Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot-Chapter 373 - 348 Crafty Bao Shu

Meng Qianqian couldn’t think of any good ideas for the moment and could only mull it over slowly.

The first step to overthrow the Prime Minister had already been completed. The self-proclaimed number one pillar of Great Zhou was now locked away in the Ministry of Justice Prison.

Though not formally convicted, there was no escaping the guilt.

In this regard, the Governor Mansion still held the upper hand.

It takes more than one chilly day for three feet of ice to form; the Prime Minister’s decades of planning wouldn’t collapse overnight.

But that’s fine. She was patient.

Every time he played a trump card, she would rip it up. Eventually, there’d be none left in his hand—he wouldn’t survive this.

Meng Qianqian went to see Bao Shu.

The little one wasn’t wall-facing in repentance anymore. Most likely, she was back to sleeping again.

Meng Qianqian headed to the main room and, sure enough, the little one was snoring away on the stepping bed.

Tan’er and Bai Yuwei had finished eating their lotus seed soup and were out playing, leaving Qing Shuang to guard the room.

Ban Xia brought her a bowl of lotus seed soup as well.

Qing Shuang pondered for a moment and then said, "Is there any more? Yu Zichuan is on the rooftop."

Ban Xia: "...That’s not something I can deliver up there."

Qing Shuang carried the bowl of lotus seed soup out of the room and called out towards the rooftop, "Yu Zichuan, catch!"

Meng Qianqian walked to the bedside and gently touched the little one’s cheek.

Soft and squishy, truly capable of melting anyone’s heart.

Ban Xia called from the doorway, "Miss, Xi Que is here."

"Miss."

Xi Que entered the room, greeted Meng Qianqian with a bow, and upon seeing Bao Shu fast asleep, immediately lowered her voice, "Miss Bao Shu is sleeping?"

Meng Qianqian softly replied, "It’s fine. Speak—did my great-grandmother want to see me?"

Xi Que smiled and said, "The estate has been quite busy lately. Miss and the master haven’t had the leisure to play leaf card games with the old madam for some time. She’s feeling bored and sent me to ask: will you join her tonight for cards? If not, could you go buy some storybooks? Last time, Miss Bao Shu tore up the ones you bought. The old madam finished reading the remaining ones and said if you’re too occupied, you can just send Zhao Si to make the purchase."

Upon hearing this, how could Meng Qianqian not understand: "Has my great-grandmother already sent Zhao Si to buy them?"

Xi Que gave an awkward smile.

"What did she buy?"

Meng Qianqian asked.

Xi Que thought for a moment and said, "Some folk tales—exorcists handling ghosts, headless murder cases...and dubious stories of widowed sisters-in-law and younger brothers."

The earlier ones didn’t sound too bad, but what was this about widowed sisters-in-law and younger brothers?

Where did Zhao Si dig up such bizarre storybooks?

No wonder, after finishing Zhao Si’s selections, the old madam found what Meng Qianqian bought to be insufficiently thrilling.

Meng Qianqian sighed and massaged her temples: "I’ll go have a look at the bookshop."

She was just about to leave when suddenly a chubby little hand grabbed hold of her sleeve. freeweɓnovel.cøm

She glanced down and met a pair of big, shiny jet-black eyes.

Meng Qianqian chuckled: "No more pretending?"

Whenever Bao Shu was sent to wall-face in repentance, she would doze off quickly and be carried back to the room.

The first few times, she indeed fell asleep. Later, she got clever and began to fake sleep to fool others.

This little one was such a crafty rascal!

"Want to be with Mom,"

Bao Shu clung to Meng Qianqian’s embrace.

Meng Qianqian fondly yet exasperatedly said, "You just want to go out and play, huh?"

Bao Shu whined, "Wherever Mom goes, Baby goes!"

Meng Qianqian let out an "Oh?" and teased, "I’m not going out."

Bao Shu’s little face fell with disappointment.

Meng Qianqian, amused, tapped her on the little nose: "Fine, I’ll bring you along."

"Yay yay yay!"

Bao Shu excitedly scrambled off the bed.

Meng Qianqian went to Liu Qingyun’s room: "Mom, I’m heading out for a bit. Would you like to come along for a walk?"

Liu Qingyun leisurely replied, "No, I’ve arranged to play leaf cards with some ladies."

Meng Qianqian blinked in surprise: "You’ve made friends in the Capital City?"

Liu Qingyun opened a box of snow cream: "It’s all for the sake of my son, of course."

The entire family was exerting effort to take down the Prime Minister; she couldn’t let the two little ones shoulder all the risks outside.

While Liu Qingyun was proud and arrogant, if she decided to lower herself to charm someone, there was no goal she couldn’t achieve.

