243. Beat up that guy surnamed Li every now and then.
The group arrived at the Prince's residence in a grand procession. Seeing the Marquis of Beiding's aggressive demeanor, the guards immediately stepped forward to stop them: "My lord, His Majesty has ordered that Li Bo be placed under house arrest within the courtyard and cannot be detained arbitrarily..."
"Get out of the way!" Marquis Beiding shoved the guard aside. "I'm here today to demand an explanation! That Li fellow has wronged my daughter and dared to spread rumors and slander. I want to ask him what my Yue'er did to offend him!"
The guards followed and pushed open the gate to the courtyard where Uncle Li was being held.
Li Bo was sitting in the courtyard when he saw Marquis Beiding enter with his men. His face turned deathly pale, and he got up to hide inside the house.
"Trying to run away?" Marquis Beiding strode forward, grabbed Li Bo by the collar, and dragged him roughly to the center of the courtyard. "Li, didn't you say my daughter was scheming? Tell me, how could a three-year-old child have bad intentions towards you or the heir? When you locked her in the woodshed and frightened her, why didn't you admit to being malicious?"
Li Bo was pulled so hard he staggered, but he still tried to argue, "I... I was doing this for the Prince's Mansion..."
"For the sake of the Prince's Mansion?" Marquis Beiding raised his hand and slapped Li Bo across the face, making blood instantly ooze from the corner of his mouth. "When my Yue'er climbed out the window, her knees were scraped and her palms were bleeding. You think you can just brush it off with 'for the sake of the Prince's Mansion'? You dare to mention 'for whom'?"
Jin Qizhi, his second brother, and the guards also surrounded him, punching and kicking Li Bo.
Uncle Li was in so much pain that he curled up on the ground and screamed repeatedly.
"Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! I was wrong! I apologize!" Li Bo finally couldn't hold on any longer and shouted for mercy, "My lord, I was confused, I wronged the county princess, I spoke nonsense... Please forgive me!"
Marquis Beiding raised his hand to stop the guards, then added another kick: "Remember today's lesson! If you ever dare to lay a finger on anyone in my Marquis Beiding mansion again, or utter another word to slander my daughter, I'll make sure you enter the mansion upright and leave horizontally!"
After saying that, he turned and walked out, with Jin Qizhi and his second brother following closely behind.
Li Bo lay on the ground, covered in wounds. Looking at the backs of the people from the Marquis of Beiding's mansion, he felt both fear and hatred, but he no longer dared to show the slightest contempt.
He also understood that although the Marquis of Beiding's family was not a powerful or wealthy family, they treated their only daughter as a treasure, and no one could touch or bully her.
-
The little dumpling stayed at home with her mother and went to visit the butler.
The butler was sitting on the porch, his arm wrapped in bandages.
The little dumpling ran up to the butler, looked up at him, and asked, "Grandpa Butler, does your arm still hurt? Yue'er brought some sweet cakes that Mommy made, for you to eat."
As she spoke, she took out a sugar cake wrapped in oil paper from her bosom and handed it over.
The housekeeper looked at the small figure in front of him, and his eyes reddened.
He was merely a steward in the Beiding Marquis's residence; what merit did he possess to earn the respect and attention of his masters, who would visit him from time to time?
He took the sweet cake, his voice slightly choked with emotion: "Thank you, Miss. I'm not in pain anymore. Your concern for me warms my heart."
The little dumpling reached out her tiny hand and gently touched the butler's bandage, whispering, "Grandpa Butler, please get better soon. Yue'er wants to play with you again later."
The butler nodded quickly and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll play with Miss when I'm better."
The little dumpling sat next to the housekeeper, swinging its tiny feet, and chatted for quite a while.
Only after a servant came to report that Marquis Beiding and his men had returned did he wave goodbye and leave.
-
Back in the main house, Marquis Beiding and his two elder brothers were already waiting there.
Upon seeing the little dumpling return, Marquis Beiding immediately stood up, bent down, and patted her head: "Yue'er, don't worry, Father will go over and beat that Li fellow every few days, and I will definitely not let him have an easy time!"
The little dumpling shook its head and said with a smile, "Daddy, brother, Yue'er is alright now."
But her family was still worried, and the whole family doted on the little girl, afraid that she was still upset.
"Since Yue'er isn't tired, how about Father takes you out for a walk to relax?" Marquis Beiding suggested.
The little dumpling's eyes lit up, and it nodded vigorously: "Okay!"
The family arrived in the street in a horse-drawn carriage. The street was bustling with activity, and the cries of vendors rose and fell.
The little dumpling leaned against the car window, curiously watching everything outside, and was soon attracted by the dough figurine stall on the street corner.
