Meeting the Crown Prince in the Cining Palace

Crown Prince Yinreng, the legitimate son of Kangxi's Renxiao Empress Hesheli, had an older brother who tragically died young. His mother also died giving birth to him, leaving him as the only legitimate son left. His birthday was his mother's death anniversary, a truly pitiful fate.

His arrival was so difficult, and his survival was so symbolic. His father loved him so much that he would rather suffer hardship himself than let him lose a penny. He was as spoiled as a little emperor, and in the Qing Dynasty at that time, he was indeed a little emperor.

He wasn't really young. This past May, he celebrated his thirteenth birthday, and Shujia's family even prepared a rich birthday gift and sent it to Yuqing Palace. Shujia's sister had married at thirteen, so Yinreng wasn't young at all. Judging by the grandeur of his actions, he looked quite like one.

Just as they were thinking about this, the upper family finished their greetings and told them to stand. The Shi family belonged to the Han army banner, and although Shi Wenbing was a commander-in-chief, he was only a third-rank earl. Compared to Peng Chun's dukedom or the other girls' Manchu banners, he was still less prominent. Shujia took two steps back, trying to make her presence even less noticeable, and then watched the show.

Of the four, she feared Kangxi the most. He was the most eloquent and the most devoted to rules and perfection. His luck was unbearable, and since she had traveled through time, she had to prevent him from sweeping her into the coffin. Shujia was also a little intimidated by the Grand Empress Dowager, but she clearly had a good impression of her and still invited her into the palace for a chat. There was no immediate danger. As for the remaining two, the Empress Dowager was kind, and Shujia wasn't afraid. The Crown Prince was an arrogant idiot, probably arrogant and insolent. As long as she kept her head down, there wouldn't be any trouble.

Get up and watch the show. Staying out of the trouble and observing the harmonious royal life is the highest state of the bystander party!

Kangxi, however, was wearing a dark blue casual attire, presumably something he'd changed into after leaving court. The material was decent, though the patterns weren't particularly prominent. Aside from the bright yellow belt and accessories around his waist, he looked like an ordinary Manchu man who could afford to wear silk. If Shujia hadn't known he was Kangxi, she'd probably have mistaken him for a colleague of Shi Wenbing's, one of those men whose simple lifestyle Shi Wenbing praised.

The Crown Prince's clothes were not so simple. Although they were casual clothes and the colors were plain, the embroidery on them was a dark pattern embroidered with the same color thread. He also had a yellow belt around his waist, hanging an exquisitely crafted purse and a jingling ornament. Judging from the quality of the jade, it was not an ordinary item.

Looking at the boots again, Shujia is currently learning needlework and is very interested in this aspect. She estimates in her mind that whoever is assigned to make clothes for him has not flattered the leader well and has been assigned heavy work.

Judging from his attire, Kangxi truly loved his son, preferring to be frugal himself rather than let his son suffer even a fraction of a penny. Kangxi's doting on him inevitably led to him becoming psychologically vulnerable. Without early experience of frustration, he would easily lose his temper when wronged, which is detrimental to his development.

Kangxi was discussing his precious son's education with the Grand Empress Dowager: "I want to choose a good teacher for the Crown Prince." The Grand Empress Dowager immediately perked up: "This can't be sloppy." Kangxi said seriously: "Of course, we must choose the best!"

For an emperor, such a simple dress with such a serious and thoughtful content is unbelievable. Suddenly, a sentence came to Shujia's mind:

No matter how poor you are, you must not neglect education; no matter how hard it is, you must not make your children suffer.

Embarrassing!

Choose a good teacher. This means that you already have a teacher, but...

It was only in June that three top-notch teachers were appointed for the prince - Tang Bin, the Chancellor of the Imperial Household Department; Geng Jie, the Junior Chancellor of the Imperial Household Department; and Dahata, the Minister of Personnel, all of whom were personally selected by Emperor Kangxi and considered to be good teachers at the time - but they tortured the father and son to the point where they were unable to live or die.

