Xi Chun met her uncle's family in person and, through conversations with them, gained a general understanding of their personalities. She then developed some ideas about how to handle her cousin Wenmao.
However, she didn't rush to say it. Her aunt's family would be staying here for a few more days, and it would be a good thing to do to investigate further. Just then, Madam Fu mentioned the Matchmaker Temple in Taoyuan Village, which she had heard was very effective over the years. Wenmao could go and give it a try.
The whole family happened to want to go out for a stroll, so they made plans to take the children hiking together.
It was summer, and many people were out enjoying themselves. This was also the season when peaches ripened in Taoyuan Village. Some families in Taoyuan Village brewed peach blossom wine, while others came specifically to experience the joy of picking peaches, which was quite a unique experience.
Xi Chun also got to know her cousin's personality. She was a cheerful person and didn't fawn over Xi Chun because of her status. She treated her as a relative, which made Xi Chun feel much more at ease.
There were quite a few women who came to burn incense. Some of them covered their faces with veils, while others were girls from ordinary families who did not cover their faces. However, my cousin did not look at them indiscriminately and gave them full respect.
This pleased Xichun, who was secretly observing, even more. He was an upright person, but he lacked luck. Every year during the exams, he would either catch a cold or get too nervous. His uncle and cousin had accompanied him to the exams and said that he usually had a solid grasp of the material, but he would become so nervous in the exam room that he would tremble.
It seems he has test anxiety. No wonder he always fails. He needs more opportunities to practice and build up his courage.
So, on the day before her aunt and uncle were to return home, Xichun approached Madam Fu and Grandpa Fu and shared her thoughts.
"Xichun, you said you'd let Wenmao go to the capital with you and train under Changfeng's guidance?" Old Madam Fu was surprised that Xichun would suggest such a thing.
“That is indeed a good idea. I can see that Wenmao is just too nervous and hasn’t seen enough of the world, so he lacks coping mechanisms. If he can practice more often, I think the previous problems won’t occur. But will my elder brother and sister-in-law agree to let Wenmao go to such a far place?”
Old Master Fu had a deeper understanding than Old Madam Fu. He knew that Xichun had genuinely found a good solution for Wenmao, but it depended on whether his brother-in-law's family was willing to give it up.
“I’ll talk to my older brother and sister-in-law about this. If they’re willing, that would be great. We’d be happy to have a cousin helping Changfeng. But if they’re not, I think we should think about what we can do for him.”
"Okay, then let's do it this way."
Madam Fu was also a very proactive person. After organizing her thoughts, she went to the guest courtyard where her eldest brother and sister-in-law lived. When she saw her suddenly arrive, her aunt, who was busy tidying up, also stopped.
Madam Fu relayed Xichun's suggestion and then told them about Madam Fu's analysis of the pros and cons of the matter. Both of them were stunned.
"This... this can't possibly be true, sister, I... I still can't believe it." Aunt's eyes widened in surprise.
"Brother, it was Changfeng's wife who brought up this matter. She said that Wenmao is a good-natured boy, but he lacks experience. If he can learn from Changfeng, he can at least pass the imperial examination and become a scholar in time."
Don't let Changfeng's wife's appearance fool you; she runs quite a business these days. Compared to Changfeng's meager salary, it's nothing. She's a very shrewd person, so don't underestimate her."
"How could that be? We also know about our nephew's wife. I just didn't expect that Changfeng's wife would be so considerate of our Wenmao. I'm so excited. Being able to be with his cousin is a good thing that no one can ask for. We never thought we would have such an opportunity."
"That's good. As long as you agree, let Wenmao stay. Changfeng's wife will be taking the children back to the capital in a few days. It will be good for them to look after each other."
"That would be great! I'll stop packing now and go tell that brat a few things. He shouldn't let you all down with such a wonderful opportunity." The aunt stopped packing and ran to Wenmao's room to explain the pros and cons to him, making sure he didn't do anything that would harm her nephew.
"Brother, I'll head back now. You guys can discuss it slowly. I told you there was no need to go back so early, but you guys were in such a hurry."
"Alright, alright, let's not go back yet. Let's deal with this first."
The eldest uncle's family quickly replied to Xichun, and let Wenmao go to the capital with Xichun. He would help Fu Changfeng with his work. The two of them also told Wenmao in front of them that if he disobeyed, his older brother and sister-in-law should discipline him as they saw fit, and never spoil him.
"Uncle and Aunt, don't worry. Changfeng is a strict person. He has high expectations for his subordinates and those around him. It will take Wenmao some time to adapt. This will also be a good experience for Wenmao."
"By the way, cousin, I heard that your shop in Weixi County mainly buys vegetables from the countryside and sells them in the city. Perfect timing, my shop is short of that kind of work, and we need to buy the same things. If you'd like, you can deliver the vegetables you collect to the shop. This is a letter I wrote; you can show it to the shopkeeper when you get there."
"Really? That's wonderful! Thank you so much, cousin-in-law." The eldest cousin's wife knew that Xichun had specially taken care of their business, and she was grateful. Now that the shop had a big customer, that would be another source of income.
"It's alright. We need to source our goods from anywhere anyway. I feel more at ease sourcing from our own family. But you two need to be stricter with the quality of the vegetables so that we can continue to cooperate."
Xi Chun has laid out all the unpleasant things upfront, just in case any disputes arise later and are difficult to handle.
After finishing both matters, Xichun returned to Taoyuan Village. When Wang learned that she was leaving again, she was very reluctant to see her go. Xichun had been busy with various tasks since she returned and had not had a moment to spare.
A few days later, Xichun took Wenmao and the children on their journey back to Beijing. The Wang family and her aunt's family came to see them off. The children had grown attached to each other after spending so much time together, and they were all a little reluctant to leave.
Xuanxuan's eyes were red from crying. It was so rare to find a girl about her age to talk to, and now they had to part again after only a short time together. The two girls made a promise to write to each other often in the future.
The boys were also reluctant to part, but they weren't as outgoing as the two girls. They didn't say goodbye until the boat had sailed far away.
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