The village head nodded, a relieved smile on his face. He was quite learned, often reading books and listening to storytelling. He knew that many high-ranking officials and nobles had failed because of their in-laws and relatives. Their Shenjia Village had finally produced a leader, and they couldn't let those ignorant villagers hold him back.
Shen Qinghe passed the imperial examination and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). He owned 200 mu of tax-exempt farmland. Shenjia Village received 50 mu, and the remaining 150 mu were all owned by Meng Zhao. She spent money to buy the land, but she did not plan to farm it herself. Instead, she asked the village head to help her find some families who wanted to rent the land.
The village head was naturally even happier. Meng Zhao was known for her kindness and gave farmers a large share of the profits. Moreover, the land she bought was all fertile, which was much easier to cultivate than wasteland and had a higher yield. In this way, even those who did not win the tax-exempt land lottery could rent Meng Zhao's land without any complaints.
These days, not only Meng Zhao is busy, but Shen Qinghe is also not idle. Hearing that he was leaving, people in the county rushed to invite him. Today it is the instructor's invitation that he has to go, tomorrow it is a classmate reunion that he has to attend, and the day after tomorrow it is the county magistrate's arrangement for him to meet with the local gentry. Day after day, he rarely has time to be idle at home.
At first, Meng Zhao was worried that he would get drunk again, so she prepared a hangover soup for him. But since that day, Shen Qinghe has never touched alcohol again, which put her at ease.
However, compared to before, Shen Qinghe looked much calmer now, and the smiles on her face were becoming less and less frequent. Gu Shi even asked her privately what was going on, but Meng Zhao could only give a vague answer.
Before they knew it, it was already the end of September, the season when osmanthus flowers bloom. Today, Shen Qingze and Shen Qingyu didn't have to go to school, and Meng Zhao didn't go out either. Instead, he took them out to pick some osmanthus flowers first, and then stayed home to cook for them.
She first mixed some glutinous rice flour, had the two children knead it into balls, cooked them in a pot, then added two eggs, sugar and red dates, cooked them, served them, sprinkled them with osmanthus flowers, and a bowl of steaming hot osmanthus glutinous rice ball soup was ready.
While the two children were enjoying their meal, Meng Zhao took the opportunity to say, "Qingze, Qingyu, your sister-in-law has something to tell you."
The two children looked up, still with dumplings in their mouths.
Meng Zhao continued, "You're going to the capital in a few days, so I won't be going with you."
The two children usually clung to Meng Zhao, and Gu Shi was worried that if she told them, they would cry and make a fuss. So she suggested that they keep it from them and tell them slowly after the carriage set off.
But after thinking about it, Meng Zhao still didn't want to leave by deceiving them, so she decided to explain things to them in advance so that they could be mentally prepared.
Upon hearing this, the two suddenly found their sweet osmanthus dumplings no longer appealing. Shen Qingyu blinked and asked, "Why, sister-in-law?"
Meng Zhao reached out and patted her head. "As you all know, your sister-in-law has to do business and make money, so she can't go to the capital with you."
"How long will my sister-in-law be gone?" Shen Qingze asked anxiously.
"The exact time is still uncertain, but it will probably take much longer than before, because the capital is quite far away, and we can't go there anytime."
"Then I'll go with you, sister-in-law!" Shen Qingyu's eyes were already brimming with tears, and her voice was trembling with sobs.
“No, Qingyu, your sister-in-law needs to travel back and forth by carriage frequently. You are still young, and it will be very tiring for you. Besides, you still need to study. How will you listen to your lessons if you follow your sister-in-law? Furthermore, if you come with me, what will happen to your mother and your second brother? Are you willing to be separated from them?”
“But I don’t want to be separated from my sister-in-law either…” Shen Qingyu’s tears finally fell, and although Shen Qingze didn’t cry, his eyes were also red.
Meng Zhao's heart softened, and she hugged the two children, gently comforting them, "It's okay. Although we're separated, you can write to your sister-in-law. Now that you know so many words, you can write about what's happening to you and she'll write back to you. We'll meet again when I'm done with my work, or when you're older."
Meng Zhao gently patted their backs, "Qingze and Qingyu, we made a promise that when we meet again after we part ways, if I ask you two math questions, you can't not be able to answer them."
Shen Qingze wiped away his tears and nodded vigorously: "Sister-in-law, I will definitely study hard."
Shen Qingyu sobbed as she said, "Sister-in-law, I will be good and write to you..."
To Meng Zhao's relief, although the two children cried, they did not make a big fuss. It seems that although children are more emotional, they are not completely unreasonable.
In the days leading up to their separation, Meng Zhao suspended their classes and took them with him wherever he went. Even if he couldn't take them to discuss business, he would have them wait in the carriage and spend as much time with them as possible.
Finally, the seventh day of the tenth month arrived. The matters in the county had been arranged, and the weather would get cold soon, so the Shen family had no choice but to set off.
Gu's family, Meng Zhao's parents, the village head of Shenjia Village, and Aunt Feng'e all came to see them off. The capital is far away, and this parting would probably mean not seeing each other for several years.
Before leaving, Madam Gu took out a piece of paper from her sleeve, looked at everyone and said, "Since everyone is here today, as Zhao Zhao's mother-in-law, I would also like to say a few words. Zhao Zhao has been devoted to our family. Not to mention a daughter-in-law, even a biological daughter wouldn't have done this much. Today, I will stand up for my unfortunate eldest son and have you sign this divorce agreement."
Then, to everyone's astonishment, he handed it to Meng Zhao, saying, "From now on, Zhao Zhao is no longer my daughter-in-law. If she finds someone she likes in the future, our Shen family will still be her family and her support."
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