Altu heard from his servants early in the morning that Zhang Ting was coming this way, so he specially prepared meat and vegetables in advance.
Namuzhong looked reluctant and complained, "Why is Father preparing such nice things for that disobedient little girl? She has already offended Maimaiti, and it will be difficult for her to stay in Mingyue Kingdom in the future. I think it would be more reasonable for her to go and apologize to him."
Altu rolled his eyes at his daughter.
"Pah!" He was also short-tempered. "It was Maimaiti who was wrong first. Now, it's a done deal that the Central Plains and the Mingyue Kingdom are on good terms. He refuses to agree because of his own selfish desires. Does he expect all the people to suffer because of him?"
“I raised you as a boy from a young age to teach you to be reasonable, but it seems like all the books you read have gone to waste.”
Altu was originally a renowned general, and now that he has served in the court for many years, he naturally has his own reasons for doing so, and even his subordinates look up to him with respect.
But his own daughter firmly believed that Maimaiti was the best general.
Namuzhong still felt somewhat indignant, but she didn't say anything more.
The two knew Zhang Ting had returned when they heard the sound of horses' hooves outside, so they went to the door to greet her. However, they did not expect that it was only Zhang Ting who got off the carriage, along with Xu Yuehuai.
Altu was stunned for a moment, then was the first to react, and said with a smile, "So this must be the famous Manager Xu."
"You've heard of me?" Xu Yuehuai asked, surprised.
“Of course we’ve heard about it. After all, the little princess has caused quite a bit of trouble over the years, and each incident has been circulating among the court officials for a while. But you manage to make her obey. We’re all curious and have been thinking of finding an opportunity to visit you,” Altu said with a hearty laugh.
Hearing this, Xu Yuehuai felt even more embarrassed.
Namuzhong, however, was somewhat dissatisfied with her. Her Zhang Ting was supposed to be well-behaved and sensible. Although she refused to marry, she had never done anything out of line. But ever since she met these people from the Central Plains, she had become disobedient.
Zhang Ting glanced at Namuzhong, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped forward: "Mother..."
"Don't call me Mother!" Namuzhong said, displeased.
Zhang Ting was also a stubborn person, and upon hearing this, she immediately jumped up and said, "Mother! I know you don't like Father, and by extension, you don't like me either, but the fault of Maimaiti's matter is not mine. He was not as skilled as others, but he still went and caused trouble. Why should I take the blame for him?"
Listening to the conversation between the mother and woman, Xu Yuehuai felt that things might not be so simple.
As a newcomer to the family, she couldn't say much and could only watch the two argue. Fortunately, Altu spoke up in time to stop them: "This is nothing serious. Why are you arguing endlessly over an outsider? What kind of behavior is this!"
“Zhang Ting, the General has shown his dissatisfaction with you these days. Although you two are childhood sweethearts, you should still be careful. Why don’t you stay at home? With me in charge, I think he won’t dare to cause trouble.”
If it weren't for Namuzhong's words, Zhang Ting would naturally have liked to stay at home for a while, but unfortunately...
She shook her head: "No, Grandfather. I came back this time to ask you for two favors."
“My father is still in Maimaiti’s hands. I’m afraid he will harm me when I’m down. I hope my grandfather can help me rescue my father.” She spoke cautiously, not forgetting to glance at Namuzhong’s expression, afraid that she might say something wrong and offend him.
Altu nodded: "You are a filial child. Since you've said so, I will definitely help you."
“And…” She glanced at Xu Yuehuai, “Maimaiti wants to hold some kind of food competition, and Miss Xu also wants to participate. However, he is from Chang’an after all and doesn’t know what special foods we have here. But I remember there is a chef in the manor. Why don’t you invite him over, Grandfather, to teach Miss Xu how to cook?”
Her words also subtly diverted Namuzhong's attention.
Namuzhong was already dissatisfied with Xu Yuehuai, and Zhang Ting's aggressive behavior towards her only made her more displeased. She directly said, "Miss Xu, you are from the Central Plains. I'm afraid you can't stand the greasy smell of our Mingyue Kingdom's barbecue. Please leave."
Her words made Xu Yuehuai and Zhang Ting lose face.
"Mother, A-Yue is someone I brought back. How can you talk to me like that?" Zhang Ting blushed and looked at Altu beside her.
Altu knew his daughter was stubborn, so he could only give her a wink and say, "You all go back first. I'll try to handle your father's matter. As for the rest..."
He glanced at his daughter, waved his hand, and said nothing more.
Zhang Ting shook her head, sighed, and could only lead Xu Yuehuai back.
Once on the carriage, she quickly said, "Manager Xu, I'm so sorry to have troubled you today. I already knew my mother's temper, but I still brought her here to suffer. I'm really sorry..."
In just two short sentences, Xu Yuehuai could already tell that this person had truly changed.
She shook her head: "This was originally my fault. I insisted on calling you here, but fortunately, your father's matter has been settled."
Even so, Zhang Ting still felt a little guilty.
She pursed her lips and patted Xu Yuehuai's hand: "Shopkeeper Xu, don't worry, I'll definitely be able to come up with a solution for you."
...
Soon, the two returned to the Tianxianglou branch.
Xu Yuehuai was still thinking about Zhou Wan, so she went to look for her as soon as she entered the door, but she didn't expect to find only Manager He who was busy.
Her original mood was completely swept away.
Zhang Ting noticed the disappointment in her eyes and quickly asked, "Manager Xu, what's wrong?"
Xu Yuehuai didn't speak, but just shook her head and sat down on a chair, looking somewhat lost and dejected.
She sighed, still feeling listless.
Seeing this, and thinking about the trouble she had caused others before, Zhang Ting felt a pang of guilt. After a moment's thought, she hurriedly went to find Manager He in the back: "Manager He, have you seen Miss Zhou Wan today?"
"No, it was Young Master Qi and Tie Xiong who came, wanting to help. But their hands are for holding pens and knives, how could they do such rough work? And since the shop wasn't busy, I simply sent them back." Manager He answered truthfully, but couldn't help asking, "What happened?"
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