Lady Hou sighed and said, "Shao'er, since the Zhou family is hard to talk about, why don't we wait a bit? Si Xing can take the palace examination next year after he passes the provincial examination. If he succeeds in the palace examination, he'll be a young scholar. How could he not find a good family to marry into?"
Xu Shao said somewhat anxiously, "Mother, you don't know how awful that old hag is. Si Xing is preparing for the provincial examination, and I can't even ask her to give Si Xing an extra bowl of bird's nest porridge every day. She says that if my son wants something special, I have to pay for it myself. She keeps telling me how difficult things are in the mansion. Even though things are so difficult, her family has been living a more and more prosperous life in the past two years. She has been transferring all the money in the mansion to her family."
Lady Hou said, "Shao'er, I'll say it again: guard your dowry well, raise your three children and live a good life. Don't always think about the power to manage your household. Managing a household is not a good thing; it's a thankless task."
Xu Shao looked furious and said impatiently, "Mother, whose side are you on? Look at all these noble families in the capital, which daughter-in-law is like me? I've been married into the Zhao family for over ten years, and I've always been suppressed by that old hag. I'm the laughing stock of the capital now. Mother, I really can't swallow this."
Lady Hou sighed and said, "Shao'er, you've always been competitive since you were little, but you're really not good at managing a household. Listen to your mother, go back and take good care of your dowry and your three children. The Yongping Marquis's mansion is no longer what it used to be. When it comes to managing a household, practicality is what matters."
Xu Shao listened to Madam Hou's words with an impatient expression. Madam Hou looked at Xu Shao and felt helpless. She said, "Your father should be back by now. Didn't you say you had something to say to your father? I'll accompany you to the study."
Xu Shao thought for a moment and said, "Mother, I have a lot of things to do, so I won't go to Father's place today. You can just take the half catty of Tieguanyin tea I brought to Father."
Lady Hou said, "Shao'er, I'll say it again: take good care of your dowry. As long as you have money, no one in the manor will look down on you. Try not to meddle in the affairs of the Yongning Marquis's manor. If your mother-in-law comes to borrow money from you, don't lend it to her, no matter how nicely she says it."
Although Lady Hou doesn't manage the household, she has lived her life for many years. Most importantly, the Yongning Marquis's mansion is very wealthy, and Lady Hou knows that having money makes life comfortable. Xu Shao has been married for many years. In the first few years, Xu Shao was doing well, but in recent years, Lady Hou has given Xu Shao a considerable amount of money. Xu Shao's dowry is very generous. Xu Shao's mother-in-law, using the excuse that their mansion is short of money, has already borrowed a lot of money from Xu Shao. After borrowing the money, she doesn't repay it. When Xu Shao asks her for it, she keeps making excuses. Madam Wu knows that Xu Shao's mother-in-law is trying to avoid paying back the borrowed money.
Xu Shao's mother-in-law didn't only have Xu Shao's husband as a child. She favored her youngest son and would give money to him whenever she had it. This was one of the reasons why Xu Shao disliked her mother-in-law. The Yongning Marquis's mansion was going to be handed over to her and her son in the future, but her mother-in-law was giving all the things in the mansion to her son-in-law. When it was handed over to her, it would be an empty shell. Naturally, Xu Shao was unwilling to accept this.
Xu Shao nodded and said, "Mother, I know, don't worry."
After seeing Xu Shao off, Lady Hou took the tea that Xu Shao had brought to the Marquis's study.
When the Marquis saw his wife coming, he led her to the daybed in the study.
The Marquis and his wife's relationship has improved considerably. Since it's a rare occasion for his wife to come here, the Marquis naturally treats her well.
Qingfeng quickly brewed the white peony tea that the Marquis had treasured. The Marquis said, "This is something I kept. Try it and see what you think."
Lady Hou took a sip and said, "It tastes really good."
After taking a few sips, Lady Hou said, "This was brought to you by Shao'er. She was going to come over, but she said there was something going on at the manor, so she left."
The Marquis sighed and said, "Our daughter is avoiding me. When I saw the heir of the Yongping Marquis last time, I said a few words to him, and I guess he went back and threw a tantrum at Shao'er. We really should have stopped Shao'er from marrying into such a family. Our daughter is suffering, and we, as her parents, are heartbroken too."
The lady said, "Who says otherwise, my lord? Can't you help with Shao'er's desire to find a husband for Sixing?"
The Marquis said, “My lady, I am just a Marquis, and not even one whom the Emperor favors. How do you expect me to talk to the Zhou family? The Zhou family is related to the Emperor, and Zhou Qingchun is a favorite of the Emperor. Not to mention the relationship between Prince Cheng and the Emperor. There are many people eyeing the Zhou family. The prestige of the Zhao family’s Yongning Marquis’s mansion is really not enough.”
The lady said, "I have explained everything to Shao'er, but she won't listen. I really have no other choice. I can't just watch Shao'er live such a miserable life every day. I don't know what Marquis Yongping is thinking."
The Marquis said, "This is, after all, a family matter."
The lady said, "It is true that it is a family matter. They are biased and are squeezing money from their household to give to their youngest son. What will happen to Shao'er and her husband in the future? They have three children. What will happen to the children? My lord, we still have to think of a way, even if it is not to let Shao'er's mother-in-law manage the household."
The Marquis sneered twice and said, "So what if we let Shao'er take charge of the household? It's just an empty shell. Even if Shao'er takes it over, who knows how much stuff she'll need to fill it up. Do you think we have any shrewd and capable old nannies in our mansion? Send two over to Shao'er. They don't need to worry about anything else, just manage Shao'er's dowry and the shopkeepers in the dowry shops. I'll send the steward of the mansion to give them instructions. If anyone from the Yongping Marquis's mansion tries to buy anything on credit, they'll be kicked to the yamen."
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