shi Tou's open-mindedness. This child never hid his past hardships or complained about himself. He was strong and adaptable, which is why he was able to survive on his own at such a young age.

Suffering is not something to be encouraged, but those who bravely overcome it deserve the respect of others.

As the three talked, they soon arrived at the main street of Tongcheng. This main street was quite unique because there was a river not far away, and from their position, they could even see a bustling port in the distance.

Pei Ji pointed excitedly towards the river, "Mother, there are so many boats on the river!"

Pei Ji had spent most of his time in the mansion since birth and had only seen pictures of boats in books. This was the first time he had seen so many real boats, some big and some small, some with canopies and some without, all floating on the river, going back and forth with the current.

Min Yueqing watched her little one's expression with great interest for a while, after all, it was rare to see such a country bumpkin's expression of seeing the world.

Stone is slightly better off; there's a river in his hometown village, and although he's never seen a large boat, small boats are quite common.

Min Yueqing thought to herself, "No wonder this small county town is so lively. It turns out that the canal flows through here, and this small port can greatly boost the local economy."

With this port so close to the capital, countless merchant ships and traders, all wealthy individuals, flocked here. Riding this wave, the catering, accommodation, and even entertainment industries flourished rapidly.

This Tongcheng truly lives up to its name; everything is interconnected.

The main street was lined with shops on both sides, bustling with people, a vibrant scene. Min Yueqing trusted the judgment of the masses and chose the restaurant with the most customers.

As soon as you enter, the proprietress's warm and cheerful voice rings out, "What would you like to eat, esteemed guests? Please come in, there are seats available."

Following the proprietress's instructions, Min Yueqing practically led her two children through the crowd. Because the shop was small, the tables and chairs were placed very close together; Min Yueqing even saw some overweight people sitting almost back-to-back.

Fortunately, the people here are very friendly. When they see them passing by, they will move their chairs a little further in, which allows them to reach an empty table smoothly.

Finally finding a table to sit down, Pei Ji couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

However, Pei Ji actually found it quite amusing. So many people were sitting in such a small shop, and they all seemed very happy, eating and chatting loudly, sometimes bursting into laughter.

As soon as Shi Tou sat down, he started looking around at what the people around him were eating. He felt that the restaurant was filled with the aroma of various foods, which made his stomach rumble.