Shi Wenbing returned from court in early June and was filled with envy. He first praised the emperor's wisdom and then said that Tang Bin and the others were lucky to be so appreciated by the emperor. Later, he stopped talking about these things. Within a week, Shi Wenbing looked at these three people with a complicated look: "They didn't memorize all the books for the exam, and they even fainted while serving the crown prince."

Shujia noticed Shi Wenbing's expression wasn't quite right, so she didn't dare ask him. Instead, she quietly asked Fu Dali. Fu Dali wouldn't tell her, so she had to find Qingde. Qingde, however, tried to bribe her sister into helping her find out about her mother's selection of a husband for him, and he did give her a detailed account.

On the first day of class, before the teacher could even begin, Kangxi quizzed the teacher on historical allusions and poetry in front of the crown prince. The teacher couldn't answer the allusions or recite the complete poem, embarrassing him in front of the students. He didn't dismiss them, allowing them to continue teaching! Kangxi simply wanted to intimidate them. It's completely illogical to not test them during the selection process, but on the day they start working, and then let them take the job even if they fail.

The teachers received a stern warning on the first day, and then they continued practicing the horse squatting position. Before class, the teacher had to kneel before his students, performing the ritual of ruler and subject. During class, the teacher had to kneel before speaking to students. While students were reciting, the teacher had to remain on his knees until the students had finished reciting.

It was a scorching June day. Yinreng sat, waited on, while the teachers stood, waiting on others. After a few days, the teacher fainted from exhaustion in class. Kangxi scolded the three again, saying, "Typically, teachers sit during lectures. I've entrusted the crown prince to you. You should sit or stand. You should speak for yourself. If you don't speak, how can I know?" Then he took the blame, saying, "How dare the crown prince act on his own if I didn't give the order?"

Later, other matters arose, and Tang Bin was demoted and Geng Jie dismissed. Congratulations, you're finally free! Just think about it: Tang Bin, the Minister of Rites, and Dahata, the Minister of Personnel, were men no one dared to mess with in the capital. But falling under the hands of these father and son, they were utterly utterly humiliated. It's truly heartbreaking. Shi Wenbing certainly couldn't blame the emperor and his son, but he felt a bit sorry for these teachers. His emotions were complicated, and he kept his mouth shut.

After Qingde finished relaying the story, he repeatedly warned his sister: "Don't tell anyone. If Father finds out, we'll all be in trouble together."

With such parents and such students, the teacher they choose... must have done evil things for eight hundred generations, burned mosquito coils when praying to gods and Buddhas, and the paper money burned for ancestors was all counterfeit!

After learning these things, Shujia's already low favorability for this protective father and this son who didn't quite understand social situations plummeted. The officials had been kind to the idiot prince, but his lack of respect for teachers was truly unsatisfactory. These days, experts and scholars aren't popular, and rogue teachers are still a myth. For this very reason, Shujia began to believe the officials, whose common sense advice never came true, that this time it might be true.

The young girls sat upright, their ears perked up. Perhaps having received instruction in etiquette from the retired palace maids, they sat perfectly, legs together, hands clasped in their laps, handkerchiefs clasped. Their heads were neither tilted back nor bowed too far, and from this position, Shujia finally caught a glimpse of the legendary Emperor Kangxi and his second son.

Kangxi's face was indeed pockmarked, but fortunately, not seriously. He had narrow eyes, slightly crooked eyebrows, and a double mustache. It's worth noting that men in Beijing now have mustaches that aren't rat-like. His expression was earnest and sincere. When discussing choosing a teacher for the crown prince, he even turned to look at his son. That look... it was truly heartbreaking. Shujia bet that even Xiluotai hadn't looked at her with such earnestness.

As for the crown prince, he was still a bit of a baby boy, but the baby fat on his cheeks was almost gone, and he already looked like a teenager, much more handsome than his father. The crown prince was indeed quite good-looking, probably because his mother was beautiful—his eyes were larger than Kangxi's, and they were bright, and his skin was fair, surprisingly, without any acne! His eyebrows weren't droopy like Kangxi's, and he had red lips and white teeth. His braid was sleek and smooth, and the end was tied with a red string.

