Marrying the Crown Prince

“A mistake must be punished, so this person should be sent to the estate.”

“There are still differences in kinship, but I will give her ten taels of silver to settle the master-servant relationship between us over the years.”

That was Zhou Zhou's complete answer. Before Shen Ning and the other person could say anything, Old Madam Gao hugged him and called him "my darling" over and over again.

Zhou Zhou giggled in her arms, looking adorable, a far cry from her earlier fierce demeanor.

Shen Ning and the other woman exchanged a glance, and finally gave a bitter smile. "Older sister, you're right. The mantle must eventually be passed down."

How often in this world can one see such a bright child? No wonder the old Marquis of Yongjing personally taught him; their love for talent was burning brightly at this moment.

Zhou Zhou went out and brought back two people, both of whom were very important figures, which surprised Zhang Shi so much that she personally came to the door to greet them.

Upon seeing Shen Ning and his companion, Madam Zhang bowed deeply without hesitation. Shen Ning and his companion were startled and returned the bow, saying, "We can't bear to part with you, Madam. You're making us feel terrible."

Logically speaking, Zhang should have just performed the scholar's bow, but the elder's bow placed Shen and Ning on the same level of respect as the old lady.

“What are you saying, sir?” Zhang said cheerfully. “Although I am a rough man, I know that there are three esteemed people: the ruler, the father, and the teacher.”

"Not to mention me, my old lady was also looking forward to your arrival after receiving the letter. Yesterday she bathed and changed her clothes and burned incense and fasted. Finally, we welcomed you here."

"The old lady is a kind-hearted person." When it comes to polite words, Madam Ning can say them with ease.

Zhang nodded and pulled the person inside, saying, "To be honest, no matter how busy my mother is, she always makes time to worship Buddha every day and has donated a lot of money to Puhua Temple."

Upon arriving at the second gate, Yang Mama, who was by the old lady's side, had been waiting for a long time. In the end, a large group of people welcomed Shen Ning and his companion into the mansion.

As soon as Zhou Zhou entered the house, Zhou Heng pulled him over, and the two of them hid in a corner and whispered to each other, "What's going on? Such a big commotion, even my grandmother wouldn't be too much if she came."

“It was my maternal grandmother who hired the doctor for us,” Zhou Zhou replied.

She spoke the truth, but Zhou Heng wouldn't listen. "Are you trying to fool me? What kind of gentleman needs to be greeted like this?"

“It’s ours,” Zhou Zhou replied with a smile, then reached out and helped Zhou Heng up, preventing her from clinging to him.

Zhou Heng pouted, wanting to act coquettishly towards Zhou Zhou, but then felt a chill down her spine. She stiffly looked up and saw her mother's icy gaze shooting towards her like sharp swords.

She sat obediently, silently thanking Zhou Zhou for the reminder.

Then, Zhou Heng, who was sitting upright, heard the answer to the question she had just asked—

The old lady nodded, "It's a blessing that Mr. Shen and Mr. Ning have taken a liking to my Zhouzhou."

Zhou Heng stood up abruptly, drawing everyone's attention. She chuckled foolishly twice and then sat back down.

"I suppose this is the fifth young lady of the household?" Madam Ning broke the awkward silence first.

Zhang was already used to Zhou Heng's behavior, and although she felt secretly embarrassed for a while, it passed. "He's my little monkey, I haven't disciplined him properly, and he's made a fool of himself in front of you, sir."

“That’s not right,” Ning shook her head. “Children should be innocent and carefree.”

"Fifth Sister is just right."

Although I knew it was just polite talk, I was still pleased to hear it and waved my hand with a smile, "Don't praise her like that, or she'll get all cocky."

In the following days, Zhou Zhou was kept by the old lady's side, accompanying her to burn incense and bathe. Zhou Heng tried several times to take her out to play, but ended up copying Buddhist scriptures with her.

Zhou Heng sobbed as she copied, "Why do I have to suffer like this?"

Zhou Zhou had just finished writing the last character. She gently picked up the Xuan paper, blew on it, and ignored the wails beside her.

"You're ignoring me? I know you went to the Gao family and got together with Gao Yunxi, didn't you?" Zhou Heng continued wiping away non-existent tears.

Zhou Zhou: "..."

"You should read fewer storybooks."

“I’ve read a lot, but if you haven’t, how would you know this is from a storybook?” Zhou Heng raised an eyebrow and smiled smugly.

Zhou Zhou put down the Xuan paper, stood up and stretched. "It doesn't matter how much I've read. I only know that I've finished writing. What about you?"

Zhou Heng gritted her teeth—she was so angry, but she couldn't argue with her. What could she do?

Just when she thought she was about to have a heart attack, she felt a weight on her head; it turned out that Zhou Zhou was rubbing her head.

She muttered sullenly, "What's wrong?"

Zhou Zhou's cold voice came from above, "Hurry up and copy this page so I can tell Grandmother to let you out."

Zhou Heng gave her a big hug and happily copied it away.

After hearing the news about Zhou Heng and Zhou Zhou in the other room, the old lady didn't show any particular expression; she simply nodded and hummed in agreement.

Upon seeing this, the maid dared not speak further. She quietly looked up and sought help from Mama Yang beside her. Mama Yang waved her hand, and the maid understood and withdrew.

After the person left, the old lady snorted softly, "That girl, she's good at manipulating people."

These weren't kind words, but Yang Mama, who had served her for many years, understood the unspoken meaning: "Bailu is a house-born child. Her mother is from Liao Yong's family and is now in charge of purchasing for the backyard kitchen. Liao Yong is now in charge of a villa outside the city that was part of your dowry."

"She knows what's important and keeps her mouth shut, so you can rest assured, madam."

"You little devil, you already know everything before I've even said anything?" the old lady said lazily, her expression relaxed.

Mrs. Yang's eyebrows relaxed, and she looked somewhat proud. "Of course, after all, I am the most caring person by your side, Grandma."

The old lady was amused and reached out to poke her forehead.

Soon, the five-day deadline arrived. On this auspicious day, the main hall was empty, as it was used to house the statue of Confucius. Lord Zhou, his wife, and others sat on the left side of the portrait, while Shen Ning and his companion sat on the right.

Zhou Zhou was dressed neatly, her hair was all combed up without a single strand, she wore no makeup, and only a wooden hairpin as an accessory, making her look fresh and elegant.

However, she was young and had a charming and adorable appearance. Dressed like this, she looked like a young master.

When the old Marquis saw Zhou Zhou appear, he stroked his beard and nodded repeatedly. His only regret was that Zhou Zhou was not born a man; otherwise, his Zhou family could have maintained its glory for a hundred years.

Zhou Zhou stopped in front of the statue of Confucius, bowed deeply, and then stood behind Zhou Laowu.

Old Marquis Zhou rummaged in his sleeve and pulled out the apprenticeship certificate, handing it to Zhou Laowu, saying, "Use mine."

Originally, it was Old Master Zhou who personally wrote the apprenticeship letter, so... Old Master Zhou silently retracted what he had written.

"My son Zhou Zhou, from now on I will entrust him to the two gentlemen for instruction. He is unruly, so I ask you to take good care of him." After saying this, Zhou Laowu handed the apprenticeship letter to Shen Ning and his companion.