Second Sister-in-law Zhou looked at her chubby-faced son reproachfully and said, "This is what the master decides. We go whenever the master says we're leaving. Gouwazi, tell me what's going on."
Gouwazi wanted to ask more about the trip to the capital, but then he saw his mother staring at him with wide eyes. He swallowed hard and said, "It's nothing, someone just put two bugs on the teacher's desk. The teacher thought I put them there and scolded me. I tried to explain, but he wouldn't listen. So I tried to find the culprit, and only then did the teacher believe me. Mother, our teacher is really a bit confused."
Zhou Ersao shouted sternly, "What nonsense are you talking about? The teacher is the one who teaches you your lessons, imparts knowledge and answers your questions. He is someone you should respect. How can you talk to the teacher like that? Go to school tomorrow and apologize to the teacher first. If I hear you talking back to the teacher again, I'll see how I deal with you."
Gouwazi became obedient and dared not ask any more questions about going to the capital. He took his small desk out of the room, put it in the yard, and quietly began to read and write.
Gouwa knew very well that even though his mother was a woman, and even his father wouldn't dare to talk back to her, he would be in big trouble if he displeased his mother.
As Zhou Ersao looked at her son, who was engrossed in his book, she sighed inwardly. This child was the hope of the couple. Every time they earned money, they would send him to the school in the next village to study with a teacher, hoping that their son could study for the imperial examinations and improve their family's fortunes.
During the meal, Zhou Ersao looked at her listless son and said earnestly, "Child, it's the teacher's fault if he's wrong, but it's your fault if you talk back to him. Your parents sent you to school so that you could study properly with your teacher and become a reasonable and respectful person. I hope you can think this through. When you go to school tomorrow, apologize to your teacher, okay?"
After hearing what Zhou Ersao said, Gouwa pouted. Zhou Erzhu also looked at his wife with a puzzled expression. Zhou Ersao patted Gouwa's head and said, "Our Gouwa is a sensible child. Although the teacher didn't understand at first and wronged Gouwa, Gouwa explained it to the teacher later, and the teacher understood. However, Gouwa hasn't figured out how to explain it to the teacher. Gouwa, you need to think about these things slowly to understand. If you understand, how about your mother accompanies you to the school tomorrow to apologize to the teacher?"
Gouwazi looked at his mother with a half-understanding, while Zhou Erzhu seemed to have figured it out. He was now at a different level, and his thoughts on some issues were different from before. However, he did not expect that his wife could think about the issues so thoroughly.
That evening, after seeing Gouwazi asleep, Zhou Erzhu said to Zhou Ersao, "I never expected my wife to think so far ahead."
Aunt Zhou sighed and said, "For families like ours, if we want our children to be successful in the future, we have to cultivate their character well. If the children have good character, they will know how hard it is for us parents, and they will naturally be able to study hard and make progress. Well, it's getting late, let's go to sleep. We have to get up early to go to the workshop tomorrow."
Because she was going to the capital, Xu Zhi began to pack the gifts she would bring home.
Xu Zhi was busy with gifts for the Yongning Marquis's residence, the Pingxi Marquis's residence, and also for Shen Mingwan and Zheng Yuanyuan.
When Zheng Boyuan returned, he saw the room filled with boxes. He walked to the table, poured himself some tea, and took a few sips. Only then did Xu Zhi notice him. She quickly came over and said with a smile, "I was thinking that if you hadn't come back today, I would have sent someone to invite you back."
Zheng Boyuan took out a purse from his sleeve and said, "Take these silver notes and buy some things for my grandmother to take back with her."
Xu Zhi quickly declined, saying, "I've already prepared everything. I want to discuss Yuanyuan's marriage with you. Yuanyuan should settle her marriage soon. I wonder what your plan is."
Originally, these matters should have been decided by the elders in the family, but now the Zheng family is in a special situation. Zheng Yuanyuan was adopted into the second branch of the family along with her brother and sister-in-law from the Pingxi Marquis's mansion. Madam Chen wished that Zheng Yuanyuan would find a bad husband. Old Madam Zheng is a trustworthy person, but she is too old and it is not good to let her do too much work.
Zheng Boyuan was also somewhat troubled by his sister's marriage. Seeing Xu Zhi's troubled look and considering that Xu Zhi was not much older than his sister, his heart softened. He said, "After you go back, take Yuanyuan to your great-aunt's place and see what she thinks. We are not in the capital for many years, so we are not very clear about the situation of the children in each family. We dare not arrange a marriage for Yuanyuan rashly. We must ask the elders in the family to help find out the details."
Xu Zhi thought that Zheng Yuanyuan had been in Beijing with Shen Mingwan for the past two years, so it would be best if she had a suitable candidate in mind. As her sister-in-law, she would help to find out about the person's character and family situation. If the person was suitable, it would be best to settle down directly.
Xu Zhi thought that she would have to put her sister-in-law's marriage on the agenda soon. She had been with Zheng Boyuan outside all this time, but she would have to go back to the capital to help with the arrangements. At that time, she would have to separate from Zheng Boyuan. Now that she was in Luzhou, Zheng Boyuan could not come home every day. But being close by, even if they could not see each other all the time, she felt at ease knowing that her beloved was not far away.
Zheng Boyuan didn't have high requirements for his sister's marriage. He felt that as long as his brother-in-law was a good person and there were no strange mothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, or other relatives in the family, that would be fine. As for social status, who could guarantee that this family would always be a noble family? They might not be prominent now, but who knows, they might become a new elite in the capital in a few years?
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