Dou Ying suddenly realized, "Yinyin is so smart!"
Although Yinyin couldn't get married, they could still get married. Even though the family was not doing well, a dying camel was still bigger than a horse.
Xing Zhe was a man, and there were plenty of young ladies in the court eager to curry favor with him. Although Xing Zhe had been to prison, it was only for trivial matters, nothing serious.
Although marrying a princess was out of the question, marrying the daughter of a second-rank official was definitely possible.
As soon as Dou Ying had an idea, she immediately started making arrangements.
However, after several days of busy work, she had found nothing.
What she considered a small matter was a big deal to others. No one wanted to marry their daughter to someone who had been to prison for committing a crime.
Some even suggested finding a matchmaker.
The first time someone brought this up, Dou Ying was very displeased. She even got into an argument with someone in their residence, calling their young lady fussy and spoiled, destined to remain unmarried.
But as more people brought it up, Dou Ying couldn't help but feel anxious.
She thought about it all night. If she really needed to find a matchmaker, there was only one person who was most suitable: Zhou Wanyou.
Using the General's Mansion as a stepping stone, perhaps Su Xing Zhe could even meet a better girl.
With this thought in mind, Dou Ying went to the General's Mansion, but as soon as she started to speak, Zhou Wanyou rejected her.
Acai, blocking the entrance to the hall, let go.
Dou Ying tried her best to persuade her, but it was no use. She cursed as she walked out, "Don't think the General's Mansion is indispensable without me. There are plenty of young ladies in the capital who want to marry our Xing Zhe!"
As Su Yunmo stepped into the courtyard, she saw Dou Ying leaving in a huff, her sleeves flicking. She asked curiously, "Sister Acai, why did Second Aunt come?"
Acai explained the situation, disdainfully saying, "It's really something she could think of. With the character of that person in their family, let alone the daughters of official families, even daughters from commoner families would be wronged to follow him."
Su Yunmo twirled her fingers, gazing in the direction Dou Ying had left, a strange glint in her eyes. "Is that so?"
Although she didn't know what Ye Ningyuan had said to Su Yinyin that night, Su Yinyin would eventually be unable to tolerate this family.
Even if she hadn't agreed to Ye Ningyuan's proposal at the time, she would find a way to break free from her family's control afterward.
Shifting the focus to keep Dou Ying busy with Su Xing Zhe's affairs so she wouldn't bother her was indeed a good plan.
Acai asked, "Miss, do you need something from Madam?"
The little dumpling's face immediately fell, and she pouted aggrievedly, "Yes!"
Seeing her like this, Acai knew she had been wronged. The events in Su Yunmo's courtyard these past few days were no secret in the mansion. "Madam is inside."
"Mother~~~" The little dumpling stretched out her voice and ran inside with her short legs. When she saw Zhou Wanyou, she threw herself into her arms, looking extremely wronged.
"Mother, save Momo~ Momo is about to die~"
Zhou Wanyou rubbed the little dumpling's face and held her in her arms. "What's wrong, Momo? Tell Mother quickly."
The little dumpling hugged her neck and rubbed her chest incessantly. "Ye Jingyu bullies Momo so much, Mother, can you chase him away? Momo begs you~"
These past few days, that person had been acting erratically, dragging her to learn qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting every day.
Her ears were still buzzing, and when she slept, she dreamt of unfinished assignments from him, waking up two or three times a night in fright.
She couldn't live like this anymore!
Zhou Wanyou pinched her round little face. "Momo, you can't be so impolite. His Highness saved you, he is your benefactor, and he is also the tutor bestowed upon you by His Majesty. How can you chase him away for no reason?"
If she had initially just wanted them to get along, then now she genuinely wanted His Highness Yu to stay.
Everyone in the mansion had seen clearly these past few days that His Highness was truly teaching Momo diligently, not just going through the motions.
Even Brother Yi said that His Majesty's judgment was good, indicating that their opinions were unified regarding Momo's learning ability.
"But Momo doesn't like him. He's overbearing and annoying, and he always punishes Momo by making her copy things. Momo's hands are so sore!" The little dumpling acted spoiled and threw a tantrum. "Mother, just chase him away!"
"I am overbearing and annoying? You didn't say that before." Ye Jingyu walked in through the doorway.
Zhou Wanyou looked up and saw him, startled, and struggled to suppress a smile. "Your Highness Yu, you have worked hard these past few days."
Ye Jingyu's gloomy face had smudges of ink, and there was a small red mark on his forehead, long and narrow. It was obvious he had been hit by something.
Judging by the shape of the ink smudge, it was not difficult to imagine that Su Yunmo had thrown something at his forehead.
"It's not hard work," he said, walking over and pulling the little dumpling, who was desperately trying to burrow into Zhou Wanyou's arms, out. "You still have assignments to complete today. I'll take her back first."
The little dumpling immediately flailed her limbs and cried out, "I don't want to, I don't want to! Mother, save me, Mother!!"
Zhou Wanyou did not save her, but simply chuckled. "Momo, be good and study. Mother will ask the kitchen to make you something delicious tonight."
Su Yunmo didn't want delicious food; she wanted to run away from home!
Ye Jingyu grabbed the little dumpling by the collar and took her back to the study. He turned and closed the doors and windows to prevent her from escaping again.
The desk was laid out with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. The brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were in disarray, and the floor was covered with paper, most of it crumpled into balls.
On the floor lay a calligraphy brush, the one Su Yunmo had thrown at Ye Jingyu's forehead.
Ye Jingyu threw her onto the floor and said in a deep voice, "Pick up the brush."
The little dumpling resentfully picked up the brush and threw it at him. "Say it again, I don't want to study!"
Ye Jingyu did not dodge. The brush hit him, and his clothes were also stained with ink.
He didn't care. This set of clothes would be thrown away after he took it off anyway, so she could do as she pleased.
"If you don't finish copying today, you won't have dinner tonight."
The little dumpling sat on the floor and flailed her limbs, rolling and crying on the ground.
"If you don't let me eat, I won't write! I hate those poems and songs the most. I don't want to eat, not tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow. I'd rather starve to death than eat!"
Ye Jingyu frowned. Although he had deeply felt how much she disliked learning these past few days, this was the first time she had resorted to a hunger strike to threaten him.
The first two days, when he said she wouldn't eat, she would immediately go and write.
"You hate it that much?"
Su Yunmo slapped the floor and sat up. "Do I need to ask you? Why do I have to read these things? Aren't there many well-bred young ladies who haven't studied?"
Moreover, when she was in the academy before, there was a time when she needed help with an exam, and he had pushed her away at the door, unwilling to teach her.
Why was he acting like this now?
Ye Jingyu walked over and lifted her from the ground. "Others don't have to study, but you do. You'll need it in the future."
"Why can't I? What can I use it for? The little dumpling, held in mid-air, crossed her small hands and tucked them under her armpits, afraid he would shove the brush at her when she wasn't paying attention.