Zheng Yuanyuan sat down on the edge of the kang opposite Xu Zhi and said, "Sister-in-law, I couldn't sleep, so I was thinking of going for a walk in the yard. I saw the light was on in your house, so I came over."
Xu Zhi put down her pen and asked her curiously, "Why can't you sleep? You traveled for half a day from the village to come back. Aren't you tired?"
Zheng Yuanyuan shook her head, and Xu Zhi said, "Could it be because we changed locations?"
Zheng Yuanyuan said, "Sister-in-law, no, I saw the Feng family during the day. I saw that the old lady of the Feng family was so nice to Sister Mingwan. I always felt that something was wrong."
Thinking of Shen Mingwan's true identity, Xu Zhi didn't expose her. Instead, she said, "Everyone says that Sister Mingwan looks a lot like the girl from the Feng family who died young. Maybe the old lady of the Feng family is thinking of her granddaughter. Oh dear, don't overthink it. Why think too much? Right?"
Zheng Yuanyuan sighed and said, "Sister-in-law, I'm not young anymore. I can't live like I used to, doing nothing but eating and playing all day long. Sister-in-law, that's going too far."
Xu Zhi said angrily, "Who said you're like an idiot? Who said that? I'm going to find him tomorrow."
Zheng Yuanyuan lost her mother at a young age and lived with her grandmother. When she was young, the old lady Zheng was always fasting and chanting Buddhist scriptures, so there were times when she couldn't take care of her. The people of the Pingxi Marquis's mansion often bullied Zheng Yuanyuan. It is said that when Zheng Yuanyuan was a few years old, because she couldn't speak yet, the servants of the Pingxi Marquis's mansion secretly spread rumors that their eldest daughter was a fool. It was only later that the old lady Zheng saw that the rumors were really outrageous and angrily punished a few gossipy women, and then no one dared to say it.
Xu Zhi felt sorry for Zheng Yuanyuan. When she heard Zheng Yuanyuan say that she was like a fool, Xu Zhi's anger flared up. She thought that the people from the Pingxi Marquis's mansion had started gossiping about Zheng Yuanyuan again.
Zheng Yuanyuan quickly said, "Sister-in-law, no one said it, really no one said it, it's just my own feeling."
Xu Zhi said very seriously, "Yuanyuan, look at you, you manage our family so well. Among all the big and small families in the capital, go and ask around, who can be as capable as you? Moreover, the shops you own can make a lot of money every year. Which unmarried girl can run shops so well?"
Zheng Yuanyuan lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly and said, "Sister-in-law, it's not as good as you say. When I first opened it, didn't I also ruin a lot of things and lose a lot of money in the shop?"
Xu Zhi thought of her older brother Xu Di's words and said, "If you want to learn anything well, you have to pay tuition. That's all tuition you pay. Once you've paid the tuition and learned the skills, that's your skill. Aren't there many people who have paid a lot of tuition but ended up not learning anything?"
Seeing Zheng Yuanyuan lower her head shyly, Xu Zhi thought for a moment and said, "Come on, tell your sister-in-law what you came to see her about."
Zheng Yuanyuan raised her head and said, "Sister-in-law, I just had some doubts about Sister Mingwan's identity, so I came to talk to you about it."
Hearing this, Xu Zhi was relieved and said, "First of all, I want to praise you for being able to seriously consider things that you see as unreasonable. Secondly, I want to praise you for coming over and telling me your thoughts. I am very happy."
Zheng Yuanyuan said somewhat embarrassedly, "Sister-in-law, I'm not as good as you say. If Sister Mingwan really is a child of the Feng family, then she is truly pitiful."
Xu Zhi nodded and said, "Who says it isn't? Yuanyuan, you must not tell anyone else about this. Since Sister Mingwan didn't tell you, it's because she felt it wasn't appropriate for her to tell you. When we met her, she was already the third daughter of the Shen family, so she will always be the third daughter of the Shen family. Moreover, this is the third daughter of the Shen family recognized by the Emperor. Do you understand?"
Zheng Yuanyuan nodded, and Xu Zhi sighed, saying, "Did you only come back today because the Feng family went to the estate?"
Zheng Yuanyuan nodded and said, "Yes, I originally planned to come back tomorrow. I heard that my brother was going from Dengzhou to Wuzhou, and my sister-in-law must have a lot of things to do. I could help her with some things when I came back. The Feng family went to the estate early this morning. After I met with Old Madam Feng, I felt that the Feng family was quite uncomfortable with me around, so I came back."
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhi knelt on the kang (a heated brick bed), held onto the kang table, touched Zheng Yuanyuan's hair, and said with a smile, "My sister-in-law is so understanding and considerate; she's truly a lovely person."
It took Zheng Yuanyuan a while to react. She said apologetically, "Sister-in-law, how could you say that to me? I didn't do enough. I saw you were busy just now, but was there anything I could do to help?"
Xu Zhi glanced at the list on the table and said, "Your brother is going to Wuzhou. I've inquired about it. The place he's going to is over a hundred miles away from Wuzhou. The environment is bad and the conditions are very poor. I was thinking of preparing more food, clothing, and other necessities for your brother. I heard that the troops there haven't received winter clothes for two years. This time, I plan to find a way to raise some money to make a winter coat for each of the soldiers there. Winters in the Northwest are still very cold."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yuanyuan happily said, "Sister-in-law, I have a lot of money now. Can you tell me how much cotton and cloth we need, and I'll buy some?"
Xu Zhi patiently said, "Yuanyuan, the soldiers are stationed at the border to protect our country and safeguard our Great Liang. They are protecting the people of Great Liang. This is not just a matter for one or two people, but for all the people of Great Liang. Even if you have the ability to do everything, your sister-in-law does not agree with you spending all the money yourself. Your sister-in-law knows that you already have a lot of money. After spending this money, you can make cotton clothes and blankets for the soldiers. Your sister-in-law agrees, but we still need to get some benefits from the court. Don't rush, let me think about it carefully."
Zheng Yuanyuan agreed, and seeing that it was indeed getting late, she quickly said goodbye and went back to sleep.
Just now, Xu Zhi suddenly thought of it. Zheng Yuanyuan wanted to pay for cotton-padded clothes for the soldiers in Wuzhou. Zheng Yuanyuan could afford the cost, but Xu Zhi didn't want Zheng Yuanyuan to be such a good person in anonymity.
Now, as Zheng Boyuan gradually comes into the public eye, Zheng Yuanyuan's marriage has also attracted a lot of attention. Xu Zhi doesn't want Zheng Yuanyuan's marriage to be arranged because someone is coveting Zheng Boyuan's military power and trying to scheme against her. Xu Zhi wants Zheng Yuanyuan to find someone who can truly love her and the two of them can grow old together.
Since Zheng Yuanyuan is rich, why can't she use that money to buy a title from Emperor Liang Cheng? Whether it's a county princess or a noblewoman, once Zheng Yuanyuan has such a title bestowed by the court, anyone who wants to take advantage of her will have to think twice before trying to bully her. Xu Zhi really doesn't want to give up such a good opportunity.
Xu Zhi didn't sleep well all night. She got up early in the morning, ate a quick breakfast, and then took a carriage back to the Yongning Marquis's residence. She had no one to talk to, so when trouble came up, she naturally went back to her parents' home for help.
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