Meng Qianqian praised her, "Mom, you’re amazing—so beautiful and so capable!"

Liu Qingyun replied conceitedly, "Otherwise, how could I bear such an outstanding son? What are you going out for?"

Meng Qianqian said, "To buy some books."

Liu Qingyun handed her a stack of silver notes: "Spend it all and then come back."

Meng Qianqian bowed graciously: "Thank you, Mom!"

After pocketing the silver notes, Meng Qianqian strode out of the mansion with confidence.

As soon as she stepped onto the carriage, she found Tan’er and Bai Yuwei already inside.

Bai Yuwei immediately pointed at Tan’er: "She insisted on coming!"

Tan’er crossed her arms and grumbled: "Well, I didn’t say N had to come along!"

Bai Yuwei replied, "If you can come, why can’t I?"

Tan’er declared, "I’m going with my sister."

Bai Yuwei retorted, "She’s my sister-in-law too!"

Bao Shu walked over to the two, raised her chubby little hands, and firmly covered their mouths.

Tan’er removed Bao Shu’s hand and asked seriously, "Treasure Piggy, what are you doing?"

Bai Yuwei grabbed Bao Shu’s other hand and added, "Yeah, why are you covering my mouth?"

Bao Shu responded in her nasally little voice, "You’re noisy."

Bai Yuwei was about to argue further when a thought suddenly struck her. She asked in an odd tone, "Hey—weren’t you supposed to be wall-facing in repentance? Did you sneak out? Does my aunt know about this?"

Tan’er seemed to have an epiphany: "Treasure Piggy, you’re slacking again!"

Bao Shu blinked innocently and turned to Bai Yuwei: "Aunt Bai, Tan’er said you’re fat."

Bai Yuwei exploded, yelling at Tan’er, "I’m fat? Am I as fat as you? At least I’m not short! You’re thirteen and still haven’t grown!"

Tan’er, most sensitive about her height, placed her hands on her hips and shouted back, "Who says I haven’t grown? I have grown!"

"You haven’t grown!"

"I have! You’re fat! White and plump! White chubby!"

"White Chubby happens to be my aunt’s nickname!"

The instigator, Bao Shu, silently withdrew to her little floor cushion, concealing her accomplishment.

Meng Qianqian remarked, "You’re truly a little schemer. Do you want me to tell Grandma on you?"

Bao Shu blinked her bright eyes and replied, "Baby’s pocket money is all for Mommy."

Meng Qianqian: "..."

-

Meng Qianqian arrived at the workshop district.

She hadn’t been here for a long time, and many unfamiliar faces had appeared.

Half of the stall owners were strangers to her.

Unfortunately, the district’s bookshop was closed. After inquiring with the neighboring shop, she learned the proprietor was unexpectedly absent and might not open for business that day—they couldn’t say for sure.

The nature of business here was always unpredictable; no wonder people said it relied on luck.

"Sister, I’m so hungry,"

Tan’er rubbed her belly as she spoke.

Bai Yuwei sneered, "You just had lotus seed soup—two bowls of it! No wonder you eat and don’t grow!"

Tan’er examined Bai Yuwei with her gaze: "You grow plenty, though."

Bai Yuwei hastily covered her stomach: "I... I only ate a few extra bites."

To be fair, the Governor Mansion’s cuisine was simply too good—even Bai Yuwei’s slim face had rounded out into a little crescent shape.

"Little Sis isn’t fat, don’t worry. Tan’er has grown taller, too. Winter clothes will need resizing,"

Meng Qianqian mediated diplomatically, briefly calming their temperaments.

Meng Qianqian suggested, "There’s a famous lamb restaurant on the nearby old street. I heard from Xiaoru that their lamb backbone stew is excellent. Shall we give it a try?"

The group headed to the lamb restaurant.

Meng Qianqian reserved a private room on the second floor.

As soon as they sat down, Bao Shu announced she urgently needed the bathroom.

Bai Yuwei muttered, "Why didn’t you go downstairs earlier? Kids are so troublesome!"

Tan’er countered, "You’re the one that’s troublesome! Treasure Piggy, let’s go!"

Tan’er took Bao Shu downstairs to find the restroom.

"It’s in the backyard,"

The server informed them.

"Where?"

Tan’er searched fruitlessly.

Bao Shu, desperate, grabbed a passing man’s sleeve: "Bathroom, pee pee."

The man was wearing a straw hat, its brim pulled low, revealing only a hint of a silver mask.

The gloved figure extended a black-clad hand and pointed to the east.

Tan’er exclaimed, "Thank you, hero! Treasure Piggy, let’s go!"

Bao Shu, nestled in Tan’er’s arms, turned her head back to stare curiously at the mysterious man.