Qingliu shook her head, but halfway through the motion, she remembered that Duoduo could not see her.
“Your Highness, nothing particularly unusual has happened in the residence.”
Duoduo had been holding pomelo leaves and patting them over herself. Upon hearing Qingliu’s words, she stopped.
“Nothing?”
“I just got back. Why haven’t I seen Grandmother and my two cousins?”
Qingliu suddenly realized what she meant.
“Your Highness, you mean Old Madam Su and the two young ladies!”
“Miss Yunxi goes to Madam’s room every day to keep her company.”
“As for Miss Yunmeng, she stays in the room with Old Madam Su and rarely comes out.”
Duoduo found it rather strange.
“Is Grandmother ill?”
Qingliu shook her head again. She leaned closer to Duoduo and lowered her voice.
“This servant heard that Madam and Old Madam Su had an argument.”
“It seems Madam said that if Old Madam Su kept thinking about that matter, she would have someone report back about some banquet.”
“After that, Old Madam Su never left her room again.”
Duoduo sprinkled more water over herself with the pomelo leaves.
Then she suddenly stopped.
She remembered that the banquet Miss Yunxi had mentioned seemed to be happening in the next few days.
Duoduo counted on her fingers.
“Oh! It’s the day after tomorrow!” she exclaimed, suddenly realizing how quickly time had passed.
“Your Highness, what’s happening the day after tomorrow?” Qingliu asked curiously.
Duoduo did not answer. She had thought of something else.
“Qingliu, later, help me check which days ahead are auspicious.”
Now that she was out of the palace, Duoduo could hardly wait to get the shop opened.
She was sure Lüdou felt the same way.
Opening even one day earlier meant earning money one day sooner!
“Yes,” Qingliu replied.
After Duoduo finished bathing and changed into fresh clothes, she felt as if she had been reborn.
“Your Highness, Madam Li and her daughter have arrived,” Lüdou hurried in to report.
“What? Where are they?” Duoduo immediately became restless with excitement.
“Miss Li said she would first go pay her respects to Madam, then come here.”
Duoduo hastily threw on an outer robe and hurried outside.
“Lüdou, stay here and rest. Qingliu, come with me.”
Duoduo felt sorry for Lüdou, who had suffered alongside her for several days, and could not bear to make her do more.
Lüdou quickly urged Qingliu to follow. “I’ll tidy things up here. Hurry and attend to the Princess!”
Qingliu nodded and ran after Duoduo.
“Your Highness, slow down. It’s still hot outside,” Qingliu said as she caught up.
Duoduo slowed her pace a little.
She had just taken a bath and did not want to work up another sweat.
In this hot weather, smelling of sweat was hardly pleasant.
As Duoduo reached the reception hall, she heard Xu Jinxin’s hearty laughter from inside.
“Big Sister! Aunt Xu!” Duoduo called as she hurried in.
Yingniang, who had been sitting beside Xu Jinxin and listening to the adults’ conversation, immediately stood up when she heard Duoduo’s voice.
“Princess!”
She ran toward Duoduo, and the two children quickly embraced.
“Big Sister, I missed you so much!” Duoduo said, unable to hide her true feelings.
In the Department of Punishments, apart from her parents, the people Duoduo had missed most were Li Jin’s family.
Yingniang beamed as she held Duoduo’s hand tightly.
“I missed you too!”
Xu Jinxin and Su Xian could not help smiling at the sight of the two children holding hands.
“Duoduo, come here!” Xu Jinxin beckoned.
Duoduo led Yingniang over to her.
“Aunt Xu, why did you come back so early today?”
Delighted to see her family after so many days apart, Duoduo was brimming with excitement.
Xu Jinxin affectionately flicked Duoduo on the bridge of her nose.
“What is it? Are you worried that Aunt Xu has been slacking off? Or are you worried that the shop is losing money?”
Duoduo bashfully shrank back.
“That’s not what I meant.”
Yingniang quickly came to Duoduo’s defense.
“Princess, Mother has handed the business over to the shopkeeper, so we don’t have to stay at the store anymore.”
Su Xian nodded in agreement.
“That’s good!”
“Jinxin, look at Yingniang. She’s gotten so thin! Her little face has lost a whole circle!”
“And you—those dark circles under your eyes are enormous. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you had been up to something!”
Xu Jinxin immediately covered her face.
“Really? Is it that bad?”
She had been so busy at the shop that she had not had time to worry about anything else.
“Go look in the mirror when you get home, and you’ll see.”
“Now that the shop has been handed over to the shopkeeper, you should stay at home and come over every day to keep me company.”
Su Xian now understood why Li Jin had opposed his sworn sister opening a shop.
Xu Jinxin had handled almost everything herself and demanded perfection in every detail.
Once she devoted herself to the shop, she had no time left for her family.
It would be difficult for any man to accept that.
Seeing the concern on Su Xian’s face, Xu Jinxin let out a helpless laugh.
“All right! Just don’t get sick of me and drive me away.”
“Never! I couldn’t be happier to have you here,” Su Xian teased.
Yingniang also eagerly whispered to Duoduo, “Princess, I can go to school with you now, too.”
Duoduo immediately nodded again and again, delighted.
“That’s wonderful! I’ve been waiting for this day!”
“Every day when I exercise, it’s just me by myself. It’s so boring.”
“From now on, Big Sister, we can exercise together again!”
Once their excitement had settled, they finally got down to business.
“Duoduo, the person you sent over has learned very well.”
“I have high hopes for him. Why don’t we open another shop and put him in charge of it?”
Xu Jinxin made no attempt to hide how much she admired the man.
Duoduo pressed her lips together with a smile.
“He already has plans. I’ve arranged something for him!”
Xu Jinxin immediately looked disappointed.
When Li Jin had first sent the man over, he had mentioned that Duoduo had a use for him.
At the time, Xu Jinxin had not taken it to heart.
But as she spent more time with him, she gradually came to appreciate him.
A good employee could be trained.
But a loyal and capable employee was a rare treasure—one that could not be found just anywhere.
“Aunt Xu, I’m planning to have him manage the pastry shop!” Duoduo explained.
She did not want to see the disappointment on her aunt’s face.
Xu Jinxin stared at her. “Duoduo, you’re planning to open a pastry shop?”
Su Xian covered her mouth and laughed. “The shop has been ready for ages. She was only delayed because she had to go into the palace for a few days. Otherwise, it would have opened already.”
The moment Xu Jinxin heard Su Xian mention the palace, some of the smile faded from her face.
She hesitated before finally asking, “Duoduo, I heard you just returned from the palace?”
Duoduo looked at Xu Jinxin in confusion. “Yes! Aunt Xu, what happened?”
Xu Jinxin noticed that Su Xian was looking at her curiously as well.
“Duoduo, Aunt Xu heard that Prince Ling has been made Crown Prince?”
Su Xian exclaimed in surprise, “What? Prince Ling has become the Crown Prince?”
“Jinxin, did I hear you correctly?”
“When did this happen? Why haven’t I heard Lord Li mention it?”
