Gu Wangchen will leave for the capital tomorrow to participate in the Spring Examination in early February, and he has come here today to say goodbye to Lord Min.
He also saw Xu Lanyin and knew that she was going to "fawn on" the county magistrate's family again, which made him feel very annoyed. He wanted to leave, but his feet seemed to be rooted to the ground and he stood still.
When Xu Lanyin passed by him, he said, "I'm going to the capital to participate in the Spring Examination. If you want to curse me for failing, please don't bother."
Xu Lanyin had heard much discussion about Gu Wangchen at the third-day bathing banquet. Gu Wangchen was a prominent figure in Nanping County, his every move captivating countless hearts. It was said that many families in the county had approached the Gu family with marriage proposals, but he had declined with the excuse of "I'll consider it after the Spring Examination."
Xu Lanyin stood down and said, "It's not like I've eaten too much and have nothing to do, so I don't care about those who no longer care. Well, since you've asked, I'll tell you. Master, you have great talent. I wish you a successful entrance exam and, ideally, you can be chosen as a son-in-law by a high-ranking family. Of course, it would be best if you were chosen by the Su family."
Gu Wangchen sneered twice and said, "Miss Xu can't forget me after all. She always likes to bring up my marriage. There is no medicine for regret in this world, so I won't bother you with any more worries."
Xu Lanyin snorted coldly, "It's better to think about my Huazi and Mazi than you. Mr. Gu, remember, God is watching what you do. There are gods above your head. Some things cannot be done too much, or you will be punished." After that, he walked away quickly.
Gu Wangchen knew Huazi was her family's dog, but he had no idea what Mazi was. His face was gloomy. Ever since he returned from the imperial examination, he had never gained the upper hand in his arguments with Xu Lanyin. He watched the graceful figure gradually recede into the distance until it vanished.
Thinking of his troublemaking and outspoken mother, Gu Wangchen felt even more irritated. The county town was different from the countryside. Miss Su hinted that the Yiju Restaurant seemed to be engaging in illicit dealings, and there was also a Xu family shop not far away. He was afraid his mother would get into trouble after he left, so a few days ago he had summoned a powerful old lady from his clan to take charge of the backyard of the teahouse.
Xu Lanyin returned to the shop, Zhao Wuxia came over, and the two walked back to the village together.
Seeing Zhao Wu's bad expression, Xu Lanyin asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Zhao Wudao, "Today, Captain Zhang asked Uncle He to help mediate between his daughter and me. I said I still needed to look for my uncle and cousin, so I refused..."
Seeing that he didn't agree, Captain He finally told the truth. He said that Captain Zhang had four sons and only one daughter, Zhang Manniang, whom he doted on. The girl not only looked like Captain Zhang, but also had a similar personality: dark, strong, and aggressive. She had been known for fighting since she was a child, but she also had high standards and liked pretty boys. She had always been unable to find a good marriage...
He also said that since Zhao Wubu disagreed, he should keep his tail between his legs and wipe his butt clean at all times. Captain Zhang would never let anyone get away with anything, so he should not be caught in a trap and use it to bully others.
Zhao Wu said, "I also know that I can't let him catch me. But there are some things I can't help but do, and some money I can't help but take. If I don't do it or take it, I will offend my brothers. If I do it or take it, others will be fine, but I will be in trouble."
Xu Lanyin knew Zhao Wu was referring to the rules and shady practices of the government. She said, "Captain He won't make things difficult for you. He knows the stakes of some things, so ask him to help thwart them. If that doesn't work, ask Brother Hong and Steward Tang to step in. You have to be careful not to fall into that person's trap..." Then she offered some inspirational words, "Life's road will always have its bumps. Find a way to get through them, and you'll be victorious. Think about your past life in that family. It was even harder, but you still made it through."
Zhao Wu exhaled and said, "That's right. I've been living a peaceful life for too long, and I get upset when something small happens. The past few months with my sister have been the most comfortable and happy days of my life."
What does "being with sister" mean? Xu Lanyin knew that he didn't mean anything else, but it still felt a bit irritating, but she didn't want to remind the little kid.
In a blink of an eye, it was early February, spring came back to the earth, and new green shoots appeared on the branches.
Hu Yi was busy with needlework every day, and occasionally talked with Xu Lanyin, Mrs. Hu, and Mrs. Hu. She felt relaxed and her spirits improved.
Xu Lanyin suggested that she would come to the Hu family every four or five days in the future.
Mrs. Hu was not only happy about Hu Yi's change, but also Mr. Hu and Hu Wan, who occasionally came home, were happy. He also gave Xu Lanyin a silver note for 100 taels of silver, a piece of soft silk, and two kilograms of tea.
After returning home, Xu Lanyin handed the one hundred taels of silver to Qin, which made Qin smile.
The day before yesterday, Xu Lanzhou rushed home from private school that evening, saying that one of his classmates had an urgent family matter and needed to sell thirty mu of land. The land was a continuous stretch in the neighboring town, a fertile field. He had made a special detour to take a look there that afternoon and found it truly excellent.
That family needed the silver urgently and wanted to sell all the items together, for a total of 230 taels of silver.
Qin was also tempted. Land is the foundation of the family. If the land is really good, buying it all will make the family's future worry-free.
Xu Lanyin had always wanted to save enough money to buy a nice house in the county town, and then open a teahouse. However, large tracts of land were hard to come by, and she didn't want to miss this opportunity.
Yesterday, Xu Lanzhou didn't go to school. He took Old Man Xu and Xu Qingming to look at the land. Old Man Xu and his son also thought the land was excellent and would buy it if they had the money. In the afternoon, Xu Qingming accompanied Xu Lanzhou to buy the land.
Since the second branch of the Xu family had so much money, the old couple came to ask Qin specifically, and Qin said it was the money from selling ginseng.
Almost all the family savings and the money earned from the shop were used up, and life suddenly became tight.
Xu Lanyin thought that the more than two hundred taels of silver in her hand would be of great use, so she didn't take it out. Instead, she handed over the one hundred taels of silver she earned today.
That night, Zhao Wu saw Xu Lanyin washing dishes in the kitchen and walked in. He said, "Sister, if you want to buy a house in the county town, use the money I left with you. Five hundred taels is enough to buy a three-story house south of Shuhua Street, enough to decorate and buy furniture. It's close to Mrs. Hong's house, so you can have fun there too."
He had always known that Xu Lanyin wanted to buy a better house in the county town. Now the family's money was all gone, and he didn't know how long it would take to earn so much money.
Xu Lanyin said, "That money is for you to get married and buy a house in the future. Don't worry about my family's affairs. Just earn more money after you spend it."
Zhao Wu smiled and said, "My wife is still in the care of my mother-in-law. Who knows when I will be able to marry her? I will slowly earn money to marry her, and I will buy a house with the money I have first."
Xu Lanyin still shook her head and disagreed.
The second branch of the Xu family now owns a shop and thirty acres of land, making them the third richest in Xiaozao Village, behind Xu Lizheng's family and Old Wang's family. This not only makes the Gu family envious, but also makes the villagers jealous. When they hear that Xu Lanyin collected wild ginseng in the mountains the previous autumn and sold it for a lot of money, they all rush to try their luck in the mountains.
Although the second wife of the Xu family was an orphan and a widow, because of Zhao Wu, petty thieves did not dare to target their house.
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