Cheng Yan seemed thoughtful upon hearing this. "I've been to the prefectural city. Maybe I should stay here. There are many things to do at home, and I can't leave it unattended. You young people should go and have some fun. It's really worth taking the children out to broaden their horizons."
“Then I might as well stay too. I’m already so old, what else do I need to see? There are so many complicated things to do at the villa, I’d feel more at ease if I looked after it myself.” Xu Cui echoed Cheng Yan’s suggestion.
Seeing that the others were about to speak up, Cheng Ruyi slammed her hand on the table and said, pretending to be angry, "I said everyone's going! Everyone's going together!"
“Father, the shop won’t close down just because you’re gone for a day or two. If something happens, it proves that there’s a problem with the shop’s management, and that’s a good opportunity to clean it up!” After saying that, Cheng Yan turned to Xu Cui and said, “Aunt Cui, Manager Tao is still in the villa. If there’s a problem, hold him accountable. It’s his duty.”
Seeing his daughter's insistence, Cheng Yan couldn't help but whisper, "Why do you want to go on a trip for no reason? Besides, the expenses for going to the prefectural city are too high. Why don't you save the money? Yun'an is almost of marriageable age; it's time to prepare her dowry..."
Cheng Ruyi was speechless after hearing this. It turned out that her father was afraid of wasting money!
“I’m not wasting money! Dad, everyone has been working hard for the family lately, with almost no time to rest. This is not good for our health and mental well-being in the long run. Now that the family business is slowly getting back on track, it’s time to relax. We earn money to make our lives better, we can’t put the cart before the horse!”
Seeing that Cheng Yan still wanted to argue, Ruyi raised her hand to stop him, then leaned close to his ear and whispered to him that Lingyun Pavilion had earned more than nine hundred taels of silver this month.
Taking advantage of the other person's shock, Cheng Ruyi continued, "As for preparing a dowry, that's a long way off. Yun'an is only fourteen this year; it's not too late to meet her again in a few years."
"I plan to keep the girls around for a few more years before considering marriage. Please let them be carefree children for a few more years!"
She had originally planned to wait until both girls were at least eighteen years old before having children.
Although eighteen years old is just the beginning of adulthood, by this time the girls have the ability to think independently. If they wish, they can arrange marriages, and as long as they are not engaged, they can still back out.
It's best for everyone to spend some time together and get to know each other before making a decision, so that you don't discover problems with your partner after you've already married them.
Of course, Cheng Ruyi actually felt that it was hard to say what next year would bring!
Nowadays, it's either natural disasters or man-made calamities. Chaos could break out at any time, and you could lose your life at any moment. So why get married?
"Mother, I want to stay by your side longer; I don't want to get married so early..."
Cheng Yun'an herself had no particular interest in matters between men and women. In her eyes, neither her father nor her brother had contributed anything to the family, and she did not understand the meaning of marriage.
Moreover, during this time, she heard her mother talk about a lot of knowledge, especially about the process of birth, which she found very exciting.
Later, I couldn't help but secretly ask my sister-in-law...
In short, she had absolutely no idea what benefits marriage and having children would bring her!
So when she heard her grandfather say he was going to prepare a dowry, she was inevitably sad for a while. Fortunately, her mother's words moved her to tears.
Seeing her sister like this, Cheng Yunle also shouted, "Mother~~ Mother~~ I won't get married either! I want to stay by your side for the rest of my life!"
"Pah! Pah! Pah! Nonsense!" Xu Cui was startled by Yun Le's words and immediately put her hands together and murmured, "Blessed Bodhisattva, Yun Le is still young and her words should not be taken seriously. Please don't take them to heart!"
After being yelled at, Cheng Yunle pouted and looked pitifully at her mother for help.
"Yun'an and Yunle are still young, it's too early to talk about this issue now!"
Cheng Ruyi knew that changing everyone's mindset wouldn't be easy, and she could only take it slowly.
Fearing the conversation might veer off course, she quickly steered the discussion back on track, "If everyone agrees, then it's decided! The whole family will set off for the prefectural city for a trip in three days, okay?"
Cheng Yunle raised both hands: "Good!"
Cheng Yun'an smiled and nodded: "Mm!"
Cheng Yunping jumped up: "That's great!"
Lin Xiaoman hugged Cheng Mande and said, "Mother's decision is fine!"
Cheng Mande, held in his mother's arms, cried out, "Grandma! Grandma! Ouch! Ouch!"
Cheng Yan was still in shock: "..."
Seeing that Cheng Yan did not object, Xu Cui nodded silently. Since she was sold here, she had never left Huai Shan County, let alone gone to the prefectural city. After returning, she would have new things to show off to the neighbors. Thinking of this, she was still a little excited.
June this year was hotter than usual.
On the morning of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, as soon as it was light, the docks along the Jinshui River were already bustling with activity.
The Gu family's passenger ship was docked at their own private dock, magnificent and imposing, far surpassing the ordinary ships nearby.
It was the first time for everyone in the Cheng family to travel by boat, and on such a magnificent passenger ship at that, so everyone looked very excited, curious and thrilled.
The passenger ship has several independent cabins, each with bright and spacious windows on both sides and curtains for decoration. Inside, there are tables, chairs, beds, tea, and food. The entire cabin looks just like an ordinary room, combining comfort and practicality.
Cheng Ruyi was very satisfied after looking at it. It was antique and clean and bright. Eight hours was quite a long time, but in such a cabin, one could rest and chat, eat, drink and have fun. When bored, one could sit by the window and enjoy the scenery along the riverbanks. It was quite pleasant.
"Sir, may I ask what this strangely shaped box you're holding is?"
In the cabin directly opposite the one where the Cheng family was sitting, a middle-aged man dressed in silk and jade, clearly wealthy and noble, stood at the door and asked Cheng Yan a question curiously. Behind him, two servants and a maid were tidying up the items.
On this trip, the Cheng family specially brought along Ruyi's recently designed new furniture products, namely a double-decker children's stroller and a rattan and bamboo trolley case.
A double-decker stroller is essentially a slightly modified version of a regular stroller. The child's basket is raised, and a simple bamboo basket is added at the bottom, which can hold quite a lot of things and is very convenient even for long trips with a baby.
As for rattan and bamboo suitcases, they are a combination of ancient small carts and modern suitcases. In fact, rattan or bamboo suitcases are very common here, but they are all carried by hand. They are large and heavy, which is very physically demanding and not suitable for people like Cheng Ruyi who usually pull suitcases when traveling.
After a period of experimentation, the rattan and bamboo suitcase was finally successfully developed!
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