Chapter 523: How about I serve you? [Seeking monthly votes]
"Although Xingning's physical body has perished, he lives on in my heart. As long as I live, I will remember him..." The woman's eyes shone with a silent sorrow that moved even Xu Jie, who was used to the vicissitudes of life.
It's a pity about the state of the world—even without Zheng Qiao's meddling, Yan An, with his temperament, would have gone down the same path.
This seems to be an unsolvable tragedy.
well--
He thought of the classic Chinese novel "The Butterfly Lovers" again, and he never imagined that even the seemingly perfect couple, "Ma Wencai" and "Zhu Yingtai," would not have a happy ending. Little did he know that this feeling of heartache and sadness was called "My CP (couple pairing) has ended badly."
“If Senior Sister Ning doesn’t mind, please feel free to stay in Fugu. I’ll take care of you and your daughter. I imagine Yan Jun wouldn’t want to see you so haggard and worn out in the afterlife.” Xu Jie had plenty of money, food, houses, and land, and now he was able to repay Senior Sister Ning for her kindness and recommendation back then. In a way, without her, there would be no Xu Wenzhu today.
"In that case, I will trouble you, junior brother."
This was precisely the purpose behind the woman's change of course.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Xingning's arrangements for her and her daughter; his arrangements were as thorough as possible. However, these were favors made by Yan An, and she was, after all, just a widow. There was a layer of distance between them. Human hearts are unpredictable, and once someone leaves, they become distant.
At first, people might take good care of them, a widow and her child, but what about in the long run? Sooner or later they would get tired of them and even see them as a burden. She didn't want her daughter to experience the bitterness of living under someone else's roof too early, so she thought it better to find another way.
Xu Wenzhu was a righteous man, and she had been kind to him. They knew each other well, and finding a way to make a living with him... might not bring her great wealth, but at least she wouldn't be living under someone else's roof. Thinking of this, a burden settled in her heart.
Who knew that at this moment—
The boy on one side stared in disbelief.
He whispered, "This...this isn't quite right, is it?"
Yan Xingning's body is still warm at this moment.
Xu Jie and the woman both looked at him, the former frowning in displeasure: "What's wrong? What's wrong with it?"
The boy pursed his lips, not daring to speak.
He was a commoner from the lower classes, while Xu Jie was a scholar with a refined and cultured mind, and also the head of the Xu family. How could he possibly withstand Xu Jie's imposing presence? One glance was enough to make him cower. The woman recalled their conversation and smiled faintly, "You misunderstood."
Xu Jie hesitated for a moment, then instantly realized what was happening and said in embarrassment and annoyance, "Are you asking for a beating, kid?"
After saying that, he asked the woman, "Why did Senior Sister Ning bring him along? Doesn't his face look uncomfortable?"
The boy then realized he had made a mistake.
Hearing Xu Jie bring up his face again, he retorted angrily, "What's wrong with my face? Is it so ugly that it scares people?"
The advantages given by one's own parents—who are outsiders to point fingers at them? Was it his idea to resemble Zheng Qiao? How arrogant and unreasonable!
The woman said, "He is my savior."
If it weren't for the young man's righteous help, she and her daughter... might already be reunited with Xingning in the underworld.
Xu Jie was speechless.
I never expected this answer.
He ordered his men to prepare a clean guesthouse for the three of them and sent them appropriate clothes and food for mourning overnight. Fearing that they might not be well taken care of, he also sent them one hundred taels of silver and one hundred taels of gold, as well as some loose copper and silver coins, so that the three of them could purchase the supplies they needed.
The boy gasped, "So generous!"
Although the assets left by Yan An were enough for the three of them to live comfortably for a long time, who would complain about having too much money?
The woman didn't refuse and accepted them all. She knew very well that now was not the time to be reserved; the expenses for her child's education, including books and paper, would be substantial in the future. How could she bear to make her daughter suffer and cut back on food just to save face?
besides--
The education of young people should be addressed as soon as possible. Although his ancestors were butchers and had a skill to make a living, having an extra skill means having more ways to survive, and it can be considered as his and his wife repaying him for his kindness.
The woman explained her plans, leaving the young man stunned.
"Ah...I'll go learn..."
"Could it be that you dislike the female teacher and think she's not good at teaching?"
"No, no, absolutely not!" The boy hurriedly waved his hands, shaking his head in denial three times. In fact, for someone from a humble background like him, any intellectual was someone unattainable and deserving of reverent respect.
The other person even lectured me...
That would be wonderful!
The woman said wearily, "Tomorrow I'll go out and buy some writing materials, and familiarize myself with Fugu City. I still need to think of something..."
Relying on Xu Wenzhu's assistance all the time is not a solution.
