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“I won’t eat it.”

Unintentionally, Qiao Mai seemed to be cultivating four little neat freaks. However, she was right. Food had to be clean, or they might get stomachaches.

“Mom, can’t we get out and walk?”

“We can’t. There are too many people, and there are kidnappers around.”

“Okay.”

Seeing the disappointment on their faces, Qiao Mai decided to stop the carriage.

“Go back to the mansion first. We’ll have fun and come back on our own.”

As the carriage departed, Yue Hong held Ling’er, Yue Xia held Chuan’er, and Qiao Mai held Feng’er and Yun’er.

“Are you satisfied now?”

“Yes, we won’t wander off. We’ll always follow Mom.”

With her children in tow, Qiao Mai strolled down the street. They watched street performers, giving them some money afterward.

They also watched martial arts performances and generously rewarded the performers.

It wasn’t easy for these entertainers to rely on their skills to make a living. Sometimes, even if they performed all day, they might not earn much.

When they came across something delicious, Qiao Mai allowed her children to buy it themselves. As long as it was clean, she didn’t mind.

As they were having fun in the street, a carriage passed by, and a hand reached out toward Ling’er’s head.

Qiao Mai reacted quickly, slapping the hand away.

The carriage immediately pulled over, and a young woman and two maids stepped out.

They walked directly toward Qiao Mai and her group. Qiao Mai shielded the children and Yue Hong behind her while the young woman approaching them had an icy expression.

“Bold thieves, you dare steal from my young mistress?”

Qiao Mai was taken aback but quickly realized the situation. The woman, who appeared elegant and noble, seemed to have her eye on the accessory on her daughter’s head. She intended to falsely accuse and intimidate them to obtain the item without effort.

“Steal? How could we steal from you when you were in the carriage and we were on the roadside?” “Who said you stole it now?”

“When did it happen then?”

“My young mistress lost this ornament a while ago. We’re certain you took it.”

“It’s quite unfortunate. We only arrived in the Capital yesterday afternoon and haven’t had the opportunity to commit any crimes. We couldn’t have stolen it.” “In that case, you must have picked it up. Please return it to us.”

“I’ve never seen such shameless people. My daughter has been wearing this accessory on her head from the moment we left home until now. It hasn’t changed for ten days. How could it suddenly become yours?”

“You dare to argue?”

Qiao Mai looked coldly at the woman and her two maids. The mistress acted aloof and silent, supporting her servant’s shameless behavior.

This kind of play was not uncommon in the Capital. The family must be influential to engage in such tactics. Qiao Mai glanced at the woman, who was beautiful and richly dressed but had ventured out without any bodyguards. She was indeed audacious.

“Since you insist on accusing us, shall we report this to the authorities?”

Upon hearing the word “authorities,” the two maids exchanged glances and then turned to their young mistress.

The woman gazed at Ling’er’s head with greedy eyes, but aware of the onlookers and the threat of getting the authorities involved, she hesitated. “Perhaps my maids have made a mistake. I apologize.”

The woman pretended to be high-minded, which annoyed Qiao Mai. She restrained her anger and said nothing.

She thought the matter was settled after the apology, but the woman added, “Do you sell the accessory?”

“No, it’s not for sale.’

The young woman’s face contorted with anger, and she turned around and walked away. Her two maidservants hurriedly followed her.

Qiao Mai stared at the carriage, reluctant to cause trouble for the Wang family, especially since she was accompanied by her children and had just arrived in the city.

She felt the urge to give that girl a good beating. It was her first day out with her children, and encountering such a situation was unfortunate.

Once the woman and her maids left, the bystanders approached.

“Madam, you should return home quickly. That lady is the only daughter of the Fu family. Whenever she takes a liking to something, she’ll do anything to get it.”

“Yes, her father is the Minister of Revenue in the imperial court, and her grandfather is the Grand Tutor. She’s their only precious daughter.”

“That’s why she wanted to snatch things in public?”

“Because you were just an ordinary commoner.”

“So, she only dares to bully commoners? Does she not dare to mess with officials and nobles?”

“She dares to do it to anyone with lower official status than her family. When she sees something nice, she’ll try any means to get it.”

Qiao Mai didn’t take it too seriously. “I see. Thank you, everyone!”

In the past, she might have avoided such confrontations, but now, she had the necessary skills and resources. She wasn’t afraid of dealing with petty people like this.

Yue Hong and Yue Xxia looked pale. “Mistress, should we return to Bichun Garden?”

“No, let’s keep going. We haven’t explored much yet.”

Feng’er furrowed his little brows. “Mom, we will learn martial arts to protect you.”

“Good!”

Chuan’er added, “Mom, I’ll help you defeat the bad guys.”

Qiao Mai smiled and continued to walk with them. “Have fun. With Mom around, no one will dare to bully us.”

They arrived at a restaurant called Jufu Tavern. Qiao Mai recalled it seemed to belong to the Wang family.

She took the children inside, requested a private room, and ordered all the signature dishes.

The children were a bit reserved in such an elegant place.

“Relax, everyone. This is just a restaurant.”

“Mom, the restaurants in the Capital are so grand. Even the private rooms are better than where we live.”

“These are to attract customers. Better decor and food means they can charge more. This private room alone would cost us ten taels of silver even if we didn’t order anything.”

“Oh my goodness, ten taels of silver could last a commoner a year.”

“Remember, don’t be attached to material things. No matter how good something is, having skills and knowledge is better. Once you acquire skills, you become a treasure that can’t be exhausted or taken away.”

“Yes, Mom.”

When the dishes she ordered arrived at the table, the children laughed. “Mother, these are all dishes you used to make.”

“Enjoy them. Some of these are local specialties we don’t have.”

Just as they were enjoying their meal, the door of the private room rang, and Yue Hong went out to open it. They saw the shopkeeper walk in.

He greeted them and apologized, “My apologies, but you’ve offended Miss Fu. She sent someone to inquire, and when they found out you were dining here, she asked us not to serve you. If we disobeyed her, our restaurant might…”

“I understand.”

“I’m truly sorry. The meal is on the house.”

Qiao Mai didn’t say anything and left with her children. She could sense that someone was following them.

After they returned to Bichun Garden, the person trailing them reported to the Fu family.

“Miss, that woman went to Bichun Garden.”

“What is that place?”

“It’s the private residence of the late Grand Perceptor Pang’s daughter and the current Grand Perceptor’s sister.”

“Which one holds a higher official position, Grand Perceptor or Grand Tutor?” “The Grand Perceptor holds a slightly higher rank.”

“Hmph, how can I allow something I’ve set my sights on to slip away? Prepare  a greeting card. I want to meet the owner of Bichun Garden.”

“Miss, the granddaughter of Old Madam Pang is going to marry Prince Shungin in a few days.”

“What? She’s going to marry Brother Long Ji?”