Chapter 356 The envoys from Daqi are all elders who are here to speak.
The ones talking were all elders, so Shen Ruxi patiently said, "Grandma, Mom, I already have a girl I like. Didn't I tell you that? Why are you still forcing me?"
Second Aunt Shen had a fiery temper. Upon hearing this, she said, "Do you have a girl you like? Then tell me whose girl it is. If you don't tell me, who will know if the girl you're talking about is real or fake? Don't think I don't know. You're a restless person. You just want to run away all day. If I really got a wife to control you, you might not be happy. Look at you, you've been running around all day since you came back. It's not that we don't allow you to play with Master Xu and Young Master Qi, but you're not young anymore."
Here it comes, here it comes again.
Shen Ruxi thought to himself that if others cared about him, he would definitely not be happy, but if it was that person, he would be happy for it.
Shen Ruxi, who couldn't bear it any longer, took the hammer and ran out of the house like a fugitive.
Jiang Lanfang is so busy that she is about to take off. She is not in the academy, so the four of them have no choice but to return to Beijing. After all, ordinary teachers cannot teach them with their current knowledge. They thought that they could see their sweethearts every now and then after returning home, which would be great. However, although they can see their sweethearts, the Fang sisters are notoriously difficult to pursue. They have even expressed in a subtle way that they are too young and not suitable.
Not suitable?
What's wrong?
They rejected us on the grounds that they were a few years younger than them before they even started dating. It was a lie to say that they were not hurt. They could change other aspects, but age was something they really couldn't change even if they wanted to.
Thinking of these things, Shen Ruxi couldn't help feeling depressed. When she arrived at the orphanage, she couldn't help but feel a little absent-minded while working.
"Hey, what's wrong with you? Be careful with my hands, Old Shen, do you have any opinion about me?" Seeing that people were here, Shen Ruxi, whose mind had already flown away, almost hit himself, and Xu Yunfan shouted.
Shen Ruxi was startled, and then realized that she almost hit Xu Yunfan, and panicked, "Sorry, I didn't pay attention, sorry, you are not hurt."
If something happened to Xu Yunfan or he got hurt, considering how much the Fang sisters loved him, wouldn't it be even more impossible for me?
"No, what's wrong with you? You look like you're worried about something. What's wrong? If there's anything bothering you, tell me and I'll cheer you up." Xu Yunfan came closer, his eyes full of curiosity.
Shen Ruxi choked, “My mother introduced me to another girl.”
Xu Yunfan said, "Free love isn't popular here, so why don't you go and have a look? You might actually fall in love with her once you see her."
"You kid..." Knowing that he has someone in his heart, he still goes to meet other girls. This is disrespectful to others.
Xu Yunfan curled his lips and said, "What's wrong with me? I've already told you that my sisters are not what you think they are. You just don't believe it. They are so outstanding that they naturally only look up to those who are more outstanding."
"Compared to your sister, I'm indeed still far behind." Shen Ruxi was very self-aware.
Discussing family background?
They do.
About money?
They have the ability to earn it.
On power?
Well, since they have Xu Yunfan as their brother, they have to be polite to them.
So, all in all, it seems that I am really nothing.
Of course, matters of the heart may not be related to external material conditions, but in this era where matching of family backgrounds is important and marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers, what else can we look at but these?
Look at the winds from the east, south, west and north!
Ever since the four sisters of the Fang family appeared in the capital, many people came to propose marriage, and the threshold of Xiao Qin's house was almost trampled down.
Although some people were attracted by Xu Yunfan's relationship, most of them thought that the Fang sisters were not bad either.
"Nowadays, all the young masters in the capital are fond of them. There are some who have better conditions than us." Qi Xiu Ze said dejectedly.
I heard that some time ago, these sisters went out for a while, and Qin Run invested 100,000 taels in it. Within half a month, the Qin family had another salt factory.
This is so eye-watering that it makes one bleed.
I heard that several sisters have management rights over this salt factory.
In addition, the four of them found another place. No one knew what it was used for, but Qin Run bought an entire mountain and sent a group of military guards to protect it. It was heard that the eldest sister of the Fang family could make iron, and that mountain had what she needed.
It’s incredible, it’s made of iron!
