What is this little rascal trying to do?!
Is he planning to paint Baili Xi's beard with that red ink?!
"Zong Jincheng!!!" Xu Wan shouted to stop him.
No matter where he intended to paint, he shouldn't have targeted Baili Xi. After all, Baili Xi was not only his teacher but also his father's mentor.
Baili Xi was startled by the loud shout and, upon opening his eyes, saw Zong Jincheng standing before him with a red brush in hand. The boy quickly hid the brush behind his back when he realized Baili Xi was awake.
Baili Xi, stroking his beard, asked, "Jincheng, what are you doing with that brush?"
Zong Jincheng, caught red-handed, put on an innocent smile. "Nothing, you must be mistaken. I just came to ask you how to write this passage..."
The little devil glared at Xu Wan through the window, shooting her a venomous look. This woman had ruined his plans again.
Xu Wan was furious. How dare this brat glare at her? He showed no remorse whatsoever!
"Cui Liu, bring the hand paddle."
At these words, not only did the little devil freeze in fear, but even Zong Wenxiu and Baili Xi were taken aback.
Zong Wenxiu had known Xu Wan for a long time but had never seen her so angry. What had just happened? He had been focused on copying the text and hadn’t noticed anything. And what was his brother doing with that brush?
Baili Xi, having taught for many years, had seen it all. While no one had ever dared to mess with him, he had heard stories of mischievous children who liked to doodle on their teachers' faces.
Knowing Zong Jincheng, the boy was definitely capable of such a prank. And it was clear now—
He had tried to play a trick on his teacher but was caught in the act by his mother.
Cui Liu was quick to act, returning with the hand paddle in an instant.
The little devil turned pale at the sight of the paddle. What was this? A hand paddle? Was she going to hit his hand?
Zong Jincheng quickly threw the brush aside, backing away with a nervous laugh. "It’s a misunderstanding! Don’t accuse me. I was just asking the teacher a question."
The little devil was clever. Even though he was panicking inside, he kept up his innocent act, a skill he had mastered to deceive adults.
Baili Xi seemed to fall for it. He hurriedly intervened, "Madam, let it go. It’s normal for children to be a bit mischievous. No harm was done, after all."
Xu Wan reminded him, "If I hadn’t shouted just now, Zong Jincheng would have painted your beard red with ink."
Baili Xi: "!"
He imagined his long beard suddenly turning red. Wouldn’t he look like Zhong Kui himself?
Baili Xi fell silent.
"Hold out your hand," Xu Wan ordered.
Seeing that his innocent act wasn’t working, Zong Jincheng immediately switched to threats. "If you dare hit me... my grandmother will be furious when she returns. She’ll take away your housekeeping keys and kick you out of the Marquis Manor!"
Xu Wan sneered, "We’ll see about that. Cui Liu, give him three strikes."
The little devil wailed, "Shunzi, Buyan, save me!!"
But Shunzi and Buyan were stopped by Cui Zhi at the door and couldn’t enter.
"Wenxiu! Save me! Brother! My dear brother! Help me!" The little devil pulled out all the stops, calling Zong Wenxiu "brother" in a desperate attempt to appeal to the only family bond he had left in the manor.
Zong Wenxiu, overwhelmed by this sudden display of brotherly affection, stood up to help. "Brother, I’ll save you!"
Just as a heroic rescue seemed imminent, the "wicked stepmother" stepped in front of the would-be savior.
Remembering Xu Wan’s kindness to his mother, Zong Wenxiu hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "Brother, I’ll save you next time!"
Baili Xi: "..."
The brotherly bond had lasted all of a few seconds.
Zong Jincheng cried out to no avail. His hands were firmly grasped by Cui Liu, who held the paddle in her right hand.
The little devil was terrified. "Don’t hit me with your right hand! It hurts more. Use your left hand. We don’t have any deep grudges. When I grow up, I’ll be in charge of the Marquis Manor. Aren’t you afraid of offending... Ah!"
"Smack!"—the first strike.
It was the little devil’s first time being hit. The pain shot from his palm throughout his entire body.
"You’re really hitting me? That’s too hard! Can’t you go easy on me? I’m sorry, I’m sorry... I’ll never mess with the teacher again. The books say that those who admit their mistakes are good children. You should give me a chance to change... Ah!"
"Smack!"—the second strike.
The little devil’s tears streamed down his face. The pain made it impossible to keep up his act of remorse. He started shouting in anger, "Xu Wan! I’ll never forgive you! When I take over the Marquis Manor, I’ll banish you to the countryside! You’ll never see anyone, never go shopping, just get bitten by mosquitoes, listen to frogs croaking, and watch... Ah!"
"Smack!"—the third strike landed.
The punishment was over. Cui Liu released his hand, leaving the little devil to stare at his reddened palms, howling as he collapsed to the floor.
Shunzi and Buyan rushed in to help him up, but the little devil continued to wail, his face defiant even as tears streamed down his cheeks.
Xu Wan picked up the essay Zong Jincheng had been copying. It was flawless, with not a single mistake or typo, though the handwriting was as messy as ever.
She crouched down in front of the little devil and said, "Kid, if you want to kick me out of the Marquis Manor, you’d better grow stronger fast. With your current weakling self... if you dare disrespect your teacher again, it won’t just be three strikes."
The little devil glared at her with red eyes, "Just you wait!"
Xu Wan patted his head, teasing, "I hope I won’t have to wait until I’m old and gray."
The little devil shook off her hand and yelled, "Buyan, carry me back! I don’t want to see this evil woman anymore!"
"Yes," Buyan moved to comply.
Xu Wan rolled her eyes, "What’s there to carry? Your hands were hit, not your legs. Walk back yourself."
"None of your business!" The little devil extended his reddened hand, leaning on Buyan’s shoulder as he was carried away, his glare at Xu Wan even fiercer.
Zong Wenxiu stood there, unsure of what to do. He glanced at his brother, then at Xu Wan, and stammered, "I... I’ve finished copying. I’ll go find the manor’s doctor to check on my brother’s hand! Madam, Teacher, goodbye."
Once only Xu Wan and Baili Xi remained, Baili Xi chuckled, as if recalling something amusing. He sighed deeply and said, "Madam, you’ve really made an enemy of Jincheng this time."
Xu Wan smiled, "I’ve always been on his bad side. I just never acted on it before. But his mischievous nature has gone too far. If he’s not disciplined, he’ll never learn."
Baili Xi nodded, "True. It’s fortunate that the old Marquis and his wife are open-minded. Otherwise, being a stepmother wouldn’t be easy for you."
Being a stepmother was no simple task. Any form of discipline could be labeled as abuse, but neglecting the child would be seen as indifference. After all, she wasn’t his birth mother.