He's not incredibly handsome, but at least above average in appearance, with a somewhat jade-like appearance. Considering his height and age, he won't be getting shorter. Adding the three glittering golden characters "Crown Prince" to his title can really confuse many people.

This deceptive fellow, with a faint smile on his face, looked like a truly qualified and reserved crown prince. He listened attentively to his father's words, and when he heard his father say that he would choose the best teacher for him, the light in his eyes flashed, then became even brighter. Kangxi turned around at this moment, and the father and son smiled at each other. The crown prince's smile was very sweet, and it was really affectionate.

It's truly blinding. Even titanium couldn't handle this cheesy father and son! No, it's this cheesy father. Shujia wasn't being sarcastic, but now they were so earnest, yet ultimately crippled and imprisoned. Knowing their ultimate fate, and looking back now, regardless of the incomprehensible events that unfolded, Shujia found it ironic. She also felt sorry for the prince, having such a father, and how miserable he was. The disparity between before and after was simply too great.

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Kangxi had already made a conclusion: "I will issue an edict in two days." Having finished the main business, he started talking about other things.

Kangxi seemed to have just discovered a group of little girls on the backdrop: "You have quite a few people here, it's quite lively." The Empress Dowager smiled: "Look, they are like water chestnuts, they make my eyes bright and my heart feel comfortable."

Kangxi began questioning the girls one by one. Shujia broke out in a cold sweat. "Damn it, Xiao Xuanzi, your memory is way too good!!" Most of the people here had only been to the Cining Palace a few times, and most had only met Kangxi once, yet he actually... remembered everything!

"Are you from Peng Chun's family? Your father has recently made great contributions to the country. How is your uncle Qi Shi doing?"

"Shi family? Your brothers are all good. Is your great-uncle the governor of Yunnan? Have you ever exchanged letters? Is there another uncle in Guangzhou?"

Shujia's heart welled up with tears. She'd almost forgotten that Shi Wensheng had become the prefect of Chaozhou, Guangzhou, the previous year, but Kangxi actually remembered. How high-end must his brain be?! Deep blue, right?

He answered honestly, "Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty. My brothers are just doing their duty. My great-uncle is in Yunnan. When my sister got married a while ago, my great-aunt even sent someone to send extra boxes of gifts. The one in Guangzhou is my cousin, the son of my second great-uncle."

"Well, Shi Wensheng's wife is from the Tong family?"

Shujia was nearly in tears. Her cousin's surname was Tonggiya, and she had only seen it once, next to Shi Wensheng's name, in the family tree. After that, Shi Wensheng was exiled, and the two families hadn't met since. If Kangxi hadn't mentioned it, she would never have remembered it. When people mentioned this cousin, they usually referred to her as "XXX's wife," never mentioning her surname.

This emperor is so scary. He remembers people to death! If anyone offends him, there is no way to escape! Fortunately, it seems that Kangxi only remembers the good things about her family now. The only one with bad deeds is her grandfather. MS has also been punished. This is not the only time he has been punished, but nothing happened to him.

Dong E's heart must have been in turmoil. Her father was the commander of the Zhenghong Banner and the commander of the Battle of Yalu River. It was normal to ask about her father. I didn't expect Kangxi to even remember her uncle Qi Shi and called him "a shrewd man." He knew him very well.

Yinreng was originally sitting on the side. When Kangxi came to ask questions, he just glanced down lazily. Then he held the hand of the Grand Empress Dowager and played with the rosary in her hand. From time to time, he looked up and smiled at the Grand Empress Dowager, which made the Grand Empress Dowager laugh and scratch his ears. Seeing that he was so interested, the Empress Dowager simply took off the string of beads in her hand and gave it to him. Yinreng took it with both hands, put the two strings of beads side by side, and played with them. His ten slender fingers seemed to be quite powerful. The Grand Empress Dowager reached out and covered his hand, and shook it for a while.

