Xu Di is a very capable person; whatever he thinks of, he will definitely do.
This time, the old lady really handed over her family fortune to Xu Di. The people under the old lady's command back then were actually people who had followed the old lady's mother, who had fought alongside that legendary princess in the north and south.
The ancestors of Li Jialiang's family were merely the personal guards of that princess. Those elite guards were kept on another estate by the old lady. Moreover, after each of them got married, the most qualified person in the family would be selected to receive training. This has been going on for several generations.
When Xu Di saw the elite force capable of taking on a hundred men in what had become a fairly large village, his eyes lit up. It was at this moment that Xu Di became very curious about the legendary princess. He wanted to know what the princess was thinking back then, why she would leave such a force for her descendants. Was it because she lacked confidence in this era or because she had no expectations for the emperor who shared her lineage?
Xu Di immediately assigned tasks to these people, sending a few to Jiangnan and another ten to Liaodong. Xu Rao had written to him saying that the Jurchens were recently making moves, and Xu Rao was afraid they might do something. Xu Di had enough men at his disposal, so he simply wrote a letter and sent this small team to Liaodong to help Xu Rao. These men were top-notch, whether they were spying or fighting on the battlefield. Even if they didn't do those things, Xu Di felt at ease having his own men by Xu Rao's side. Ever since Emperor Liang Cheng reprimanded Xu Di last time, Xu Di had been somewhat wary of Emperor Liang Cheng.
After settling everyone in, Xu Di didn't dare linger. He went to his vermicelli-making farm, inspected the work there, and then returned to the capital.
Xu Zhi returned from Tongzhou that day and wanted to have lunch at home, so Xu Di took a day off to go home and keep her company.
Xu Zhi bought a lot of things for the newborn baby, and also bought two rattles. Xu Tong took one, shook it a few times, and said with a smile, "I have to say, shaking this is really fun."
Xu Zhi snatched it away, saying, "This is for my little nephew and niece to play with, not for you. What if you break it?"
Xu Tong pointed at Xu Zhi angrily and laughed, "How could I, a grown woman, possibly break this little thing? Even if you did break it, couldn't you just buy another one? You're the one who earns the most money in our family now."
When Xu Zhi heard Xu Tong say this, she frowned and said, "I can earn money, but I can also spend it, Fifth Sister. The money I earn will be spent like water in no time. Maybe I'll end up spending more money than I earn, and I'll have to borrow money to make ends meet."
Upon hearing this, Xu Tong said in disbelief, "You're just trying to fool me. Don't think I'm not like you, who travels all over the country and is very knowledgeable. I've also read a lot of books and been to Yanmen Pass. I'm not so easily fooled."
Xu Zhi held Xu Tong's hand and patiently said, "Fifth sister, do you know why I want to make a lot of money? Back when we were in Hexi, many young and strong people died in the war, leaving behind the elderly and children who were displaced. Before my father went there, there were many beggars and vagrants on the streets of Hexi. My father used the government's money to build an orphanage."
Hearing this, Xu Tong looked very serious. Seeing that she was listening attentively, Xu Zhi continued, "At first, the government paid for their food and lodging. But gradually, the money became tight. My father thought about having these children learn some skills that could earn money, and for the elderly, to learn some handicrafts so they could support themselves. Aren't there places in Hexi that specialize in making yarn? At first, my father asked an elderly woman from the orphanage to help him make it."
Recalling the time when Xu Rao led his family to Hexi, Xu Zhi's eyes were full of nostalgia. She sighed and said, "Back then, no one thought highly of Father. But Father was a man who wanted to do things. I remember that in order to make good yarn, Father spent a lot of time in the workshop and hired many craftsmen who knew how to spin yarn. That's how he made the yarn."
Now, wool yarn from Hexi is quite common in Daliang. Wealthy families buy high-quality wool yarn to knit sweaters, gloves, and socks. There are always skillful people out there. Xu Rao simply promoted the most basic knitting techniques, and now there are many different patterns for sweaters and trousers on the market.
Seeing that Xu Zhi was speaking slowly, Xu Tong urged her to continue. Xu Zhi said, "Later, our orphanage in Hexi relied on this skill of spinning wool to raise many children who had lost their parents and to see many elderly people off in their final days. Later, I went to many places, and the orphanages in each place were different. Some places were even just for show. If my fifth sister wanted to run an orphanage well, she would need to invest a lot of money in the early stage and then she would need people to manage it carefully. Everything costs money. As for me, I want to build many orphanages. I want to provide for those children who have lost their support and to give those lonely elderly people something to rely on."
Xu Tong was surprised that Xu Zhi had such thoughts. He held Xu Zhi's hand and looked at her seriously for a while before saying, "Ninth Sister, everyone in the family says that our grandmother loves you the most. Now I understand that you deserve our grandmother's love and care, and you also deserve our love and care."
Upon hearing Xu Tong's words, Xu Zhi smiled and said, "Fifth Sister, thank you so much, all you older brothers and sisters."
Xu Tong sighed and said, "It's a pity I don't have much money, and the family I married into isn't very wealthy or powerful. I really can't help you much, Ninth Sister. I can only wish you all your dreams come true in the future."
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
