"Mother, this is a good thing!" Zhao Yuru took her mother-in-law's arm and said with a smile, "It's because our family is doing well and prosperous that we can keep adding to our property."
Li Laosan said honestly, "Yes, no matter where we live, we will always be filial to you and take care of the family."
Grandma Li waved her hand, patted her daughter-in-law, and instructed, "It's not that I'm worried you won't be filial, it's just that life is too good and I can't help but feel uneasy. I'm afraid that you'll get carried away and won't be able to handle this good fortune..."
"Your mother is not by your side, so you must all stay safe and sound! The meals for the students must be affordable and you must be true to your conscience. If you encounter anyone in need, you should lend a hand."
"Don't worry, Mother, we know. When students from poor families come to eat, we give them extra pieces of meat and an extra spoonful of rice so that they can have a full meal."
"Put yourself in their shoes, our own children are also in school. It's only because things are better at home that we can take care of them. Otherwise, we wouldn't know how much we'd miss them if we were at home... So, if we can lend a hand, we certainly won't be stingy."
Having run the shop for a while, Zhao Yuru has become much more straightforward and opinionated, and her words are reasonable and persuasive.
Grandma Li was delighted to hear this and nodded repeatedly. "Then I won't worry about you anymore. When you have free time, come home to visit often. It always feels so empty at home, just Hongying and I."
“Okay, I’ll listen to you, Mother,” Zhao Yuru agreed.
After everyone spoke, they settled down and decided to stay there for the night.
Jia'an, Jiaxi, and Maoge'er couldn't stay still, and Gousheng'er also wanted to take his parents for a walk in town, so they all went out again.
Jiayin got up early to travel, and now she was sleepy and fell asleep in the main room.
Grandma Li covered her granddaughter with an outer garment, then rolled up her sleeves and joined her daughter-in-law in tidying up the side room, washing and cleaning. Even though it was a bit busy and tiring, she was happy.
As children grow up, they're like little birds leaving the nest; they gradually each have their own little nest...
On the morning of the second day, Mr. Peng had no classes and waited at home early for Mrs. Li to come to visit.
However, the Li family did not enter the academy until late morning, because Li Lao Er had also come to see his nephews off.
Although the old lady is now a titled lady, sending several children to the academy would not be considered disrespectful. In the end, it would be better for him, the Earl, to take the lead.
Sure enough, Mr. Peng was very pleased to see them and personally welcomed them to his study to talk.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Old Lady Li took Jiayin to the backyard.
The maid Xiaoyue stood guard at the second gate, and as soon as she saw the old lady coming, she would report inside.
Wenjuan quickly came out and helped Grandma Li walk inside.
After sitting down to drink tea and eat snacks, Old Mrs. Li carefully observed that Wenjuan had dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept well.
She guessed that the concubine was up to her old tricks again, so she asked a couple of questions, but Wenjuan burst into tears.
It turned out that she had also heard about the scandal at the academy. She knew that the student and the peasant girl had been having an affair. The student was expelled, and the peasant girl's family not only got away with it but also lost face, so they sent the peasant girl to live with distant relatives.
But everyone is saying that the peasant girl was secretly sold by her family to the south to be someone's concubine.
She hasn't been able to sleep these past two nights because of lingering fear...
She was just a hair's breadth away from being scorned by thousands and suffering a miserable end.
Sitting beside Old Madam Li, Wenjuan choked with sobs, her heart overflowing with gratitude. "Madam, thank you so much for not minding my lack of manners and for being willing to marry me. I will definitely take good care of you from now on, I promise..."
Grandma Li quickly patted her back, comforting the poor girl, "You've never had a mother to guide you since you were little, so it's normal for you to act a little extreme. Besides, even if you're wrong, my Huan-ge'er can't escape the consequences either. What's done is done, don't overthink it."
"Once you're married into the family, consult with your mother-in-law more often. She's a kind and steady person, easy to get along with. As you get older, you and Huan-ge'er will be able to support the household."
Wenjuan nodded vigorously, wiped away her tears, and her eyes regained their light.
She took the sewing basket, took out a pair of shoes for the old lady, and gave an embroidered cloth bag to Jiayin.
Needless to say, the shoes were a gift for the old lady, but the cloth bag was draped around Jiayin's neck to protect his injured hand.
Jiayin's injured hand is almost fully healed. The scabs are gradually falling off. Apart from some itching, she doesn't feel anything. She has even stopped taking herbal medicine today.
The cloth bag arrived a little late and was of no use, but Jiayin still thanked her with a smile, "Thank you, Second Sister-in-law!"
Wenjuan blushed upon hearing this, and Grandma Li tapped her granddaughter's forehead, protecting her future granddaughter-in-law, "Don't bully your second sister-in-law, or your second brother won't cook you anything delicious!"
Jiayin playfully stuck out her tongue, making everyone laugh.
After chatting for a while, Li Lao Er and Mr. Peng had already sent the three boys to school.
Grandma Li then bid farewell to Wenjuan, met up with her son ahead, and left the college.
Grandma Li, concerned for her grandsons, asked softly, "Second son, have you seen the children's teacher? Does he look stern? The dormitory is several people to a room; I wonder if the children will be able to get used to it?"
Li Lao Er replied nonchalantly, "Mother, don't worry. They're just boys. It's nothing for them to suffer a little. They won't amount to anything without being toughened up."
"Besides, with Jiaren and Lige'er around, they can figure out what they need on their own."
Grandma Li was furious when she heard this, and pinched her son. "How can you be such a proper elder? You just send the child to the academy and then ignore everything else?"
Li Lao Er didn't say much, letting his mother vent her anger by pinching him. Then he picked up his little niece, chuckled, and bounced her around. "Mother, don't worry about it. Compared to our generation, the boys in the family are already living a very comfortable life. What if we raise a few spineless wimps if we take care of them too much? Let them run wild!"
"Besides, if the family wants to spoil the children, they should spoil our Fu Niu'er. Our Fu Niu'er is so well-behaved and smart, much better than those brats, isn't she!"
Jiayin beamed with joy at the praise and nodded her little head vigorously.
Grandma Li was both amused and exasperated, so she simply stopped caring.
A doting mother often spoils her child, and a doting mother can spoil a child even more!
Just like my son said, instead of wasting time on this, we should focus on raising our granddaughter well.
As for the grandchildren, let them be raised freely from now on.
The eldest son in the family is decisive and courageous, the second son is shrewd and tactful, the third son is honest and dutiful, and the fourth son is brave and fierce.
Furthermore, the wise and refined Mr. Wen and the upright and dignified Marquis often visited the house. The boys, influenced by their surroundings, couldn't learn bad habits from either of them...
At noon, Jiaren brought back a bunch of his younger brothers for lunch.
Grandma Li was surrounded by the boys talking about all the new things happening at the academy, and the noise was giving her a headache.
She was no longer worried, and in the afternoon she quickly took her son and granddaughter home.
Jiayin remembered that Mr. Tang wanted orchids as a gift, so she insisted on buying some. Li Lao Er, who doted on his niece, said he would buy some on the way.
Ye Shan and Fuyumi sat on the carriage shaft, asking around along the way, and surprisingly found a flower garden outside the city...?
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