Li Yanxia was a lively person, and upon hearing Zhang Zhaoci's assurance, she smiled and said, "Then thank you in advance, Third Grandma."

Zhang Zhaoci instructed Qingmiao to take her away to settle in, and then held Lu Mama's hand, asking how the journey had been.

Granny Lu then recounted her experiences at the Marquis's residence after arriving in the capital. She also brought out the things the Marquis's residence had prepared for her. In addition to the things given by the Old Madam, Granny Lu had also brought back some things from the Marquis, which she asked Granny Lu to bring over as well.

Granny Lu took out the sandalwood box with intertwined floral patterns and said, "This is something the old lady repeatedly told me to bring to you. It contains ten thousand taels of silver."

Zhang Zhaoci was startled and said, "Oh dear, what is Grandmother doing? Ten thousand taels! The Marquis's mansion's daily expenses don't even add up to ten thousand taels a year."

Granny Lu then recounted the events at the estate to Zhang Zhaoci. After listening, Zhang Zhaoci stroked the patterns on the sandalwood box with her hand, sighed, and said, "Sharing the burdens of our elders is what we should do. I don't know what to say about what Grandmother is doing."

Granny Lu said, "It's all thanks to the old lady's kindness. She'll probably feel more at ease if she gives you the money."

Zhang Zhaoci said, "Alright, I'll accept the money for now, but I'll need to discuss the details with Third Master Di Ge'er."

Granny Lu said, "Of course, there are so many people on the estate, it's not something that can be arranged in a short time."

The return of Granny Lu made everyone in the Xu family feel that life was finally back to normal. Even the two young girls from the Li family who were staying at the Xu residence felt much more at ease.

Xu Zhi busied herself tidying up her things. Granny Lu smiled as she watched the young girl working like a bee and said, "Ninth Miss, you don't need to be so busy. Just leave these things here and take them out when you need them."

Xu Zhi said, "Granny, it's been almost two months since you came and went. I miss you so much. Have you missed me?"

Granny Lu smiled and said, "Of course I miss you. I wake up several times at night just to see if you've kicked off the covers."

Xu Zhi's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she said happily, "Me too, me too! I wake up once or twice every night and call for Granny. Sister Qingmiao always tells me that Granny has gone back to the capital."

Granny Lu said with a smile, "From now on, I will sleep here with you again. I went back this time and saw that the old lady has reserved a small courtyard for you next to hers. She said that when you go back, you can stay there. She will also find you a few more maids and servants. A young lady of the Marquis's mansion needs more than a dozen people to serve her."

Xu Zhi sighed and said, "Granny, what's the point of this? We eat the same food, sleep in the same bed, and are surrounded by people. What's the use of it besides having a show of it? I think we're fine here. We have to do our own things and discuss things at home together."

Granny Lu said, "What you're saying is similar to what the old lady said. Ninth Miss, we are daughters of noble families, and we should have what we deserve. Why can't we have what others have? We are all descendants of noble families. We are here to guard the noble family. When we go there later, we must take out what is rightfully ours and let those people know that although we have not stayed in the noble family all the time, we are no less than them."

Xu Zhi stared at Granny Lu for a moment, then smiled and said, "Granny, why do I feel that you are so confident this time after returning from the capital?"

Granny Lu said, "When I went back this time, the old lady told me that although we are far away in Hexi, we are still children of the Marquis's family. We should have everything that the people in the Marquis's family have, and we should be better than them. The old lady told us not to feel inferior to them just because we are here."

It's hard to say whether a seven-year-old child would understand if you said these things to them, but Xu Zhi did understand.

Xu Zhi nodded and said, "I understand the reasoning, but in this place, even if we have money, it's not easy to spend it. Let's save the money and when we can go to the south in the future, we can use this money to buy some rare things and have Uncle San take them to the north to sell. It's better to make money from money."

Granny Lu didn't see anyone who couldn't do business. With a lot of money in their hands, what couldn't they do? Those low-key big merchants lived much better lives than some officials.

Granny Lu nodded and said, "We also know how to make money through business. No matter what we do, we must be down-to-earth."

Xu Zhi listened attentively to what Granny Lu was saying. Xu Zhi knew that on the day the young master's wife was established, she would take her two daughters to handle household affairs and tell them in detail what had happened in the family. The purpose was to help them understand the principles of life and conduct, and to help them manage their dowry and household affairs well.

As Granny Lu flipped through the accounts the three girls had kept these past few days, she nodded in approval. Although the three girls had different handwritings, Granny Lu could still recognize them. Among the three, Xu Zhi was kind and honest, and the eldest daughter of the Li family was gentle and mild-mannered. Such people would probably have to endure some hardship before they could manage things well if they married into a large family.

Fortunately, Lord Li and Madam Li knew their eldest daughter's personality. They heard that the family they were discussing marriage with was a poor family, and the young man who was going to marry Li Yuelin was also going to take the imperial examination and had already become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination). Since Xu Di and Li Yuexi's marriage had already been arranged, they were now urging the two of them to finalize the marriage as soon as possible, preferably by setting a wedding date. Lord Li and Madam Li naturally understood what was going on. It was their family that was in a hurry, not their own. Madam Li told the prospective in-laws that everyone in the family loved their daughter and wanted to keep her for a few more years. They could finalize the marriage, but getting married in the next year or two was impossible.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!