Li Wanming's eyebrows twitched slightly. With her slender fingers, she picked up the glazed pot on the table and poured some rose nectar into the cup in front of Little Fatty.
"But it's not a good idea to keep owing the money. If we don't pay it back when the time is up, the gambling house will surely make trouble at the Prince Ning's Mansion. Then won't Second Aunt find out anyway?"
Little Fatty had been talking for a long time and was already thirsty. He watched eagerly as Li Wanming finished pouring, then immediately gulped down the whole bowl of tea.
"So! Our boss has been borrowing money everywhere recently!"
Little Fatty wiped his mouth. "He also told us to find a way to raise money... He really thinks highly of us. Where would we get the money!"
The smile faded from Li Wanming's eyes. Leaning against the felt cushion embroidered with intertwined peonies, she mused, "How long is it until the debt is due?"
"About half a month..."
Little Fatty glanced at her, then slowly reached out to take a crabapple cake. Seeing that she didn't stop him, he felt relieved and ate while talking.
"That Hu Si, the manager of the Mingyue Gambling House, is so arrogant! He even said that he doesn't care which young master of the Prince Ning's Mansion it is. Even if it's the Son of Heaven, he has to pay back the money!"
"What he said makes sense." Li Wanming gently waved her round fan and said softly, "You owe the debt, so of course you have to pay it back."
Little Fatty was slightly taken aback, but he was still a bit unconvinced.
"But our boss is the second young master of the Xiao family in the Prince Ning's Mansion... The Xiao family is the only Prince Equal to the King in the Great Sheng Dynasty! When the ancestors of the Xiao family were alive, even the Taizu Emperor had to give them some face..."
"No matter how powerful the ancestors of the Xiao family were, what does it have to do with you?"
Li Wanming got angry as soon as she heard this. She slapped the round fan on his forehead with a "pop".
"You bunch of good-for-nothings who can neither write nor fight. When it comes to not paying back the debt, you act as if you were the ancestors of the Xiao family!"
Little Fatty covered his forehead with his two greasy hands and let out a whimper. "We're useless... But, but they should at least give the Xiao family some face..."
"Face?" Li Wanming sneered. "Face has to be earned by oneself, not given by others!"
The carriage rumbled. After wandering on the street for about half an hour, it stopped again at the mottled back door of the Loyalty and Righteousness Earl's Mansion.
Little Fatty jumped out of the carriage, but his eyes were still lingering on the unfinished rose nectar and crabapple cakes on the table through the window.
Seeing this, Li Wanming couldn't help but find it funny. She ordered, "Chuntao, pack all the snacks and nectar in the food box for Young Master Zhu Si. He's been talking to us for so long. He must be hungry."
Chuntao agreed. In a short while, she came down with a long-handled food box and kindly reminded, "It's hot now. You'd better finish this rose nectar today. If you really can't finish it, put it in the ice cellar to chill it..."
"I can finish it! I can finish it!"
Little Fatty's eyes lit up, and his voice was full of surprise.
The Loyalty and Righteousness Earl's Mansion had been in decline for a long time. He rarely got to eat such delicate and novel snacks.
So when he was in the carriage just now, although he really wanted to eat, he didn't dare to ask Li Wanming for them.
Unexpectedly, Li Wanming was so generous and gave him a whole food box!
Little Fatty carefully hugged the food box, full of joy.
However, when he thought of the purpose of Li Wanming's visit today, he couldn't help but feel a bit worried. "Princess Consort, that... the matter of the snake..."
Li Wanming put her finger to her lips and made a shushing sound. A sly smile appeared in her eyes.
"Since you've helped me such a big favor today, we're friends now. The matter of the snake was just a misunderstanding. How could I blame a friend for his mistake?"
Little Fatty's eyes lit up. "Really? We're friends?"
"Of course!" Li Wanming nodded with a smiling face. "However, you mustn't tell Cousin Jingbai about my visit today. After all, I just married into the Xiao family. I don't want any unnecessary trouble."
"Understood!"
Little Fatty nodded vigorously. "This is our secret. I'll definitely keep it a secret!"
Li Wanming was amused by his serious look. She covered her lips with the round fan and laughed softly. "There's another thing. I need your help."
"Cousin Jingbai is still quite hostile to me. It won't be easy for me to win his favor. I may need your help in the future. If I ask you for help then, you must help me."
"Don't worry, Princess Consort!" Little Fatty hugged the food box tightly and patted his chest with his only free hand. "Since we're friends, from now on, your business is my business, Zhu Ninglu. I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"
"Good!"
Li Wanming imitated his heroic look and said, "Since Brother Zhu is so loyal, I'll put it this way too—"
"I can't guarantee other things, but for rose nectar and crabapple cakes... there will be plenty!"
...
As twilight fell, Li Wanming didn't return to the Prince Ning's Mansion until it was time to light the lamps.
General Gao quietly came to report that everything was normal in the mansion and no one knew about her going out in the afternoon.
Li Wanming nodded. Then she tidied up her makeup a bit, changed her clothes, and went to the Jujing Hall for dinner.
Just as she walked around the screen wall, she heard Kang's sharp scolding voice penetrate the carved door outside.
"I told you to watch your younger brother. Is this how you watch him!"
Li Wanming frowned slightly. Her steps stopped outside the door involuntarily. She looked inside through the window lattice.
In the flickering candlelight, Kang was so angry that her face turned ashen. She was holding a three-foot-long ruler in her hand, which was glinting coldly under the lamp.
Xiao Yingchu was kneeling on the ground. Her shoulders were trembling slightly, but she stubbornly straightened her back. Her thin figure cast a lonely silhouette on the blue brick floor.
"Have I ever told you that this gentleman who came today was a Jinshi during the previous emperor's reign? I spent a lot of effort to invite him!"
Kang's voice became even more shrill, filled with uncontrollable anger.
"I told you to watch Jingbai closely this afternoon and make sure he doesn't cause any more trouble... But what did you do? Not only did you let him talk back, but you also let him throw a toad at the gentleman's face!"
"Is this how you watch your younger brother? Do you just ignore my words?"
Xiao Yingchu's shoulders kept trembling, but she still bit her lips and said nothing. She was thin and stubborn, like a thin bamboo swaying in the wind.
The angrier Kang got, the higher she raised the ruler in her hand. It seemed that it was about to hit Xiao Yingchu.
Just then, a cold voice came from the door, breaking the oppressive atmosphere in the hall.
"I don't understand what you mean, Second Aunt."
"Obviously it was Cousin Jingbai who caused trouble and annoyed the gentleman. But why don't you punish your own son? Instead, you keep blaming Cousin Yingchu?"