Xu Rao sighed and said, "People are afraid of becoming famous, just as pigs are afraid of getting fat. Even though Yuanyuan did a good deed, there will always be people who are jealous. We need to think about this matter more carefully. We can't let this girl spend so much money to do a good deed and then suffer injustice, can we?"
Chen Zhaoci sat on the edge of the bed, thought for a moment, and said, "That makes sense, but you can't worry about everything. Isn't this contributing to the Xiao Dynasty? In that case, let them worry about it too. This is real money being given to support them. We have to make sure the girl gets what she deserves and protect her well. We can't let her suffer any injustice. Otherwise, what's the point of having the money if we're putting in the effort and she still suffers? At least we'd be happy to throw it in the water and hear the splash."
Xu Rao laughed upon hearing this and said, "I find your thought process to be quite peculiar. If you were to say this in the imperial court, you would probably be criticized for being a sophist."
Chen Zhaoci said nonchalantly, "I'm just an ordinary citizen. I worry about my family's basic needs, like food, drink, and shelter. I care about the daily necessities. National affairs are far removed from my life, but I think most people share this mindset."
Xu Rao sighed and said to Chen Zhaoci, "Zhaoci, Xiao Jiu will be fifteen in December. After her coming-of-age ceremony, shouldn't we prepare for her to consummate her marriage with Boyuan?"
Chen Zhaoci paused for a moment after hearing this, and said, "Isn't it a bit too early? She's only fifteen. What if she gets pregnant? Will you have the baby then or not? If you have the baby, Xiao Jiu herself won't be fully developed yet, how can she have a baby?"
After finishing speaking, Chen Zhaoci asked, "Old Xu, is something wrong? Why are you suddenly bringing this up with me? You never used to care about these things."
Xu Rao remained silent. Seeing this, Chen Zhaoci felt uneasy and cautiously said, "Old Xu, if you have anything to hide from me, please don't do so."
Seeing Chen Zhaoci's cautious look, Xu Rao sat down next to her and said, "Don't worry, it's nothing. I just feel that our family has let Boyuan down a bit. You see, ever since he married Xiao Jiu, he's been like a brick, being moved here and there. He's the only one who's ever done that. If it were anyone else, I don't know how much they would complain about our family."
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhaoci sighed slightly and said, "Who says otherwise? Old Xu, think about it. Our family of three came here, and now we not only have a son and a daughter, but we also have a grandson. If someone had told me this before, I wouldn't have believed it. Now, I don't hope for anything else, I just hope that our family can be safe and sound."
Xu Rao didn't speak, but she was thinking to herself. Everyone hopes for peace and safety, but now, the die is cast, and some things are no longer a matter of whether she wants to do them or not, but something she has to do.
Seeing that Xu Rao didn't speak, Chen Zhaoci knew that he had been working hard at the Ministry of Revenue these past few days, so he quickly urged him: "It's getting late, you should go to sleep. You have to report for duty early tomorrow morning."
Xu Rao took off her clothes and lay down on the bed. After Chen Zhaoci turned off the light in the room and lay down in the dark, Xu Rao said, "After this, I won't do anything anymore. I'll just take you to the outskirts of Beijing, find a manor, and just the two of us. We won't have to worry about anything and can live a peaceful life. What do you say?"
Chen Zhaoci couldn't help but laugh and said, "It's a good idea, but when the time comes, you might find yourself worrying about the children even more than they want to. You're just under a lot of pressure these days, but you'll get used to it slowly."
The next day, Zheng Boyuan went to the Pingxi Marquis's residence through the side gate. When Old Madam Zheng saw him, she held his hand and kept saying, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back." Large tears fell from her eyes onto Zheng Boyuan's hand, and the tears burned Zheng Boyuan's heart with unbearable bitterness.
Zheng Boyuan wiped away Madam Zheng's tears and said, "Grandma, look at you, why are you still shedding tears? Let me tell you, I brought you back a lot of fun things. That conch shell is so big, you can put it to your ear and hear the whooshing sound of the sea breeze, it's so much fun. And those little gadgets made of seashells, they're not worth much, but they're really fun."
With tears in her eyes, Madam Zheng smiled and nodded in agreement. The old nanny beside her quickly advised, "Madam, look at you, Yuan-ge'er's return is a joyous occasion. You should sit down with Yuan-ge'er and have a good talk."
Then, Old Madam Zheng pulled Zheng Boyuan to sit next to her on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and said, "Yuan-ge'er, will you be able to stay for a few more days this time?"
Zheng Boyuan did the math and said, "Grandma, I can stay for another ten days or so. Don't worry, I'll stay home and keep you company, okay?"
Madam Zheng smiled and said, "What do I, an old woman, have to do with? You should spend more time with your wife. Your wife has had a hard life. She's so young, yet she manages everything at home and outside. Everyone says you married a good wife."
Zheng Boyuan smiled and said, "Of course I know how good my wife is, Grandmother, don't worry, I will definitely treat her well."
Madam Zheng nodded slightly and said, "That's how it should be. When two people live together, it should be like this: you respect me and I love you. I know your goodness and you know my sacrifices. If we live well together, we can always make our lives better."
After lingering for a while outside Madam Zheng's residence, Zheng Boyuan went to the study in the front courtyard to pay his respects to Marquis Pingxi.
When Marquis Pingxi saw Zheng Boyuan again, he was tall and had dark skin due to his seaside location. He had a hearty smile on his face and greeted him with a generous bow before standing to the side with his hands clasped. He was no longer the quiet child with his head down that Marquis Pingxi remembered.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
