The maid Lin'er didn't raise her eyes and ate the half egg left in her hand. She sneered: "This is the only thing you can eat for the few copper coins you gave me. I really thought that calling you Princess means you are the empress. You are married to a dead man."
Just a princess!"
Ming Lanruo didn't say anything, she glanced at the egg shells beside Lin'er's stool from the corner of her eyes, and expressionlessly picked up a bowl of porridge to feed Xiao Xi.
The modest salary that the Palace Secretary pays her every year cannot reach her at all.
She relied on the money that Aunt Agu gave her back then, as well as seeing doctors and getting medicines for people in the house, so she could live a comfortable life.
But Lin'er, who was responsible for monitoring her, was really going too far and exploiting her more and more.
Xiao Xi finished her porridge and obediently put the bun into her hand: "Mom, eat!"
Ming Lanruo smiled: "Don't Xiaoxi like to eat steamed buns?"
Xiao Xi rolled her eyes, broke off the bun and gave half to her, saying in a sweet voice: "Half for each person!"
Ming Lanruo gently took Xiao Xi's buns and said, "Good baby!"
Lin'er murmured disdainfully: "Why are you pretending to be sensible here, little bastard? If it weren't for you, your mother would be the empress of the East Palace now!"
Xiao Xi angrily turned around and rushed over, but Ming Lanruo grabbed her arm and dragged the little guy back to the room.
Lin'er's proud sneer could be heard from behind: "Women, you are willing to humble yourself and you are hopeless!"
Back in the room, the little guy threw her arm away angrily: "Mom, why don't you let me teach that bad woman a lesson!"
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and his fist like a kitten's paw hit the wall with a "sudden" sound.
Cracks instantly appeared on the hard blue brick wall, and dust fell off!
Ming Lanruo's cold expression instantly cracked - she gave birth to a strange little kitten!
She lowered her head and gently touched his soft little head: "Zai Zai, mother will teach her a lesson."
Ming Lanruo opened the cupboard and dug out a box of hidden meat pies from under a large pile of herbs. She took one out and handed it to Xiao Xi.
Xiao Xi gnawed on the crispy meatloaf and was very puzzled. In the past, her mother always told him to be low-key and low-key, so that he could endure it when he wanted to beat someone and not let others know that he was powerful.
"Mom, why did you suddenly change your tone today?" Xiao Xi couldn't help but ask after enjoying the delicious food.
"Mom just discovered that some dogs are not properly raised." Ming Lanruo kissed his soft bun face.
Those bastards deducted money from their mother and son to such an extent that when she ran out of money, Xiao Xi was afraid that she would go hungry.
After five years of keeping a low profile, her patience with these moths has reached its limit!
Ming Lanruo's eyes flashed with a cold light, and she whispered a few words into Xiao Xi's ear.
Xiao Xi was stunned for a moment, then nodded her head: "I understand, mother!"
Early the next morning, she took Xiao Xi to have breakfast, but she still didn't get any eggs, and the meat buns turned into vegetable buns.
Ming Lanruo's eyes were cold and she didn't say anything. After eating, she went back to her room, picked up a small baggage and hurried out in the snow.
Maybe she was too impatient and accidentally bumped into Lin'er in the corridor, which caused Lin'er to curse her for a while.
She ignored Lin'er's unpleasant words, just hugged the small bundle tightly and went to the pavilion in the front yard.
"Is Aunt Zhang here? I'm here to deliver the embroidered handkerchief!" Ming Lanruo stood at the door and shouted.
The middle-aged servant Ding Laozhong at the door stared at her slender waist, grinned, and opened the curtain to let her in.
As soon as the curtain of the Nuan Pavilion was lifted, the warm charcoal smoke came in, which warmed her frozen face.
A rich middle-aged nanny helped the little girl sit up from the soft couch and said with a smile: "Hey, the princess is here, I am polite."
Ming Lanruo glanced at Grandma Zhang's brand new azurite satin jacket and remembered that Xiao Xi could only wear small clothes made from her old cotton-padded clothes.
She lowered her eyes and handed over the small bundle: "You are the prince's nanny. You are welcome. The handkerchief and bellyband you asked me to embroider last time are all ready!"
Grandma Zhang opened it and saw that the workmanship and embroidery were exquisite.
She smiled with satisfaction and said: "The princess's workmanship is naturally good. Don't worry, I will definitely give you a good price."
