"Yes, bite it open like this, and then use the tip of your tongue to pick out the seeds inside." Jiang Muyu taught and demonstrated.

The three of them followed her and learned.

Lin first took out a hollow melon seed shell and said with a proud smile, "Fourth sister, I have learned it."

Jiang Muyu praised: "Third sister-in-law is really smart and learns everything quickly."

Dong, who was standing next to him, was not convinced and quickly took out the empty melon seed shell from her mouth and said, "I've learned it too."

Jiang Muyu then praised: "Sister-in-law is quite versatile, no wonder she is such a good head of the family."

Mu on the side became anxious, as he couldn't figure out what to do.

Jiang Muyu demonstrated it again, and after a long while, she finally learned how to crack melon seeds.

Next, the four of them sat in the pavilion, each of them grabbing a handful of melon seeds and cracking them while chatting.

Mrs. Dong asked, "How did Fourth Sister learn this simple way to eat sunflower seeds?"

Jiang Muyu said calmly, "I figured it out by myself when I was free in the palace."

The more they ate, the more interesting it became, and they eventually finished the four plates of fried melon seeds she had prepared.

"It's getting late, we should go back."

"I'll take you there."

Jiang Muyu escorted them to the gate of the palace.

"Your Majesty, please stay. I'll send you here." Mu said, gently holding her hand and signaling Dong and Lin to go first.

The two of them understood and bowed to Jiang Muyu, "I'll take my leave."

Jiang Muyu nodded, and when she saw them walking towards the carriage, she looked at Mu, "Mom, is there anything else?"

Mu didn't say anything. She stared at her eyes for a moment, lowered her eyelids slightly, and said slowly: "Zhao Zhao, take care of yourself. No matter what happens, mother will always stand by you."

She was stunned for a moment, then her smile became gentler and she replied in a low voice: "My daughter understands."

Mu sighed slowly, patted the back of her hand gently, and said softly, "I'm glad you understand. I'll go back home first. Please bring the child back to visit me more often when you have time. I haven't seen He'er for a long time."

"good."

Jiang Muyu personally helped Mu get on the carriage. After watching the carriages drive away, she turned around and returned to the mansion.

…

The carriage of the Marquis's Mansion had just left the territory of Prince Rui's Mansion when it suddenly stopped.

The nanny beside Madam Mu opened the carriage curtain and asked the driver, "What happened?"

The coachman said, "Madam, it's the Eighth Miss."

Mu was stunned for a moment, frowned and asked, "Why is she stopping the carriage?"

The nanny walked out of the carriage, looked for a while, and came back and said, "Madam, the eighth girl is kneeling in front of the carriage. Her frail body looks like she is injured."

"It's been more than half a month. We asked Doctor Gu to accompany her to the Zhong Mansion to treat her. Why haven't her injuries healed yet?"

The maid shook her head and said, "It looks to me like a new injury."

Madam Mu sighed, "I guess she's not having a smooth life in the Zhong Mansion. It's not appropriate to have her kneeling in front of the carriage. The market is a little further ahead. Don't let outsiders see the joke of our mansion. Let her get on the carriage first."

"yes."

The nanny then went out and brought Jiang Muxue back after a while.

When Mu saw her, he was stunned for a moment, frowned and said, "How did you get yourself into this state?"

How could Jiang Muxue still have the glory and brightness she had in the Marquis's mansion? In such a short period of time, she had become a concubine.

Jiang Muxue lowered her eyebrows and spoke with a weak voice, "The Zhong Mansion is simply not a place for human beings to stay. The Yu family is always arrogant and treats me like an animal. Zhong Lei always listens to his mother and always tells me to endure it. I just refuted him and he...he..."

"What happened to him?"

"He hit me." Jiang Muxue covered her face, tears streaming down her eyes, and she cried very pitifully.

Mrs. Mu felt a little soft-hearted for a moment. After all, she had watched the child grow up. Although she disliked Aunt Feng, she had never thought of blaming the child.

"This Zhong Lei... even if you are wrong, he shouldn't hit you."

Jiang Muxue grabbed her sleeve and cried, "My body is not fully recovered, but he doesn't care at all. I have only been married to the Zhong Mansion for more than half a month, and he has already beaten me twice. I can't live like this any longer. Mother, you must help me."