The artist held colorful dough in his hand and, with a few pinches, transformed it into lifelike little rabbits and tigers.
"Daddy, Yue'er wants that little rabbit!" the little dumpling said, pointing at the dough figurine.
Following the direction she pointed, Marquis Beiding immediately stopped the carriage and got out to buy her a small rabbit dough figurine.
The little dumpling held the dough figurine, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter. She looked at it again and again, reluctant to put it down.
Seeing how much she liked it, Marquis Beiding immediately told his attendants, "Go and find out who the best dough figurine maker in the city is, and invite him back to the manor immediately to teach the young lady how to make dough figurines. Bring plenty of gifts as a token of our appreciation, and if the maker has other work on hand, double his wages. Make sure he comes to the manor today."
The attendant responded and left. Jiang Xiyue said with a smile, "You always spoil her."
Marquis Beiding didn't care: "As long as Yue'er is happy, what's wrong with indulging her a little?"
This scene caught the attention of passersby, and whispers of discussion arose from the street.
The old man selling candied hawthorns moved his straw basket, adorned with red berries, closer to him and sighed to the cloth vendor next door, "Look at the state of the Marquis of Beiding's household! Just because the young lady glanced at the clay figurines a couple of times, they're going to bring home the best craftsman. This isn't just loving a child; it's practically treating the young lady like a precious gem!"
The proprietress, who was arranging the floral fabrics, smiled and nodded upon hearing this, her gaze softening as she looked at the little boy: "Isn't that the least I should do? I heard the other day that the Princess of Fukang specially sent her maid to deliver nourishing soup to the injured steward. Such a kind heart at such a young age, knowing how to care for others. As the old saying goes, kindness is rewarded. This child is so fortunate to be born into the Marquis of Beiding's mansion and to be loved like this!"
A peasant woman carrying a basket of vegetables nearby also came over: "I saw how Marquis Beiding led his men to demand an explanation after what happened at the Prince's residence last time. He was so protective of his daughter, no one dared to mess with him!"
Everyone whispered among themselves: "I heard that Princess Fukang is a famous little lucky star. Even princesses and princes are willing to play with her. This kind of good fortune is not something ordinary people can have!"
"Moreover, Princess Fukang is not spoiled at all, and is very kind. I heard that when His Majesty asked her how to deal with the Prince's Mansion, she was concerned about the suffering people in the south and was willing to suffer herself so that the people could receive help!"
The little dumpling nestled in the arms of the Marquis of Beiding, her little ears secretly listening to the praises of passersby. Her little face slowly turned as red as an apple, and she quickly buried her face in the Marquis of Beiding's collar, only revealing her two round eyes, which made the Marquis of Beiding laugh out loud. He gently patted her back and coaxed, "Our Yue'er is a blessed child."
-
That same day, the attendant returned with an elderly man with white hair and beard, carrying a full box of colored dough and tools. He was none other than the most famous dough figurine master in the capital.
The dough figurine maker bowed to Marquis Beiding and said, "Your Excellency is too kind. I heard that I was going to teach Princess Fukang how to make dough figurines, so I came immediately. It is my honor to make the princess happy."
Marquis Beiding hurriedly invited him to sit down, and had a small table set up in the courtyard, with a clean white cloth laid out, and the colorful dough balls arranged neatly.
The little dumpling had already moved its little stool and sat down, its eyes sparkling as it stared at the dough figurine maker, like a little squirrel waiting for the pine cone to fall.
"Little sister, let me get you the red dough. Didn't you want to pinch the little rabbit's ears?" The eldest brother, Jin Qizhi, sat next to her and handed her a piece of red dough.
The second brother found a small bamboo knife and said confidently, "If you can't shape it well, your second brother will fix it for you."
The dough figurine maker first sculpted a small white rabbit the size of a palm as a demonstration, with pointed ears and round eyes. He also sculpted a small carrot for the rabbit to hold in its mouth.
The little dumpling watched intently, picked up a piece of white dough, and began to knead it, imitating the dough figurine master.
She had small hands and little strength, so the dough kept slipping in her hands. She would press the dough on the table and roll it little by little with her palms. Fine beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose, but she was not distracted at all.
"First, knead the dough into a round shape to make the rabbit's head," the dough figurine master patiently instructed.
The little dumpling nodded and tried her best to knead the dough into a round shape, but as she kneaded, it turned into a flat pancake. She frowned, grabbed some flour, sprinkled it on her hands, and kneaded it again.
Jin Qizhi divided some black dough and helped her shape rabbit eyes: "Little sister, is it okay to put the eyes here?"
After half an hour of fussing, the little dumpling was finally finished!
only……
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