But Li Niangzi couldn't care less now. Yesterday, her in-laws came again to pressure her, forcing her to marry the man who had tried to assault her in the middle of the night.

Li Niangzi knew very well that the reason why that man went to such lengths to marry her was because of her family's ancestral recipes. Although there was an ancestral rule that recipes should be passed down to sons but not daughters, Li Niangzi's father had once told people that of his three children, his daughter was the most talented. Although his daughter could not become a chef, she could cook those recipes that had been passed down for generations very well.

Lady Li understood this, which is why she resolutely refused to marry that man. Unfortunately, Luzhou was only so big. As for taking her daughter to a distant place, Lady Li had never considered it. She was born and raised in this place, married and had children here, and had never left. Naturally, she did not have the courage to take her child away.

Lady Li was feeling conflicted. After the steward spoke with Zheng Boyuan and Xu Zhi, Xu Zhi thought about it seriously and said to Zheng Boyuan, "Brother Boyuan, I understand what Lady Li is thinking. She's raising her child alone, all alone and helpless. She wants to find a place for herself and her child to settle down. However, she wants to sign a contract of servitude with us, so she'll have to come with me and may not stay in Luzhou forever."

The manager said, "Madam Li said she wants to fight for a way out for herself and her daughter. I'll go and ask her again to see if she's determined to stay with us."

Xu Zhi kept looking at Zheng Boyuan. Zheng Boyuan was a little puzzled, but he quickly realized that she was asking him to make a decision in front of the steward. He nodded and said to the steward, "Go and ask her again. If she is determined, take her to the government office to have someone sign a contract of servitude for her. If she can't make up her mind, just sign a flexible contract with her."

The steward nodded, and seeing that it was still early, went to the kitchen to tell Madam Li.

Without hesitation, Madam Li said, "I've made up my mind. I'll sign the contract and stay with you forever. Wherever you go, I'll go. Although Luzhou is where I was born, what place here is there that I would want to stay?"

The steward nodded with a sense of sympathy and told Madam Li to rest well. After breakfast the next day, he took Madam Li to the government office not far away. After Madam Li pressed her fingerprint on the death contract, she felt that her wavering heart had suddenly settled down.

It must be said that Madam Li is indeed a skilled cook. She has prepared a different dish for several days in a row. Not only did she enjoy the delicious pomegranates with a smile, but even Xu Zhi, who doesn't care much about food, was looking forward to mealtimes.

After Chen Zhaoci returned to the capital, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived in just a few days. After the festival, Chen Zhaoci helped Li Yuexi pack her luggage and asked Li Yuexi to take the two children to Miaozhou to reunite with Xu Di.

The old lady and the marquis were both reluctant to part with the two children, as they were so precious to them. However, they couldn't stop the family from reuniting, so they gritted their teeth and endured their reluctance, allowing Li Yuexi and Granny Lu to take the two children to Miaozhou.

The eldest son of the heir apparent, Xu Hua, has returned from Tai'an to participate in the provincial examination. He will be taking the exam a few days after the Mid-Autumn Festival. The heir apparent and Lady Ning are extremely worried about him every day. Xu Hua is already of marriageable age, and some families with children of similar age to Xu Hua already have children. However, because the Marquis is holding back, Lady Ning has not been allowed to arrange a marriage for him. The reason for this is to wait until Xu Hua has achieved a certain level of academic achievement, which would give them more leverage. Most importantly, at this time, the marriage of the children in the family cannot be arranged casually.

In a few days, the competition will end. Several ladies, taking advantage of the clear autumn weather, invited ladies from the capital to their homes to admire the chrysanthemums. Madam Ning has already received hints from several ladies that they want their daughters to marry Xu Hua. Xu Hua is ambitious, but most importantly, the Xu family of Yongning Marquis has a different family tradition than others. The men in the family do not have concubines, not even maids. If a couple has no children, they must wait until they are forty years old before they can take a good concubine to help them have children with the consent of both sets of parents. The children born will be raised by the main wife.

Although this family tradition was inferior to many families in the capital and had been the subject of much ridicule, with many saying that it was normal for men to have three wives and four concubines, from a woman's perspective, this kind of family tradition was truly enviable. Therefore, the Xu family was actually the first family that many wives with legitimate daughters would consider for marriage alliances.

Ning was happy. When they had dinner that evening, Xu Hua came to eat with Ning and the heir. Ning had the kitchen prepare a lot of Xu Hua's favorite dishes and kept serving him food as they ate.

Looking at the thin Xu Hua, Ning said with heartache, "Hua-ge'er, eat more, you're so thin."

Xu Hua smiled and said, "Mother, don't let my thinness fool you, I'm all muscle. In Tai'an, we're not just useless scholars who bury themselves in books. We get up early in the morning to exercise and visit nearby places to observe people's lives. We have to walk to these places and write an article based on what we've seen. You can't keep this up without good health."

Ning said with concern, "Oh dear, how far will that be?"

Xu Hua thought for a moment and said with some nostalgia, "In the past few years in Tai'an, I've worn out more than twenty pairs of shoes. Mother, please don't think I've suffered. I feel very comfortable in Tai'an."

The prince nodded and said, "No wonder your second uncle's academy produces Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) every year."

Xu Hua said excitedly, "Of course! My older brother once said that you can't just study behind closed doors. You have to go out and see the vast world outside. We scholars will eventually use the skills we've learned to create value. What kind of value we create depends on what we learn while studying."

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