The teacup slammed violently towards the little girl, who instinctively raised her little arm to try and block it.
Mu Jinnian, standing nearby, was faster, waving his hand to knock the teacup aside.
A crisp cracking sound rang out.
Mu Jinchen was furious. He walked a few steps to Mu Yanxiu, grabbed her by the back of her collar, and lifted her up.
"The punishment is to copy the Thousand Character Classic twenty times. In addition, you will kneel in the ancestral hall for one night and reflect on your behavior today."
Without saying a word, Mu Jinchen strode out, while Mu Yanxiu in his arms fluttered like a little chick, crying and shouting for her mother.
Upon hearing her daughter's cries, Bai Mengyun immediately rushed forward, trying to stop Mu Jinchen.
But Mu Jinchen glared at Bai Mengyun with a cold and menacing expression.
Bai Mengyun's hand trembled, and she dared not speak again. She could only watch as Mu Yanxiu was carried to the ancestral hall.
"Third brother, is my niece going to be punished?" the little dumpling asked Mu Jinxuan.
She recalled the pain of her past punishments and looked worriedly in the direction where Mu Yanxiu had disappeared.
“Yes, children need to be educated when they do wrong,” Mu Jinxuan replied.
After Mu Yanxiu left, everyone felt a sense of relief.
The old Marquis waved his hand, signaling everyone to sit down and eat.
One after another, exquisite dishes were served on the table. The little dumpling looked at them longingly, while her tummy started to rumble uncontrollably.
Tonight's dinner was even more lavish than the one we had in Qinghe Town.
"Grandpa, what's that?" the little dumpling asked curiously, pointing to a dish.
The old marquis smiled indulgently at her, "That's amber pork knuckle."
The succulent pork knuckle was drizzled with a layer of braising sauce, its crystal-clear appearance resembling amber.
The old lord reached out and picked up a piece of pork knuckle, feeding it to the little dumpling.
The pork knuckle is fatty but not greasy, the skin melts in your mouth, and the meat is lean but not dry, tender yet chewy.
The little dumpling licked its lips like a little glutton, "Grandpa, it's so delicious."
With his short arms unable to reach, the little dumpling had to stand on a stool, pick up a piece of pork knuckle with chopsticks, and, imitating what the old marquis had just done, feed it to him.
"Grandfather, you should try some too."
The old marquis opened his mouth wide as his granddaughter fed him the food, his eyes full of smiles.
The old Marquis was so happy that he picked up the little dumpling and couldn't put him down.
The once-powerful Marquis, who commanded respect throughout the land, was now eating dinner with his little dumpling like a child.
The old steward smiled with relief; he had forgotten how long it had been since the old Marquis had been this happy.
The once quiet Marquis's mansion was finally filled with laughter and joy again.
Only Bai Mengyun had no appetite and looked at the little dumpling with resentment.
She had never seen the old Marquis like this before. He usually disciplined the other children in a strict and authoritative manner, like a living Yama.
Now he's completely forgotten the rules, chatting and laughing with the wild girl.
Thinking of her beloved Xiu'er still suffering in the ancestral hall, she felt so distressed that she couldn't eat anything.
Bai Mengyun tossed aside her chopsticks and got up to leave.
Mu Yanming stopped her, saying seriously, "Great-grandfather hasn't left yet, Mother, please don't break the rules."
Bai Mengyun was so angry that her nostrils flared out, and she shook off her hand.
"Rules? Look at your great-grandfather, did he have any manners at all? Now you want me to talk about rules."
“Then Mother must not lose her composure,” Mu Yanming advised.
Bai Mengyun glared angrily at Mu Yanming.
"You heartless bastard! Your sister is being forced to kneel in the ancestral hall as punishment, and you still have the heart to eat!"
Mu Yanming picked up a piece of Dongpo pork and said without a smile:
“If you do something wrong, you should be punished. It’s right for my sister to be punished.”
"People need to eat to live, so it's only right that I eat."
Bai Mengyun was so angry that she pounded her chest. If she hadn't been pregnant for ten months, she would have found it hard to believe that this girl was her own child!
After the meal, the little dumpling's belly was bulging.
But the old Marquis gave her another piece of hibiscus pastry.
