Grandma Li patted her granddaughter, her eyes filled with pride, "My Fu Niu'er is so smart, she managed to get the Emperor to be her boss, otherwise so many people would be envious."
"However, this matter cannot be discussed openly. If outsiders know that the Emperor is doing business, they will think that the Emperor is short of money, which will damage the Emperor's prestige, do you understand?"
"Okay, Grandma. Don't worry, if I don't know what to do, I'll ask my second uncle and godfather." Jiayin replied obediently, which reassured the old lady, and then she made arrangements to go home.
Although I can bake cakes at home, it requires a grill and whipping cream, which is too much work, so I might as well just take some more from here.
The twins from Hui Niang's family and the chubby boy from Liu's family are old enough to eat snacks; I'll send them some.
The village chief's family and Uncle Zhao and Uncle Wei, being older, have lost their sense of taste and have recently developed a craving for highly sweet and salty foods, so we also need to send them a few pieces...
After finishing all that, as everyone was leaving, they ran into Li Lao Er.
When he entered the city, he went back to the Hundred Flowers Garden and the Relief Office. Both places were safe and sound, so he came to meet up with them.
The family boarded a horse-drawn carriage and left the city gate amidst the sound of horses' hooves.
Li Lao Er then asked, "I heard on the way here that we've run into some troublemakers at our shop again?"
Jiayin quickly sat down next to her second uncle and recounted what had just happened.
Li Lao Er nodded, "You did a good job, that's how it should be!"
"The princess's residence deliberately sent people to test us. If our family were timid, we would have been tricked into giving us the prescription. But with your current assertiveness, not only the princess's residence, but even other people who are envious of our business will have to think twice!"
Jiayin laughed and said, "That's exactly what I think. People say you shouldn't be unforgiving when you're in the right, but I find it strange. If you're on the side of reason, why should you forgive? When someone comes to bully you, they don't care about reason or anything like that!"
Li Lao Er ruffled his niece's hair, smiling indulgently, "Yes, that's how it should be. No matter who it is, if they bully you, just fight back until they dare not have any more bad intentions!"
"Second Uncle, please keep an eye on this Princess's Mansion for me recently, and also find out their background. I have a feeling that this matter will not be easily resolved!" Jiayin said with annoyance, "Last time, the steward of the Marquis's Mansion gave me a notebook, which was full of relationship charts of various families."
"I'm getting a headache from all this talk about whose daughter married whose son, whose cousin married whose niece. I've put it aside. When I get home, I'll have to pick it up again and memorize it, otherwise I'll be too caught off guard if someone suddenly pops up and I don't know anything about them."
Li Lao Er was overjoyed and quickly said, "The chart the head steward gave you is a valuable thing. You must memorize it. Only aristocratic families have accumulated this over many years, and the thicker it is, the more useful it is."
"Sometimes, two seemingly unrelated families are actually intricately connected. If you encounter any problems, you can look through this chart and find many clues."
“Once you’ve memorized it, your eldest uncle, your third uncle, your father, and even your mother and your brothers will also have to memorize it. When we’re out and about, it will be like another pair of eyes for us.”
Jiayin nodded quickly, feeling fortunate that she had kept the atlas in her spatial storage and hadn't carelessly discarded it.
I originally thought it was useless, but I never expected that the head butler would give her such an important thing!
Li Lao Er couldn't help but add, "Make a copy for our family, then return the original to the head steward. We must continue to record any changes in the families we encounter. Years later, when our Li family has become a powerful clan, this will be our family's foundation!"
“Okay, Second Uncle, I’ve got it.” Jiayin replied solemnly.
Grandma Li and Tao Hongying nodded in agreement, while Granny He, who had been silent, was even happier.
Actually, she had been thinking about this for a long time, but such illustrated booklets were treasures in every household and could not be easily borrowed or copied, so she hadn't brought it up.
Unexpectedly, the Marquis's mansion offered it voluntarily, which was extremely helpful for the Li family, a newcomer who had suddenly squeezed into the circle of power and wealth.
They traveled in silence and soon returned to the new village.
The village was still busy, but with the village chief in charge, everything was well-organized and efficient.
Jiayin went to check on the foundation of the Princess's mansion and brought some snacks and fruit drinks to Lord Zhou and the craftsmen.
Lord Zhou explained the progress in detail and then said, "Princess, it will be almost finished in three or four days. At that time, the entire Princess's residence will be sealed off, and the main structure of the residence will be built next spring."
"Alright, thank you for your hard work, Lord Zhou. I'll be thinking about the interior design this winter, and I'll need your help to find some good carpenters." Jiayin nodded and made a small request.
Lord Zhou dared not delay and quickly agreed, "There are many good carpenters. Whenever the princess gives the order, I will send someone over."
"However, carpentry work cannot be rushed. It would be best if the princess made arrangements as soon as possible so that the decorations could be started when the residence is completed."
"No rush, Lord Zhou. After the house is built, it will be empty for two months before moving in. There's plenty of time." Jiayin waved her hand. Although there was no issue of renovation pollution or excessive formaldehyde here, it would definitely be more reassuring to leave it empty for a while before moving in.
After exchanging a few words, Jiayin went to see the twins and Liu's chubby son, and also brought some delicious food for the village chief and several old men.
By the time we finished all that, the sun was already almost setting behind the western mountains.
Just then, Lord Hou and Mr. Wen returned from the city, and Jiayin happily welcomed them home for dinner.
Tao Hongying quickly added two more dishes.
Jiayi and Liu Yang stayed at the dockside military camp, following Li Laosi to broaden their horizons.
Jia'an and Jiaxi returned to the Foreign Affairs Department, while Jiahuan stayed at the restaurant.
Jiaren, Lige'er, and Maoge'er followed Li Zhensheng by boat to the south.
After all the calculations, there are a lot of children in the family, but now only Jiayin is left to dote on.
Everyone sat in a circle, and she, a chubby little girl, was sandwiched in the middle, which made her seem even more precious.
Grandma Li kept serving food to her granddaughter, sighing, "Luckily, Fu Niu'er is still young and can stay by my side for a few more years, otherwise the house would be so lonely."
"Those brats, they just ran away like that, what's the point of keeping them around!"
Everyone laughed, and Madam Wen advised, "Auntie, you'll only have some peace and quiet for the next two years. After that, once your sons get married and have great-grandchildren, you probably won't be able to find a quiet place to hide away."
"Putting everything else aside, Wenjuan and I are having our baby next year, and you'll be very busy then!"
Sure enough, Grandma Li laughed immediately upon hearing this, "Haha, that's right! I need to take good care of myself this winter, because I'll be busy once you give birth."
Everyone laughed along, enjoying their meal and chatting happily, and before they knew it, they had eaten half a bowl more than usual.
After the meal, the Marquis returned to the next room, and Jiayin followed him eagerly.
The Marquis took her hand and led her into the study, asking, "Speak, is there something you need?"
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