Xu Zhi returned to the Zheng residence and couldn't fall asleep until the third watch of the night.
Xu Zhi lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), which was warm and cozy. A strong wind was blowing outside. The more Xu Zhi listened, the more annoyed she became. She felt that her father was hiding many things from her. The more this was the case, the more frightened Xu Zhi became. The more unknown something was, the more frightening it was. Xu Zhi even thought about what her father had said about "the big picture." What was this "big picture"? Did he mean that for the sake of a bigger picture, he had to give up the small picture of Wuzhou?
Thinking of this, Xu Zhi sat up and pulled open the curtains.
Because of the snow, it was very bright outside the window, and without the curtains to block the view, a gust of cold air rushed in through the glass.
Because of the chill, Xu Zhi felt her somewhat muddled mind clear up considerably. The most urgent thing was not to lose contact with Wuzhou. Xu Zhi began to plan to visit Ma Pingting the next day. When she returned, Xu Zhi had asked her mother, Chen Zhaoci, how the Ma siblings were doing.
Chen Zhaoci told Xu Zhi that the poison in Ma's younger brother had been cleared, but because his body had been damaged by the toxins for so many years, his health was very poor. He would stay in Beijing to continue receiving treatment from Chen Zhaoci. She heard that the siblings planned to spend the New Year in Beijing.
Xu Zhi decided to visit the Ma family's residence in the capital tomorrow to thank Ma Pingting in person for giving her the official seal, which allowed her to freely mobilize the Ma family's resources.
Having figured out what she needed to do and having a direction to strive for, Xu Zhi forced herself to go to sleep as soon as possible.
When she woke up again, it was already broad daylight. The curtains had been drawn open last night and then left open. As soon as Xu Zhi opened her eyes, she was blinded by the bright sunlight outside the window and quickly closed them. She turned over, adjusted to the light in the room, and then sat up to get dressed.
When Zheng Yuanyuan heard that Xu Zhi had woken up, she jumped in from outside and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, I thought you weren't coming back. If it weren't for the snow, I was planning to go to Wuzhou to spend the New Year with you."
Xu Zhi didn't want Zheng Yuanyuan to worry along with her, so she smiled and said, "There are some things in the capital that need to be finished before the New Year. I figured it doesn't matter where I spend the New Year, so I rushed back. How have you been lately?"
Zheng Yuanyuan said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, I've rented that house in the south of the city for a long term. I've discussed it with my uncle, and I'll be making military uniforms exclusively from now on."
Xu Zhi nodded and said, "It's always good to have something to do."
Zheng Yuanyuan smiled as she recalled what her uncle had told her. She said, "Sister-in-law, a few days ago, a father-in-law came to our house and gave me an imperial edict. He said it was a reward from the Emperor. The Emperor gave me the title of monarch, but without any fief or salary. It was just a title. The Emperor also gave me a hundred taels of gold and several rare ornaments. I saw that the father-in-law didn't announce the edict in public. He only told my maternal grandmother and my uncle. My uncle told me to do my job well for the Emperor and to ask him for money if I needed more. My brother and I have made a lot of money from our shops in the past few years."
Xu Zhi shook her head and said, "My silly sister, that's not how you do things. Are you going to use your own family fortune to fill the gap?"
Zheng Yuanyuan said shyly, "Sister-in-law, this isn't my first time doing this, I don't have much experience. Why don't you teach me? Once I learn, I naturally won't do this kind of thing that loses money but only makes a name for myself."
Xu Zhi thought for a moment and said, "Yuanyuan, this matter can't be rushed. You can follow behind me and slowly observe what I do. The more you observe, the more you will understand the reasons behind it."
Zheng Yuanyuan agreed. Just then, Granny Wang came to see Zheng Yuanyuan about something. After Xu Zhi finished breakfast, she went to the storeroom, selected a few suitable gifts, and headed to the Ma family's residence.
When Ma Pingting heard about Xu Zhi's purpose, she smiled and said, "Ninth Miss, you are too kind. To be frank, if it weren't for your family, not only would my father have suffered an injustice, but it's also hard to say whether my mother would have survived back then. Moreover, now my younger brother has been cured by your uncle. With my brother's recovery, all our family's possessions have been preserved. Without my brother, our family might not have continued to exist."
Xu Zhi smiled and said, "Sister Ma, let's keep things separate. Once things are settled in Wuzhou, I would appreciate it if you could help me calculate the amount."
Ma Pingting couldn't help but laugh and said, "Ninth Miss, you and your brother are really siblings. You never want to owe anyone anything, but you never care what others owe you."
Xu Zhi was slightly taken aback when she heard this, but then she realized why Ma Pingting was like this. She smiled and said, "Sister Ma, you're not right to say that. Money matters are money matters, and feelings should be feelings matters."
Ma Pingting regretted her words as soon as she finished speaking. After hearing Xu Zhi's words, she looked quite dejected and sighed softly, saying, "Ninth Miss, you must know what happened between our family and your brother back then. I was just fifteen years old at the time, and many things happened in my family. At that time, I thought that if someone could solve our family's predicament, I would marry him, whether he was lame or blind. Even if he already had a wife, I would become his wife and serve him well."
When Xu Zhi heard Ma Pingting say these words, she wanted to stop her from continuing. The relationship between the two families was there for all to see. Everyone knew that it was Xu Di who helped them out of their predicament and rebuild their family business. Chen Zhaoci had even told Xu Zhi in private that this girl from the Ma family was really stubborn. She knew that Xu Di already had a wife, but she insisted on enduring it all alone. It was truly heartbreaking to see.
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