“Teach the villagers how to make cattail mats,” Li Mai said softly.
"What's it for?" Zhou Tao asked in surprise.
Isn't cattail grass used to make cushions? What's the purpose of cattail curtains?
"You'll see when the time comes. Once everything is ready, your brother will take you to see it. After all, it's going to be a career for you in the future," Li Mai said to Zhou Tao with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Lu Qian immediately perked up and quickly moved closer to Zhou Tao, meaning that he wanted his sister-in-law to see him and not forget her as her brother-in-law.
"Sister-in-law, are you saying that the flower shop business will be given to me in the future?" Zhou Tao was taken aback.
Li Mai nodded with a smile, "A girl like you, after marrying into another family, how can you not have some business to support yourself? Look, your second sister-in-law even brought back a cosmetics business!"
Li Mai glanced at Xu Yue with a smile.
Xu Yue smiled and nodded at Zhou Tao, "Sister-in-law is right. With your own business, you won't lack money in the future."
She and Zhou Lin are living a very carefree life now. She has her own business, and Zhou Lin has his own business. They keep separate accounts for their respective businesses, and they often contribute money to their family's public account for household use.
She felt that living like this was quite good. No one had to covet anyone else's property. The household expenses in the public account and the money in her own hands could be spent on whomever she wanted. If she didn't give it to anyone, she could keep it to increase her social standing in front of others.
Zhou Tao was being instructed by her two sisters-in-law, looking thoughtful.
Lu Qian silently touched his nose and glanced at Zhou Tao. He thought that living like his second brother and sister-in-law wasn't so bad.
Of course, it would be even better if we could be like the eldest brother and sister-in-law!
I wonder what his life with Zhou Tao will be like in the future?
When Li Mai returned home that evening, she received an invitation from her housekeeper.
The head of the Yue family invited the couple to a gathering at Yingxiang Restaurant the next day.
Yingxianglou was right next to their shop, Lu Qian's restaurant.
Li Mai chuckled, "So the Pei family and the Yue family have finally made up their minds to change things? There's been no movement for over two months. I thought they didn't believe what we said that day."
Zhou Quan shook his head. "No, they must have been using their own methods these past two months. It seems their methods didn't work."
Li Mai gave him an approving look. "Young Master Zhou, not bad. You can now deduce the cause and effect of events based on the facts."
Zhou Quan smiled and said, "With such dedicated teaching from you, my wife, if I still can't learn it, I wouldn't be worthy of being your husband."
Li Mai glanced at him; he'd made progress, learned to be glib.
The following day at noon, Li Mai and Zhou Quan met with Yue's father and son at Yingxianglou.
There is no Pei family father and son.
Li Mai laughed. It seems that the relationship between the two families is not so deep after all. They want to work on their own and finally stop trying to bring down Hong Shi Liu by sticking together.
"I wonder what brings Master Yue to invite my wife and me?" Zhou Quan asked with a smile, inviting them to sit down.
"I am very grateful to both of you for your help to that child. I only recently learned that he went to participate in the prefectural examination with your help." The Yue family head stood up and respectfully bowed to Li Mai and Zhou Quan.
Li Mai pretended not to understand, "What do you mean by this, Patriarch Yue? Which child are you referring to?"
The Yue family head smiled wryly, stopped pretending, and explained his relationship with Yue Ze in detail.
If you want others to be sincere with you, you must be sincere yourself first. There is no need for the couple to hide this matter from the wife's family.
Besides, he also believed that the couple weren't gossipy people.
Upon hearing this, Li Mai's expression turned serious. "So that's how it is. I'm sorry, it was my fault that day. I just blurted out a few idle words without thinking, not knowing that the truth was like this."
"Where is the child's biological father from?" Li Mai wondered what kind of family would refuse to let a concubine who had lost her mother into their home.
Even though they were from respectable families, the man still kept a mistress and had children outside the marriage. This is something that people from respectable families generally wouldn't do.
They might be considered an improper family, but they adhere to the rules and don't allow their mistresses to enter the house, preferring to let their own bloodline flow outside.
The Yue family head shook his head. "When my sister passed away, I promised her that I would never mention it to anyone again. That child was the only one she knew nothing about; she just thought he was my child."
Li Mai nodded, understanding. This person must have an unusual identity, and it shouldn't be revealed, or it would cause trouble.
"Let's not talk about that kid. He has a good relationship with my third brother, and we were lucky to make a friend. We took care of him while we were in Yongzhou City. Actually, it was the kid who first suggested that he live with my third brother. We thought he was a kind person, so we let him stay."
After saying this, Zhou Quan glanced at Yue Xiu.
Yue Xiu listened to their conversation with a calm expression, showing no intention of interrupting.
He paused when he met Zhou Quan's gaze, wondering if Zhou Quan knew about him giving Yue Ze money behind his father's back.
As the food was served, they ate and talked about their recent business.
After they finished eating, they got back to the main topic of Zhou Quan's conversation from last time.
The Yue family head wasn't embarrassed at all. Instead, he sincerely told Li Mai about how he and his son had tried many methods to improve their clothing shop and cloth stalls over the past two months, but still couldn't improve the business situation.
After the waiters cleared away the plates and bowls and served fresh tea, Li Mai asked, "What are your thoughts now?"
"Or rather, what kind of state do you want your business to reach?"
The father and son thought for a moment and shook their heads. "I don't know. Our business used to be pretty good, and we were quite content. But then Hong Shi Liu suddenly appeared, and our business plummeted. Naturally, we felt disappointed."
"To say we can go back to how things were before seems unlikely. After all, Red Pomegranate's clothing business is indeed the best in town right now. As for surpassing you, after seeing your business, I feel like we really can't." The Yue family head's main point today was sincerity.
Li Mai smiled and said, "I understand. You guys are just making trouble because you have no clear goal."
The Yue family father and son were taken aback. What is a goal? Only what can be achieved is a goal; what cannot be achieved is just wishful thinking.
Li Mai seemed to hear their thoughts and said with a smile, "No, it's not like that. A goal that you can see at a glance isn't a goal, it's a task. If you've achieved it, you can only say that you've completed the task."
"This task may serve as a motivation for you, like a goal, but that is only short-term or immediate. You need to set a big goal for yourselves, and then break it down into smaller goals to accomplish. One day, your big goal will be achieved."
"When you look back then, will you still think that grand goal was just wishful thinking?"
After saying that, Li Mai raised an eyebrow and looked at the father and son.
The father and son fell into deep thought.
Li Mai watched them silently in thought, without saying a word.
Some things you have to figure out on your own. Others can offer guidance, but they can't know what's going on in your mind.
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