The Prince of Pingyang's hand paused as he was wiping his mouth.
"Is this why you deliberately had the kitchen make these two dishes?"
Duoduo tugged at the Prince of Pingyang's sleeve ingratiatingly.
"Daddy, please don't be angry!"
"My plate has this much!"
"Your plate only has this little bit!"
"I already told the kitchen to put in a little bit less!"
Duoduo pinched her fingers together, indicating that a little bit was only the size of a fingernail.
The Prince of Pingyang stared at Duoduo for a long while. Duoduo thought her father was angry.
She lowered her head and apologized in a small voice.
"I'm sorry, Daddy. I acted on my own. I was wrong!"
The Prince of Pingyang reached out his hand. Duoduo shivered, thinking he was going to hit her.
The Prince of Pingyang lifted her chin, making her look directly at him.
"You are quite something now! You used that little trick so smoothly, you even fooled me!"
Duoduo closed her eyes, looking as if she were facing death with equanimity, "Daddy, it's all because you taught me well!"
The Prince of Pingyang saw Duoduo's guilty eyelashes fluttering vigorously, her eyeballs rolling constantly under her eyelids.
"Pfft!" The Prince of Pingyang laughed out loud.
Hearing the laughter, Duoduo opened her eyes in disbelief and looked at her father in front of her.
Seeing the way her father's eyes curved with his smile, she also started to laugh.
"Daddy, you look so handsome when you smile!"
The Prince of Pingyang's smile vanished. He let go of Duoduo and sat up straight.
Duoduo didn't understand. She had praised her father, so why was he unhappy?
"It seems you are going to be late?"
The Prince of Pingyang slowly raised his chin toward the Western clock in the room.
Duoduo followed his gaze and, as if her bottom were on fire, immediately bounced off the chair.
"Daddy, I'm going to exercise first!"
Duoduo ran off like a whirlwind, her voice still echoing in the room.
The Prince of Pingyang couldn't help but laugh out loud again.
Feeling himself smiling, he raised his hand and touched his cheek.
"Daddy, you look so handsome when you smile!"
Duoduo's words immediately rang in his mind.
The Prince of Pingyang froze for a moment, then quickly withdrew his smile.
Keeping a straight face, he pushed his wheelchair into the study and began to busy himself.
Because she was late for her exercise, Duoduo was punished by Li Jin to hold the horse stance for the duration of an incense stick.
By the time she returned to her room and changed into a fresh set of clothes, Yingniang was already waiting at the door.
"Sister, go wait outside first. I still have a little something to do, I'll be right there."
After saying this, Duoduo ran quickly toward the study.
Yingniang felt a bit curious, but she turned and went outside the manor.
Duoduo ran to the study, slowed her steps, and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
The Prince of Pingyang had already heard Duoduo's footsteps from inside.
Duoduo pushed the door open and walked in.
"Daddy, we are going out shopping. Do you want to come with us?"
The Prince of Pingyang pondered for a moment.
"Father is very busy today. You go with your mother."
"Oh, right, take this."
The Prince of Pingyang took a pouch from his sleeve pocket and handed it to Duoduo.
Duoduo curiously took it, opened it, and pulled out the contents to take a look.
"Banknotes? One thousand taels? Five hundred taels? So much?"
Duoduo's eyes widened, and she looked at the Prince of Pingyang in confusion.
"Daddy, where did you get so many banknotes?"
Looking at Duoduo's expression, the Prince of Pingyang felt very amused.
"This is only ten thousand taels. It's not much."
Duoduo's eyes turned completely round.
"Ten thousand taels! And it's not much!"
"A steamed bun costs one copper coin. Ten thousand taels can buy so, so many steamed buns! I wouldn't be able to finish eating them in a lifetime!"
Duoduo counted on her fingers, but there were too many to count.
The Prince of Pingyang put down the book in his hand and patted Duoduo's head.