It was so tender and affectionate. When Shujia sat down again after answering Lao Kang's questions, she accidentally glanced at this scene and a sweet and fishy taste almost came out of her throat.

Yinreng was playing around, teasing the two old ladies who had always been fond of him. Perhaps they were the only women in the palace who were truly devoted to him, so he treated them well. The Empress Dowager pointed at him from a distance, smiling, and he tucked his rosary into his sleeve, winked at them, and after receiving their amused consent, he sat upright.

Yinreng listened to the following conversation, his mind rapidly filtering information. He was fine when he heard that Dong E's father was Peng Chun, but when he heard that her uncle was Qi Shi, a sarcastic arc curled up at the corner of his mouth. Yinreng hated Qi Shi. This bastard looked bad, his face showed. He had a pair of cunning eyes, and he was very restless, like a monkey. Such a thing actually became a general. I really don't know what Khan Ama [1] was thinking! Even if he became a general, he would still be a monkey general! A monkey in human form, huh!

These young ladies coming here... maybe they're here to choose a wife for him, right? Yinreng still had some suspicions. That idiot eldest brother was already getting married this year, and he was about to get married too. Yinreng hated this "big brother" so much. He was born two years early, and he really felt that he was different from others, just the child of a concubine.

If he'd been born earlier, the legitimate and eldest, what would have been left to discuss? Look at his younger brothers, how honest they are? (Baby, how old are your brothers? When they grow up, you'll know how "honest" they are.) He's even hanging out with that slut Mingzhu! It's causing trouble, too much trouble. I'll have Soetu deal with Mingzhu's two men and make things worse for them too!

With speculation about his future wife, Yinreng put a bit more thought into the conversation, yet managed to feign indifference—he couldn't show interest in the little girls at this moment; that wouldn't be befitting of a crown prince. After listening for a moment, he winked at the two elderly ladies, asking with a glance, "Are you two tired?" The elderly ladies, deeply comforted, quickly shook their heads. The Empress Dowager even gestured sincerely, pointing at Kangxi, then at her ears and mouth—"Listen to your father, I'm going to ask you something."

Yinreng had the upper hand and put on a show of listening attentively. The Shi family? Too bad they were Han soldiers. He looked down again. The first glance he'd taken showed them all little girls around ten years old, barely grown up yet. It was hard to discern any affection. At that moment, no matter how talented they were or what they might become, in Yinreng's eyes, they were like cabbages in the market, weighed and analyzed to see if they were tasty or not, whether they'd taste better as kimchi or stir-fried with dried shrimp.

Actually, both are good, but Dong E's uncle is so annoying! The Shi family is also a Han army! Otherwise, these two families are not bad, both are generals and have their own forces. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was stimulated by the fact that the eldest prince married a wife with a good family background!

He couldn't understand why, when Khan Ama was so kind to him, he was also so kind to the eldest prince who was always against him?! He was the crown prince, the heir apparent, raised in pampering, wasn't he? A child without a mother and only a father, his sense of danger and possessiveness were clearly strong. He would protect the man who had both a father and a mother and was still against him, to the very end.

Just as Yinzhi wished that his second brother would choke to death while eating, choke to death while drinking water, fall to death while walking, or be frightened to death in a dream... Yinreng also wished that this elder brother whom he didn't want to acknowledge at all would suddenly disappear from the world.

After calming down, Yinreng collected his thoughts and listened to Kangxi's continued questioning. Young girls rarely had such an opportunity to see the emperor, especially with the crown prince next to them. The precocious girls were all nervous. Someone among them was completely unaware. One, her family was Han army, two, her family was from the Plain White Banner, and three, she was not beautiful. These three reasons were enough. The noble girls of the two yellow banners of Manchuria were all trying their best, so what was there for her?! She was thinking about not being selected, so there was no need to rush to show off. She wasn't so stupid as to make trouble for herself by grabbing a fool!

