Yining coughed a few times. Who spread this news?
She had decided to play dumb anyway, so she said with a smile, "I go out to the theater with my mother every day, and everyone wants to marry their daughters, nieces, or granddaughters to you. I asked my mother if you're engaged. Third brother, do you have a girl you like? If you have an idea, then my mother won't have to worry."
Luo Shenyuan glanced at her calmly and said, "I haven't thought about it."
Never thought about it? He was fifteen or sixteen years old, and it was the time when young people first began to fall in love. He really hadn't thought about it?
"Don't try to be so careless next time." Luo Shenyuan patted her head. "I didn't mean that. If others heard it, they would misunderstand. Got it?"
Yining nodded.
Luo Shenyuan took her to pay her respects to Old Madam Luo, who was drinking bitter and astringent Chinese medicine.
"Are you back? Is everything okay in Tongzhou?" Old Mrs. Luo asked him.
Luo Shenyuan replied, "It's okay, but there's a tea shop that's not doing well, so I replaced the manager."
Old Mrs. Luo raised her eyelids and asked, "Is it the tea shop in Yong'an Lane?"
"That's right." Luo Shenyuan's expression was normal.
"Your aunt's manager has been running this tea shop for years, and it's been making losses almost every year. I've never taken charge of it." Mrs. Luo paused, then sighed and said calmly, "Since you want to take charge, then it's up to you."
Luo Shenyuan replaced his aunt's manager...
Yining was slightly startled. In fact, over the years, although the property of the Luo Mansion was said to belong to Duke Zhong, Old Master Luo also said when he died that the things of the Luo family were all ancestral property, and even if the family was divided in the future, they would be divided equally.
However, the eldest house's expenses were higher because of my great uncle's official position in Beijing, and the high daily expenses of Luo Huaiyuan and Luo Shanyuan. Some of the accounts under my great aunt's supervision were handed directly to her, without ever being reviewed by Old Lady Luo or Luo Chengzhang. Old Lady Luo believed that family harmony was of paramount importance, and she never held my great aunt accountable.
Luo Chengzhang didn't care about these things, and Lin Hairu herself brought a generous dowry. Sometimes when the second wife's money was insufficient, she would give some to supplement it.
However, Luo Shenyuan didn't like to leave it alone.
Mrs. Luo didn't want to cause discord in the family, but she didn't want to bother Luo Shenyuan even more. It would be good for him to revise the family rules to avoid chaos in the future.
Chen soon learned of this. She had been arranging a wedding for Luo Huaiyuan before the New Year. Since Luo Huaiyuan had passed the imperial examination, he should have married. Two happy events happening at the same time was called a double happiness. Chen prepared a grand banquet.
The steward was a little embarrassed: "...Madam, the cost of hosting a bird's nest banquet is really too high. I'm afraid the mansion doesn't have that much spare money."
"It doesn't matter if your family can't afford that much money." Chen put down her teacup and said, "I'll just make up for it."
The steward agreed after hearing this. As soon as he left, the maid told Chen that the steward had been replaced.
Chen's face immediately turned sour. She was just about to give her son a big bash when Luo Shenyuan threw this at her! She said coldly, "...He's just a Juren now, using a chicken feather as a token of authority. If he has the ability, he can take the Jinshi exam! He's actually interfering with me."
The maid whispered, "Madam, what should we do now? Why don't you be a little tougher, so that the second wife won't think we're easy to bully."
Chen sneered and said, "What can I say? He has the old lady backing him up. The teahouse is full of my dowry servants. How can they listen to him? Let him run it. I want to see what he can accomplish." Chen's hand brushed across the golden nanmu tabletop and took a deep breath. "Go find the housekeeper back for me, and then we can discuss the wedding banquet again."
No matter what, Luo Huaiyuan's marriage cannot be delayed.
The girl responded and went out.
After Luo Shenyuan returned to Fengxietang, two maids in the room immediately came up to him, called him the Third Young Master with a smile, and helped him untie his outer cloak.
Luo Shenyuan opened his arms and waited for them to help him change his outer clothes. He went to the study and asked the servant to show him the accounts of the second house, which were usually managed by Lin Hairu. The more he looked, the deeper his frown deepened. It was indeed a mess.
The maid brought him a cup of tea and placed it beside him. She stood quietly, waiting for him to finish reading, without leaving. Luo Shenyuan's candlelight was blocked by her, and the light and shadow blurred for a moment. He raised his head and looked at the maid. It was the one called Hualu.
Seeing the Third Young Master looking at her, Hualu couldn't help but blush and her heart beat fast. It was all right, though. Luo Shenyuan, though a young master, was a bastard's son, but now he had passed the imperial examination and was handsome. Who among the young ladies waiting to be married in Baoding wouldn't want to marry him?
Of course, given their status, marrying Luo Shenyuan was definitely a pipe dream. But if they could become a concubine, and later gave birth to a son and became a concubine, wouldn't they still have to worry about not having a good life? Then they would be able to rise to prominence.
Hualu noticed the Third Young Master's gaze on her and could not help but lower her head. Luo Shenyuan looked at her quietly. She was wearing a pea-green tulle jacket and a snow-white eight-panel gown. Her skin was as white as jade. She must have deliberately dressed up.
Hualu seemed to sense the admiration in his gaze. Her heartbeat was like a drum, and she felt light-headed and dizzy. She should have said something. She noticed the jade pendant hanging around Luo Shenyuan's waist. It was a Pixiu carved from fine mutton-fat jade.
"This jade pendant of the Third Young Master is exquisitely carved and is truly rare. I wonder if I have the opportunity to take a look at it." Hualu said softly.
"Do you want to take a look?" Luo Shenyuan asked lightly.
Hualu didn't react for a moment, but the Third Young Master suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms. Hualu screamed in surprise. She was already sitting on Luo Shenyuan's lap, and she couldn't help but hug his neck. Feeling the Third Young Master's strong arms around her waist, Hualu's heart was pounding so hard that she couldn't speak.
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