In ancient times when there was no stainless steel, this stuff was not cheap. As for daily necessities and farm tools, which one of them, such as iron pots, kitchen knives, hatchets, and hoes, is not made of iron?
Why would ordinary people be reluctant to throw away their hatchets even if they have a few holes in them?
Throw it away. This thing is very expensive. Who would be willing to throw it away?
After some polishing, it can be used for a few more years.
When it comes to weapons, such as swords, knives, spears, halberds, arrowheads, and armor, which one can be made without iron?
Not to mention how rare iron is, the Qin family is trying to steal the royal family's business again!
But since they dare to do it, it proves that the royal family agrees.
In terms of medicine, the second son of the Fang family developed an anthelmintic that could be used in the Dongwu Kingdom. Pills for treating fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc. were all made by the second son of the Fang family.
My goodness, if you marry such a capable woman, won’t all these related industries belong to her husband’s family?
If the two families were to marry, with the Xiao Qin family as a channel, they could sell these medicines, iron, and salt to Dongwu Kingdom, and naturally to other countries.
With so much money, who wouldn’t be tempted?
Anyway, they were so excited that they took action immediately.
TNND, they can’t think about it anymore. The more they think about it, the more they wish their son would marry her immediately. If they delay for one more day, how much money will they lose?
Other families are ready to make a move, but the Shen family and the Xie family are not making any movement at all.
There's no way, he's too outstanding. Looking at my own son, he's not even worthy of carrying shoes. So why would he like you?
Besides, if the marriage proposal really happened and it didn't go through, it would be awkward for their own children to meet Xu Yunfan in the future. The elders of several families would consider a lot and naturally wouldn't dare to "act rashly."
Shen Ruxi and Qi Xiu Ze's sudden self-awareness left Xu Yunfan speechless. "That's not the case. Everyone has their strengths. My sister has been eating a few years longer than us and is smart. It's normal that you can't compare to her, even though she hasn't achieved anything. There's an old saying that goes, 'Comparing yourself to others makes you angry.' Although you are much worse than my sister, compared to others, being able to be my brother means you are not that bad. After all, birds of a feather flock together. Don't feel inferior to others."
Shen Ruxi and the other three: "..."
It hurts, brother!
It’s better not to listen to these words of comfort.
Mrs. Lin had been asking Lin Xiaoran repeatedly which girl he had taken a fancy to, but Lin Xiaoran hesitated and hesitated, too shy to say anything. Mrs. Lin couldn't stand it any longer and said, "It's fine if you like anyone, even the boys and girls from the Right Prime Minister's family, but you can't dream of those girls from the Xiao Qin family. Otherwise, you're just asking for trouble."
It's not that Madam Lin doesn't treasure her own son, but she has heard that the daughter of the Fang family is a very learned person in China. People like her have high vision. When they stand high up, they will only look up at the brighter and more brilliant stars. How could they look down?
Although his own son is a talented person in Dayan, he is just mediocre in front of the Fang family. In this case, why do they think that others will look down on him?
Thinking of his mother's words, and then listening to his brother's honest words, Lin Xiaoran laughed and scolded, "Get lost! How can you treat a brother like this? You just stabbed me in the chest."
Xu Yunfan laughed out loud, "The truth is always hard to hear, why get angry and embarrassed? It's not necessary."
When they got home that night, Sister Fang and the others were all there. Upon learning that Xu Yunfan had not only gone to repair the roof of the orphanage but had also called Qi Xiu Ze and the others over, Sister Fang hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, "Since they've gone to help you, why don't you invite them over for dinner?"
Xu Yunfan, who was washing his hands, looked up at Second Sister Fang and his heart skipped a beat. "We're all brothers, there's no need to be so polite."
Third Sister Fang, who was helping to pour water, said, "They are not brothers."
"So what if they're not real brothers? I'll just treat them as real brothers!"
"That's inappropriate."
"Why is it inappropriate? I think it's very suitable!"
"Yunfan, sister may not be able to go back. If she could, she should have returned a long time ago. Recently, many people have come to propose marriage, and what we did has caused quite a stir. I heard that people from the Great Qi Kingdom learned that the Great Yan Dynasty exported salt, iron and pills to other countries, so they sent envoys here. If they knew what we did, I'm afraid..." Fourth Sister Fang said worriedly.
