Zong Wenxiu's chopsticks, which were halfway through picking up some food, dropped onto the table with a plop.

The six or seven maids serving in the dining hall all widened their eyes, each seeing the surprise in the others' eyes!

This...

Was this still their young master?

Could the things he gave away actually be taken back?

Could he actually be concerned about whether someone would freeze at night?

Old Marquis! Old Madam!

Look quickly!!!

The ancestors must be working their magic!!!

Cui Zhi, who had a keen sense, had already signaled someone, and a maid happily went to report the good news to the villa.

Zong Jincheng, the main character, didn't notice anything unusual.

Xu Wan, sitting opposite the main seat, was looking at him with a half-smile, her starry eyes shining brightly. In that moment, he seemed to realize that this woman was a bit attractive.

"Ahem." Zong Jincheng, feeling everyone's eyes on him, awkwardly reminded them, "Did you hear me? I don't want to say it a second time."

If she dared to say she didn't hear, he would throw a tantrum!

Zong Wenxiu blinked his eyes and was the first to respond, "Madam has already sent someone to fix Jing Zhe's roof. It's just... it turns out you didn't give away those horses after all. No wonder you weren't so heartbroken. Madam said they cost over a thousand taels of silver."

Zong Jincheng snorted and sat down, muttering, "Over a thousand taels of silver? What's that compared to the wealth in our mansion? Small-minded peasant, never seen the world."

Small-minded peasant...

Zong Wenxiu had heard this term before, but previously, it was always accompanied by disdain and ridicule. However, coming from his brother's mouth, it seemed to carry no such meaning, but rather a sense of indulgence.

Thinking this, a slight smile crept onto his lips.

The little devil, without even washing his hands, reached out to grab a bun. A pair of chopsticks suddenly appeared, blocking his hand, as Xu Wan gestured for him to go wash his hands first.

Zong Jincheng was dissatisfied, but the maids had already brought water to his side, so he didn't even need to stand up. He simply extended his hand, and they washed and dried it for him.

The young master grabbed a meat bun and started gnawing.

Xu Wan, rarely refraining from teasing him at this moment, patiently waited until he finished his third bun before addressing Cui Zhi, "Tomorrow, have Shunzi go with Steward Liu to retrieve those three Akhal-Teke horses, and bring the horse contracts."

"Yes," Cui Zhi replied, a bit surprised. She had thought Madam would make the young master go himself to retrieve them.

Only by witnessing the faces of those people himself could he truly empathize. She had thought Xu Wan wouldn't miss this great opportunity to educate Zong Jincheng.

Xu Wan had indeed considered this.

But even if it succeeded, it would only result in the disbandment of the Four Playboys. It wouldn't do much to encourage the little devil to study hard. He could still continue kicking stones and scaring birds at home every day.

They needed to wait for the right opportunity.

Zong Jincheng tilted his head to look at her, puzzled about what this woman was plotting, but too lazy to guess. He had run around all day, was tired and hungry, and reached out for a fourth meat bun...

A growing boy can eat his father out of house and home.

The next day, before lunch, in the back courtyard study.

Zong Wenxiu was quietly copying an essay. Studying wasn't just about memorizing, but also understanding its meaning and being able to write it down. No matter the weather, he had to complete each learning task every day.

His younger brother, the young master, was a different story. Although he had been kicked into the study by Xu Wan early in the morning, his mind was elsewhere. He was sprawled on the desk, a thick book covering his face, with a corner of the book slightly wet, clearly deep in conversation with the Zhougong.

"Master, Steward Liu has retrieved the three horses," Shunzi excitedly burst in.

"Ah! That's great!" Zong Wenxiu stopped writing and smiled.

Zong Jincheng was startled by the shout, flusteredly sitting up from the desk, only for the book on his face to drop with a thud, and he tumbled off the table.

Shunzi: "..."

As a competent servant, he immediately closed his eyes, covered his head, and plugged his ears, pretending not to have seen it!

"Shunzi!! What are you shouting about!!!" The little devil's roar was still so vigorous.

"I'm sorry, Master! I didn't see you sleeping, thought you were studying, and couldn't wait to share this good news with you!"

Zong Jincheng took a deep breath, dissatisfied, "When is Buyan coming back?"

Buyan was one of the five servants Xu Wan had removed from his room. He was quiet, skilled in martial arts, and Zong Jincheng's favorite. But because he couldn't read, he was sent away along with the others.

The remaining Shunzi was only good at accompanying him in his studies!

Studying, studying, studying... it was so annoying. Who invented studying, anyway?

The little devil's head was steaming with anger, ready to cause trouble.

Shunzi quickly said, "Soon, soon! Madam said that once you understand the meaning of those books, you can have Buyan come back first, and our monthly allowance can be raised to fifty taels!"

As he spoke, he held up the twenty taels of silver he had just received, showing it to the irritable young master.

Zong Jincheng stared at the silver ingot for a full three seconds.

Although he hadn't had any money for a month, the mansion provided food and drink, so he could just stay home. But now that he had money, he still couldn't go out because...

"What can this little money do? I can't even afford a meal!" The young master's outings always cost hundreds of taels.

Shunzi's hands trembled, unsure of how to respond, but then he saw Zong Wenxiu's astonished gaze behind him and quickly seized the opportunity to say, "Master Wenxiu's monthly allowance is the same as yours!"

Zong Jincheng found a kindred spirit in misfortune.

He turned to ask, "You're also this miserable?"

Zong Wenxiu: "..."

He shook his head, "Not miserable. I think I'm quite fortunate. Twenty taels is a large sum of money."

Zong Jincheng questioned, "How is that possible? You can't even buy a boat with it, let alone beautiful jade pendants or good horses!"

Zong Wenxiu was hesitant to tell the truth, as his brother's spending habits were far beyond the norm, even compared to other noble sons.

But remembering Madam's goal of teaching his brother a lesson... he thought he should broaden his brother's perspective, showing him how the world really was.

Then, under Shunzi's admiring gaze, Zong Wenxiu's calm voice gently spoke:

"One tael of silver is a thousand coins, twenty taels is twenty thousand coins. Grain costs five coins per pound, so that's four thousand pounds. Four thousand pounds of grain can feed a family of four for four years. For Jing Zhe's family, it would be enough for them to eat for eight years, raising him to fourteen and his sister to eleven.

"Jing Zhe said that in the slums, children rarely grow up, either starving to death or dying of illness, most of which is due to poor resistance from malnutrition. The money you call 'this little bit,' with just two months' allowance, could raise them both to adulthood, making them the only two to survive in that place."