Yan Shujin sighed, "It seems that no matter where you are, people from different family backgrounds are always separated."
Mr. Du said, "Yes."
Yan Qiyu said, "So many people, no matter how hard or poor they are, still want to go to school and learn to read and write. My grandmother, mother and sister were like that. No matter how poor our family was, we would save up enough money for me to study."
Mr. Du nodded and said, "Alright, we can discuss these things when we get back. I'll show you around these shops so you can know the price of each item and won't get ripped off in the future."
"Why would someone be scammed?" Yan Shujin asked. "Has anyone else been scammed before?"
Mr. Du said, "Yes, like those princes of the previous dynasty, who grew up in the palace in luxury and had no idea about the price of things. They had no idea how much a tael of silver could buy. In their eyes, a tael of silver was about the same as a coin or ten taels of silver."
Yan Qiyu was silent for a moment before saying, "Is this stupid?"
Yan Shujin concluded, "So the previous dynasty is gone."
Yan Qiyu nodded: "I will study hard."
Mr. Du took his brother and sister to buy the candied fruit they had been longing for. The candied fruit shop was small, and as soon as you entered, you could smell the sweet and sour aroma. There were many kinds of candied fruit, some of which Yan Shujin had never seen before. You could try them before buying.
Yan Shujin and Yan Qiyu asked the price of each item before choosing a few. Mr. Du originally thought they would buy a lot, since many of these items were unfamiliar to them and the two of them were not short of money. Seeing their restraint, he found it strange.
After we finished shopping and left, he asked, "Why didn't you buy more?"
“This is enough,” Yan Qiyu said. “These two packs are for Grandma, these two packs are for Aunt, these are for Dad and Mom, and the rest are for us.”
Thinking of the sweet and sour taste she had just experienced, Yan Shujin said with a satisfied expression, "If I want to eat it again in the future, I'll just have someone buy it for me. It would be a waste to buy so much and not be able to finish it all."
Mr. Du couldn't help but sigh, "Is it really true that children from poor families mature early?"
The servant carried the things, while the siblings stayed close to Mr. Du.
Mr. Du said, "Actually, you can distinguish what you want to buy by the shop's name. Shops called 'Tang' are usually 'pharmacy' shops; those selling calligraphy and paintings and other elegant items are usually called 'Zhai'; and some restaurants that pursue elegance will change their names to something like 'Zhai'."
Yan Qiyu didn't know why Mr. Du was saying all this, but he carefully wrote it down.
Mr. Du said, "For example, there are shops that sell valuable items, as well as taverns and the like. In the future, when people mention the names of shops, you should have a general idea in mind."
Yan Shujin and Yan Qiyu both agreed.
Mr. Du cautioned, "But this is not absolute. The most important thing is not to pretend to know what you don't. That kind of person is the most ridiculous. Your identities mean that even if you really do call a deer a horse, many people will not correct you. Instead, they will agree or praise you."
Yan Shujin said, "Is it like how the Han family treated Han Dalang's son?"
“Yes.” Mr. Du said seriously, “Right is right, and wrong is wrong. It is not shameful to be corrected. What is shameful is those who get angry and ashamed. The kind of people you two are and your attitude towards things will also affect the kind of people you will attract.”
“I understand,” Yan Shujin said. “If we are surrounded by people who can’t distinguish right from wrong and who are good at flattery, then those who are truly talented and knowledgeable will not associate with us, and we will be led astray by those bad people.”
Mr. Du said, "Yes."
Yan Shujin looked at Yan Qiyu and warned, "Little brother, if you dare to associate with bad people, I'll beat you up, you know?"
Yan Qiyu straightened up instinctively and said, "I understand."
Mr. Du noticed that Yan Shujin used the phrase "close friendship": "Is it okay to get to know someone like that?"
“Of course you can,” Yan Shujin said. “Different people have different uses. For example, back in the Prince’s mansion, I was closest to the Lady’s personal maid, but I also knew other people in the mansion, even the old woman who guarded the gate. I knew quite a lot of things.”
Mr. Du sighed once again, saying that although the mothers of Yan Chao's sons all came from good families, they were not as good at raising children as Liu Qin and Old Madam Yan. Moreover, even if Xu Shi gave birth to a son, he probably wouldn't be able to compete with these two siblings when he grew up.
Mr. Du needed to make arrangements for Li Yi's family, so he assigned homework to Yan Shujin and Yan Qiyu, and the two obediently went to find their mother.
Yan Qiyu secretly observed Yan Shujin's expression and asked, "Sister, are you happy?"
“Yes.” Yan Shujin’s eyes crinkled with joy. Of course she was in a good mood. After all, from the arrangements made for Mr. Li, she realized something. Madam Xu thought that she was in charge of the household before her mother and the others returned to the capital, and thought she had control of the backyard. In fact, the real important people in the backyard were in the hands of the people arranged by Yan Zhili.
However, this also made Yan Shujin realize one thing: her father was not the kind of person who valued rules and etiquette.
Just like how servants addressed Madam Xu as "Madam".
Yan Zhili knew this, but he didn't care, because he considered these to be trivial matters.
Yan Shujin was certain that her father knew that Madam Xu had replaced many people in the mansion with her own people, but he didn't care. He only needed to control the most important parts.
For example, those in charge of purchasing, managing the warehouse, and keeping accounts in the household are all people who are strict and reasonable.
Even if Xu thought she had bribed these people, and even if these people had provided her with a lot of help, they were actually obeying Yan Zhili.
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