Xu Zhi was returning to the capital and had already sent letters to her family, Zheng Yuanyuan, and Shen Mingwan. Zheng Yuanyuan was very happy to receive the letters. The two of them were currently at Shen Mingwan's estate in the capital. Emperor Liang Cheng sent someone to take over Xu Zhi's pastry shop, but Shen Mingwan and Zheng Yuanyuan were put in charge of the specific affairs of the orphanage. Zheng Yuanyuan had not only grown much taller, but her whole demeanor was also different from before.
Shen Mingwan was genuinely happy and said to Zheng Yuanyuan, "Your sister-in-law has finally decided to leave your brother behind and come back to the capital."
Zheng Yuanyuan happily took out Xu Zhi's letter and read it again, then said with a smile, "Of course! My sister-in-law said in her letter that she came back this time to promote their bamboo paper. My sister-in-law is really something else; she even managed to make bamboo paper."
Shen Mingwan thought about all the orphanages that had been established in Daliang, nodded, and said, "They really are capable of making a lot of noise, otherwise we wouldn't have met, let alone become good friends."
Zheng Yuanyuan nodded and said, "That's true, Sister Mingwan. I'd like you to talk to my sister-in-law about this for me."
When Shen Mingwan thought of what Zheng Yuanyuan had mentioned, she couldn't help but sigh and said, "Yuanyuan, you need to think this through. Marriage isn't just a matter between two people; it's a matter between two families and even two powerful forces. The capital isn't very stable right now, and I'm afraid someone might use your marriage to their advantage."
Zheng Yuanyuan shook her head and said, "I don't believe he would lie to me. Sister Mingwan, now that my sister-in-law is back, you just need to help me persuade her. Anyway, I only have this idea. If my sister-in-law and brother don't agree, I can't just marry him like this, can I?"
A few days ago, when Zheng Yuanyuan was returning to the capital from the outskirts, her carriage broke down halfway. She happened to meet someone from the Zong family of the Duke of Cheng's mansion. He introduced himself as Zong Chengping, the eldest son of the third branch of the Zong family. Zheng Yuanyuan, naturally well-versed in the affairs of many families in the capital, knew that the eldest son of the third branch of the Duke of Cheng's mansion was an illegitimate eldest son. His wife had been childless for seven years after their marriage, only giving birth after she stopped taking medicine from a concubine. Not long after, the wife became pregnant again, making this illegitimate eldest son a very awkward figure.
They helped repair the carriage and even escorted Zheng Yuanyuan home. Once home, Zheng Yuanyuan became quite interested in this eldest son, who was not yet twenty, and sent someone to inquire about him in detail.
Zong Chengping's stepmother only allowed this eldest son to be born because she herself had no children. Later, when she had her own legitimate son, this eldest son became a thorn in Zong Chengping's stepmother's heart. She didn't want this child to grow up well.
Zong Chengping's birth mother died after giving birth to him. It was not easy for the young child to survive in the inner quarters of the house. Because of this, Zong Chengping took the initiative to help his father with household chores at a very young age. As a result, Zong Chengping seemed more mature than his peers.
Shen Mingwan's estate was close to Zong's estate, and because it was spring planting season, Zheng Yuanyuan saw Zong Chengping several times on her way to Shen Mingwan's estate. Over time, the two became familiar with each other. As they talked more, Zheng Yuanyuan felt that she had a lot to talk about with him, and gradually a little ambiguity developed between them. Zheng Yuanyuan then had the idea of ​​arranging a marriage between them.
Zheng Yuanyuan didn't dare tell anyone except Shen Mingwan, and repeatedly begged Shen Mingwan not to tell her sister-in-law.
Shen Mingwan was actually not optimistic about the relationship between Zheng Yuanyuan and Zheng Yuanyuan. Not to mention that she didn't know what the other party meant, the Chengguo Duke's Mansion was an old and established duke's mansion. The reason it had been able to stand firm all this time was not because its children were so successful, but because they knew how to be pragmatic and good at maneuvering.
Many people in the capital looked down on this family, saying they were like grass on a wall, easily swayed by the wind. No prominent family in the capital wanted to marry into this clan. Although Zheng Yuanyuan was no longer a daughter of the Marquis's family, many people knew that this Zheng family girl could still find an excellent marriage through her brother and sister-in-law. Not to mention the Duke of Cheng's mansion, she could even marry the legitimate son of another duke's mansion. But she actually took a fancy to the eldest son of a concubine from a declining duke's mansion.
Upon receiving Xu Zhi's letter, Zheng Yuanyuan was both happy and apprehensive. She was afraid that her willfulness would cause trouble for her brother and sister-in-law, but she really wanted to indulge her own heart. After all, a person can only live in this world for a few decades, so they should do a few things that make them feel good, so that they won't have lived in vain.
Zheng Yuanyuan took a carriage to Tongzhou to pick up her brother and sister-in-law. Standing at the dock, she saw the ship approaching in the distance, and her eyes immediately reddened. She hadn't seen her brother and sister-in-law for almost two years. The situation in Miaozhou was not good, and neither Zheng Boyuan nor Xu Zhi wanted her to go there. Later, Zheng Boyuan went to Luzhou, which was even more unsettled. There were undercurrents in the capital, and if someone used Zheng Yuanyuan against her, there would be no way to regret it. Therefore, Xu Zhi kept writing to Zheng Yuanyuan, telling her to keep her composure and do her job well. This way, she would have some face in front of the emperor, and anyone who wanted to harm her would have to consider whether they could withstand Emperor Liang Cheng's wrath.
The two sisters-in-law naturally held hands and looked at each other with tears in their eyes when they met. Xu Zhi looked at the little girl who had grown much taller, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and said, "Our Yuanyuan has grown into a big girl. Look, she's even taller than me now."
Zheng Yuanyuan wiped away her tears and said, "Sister-in-law, I've only grown taller, nothing else has improved. Granny Wang even said I'm far inferior to you."
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
