Lu Xiaoyang didn't mean anything by it; he just felt that Liu Yuexiang had no bad intentions and simply wanted to learn how to do business, so he would help her as much as he could.

Lotus was already very busy. If nothing unexpected happened, she would not only have to oversee the industries in the prefectural city, but also offer advice and suggestions for the industries in the capital. Aunt Jiu Niang wanted to cultivate them, so naturally she wouldn't let them have too much free time.

She's engaged, and Lei Zi helps her with everything else. All he can do is mentor her apprentice so she won't be too busy.

"Okay, thanks, Brother Sheep!"

Liu Yuexiang readily agreed. She had already had this idea and was just thinking about how to bring it up when Lu Xiaoyang brought it up himself. He was quite tactful.

She watched Lu Xiaoyang go in first for a while before getting up and going in herself. When she saw her cousin still engrossed in eating a duck head, she was speechless.

"Stop biting! Have you forgotten how many pustules covered your face before? You should restrain yourself!"

Zhang Lanxiang's skin wasn't very good; she would break out in pimples after eating spicy food. Unfortunately, she loved spicy food and couldn't control herself, which led to her face being covered in pustules. If it weren't for He Jiuniang, she would probably be disfigured by now.

"Haven't you noticed that the Lu family's own Lu Black Duck tastes better than the ones sold in stores? I buy it every day, and the taste is completely different!"

Zhang Lanxiang wouldn't listen to her. He Jiuniang prescribed her a remedy to reduce internal heat. She was told to drink a bowl of the medicine after eating spicy food, and she would be fine the next day. She hadn't had pimples for a long time.

"Even if it tastes good, you can't eat it like this! Look at this pile of bones in front of you, and all those people around are watching!"

Liu Yuexiang gestured to the women beside her, who all looked at Zhang Lanxiang with amusement. She was, after all, the daughter of a county magistrate, yet she acted as if she had never eaten meat in eight lifetimes.

Zhang Lanxiang herself didn't care about these things, but her parents did. When they saw those people's gazes, they became much more cautious, sat up straight, and put down the half-eaten duck head they were holding.

Liu Yuexiang was satisfied and whispered, "That's right. When we go to the prefectural city to do business, we won't know any acquaintances. You can eat however you like."

Zhang Lanxiang nodded, thinking that she would ask Lianhua later if she could go to the food shop to learn how to make it; she could buy up all the Lu Hei Ya (a type of braised duck) that wasn't sold that day...

Liu Yuexiang had already told her about the Lu family's outhouse, how wonderful it was, how it had running water and even a mirror, and so on. But after all that, Zhang Lanxiang hadn't heard a word of it.

Later, Liu Yuexiang whispered to her about Lu Xiaoyang, and Zhang Lanxiang finally snapped out of her daze, just in time to hear her say that she liked Lu Xiaoyang.

"Are you sure? He didn't go to the academy, which clearly means he doesn't want to take the imperial examinations. He'll probably just be a merchant in the future. If you marry him, you'll be a merchant too!"

Zhang Lanxiang finally lost her appetite and, seeing her cousin's expression, was clearly getting anxious.

When Liu Yuexiang took a liking to Li Rong before, although she didn't think much of him, he was at least from an official family and was going to pursue a career in government. Although his family background was low, he was still easy to manipulate. But now he has taken a liking to Lu Xiaoyang. Isn't this too frivolous?

"Cousin, I'm serious, I like him!"

Liu Yuexiang's expression was firm. When she decided to approach Lu Xiaoyang, it was only because of his identity, which was the best foundation for her to get close to the Lu family.

But now, she is certain that she wants to spend her life with him. He is handsome, and his smile is beautiful. Moreover, although he clearly loves Lotus, he is willing to let go and even chooses to silently protect her, which is something she admires.

She didn't care at all that he liked lotus flowers; she liked them too, so it didn't matter.

Besides, Lianhua is already engaged, and his choice to protect her means he has decided to give up on her. She has plenty of opportunities to make him fall in love with her.

They're still young, what's so difficult about that?

Zhang Lanxiang rolled her eyes. This cousin of hers was usually quite smart, but unfortunately, she was love-struck.

A perfectly respectable daughter of an official family wants to marry a merchant; isn't that just asking for trouble?

Liu Yuexiang continued, "There's nothing wrong with being a merchant. Anyway, with the Lu family as a powerful backer, no one dares to bully me. Besides, merchants have money. I can buy whatever I want without having to worry about anything. I'll study business well and make a fortune in the future. If you're having a hard time, cousin, I can help you."

Zhang Lanxiang: ……

"Shut up, aren't you ashamed!"

Zhang Lanxiang was so angry that she tried to shut her up with pastries. The two sisters were bickering, which made the people around them quite envious. Even their own sisters didn't have such a good relationship as the cousins.

A short while later, He Jiuniang went to have tea, and soon a maid came to report to her that Liu Yuexiang and Lu Xiaoyang had met and chatted for a while.

He Jiuniang raised an eyebrow, not expecting this little girl to be so quick-witted.

Everyone thought she liked Lei Zi, but it turned out she liked Lu Xiao Yang. Moreover, she didn't just rush over and show her affection; she used a roundabout tactic.

"Excellent, excellent, very clever!"

He Jiuniang praised with a smile. She had been worried about where to find Lu Xiaoyang's official partner, but she didn't expect to find one so soon.

She didn't dislike Liu Yuexiang. It's good for girls to be smart, and it's important that they use their intelligence in the right way.

Because of what happened before, Lu Xiaoyang felt guilty and inferior deep down, so she needed someone like Liu Yuexiang to guide her. If Liu Yuexiang could maintain this attitude, she would be very optimistic about her future.

"Keep an eye on them, especially the younger ones. Don't let them get too carried away on this big day."

"yes."

He Jiuniang took another sip of tea. This year, she came back for the New Year and resolved Lianhua and Leizi's major life events, and even found a way out for her second sister-in-law. What a good omen!

May the new year bring you great fortune!

Early on the eighth day of the lunar new year, the Lu family set off. This time, clansmen were also going with them. They were going to follow Old Man Lu and Lu the eldest son back to Changzhou to relocate the graves. They were going to the prefectural city to make preparations first.

Zhang Song and Zhang Yong are also preparing to set off for the grasslands again. They will also need to go to the prefectural city to hire some people for protection and bring back some local specialties to sell. In any case, there are many things to prepare, so they need to leave in advance.

As a result, only the second son's family, Yu Shi, and Lu Guilan remained at home.

However, no one was sad about parting this time. Everyone was beaming with joy. They were working hard for a better tomorrow, and we were happy about it!

Moreover, the few people who stay at home won't be here all the time; they'll be going to the prefectural city soon, and then the family will be reunited.

After watching the procession leave, Madam Yu was busy preparing to open her family restaurant in the county town, Lu Guilan was busy resuming work at the workshop, Lu Lao Er was busy taking care of the children, and then they went to the fields and mountains. Since they were all busy, they naturally couldn't care less about the sorrow of parting.

When the workshop reopened, Lu Guilan noticed that none of the Li family members had come, and she then remembered what He Jiuniang had told her before.