"Hmph, the dignified Marquis of Pingyang, so resourceful and strategic, yet to do something so childish and ridiculous. This King truly looks down on you..." Xiao Jinfeng retorted.
Hearing this, Gu Mingyan suppressed the urge to burst into laughter and said calmly, "Your Highness Ming, one must keep their promises and not say one thing and do another. So let's not waste any more time. Hurry and let those people in. It's quite cold outside!~"
Xiao Jinfeng: "..."
Are you deliberately trying to oppose me today?
Gu Mingyan clapped his hands and called out towards the door, "Bring in the first blind date!~"
Before Xiao Jinfeng could step forward to stop him, Yun Sanman pushed in a plump, wrinkled woman...
Xiao Xitian and Xiao Jinheng also squeezed in to watch the spectacle.
Upon seeing the woman's appearance, Xiao Jinfeng's eyes widened, and he was so angry he almost spat blood.
With such a look, she couldn't even compare to the governesses in the palace. And she dared to dream of sharing a loving embrace with him? What a pipe dream!
But the man was indifferent while the woman was eager. The woman blinked her eyes, looked Xiao Jinfeng up and down, and then clicked her tongue, "Oh my, this young man, with his thick eyebrows, big eyes, and fair skin, he's just like that... what's it called..."
"A fresh meat!" Xiao Xitian reminded her with a smile.
The woman slapped her thigh, "Yes, yes, just tender meat! You're so handsome, why are you still on blind dates? Don't girls nowadays fancy your type?"
Xiao Jinfeng: "..."
Madam, could you please say less? I'm about to die of shame.
"No, no interest!" Xiao Jinfeng frowned and waved his hand, "Next!~"
Gu Mingyan sighed helplessly upon hearing this, "Alright, Qingfeng, bring in the next one..."
Seeing this, the woman snorted, "Is being good-looking something to be proud of? Look at your attitude. If you want to marry me, I won't marry you, hmph!"
Xiao Jinfeng: "..."
Who said I wanted to marry you?
You don't even measure up to half of Miss Huaihua. This is truly amusing.
Xiao Xitian and Xiao Jinheng exchanged glances and covered their mouths, giggling.
Sun Laohan and Guan Zhongbo, having nothing else to do, also squeezed into the room to join the fun...
A moment later, Yun Siman brought in another plain-looking woman.
Seeing her, Xiao Jinfeng slammed the table and glared at Gu Mingyan, "Are these the blind dates you arranged for me? Then let me ask you, would you want such a mature woman? Would you marry her as a mother or a grandmother?"
"Pfft, hahaha..." Guan Zhongbo couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Oh dear, a young man on a blind date with a mature woman, how desperate must he be?
Does young Master Xiao have unique preferences, specifically liking women a decade older than him?
"No, no laughing!~" Xiao Jinfeng shot Guan Zhongbo a glare, his anger making him puff up.
Gu Mingyan, with his hands tucked in his sleeves, smiled enigmatically, "Young Master Xiao, if you don't like them, there are many more candidates behind. Perhaps, we should just let them all in at once to save you the trouble of choosing one by one..."
"No need!~" Xiao Jinfeng took a few deep breaths and instructed Er Longzi, "Go, get them some silver and send them all away!"
If he continued watching, he feared his blood pressure would skyrocket, and he might pass out from anger...
Seeing that the blind date event could not proceed, Gu Mingyan did not stop them and led Qinglan back to the room for tea.
Having been in the Yun family for so long, he could naturally see that Miss Huaihua and Prince Ming had mutual feelings for each other. If he were to forcefully break them up, wouldn't that be detrimental to himself?
To keep Prince Ming in check, relying solely on blind dates would not work. He needed to find other ways...
Seeing that there was no more excitement to watch, Xiao Xitian and Xiao Jinheng went to the kitchen to roast sweet potatoes.
"Little Village Child, who is that uncle?" Xiao Jinheng asked.
During his absence, so many strangers had come to the house...
Xiao Xitian blinked her big eyes, "Is it Doctor Guan?"
"No, the other one!~"
"Oh, that's Uncle Sun. I rented our shop from Uncle Sun. He's a kind-hearted person and returned all the rent I paid him!" Xiao Xitian explained.
Xiao Jinheng raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, "Little Village Child, are you really going to open a shop in the county town?"
In the future, he would take Little Village Child to the capital and the imperial palace. What was the use of opening a shop?
"It's a small restaurant..." Xiao Xitian's eyes curved into crescents, "It's for Big Brother and Sister-in-law. If we make money, it can also help with household expenses!"
"Are you very short of money?" Xiao Jinheng asked curiously. He fumbled in his sleeve and pulled out two silver notes, "I can give you money!"
"No need!" Xiao Xitian took out the roasted sweet potatoes. Her chubby little face was filled with seriousness and sincerity, "And from now on, Stinky Boy, don't give me money. I can earn it myself..."
In the past, their family had received many favors from Xiao Jinheng. Even in their most destitute times, Xiao Jinheng had never left them.
But now, the Yun family was no longer what it used to be. Since Xiao Xitian intended to get rich through her own hard work, she didn't need outside help or subsidies.
Xiao Jinheng: "..."
Why did it feel like Little Village Child had changed so much?
Was she trying to distance herself from him?
Looking at the dairy cows in the cowshed, and the diligence with which Jin Xiaolou delivered milk every day, it was not difficult to see how much Little Village Child wanted to escape poverty and become prosperous...
Seeing that Xiao Jinheng remained silent, Xiao Xitian picked up a sweet potato, peeled it, and blew on it gently, "Eat it while it's hot!"
"Okay!" Xiao Jinheng took the sweet potato and took a bite.
The sweet, glutinous taste spread in his mouth, drowning out all the unhappiness in his heart...
He really wished he could grow up quickly so he could legitimately take Little Village Child back to the palace.
He just didn't know if she would be willing to go with him.
In the storeroom.
Yun Daman looked at a few jars of pickled cabbage and sighed, "Oh dear, Father, why is this pickled cabbage frozen like this? Will it go bad?"
Old Man Yun glared at him, "It's so cold, it's a miracle the large jars haven't cracked. Don't worry, it won't go bad. Just rinse it with water and it can be eaten..."
As he spoke, Old Man Yun rolled up his sleeves, casually scooped out four or five pieces of pickled cabbage, and placed them in a bamboo basket.
Yun Daman, with a belly full of words, had intended to ask later, but he was a person who couldn't keep secrets, so he directly pulled Old Man Yun to the doorway.
"Daman, what are you doing?"
"Father, I have something to ask you..." Yun Daman said with a serious expression.
Old Man Yun: "???"
What's gotten into this kid today?
"Hurry up and say it, it's cold!~" Old Man Yun put his sleeves down again, shaking the water droplets from his hands.
Yun Daman looked left and right, seeing no one passing by, then leaned closer to Old Man Yun, "Father, do you have an illegitimate child outside?"
Old Man Yun, completely bewildered: "..."