"A storybook?"
The butler exclaimed.
Princess Pingyang slowly flipped through it.
"Even though it is just a storybook, such a thing shouldn't appear in the manor."
As she spoke, Princess Pingyang handed the book to the butler.
The butler received it with both hands and hurriedly opened it to take a look.
Sure enough, it was a storybook.
His hanging heart finally settled down.
"Your Highness, it must have been brought in from outside by one of the servants."
"I will immediately order a thorough search of the entire courtyard to see exactly who brought it in!"
Princess Pingyang waved her hand.
"Forget it. It's just a storybook. Going to such great lengths and turning the whole manor upside down would be inappropriate."
"Just go and give everyone a warning, that will be enough."
The butler understood that Princess Pingyang simply had such a gentle temperament.
"Yes." He complied and backed out of the room.
"Nanny Ni, thank you for your hard work. You may get up and go about your duties too."
Nanny Ni stood up.
Everyone else withdrew from the room.
Princess Pingyang relaxed and picked up the teacup beside her.
Duoduo blinked her eyes.
"Mother, why does that booklet look like the one I found the other day?"
Princess Pingyang took a sip of tea.
"You said yourself that it looks like it, so it definitely isn't."
Duoduo rested her chin in her hands, her little face scrunching up.
"Just now, the butler didn't even understand the situation and said he was going to send Nanny Ni to the authorities. That's so mean!"
"Mother, why didn't you just take the real one and send the butler to the authorities?"
Princess Pingyang set down her teacup.
"You saw it too. What was the butler's first reaction when he saw that ledger just now?"
Duoduo frowned and nodded.
"Why was he able to react so quickly?"
"It's because he thinks we don't have any evidence in our hands!"
"Even if Mother had taken out the real ledger, he could have just shifted the blame onto someone else."
"Does that mean Mother has no way to catch him by the tail?"
Princess Pingyang gently dabbed the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief.
"Isn't Mother in the middle of catching it right now?"
Duoduo blinked.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
"I get it, Mother, you're deliberately beating the grass to startle the snake!"
Princess Pingyang nodded with a look of approval.
"Mother is beating the grass to startle the snake, and now we just have to see if this snake will take the bait."
Duoduo recalled the butler's attitude toward her mother just now.
"Father said that as long as someone has a guilty conscience, they will inevitably show their true colors."
At this moment, Lianxin walked over with a few older female servants, carrying things in their hands.
"Your Highness, take a look at these bolts of fabric. What do you think?"
Duoduo looked at the fabrics with some curiosity.
"Mother, are we making new clothes again? The ones I'm wearing were just made!"
Princess Pingyang stroked Duoduo's head.
"By the time we reach the capital, it will be the height of summer."
"These are spring clothes. Halfway through our journey, we'll need to change into summer wear."
"Come, take a look. Are there any you like?"
Duoduo obediently followed Princess Pingyang over to the female servants.
"Mother, they all look pretty."
Princess Pingyang smiled.
"These fabrics are all different, you know."
"Come, Mother will tell you which materials are suitable for making which clothes."
Princess Pingyang pulled at a bolt of cloth and explained to Duoduo in detail.
Which ones were suitable for inner garments, which for skirts, and which for light blouses.
Duoduo's head spun from listening.
When it came to knowledge in books, she understood it with just a hint.
But looking at the fabrics in front of her, Duoduo couldn't remember a single word.
Princess Pingyang wasn't in a hurry either; the child was still small and not yet of age.
When she reached the age where she took an interest in such things, she would naturally remember them.
"Alright, you've kept Mother company for quite a while now. Go play by yourself."
Seeing that Duoduo was a bit absent-minded, Princess Pingyang spoke up.
"Then Mother, I'm leaving. Don't tire yourself out too much!"
Duoduo obediently bowed to Princess Pingyang and walked out.
Lüluo, who was waiting outside the door, immediately followed her.
"Princess, what would you like to play? I will accompany you."
Duoduo walked forward a step or two, then turned her head and looked at Lüluo.
Lüluo looked at herself, and then looked behind her.
"Princess, what's wrong?"
Duoduo shook her head, and then quickly ran toward the kitchen.
Today, Lüluo was wearing a light green ruqun.
Duoduo suddenly remembered that Lüdou also had a similar one.
She missed Lüdou!
Seeing Duoduo running forward, Lüluo hurriedly chased after her.
The people in the main kitchen were methodically doing their prep work.
Some were washing vegetables, some cutting them, some kneading dough, and some slaughtering chickens. They were busy but not chaotic.
Everyone worked while chatting, laughing and making a joyful clamor.
The main kitchen had always been the place where gossip spread the fastest.
Today, everyone was discussing how Duoduo had administered acupuncture to Princess Pingyang and saved her life.
"How old is the Princess? Could she really save Her Highness?" An older servant shook the water off some vegetable leaves.
"Hey, you old fool, where are you shaking that water? My clothes were just put on."
"Oh, I just didn't see you there, did I?"
"Forget it, I can't be bothered to argue with you. By the way, who exactly said that the Princess saved Her Highness?"
"I did. Wasn't I on night duty yesterday?" A chubby female cook grinned with a big mouth.
"Big Mouth, you have to take responsibility for talking big. How old is the Princess? Four or five?"
"A child of that age is still playing with mud, right? She probably can't even hold an embroidery needle steady!"
"Hey, Pangya, I heard you used to study together with the Princess. Why don't you tell us?"
Pangya, who was off to the side, kept her head down and focused only on washing vegetables, ignoring the others.
Ever since Nanny Li took a leave of absence and left the manor, Pangya had been reassigned back to the main kitchen.
Pangya found out that Lüdou had actually become Li Da's wife's apprentice and was cooking at the stoves with Li Da's wife.
Meanwhile, after going around in circles, she had returned to the main kitchen once again.
Because there were no extra positions left, she became a lowly errand girl.
When the vegetable washers couldn't keep up, she had to help wash vegetables.
When there wasn't enough firewood, she had to help chop wood.
Sweeping up, washing dishes, anyway, all the dirty and tiring jobs were hers.
The maids and older women who used to be on good terms with her now met her with cold ridicule and sarcasm.
Everyone had been jealous that she was once able to study alongside their masters.
She now felt like a plucked phoenix that was worse off than a chicken.
Pangya didn't want to engage, but some people weren't willing to let her go.
"Smack!"
A cabbage smashed down right in front of Pangya.
Water splashed all over Pangya, instantly soaking her clothes.
"Ah!"
Pangya cried out and jumped up.
"Hahaha!"
The old woman who threw the cabbage burst into loud laughter.
"Pangya, the way you look right now is just like this cabbage!"
The others looked at Pangya, who looked like a drowned rat, and all started laughing.
Pangya was furious. She scooped up the cabbage from the basin and hurled it straight at the old woman.
The old woman hurriedly dodged to the side, and the cabbage went flying past.
Duoduo had just arrived running, only to see a white object flying right at her.
