Chapter 707 Heading to the Capital

The largest restaurant in Beijing.

The Cheng family was all there: Old Man Cheng, Old Mrs. Cheng, Sister-in-law Cheng, Situ Man, and their little girl who was about to turn one year old.

"Did Si Dan really pass the imperial examination and become a scholar?" Sister-in-law Cheng still looked incredulous. "He looked silly when he was little, and he would burst into tears if you scolded him even slightly. He didn't seem like he would amount to much... Could it be that his second aunt used her status as a lady of high birth to pull strings all over Yuncheng to get him to become a scholar?"

Situ Man, holding her daughter, gently interrupted her mother-in-law: "Even if Second Aunt holds a third-rank official position, she is still just a woman. She has no ability to interfere in the affairs of the provincial education bureau, let alone act as an education official to help unqualified people pass the imperial examinations. Mother, it's fine to say these things within our own home, but what will others think if we say them outside?"

Sister-in-law Cheng pursed her lips.

Her son is the most outstanding person in the surrounding area of ​​Chengjia Village, and that is her greatest pride.

But if another Zhao Sidan were to emerge in Dahe Town, her son's excellence would be diminished, so she was very unhappy about it.

Despite her displeasure, she dared not say anything more.

“I can hear my husband’s voice.” Situ Man stood up. “Second Aunt and the others should have arrived. Nanny, tell the waiter to bring the dishes quickly.”

The wet nurse and other servants standing nearby nodded and went to attend to their tasks.

Old Man Cheng and Old Mrs. Cheng stood up and went out to greet them, and Sister-in-law Cheng could only follow.

Standing at the top of the stairs, you can see Cheng Zhao leading Cheng Wanwan and her group towards the private room upstairs.

"Second Aunt!" Situ Man walked down the aisle with a happy expression. "You must be tired from the journey. Let's eat something at the restaurant first, and then go to rest."

Cheng Wanwan looked at the little girl in Situ Man's arms, wiped her hands, and said, "Can I hold her?"

Situ Man quickly handed over her daughter, who had wide, open eyes: "Xuanxuan, this is your father's second aunt. You should call her Second Aunt. She gave you your name."

Cheng Zhao's daughter's full name is Cheng Jinxuan, a name that Cheng Wanwan chose for her last year after consulting many books.

She picked up the little girl and said softly, "This girl has such beautiful eyes, just like Xiaoman. She'll definitely grow up to be a great beauty."

"What's the use of being good-looking?" Sister-in-law Cheng smirked. "If we gave birth to a boy, our Cheng family would be complete..."

Situ Man's expression changed slightly.

If her mother-in-law brings up other things, she can still give a gentle yet firm rebuttal.

But when it comes to having a son... she really can't help it.

Her mother also said that her womb was letting her down, why couldn't she give birth to a boy in one go...

When her mother and mother-in-law agree, she always feels that there is something wrong with her and secretly takes medicine to regulate her body.

Cheng Wanwan really didn't know what to say. This is the kind of thinking that prevails in this era. Whether rich or poor, everyone takes pride in having a son.

She will treat her daughter-in-law well, whether or not she gives birth to a son.

But Situ Man is Cheng's daughter-in-law. She is someone who has severed ties with Cheng's family, so she really can't interfere in such matters.

She smiled and said, "I like pretty little girls. Xiaoman, if you're free these days, why don't you bring Xuanxuan and come stay with me for a few days? It'll be more lively with a child around."

Situ Man felt a surge of warmth in her heart; she knew that her second aunt was standing up for her.

Grandma Cheng said, "Let's eat now that everyone's here, it won't taste good if it gets cold."

A large group of people sat down at the table. This meal was ordered by Situ Man and featured the restaurant's best and most expensive dishes, which were delicious and visually appealing.

Cheng Wanwan teased the child for a while before her gaze fell on the two elders of the Cheng family. The two elders looked to be in better spirits than two years ago, indicating that they were living a good life in the capital. Sister-in-law Cheng also looked a few years younger because her attire no longer resembled that of a peasant woman.

