Xu Zhi packed up and brought everything from the courtyard in Miaozhou, except for what Xu Di could use daily. It was very likely that this courtyard would become the place where she and Zheng Boyuan would have children. Therefore, Xu Zhi was quite excited when she was arranging it.

After Xu Di settles down in Miaozhou, Li Yuexi and their two children will be sent over from the capital. Xu Di didn't realize this when he was a child, but after becoming a father, he found that nothing is more important than his children. He doesn't want to miss any stage of his children's growth. No matter how difficult the conditions are in Miaozhou, he will slowly improve them himself.

Xu Rao and Chen Zhaoci shared the same view. When Xu Di was young, both of them were at the age of starting their own businesses, and they didn't really take care of him much because of their work. Fortunately, Xu Di was good at taking care of himself and didn't go astray. However, when Xu Rao and Chen Zhaoci came to their senses and examined themselves, they realized that it was actually very pitiful for a child to grow up without the participation of his parents. Therefore, the two of them strongly supported Li Yuexi bringing her two children to live with Xu Di.

Bai Ying took out several small garments made of fine, soft cotton from a bundle and said to Xu Zhi, "Miss, I've found these garments for you. If you have time, continue making them. When our eldest mistress comes to Miaozhou with the young master and the eldest daughter, we'll have to send them over."

Xu Zhi quickly agreed, took the clothes, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. I've been busy these past few days. Once things at home have settled down, I'll start working. I haven't seen those two little ones for more than half a year. I wonder how tall they've grown, whether they've gotten fatter or thinner."

Bai Ying smiled and said, "Of course they've grown taller and fatter. Our young master and daughter both eat and drink well, so they must be very healthy."

Xu Zhi touched the soft clothes. These clothes were for wearing underneath, and she had chosen the softest cotton fabric. She had been too busy to make them recently, and Bai Ying and the others wanted to help her, but Xu Zhi refused. This was her heartfelt gift, and she felt that she could only express it by making it herself.

Zheng Boyuan rushed over from outside. Xu Zhi put down what she was carrying, stood up to greet him, and said, "You must be tired from your journey. Sit down and rest for a bit. I've already arranged for the steward to take care of things. We'll be buying the household necessities from outside. I came to ask if we should hire a kitchen staff from Luzhou or go back to the capital to hire one?"

Xu Zhi wasn't someone who cared much about food or drink. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Let's not bother. Let's just hire someone locally."

Zheng Boyuan nodded and said, "I'm going to the garrison tomorrow and will be able to come back once every ten days. If you feel bored, find something you like to do. The person in charge is someone my father-in-law sent to be with us. If you need anything, just ask him. Also, this is our household fund. If you want to buy something, just take money from here."

As Zheng Boyuan spoke, he handed Xu Zhi a purse. Xu Zhi took it; the purse was light and fluttering. She opened it and looked inside. There were several silver notes. Xu Zhi wanted to refuse, but before she could speak, Zheng Boyuan smiled and said, "It's my duty to support my family. Don't let my time in the barracks fool you; I used to go to sea with my elder brother. There are so many pirates at sea, and we always made a profit. Just take these."

Xu Zhi then accepted the money and made a special ledger to record how the money was spent.

Xu Zhi secretly peeked inside and saw five silver notes, each worth two hundred taels, totaling one thousand taels. In an ordinary family like the Feng family, where Ping Shi was thrifty, a few taels of silver a month would be enough to live comfortably, including social obligations among relatives and friends. However, in some families in the capital, one thousand taels would only last for a little over half a month.

Xu Zhi calculated that the biggest expense for this large family was food. It wasn't just herself and Zheng Boyuan, but also the people who served them. Most importantly, it was Jia San and the others. Shi Liu and Hong Gu, probably because they practiced martial arts, each of them could eat as much as Xu Zhi and three others. Moreover, Xu Zhi didn't want them to eat too poorly, so she really made them a variety of meals every day.

Xu Zhi took a few silver notes, opened the account book, and thought of the forms that Xu Di had taught her to make in the past. She then categorized the accounts in the account book, recording clothing, food, housing, and transportation separately.

The manager arrived a few days early, not only to buy the house and have it carefully renovated, but also to take a stroll around the small prefecture, focusing on finding out the best matchmakers in the city who were well-regarded, capable, and well-connected.

Following Xu Zhi's instructions, they found a reputable matchmaker to help them find a cook and two women to do the rough work. Before evening, the matchmaker arrived with several people.

The cook didn't come alone; she brought a child who looked to be about ten years old with her.

The matchmaker was a kind person. She said to Xu Zhi, "Madam, this cook's surname is Li. She is the daughter of the former head chef of Zhaixinglou in our county. She married a family in our county, but her husband died of illness a couple of years ago. This Miss Li has an unkind mother-in-law and a heartless sister-in-law. She can only work as a helper at Zhaixinglou with her daughter. But please rest assured, Madam, Miss Li's skills are excellent. She received her father's personal instruction. If it weren't for the rule that women cannot work in the main kitchen, she could definitely become the head chef of Zhaixinglou."

Xu Zhi looked at the cook, who appeared to be in her thirties but was actually only in her twenties. She was dressed in a clean, coarse cloth outfit, her hair was wrapped in a cloth, and she looked neat and tidy. Standing next to her was her daughter, who looked to be about ten years old. She was thin and dressed in old clothes, staring at Xu Zhi with some fear.

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!