"Also tell Aunt Zi," Zisu said impatiently.
Baozi didn't show favoritism either. He whispered to Zisu as well.
"What a clever little thing," Zisu couldn't help but praise, looking extremely proud.
In the morning, many servants in the mansion noticed that the usually well - behaved and sensible county prince was crying silently in the garden all by himself.
Baozi was really crying. As he wept, he thought that the pepper water smeared on the handkerchief was really pungent. His eyes were so irritated that he could hardly open them.
Hearing the news, Zisu rushed over. She flew into a rage at the servants who were peeping around, and then comforted Baozi in a voice that everyone could hear, "Your mother didn't scold you on purpose. Some things have happened in the mansion, and she's in a bad mood."
"Did I do something wrong?" Baozi looked up at Zisu pitifully with his swollen, red eyes.
Looking at his appearance, Zisu knew it was fake, but her heart still melted.
Oh no! Could it be that Yi Qing was right? Would she be unable to take a fancy to men because she liked Baozi?
When Yi Qing was joking, she asked Zisu to call her "grandma". Zisu said that if pity was a sign of being smitten, she was truly hopeless.
"Yes, it's all your mother's fault," Zisu blurted out unconsciously.
Alas! It wasn't a wise decision to let Baozi get involved! Look at how pitifully the child was crying.
Baozi was stunned. Weren't they supposed to reconcile before? When did it change?
But he reacted quickly and immediately continued, "If it's not my fault, why did mother scold me?"
Zisu finally came to her senses and hugged him, saying, "Your mother didn't mean it. Let's be magnanimous and forgive her this time, okay?"
"My mother should apologize to me," Baozi sobbed.
"Come on, don't be naughty. How can you ask your mother to apologize?"
But Baozi shouted, "Why not? It was clearly mother who did something wrong."
"Your mother is in a bad mood because Uncle Xiao is missing..."
"Am I important or Uncle Xiao? I want mother to not be able to find me either!"
"My dear," Zisu said, "you mustn't have such thoughts."
She spent quite a while trying to persuade Baozi in the garden. The latter was still very unhappy, but his attitude finally softened. He followed her reluctantly.
Unexpectedly, almost the same scene happened again in the afternoon.
This time, Baozi cried and made a scene, refusing to go back no matter what.
Zisu had no choice but to say, "Then stay by yourself for a while. I'll come back to find you later."
After she left, a maid in a green waistcoat, holding a broom, walked over. It seemed that she just noticed Baozi there when she got closer. She quickly bowed to him.
Baozi just sobbed and ignored her.
The maid plucked up her courage and stepped forward. Squatting down, she asked, "What's wrong, County Prince? It's so cold outside. Stop crying. You'll get sick if you catch a cold."
"Mind your own business," Baozi turned his face away and asked, "Who are you?"
As he spoke, he couldn't help stealing glances at the maid.
The maid looked about eighteen or nineteen years old. She had a regular appearance, fair skin, and a gentle smile on her face, looking very amiable.
"I'm Sumu, a cleaning maid in the mansion. I'm responsible for sweeping the fallen leaves and debris in the garden. I saw that the County Prince was unhappy, so I came to have a look."
Baozi said, "You've seen. Now you can go."
But Sumu smiled and said, "I heard that if you talk about your unhappy things, you'll feel better. Would you like to tell me?"
"You're really good at comforting people," Baozi murmured.
"Because I also have younger brothers and sisters at home. Of course, I don't mean to overreach and regard you as my younger brother."
"You really can't be my sister. You're about the same age as my mother."
Sumu replied, "The County Prince is right."
"I find you quite pleasing. Come and sit down beside me and talk to me," Baozi patted the place beside him.
"I wouldn't dare," Sumu said, "Your Highness, just talk. I'll listen."
"My mother got angry with me..."
After listening to Baozi, Sumu smiled and said, "Isn't it normal for parents to scold their children?"
"My mother wasn't like that before," Baozi shouted.
"But didn't the County Prince think of comforting his mother when she was in a bad mood?"
Baozi lowered his head and said, "I won't."
"If you comfort your mother and make her happy, it shows your filial piety. And you won't be scolded either," Sumu smiled.
Baozi paused for a long time before stammering, "Then tell me, how can I make my mother happy?"
Sumu smiled and said, "I don't know either. But I can think about it for you now. How about the County Prince and I think together?"
Baozi said calmly, "I can't think of anything."
"I have an idea. I'm not sure if it will work..." Sumu said in a low voice, looking a bit uncertain.
"Tell me. If it's no good, I'll blame you," Baozi looked like a little adult.
"Thank you, County Prince," Sumu said, "The County Prince said that the Lady is worried because the tiger amulet is lost. If the tiger amulet can be found, will the Lady be happy?"
"Of course," Baozi said, "But where can we find something that's lost? If it could be found, my mother wouldn't be worried."
"I heard that Assistant Minister Xu has two very powerful divine dogs named Shentu and Yulei. The County Prince can ask Lord Xu to borrow the dogs to help you find the tiger amulet."
"I've also heard of these two door - god dogs," Baozi said, "But didn't Assistant Minister Xu bring them here to search once before? If they could find it, they would have found it yesterday. Your method won't work."
But Sumu said, "I think there are so many people living in the mansion now, and many new maids and old women have come to serve in the inner courtyard... We don't know who the thief is. Shentu and Yulei only searched around the study. It's normal that they didn't find it. Assistant Minister Xu was afraid of offending the Lady, so he didn't dare to propose searching the inner courtyard."
"Naturally. My mother is a first - rank lady!"
"So I think maybe the bad guy thought the same way and hid in the inner courtyard. The County Prince can freely enter and exit the inner courtyard. Why not borrow the two divine dogs from Assistant Minister Xu and take them to search the inner courtyard?"
Baozi was tempted, but he didn't show it at all.
He tilted his head and looked at Sumu, "Are you also new here?"
Sumu nodded, "Yes, the County Prince is right. I'm also new here. Since I'm older, I can only do the cleaning work in the garden. But I get five hundred copper coins as monthly salary. My life is much better than when I was in my hometown."
"Oh," Baozi nodded.
Just then, Yi Qing and Zisu walked over one after another.
Sumu quickly stood up and bowed her head, standing aside to salute them.
"Mother," Baozi quickly stepped forward to greet her. The joy in his voice made Sumu's heart skip a beat.
"Are you cold?" Yi Qing asked, looking at Sumu with a half - smile, "Who were you talking to?"