Xu Zhi had been managing household affairs with Granny Lu since she was very young. She was efficient and decisive in her work. She spent the whole morning in the storeroom where tea utensils were stored, and only then did she take stock of all kinds of tea utensils in the mansion.

At lunchtime, Xu Zhi excitedly told Zhang Zhaoci and Granny Lu, "Granny, Mother, I never expected that there would be so many tea sets in the mansion, as well as special shelves and boxes for displaying them."

Granny Lu said, "The Marquis's family has been in business for a hundred years. What are these things? The family has people who specialize in purchasing these things. Every year, they purchase the latest tea sets and tableware from famous kilns. When guests come, tea must be served first. If they want to stay for a meal, tableware must be used. These things are the face of the family. The family values ​​them very much."

Xu Zhi said, "I think my aunt is really amazing now. She manages so many things in the mansion all by herself. Everyone has to go to her for everything, big or small.

Granny Lu said, "A hero needs three helpers. Do you think the old women around the young master's wife are just sitting around doing nothing? Each of them has their own duties and is in charge of a certain area. If the young master's wife encounters any problems, whoever is in charge of that area has to explain the situation quickly so that the young master's wife can make a decision. The wives who manage the household in such large families are not in charge of things, but in charge of people."

Zhang Zhaoci said, "Yes, managing things is different from managing people. When managing things, you just need to do your own job well. But when managing people, you not only have to manage them well, but you also have to be clear about what those people are responsible for. Otherwise, you can easily be fooled by the people doing the work below you."

Xu Zhi said, "It seems that being the head of a large family as a daughter-in-law is really not easy."

Zhang Zhaoci said, "That's why your mother really doesn't want you to marry into such a family. Although being the head of the household seems glamorous, after all, you have so many people and so many things under your command, these are all thankless tasks. If you do them well, that's what you're supposed to do; if you don't do them well, you'll have to bear the criticism from others. They are all thankless tasks."

Granny Lu said, "But it's always good to have a powerful backer. No matter what time it is, power is something everyone desires, whether in the imperial court or in the inner quarters."

Xu Zhi said, "My sisters and I often take classes together. Sometimes I think, we are still together now, but what if many years have passed, and we are all married and busy with our own family affairs? Will we still be able to sit together and talk about our feelings like we do now?"

Zhang Zhaoci said, "People always have to grow up, and this growth process will come at a great cost. Some costs are unavoidable. For example, you sisters are getting along very well now, so your relationship is naturally very good. But when you get married, everyone's living environment will be different. This living environment will cause great changes in people's hearts, emotions, and even thoughts. At that time, you can't expect your sisters to still be as affectionate as they are now. Because at that time, they may be tired of the housework they do every day, or they may be troubled by their disobedient children."

Zhang Zhaoci patiently guided Xu Zhi, as if a door had opened before her, behind which lay a world she had always longed to explore but could never enter.

That night, Xu Zhi didn't fall asleep until very late. She felt it was time for her to seriously consider her future. Although marriages these days were mostly arranged by parents and matchmakers, Xu Zhi didn't want to spend her life with someone she had never met, whose appearance she didn't know, and whose personality she didn't understand. She wanted to find someone she wanted to marry, and then the two of them could form a small family. Whether they had a powerful backer or not, as long as they loved each other, lived a good life together, and raised their children to be successful, Xu Zhi felt that such a life would be fulfilling.

Zhang Zhaoci had his own considerations regarding Xu Zhi's marriage. The Marquis's family was relatively simple, but even so, there was still a concubine named Zhu who disrupted the family's bloodline. Zhang Zhaoci didn't want Xu Zhi to marry into such a family. Zhang Zhaoci believed that Xu Zhi could make herself comfortable under any circumstances, but sometimes, you have to pay a price to be comfortable. So why not find a relatively simple family for her child to marry into from the beginning?

Xu Zhi has reached marriageable age. Among the children in the manor, apart from Xu Gao who is already married and Xu Tao who is preparing for marriage, the marriages of the other seven girls have not yet been decided.

Starting with the third daughter, Xu Mian, the seven children are actually not far apart in age. Even Xu Mian is just fourteen years old. Xu Mian is the eldest daughter of the second son's family. The eldest son of the second son, Xu Pu, is not a very capable person. He got a position in one of the Six Ministries through his family's connections and is now an eighth-rank official in the Ministry of Works.

Xu Pu's wife, Chen, was not a particularly capable person, and her family was not a prominent clan. Although she now lived in the Marquis's mansion, Xu Mian, being only the Marquis's grand-nephew, still faced difficulties in arranging marriages for their children compared to Xu Gao, Xu Tao, and the other granddaughters of the Marquis.

Ordinary families wouldn't approve of Xu Pu's wife, and those with good family backgrounds wouldn't approve of Xu Pu and Chen Shi either. The purpose of marriage is to support each other and help each other. Although Xu Pu is the Marquis's nephew, he is only an eighth-rank official. Even if many families are interested in Xu Mian, they would look down on her family background.

The marriages of the four daughters of the second wife had been undecided for a long time. The old lady was actually quite anxious about it. No matter what, the second wife's sons were still her great-grandchildren. However, since the old lady had long since left the social circles of the capital, she knew very little about the temperaments and family backgrounds of other people's children. Even if she wanted to help her great-granddaughters find suitable partners, it would not be easy to find suitable ones.