The Marquis Mansion’s Elite Class

Chapter 139

The little one looked pitiful and aggrieved, making Zong Wenxiu's heart soften.

He couldn't hold back any longer and finally opened his mouth to say, "I didn't mean to hide it from you, but this matter is very important, and I was afraid something might go wrong..."

The little devil blinked his red eyes and said sadly, "You still won't tell me. You're lying to me. I’m clearly not your favorite person."

He had only been pretending to be upset at first, but as he kept pretending, he realized his brother truly didn’t intend to tell him. The act turned into real sadness, and a wave of sorrow washed over him.

Zong Wenxiu put away the handkerchief he had been using to wipe the little one's face, clearly still hesitating.

Meanwhile, the little devil behind him took a half-step back, his eyes red as he accused, "You really are lying to me..."

"I'm not," Zong Wenxiu said after a long pause, then walked over and closed the door.

This action signaled that he was about to reveal a secret.

The little devil's eyes lit up with excitement.

The sadness vanished in an instant, replaced by the thrill of knowing his brother was about to share a secret with him. His brother still cared for him the most!

The little one raised his hand and swore, "Brother, don’t worry, I’ll definitely keep your secret. My lips are sealed!"

He meant it. When the Crown Prince had asked him to keep the hunting grounds a secret, he hadn’t breathed a word to anyone.

Zong Wenxiu took out a contract from his pocket and handed it to him.

The little devil, who was now fully literate, quickly understood that it was a rental agreement for a house. He asked in confusion, "Brother, why are you renting a house? Don’t we live in the Marquis Manor?"

His brother’s private savings were limited, so buying a house wasn’t an option, which was why he had chosen to rent instead.

Zong Wenxiu explained truthfully, "Besides my mother, I have a few other relatives. I’ve brought them out of the slums."

The little devil was stunned. "!!"

He had only been asking out of curiosity, hoping to share a little secret with his brother, but he hadn’t expected to uncover such a huge revelation. No wonder his brother had been so hesitant to tell him earlier.

He had misunderstood his brother.

The little devil couldn’t help but ask, "You... you have other relatives? I mean, why haven’t I heard about them before?"

Zong Wenxiu began to explain his maternal grandfather’s identity and the secret he had been carrying: "After my grandfather passed away from illness, the family was left penniless. To escape our enemies, we retreated to the slums. My grandmother, who came from a good family, couldn’t survive in the slums and soon fell ill and died. My uncles were forced into military service and exiled, leaving behind my aunts and a young cousin. I also have an aunt, but after her daughter went missing in the slums three years ago, she lost her mind."

So, apart from him and Baili Weihong, there were four other members of the Yan Family still alive in the slums.

The little devil listened in shock.

This was the first time he had faced the harsh reality of what happened to the Yan Family after their downfall. One person’s disgrace had led to the ruin of an entire family.

"Just because of embezzling a thousand taels of silver... their family was destroyed like this?" Zong Jincheng couldn’t understand. "How could the court be so ruthless?"

He thought of his own jade pendant, worth three thousand taels.

The contrast between gold and silver made the injustice even more glaring.

Zong Wenxiu shook his head. "I don’t understand either. Perhaps the harsh laws are meant to deter corruption among officials. Besides, I never met my grandfather, so I can’t comment on the details."

The little devil asked again, "Then why didn’t you say anything? Grandmother would definitely be willing to take them in and care for them. Besides, your mother has been officially recognized now, hasn’t she?"

Zong Wenxiu shook his head. "A year ago, when we were about to be brought back, I mentioned it, but my aunts refused. They were worried that exposing their identities would bring trouble to the kind-hearted Marquis Manor. My mother didn’t dare bring it up either, afraid it would cause chaos and affect me. I... I understand. In my mother’s eyes, I’m the most important... but I couldn’t bear to leave them to fend for themselves in the slums, so I often brought them food and supplies."

"Yesterday, after learning about my grandfather’s situation, I went to see them again with some food and found that my second aunt was seriously ill, and my other aunt was on the verge of death. I was afraid they might die there, so I rented a small, remote house and brought them out to see a doctor."

That was why he had been leaving early and returning late these past few days.

The young boy’s pure-heartedness was deeply moving.

The little devil was touched.

Even though they were both still children, and his brother was only two years older than him, Zong Wenxiu had so much on his mind and so many people to take care of—yet he handled it all so well.

The little devil said guiltily, "You needed money so badly, yet you lent me fifty taels and didn’t even ask for it back..."

He still hadn’t repaid Zong Wenxiu the fifty taels, saving it to redeem his jade pendant someday.

Zong Wenxiu smiled. "It’s fine, you can use it. Renting or buying a house makes no difference—they just need a place to live. Besides, my monthly allowance has been raised to fifty taels, so I’ll be able to save up again soon."

Hearing this, the little devil felt even more guilty.

If it weren’t for his mischief, Grandmother wouldn’t have sent Xu Wan to discipline him, nor would she have reduced their monthly allowance to fifty taels, leaving his brother to struggle alongside him.

In ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????the past, Grandmother would have let them spend freely.

The little devil made up his mind. He would go talk to Xu Wan later and negotiate for a raise in their allowance. He was determined to lift his brother out of poverty!

Zong Wenxiu, noticing his silence, added, "I’m afraid my mother wouldn’t approve if she found out, so I’ve kept this a secret from her too. Be careful not to let it slip."

Zong Jincheng’s eyes lit up.

He quickly grasped the key point and exclaimed excitedly, "Your mother doesn’t know either? Only I know? I’m the only one who knows!"

Zong Wenxiu nodded. "Only you know."

The little devil was overjoyed. He beamed with pride and said, "Brother, I knew you cared about me the most. I’m the one you trust the most!"

Zong Wenxiu chuckled and held out his pinky finger. "Then promise me you’ll keep this secret, okay?"

The little devil quickly hooked his pinky around his brother’s and vowed earnestly, "I promise, I won’t let a third person know!"

The two brothers sealed their promise with a pinky swear, vowing to keep the secret together.

At dinner that evening, Zong Jincheng was still giggling to himself. The old lady asked him what had him so happy.

He kept his lips sealed and said, "I’m excited because my birthday is tomorrow!"

The whole table burst into laughter.

A child’s happiness is simple—a gift, a blessing, or a shared secret can bring joy for a long time.

That night, Cui Zhi asked Xu Wan what gift she had prepared for Young Master Jincheng’s birthday, as she noticed that the lady seemed to have forgotten about it.

Xu Wan smiled and said, "I’ve already decided what to give him. Don’t worry."

Given the little devil’s recent good behavior, she planned to raise his monthly allowance by ten taels, in addition to the basic fifty taels, to be given in cash.

That way, the boy wouldn’t be left without even enough money to buy a bowl of pear juice when he went out.

Financial control should be moderate. Overly strict restrictions could lead to rebellious behavior, and Xu Wan was worried it might cause trouble in the future.