Zheng Run was willing to agree to anything for the sake of food.
Zheng Qian said, "From now on, whatever I say, you obey. Do not defy me."
Zheng Run: "..."
You're not my father.
But his father only gave him a standard allowance and meal, nothing as sumptuous as big sister's.
A true man can bend and yield.
Zheng Run hesitated only for a moment, then compromised without principle: "Fine. If big sister tells me to eat excrement, I'll do it."
Zheng Qian frowned slightly: "Speaking such disgusting words at the table—no wonder Father doesn't favor you."
Their father, the Marquis of Jing'an, fancied himself refined and prided himself on broad knowledge.
But his two sons—one disabled, the other crude and rebellious—made him pour all his affection into his daughter, Zheng Yutan.
Even Zheng Qian, the original daughter, timid and cautious, without any bold grace, naturally did not win her father's favor.
"My father never liked me," Zheng Run pouted. "But what can you do? I'm his only able-bodied son. Karma, I guess."
Zheng Qian: "..."
Somehow, she found this young boy rather endearing.
After they finished eating, the maids cleaned up. Two dishes remained, including the crispy roast duck. Cai Yuan took it back to the courtyard to share with the two senior maids.
Dai Mama and the others cleared the stone table and brought tea.
Zheng Run looked around, still no mosquitoes, and marveled again: "This mosquito coil really works."
Zheng Qian: "Followed the formula strictly, of course it works. If we had insecticidal chrysanthemums, it would be even better, but alas, we don't."
"Chrysanthemums?"
"They grow far away. Our boat can't reach there yet, but someday we will," Zheng Qian said with a smile.
Zheng Run: "Where did you learn this?"
"I have a master," Zheng Qian said. "When I almost died from hanging myself, he saved me and told me this."
Zheng Run nearly choked on his tea: "It's the middle of the night—don't scare people."
"Coward," Zheng Qian teased.
Zheng Run hated being called cowardly, so he pouted, wanting to spar with big sister.
The siblings bickered playfully. After a cup of tea, Zheng Qian prepared to return to rest. She picked up the cat that had quietly stayed by her side.
Zheng Run glanced at the cat: "Your cat's eyes are weird."
"How so?"
"Very alert, like it can talk," Zheng Run said. "Creepy. Animals being too smart is bad. You'll see, big sister."
Zheng Qian ignored him.
She had never kept cats before, though she liked them. All the cat videos she had watched were edited to make the cats appear intelligent, so she subconsciously assumed cats and dogs were all clever.
Of course, some cats weren't smart—just as some humans weren't. Nothing unusual.
For example, her fifth younger brother before her seemed far less clever than her cat.
Fifth Young Master, under the long-suffering gaze of his elder sister, ate his fill and left contentedly.
The next day, Zheng Qian carried the remaining nine mosquito coils to Prince Ancheng's mansion.
With her cat in her arms and her maid Hong Luan holding a small jewelry box wrapped in silk, the pair disembarked from the carriage on the street near the mansion.
"Miss, it's so hot. Why walk?" Hong Luan wiped sweat from her brow. Seeing her mistress flushed from the sun, she worried about her poise.
Hong Luan knew Prince Ancheng owned Zhai Yu Xuan, the shop they had visited before with Zheng Qian; Cai Yuan knew Zheng Qian's secret of pulling objects from her space. Both were loyal.
"The coachmen are Aunt Third's people," Zheng Qian said with a smile.
Hong Luan immediately understood. The coachmen who had survived the plague would report Zheng Qian's whereabouts truthfully to their real master, so Zheng Qian's safety was ensured.
"Miss, you're very thoughtful," Hong Luan said.
"Follow me," Zheng Qian said.
The two women and the cat arrived at Prince Ancheng's mansion. Seeing the towering gate and heavy doors, they paused.
Hong Luan mustered courage to knock.
Inside, Prince Ancheng, Xiao Mingyu, was calculating accounts with an abacus. Every other month, he checked his finances meticulously. The abacus made calculations much easier, and his thoughts wandered to a woman with a beauty mark on her forehead.
A young page entered: "Your Highness, a young lady claims to be from the Marquis of Jing'an's household."
Xiao Mingyu: "..."
She actually came?
Smiling slightly, he rose and personally went to greet Zheng Qian.
"Miss Zheng, a rare visitor."
"I apologize for disturbing you, Your Highness," Zheng Qian said with a smile.
"I am not busy, not a disturbance. Please come in," Xiao Mingyu said.
The mansion's threshold was high; Zheng Qian and Hong Luan struggled slightly to step over it.
Inside, pastel-painted walls blocked the interior view.
Around the screen, there was a spacious courtyard, with covered corridors on both sides, supported by red pillars. The flowerbeds were neatly tended, and a gentle floral scent filled the air.
At the end, the corridors meandered upward. Xiao Mingyu led Zheng Qian up, showing a small pavilion enclosed by carved wooden walls.
"In summer, it's cool and airy here," Xiao Mingyu explained. He often entertained guests in this spot.
Zheng Qian observed the surroundings and nodded with a smile: "Indeed, a delicate little pavilion. Very nice."
Servants brought tea.
The two sat while Hong Luan attended outside. Zheng Qian set her cat down, letting it leap out the window, and sipped her tea.
"Did you walk here?" Xiao Mingyu noticed her flushed cheeks, emphasizing the beauty mark on her forehead. His tone was teasing.
Normally gentle, he knew Zheng Qian's family was poor and shouldn't mock her. But somehow, he spoke freely.
Zheng Qian: "Yes."
"Miss Zheng suffering poverty again?"
Unfazed, she smiled: "Yes, so I came to do business with Your Highness."
Bold and clever in speech, she piqued Xiao Mingyu's curiosity further.
"What business?"
Zheng Qian presented the mosquito coils. She explained their purpose, usage, and effect. Xiao Mingyu listened casually.
After she finished, he seemed momentarily distracted: "Miss Zheng, please clarify one thing."
"What is it? Ask away."