Old Madam Wang made an excuse and left with the women.
Old Madam Su looked at Yunxi with great displeasure. "Useless thing that can't be brought to light."
Su Xian patted Yunxi, signaling her not to listen.
Yunxi gave Su Xian a slight smile, indicating she didn't mind.
Feeling out of sorts, Old Madam Su pointed at the jewelry she had just been wearing.
"I want all of these. Pack them up."
The shopkeeper was delighted. Grinning from ear to ear, he told an assistant to wrap them.
"Grandmother, I want this one!" Yunmeng immediately pointed at the hairpin she had been eyeing earlier.
"Hmm, pack it together as well." Old Madam Su directed generously.
Duoduo glanced at her mother. She saw her mother frown slightly, but she didn't voice any objection.
"Cousin Yunxi, is there anything you like? Mother will pay for it together." Duoduo tugged at Yunxi's sleeve.
Yunxi shook her head.
She knew well that the jewelry her grandmother had picked out was expensive.
Her aunt was going to spend a lot of money again!
"I have enough jewelry. I don't need to buy anything." She explained with a smile.
Duoduo looked around and suddenly spotted a phoenix-tail hairpin.
"Cousin Yunxi, is this one pretty?" She dragged Yunxi over.
Yunxi's eyes lit up. This one was far more beautiful than the hairpin in Yunmeng's hand.
"Shopkeeper, wrap this one up." Duoduo instructed.
Yunxi quickly stopped her. "Princess, this must be very expensive."
Yunxi lowered her voice. She had noticed that this hairpin was displayed in a counter full of precious jewelry.
She guessed its price wouldn't be low.
Duoduo could guess it too.
She leaned close to Yunxi's ear and whispered, "It doesn't matter. My father is paying."
Yunxi blushed. If the Prince of Pingyang was paying, she couldn't possibly accept it!
What if he thought the Su family were all people who took advantage of others?
That would make her aunt look bad too!
"Princess, although this hairpin is beautiful, it doesn't suit me."
"I think the hairpin I'm wearing is more fitting." Yunxi tried to convince Duoduo.
Duoduo blinked.
"Cousin Yunxi, you don't like it? Well, I like it very much, so I'll take it."
When the assistant waiting behind the counter heard this, he immediately beamed.
"This hairpin comes with a pair of matching earrings. I'll wrap everything up for you."
Duoduo nodded with a smile.
Yunxi felt a pang of disappointment in her heart, but she quickly suppressed it.
After buying the jewelry and meeting with people, Old Madam Su then decided to go to the cloth shop.
At the cloth shop, she bought several bolts of the latest fabrics before reluctantly boarding the carriage.
"We came all the way out here, and she didn't even invite us to a restaurant for a meal." Old Madam Su grumbled, unsatisfied.
"Mother, didn't you say you wanted to go home early to have new clothes made?" Su Xian retorted calmly.
Old Madam Su recalled that Old Madam Wang had mentioned hosting a banquet in a few days and inviting her as a guest.
"Right! Let's hurry back!"
Su Xian gave a calm order, "Lianxin, return to the manor."
Lianxin responded from outside, and the carriage headed toward the prince's mansion.
When Xiao Yi heard that Su Xian and the others had returned, he was taken aback.
"Did something happen?"
"My subordinate heard from the coachman that it was because Old Madam Su was in a rush to return home, so the princess and the others came back," Yunxiao replied.
"Where is the princess?" Xiao Yi asked again.
"The princess has also returned to the manor."
The moment Yunxiao finished speaking, Duoduo's voice came from outside the door.
"Father!"
Yunxiao quickly opened the door. "Your subordinate greets the princess!"
Duoduo smiled and waved.
Yunxiao withdrew and closed the door.
Xiao Yi subtly studied Duoduo. Seeing that her expression was normal, he looked away.
"It's rare for you to leave the manor. Why didn't you shop a little longer?" Xiao Yi asked casually.
Duoduo sat down across from Xiao Yi and pouted.
"If we had shopped any longer, the Prince of Pingyang's mansion would have gone broke from Grandmother's spending!"
Xiao Yi's lips curled slightly. "A few thousand taels of silver wouldn't bankrupt the Prince of Pingyang's mansion."
Duoduo rested her chin in both hands, staring at Xiao Yi.
"Father, didn't you say the mansion has no money?"
"Why are you suddenly so generous?"
Xiao Yi paused briefly before laughing.
"That's thanks to you, finding such exceptional jade."
Duoduo's interest piqued at this.
"Father, have you made a lot of silver?"
Xiao Yi imitated Duoduo, resting his chin on his hands.
"And you? How much silver have you made?"
"Three months, and already one month has passed!"
Looking at her father, Duoduo blinked her big eyes.
"I helped Father, so Father should help me too!"
Xiao Yi mimicked Duoduo, blinking back.
"Oh? And how do you think I should help?"
Duoduo was amused by Xiao Yi's expression.
She put her hands down. "Father, don't copy me like a parrot!"
Xiao Yi also lowered his hands. "I wasn't."
Duoduo puffed out her cheeks. "Father, you're being so childish right now!"
Xiao Yi coughed lightly and composed himself.
"Tell me. What happened today?"
At the mention of serious matters, Duoduo also grew solemn.
"Father, it turns out that the betrothal Grandmother arranged for Cousin Yunmeng was with the family of the Right Assistant Director."
"The Right Assistant Director? Wang Bing?" Xiao Yi saw Duoduo nod vigorously.
"Wang Bing has three sons and three daughters in total," Xiao Yi immediately recited Wang Bing's background.
"Among them, he has two legitimate sons—the eldest and the third."
"His eldest son is already married, and his third son is barely one year old."
"He only has a concubine-born son, who is seven this year."
Duoduo tilted her head.
"Father, do you mean Cousin Yunmeng's betrothal is to his concubine-born son?"
Xiao Yi nodded slowly. "Old Madam Wang has five sons, but only Wang Bing has secured an official post."
"If your grandmother wanted Yunmeng to marry well, it would have to be Wang Bing's concubine-born son."
Duoduo's mouth fell slightly open.
"Grandmother likes Cousin Yunmeng so much. Why would she let her marry a concubine-born son?"
In high-ranking families, the distinction between legitimate and concubine-born children was taken very seriously.
"Although Wang Bing's son is concubine-born, he is still the son of a sixth-rank official."
"In your grandmother's family, no one has entered officialdom, so naturally they can't compare."
"Even this concubine-born son would be considered a step up for your cousin." Xiao Yi explained the logic to Duoduo.
Duoduo was lost in thought.
She had originally thought of having Cousin Yunxi marry Xiao Che!
Now it seemed utterly impossible.
Xiao Che was a prince!
Even if he was an unfavored prince, he still belonged to a class that ordinary people could never cross.
Seeing Duoduo's pensive expression, Xiao Yi tapped the table.
"What's wrong?"
Duoduo snapped back to reality and smiled at Xiao Yi.
"Father, Prince Rui's father-in-law is the Minister of Personnel, isn't he?"
"This Right Assistant Director is obviously one of Prince Rui's men. How could he allow his mother to arrange a betrothal with Grandmother?"
