The Marquis Mansion’s Elite Class

Chapter 141

The little rascal was still a little rascal, wearing his thoughts plainly on his face. Xu Wan raised her hand to her forehead, trying to hide her amused expression.

This little devil was truly adorable, enough to make one's heart melt.

But she had to hold back her laughter.

After composing herself, she looked over again, and the little tyrant still wore that indignant, rebellious expression, as if ready to revolt at any moment.

"Is there anything else…"

Xu Wan was about to wrap up the conversation when the little tyrant suddenly asked, "What about my brother? Will his monthly allowance also increase to sixty taels?"

Xu Wan raised an eyebrow slightly and replied, "These ten taels are a birthday gift for you. I think it would be fair to wait until Wenxiu's birthday to raise his allowance to sixty taels."

Zong Jincheng: "..."

He knew she was saying this for his own good.

But that would mean his brother would miss out on dozens of taels of silver. The little tyrant did some quick mental math and felt like they were still at a disadvantage.

He shook his head and said, "I don't want this kind of fairness. If it's going to be raised, raise it for both of us."

Xu Wan nodded and said, "Alright, I respect your opinion. I'll talk to Steward Liu tomorrow and adjust both of your allowances."

"Great! Then I'll take my leave." With that, the little tyrant left without another word, his departure swift and without any lingering.

Cui Zhi came in from outside and asked curiously, "Madam, what did you two talk about? Young Master Cheng seemed to leave in quite a hurry."

Xu ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Wan smiled and said, "He came asking for money, but didn't quite succeed. Judging by how eager he looked, he's probably off to pester his grandfather and grandmother now."

Cui Zhi's eyes widened in alarm. "Oh no, that's bad news!"

"Bad news?" Xu Wan frowned. "Are the Old Marquis and Old Marchioness really that weak-willed?"

Cui Zhi gulped and said, "I'm not sure about now, but in the past, they were very indulgent. The elderly dote on their grandchildren, and Young Master Cheng is exceptionally clever, so he usually gets whatever he wants…"

Xu Wan thought back to the little tyrant's earlier attempts to manipulate her. If she hadn't been quick-witted, she might have fallen for his tricks.

This kid was a master at sweet-talking.

She prepared for the worst and reassured herself, "It's fine. Even if he manages to get the silver tonight, it won't matter. I'll just have Steward Liu confiscate it tomorrow."

After all, with her reputation as the wicked stepmother, she could act as she pleased.

Thinking about it, she actually felt a bit of satisfaction.

Cui Zhi: "..."

So unreasonable.

But also so practical.

Meanwhile, Zong Jincheng repeated the same plan he had tried on Xu Wan to the Old Marquis and Old Marchioness.

The old couple listened with growing astonishment.

"My goodness, my lord, just look at our dear Jincheng! He speaks and acts with such clarity and logic. Even an adult might not explain things so well!"

The Old Marquis also scrutinized the little tyrant, who took the opportunity to flash an adorable smile, his face beaming with charm.

Even the rough-and-tumble Old Marquis couldn't resist. He shook his head repeatedly and said, "Incredible, incredible. Our Jincheng is clearly destined for great things. When he grows up, he'll surely make a name for himself in the court."

The Old Marchioness nodded in agreement, her eyes nearly disappearing into her smile.

She praised, "Xu Wan is truly exceptional at teaching children. In just half a year, she's turned my dear grandson into such a fine young man. Who knows how much more impressive he'll be in three years? I think the hundred thousand taels I promised Xu Wan is as good as spent. Jincheng is sure to rank among the top scholars!"

Seeing the old couple showering him with praise, the little tyrant seized the moment and said, "This just shows how effective Grandmother's rewards are. Look at how well she's helped me achieve my goals. I want a reward like that too, Grandmother. Could you set a goal for me? That way, I'll study even harder. Who knows? Maybe I'll not only rank among the top scholars but even become the top scholar, just like Father!"

The Old Marchioness, completely swayed by his words, nodded repeatedly. "Of course, of course, I'll set a goal for you…"

"Ahem, ahem, ahem…" The Old Marquis suddenly realized something was amiss and quickly tried to signal her.

The Old Marchioness snapped out of her daze and quickly corrected herself, "Oh, no, that won't do. The household finances are now managed by your mother. You'll need to discuss this plan with her and get her approval first."

"Huh? Why do I have to listen to her?" The little tyrant tugged at the Old Marquis's sleeve and began to whine. "Grandfather, I like my tutor, I like studying in the library, and I like my brother. The only person I don't like is Xu Wan. Couldn't you and Grandmother set the goal for me instead? It doesn't matter who sets it, right? Let's make it a competition between her and me to see who can achieve it better, okay?"

"A competition?" The Old Marquis, being a military man, knew how motivating a challenge could be for learning. He was immediately intrigued.

In fact, Jincheng had a point. Whether Xu Wan set the goal or they did, it didn't really matter. The Marquis Manor would still foot the bill.

"Well, I suppose that could work…"

"Ahem, ahem, ahem!" This time, it was the Old Marchioness who frantically signaled him.

The Old Marquis quickly backtracked, "I mean, we should still discuss this with your mother and get her approval. Our Marquis Manor is an enlightened household. We've given your mother the authority to manage the household, so we can't keep interfering. Otherwise, we'd become a laughingstock."

Zong Jincheng: "..."

Failed again, failed again.

How frustrating!

What was going wrong?

The little rascal's face darkened as he asked, "Grandmother, Grandfather, why do you keep coughing?"

He had noticed that every time he was on the verge of success, their coughing would interrupt.

The Old Marchioness coughed and said, "Oh, it's probably because we've been away from home for so long. Coming back, we're feeling a bit out of sorts. Our throats have been itchy."

The Old Marquis chimed in, "Yes, yes, I've been feeling unwell for two days now. Even the family physician said there's nothing to be done. It's not serious enough for medicine, so we just have to tough it out for a couple of days."

The little tyrant's face grew even darker. "You can get homesick in your own home?"

"Of course…" the Old Marchioness explained earnestly. "When you live in one place for a long time, you get used to its environment. Suddenly moving somewhere else can make you feel out of sorts. And you know how it is—the Capital City isn't exactly the most nurturing place."

Zong Jincheng knew that.

But he still felt something was off. His instincts kicked in, and he said, "Grandmother, I'd like to speak with you alone for a moment."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the Old Marquis's "homesickness" flared up again. "Ahem, ahem, ahem…"

Hearing the signal, the Old Marchioness also began coughing.

"..."

Even a fool could tell they were putting on an act now.

Zong Jincheng was furious. He cried out in anger and hurt, "Grandfather, Grandmother, you don't love me anymore! Are you planning to abandon me? I'm your most precious grandson!"

Then, remembering his brother, he quickly added, "And my brother too! He's so pitiful. He suffered in the slums for so many years, and now that he's finally a legitimate heir, he still has to endure this injustice with me. A mere few dozen taels a month is just too pitiful."

The little tyrant switched from outright wailing to a more reasoned, emotional appeal, using Zong Wenxiu's plight to guilt-trip the old couple into helping him and his brother escape their financial woes.

Even if they didn't want to give him money, they could at least raise his brother's allowance.