This lack of nervousness (how could one possibly not feel it in the Cining Palace) made her seem a little different. The Empress Dowager and Emperor Kangxi thought she was calm, the Empress Dowager thought she was adorable, and the Crown Prince... the Crown Prince was weighing the remaining cabbage...

Finally, he finished his address and the meeting was over. From beginning to end, he treated his subordinates with the demeanor of a crown prince, neither humming nor humming, only glancing at them. To the two old ladies, he was a well-behaved and lovable grandson, lively yet dignified.

This prince doesn't seem so foolish, nor does he seem so lecherous! Among these girls, one or two are quite pretty. Shujia wondered, what happened to him? Could it be that he was mutated by nuclear radiation? Well, it's probably not a mutation, but rather that he was corrupted by his father.

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Shujia didn't know that she had been treated like cabbage and weighed by the idiot in her heart. When she heard that she could go back, she was delighted and said goodbye to everyone else and went home.

When she got home, she told her family about the emperor's questions and how everyone answered them. She would unconsciously repeat everything she read in her head over and over again, and she would also repeat other people's conversations in her head like a tape recorder. Her mind was constantly busy, and she had developed a good memory.

When the adults at home heard this, there was no need to analyze it anymore. There was no malicious intent at all, so they just had to continue performing.

After dinner, Shi Wenbing and Xiluo Te kept Shujia and informed her that she would no longer have a teacher for her morning cultural classes.

Huh?

"Next year is the year of the imperial examination. Mr. Jiang is a juren, so of course he has to give it a try," Shi Wenbing said as a matter of course, "He has already told me about it, and I agreed." What he didn't tell Shujia was that if Mr. Jiang didn't pass and still came to continue, he wouldn't want to say anything unlucky now, right?

Shujia nodded: "I understand. We can't stand in the way of someone's future." Shi Wenbing and Xiluo Te smiled at each other. Their daughter was very sensible. Shujia asked again: "What should I do in the morning from now on?"

Mrs. Xiluo hesitated for a moment and said, "You still have to continue learning the rules." Well, the morning course has been changed.

Shujia hoped to find some time for morning reading and calligraphy practice, and Shi Wenbing agreed: "From now on, you'll learn the rules according to the same hours you attend classes with the teacher. Remember, the rules of life must be followed at all times. You can't just remember them when you're learning and then forget them the next time! Rules aren't for others to see; they're for yourself..." He began to share his theoretical insights, concluding that he believed in 'self-discipline': even when alone, one should still do what needs to be done. One should do things to maintain a clear conscience, not just to show off.

Shujia felt that at this moment, her father had truly revealed his true feelings. He had a point; pretending would eventually be exposed, so it was better to do it seriously... Anyway, she was quite experienced in making up stories about classics.

He nodded seriously: "For example, when eating, we eat when people are watching us and when no one is watching us. It's just because we are hungry, not to tell others that we can afford it, right?"

Shi Wenbing was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Alright, alright, alright, I said one thing and you said another, but you do get the point. Just study hard with the aunts."

From then on, Shujia rose early to study and write, then pondered the rules after breakfast. The aunts' curriculum had evolved from initially demanding standards to demanding aesthetics and elegance. The perspective of assessment had also evolved from simply looking at the good looks to being impeccable from the front to the back.

Shujia made up her mind and said, "Come on, the four of you, stand in the east, south, west and north. I'll do it and you watch."

It was rare to find a student willing to put in such effort. The aunts were idle and their requirements became increasingly strict. Aunt Wang just said, "Girl, lower your arms a little. It looks a bit awkward from my side."

Aunt Zheng continued: "You have to put it in place, otherwise mine won't look good." Finally, they stopped to discuss how to get a good-looking angle.

Learning the rules is a physical job!

While practicing walking, whether on flat ground, sloping ground, gravel, or bluestone, she had to walk gracefully and steadily. Aunt Zhou said slowly, "In the palace, one judges people by their speech and behavior. A good balance between haste and slowness is called grace." Just as she finished, Aunt Wu suddenly said, "Is the fourth wife's birthday coming up soon?"