Originally, the Fang sisters had not thought of this matter. Later, it was Xiao Hengzhi and Lord Qin who found a few people and asked them about their future plans.
"Uncle Xiao, Grandpa, what are you doing?"
Of course, after being together for such a long time, Sister Fang naturally would not immediately guess whether Xiao Hengzhi and the others had any thoughts about them living in Xiao Qin's house.
On the contrary, the Qin and Xiao families who lived here liked them very much.
Xiao Hengzhi sighed, "My people have received news that the Great Qi Kingdom seems to be planning to send an envoy."
"What does this have to do with us?"
Xiao Hengzhi: "If it was in the past, it would naturally be fine, but now, it will inevitably make people suspicious."
"Yes," Lord Qin glanced at the beautiful sisters. "Although Da Qi is the leader of the great powers, our salt sells well. They buy their salt from us. What does it mean that Da Yan can sell salt? Besides, they will know about our ironworks sooner or later."
The emergence of an ironworks that can smelt fine iron is a very terrifying thing for other countries and makes the superiors uneasy.
This means that the balance among the four countries has been broken.
The position of the leader of the Great Qi State is threatened. Will people allow you to continue to grow?
This time, the mission might just be to investigate the truth.
Relying on force to suppress some things without clarifying them is nothing but a foolish act that will kill a thousand enemies and lose eight hundred of your own.
Moreover, war is no joke, and it is not just a matter between Da Qi and Dayan. When two countries fight, either one will win and the other will lose, or others will reap the benefits.
Lord Qin: "There is no impenetrable wall in the world. If the people over there are willing, it is not uncommon for them to select girls from our Great Yan Dynasty to marry over there."
In ancient times, princesses were often destined to marry off as foreign princes. So what if Fu Qingyu didn't have a princess? As long as he issued an order, whoever he chose would be the princess.
To become strong, you always have to take risks.
Fu Qingyu had thought about this since he agreed to let the Xiao Qin family build this factory. Therefore, when he learned that the envoy of Da Qi intended to come, Fu Qingyu discussed this matter with Xiao Hengzhi.
Xiao Hengzhi: "Your Majesty and I are saying that it is absolutely impossible for you to go and marry. If they come now, we should hide for a while."
The so-called hiding for a while is just a euphemism. To put it bluntly, it means letting the Fang sisters go back to their hometown to hide for a while. This is why Fu Qingyu decided to take the risk and felt that no one would be sacrificed. He even started to hire someone to build the boat needed for going to sea.
Of course, it’s fine if a few people don’t want to go back. They have many talented people in Dayan, so it’s not a problem to keep an eye on a few of them.
As long as they get married, what does it matter if the people of Da Qi know that they have this ability? Can they still forcibly seize the women?
Not everyone has the nerve of Guo Minglei.
It is impossible to go back. The Fang sisters are also worried. Let them run to other countries. Not to mention whether it is safe or not, they can hide for a while, but can they hide forever?
Why didn’t I consider this at the beginning?
It is true that even a wise man can make mistakes!
It was also their fault that their minds were full of making money at that time, and they wanted to earn more property for their younger brother.
Xu Yunfan pursed his lips, forcing them into a straight line. After a while, he asked, "So, what do the sisters mean?"
Second Sister Fang supported one hand on her knee, bent down and touched Xu Yunfan who was squatting beside the basin. "Yunfan, we may be different from our eldest brother. He only came here for half a month or more and then left. We have been here for several months. If we could go back, we would have gone back a long time ago. Our age is there. Although we are still young in our place, we are already considered old girls here."
"If we don't get married soon, those gossipy women might start talking about our problems behind our backs."
Xu Yunfan said unhappily, "Let them talk. It's their business. We can't control them. This is just how the world is. If you don't do well, people will criticize you. But some people, no matter how well they do, will still be talked about behind their backs. This is normal. When I climb higher up the ladder, who will dare to say you're wrong? So what if you don't marry me? I just love being with you forever."
Sister Fang couldn't help but laugh, "Be together forever? That won't do. Run'er will be jealous."
"This being together is different from being together with Run Ge'er. Big sister, please don't change the subject."
