Duoduo saw the girl named Xiangqin looking at her triumphantly.
Duoduo was furious. She rushed over to argue with her.
"Your kite and my kite are tangled together!"
Xiangqin smiled smugly.
"That's right, I did it on purpose!"
"Who told you not to give me your kite? If I can't have it, don't even think about having it either!"
Duoduo stomped her feet in anger.
"My kite was made for me by my mother!"
Xiangqin's eyes lit up.
"Then tell your mother to make another identical one for me!"
Xiangyu was much older, after all. She hurried over and pulled her younger sister back.
"Xiangqin, what nonsense are you spouting? That is the Princess Consort. How could she possibly make a kite for you?"
"I don't care! I don't care if she's a Princess Consort or whatever consort, I just want the kite!"
Seeing them start to argue, Lüluo abandoned the kite.
She ran over and shielded Duoduo behind her.
Not far away, the Princess Consort of Pingyang and Madam Jia saw this and hurried over.
"Duoduo, what's wrong?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang saw that Duoduo was so angry her hands were clenched into little fists.
"Mother, she deliberately tangled her kite with my kite, and even said you should make one for her too! She's bullying me!"
Duoduo complained in a few short sentences.
Madam Jia saw the displeased look on the Princess Consort of Pingyang's face. Gritting her teeth, she slapped Xiangqin across the face.
"Hurry up and apologize to the young miss and the Princess Consort!"
Xiangqin was stunned by the slap. She reached out and shoved Madam Jia.
"Leave me alone! I'm going to tell Father!"
After saying that, Xiangqin turned and ran off.
Madam Jia smiled awkwardly.
"She's a country girl and a bit wild. Please don't be angry, Princess Consort."
Madam Jia then looked at Duoduo. "Young Miss, I am sorry. I will compensate you with a new kite."
Duoduo looked thoroughly displeased.
"My kite was made by my mother's own hands. I don't want the one you give me!"
Xiangyu gathered the two kites.
She cut the strings of both kites.
Then, she tied the remaining string back onto the butterfly kite.
"Young Miss, your kite."
Seeing her kite returned completely intact, Duoduo instantly became happy.
She beamed at Xiangyu. "Thank you!"
Xiangyu hurriedly waved her hands.
"It was my... It was my younger sister who was ignorant. Please don't be angry, Young Miss."
Seeing that her kite was fine, Duoduo's anger dissipated.
She handed the kite to Lüluo. "Help me put this away."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang gently stroked Duoduo's cheek.
"Are you not going to fly the kite anymore?"
Duoduo shook her head. "Can I play with that?"
Duoduo pointed to the swing by the wall.
Madam Jia nodded hastily.
"Of course you can. Xiangyu, take the young miss over."
Xiangyu opened her mouth, hesitating to speak.
Madam Jia glared at her, so Xiangyu closed her mouth and led Duoduo over.
Duoduo happily walked up to the swing.
She decided that when she went back, she would also build a swing like this in her own courtyard.
There were two swings by the wall. Duoduo looked them over, wondering which one she should get on.
"Young Miss, please sit here."
Xiangyu pulled up one of the swings.
Because Xiangyu had just helped her fix her kite, Duoduo had a very good impression of her.
Just as she was about to sit on it, a girl spoke up timidly.
"That one belongs to Sister Xiangqin. If she sees it later, she'll make a fuss again."
Duoduo knew that Xiangqin was the girl who had just bullied her.
Hmph!
She didn't want to sit on her swing!
Duoduo plopped down onto the swing next to it.
Xiangyu's face turned pale with fright.
She tightly gripped the ropes of the swing.
"Young Miss, you can't sit on this swing. Please sit on the one next to it."
Duoduo tilted her head, very confused.
"Why?"
Xiangyu pointed at the ropes above. "It's about to break up there, and it hasn't been replaced yet."
Duoduo looked up and saw that, sure enough, the rope above had been frayed until only half of it remained.
If she sat on it, it might snap at any moment.
Duoduo hopped off the swing.
"Thank you for the warning."
Xiangyu smiled shyly with pursed lips. "You're welcome."
Duoduo had now lost her interest in playing, so she returned to the side of the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
"Mother, can we go find Father?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang was put in a difficult position. As a female family member, it was inconvenient for her to go to the outer courtyard.
"Princess Consort, I will have a servant take the young miss there," Madam Jia hurriedly arranged.
"Lianxin, take the young miss to find the Prince."
"Yes." Lianxin bowed and led Duoduo out.
Lüluo also hurriedly followed.
Duoduo was thinking about how the Prince of Pingyang was handling matters, so she kept urging everyone to walk faster.
Soon, she arrived at the reception hall in the front courtyard.
As soon as Duoduo walked in, she saw that the annoying Xiangqin was also there.
Duoduo walked up to the Prince of Pingyang and called out obediently, "Father!"
The Prince of Pingyang glanced at Duoduo. "Done playing?"
Duoduo nodded.
"Father, when can we go back?"
The estate manager smiled flatteringly. "Young Miss, the estate is very fun to play in. Shall I have Xiangqin take you out to play on the estate?"
Hearing this, Xiangqin was immediately displeased.
"Dad, I don't want to! You don't love me, I'm heartbroken!"
After saying that, Xiangqin ran out, her footsteps thumping.
The Prince of Pingyang stroked the jade thumb ring on his hand.
"You've worked hard all these years helping the Princess Consort manage the estate."
"I heard from the Princess Consort that the tenant farmers on the estate are clamoring for a rent reduction?"
The estate manager's eyes darted around, and his face immediately fell, his smiling expression turning into a bitter one.
"That's right. These tenant farmers' appetites are getting bigger year by year."
"The Princess Consort has clearly already reduced it to fifty percent, but they are still clamoring for a rent reduction!"
"I talked until my mouth was dry just to persuade them."
"Please rest assured, Your Highness and Princess Consort. Since you trust me, I will definitely manage things well and never let you worry."
The Prince of Pingyang nodded.
"It has indeed been hard on you! How about this: since I am here, go and call all the tenant farmers over."
"Also, bring the troublemaking tenant farmers over as well."
"I have always been clear with rewards and punishments. As long as the tenant farmers work hard, they will all be rewarded!"
"Lingfeng!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Lingfeng waved his hand toward the door.
Shortly after, four guards carried two large baskets into the reception hall.
The two large baskets were filled to the brim with copper coins.
The estate manager's eyes lit up.
"Your Highness, it is only proper for those tenant farmers to do their jobs well."
"It's fine. They have worked hard for so many years."
"Have them all come over. I will meet them, and then I will head back."
The Prince of Pingyang slowly stroked his jade thumb ring, as if he didn't see the calculation in the estate manager's eyes at all.
The estate manager hurried out.
Duoduo approached the Prince of Pingyang and said in a very low voice.
"Father, this estate manager is not a good person. Don't believe him!"
The Prince of Pingyang's hand paused. "Speak cautiously!"
"Watch, Father will teach you what a counter-espionage strategy is!"