Shujia was stunned for a moment, then quickly recovered: "It's almost here. I've finished a few needlework pieces and sent them over." Aunt Zhou said: "Miss, you're doing pretty well now. Don't be alarmed by any news. You can be surprised, but don't panic..."

Pretend, pretend to be calm, and have a confusing and deceptive appearance.

The next topic was a bit more normal. It was about Shuxian's birthday. Shujia gave her needlework as a gift, and her purse contained a pair of gourd-shaped rings. Shuxian gave her a return gift yesterday, a pair of bat-shaped earrings.

After a delightful chat, Shujia breathed a sigh of relief. Her mood had fluctuated quite a bit, and she needed to control it. Damn! She had to control herself even when it came to happy topics. This... no wonder women in ancient times died young! The aunts, however, were very encouraging: "Don't show your happiness or unhappiness too much. If they get a hint of you, you'll just let them lead you by the nose."

On the one hand, Shujia felt that what they said made sense, but on the other hand, she felt a sense of incongruity.

At noon, Shujia, adhering to Shi family tradition, taught her younger brother how to write his name. Guanyinbao was even more tragic than her; the very first character in his name, Guan (Guan in traditional Chinese), was a source of much turmoil. Xiluo Te suppressed a laugh, and the roomful of people who had experienced Shujia's calligraphy lessons couldn't help but think of Qingde.

Xiluote covered her face with a handkerchief and laughed enough: "You always say that your second brother is mean and mean, I think you have learned it from him." Shujia coughed, blushed, and taught Guanyinbao to write the word "stone".

The child was stubborn and insisted on learning the last word before changing hands. Shujia was a little dumbfounded and had to coax him: "You have to learn to write your surname first. You always call you Guanyinbao Guanyinbao, and it will come naturally. Who can't write their own surname? What if you go out and people ask you where you are from and you can't answer?" Then she coaxed him over.

Shujia let out a sigh. Xiluo gave her a glare, and Shujia blinked. Xiluo turned away and stopped arguing with her.

The word "stone" was indeed easy to write. After a while, Guanyinbao learned how to write it. He was told that the lesson was done for the day, and if he remembered it after the test tomorrow, he would be taught the next word. He retreated to the side and demonstrated how to write the word "stone." Xiluotai said, "I told you not to mess with him! Serious people should not be messed with. Do you understand?"

Shujia nodded deeply, adding, "Mother, my elder sister has returned the favor." The third day of September was Shuxian's birthday, and her family had sent birthday gifts, and Shujia had also sent something. Yesterday, Shuxian sent this pendant for Shujia, saying it was for her to play with. With a sideways glance and a flick of her ear, Xiluo smiled, "She's thoughtful," then frowned again. There was still no good news for this girl. Should she get her some medicine to nourish her?

Shujia asked, "What is mother thinking about?"

"Ah, nothing." She couldn't tell her what she was thinking. Xiluo looked at her daughter. Should she start paying attention to her little girl's physical development from now on? A woman's first half of her life depended on her father, the middle half depended on her husband, and the rest depended on her son. Even having a son in the middle half directly affected her status in her husband's family.

At this time, an old woman came in, pulling back the curtain and said, "Madam, the old master has sent someone to call the young lady."

Xiluo Te asked curiously, "Why are you calling the second girl? What's the matter?" The old woman smiled and said, "I don't know. I just heard that the old man was very happy when he came back. I guess it's a good thing." Xiluo Te said to Shujia, "You go."

Surrounded by the old women and maids, and followed by the two aunts, they went to Huashan's main room in a grand manner.

The old man was delighted. His granddaughter, learning needlework, had gifted him a pair of shoes and socks. He found them so comfortable that he proudly requested a purse. Shujia, whose craftsmanship was excellent, had been taught by a former palace maid. Drawing on her past life's experience, she had crafted hidden pockets and dividers for convenient storage. Today, Huashan went to court and, after leaving, showed off a bit. His purse, with its beautiful shape and ingenious design, had drawn admiring glances. He was going home to praise his granddaughter.

