Xue Zhongfu's heart moved slightly when he heard this.

He remembered that his father Xue Yonghuai had a close relationship with the Duan family during his lifetime, and that his mother and General Duan's wife were close friends and often visited each other.

It was understandable that Hong Yingrong went to see the Duan family off in person when they left Beijing. He sighed softly, feeling both emotional and regretful.

I felt sad that General Duan and his family had left Beijing, and I didn't know when I would see them again; I also regretted that I couldn't get back in time to see the Duan family off with my mother.

However, Xue Zhongfu quickly calmed down and turned to the maids and said, "In that case, I will go to the study and wait for mother to come back."

After saying that, he walked out of the Prajna Hall and headed towards Yun Moxuan's study.

At the same time, on the official road outside the city, the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the sparse clouds, casting mottled light and shadows on the road surface.

General Duan and his family were busy preparing for their journey south. Their carriages and horses were in good order, but there was a sense of sadness about parting.

When the carriage that Hong Yingrong was riding in arrived, she got off and looked around, and suddenly understood how cold and fickle the world was.

Except for General Duan's former subordinates, none of those who once flattered the Duan family in the court appeared at this moment.

Old Madam Duan was unable to get off the carriage due to a leg problem. Duan An, accompanied by his son, daughter, and Feng Shaoying, who was now dressed as a commoner, walked up to Hong Yingrong and bowed to express his gratitude.

"General Duan, you must have been exhausted from the journey. These blood swallow's nest and donkey-hide gelatin are for Yujiao to nourish her body. You must accept them." Hong Yingrong said, and asked Madam Zhao to hand the package in her hand to Duan An.

Feng Shaoying, who was standing by, looked at Hong Yingrong and felt deeply moved.

He knew that after the incident, Xue Yuanchu had his leg broken by the old lady, and he couldn't help feeling a little sad at this moment.

Finally, everyone said goodbye reluctantly.

General Duan was about to board the carriage, but after a moment's thought, he turned back and said sadly, "Sister-in-law, remember that when the cunning rabbit dies, the running dog is cooked; when the birds are gone, the good bow is hidden. You must be careful and take care of yourself."

Hong Yingrong's heart trembled. She nodded deeply and watched the Duan family's convoy go farther and farther away and disappear at the end of the road.

As night fell, Xue Zhongfu sat alone in his study, holding a book in his hands, but he was reluctant to open it.

In his heart, he was still thinking about what he had heard about the Shen family in the meeting hall today, and his mother's farewell outside the city.

After an unknown amount of time, footsteps were heard outside the door, followed by the maid's announcement: "Second Young Master, the old lady has returned home."

"I understand." He immediately put down the book in his hand, stood up and went to the Prajna Hall. As soon as he entered the yard, he saw Hong Yingrong walking in slowly with the support of a maid, with a hint of fatigue on her face.

"Mother, you're back." Xue Zhongfu stepped forward, held his mother's arm, and asked with concern, "Did the farewell go well?"

Hong Yingrong nodded gently and smiled, "Everything is going well. The Duan family is all well. It's just that when we say goodbye, we always feel a little sad."

Hearing his mother say this, his heart ached, so he helped his mother into the side hall, let her sit on the couch, and personally made her a cup of hot tea.

"Mom, drink some tea to warm yourself up." He handed the teacup to his mother and said softly.

Hong Yingrong took the teacup, took a sip, and a relieved smile appeared on her face: "The Ministry of Works has a lot of work to do. When you return home, you can have an early meal and rest. There is no need to wait for me to come back."

Xue Zhongfu smiled slightly and recounted in detail everything that had happened in the meeting hall today.

When talking about the blue bricks presented by the Shen family, he couldn't help but show an admiring look on his face: "Mother, you haven't seen those Beijing bricks. They are really rare and good bricks."

After hearing this, Hong Yingrong's eyes flashed with admiration. She said softly, "The Shen family's gift of such fine bricks this time shows that they are indeed exceptional in brickmaking skills."

At this point, she seemed to remember something and changed the subject, "By the way, your eldest brother's leg injury hasn't healed yet, and there's no one to take care of the shop, so I've let your eldest sister-in-law take over. Your eldest brother is in such a bad condition now, so he should just take good care of himself and not cause any more trouble."

Xue Zhongfu was slightly stunned when he heard this. He didn't expect his mother to be so disappointed in his eldest brother, but he soon understood his mother's intention. He nodded and said, "Mother, you have considered it carefully. My eldest sister-in-law is indeed a suitable candidate."

"Speaking of the Shen family, your sister-in-law also wrote to Shen's Third Lady, hoping to ask her for some advice. I think this is a good idea. Third Lady is intelligent and good at business, so she can give some useful advice."

"Mother is right. If Aruo can lend a hand, my sister-in-law will be able to manage the shop more easily."

Hong Yingrong caught Xue Zhongfu's ear accidentally revealing Shen Sanniang's nickname, and a knowing smile appeared on her face.

"Speaking of which, the Shen family is also small. Until now, there is no male heir to inherit the family business." She sighed softly.

Xue Zhongfu showed regret on his face and nodded in agreement.

This branch of the Shen family was once prosperous.

Shen Qifeng is the eldest son in the family. He married Zhou and had two daughters, the eldest daughter Shen Yunniang and the second daughter Shen Weiniang.

However, fate played a trick on her. Less than half a month after giving birth to Wei Niang, Zhou contracted puerperal fever and unfortunately passed away.

Later, Shen Qifeng remarried Wang and had another daughter, named Shen Ruo. Because she was the third child in the family, everyone in the family called her Sanniang.

As for Shen Qifeng's younger brother Shen Qishan, although he is now successful in his career, unfortunately, his four wives and concubines are all homeless.

Therefore, he now supports his widowed sister-in-law. It is said that he intended to find a son-in-law for Sanniang a few years ago, but for some reason, the matter eventually came to nothing.

"Mother used to say that Sanniang didn't look like a lady from a noble family, and that she wasn't appropriate for public appearances. But after hearing what mother said today, it seems her opinion of her has changed a lot." Xue Zhongfu noticed the change in his mother's attitude towards Shen Sanniang, and his tone was filled with joy.

Hong Yingrong breathed a sigh of relief and put down the teacup in her hand. "Ever since your father passed away, and now seeing off General Duan today, I've realized that when looking at things, one shouldn't just focus on superficial splendor and flattery. What's more important is to understand the true nature of people's hearts. This is not only crucial for me, but you should also keep it in mind."

"I will always keep my mother's teachings in mind," Xue Zhongfu nodded sincerely.

Hong Yingrong suddenly remembered something and said, "Tomorrow I plan to go to the storehouse and pick out a few treasures. The Jiang family has been very helpful in raising grain this time, and I plan to personally visit them the day after tomorrow to express my gratitude."

"That's a coincidence. I happen to be on leave the day after tomorrow, so I can accompany my mother to the Jiang Mansion."

"That's great!"

The mother and son then chatted about some trivial family matters. Hong Yingrong noticed that her son looked tired, so she urged him to go back and rest early.

"It's getting late. I'll ask the kitchen to prepare some of your favorite food and send it to your yard later."

Xue Zhongfu stood up, bowed respectfully and said, "Then my son will take his leave first. Mother, please settle down as soon as possible." Then he took his leave as he was told and returned to his own courtyard.