She and her junior brother Xu had a clear conscience, but as the saying goes, "A widow's door is always full of gossip." Even if the two had a gentlemanly friendship and were fellow disciples, outsiders would not see it that way.
I still need to find a way to make a living.
The woman's concerns are not without reason.
Xu Jie took in a mother and daughter, and the news of him giving them money, food, and a house reached his wife in the back courtyard the very next day.
He had just finished dealing with some unpleasant things when he heard his wife bringing him soup, so he quickly put down what he was doing.
"What brings you here today, Madam?"
"Isn't it because I thought you'd worked so hard that I brought you some soup to nourish you?" The lady opened the food box and took out a porcelain bowl.
"My wife understands me best."
Xu Jie didn't suspect anything. He happened to be a little hungry at the moment, so he buried his head in the soup and slurped it up. But after the first bite, he realized something was wrong.
His wife's cooking skills and the cook's cooking skills...
It's still possible to tell them apart.
At times like this, he knew the other person wanted to speak to him. So he slowly finished his drink, wiped his mouth, and waited for his wife to speak. Sure enough, as she tidied the porcelain bowl, she asked, "I heard you took in a mother and daughter yesterday?"
Xu Jie raised an eyebrow, but still explained, "She's a fellow disciple who did me a favor when we were young. Now that she's come seeking refuge, I naturally have to take good care of her. I suppose someone said something unpleasant to you? Don't believe those gossipy people..."
"A fellow disciple? I've never heard you mention her."
"It's not appropriate to keep talking about married women all the time." Why would he talk to his wife about his senior sister who was already married? He knew what his wife was worried about, so he said, "Senior Sister Ning is different from others. She has a high spirit and a proud temper. Deal with those dirty rumors and gossips carefully, and don't let them reach her ears. If she gets angry and leaves with someone, wouldn't I be seen as ungrateful?"
The lady looked embarrassed.
"It's not that I'm worried about the master's reputation..."
This has never happened before.
When Xu Jie first took over the Xu family business, he spent most of the year away running his business, and his wife couldn't possibly accompany him. She had no idea who he met or what happened to him. It was common for merchants to be restless and seek out women while traveling, and she constantly worried that Xu Jie might one day bring home a younger sister or an infant...
Thankfully, it never happened. Every ten days or so, she would receive a letter from home to let her know she was safe, which put her mind at ease.
The concubine he had worried about before marriage never materialized.
Many years have passed in the blink of an eye, and I've gotten used to it.
Hearing this story for the first time, coupled with the embellished descriptions, was like being hit over the head. She wanted to subtly inquire about the identities of the mother and daughter, but she didn't expect Xu Jie to have no intention of hiding anything, leaving her speechless.
Embarrassed: "In that case, we really need to take good care of them."
Xu Jie lowered his head and opened the document: "Hmm."
He had barely had a moment's peace when a servant announced that Senior Sister Ning was requesting an audience, and he immediately put down his work.
"Did you sleep well last night, Senior Sister?"
"The arrangements for the documents are well done, very good." The woman didn't waste any words and went straight to the point, "When I came over just now, I saw that the officials in charge of the administrative office were in a hurry, as if they were short of people?"
Xu Jie was still unaware of the woman's intentions.
He simply nodded in response: "Indeed, we are short of talent. This is a problem left over from the previous Lord Shen. However, Lord Shen had many talented people under his command, each capable of doing the work of ten, and the administration was running smoothly. But for my junior brother, we are somewhat stretched thin..."
He wanted to recruit some people in Tianhai.
but--
The thought of unpleasant things made her look worried.
Under Shen Tang's two years of governance, He Yin County had enjoyed two consecutive years of bumper harvests, and the common people had ample reserves, making it a lucrative prize. And like any lucrative prize, everyone wanted a piece of it. The land in He Yin was nominally public property, but could be leased to whomever they pleased. Shen Tang had also left him with mineral veins and abandoned workshops…
It's the kind of thing that can be restarted with a little tidying up.
Lord Wu Xian was somewhat tempted.
Others at Tianhai were also very interested.
Xu Jie alone felt it was a hot potato.
In recent days, people have been constantly trying to establish connections, leveraging the relationship between the two families, hoping that Xu Jie could open a channel for them to smoothly intervene in the affairs of the Hebei region. But Xu Jie knows full well that once this channel is opened, the consequences will be unimaginable…
At least, this is not what Shen Jun wanted to see.
Immediately afterwards, my senior sister's voice clearly reached my ears: "Since there's a shortage, why don't I serve you? What do you say?"
Xu Jie: "..."
a bolt from the blue! ! !
ヾ(ω`)o
The updated numbers are too few; let's add some more.
(End of this chapter)
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