Chapter 475: Pain

Mrs. Tao looked at Xuanxuan with heartache. This girl lost her parents when she was six years old. The emperor named this girl as the county lord because of her cousin's husband's contribution. Although she has the title of county lord, it is really hard for an orphan to live. This girl has grown up and has not had a few days of peace. Finally, she has someone she likes. Mrs. Tao said, "Don't worry. Mr. Zhou's wife is not someone you can easily mess with. According to my understanding, she has a good impression of you."

Su Xuan blinked, "Really?"

It was rare for Tao to see Zhang Yang's maid not confident, so she smiled and said, "Of course it's true. Your reputation is nothing. Zhou Jiayang's reputation is not as good as yours, and the Zhou family has never been shy about it, which shows that the Zhou family is kind."

Of course, the Zhou family is kind-hearted, but they are also a group of cunning people.

However, she had a good impression of the Zhou family because she knew that there was a Miss Wu in the Zhou family. People can pretend for a while but not for a lifetime, so after knowing Xuanxuan's thoughts, although it was too proactive, she still helped very hard, all because the Zhou family was indeed good.

Among all the officials in Jinzhou, Lord Zhou's backyard is the most harmonious, and there is not a single mess at all. Of course, the most important thing is that the Zhou family does not even have concubines, let alone a maid.

There is no need to mention how much Lord Zhou loved Yang. They have detailed information in their hands, which says that several sons of the Zhou family only stayed with their original wives. It is said that the Zhou family does not allow concubines.

Even if we don't take into account that Lord Zhou is the emperor's confidant, just based on the family tradition and the fact that they don't take concubines, the fourth son of the Zhou family is considered a good son-in-law in the eyes of many families.

Tao thought that even if her own daughter had not been engaged already, she would have been tempted.

Su Xuan saw that her aunt was distracted, but after hearing what she said, she felt more confident and then smiled foolishly. She had a really good eye.

In the evening, Zhulan talked to Zhou Shuren about it, and then said, "You can check with County Lord Anhe. If there is really no problem, I will tell Tao. It is better to settle this matter as soon as possible to avoid more trouble at night."

Zhou Shuren also had a headache. "Today I met Lord Ran and Lord Min. Both of them mentioned Changzhi. You are right. It was indeed decided long ago. Sometimes these people believe in the idea that if I can't get it, no one else can either."

Zhulan, "That's what I'm afraid of."

Zhou Shuren held his son in his arms and said, "I won't bother you any more. You can continue to settle the accounts."

Zhu Lan looked at Zhou Shuren who was holding his son tightly, and put down the brush in her hand, "I found that my position in your heart has declined since you had a son."

The first thing Zhou Shuren did when he came back was to hold his son, have dinner, and go to teach Shi Qing. When he came back, he held his son again. He didn't pay much attention to his wife.

Zhou Shuren felt that he was wronged. "I watch over my son more because I feel sorry for you, so that this kid won't keep pestering you."

He had long discovered that his son was particularly attached to his daughter-in-law, and his mother was always in his eyes and heart, especially at night, when he always needed his daughter-in-law to coax him to sleep.

Zhu Lan snorted, knowing that Zhou Shuren was telling the truth, and sighed, "I calculated my family's assets. They are not small, but Changzhi's wedding will cost a lot."

Zhou Shuren took a quick look and said, "This official has been promoted, and his children's marriages have cost even more money. Chang Lian's wedding only cost a few hundred taels, but Chang Zhizhen and the county lord are married, and the betrothal gift is estimated to be over ten thousand taels."

Zhulan, "What do you think? Even if it's not the Lord of Anhe County, you should have offered a similar betrothal gift to other rich families' daughters."

She sent someone to inquire about it in the afternoon. It was really expensive to marry a daughter-in-law in Jinzhou, as it required furs, cloth, some rare items, and cash. The cost could be as low as a few thousand taels or as high as tens of thousands of taels.

She has no experience, so she has to offer at least a good betrothal gift, even if it means she can't afford the best one. The Zhou family cannot let others look down on them.

Zhou Shuren was very upset, "Changzhi is finished. Xuehan is getting married, and then Mingyun. We are not making enough money to get married."

Zhulan laughed, "Just be happy. Fortunately, your daughter is a child foster husband. We give her a dowry based on her own wishes. If she married into a big family, the dowry of a daughter would drain the family's wealth."

Zhulan didn't know until she calculated that she really couldn't sit still. She wanted to have a few years of leisure. Bah, a life of hard work.

Zhou Shuren stopped teasing his son. "We still can't divide the family now, unless we have cleared up everything that needs to be cleared up, and we don't know how many years it will take. You see, each branch has its own assets. Let them build up their own assets in the next two years. When Xuehan gets married, we will decide on the number of grandsons and granddaughters for each branch in the future. It's up to each branch to decide how many they want to have."

Zhulan, "That's a good idea indeed."

Having said that, in ancient times, marrying a wife was still a matter of making money. Not only did you give a betrothal gift, but you also had to bring a dowry. Even though the betrothal gift was high, the dowry was not small either, as it had to be given to your children and grandchildren in the future.

Zhulan thought of the county lord's outfit again and said with a smile, "I find that Changzhi is really blessed."

Zhou Shuren thought to himself, this boy is really blessed, what a good marriage.

The next morning, Zhulan closed the door and thanked the guests, with the reason being that she was sending Wu Ning home. Zhulan had made thorough preparations. The servants and coachmen who were skilled in martial arts were all from the Zhou family. When they came to Jinzhou, Zhou Shuren asked Wuchun to find some skilled servants. The Zhou family now had a considerable number of servants.

Zhulan also hired bodyguards to escort her along the way, and with the gifts she brought back, four carriages were enough for a grand occasion.

Zhulan sent Wu Ning away and waited for the news that Zhou Shuren would inquire about.

Zhou Shuren remained silent, as he had a capable person in his hands. By noon, Zhulan had received complete information. The more she read it, the more satisfied she became. The county manager was really good at managing the household finances.

Zhulan's eyes lit up after seeing this. How could she not have thought of this? The county lord had given her a significant hint!

(End of this chapter)