No matter how bad their relationship was before, they hadn't seen each other for two years, and on the surface, they were still getting along well.

After a few rounds of drinks, Old Man Cheng couldn't help but ask, "Wanwan, did your good-for-nothing brother do anything bad in Chengjia Village?"

Before Cheng Wanwan could answer, Zhao Sidan said, "Uncle is living a very carefree life in Chengjia Village. He tells everyone he has an official son, and he walks around with his nose in the air. Nobody dares to mess with him. Anyway, everyone flatters him and lets him have his way, so he doesn't have much of a chance to cause trouble. Grandpa Cheng, you can rest assured."

Old Man Cheng's face was a bit dark.

He used to think that Zhao'er was very promising, had a good reputation, and was superior to others wherever she went.

But after spending two years in the capital, he realized that a seventh-rank official was nothing special; there were plenty of them everywhere.

They gradually learned to keep a low profile in the capital, but their eldest son, that good-for-nothing, actually flaunted his power in the village, which was a disgrace to Zhao'er.

Cheng Zhao pursed her lips and said nothing, but she already had a plan in mind.

Sister-in-law Cheng originally wanted to curse a few words, but seeing that no one at the table wanted to mention that person anymore, she awkwardly shut her mouth.

The meal was fairly pleasant.

After the meal, the Cheng family went home on their own, while Cheng Zhao and Situ Man led Cheng Wanwan and her entourage to the residence bestowed by the Emperor.

Cheng Wanwan was granted the title of Third-Rank Sui Shuren, and part of the reward was in the capital. The court directly ordered Cheng Zhao to receive this part of the reward.

A large mansion, and thirty-six servants to manage it. For the past six months, the daily expenses of the mansion have been covered by the income from the reading pavilion, which has kept the mansion in excellent condition.

Although the house is in the capital, it is quite far from the palace, because the houses near the palace have been divided up by officials of the first and second ranks and imperial relatives. Her house is in the west of the city, a quiet place amidst the hustle and bustle.

The original owner of this courtyard was a third-rank official. After his downfall, his property was confiscated, and the house was left empty. Later, it was renovated and then bestowed upon Lady Sui, a concubine of the current emperor.

As soon as he entered through the door, thirty-six servants came forward and knelt down to pay their respects.

"Greetings, Sui Shuren!"

These people were clearly servants who had been rigorously trained by the authorities; their words and actions were extremely disciplined.

"Everyone, get up," Cheng Wanwan said gently. "Who is speaking here? Step forward and introduce yourself."

A man in his forties stepped forward, bowing respectfully, and said, "To Lady Sui, my surname is Liu, and everyone calls me Old Liu. Before Lady Sui moved in, I was in charge of all matters related to the house."

Cheng Wanwan nodded: "This lady next to me is Granny Qi, the housekeeper who has served me for many years. You can hand over the things that have been going on for the past six months to Granny Qi."

Old Liu hurriedly replied, "Yes, sir, I obey."

Cheng Wanwan handed over the management of all the servants in the courtyard to Granny Qi.

She lives in the main courtyard, Si Dan lives in the side courtyard, Lu Yingxue lives in the bamboo forest courtyard at the back with Yu Zhan, and if Situ Man comes, she can stay temporarily in the snow appreciation courtyard on the other side.

Cheng Wanwan slept for the entire afternoon, a full two hours, before she finally recovered.

Meanwhile, Granny Qi had finished her handover and came over with a booklet in her hand: "Shuren, this old servant has noticed something amiss."

Cheng Wanwan gestured for her to continue.

"The servants bestowed by the imperial court were, in principle, all palace maids selected from within the palace, and that was indeed the case originally..." Granny Qi whispered, "But after these thirty-six people entered the mansion, two of them suddenly died, so Old Liu bought two maids from outside to replace them... Not long after, two servants suddenly disappeared, so two more were added..."

Cheng Wanwan's expression turned serious.

Someone had planted spies in her residence; there was no one else besides the He family.