Ming Lanruo asked warmly: "Xiao Xi is growing taller. I want to make some braised pork for him. Can I ask you to buy some meat?"
"Princess, you are not welcome in the palace, and you are not allowed to go out. It is not easy for me to run the palace. Braised pork is not something you can just eat if you want!" Nanny Zhang was still smiling, but there was already a look in her eyes.
Showing impatience.
Ming Lanruo nodded and sighed: "I'm not embarrassing you, but I haven't even let Xiao Xi eat eggs in the past two days. I'm worried about the child..."
Aunt Zhang said disapprovingly: "It's probably because the chickens haven't laid eggs due to the cold weather recently. It'll be fine in two days."
Before he finished speaking, he heard the sounds of noisy and swearing outside coming from far to near——
"You are a bad person, an egg thief, you stole the eggs my mother bought!"
"You little bastard, you dare to bite me. What nonsense are you talking about? I won't beat you to death!"
A small figure suddenly jumped in and hugged Minglan's thigh: "Mother, this bad girl wants to hit me!"
Nanny Zhang immediately turned cold and scolded Ming Lanruo: "What are you doing, Princess? How do you discipline your children!"
Ming Lanruo gently patted Xiao Xi behind her: "Xiao Xi, please say hello!"
Xiao Xi obediently poked her head out from behind her: "Hello, Grandma Zhang!"
Lin'er also rushed in with a fire stick: "You little bitch, don't think that I won't beat you even if your mother is here!"
But when she saw Nanny Zhang staring at her, she put away the stick with a guilty conscience: "Mommy!"
"Why are you making such a fuss? Why don't you let me rest?" Nanny Zhang helped the little girl lean against the cushions, acting like an old lady from a royal palace.
Lin'er pointed at Ming Lanruo's nose and complained aggressively: "Her bastard steals food everywhere, falsely accuses me of stealing his eggs, and dares to bite people. How can it be done without beating?!"
Xiao Xi was furious: "You lied and you stole my eggs!"
As he said that, he rushed forward like a little wild cat, grabbed Lin'er's skirt and tore it apart.
"Little bastard, let go!" Lin'er reached out angrily and tried to pull him down.
But without a "tear" sound, the small sweat towel bag on her waist was torn directly by Xiao Xi, and the contents fell to the floor.
A package of oil-paper cakes, roasted peanuts, a handful of copper coins, and a pile of silver gourd earrings were mixed with a shiny golden object.
"Hey, mama, isn't this your favorite ruby ring?" The little girl waiting next to her picked up the thing in surprise.
Grandma Zhang's face suddenly darkened.
Lin'er waved her hands in a panic: "Mommy, I don't...I don't know how this thing...I...I..."
"I knew your hands and feet were unclean, but I didn't know you dared to reach out to your masters' things!" Nanny Zhang sneered.
"I really didn't steal it!" Lin'er was at a loss. Grandma Zhang's eyes frightened Lin'er.
Ming Lanruo suddenly reached out and picked up the pair of plain silver gourd earrings, with a surprised look on her face: "Aren't these the earrings I missed the day before yesterday?"
Aunt Zhang knew that she had taken away all the valuable things Ming Lanruo had on her body, leaving only a pair of worthless plain silver gourd earrings.
She sneered at Lin'er: "Why, you don't know how the princess's earrings got into your pocket?"
Lin'er blushed. She didn't have any jewelry to wear during the Chinese New Year, so she simply stole Ming Lanruo's.
She didn't dare to ask this woman for it, but she didn't expect that today it would become evidence of her crime!
"Old Zhong, tie up this dirty little girl and sell her to someone else. Our palace cannot tolerate such dirty things!"
Grandma Zhang looked at Lin'er's guilty look and shouted angrily.
The middle-aged servant outside the door rushed in with a rope and dragged Lin'er out of the door.
"Mommy, please spare me, I really didn't take anything from you..." Lin'er turned pale and cried as she was forcefully dragged away.
Ming Lanruo watched Lin'er being dragged away with cold eyes.
Then, she smiled and put the silver gourd earrings into Grandma Zhang's hand: "Thank you, Grandma, for upholding justice!"
Grandma Zhang seized Ming Lanruo's salary. She couldn't see such a thing, and stuffed it back with a smile: "I have wronged you and Xiao Xi."
