Qingqing raised her head, smiled and nodded at Bai Mi, her bright eyes sparkling with a dazzling light, which made Bai Mi a little stunned. Qingqing was very beautiful, but she was usually busy with work, so she didn't dress well or eat well. These days, she has been taking care of herself and her complexion has improved a lot. Although she is still lying in bed recovering from her injury, her complexion has improved.
As the days slowly passed and the autumn wind grew cooler, Xu Zhi followed her third uncle, Zhang Zhaozhi, back to Yuezhou from Hainan Island.
Yuezhou Port remained as bustling as ever, with large ships coming and going every day. Sometimes, one could even see blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigners coming from the other side of the ocean. Xu Zhi gradually went from being surprised to taking it for granted.
Upon learning of Xu Zhi's return, Feng Wan'er, who had changed her name to Shen Mingwan, traveled by carriage from her home to Xu Zhi's house the next day.
Zheng Boyuan is still in the army and has not returned. These days, Zheng Yuanyuan has been managing all the affairs of the family and has taken Aying to tour the entire Yuezhou City, and even some famous places outside Yuezhou City, and they have tasted all the delicious food.
At first, Granny Wang tried to stop her. Granny Wang felt that Zheng Yuanyuan was the legitimate daughter of the Marquis's family, and seeing her running around with a country girl all day long, the rules had become much looser. But Zheng Yuanyuan was happy doing this. In all her more than ten years of life, this was the first time she felt that a person could live so freely.
Granny Wang tried to stop her, but Zheng Yuanyuan took advantage of Zheng Boyuan's return home and coaxed him to let her go out. Zheng Boyuan felt that his younger sister had become much more lively since coming to Yuezhou, and thinking that he might not have such a good opportunity to play again in the future, he naturally let his sister play as she pleased.
Everyone understands that being a girl is different from being a wife. After getting married, there are all sorts of rules to follow. It was much more carefree when you were a girl, as long as you followed the rules on the surface.
When Xu Zhi returned home, she was speechless as she looked at her sister-in-law, who was much darker than when she left. Zheng Yuanyuan, on the other hand, started chattering away as soon as she saw Xu Zhi.
Xu Zhi sighed and said, "Yuanyuan, I've only been gone for a few days, how did you become like this?"
Zheng Yuanyuan was stunned by Xu Zhi's words, and after a long while, she said, "Sister-in-law, is what I'm doing wrong?"
Xu Zhi said, "This is good, but I feel it's a bit sudden. Tell me, what have you been doing at home these past few months?"
Zheng Yuanyuan then explained everything that had happened at home, including where she had gone, what she had done, and what she had eaten. At the end, she took out a rather large bamboo box, which contained all sorts of trinkets.
Zheng Yuanyuan said, "Sister-in-law, this is something I bought especially for you. It's all very good stuff. What do you think?"
Xu Zhi was quite touched. This sister-in-law didn't forget her even when she was having a great time. It was worth it for her to have been so kind to her.
Nothing happened that night. When Shen Mingwan came over the next day, Xu Zhi had just gotten up.
Seeing Shen Mingwan arrive, Xu Zhi quickly greeted her. The two of them didn't go to the front hall for entertaining guests, but instead went up to Xu Zhi's embroidered room. Bai Guo served them a tea to cool them down and promote health, and the two of them drank tea and talked.
Shen Mingwan said, "Ninth Sister, you're finally back."
Xu Zhi smiled and said, "Sister Wan'er, I've heard that you're now the most outstanding young lady in Yuezhou."
Shen Mingwan is now the only daughter of the second branch of the Shen family. She is often taken by her elders to various gatherings. Shen Mingwan has been taught by her elders since childhood, and her knowledge and manners are impeccable. After several gatherings, everyone was impressed by Shen Mingwan's literary talent.
Upon hearing this, Shen Mingwan waved her hand and said, "They're all just empty titles. How can they compare to what Ninth Sister is going to do? Ninth Sister, I'd like to ask, where are you going next time?"
Xu Zhi said, "My third uncle said he would take me to the north. I want to go to Liaodong to see my parents. If possible, I also want to go back to Beijing to visit my grandmother."
Shen Mingwan's eyes darkened when she heard about the capital. Xu Zhi thought for a moment and said, "Sister Wan'er, is there anything you want me to take back with you?"
Shen Mingwan waved her hand and said, "Ninth Sister, no, I can't have any contact with my family right now, as it would cause them trouble. I want to stay at a nunnery outside Yuezhou City for a while."
Xu Zhi asked in surprise, "Sister Wan'er, what kind of good place is a nunnery? Not only is life there hard, but I've also heard that some nunneries are filthy and unsafe."
Shen Mingwan said, "I've already inquired about it. That nunnery has strict rules and no dirty business. I just want some peace and quiet. My grandmother is the most senior person in my family, but my maternal aunt is the one in charge. The Shen family has never split up, so the family members are complicated. The Qingxin Xiaozhu where I live now is the place that the young ladies in the mansion most want to live. Because of this, there have been quite a few disputes in the family."
Xu Zhi understood Shen Mingwan's predicament. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Sister Wan'er, in that case, I think you might as well buy a house near my home. Yuezhou has a more open-minded culture than the capital. I see that many families here have women in charge of the household. Wouldn't it be nice to buy a house and live there?"
Shen Mingwan sighed and said, "Of course I thought of this method, but as soon as I brought it up, my grandmother stopped me. I am now a member of the second branch of the Shen family, and my second uncle went to the temple to become a lay Buddhist because the family did something wrong to him. Only my mother knows about this, and even my grandmother doesn't know. If I move out of the house again, my grandmother will be sad, and the rest of the Shen family will feel embarrassed."
Xu Zhi understood what was going on, and took Shen Mingwan's hand, saying, "Sister Shen, is this all you can do to endure it?"
Shen Mingwan smiled slightly, but to Xu Zhi, that smile was full of bitterness, making Xu Zhi feel even more sad.
Despite being a favored daughter of heaven, she ended up in such a state. The hatred in Xu Zhi's heart surged from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. She now felt an even greater sense of urgency, not for anything else, but for herself, for Shen Mingwan, and even for other girls she didn't know but who had suffered the same fate as her.
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