Chapter 183 Marrying Zhou Congxian is a Foregone Conclusion
Zhou Wanyan never expected to run into Meng Shilan here again.
Who would have thought that this person who has been making headlines recently was once someone who was almost invisible in the Duke of Ying's mansion?
Life is truly unpredictable.
Meng Shilan, "Madam Mu."
Zhou Wanyan's husband's family name is Mu.
Her voice was hoarse; if she weren't right in front of you, you would hardly believe it was a woman's voice.
Zhou Wanyan exclaimed in surprise, "This is a cold."
Instead of resting at home to recover from a cold, they come to check on my clothes.
Meng Shilan glanced at her. "Yes, I caught a bit of a breeze at Baima Temple."
Zhou Wanqing remembered that she had seen a woman wearing a spring dress in early spring at the White Horse Temple that day.
Dressed in finery, but with impure intentions.
I thought it was someone else, but I was startled when I saw her face.
Instead, they forgot about this little thing.
Thinking of this, the corners of her lips curved slightly.
She used to be her brother's concubine.
Now that you've risen to a higher social standing, do you really think you can find a family with even higher social standing just because of your looks?
In the capital, among the noble families, besides social standing, it was also important to see if the matriarch was truly capable of fulfilling her duties.
Meng Shilan wasn't unable to understand her expression.
She had only been at the Duke's mansion for less than two years when the eldest daughter got married. Her impression of the eldest daughter was only of her frequent visits back to her parents' home.
But none of this had anything to do with her.
Therefore, she had less interaction with Zhou Wanyan than with the second young lady, Zhou Wanyue.
Moreover, Zhou Wanyan always looks down at people.
She was just a lowly maid in the Duke's mansion, how could she possibly be qualified to look the young lady in the eye?
Now, the two are no longer the master and servant they once were.
It seems that Zhou Wanyan still looks down on her former servant and wants to be on equal footing with her.
Meng Shilan met her scrutinizing gaze directly.
"Madam Mu, please take your time reading."
She turned her head and went to find Shuang'er, who was already dizzy from looking at everything.
The person accompanying Zhou Wanyan today was her dowry mother, and she was only just coming to her senses after being shocked.
"Miss, she, she..."
How come she has the exact same face as the Crown Prince's concubine, Lady Jiang!
Zhou Wanyan raised her chin slightly, "Someone has climbed to a higher position, so they no longer look up to us."
A single sentence, just a dozen or so words, contains a wealth of information.
The dowry mother dared not respond.
Zhou Wanyan's gaze kept involuntarily fixed on Meng Shilan.
That day, her younger brother Zhou Congxian was clearly overjoyed, and she wondered why he was suddenly in such a good mood.
It seems it's because of her.
Two years ago, her younger brother was still in a state of near death.
Last year I even went to some county called Ding.
Things have been much normal since I came back this year.
She once thought that her younger brother had finally come out of his shell.
It turns out she was Jiang... now called Meng Shilan. It turns out Miss Meng didn't die and even returned to her ancestral home.
Zhou Wanyan smiled, thinking that the two of them were destined to be together.
Now that the two families are well-matched, the younger brother has finally gotten what he wanted.
Her eyes suddenly shifted.
Her husband, Mu Shouzhen, had never had a chance to be promoted, and Zhou Congxian was unwilling to speak up.
If Meng Shilan were to marry into the Zhou family, wouldn't her sister-in-law ask for her help in securing a good position for her through Lord Meng?
Meng Shilan was unaware that Zhou Wanyan was already eyeing the added value she brought.
It seems that her marriage to Zhou Congxian is already a done deal.
They neither informed her nor asked her if she was willing.
"Sister, this is good!"
Shuang'er stood in front of a shelf, her eyes shining.
The shelf is about the same size as a display shelf, but the compartments are smaller, and pieces of fabric are arranged in colors on it.
Fold them into small squares.
Neat and pleasing to the eye!
“We can put different, unprocessed gemstones one by one on the shelf.”
"It is both beautiful and can be used as an ornament, and it also allows customers to directly select the gemstones they want."
Meng Shilan nodded in agreement, "Good idea."
She added, "Besides these, you can also see how people are treated in such a large place."
The five shops are not as big as the Ni Chang Manor, but with the backyard, there will be renovations.
It is much larger than the previous Jade Treasure Pavilion.
The people who will come then will be high-ranking officials and dignitaries, which will be very different from dealing with grain in the past.
There is still a lot to learn if you want to run a shop like this.
Meng Shilan casually picked up a piece of fabric and waved to the maid not far away.
"Use this piece of fabric to make her a dress."
The maid took the fabric. "Miss has excellent taste. This is our new fabric this year. This young lady has a bright and lovely appearance. I think this lake blue color would suit her better."
As she spoke, she unfolded two pieces of fabric to compare them to her own body.
Lake blue definitely looks better.
Meng Shilan nodded, "Then let's make her a cross-collar dress."
The girl continued, "Cross-collar styles are indeed fashionable these days. This young lady has a full and round face, which is a sign of great fortune. Actually, a high-waisted ruqun would suit her better."
Shuang'er looked at her with a smile in her eyes, "Okay, I'll do as you say and make one for me."
The maid immediately took the fabric and went to call the embroiderer.
After she left, Shuang'er approached her sister and said, "That girl is really good. I wish we could take her away."
