Meng Zhao, who had been waiting inside, quickly went to open the door and welcomed Gu Shi in. Since there were no chairs in the room, Meng Zhao pulled Gu Shi to sit on the edge of the bed.
Meng Zhao smiled gently. "Mother, how did you like the food I cooked today? Was it good?"
Madam Gu was clearly surprised by Meng Zhao's question. She paused for a moment before quickly replying, "Delicious, so delicious! I've never eaten such delicious food before. I didn't know you had this skill, Zhao Zhao."
After receiving an affirmative answer, Meng Zhao asked again, "Then, Mother, do you think it would be alright if I sold some snacks near the North City Wharf?"
"Of course! Your cooking is so delicious, your business will definitely be booming." After eating Meng Zhao's food, Madam Gu had confidence in Meng Zhao's culinary skills.
Moreover, she dared not interfere with Meng Zhao's decision. Although she held the position of mother-in-law, she could only obey Meng Zhao.
“Why don’t you work with me, Mother? I’m too busy to manage on my own. If business is good, I’ll pay you more.”
Meng Zhao wanted to do business, so he naturally needed the help of the Gu family, a local. But it was important to make it clear beforehand who the boss was. Meng Zhao was making money for himself, not for the Shen family.
Gu was somewhat surprised by this, not expecting Meng Zhao to ask her to do it, and subconsciously felt that she had ulterior motives.
But seeing Meng Zhao's gentle eyes and his behavior today, it seemed somewhat believable.
After all this time, Meng Zhao was well aware of the Shen family's situation and knew they had nothing to scheme for in terms of money.
“Okay, it just so happens that I don’t have to go to work either, so I can help you with this.” She probably wouldn’t be able to find any other suitable work in the short term, so working with Meng Zhao and being willing to pay for it was a good option.
Seeing that Gu was so cooperative, Meng Zhao told Gu about her thoughts and preparations one by one.
Upon hearing that a stove needed to be built, Madam Gu offered to invite her two nephews from her maternal family who knew how to build one, saying it would be free.
Meng Zhao was naturally happy to save money, but building the stove required bricks. He couldn't ask others for help and bring their own materials. Meng Zhao took out 200 coins and gave them to Gu Shi, asking her to buy bricks tomorrow. In addition to building two stoves, they also needed to build a work platform. The money could be refunded or supplemented as needed.
Gu did not refuse and simply put the copper coins away.
The two discussed some other matters, and after they finished talking, Meng Zhao got up and saw Gu Shi out.
After walking a few steps outside, Shen Qinghe opened the door. Although he had been in the room, he had been on guard the whole time.
Hearing her mother enter Meng Zhao's room, she didn't know what the two talked about, but the timid and cowardly mother was no match for that vicious woman. Hearing the door open, she came out to check.
Madam Gu was aware of her son's concerns, so she went directly into his room and told him exactly what Meng Zhao had said earlier.
After listening to Gu's mother's description, Shen Qinghe was a little confused. Her sister-in-law had originally married into the family by trickery after taking a liking to her brother's appearance.
On the wedding day, after the ceremony, her brother, who had paid to be exempted from corvée labor according to custom, was still taken away by the bailiffs. Feeling deceived, she went mad and caused a scene at the wedding, which is still a laughing stock in the village.
Her mother pitied her for leaving her husband on her wedding day and endured her own pain of separation, always going along with her. But she was relentless and targeted her at every turn. Every table, chair, bench, pot, pan and dish in the house had been smashed by her.
He still remembers the way she looked when she went crazy, the resentment in her eyes is still vivid in his mind. But for some reason, she seems to have become a different person these past few days, and the sinister look in her eyes has disappeared.
I initially thought she had some other sinister plot, but now that I know she just wants to do some small business, I really can't understand it.
“Mother, I can’t figure out what she’s up to, but you must not completely trust her. We didn’t lie about my brother; she used a scheme to force him into the marriage. Even though she has suffered because of it, we have already paid back what we owed her after all this venting. You must not indulge her any longer.”
Shen Qinghe knew that his mother was kind and gentle, but nowadays, being too soft-hearted would only lead to being bullied.
"Don't worry, Mother knows what to do." Madam Gu was not stupid. Although she indulged Meng Zhao, she did not completely trust her.
"If anything happens at home, please have Qingze go to the academy to find me." Shen Qinghe was still a little worried.
"Okay, if anything happens, I'll come to the academy to find you right away. Focus on your studies and don't worry too much about home."
Now, the most important thing for the family is to let their second son study hard and pass the imperial examinations.
After the conversation, Madam Gu went back to her room to rest. Shen Qinghe was not sleepy, so in order not to waste the candlelight, she lay on the bed and silently thought about the lessons her teacher had assigned.
The courtyard nestled quietly at the foot of the mountain, wisps of mist swirling around it like a light veil, while gentle sunlight filtered through the mist and leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground.
Before dawn, Meng Zhao was awakened by the sounds of voices in the courtyard. In ancient times, when there were no forms of entertainment, Meng Zhao had no desire to stay in bed and got up early.
Standing in the courtyard and taking a deep breath, filled with the fresh scent of nature, drowsiness instantly vanishes, and one is immediately awakened.
Shen Qinghe stood in the courtyard wearing a dark blue, narrow-sleeved robe. His hair was all tied up, revealing his handsome features. He had a slender and tall figure and was chopping the wood he had brought back yesterday. When he chopped down with the axe, you could almost see the muscle lines under his clothes, which made him look quite powerful.
Although Gu had already given birth to four children, she was not yet forty years old. Apart from looking somewhat tired due to long hours of work, her features were still very attractive.
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