Zhou Ersao's eyes sparkled as she said, "Of course we should buy it! What the boss says is definitely right. Besides, if we buy a small house in the capital, our children might be able to take the exams there in the future, instead of having to go all the way back to Luzhou. Let's go find Brother Jingji to help us take a look." Over the years, Zhou Ersao had grown to admire Xu Zhi more and more. She did her best to do whatever Xu Zhi asked of her. She had a thought in her mind: as long as she followed her boss, she wouldn't have to worry about making a living.
The Great Liang Dynasty enjoyed a few more years of peace. The Crown Prince married his Crown Princess, who was the same age as him. She was a gentle person, but also very capable. She was not only Empress Gu's niece, but also related to Consort Liu. Therefore, she maintained a good relationship with her mother-in-law. Under Empress Gu's guidance, she maintained good relations with the Xu and Chen families. Not long after the wedding, she became pregnant. After ten months of pregnancy, she gave birth to Xiao Yuan's eldest son.
With the birth of his eldest son, the Crown Prince's position became even more secure, and Emperor Liang Cheng had gained a completely new understanding of Xiao Yuan over the past few years. The Xu family and Wu Muyue had raised Xiao Yuan very well, and he not only possessed excellent talent and character, but also, having grown up outside the palace, he understood the hardships of ordinary people, and his empathy was unmatched by other princes.
Emperor Liang Cheng, perhaps pleased with the suitability of his successor, became increasingly ill and passed away when Xiao Yuan's eldest son was only three years old. Xiao Yuan then immediately ascended the throne of Liang.
Xiao Yuan had been the crown prince for several years, and his succession to the throne was legitimate. The imperial power was thus smoothly transferred. However, there were many things to deal with after the new emperor ascended the throne.
Xu Di was summoned back to the capital from Miaozhou and assigned to the Ministry of Personnel. Now 28 years old, Xu Di had grown a beard, which made him look more dignified. He and Li Yuexi had two more children in the past few years, and he was now the father of five. The Ministry of Personnel was initially controlled by Wan Weiyong of the Wan family. Even though Emperor Liang Cheng took many remedial measures, it would still take a lot of effort to clean up the Ministry of Rites. However, Xiao Yuan had full confidence in Xu Di.
Xu Di has been in Miaozhou for the past few years. The Liao family not only managed the Miao River very well, but also trained a large number of skilled water management experts. Because of the Miao River, Miaozhou no longer easily floods, and it has developed very well in recent years. Commerce has developed, and agriculture is booming. It was because of the achievements Xu Di made that when Xiao Yuan proposed to appoint Xu Di as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, no one objected.
The 85-year-old matriarch sat in the courtyard, looking at the group of great-grandchildren surrounding her. The eldest were Xu Di's twins, a boy and a girl. Xu Di had three more children after that, the youngest of whom had just learned to walk. After Xu Hua got married, his wife gave birth to two children, a little girl and a little boy, who was also just learning to walk. In recent years, several of Xu Di's cousins had also gotten married one after another, and the family had been constantly growing. Many families in the capital envied the Yongning Marquis's family, saying that this was a family that had accumulated good deeds, with five generations living together. Yet, their matriarch was still living a very clear-headed life.
When Xu Di returned home from the Ministry of Personnel, he saw his eldest daughter standing behind the old lady, holding a small sandalwood comb and combing the old lady's hair.
Seeing Xu Di return, the children swarmed around him, some tugging at his clothes, others clinging to his legs. Xu Di cried out, "Stop, stop, stop! Uncle will get it for you right away, okay?"
Yesterday, Xu Di promised the children that he would bring them snacks from the street today after he left the yamen, specifically cream cakes from the snack shops.
Xu Di placed the small cardboard box on the stone table in the old lady's courtyard. It was a summer evening, and the courtyard was already burning mugwort to repel mosquitoes. The children were gathered around the stone table, happily looking at the cream cake inside the cardboard box.
With technological advancements, the production efficiency of cream increased. Pastry shops in the capital had ice cellars, so once the cream was made, it was stored in the ice cellars. Every day, a fixed amount of cream cakes were produced using the cream produced that day. These cream cakes were the most beloved items among children in the capital, and families often had to order them several days in advance.
Xu Di heard that the children in his family wanted to try it, so he told the steward to ask if it could be made today. The steward came back and said it could be made today. Xu Di made a promise to the children yesterday evening.
Xu Di used a knife to cut the cake into small pieces. The children watched as the cake was divided. Once it was all divided, Guo Guo chose the largest piece, put it on a small plate, and took it to the old lady, asking her to eat first.
The old lady chuckled and took a bite. The children then happily waited for the eldest, Duoduo, to divide the cake into pieces. Those who could eat by themselves did so, while those who couldn't were fed by the servants around them.
Looking at the obedient children, the old lady smiled and said to Xu Di, "Xu Di, I really didn't expect that I would be able to see this day. A long time ago, I often had a dream in which our family was either dead or scattered. My little Jiu was married to the wrong person at a young age and was exiled with her husband's family. Every time, I would wake up crying. When I couldn't fall back asleep, I would go to the small Buddhist hall to pray. I don't ask for anything else, I just ask that all of you children be well."
Upon hearing this, Xu Di felt a surge of emotions. Looking at the frail old woman, he felt a pang of sadness. He took the old lady's hand and whispered, "Grandmother, don't worry, our family's children will only get better and better in the future."
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