Meng Shilan glanced at her, "What use is one? You need to train a whole group!"
Shuang'er raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I want a whole bunch!"
"Let those shopkeepers and employees who think they can't survive without them see that I can run a business with a group of women!"
Finally, she added, "It has to be even better!"
*
Meng Xingjiang's boat docked at the wharf in Yuzhou.
Xiao Shu stood on the dock to personally greet them.
"Lord Jiang, no, I should call you Lord Meng now."
"Lord Meng, it's been a long time. I thought you looked down on our little Ding County now."
The smile in his eyes didn't reach his eyes.
Meng Xingjiang gave a light "heh," and said, "Your Highness Prince Cheng seems somewhat disappointed to see that I am still alive."
"What are you saying, Lord Meng?"
Xiao Shu laughed heartily, "I knew you had misunderstood, my lord. That's why I came here to greet you as soon as I received the news."
"Come on, the fine wine and delicacies are ready in the manor. I will properly apologize to you, sir!"
A feudal lord bowed his head to a county magistrate.
Those who don't know the situation might think that the princes were very approachable.
If Meng Xingjiang hadn't witnessed Xiao Shu's tyranny and disregard for human life firsthand, he would have been completely terrified.
He might be deceived too.
His eyes turned cold as he thought of the people who had died tragically.
“His Highness Prince Cheng is naturally fond of fine wine and food, and enjoys music and revelry every day.”
"This humble official from Ding County wishes me to return home as soon as possible."
He casually cupped his hands and said, "This humble official takes his leave."
There are no boats available in Dingxian yet. We need to disembark in Yuzhou and then take a bus to Dingxian.
His Majesty had given him instructions before he left.
Dingxian is temporarily not open to shipping. We need to conduct naval training and soon begin iron ore exploration. This wharf will be used as a mining transport wharf.
No wonder Dingxian, a small county, has built docks and dikes that are larger than those in Yuzhou!
Meng Xingjiang took a step forward, but the guards from the Prince Cheng's mansion blocking his way did not move aside.
Standing behind him, He Ran lashed out with his whip, the end of which struck the guard's face, instantly tearing his skin apart!
Xiao Shu's lips twitched, and anger surged in his eyes.
He Ran snorted coldly, "An arrow that almost killed him, this whip is too good for you!"
Chief Steward Qing leaned close to Xiao Shu's ear and said, "Your Highness, the twenty-odd people opposite us are all experts who can fight against a hundred men each."
"Our people can't win."
Xiao Shu was determined; he had left the capital alone and expanded to such a scale in just two years.
But we lack top-notch experts around us.
That old man surnamed Meng is so generous, giving away twenty top-notch personal guards!
He slowly raised his hand.
The people blocking Meng Xingjiang's way made way for him.
Meng Xingjiang's lips curled up. "Thank you, Your Highness."
He and his men waved goodbye and left.
He was probably the only one who received a personal welcome from a feudal lord at the dock, yet showed absolutely no respect.
After leaving the dock, He Ran almost burst out laughing.
"You bookworm, did you see that? King Cheng's face is stinking worse than a cesspool!"
Meng Xingjiang chuckled.
She was the only one who dared to compare a vassal king to a cesspool.
Dingxian is warmer than Beijing.
Everyone took off their thick winter clothes and put on light spring clothes.
The mansion where they originally lived was ransacked, which shows how panicked they were when they fled.
Now there are hardly any people living there anymore, so Meng Xingjiang returned the house and moved back to the county government office.
Among the people he brought this time were people who were involved in mineral exploration. After resting for a while, they officially began their exploration mission.
Meng Xingjiang was busy in the county for several days before he finally finished.
Duan Feiyang of the navy heard that the county magistrate had returned.
They rushed to the county government office in a panic.
"grown ups……"
Duan Feiyang opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, his mind replaying the argument between the two of them in Chuzhou.
He advised Dan Niang to be tolerant, but Dan Niang told him to stick to his bottom line.
Neither of them could convince the other.
Danniang is gone.
First, she slapped him hard across the face.
What he thought was merely what he thought.
The Duan family is a bottomless pit that can never be filled, and the pit is only getting bigger.
They kept him firmly attached to the Duan family, making it impossible for him to break free.
His mother would threaten suicide every few days.
Now he would rather sleep in the navy every day.
He has already destroyed his home; how could he possibly have the face to let Dan Niang come back?
Meng Xingjiang glanced at him.
"Danniang is doing well in the capital. Xuan'er is now studying at the Imperial Academy with Fu'er."
Duan Feiyang's lips trembled, "The Imperial Academy..."
Students all over the world aspire to attend.
His daughter, however, was receiving her first education there.
Why did he call Dan Niang and Xuan'er back? To return from Fuwo to the Muddy Land?
Duan Feiyang pursed his lips, then nodded, "It's good that they're alright..."
Meng Xingjiang knew nothing about the Duan family's affairs and simply assumed that he missed his wife and daughter.
"If you miss them, then go to the capital."
Going to Beijing...
This was something Duan Feiyang never dared to even think about.
If it weren't for Lord Zhou taking him to Jianzhou, he would have remained in this small Ding County for his entire life!
"Duan Feiyang!"
Duan Feiyang's thoughts were suddenly interrupted.
Outside was his mother's shrill voice.
"Duan Feiyang, you unfilial son! You're going to kill your mother!"
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