"Rest assured, from now on, you will never go hungry again!"
"Whatever you want to eat, whatever you want to buy, just spend it!"
"If it's not enough, just have the shopkeepers send the bills to the manor to settle the accounts!"
Duoduo's eyes grew teary.
"Daddy... is this for me?"
"Of course. Who else would I give it to? Your mother already has her household allowance."
As soon as the Prince of Pingyang's words fell, a warm little body threw itself into his arms.
The Prince of Pingyang stiffened for a second, then gently patted Duoduo's back.
"I just changed into these clothes. You are not allowed to wipe your snot on them."
Duoduo was so moved she wanted to cry, but hearing his words, she smiled through her tears.
"I wouldn't do that. I have the handkerchief Daddy gave me!"
Saying this, Duoduo took a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped her face.
Looking at the handkerchief in Duoduo's hand, the Prince of Pingyang remembered the story behind it.
"Mhm, I remember you said you would return it."
Duoduo pouted her little mouth.
"But you said you didn't want it anymore, so I kept it!"
"You took my handkerchief away, so now I don't have one to use."
Looking at the Prince of Pingyang, inspiration suddenly struck Duoduo.
"Then I will buy a few for you today as an apology!"
The Prince of Pingyang looked at Duoduo, his fingers rubbing the edge of a piece of paper.
"I remember Nanny Li taught you embroidery?"
Duoduo nodded.
"Yes."
Duoduo suddenly understood.
"Daddy, do you want me to embroider a handkerchief for you?"
The Prince of Pingyang picked up the book beside him and said nothing.
Duoduo rolled her big eyes.
"Daddy, when the time comes, don't despise it if I don't do a good job!"
The Prince of Pingyang waved his hand.
"Then I'm leaving now, Daddy! I'll bring back something delicious for you!"
Duoduo left happily.
The Prince of Pingyang watched Duoduo's back and spaced out for a moment before lowering his head to continue reading the official documents in his hands.
Duoduo skipped out of the manor. The Princess Consort of Pingyang and Xu Jinxin both smiled when they saw her jubilant appearance.
"Are you that happy to go shopping? I thought you only wanted to stay in the manor!"
Xu Jinxin teased.
Duoduo smiled so widely that her eyes turned into little crescents.
"Of course I'm happy!"
"Mother, Father gave me this!"
Duoduo offered the pouch in her hands to the Princess Consort of Pingyang as if it were a precious treasure.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang took the pouch.
"What good thing did the Prince give you?"
Duoduo just smiled without saying a word.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang pinched it; it felt light, like paper.
"Can Mother open it and take a look?" The Princess Consort of Pingyang's curiosity was piqued.
"Of course!" Duoduo nodded with a smile.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang opened it and saw that it was actually banknotes, and quite a few of them.
"Banknotes, how much is this?"
"Ten thousand taels!" Duoduo said very proudly.
"Daddy said we can buy whatever we want and eat whatever we want!"
"He also said that if it's not enough, we can have the shopkeepers send the bills to the manor to settle the accounts!"
Hearing this, Xu Jinxin was overjoyed.
She winked at the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
"Oh my, your Prince is truly considerate!"
"Did he know we were going shopping and specifically rush back last night, just worried that you wouldn't have money to buy things?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang blushed deeply and shot her best friend a reproving glare.
"Don't speak nonsense. The Prince had business, which is why he returned early."
Xu Jinxin covered her mouth.
"Right, business! Isn't this exactly what his business was?"
As Xu Jinxin spoke, she deliberately glanced at the pouch in the Princess Consort of Pingyang's hand.
Seeing her mother's shy and timid appearance, Duoduo blossomed with joy.
Her father giving her the banknotes was definitely because he was too embarrassed to give them directly to her mother, so he entrusted her to pass them along.
Hehe! She really was the most caring little darling!
Oh right, she needed to tell her mother that her father didn't have a handkerchief to use!
