"You already have a child?"
"What about my sister-in-law? Why don't we have a sister-in-law yet? We won't be short one for mahjong anymore, mother-in-law."
"..."
Looking at her own son and daughter-in-law, Old Madam Xu wondered if all the brains of this generation had been concentrated in her third son.
"Xu Zheng! Kneel down!"
Upon seeing the situation inside the room, the man immediately knelt down on the ground with a thud.
Qiu Shui was also kneeling down. She didn't know what was wrong with her father, but her grandparents doted on her, so maybe it would calm them down.
"Qiushui, get up and let him kneel by himself."
Lady Hou, who was standing nearby, reached out and helped her up.
"Father, please don't get angry..." Xu Zheng said, kneeling on the ground.
"I'm not angry? The baby's already out and you haven't even sent a message! You want me not to be angry? I think you really deserve a beating today!"
"Guards! Bring out the family discipline!"
"No, Father! The Prince of Zhenbei is still outside."
"Nonsense! Do you think I wouldn't go out to greet the Prince of Zhenbei when he's outside?"
Lady Hou smiled, called in the three young ladies who had been eavesdropping at the door, and said to Master Xu...
"Uncle, let me introduce you. This is my daughter, Xiangxiang."
"Grandfather, are you well?" The little girl's manners were quite proper.
“This is my goddaughter, Huo Xiaolong.”
Long'er had long forgotten all the etiquette, but luckily she still remembered a universal greeting for elders.
"Grandfather, may you be well."
“This is also my goddaughter, Wang Tianci. You can just call her Da Ni’er.”
Da Ni'er had absolutely no idea how to bow. During holidays like Chinese New Year, she would just kowtow to all the elders at the brothel, and then receive a red envelope. Da Ni'er mimicked Huo Xiaolong's gesture, then said...
"install!"
The three young girls were enjoying the scenery outside. The Xu family, the richest family in Jiangnan, had a magnificent and beautiful courtyard.
The three of them went up to the roof to take a look.
Xu Qiushui accompanied them, introducing the family members to them as they looked around.
“Father, this is the Prince of Zhenbei,” Xu Zheng said, pointing at Huo Xiaolong.
"We're not with the Prince of Zhenbei today, so the rest of us are just accompanying Pingping home to see her grandparents."
Pingping has a very simple meaning.
I hope my son will live a peaceful and safe life.
"This, this is the King of the Grasslands."
Da Ni'er's identity was common knowledge in the border town. When she arrived in the capital, Huo Xiaolong planned to give her a pretext to come and observe the local customs.
“There is no grassland king, I am her older sister,” said Da Ni’er, pointing to the baby in the swaddling clothes.
Master Xu slowly sat down in the chair, which made things difficult.
No wonder, no wonder they looked down on the Xu family, no wonder Yingying refused to marry Xu Zheng.
Who would even consider that?
My two older sisters are the Prince of Zhenbei and the Princess of the Grasslands.
“This is also my daughter,” Madam Hou said with a smile, pulling Qiu Shui aside.
This made Xu Qiushui lower her head in embarrassment.
At first, Xu Qiushui was afraid that Hou Xiangxiang would get angry and jealous.
Later, it was discovered that the little girl didn't feel that way at all, and was actually quite happy.
There is no other reason.
Who could resist a sister who gives you money every day and lets you pay for everything when you go out to eat, drink, and have fun?
Since An'an was born, Qiu Shui has been taking great care of Xiang Xiang's feelings. Although she spends every day with Huo Xiaolong and Dani'er, whenever she sees Xiang Xiang, the young lady will always slip a few silver notes into her pocket, and sometimes even a gold ingot.
This made Huo Xiaolong a little envious.
Although I'm not short of money myself, what is this "little girl"? It's like a pie falling from the sky!
Moreover, Madam Hou didn't treat Xu Qiushui with utmost care; she only lent a hand when she could. There were definitely differences in how she treated her. She couldn't even manage Hou Xiangxiang at home, who was always chasing after Xu Qiushui, telling her to change her clothes.
The family banquet proceeded in a daze, and even after the group from Fengyuelou left, Master Xu still hadn't recovered.
He still wanted to encourage his son to work harder, after all, the child was soft and cuddly, and easy to like.
And Xiangxiang, that kid, is quite clever; she wasn't fooled.
After the meal, Mr. Xu called Xiangxiang over and asked her...
"Xiangxiang, do you want a dad?"
The Xu family has a tradition of using money to bribe people.
Master Xu had a stack of silver notes in his hand. He took one out and placed it on the table. Hou Xiangxiang looked at it closely and exclaimed, "Wow, one thousand taels!"
She swallowed and said...
"Not really... interested."
Honestly, Xu Zhengzhao's eagle still falls short; it just lacks a certain feeling.
Although he was very good to his mother and to himself, Qiu Shui Jie was even better.
But it was just a little bit of that feeling, the feeling that the eagle would always be on Huo Xiaolong's side, regardless of right or wrong.
"Why don't you reconsider?"
A few more banknotes appeared on the table, but Hou Xiangxiang still shook her head.
When the denomination became ten thousand taels, the little girl broke down a bit. She tugged at Huo Xiaolong's sleeve, saying that she was losing her composure.
Xiangxiang looked at Long'er, wanting her to give her a reassuring look.
Then I saw my girlfriends staring at the banknotes and grinning like idiots.
Military pay, hehe, that's half a year's pay. A few more bills and it'll be a year's worth, hehe~
"He wants to steal your Aunt Hou," Da Ni'er whispered in Long'er's ear.
Long'er, who had been grinning foolishly, immediately snapped out of it!
Giving soldiers pay is fine, but robbing Aunt Hou is not!
"Ah, Grandpa really has a connection with you all. The Xu family can't compare to those high-ranking families, but being able to get to know a few of you makes my life worthwhile. I'm someone who has shared a meal with the Prince of Zhenbei."
"No, no, we are just the younger generation today, please don't say that, Grandpa."
“The Xu family has nothing but these gold and silver. Every prince keeps a private army. So, I’ll pay your military pay for three years.”
"Thank you, Grandpa!"
Some people might think that one shouldn't bow down for a mere three pecks of rice, let alone the Prince of Zhenbei.
However, it was really stressful for Long'er to support her soldiers all by herself. If it weren't for the help of the ladies from the brothel, she wouldn't have been able to manage the business.
At this moment, Da Ni'er cleared her throat, wanting to speak to Master Xu as well.
Grandpa, you still have a granddaughter. There are a lot of people on the grassland who need to be taken care of.
But before she could say anything, the little girl hurriedly said goodbye and dragged her out of the Xu family home.
"No, I can't stay any longer."
Hou Xiangxiang, who had run out, said to her two friends.
Huo Xiaolong nodded.
"Me too."
Master Xu's sweet talk was too direct. Looking at the stack of silver notes in their hands, the three young ladies' hearts trembled slightly.
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