The little dumpling patted its belly with its puffed-out cheeks and said, "Grandpa, listen."
"The little dumpling's belly is swollen like a watermelon, it really can't eat anymore."
The old Marquis was worried that the little dumpling wasn't eating enough, so he kept piling food onto her plate. Only when he saw that her little belly was really bulging did he put down the hibiscus pastry in his hand.
"Okay, little darling Tuantuan, then we won't eat."
Mu Tingzheng stood up and said, "Father, give me the little dumpling. It's time to take her for a bath."
The old marquis, however, held the little dumpling tightly and wouldn't let go. He walked around Mu Tingzheng and coaxed in a high-pitched voice:
"Little Tuantuan, let's go. Grandpa will take you to your room."
Mu Ting reluctantly lowered his hand.
The group had no choice but to follow behind the old Marquis.
The little dumpling was carried to a door made of rosewood, with lifelike vines and flowers carved on it.
"Little dumpling, this is your room. Open it and take a look," the old marquis said softly to the little dumpling.
The little dumpling blinked and reached out its tiny hand to push open the door.
A delicate floral fragrance wafted through the air, and the entire room was brightly lit by candlelight.
The spacious room is furnished with various pieces of rosewood furniture, and openwork carved partitions divide the room into several sections.
The leftmost part of the house is where the little one sleeps; the large bed, several meters long and wide, is big enough for five or six adults to sleep in.
In the center of the house was a round rug covered with various toys and dolls, and a swing was hanging from the beam.
On the far right of the house are several huge wardrobes connected together, as well as several cabinets filled with candied fruit, melons and snacks.
“Little dumpling, this room was prepared for you by your father and her when your mother was pregnant with you.”
Mu Tingzheng spoke up.
When he recalled the time when his wife was first pregnant, Mu Tingzheng's eyes were filled with tenderness.
"So here, you not only have your father's love for you, but also your mother's love for you."
The little dumpling reached out and touched Mu Tingzheng's face, saying in a childish voice, "Daddy, little dumpling loves you and Mommy too."
Mu Tingzheng's eyes reddened, and he reached out to hug his daughter whom he had lost and found again, but the old Marquis stepped into the house, leaving Mu Tingzheng with empty air once more.
The old marquis sat on the swing, holding the little dumpling in his arms.
"This swing was tied up for you by your grandfather. Do you like it?"
The little girl had never sat on a swing before. She swayed back and forth, giggling happily.
Qiuqiu ran around the huge room several times, seemingly quite satisfied with the place.
Finally, next to the little dumpling's bed, Qiuqiu saw a doghouse with soft pillows.
He leaped onto the doghouse, lay down, and comfortably squinted his eyes.
"Excellent, excellent, I'm very satisfied!"
After playing with the little boy for a while, the old marquis got up and left, as he still had to go back to take care of his wife.
Before leaving, he repeatedly told Mu Tingzheng and his four grandsons to take good care of the little dumpling.
This is his granddaughter's first night at the Marquis's residence, and absolutely nothing can go wrong.
The little dumpling was led to an inner room by six maids and had a comfortable hot bath.
Qiuqiu was also served a bath by two maids.
Soon after, a sweet-smelling little dumpling and a white puppy were brought out.
As Mu Ting was carrying the little girl into bed, she saw the maid taking away her clothes and quickly spoke up to stop her.
"Sister, don't touch my clothes."
The maid was startled and quickly put down the clothes in her hands, standing respectfully to the side.
"Sister, leave the clothes here for now, we can wash them tomorrow."
The little dumpling reached out and grabbed the clothes, as if they contained some treasure, and placed them on the bedside.
After the maid responded, she stepped aside.
It was just a matter of clothes, and everyone went along with the little dumpling's whims, not taking it to heart.
Only Mu Jinyi narrowed his eyes, looking at the little dumpling with a scrutinizing expression.
The little dumpling snuggled into the warm blankets, closed its eyes, and said:
"Little dumpling needs to sleep now, Daddy and brother should go back to sleep too."
After saying that, the little dumpling waved its hand, as if it was in a hurry for them to leave.
Mu Ting was somewhat puzzled and wanted to say something more, but Mu Jinyi stopped him.
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