The streets of the capital were bustling with activity.

Yun Chu didn’t take a carriage. Walking on the street, watching the lively crowd, she confirmed once again that her rebirth was not a dream.

Chen Defu took her on a tour of the dowry shops.

There was a tea shop, silk shop, rice shop, blacksmith shop… eleven shops in total, large and small.

Chen Defu managed these shops very well, earning over ten thousand taels of silver each year, but it was still too little.

The Emperor was wary of the Yun family. Even without Xie Shi’an’s assistance, the Yun family would encounter trouble sooner or later.

She had to earn enough silver before trouble befell the Yun family…

“Madam, it’s starting to rain and getting a bit cold.” Tingfeng took out a cloak and draped it over Yun Chu’s shoulders. “Let’s sit in a teahouse for a while.”

Yun Chu looked up at the sky.

If she remembered correctly, this year would have a cold spring that wouldn’t warm up until May, and then it would become unbearably hot, continuing until October.

If asked what business was most profitable, it would naturally be stockpiling and selling ice.

Having formed a plan, Yun Chu became even more composed. She stepped into the teahouse and sat by a window on the second floor, enjoying the rain while drinking tea and chatting.

“What, Madam, you want to do the ice trade?” Chen Defu stood behind her, looking completely surprised. “Nobles and aristocrats have their own ice cellars, and other great families all purchase ice during this season. However, this year’s spring has been so cold that summer surely won’t be too hot either. Many families have only bought one-third or even one-fifth of what they bought in previous years. This business probably won’t earn much.”

Yun Chu’s face showed a smile. “Chen Bo, just listen to me. Whatever ice is available on the market, we’ll take it all.”

Seeing her confident appearance, Chen Defu knew he couldn’t persuade her otherwise.

He went along with Yun Chu’s words. “How much silver does Madam plan to use to purchase ice?”

Yun Chu spoke. “Use all the funds available in the accounts to buy ice. Later, I’ll give you some more silver.”

Chen Defu was astonished. “But Madam, didn’t you previously say to take all the silver from the accounts for you, that you had an important use for it?”

Yun Chu sneered coldly.

This so-called important use was because soon Xie Jingyu would attend his superior’s birthday banquet, and this money was to be used to buy a birthday gift for the superior.

She would never again spend a single coin on the Xie family.

As they were talking, a luxurious carriage stopped at the teahouse entrance.

Before the carriage had fully stopped, the curtain was lifted, and a delicately carved little dumpling quickly jumped down from the carriage.

The maids and matrons behind the little dumpling simply couldn’t keep up with their young master, shouting loudly, “Young Lord, slow down, be careful not to fall!”

Yun Chu’s gaze fell on the child.

The child looked thin and small, probably only about three years old, but ran extremely fast, disappearing in a flash.

She withdrew her gaze and continued talking with Chen Defu.

As they talked, she suddenly felt something fall onto her hair.

“Madam, don’t be afraid!” Tingfeng was startled. “A cricket jumped onto your head. This servant will take it off for you!”

Yun Chu was so frightened her body went rigid.

She was the young miss of the General’s household, had been bold since childhood, feared nothing under heaven or earth—except for small creatures like insects and crickets.

Her scalp tingled, and she didn’t dare move.

“Don’t touch my Tiaotiao!”

A soft, childish voice came, and then a small cannonball fiercely crashed into Yun Chu.

She looked in shock and saw the little young lord from downstairs earlier rushing toward her.

In the blink of an eye, he had climbed onto her knees.

Then both hands reached toward the top of her head.

All this happened in an instant.

Caught off guard, Yun Chu’s body fell backward.

Instinctively protecting the little dumpling in her arms, she fell to the ground holding the child.

“Madam!”

Tingfeng was extremely vexed. Not only had she failed to stop this inexplicable child, but she’d let Madam fall in full public view.

She quickly helped Yun Chu stand up and rapidly helped straighten her hairpins and clothing.

“Waaaah—!”

The little dumpling in luxurious clothing suddenly lay on the ground and burst into tears.

For some reason, Yun Chu’s heart suddenly ached.

She lifted her skirt and crouched down, asking gently, “Where did you hurt yourself? I’ll blow on it for you.”

“Bad person, you’re a bad person!” The little one’s eyes were brimming with tears as he looked at her accusingly. “You crushed Tiaotiao to death, waaaah, I hate you…”

Yun Chu looked over.

A cricket had been crushed to death on the ground. The little one, ignoring the fluid on the corpse, picked up the cricket with both hands and held it in his palms.

Yun Chu was so frightened she quickly backed away.

“You owe me Tiaotiao!” The little one cried while glaring at her. “You must compensate me with an identical cricket!”

Yun Chu: “…”

She must have left the house without checking the almanac. How could she encounter such an absurd situation?

“Young Lord, why are you crying?”

“Young master, we told you to be careful. Did you hurt yourself from the fall?”

A large group of attendants finally ran upstairs, surrounding their young master with concerned inquiries.

The little dumpling cried even harder. “She… she crushed my Tiaotiao to death!”

The nanny had just been coaxing the young master gently, but hearing this, her expression immediately changed. She glared at Yun Chu with a fierce and menacing look. “Where did this blind thing come from, daring to crush our Young Lord’s precious treasure? You…”

Before she finished speaking, she saw that the little young lord who had been crying fiercely suddenly stopped crying.

Those round black eyes stared at her, his face full of displeasure. “Who gave you permission to scold her? Apologize!”

The nanny looked completely baffled.

This woman before her had crushed the master’s favorite cricket. She had scolded her a couple of times to vent on the master’s behalf, yet the master was telling her to apologize?

But meeting her young master’s displeased gaze, she could only step forward and say, “This madam, I was presumptuous earlier. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Yun Chu’s expression was calm. “No harm done.”

Although she was the legitimate eldest daughter of a first-rank General’s household, after marriage, Madam Xie was her primary identity.

Even though she wasn’t at fault, the inner court member of a fifth-rank minor official could only bow her head before any noble.

She continued, “I will find an identical cricket to compensate the Young Lord. May I know where your residence is?”

“I live at Prince Pingxi’s residence.” The little one lifted his chin. “Remember, Prince Pingxi’s residence. When you find the cricket, hurry and bring it!”

Yun Chu was startled.

This child was actually Prince Pingxi’s son?

Prince Pingxi was the current Third Imperial Prince. He had once led troops to repel enemy forces invading Xichuan, thereby earning his title.

Four years ago, Prince Pingxi suddenly had a pair of children. Despite impeachment from civil and military officials, he insisted on petitioning for his son of unknown maternal origin to be made heir apparent, which had caused quite a stir in the capital…

“Young master, it’s time to return to the residence.” The nanny said in a low voice. “If the Prince returns and doesn’t see the Young Lord…”

Fear appeared on the little one’s face. “Let’s go, let’s go, hurry back!”

The nanny scooped up the little dumpling, and a large group surrounded him as they went downstairs, boarded the carriage, and the carriage sped away.

“Madam, leave this matter to this old servant.” Chen Defu spoke. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll bring a cricket for your inspection.”

Yun Chu nodded.

Sitting in the carriage returning to the residence, she thought of matters from her previous life.

Prince Pingxi had gone to the battlefield at fifteen and was a close friend of her father despite their age difference. After the Yun family was convicted, Prince Pingxi had also helped make efforts on their behalf.

However, before there was any progress on the Yun family’s matter, Prince Pingxi was exposed for secretly hiding weapons with intent to rebel…

What happened to Prince Pingxi afterward, she didn’t know, because by then she had already died from a cup of poisoned wine…