It's not that the children were wrong to teach her, but they felt that He Jiuniang was right: if you can't learn it, then you don't have to learn it; it's not a big deal.
My daughter Ting didn't learn that much; she spends all her time learning embroidery at the embroidery workshop, which is a skill in itself.
Of course, you still need to know basic literacy and accounting. Mastering these basic skills, along with having a skill that can support yourself, is enough.
"Yes! I understand, Madam!"
Xia Yulan nodded emphatically, her earlier feelings of inferiority and embarrassment instantly vanishing.
Mrs. Lu is really nice. When we first met, I thought she was a very proud and aloof woman, and that she would be hard to approach. But who knew she was such a kind person, like a little sun, shining into my heart time and time again.
"Good that you understand. There's no need to keep calling me 'Madam' in such an unfamiliar way. If you and your brother don't mind, just call me 'Auntie' like my kids do. That will sound more intimate."
He Jiuniang smiled and put down the draft paper in her hand.
The two siblings from the Xia family were naturally willing to accept it, and they called her "Auntie" in a very sweet voice.
Before long, the Xia family's servants came to take the siblings back. When they left, they were reluctant to part and were very nostalgic for the atmosphere of the place.
When the siblings went outside, they discovered that their mother had come to pick them up in person. However, she didn't get out of the car but waited for them inside. As soon as they got in, she gently placed a hot water bottle in each of their arms and said, "You must be cold. Hug yourselves to warm up!"
It didn't snow today, but it was still quite cold after studying in the yard all night in the dead of winter. The two of them tucked the hot water bottles into their down jackets, their eyes curving into little crescents.
"Thank you, Mother!"
The two laughed and thought about the day's experiences, which were truly exciting.
"You seem so happy, is something good happening?"
Seeing how happy the children were, Mrs. Xia's mood improved as well. She had been worried all day that the two children would not adapt well, but now it seemed that she had been worrying too much.
So the siblings recounted everything that had happened that day, a truly dramatic and eventful tale, almost as if told by a storyteller.
"Mother, I really like Aunt Jiu Niang so much, she's so wonderful!"
Xia Yulan couldn't help but sigh.
Xia Chenhao nodded repeatedly: "Aunt Jiu Niang is beautiful, capable, and so gentle with us. I want to marry a girl just like Aunt Jiu Niang in the future!"
These words amused Xia Shi, who thought that her son's idea might be in vain. In this world, where could there be another He Jiu Niang?
However, she paused for a moment before asking, "Why do you all call Madam Lu 'Auntie'?"
"Hehe, Aunt Jiu Niang said that calling her 'Madam' sounds too formal, and calling her 'Auntie' is much more intimate!"
Xia was quite surprised. The Lu family was a relative that many people couldn't even dream of. She never expected that He Jiuniang would personally tell the two children to call her aunt.
"This is your good fortune. From now on, you must treat her like your own aunt. The Lu family's kindness to us can never be repaid in this lifetime."
Xia spoke with great conviction. Thinking back to how she had offended people at the banquet, she wished she could go back and slap her past self. How could she have done something so stupid?
"Yes, we know."
The two agreed at the same time. After a while, Xia Chenhao asked, "Mom, does my family still have money?"
Xia looked at him with some curiosity and asked, "What do you want to do?"
"Hehe, I also want to live in Xishuiyuan, so I won't have to be picked up and dropped off by car in the morning and evening."
Xia Chenhao smiled sheepishly. He simply loved Xishuiyuan too much and wanted to live closer to the Lu family.
Xia found it somewhat amusing; this kid really dared to say that.
“The houses in Xishuiyuan are not something you can just buy if you have money. You have to be someone with both power and money. Given my family’s current situation, it’s basically impossible.”
The mother and her two children are powerless and without influence. If it weren't for her family supporting them, they would be bullied by countless people, let alone be able to buy a house here.
As for his eldest son, who is an official in another city, he is basically unreliable because his official position is not high. Even if he comes back, he will only be an insignificant minor official who cannot help much.
"Oh well……"
The siblings sighed with some disappointment. It was true; even when their father was the prefect, he couldn't afford to buy a house around Xishuiyuan. Now that the family had fallen on hard times, how could they possibly have that opportunity?
Seeing the two of them like this, Xia thought for a moment and said, "There's nothing we can do about the area around Xishuiyuan, but we can still think of a way around the outer area. I'll go back to your maternal grandfather's house in the next few days and ask. If we can buy a small courtyard house, it's just the three of us, so it doesn't need to be very big."
"Mmm!"
The two nodded. Xia Chenhao had transferred all the money from the prefect's mansion, so he must have money now. As long as there was an empty courtyard, he should be able to buy one.
Even on the outskirts, it's the lowest point from Xishuiyuan.
The mother and her two children chatted and laughed as they went home, while the Lu family's children also prepared to wash up and rest.
Old Lu sat under the eaves smoking his pipe, while Sun was still looking at the new characters she had learned that evening. He Jiuniang moved a small stool over and sat down next to her.
"Father, has anything been up with you lately?"
Her expression, which clearly indicated something was wrong, was impossible for Old Man Lu to ignore.
Upon hearing this, Sun thought something was wrong, so she stopped studying and came over to listen.
"It's nothing, what's wrong?"
"Hehe, I do have something I need Dad's help with."
He Jiuniang smiled and continued, "In a few days, Baichuan and I will be going to the capital. My club is under reconstruction. There was an accident before, and I don't feel comfortable leaving it to others. So I would like to ask Father to keep an eye on it for me and ensure the quality of the building."
"Oh, it's nothing, I thought it was something big!"
Sun looked disgusted, feeling that she had come all this way but hadn't gotten anything good in return.
Old Lu also said, "That's easy to say, but what do I need to do? I don't understand anything too profound."
"You don't have to do anything, just go and walk around every day to prevent anyone from using inferior materials, and also to prevent people with ill intentions from secretly tampering with things."
He Jiuniang briefly explained that although the Lu family seemed high and mighty, there were countless people who wanted to take advantage of their misfortune. Since they couldn't stop things from happening, they could only try to minimize the risks that might arise.
"That's easy. I can stay in that area all day and keep an eye on things, making sure no one has a chance to take advantage!"
Old Lu patted his chest and assured his family that he was very happy to be able to help his son and daughter-in-law at his age.
Just then, Madam Sun added insult to injury: "That's right, anyway, all he does is waste time and money at the teahouse, so we might as well let him do something useful!"
Old Lu immediately became furious: "It's as if you're wasting your time and money by not going to the teahouse!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com