Madam Mu patted the back of her hand soothingly and said, "Although you were taken into the Zhong Mansion as a concubine, you are still a girl from our Jing'an Marquis Mansion. You can't let others bully you like this. I will talk to your father later and let him make a decision."

"Yes, thank you mother." Jiang Muxue slowly lowered her eyelids, with tiny tears still hanging on her long eyelashes.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the Jing'an Marquis Mansion.

Dong and Lin, whose carriages were following behind, had heard about Jiang Muxue stopping the carriage, so they were not surprised when they saw her and Mu getting off the carriage together.

Mrs. Dong was also stunned when she saw Jiang Muxue's expression. She didn't know what to say for a moment. Mrs. Lin stepped forward first and said sympathetically, "It's only been a few days since we last saw you. Eighth sister has become increasingly thin. You look as if a gust of wind could blow you down."

Jiang Muxue raised her head slightly and said softly, "Sorry for worrying about me, Third Sister-in-law. I'm fine."

Having lived in the same house for more than ten years, Lin's concern for her had always been superficial, and she had never thought about telling Lin too much.

Mu said, "Okay, go in now, don't be afraid to talk at the door."

"yes."

So the group walked into the marquis's mansion.

Mu took Jiang Muxue directly to see Marquis Jing'an, and after sending away everyone else, Mu explained the matter to Marquis Jing'an in general.

After hearing this, Marquis Jing'an angrily slammed the table and said, "That Zhong Lei kept saying in front of us that he would treat Xue'er well, but is he really doing this now? He is slapping the face of my mansion!"

Jiang Muxue knelt on the ground, tears welling up in her eyelashes, and choked up as she said, "Dad, please don't get upset about Xue'er. It's all because I didn't listen to my mother-in-law and visit her regularly in the morning and evening. I didn't serve my mother-in-law well at meals, and I didn't do the laundry and cooking properly. That's why my mother-in-law got angry, and my husband beat me."

"You..." Marquis Jing'an pointed at her and wanted to scold her, but seeing her expression, he couldn't bear it and said, "That Yu, I saw from the beginning that she is not someone who is easy to deal with. You will only be tortured if you live under her control."

Madam Mu sighed and said, "It's a pity. Although Xue'er is a concubine's daughter, we have never seen her do any dirty or strenuous work in these years. Why did she marry into the Zhong Mansion and be ordered around by them as a servant?"

"Madam is right." Marquis Jing'an thought for a moment and said, "How about this, you arrange it and send two of our powerful maids to take care of Xue'er. Also, you go to her house in person tomorrow and make it clear to Mrs. Yu that there are still people in our mansion."

"Yes, I will do it well."

…

In this room, Jiang Muyu and Tangtang were counting the birthday gifts received today in the warehouse.

Tangtang stared at the large red coral given by the Queen Mother for a long time and said, "Mom, what is this?"

Jiang Muyu took his eyes off the list, took a look, and explained, "Red coral, such a big one, it's worth a lot of money."

"Valuable? Do you mean it can be exchanged for a lot of silver?"

"yes."

Tangtang suddenly drooled and said, "A lot of silver can be exchanged for a lot of candied haws that we can't finish eating."

Jiang Muyu was amused by her cute look. He pinched her fair, tender, chubby face and said, "Tangtang is so greedy. I wonder who she inherited this trait from?"

At this time, Liang Qingchen walked in and said with a smile: "Of course it was inherited from you, little greedy cat."

As he spoke, he hooked Tangtang's armpits from behind and lifted her up from the ground. Tangtang's feet suddenly left the ground and she felt like she was flying. She giggled with joy.

Jiang Muyu glanced at the father and daughter, and her smile softened a little. "Be careful, don't drop the child."

"This king knows his limits."

"Well... after all, I'm not a greedy person, am I?"

Liang Qingchen glanced at her and asked, "Who was it that often stole the cakes on the altar when he was a child?"

"I didn't..." Jiang Muyu just retorted when a picture suddenly flashed through his mind.

The little girl squatted under the table covered with a yellow cloth, secretly stretched out a hand to take the cakes on the altar and handed them to the little boy behind her.