"We're not afraid of people talking behind our backs. You know, are we the kind of people who care about that? What we're afraid of is that if the people of Da Qi set their sights on us, that would be troublesome. What would the emperor do then? Da Qi's national strength far exceeds that of Dayan. Testing the emperor at this time would be foolish and irrational."
Fu Qingyu had already reminded them in advance that if they didn't think about themselves, he would have to make choices for them when the time came.
Xu Yunfan frowned. "If he dares, I will definitely not let him go. I risked my life for him, but he sold my eldest sister? Isn't he looking for death?"
"And then? He's looking for death, what are you going to do? Get rid of him, and then we'll flee with our families? Okay, stop talking in anger. Your sisters have lived for over twenty years and are very clear-headed. They won't let you suffer any injustice."
"Hmph, what do you mean?" Xu Yunfan asked knowingly, just because he was unwilling to accept the question.
Sister Fang: "If we were to talk, would you rather have someone you know well, or someone you've only met a few times?"
Xu Yunfan snorted, "Why bother asking? You don't have to be like this. If you want to know everything, I know a lot of people like Su Xueshi and Lin Xueshi from the Hanlin Academy. They're both good people."
"So, are they better, or are Qi Xiu Ze and the others better?" Sister Fang covered her mouth with her hands and laughed. "I don't know. Whether we can go back after we get there is still uncertain. Right now, the main problem is the people of Da Qi. They are your brothers. Do you think they would be able to accept this if they knew?"
This move is somewhat heartless, but who can be sure that they will leave?
…
"Where are my elder sister and the others? They're getting ready for dinner." When Qin Run came out of the kitchen, elder sister Fang and the others were just going out.
Xu Yunfan said gloomily, "He went to find some bastard."
Qin Run: "...Speak properly."
Xu Yunfan held his breath and said, "They went to call Qi Xiu Ze and the others to come over for dinner."
So, the bastard just now was not referring to others, but Lin Xiaoran and the others.
"What's wrong? Did you have a quarrel with them? Didn't you ask them to help you when you went out today?"
Xu Yunfan answered the question irrelevantly, "Run'er, what do you think of them? Are they good?"
"It's pretty good!" Qin Run didn't understand why, but he replied sincerely.
Xu Yunfan pursed his lips, "What's so good about them?"
"What's wrong with them? Aren't they your brothers? Don't you always say birds of a feather flock together? You're such a good person, how can those who can call you brothers be bad, right?"
It is said that it is difficult to help someone in need, but it is easy to add icing on the cake. In Qin Run's opinion, it was not because Qi Xiu Ze and others helped him before, so he praised them without considering their character, but from the bottom of his heart, he really felt that they had good character.
It is also possible to have several families. The relationships between the characters are simple, without those twists and turns and intrigues that make people nervous all day long. The prosperity of a family is not determined by the number of people in the backyard.
"Yun Fan, I've also come into contact with several of their families. I won't mention anything else, but I'll just say that they have small families and good brotherly relationships. Lord Xie and Master Qi don't have three wives and four concubines. In the upper class circle of the capital, this is already a breath of fresh air."
It is normal for other masters to have more than a dozen children. With so many children, some of them are inevitably improperly disciplined and spend their days playing with cats and dogs and hanging out in brothels. The Lu family is a good example. Look, because of Lu Xiao, Lord Lu is coming down.
Therefore, sometimes, having more children does not necessarily mean prosperity. What matters is quality, not quantity.
Xu Yunfan was still unhappy: "They are good families, but I don't like them at all now. They are the most annoying."
"Why? Did they provoke you or something happened?" Qin Run couldn't help but become nervous.
Now he not only has business dealings with the Qi and Xie families, but also in official circles, everyone tacitly acknowledges that they are in the same group. If they really break up, it would not look good.
Xu Yunfan told the story of the Fang sisters. He didn't understand why. They could be brothers, but Qi Xiu Ze and others suddenly became his brothers-in-law. He was disgusted no matter how he looked at them. He felt that his cabbages were being eaten by a few wild boars. It was really heartbreaking.
After learning the reason, Qin Run was stunned for a moment and thought to himself that Xu Yunfan's mentality was similar to that of a father-in-law looking at his future son-in-law, who just disliked him anyway.
Qin Run advised: "Okay, they are actually very good, not as bad as you say."
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