The Marquis felt that he needed to discuss this matter with the Old Madam and the Second Master. It wasn't until the fourth watch drum sounded that the Marquis finally drifted off to sleep.

In July, the weather is no longer so hot, because autumn has arrived, and the mornings and evenings are quite cool.

Xu Di's results came out. He passed the preliminary examination, although his score wasn't very high. But he still managed to obtain the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations).

The old lady was very happy. She took Xu Di's hand and said with a smile, "Our Di-ge'er is now a scholar."

Xu Di was a little embarrassed. The old lady said, "Should we go to the provincial examination in August?"

Xu Di said, "I want to give it a try. It would be great if I passed, but it's not a big deal if I didn't. Anyway, I'm not going to take the imperial examination next year. My father said that while I'm young, I should study hard and do some good things."

The old lady nodded and said, "Some time ago, your Aunt Ru wrote to me and said that if you're willing, you can go to their house. The academy your Uncle Ru runs is quite good. If you go there, there will be teachers giving lectures and classmates discussing things together. It's much better than studying at home by yourself."

Xu Di had a good impression of his aunt, whom he hadn't seen for several years. Because she had married far away, Xu Ru was considered to have a relatively good life back then, much better than the people in the mansion.

Xu Di remembered that the Marquis passed away a few years later. After the Marquis's death, although the heir inherited the Yongning Marquis's family business, he had chosen the wrong side. Not long after the new emperor ascended the throne, the Marquis's family was raided and their property confiscated. Fortunately, the heir was not too deeply involved at the time. Only the family property was confiscated and the houses were seized. Fortunately, the property of the Yongyi Marquis's family left by the old lady was preserved. The people of the Marquis's family moved to the estate in the suburbs of the capital. After receiving the news, Xu Ru returned with her husband and children. She left some silver at home and took the younger children with her, saying that the children should study well with her.

Xu Di liked this aunt very much. Hearing the old lady say this, he smiled and said, "Grandmother, when I prepare for the palace examination, I can go to Aunt Ru's house to study with her. I am still young now, so I will stay outside to broaden my horizons and gain some experience."

The old lady smiled and nodded, saying, "It's good that you think this way. Your grandmother also thinks you're still too young to take the imperial examinations so early."

Xu Di smiled and said, "Exam experience isn't something you can gain easily, Grandmother. I'm just going to try it out and see what the differences are between the provincial exam, the county exam, the prefectural exam, and the academy exam. Even if I don't pass, I'll have a better understanding of the situation. Then I can go back and prepare properly for a few more years, and the next exam will be much easier."

Xu Di then began preparing for the provincial examination. After the Marquis had sorted out his thoughts, he took the Second Master to the Old Madam's courtyard. The three of them talked behind closed doors for a whole day. No one else knew exactly what they talked about. When Xu Di went to take the provincial examination, the Marquis called all the gentlemen and ladies of the mansion, including Zhang Zhaoci, to the Old Madam's courtyard.

No one knew why they had been invited here. Xu Pu and Chen, who had just returned from the south, followed their brother and sister-in-law with blank expressions. Yao, who usually talked to Chen, pulled Chen aside and asked in a low voice, "Second sister-in-law, do you know why we were invited here?"

Madam Chen said, "I don't know. Your second brother and I have only been back for a few days. How would we know what to do? I asked the maids from before, but they knew nothing. They only said that the Marquis and the Second Master were both there."

Yao said, "Third sister-in-law hasn't come yet, and I don't know if she knows."

Madam Chen said, "My third sister-in-law is usually very much loved by the old lady, so she might know about it."

Zhang Zhaoci was the last to arrive. When she arrived, she saw Yao and Chen standing outside the gate of the old lady's courtyard. When they saw her coming, they each grabbed one of her hands. Yao asked, "Third sister-in-law, do you know why we were called here?"

These past few days, Zhang Zhaoci has been busy packing Xu Di's exam basket, packing his luggage for returning to Hexi, and then there's Xu Bai, who's almost two years old and can talk a lot now. He asks you countless questions every day, and you can't not answer them. Zhang Zhaoci feels like she's been living in hell these past few days.

Zhang Zhaoci said, "I really don't know. We're already at the door, so why don't we just go in and find out?"

Yao said with a smile, "Third sister-in-law, you really have a broad mind."

Zhang Zhaoci pulled one of them by the hand and walked them into the courtyard, saying, "We're already here. We'll find out whether it's good or bad once we go inside, won't we?"

When everyone arrived at the old lady's resting place, the old lady and the Marquis sat on the daybed, the second master sat on the chair next to the daybed next to the old lady, and the young master sat on the chair next to the Marquis. Several chairs were arranged in a row on both sides. Zhang Zhaoci pulled Chen Shi and Zhou Shi in and saw that everyone was already seated in front, so he went to the back and found a place to sit down.

Seeing that everyone was seated, the Marquis smiled and said, "You're all here. Since everyone is here, I'd like to share something that I've discussed with the Old Madam, the Second Master, and I. Let's hear your thoughts on it first."

The Marquis said, “The manor has always paid everyone a monthly allowance. When my grandchildren get married, the public funds will also contribute. But I know that you all want to give your children a better life and better things when they get married.”

This really resonated with everyone, and they couldn't help but nod slightly as they listened to the Marquis's words.

The Marquis said, "Most importantly, the old lady, the second master, and I all want you to take these shops and estates and practice your skills, learn how to manage household affairs. When you have children to raise in the future, you can't just sit around and do nothing."

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!