Smiling, he pulled out a box and asked his granddaughter to open it. "This... has anyone ever opened it in front of someone?" He stared at her, so Shujia had no choice but to open it. It was a set of gold jewelry inlaid with rubies. "It's too expensive, isn't it?"

The old man was happy. Shujia said, "It's the aunts who taught me well."

Hua Shan said, "That's right. Only when you teach well and learn well can you have good things. Oh, my granddaughter, you are definitely blessed. Aunt Wu used to stay at Zhaoxiang's house. You should learn from her, okay?"

Huh? Isn't this Kunning Palace?

How could Hua Shan have been so accurate? A combination of the Qianqing Palace and the Kunning Palace? The one from the Qianqing Palace was snatched away through scoundrel skills, while Aunt Wu was exiled from the Kunning Palace to the Zhaoxiang Residence, where there were few princes and many nannies at the time, and where there was basically no work required.

Hua Shan's target was Zhaoxiang House, where little princes and princesses were raised. Needless to say, the princesses were surrounded by a bunch of smart maids from the moment they were born, and the rules were perfect. Aunt Wu should know a lot from what she had seen and heard, so Hua Shan planned to use royal etiquette to require his granddaughter to follow it.

Shujia finally understood what that awkward feeling was all about! Fate?! Ever since she'd traveled through time, the word "fate" had come to describe girls as: cabbage tied with a red string was respectfully called "jiaocai."

Shujia was confused. Why was I studying so hard? Didn't I want to be rejected?! In this world full of idiots, was I one of them?

Shujia was absent-minded during dinner, and Qingde was a little nervous. He was now clinging to his mother's words about his future wife. His sister was his mother's own daughter, and sometimes her words had some effect. As the saying goes, it's easy for the devil to deal with the devil, but it's hard to deal with the devil. If his sister got angry and gave him a hard time, although it wouldn't hurt him, it would be enough to give him a headache. Seeing the look in his sister's eyes, he thought she knew something: "Well... who said anything to you?"

"?"

"It was Mafa who started this. He showed off his purse, and no one dared to confront him. Ah Shan heard what Ah Shan said, so he came to me and insisted on taking it away..." The purse was sturdy and well-made, but the strap had snapped after two grown men tore it apart. Ah Shan left in disgrace, and Qingde returned just as he was about to ask the maid to sew it back on.

Shujia blinked. This is what happened: "Mafa has already paid."

"Huh?"

"Everyone eat!"

Shi Wenbing was having dinner with his father. Hua Shan squinted his eyes and asked, "What do you want to say?"

"Father, is the gift you gave to the second girl too expensive?"

"You know shit! You don't respect me, but I am. Hehe, they look at my good stuff with their eyes wide open, and I am happy with it."

"Father..." Can we be more low-key? My daughter can't show off like that. It's not good for her to have a good reputation. Besides, how can I not respect you? I provide you with the best tea and cigarettes.

"You know, you have to pamper your daughter, right? I'm unlucky and don't have a daughter to love me. I finally have a granddaughter who can be loved by everyone. What's wrong with me?"

"That's not it... Could you please stop praising her in the future? A girl's embroidery..."

Hua Shan frowned and said, "That's right, you can speak clearly now."

Shi Wenbing: ...

Shi Wenbing came back and said to Shujia, "Just keep these things. Girls should be pampered. Your Mafa has high expectations of you and found such a good aunt for you..."

This… this… this means, no matter how poor you are, you can’t be poor in education, no matter how hard it is, you can’t make your children suffer, right? Ugh… uh… uh…

[1] The title Khan Ama literally means "Emperor's Father". Many MS letters refer to Khan Ama, and this is probably how it is addressed in daily life. Huang Ama or something else? It's a bit of a combination. Which one are you used to hearing?