Having said that, Zheng Yu hurriedly took out a purse from his pocket and handed it to He Yi. Inside were both loose silver and larger denomination silver coins. He smiled and stared into He Yi's eyes, "You can choose whatever you want today, but you're not allowed to run around."
Zheng Yu is such a great older brother!
The carriage left the Minister's residence and soon entered the capital. He Yi lifted the curtain and saw a vendor selling sugar paintings pouring maltose into a copper pot. He Yi smiled; she had loved eating this when she was a child.
"To be honest, it's much more lively and welcoming outside. Staying at home is so boring."
Zheng Yu glanced outside unconsciously, her gaze lingering on the sugar figurine stall. She continued to speak to herself, "Years ago, my father often took me there to buy sugar figurines. Once, I insisted on having a child's design, and the old man spent half an hour fussing over it."
At this point, Zheng Yu's voice became tinged with sadness, "As I grew older, I never bought it again." This was indeed a story even sadder than sadness itself, and He Yi felt a little down after hearing it.
He Yi was speechless.
Since Minister Zheng fell ill, the stewards in the mansion have been gossiping behind his back about how "it's difficult for a stepson to manage a household." She once caught Zheng Yu deep in thought, staring blankly at the documents in his study late at night.
...
The carriage quickly entered Zhuque Street, and Tianxiangfang was already right there. Before the two of them could get out of the carriage, the manager of Tianxiangfang saw the carriage from afar and immediately came to greet them, "Gentlemen, please come in! The freshly baked pastries are still steaming in the steamer! They smell delicious and are warm and cozy."
The shopkeeper smiled and reached out to help Zheng Yu's lover, but Zheng Yu only glanced at him indifferently, and the shopkeeper respectfully stepped back. He Yi followed Zheng Yu into the pastry shop, where the shelves were filled with gilded food boxes, and the various colorful pastries on the counter emitted an alluring aroma.
"Give me half a pound of each of the newest pastries," Zheng Yu instructed the shopkeeper, who had been following behind them with a cheerful, blinking eye, ever since the two entered the shop.
Upon learning the quantity, the shopkeeper hurriedly instructed the waiter to prepare it.
"So much? Can we finish it all?" Although He Yi wanted to buy more and take it all with her, she was indeed worried that she wouldn't be able to finish it. Zheng Yu just smiled at her.
"Take some for Father. If he really can't finish them all, share some with the servants so everyone can have a taste," Zheng Yu said with a smile.
He Yi nodded, smiling as she pulled out her purse: "I'll pay!"
Seeing that He Yi was about to pay the bill, the shopkeeper hurriedly waved his hand, "No, no! You two are the owners, how can the boss pay for things out of his own pocket?"
The shopkeeper looked at Zheng Yu and said, "Young master, you haven't gone to the accounting office to review the accounts for the end of the month yet."
He Yi's purse slipped from her hand and fell to the ground. She stared at Zheng Yu in disbelief, but Zheng Yu remained calm and composed: "This pastry shop was entrusted to me by my father some time ago. In addition to this shop, I am also currently overseeing the silk shop in the west and the brokerage firm in the south of the city."
[Zheng Yu is actually the mastermind behind this? This plot twist is incredible!]
He Yi suddenly remembered that a few nights ago, when she passed by the study, she saw that her brother's room was still brightly lit, so she peeked inside.
That night, Zheng Yu stared blankly at the account book. When He Yi looked at Zheng Yu again, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat: "Brother, you have all these businesses under your command. It must be very difficult."
Zheng Yu just smiled faintly. At that moment, the shopkeeper sent pastries to the servants, and He Yi sent the servants back first. The shopkeeper then sent over freshly baked pastries.
Zheng Yu reached out and stuffed a freshly baked pastry into He Yi's hand. "Go inside and take a rest. You eat it. I'll check the accounts with the shopkeeper at the end of the month."
He Yi knew Zheng Yu was busy, so she went to the 3D store by herself. About half an hour later, a servant came to find He Yi, who had already eaten a bite-sized pastry.
Turning back, she arrived at the shop in front. By now, the midday sun was slowly climbing over the roof. He Yi, holding a warm bag of pastries, was suddenly startled by the sound of rapid hoofbeats behind her and turned around.
Then, a green horse-drawn carriage sped out of the alleyway like lightning.
"careful!"
Zheng Yu suddenly pulled He Yi into his arms, and the pastry the shopkeeper had given him just before they left scattered all over the ground. He Yi watched as the carriage barely grazed past Zheng Yu, a dazzling crimson flashing through the gap in the curtain, just like that woman.
"stop!"
He Yi quickly broke free from Zheng Yu's grasp and was about to chase after him to argue, but Zheng Yu held her shoulder firmly. Zheng Yu shook his head slightly: "Never mind."
He Yi was furious, pointing at the mess of pastries and snacks scattered all over the floor.
"Brother! You bought this for me..."
“Forget it, we already bought quite a lot and sent them back,” Zheng Yu said, looking into the distance. “The manor is in a state of turmoil, and this carriage is a regulation that only officials of the fifth rank or above in the capital can use.”
Now that Minister Zheng is terminally ill, Zheng Yu is acting with extreme caution and prudence.
Seeing the carriage leave, He Yi sighed, "Brother," He Yi looked into Zheng Yu's almost unfathomable black eyes, "Brother, have you ever thought about taking the imperial examination?"
Zheng Yu was slightly taken aback, then looked up at He Yi with a hint of surprise in her eyes: "Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
[Holy crap! Heyi finally got it! Encouraging her to study is the right way!]
[Zheng Yu's qualifications are such that not taking the imperial examination would be a waste of his talent! He's destined to be the top scholar and prime minister!]
[He Yi, hurry and persuade him! The opportunity to wield power in the future is right before your eyes!]
He Yi placed the pastry bag aside and said earnestly, "That carriage just now was in the style of a fifth-rank official in the capital. But now that Father is seriously ill, although you are managing the family's property, it is ultimately not legitimate. If you can pass the imperial examination and enter officialdom, earning fame and fortune through your true talents, why worry about others looking down on you?"
Zheng Yu's gaze fell on the bustling crowd on the long street, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness: "I passed the provincial examination at the age of fourteen, and should have gone on to take the metropolitan examination..."
"And then?" Zheng Heyi looked at her brother.
Zheng Yu frowned. "But then a series of misfortunes happened in the family, and now my father has fallen ill, which is why it was delayed."
“But you have the qualifications and the opportunity now!” He Yi looked at Zheng Yu, her tone becoming more urgent. “There are still three months until the next provincial examination, it’s just that time is a bit tight! Brother, you are so smart, you were able to pass the exam back then, you will definitely pass it again now!”
Zheng Yu smiled wryly and shrugged helplessly.
“Heyi, do you think the imperial examination is a game? People outside say it’s like ‘thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge,’ and besides…” He looked at a shop in the distance, “Now all the big and small affairs of the mansion and the shops are on my shoulders. The monthly allowances of the servants in the mansion, the operation of the external businesses, how can I do without any of them?”
Hearing this, He Yi smiled and continued to encourage her: "I'll take care of everything outside. I promise to handle it all clearly for you."
“Brother, if you stay home and study, I will take care of the whole family. You can rest assured,” He Yi said confidently.
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