The clingy concubine ran away, and the sickly prince lost control.

"Miss, what is the young lady doing on this pleasure boat? And why is she dressed as a man?" Granny Liu looked around, wishing she could go and see for herself.

"I don't know, Granny. Go and buy three sets of men's clothes so we can change into them and go inside," Luo Qingyan said. Luo Haitang's most likely reason for coming to the pleasure boat was to find her mother.

There are many shops selling ready-made clothes along the river.

The only customers were the girls on the boat and the men who frequented the pleasure boat.

To avoid attracting attention, the male guests would go to a clothing store and buy a new set of clothes to change into before entering the pleasure boat.

Granny Liu quickly returned with the clothes she had bought.

The three changed clothes and entered the painted boat. After going around for a while, they finally found Luo Haitang in a corner. Sure enough, she had come to find her mother, Madam Sun.

Luo Qingyan hid behind a pillar to see what Luo Haitang was going to do.

Sun sat on the ground, leaning against a broom.

"Mother, please get up." Luo Haitang said tenderly as she reached out to pull Sun Shi up.

Sun's face was pale, and she said weakly, "I'll just sit down and rest for a while. I'm too tired."

She had to work for ten of the twelve hours of the day, and could only rest and sleep for a while in the morning when the pleasure boat was closed.

The pleasure boat was on all night, so she couldn't go off duty to sleep. Occasionally, she would lean against a pillar and doze off, but if she was caught, she would be scolded or not given food.

"Haitang, why are you only coming to see me now?"

Sun's words carried a hint of reproach. Luo Daocheng married Piaoxue, and Luo Haitang didn't even come to comfort her?

"Sigh, Mother, so many things have happened at home while you were away," Luo Haitang said, frowning with distress.

"What is it? Did your father marry the woman he's been hiding on the pleasure boat for years?" Sun's voice was hoarse. Since that day's outburst, she had grown a lot of white hair. Her already thin oval face was now just skin and bones, and her sunken eye sockets occupied most of her face.

"That's not all. Luo Qingyan said saving you cost us 10,000 taels, and then she asked us for 500 taels in compensation for medical expenses..."

"Haitang, let's not talk about this anymore. When I get back, I'll make up for it with my own dowry."

Sun interrupted Luo Haitang, saying that she had said it last time she came that she was already heartbroken.

"And also, it turns out that Luo Qingyan is Shen Nanxun's real savior. He even wants to give the thousand taels he gave me before to Luo Qingyan. In addition, Shen Nanxun gave Luo Qingyan another five thousand taels, making a total of six thousand taels. Mother, tell me, when has Luo Qingyan ever seen so much silver?" Luo Haitang rolled her eyes in anger.

Does Luo Qingyan deserve it? From childhood to adulthood, the most she's ever touched is two taels of silver, which she earned by doing odd jobs at a lowly clinic.

Six thousand taels—she probably never even dared to dream of that before.

"Shen Nanxun's savior is actually this damned girl." Madam Sun gritted her teeth in hatred.

"Yes! And Shen Nanxun is ignoring me too, how can I marry him?" Luo Haitang sighed and complained.

Shen Nanxun is talented and handsome; he's someone she can't afford to miss.

"Lucky star? What lucky star? I think she's her own lucky star."

Sun said angrily, "Luo Daocheng listened to the slander of that stinky monk and said that Luo Qingyan was a lucky star. Now, all these things are right in front of us, proving that she is not a lucky star of the Luo family at all."

But Sun and Luo Daocheng forgot that the monk had said, "Treat her well, she will be your lucky star."

If you don't treat people well, how can you expect to be their lucky star and receive something in return?

"Mother!" Luo Haitang suddenly exclaimed, "I've discovered that Luo Qingyan is the one who benefits from everything, while we lose money. Do you think she might be lying to us? I don't believe in the 'lucky star' theory. Especially the ten thousand taels before."

"She dares."

Sun spat. Qingyan dared to cheat her out of her money. She would teach her a lesson and let everyone know that Qingyan was an unfilial and disloyal wretch who even cheated her parents out of their money.

"Sister, now that the Duke's mansion is backing her up, what is there she wouldn't dare to do? Mother, once you go out and see for yourself the Kangning Pavilion that Prince Pei opened for her and her attire, you'll know just how much the Duke's mansion dotes on her." Luo Haitang continued sarcastically:

"Little sister, you've never seen much of the world. You've suddenly received so many benefits, and you're spoiled and arrogant. You don't care about us at all. We're already being kind by not hitting or scolding us because of the harsh words I said in the past. What's a few thousand taels of silver to you? But little sister, don't you think about it? With your mischievous nature, I've never taken care of you since you were little. Who knows what you'll become now? I'm only doing this for your own good."

"Alas! Mother, but now my sister seems to harbor resentment and doesn't understand our good intentions towards her at all."

"Do you really think Qingyan swallowed that ten thousand taels?" Madam Sun pressed, unable to believe that Luo Qingyan, who didn't even dare to stand up straight in front of her, would dare to deceive her.

"Yes." Luo Haitang nodded firmly. "Mother, when I came in, I saw a laborer being released, so I inquired about it. The person in charge here hinted that if I gave him some silver, you could leave early. It was about this amount."

Luo Haitang held up two fingers.

"Twenty thousand taels?" Madam Sun asked timidly. Could it be that she couldn't save her last time because the money wasn't enough, and it wasn't because she pushed someone at all?

"No." Luo Haitang immediately frowned and shook her head. "It's two thousand taels. Mother, do you think Luo Qingyan lied to us? Before, I told Father that my sister was asking for too much, and I had some doubts. But Father said he would be willing to give it even to the Duke's mansion."

"What? This girl dared to lie to us!" Mrs. Sun's voice became even hoarse with anger.

Behind the pillar, Luo Qingyan smiled and said, "It's a pity the money is already in her hands. It's too late to realize it now."

"I've given up on your father." Mentioning Luo Daocheng, Madam Sun covered her face and wept.

"Haitang, go get two thousand taels and get me out of here. I can't stay here for another second."

She couldn't sleep night after night; she was going crazy.

Luo Haitang looked troubled: "Mother, there is no money left in the manor. There is only a little cash left, which is barely enough for the manor to get by."

"Then let's sell some jewelry and raise two thousand taels," Madam Sun said firmly.

"But your dowry is running low. Last time, in order to raise 10,000 taels, you already took out half a box of jewelry." Luo Haitang turned her head to the side. Her mother had promised to use the dowry to make up for the 10,000 taels deficit in the household when she returned.

The ten thousand taels included the cost of purchasing seeds for the next season's grain harvest on the estate.

In this way, the mother had nothing left.

She still wants to ask for more dowry when she gets married!

"Get me out of here first. I haven't been able to sleep, and I really can't hold on much longer." Sun's tired eyes revealed despair.

Luo Haitang lowered her eyes and remained silent.

Madam Sun added, "Haitang, I need to go back and treat Qingyan properly."

Upon hearing this, Luo Haitang raised her eyes and said, "I'll go and gather two thousand taels right now, and I'll come back to take you home later."

"Okay, go quickly, go quickly." Madam Sun reached out and pushed Luo Haitang.

Behind the back of the Jingzhao Prefecture, the manager of the pleasure boat accepted money to provide labor services.

Luo Qingyan, behind the pillar: "Let's go! Sister needs to take Mother out."

After all, Sun was his mother, and he had been kind to her in raising him. He couldn't very well kill her. He would just cut off all contact with her in the future.

The three left, completely unaware that Luo Haitang, who was walking in the opposite direction, was pulled into the room by a fleeting shadow.