With her household registration in hand, Xie Yushu truly felt a sense of freedom and stability, and in this strange world, she finally had a foothold.
In the end, during the few months she spent living with Xiao Yi, although she was busy every day and even renovated and built Xiao Yi's house as if it were her own, she never felt at ease. But this small household registration certificate made her feel incredibly at ease.
Holding the newly issued household registration book in her hand, Xie Yushu was in a great mood, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a smile.
"You're so happy just because you've become a woman in the household?"
Han Zhongyu was very puzzled. In the past, when women were divorced, they would either cry and wail or have a sorrowful face. Some strong-willed women even felt ashamed to face people and ended their lives with a white silk ribbon.
So he had prepared a whole host of words of comfort to advise Xie Yushu. He thought she must be forcing a smile, but seeing her grinning with a row of pearly teeth, it didn't seem like she was faking it at all.
"That's right! From today onwards, I'm the head of the household. I'll be in charge of my own home and make my own decisions. I don't have to worry about anyone's opinion. I can sleep in as late as I want, eat whatever I want, and go wherever I want. I'm free and unrestrained. Isn't that something to be happy about?"
"If that's what you mean, then it's certainly something to be happy about!"
"Now that Miss Xie is free, may I have the honor of inviting you to dinner to celebrate your newfound freedom?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Yushu nodded very seriously.
"Can!"
Half an hour later, Xie Yushu and Han Zhongyu were seated in the private room Chunfeng Pavilion of the 'Xianke Laiji' restaurant, which was Han Zhongyu's private room.
Eight signature dishes, both hot and cold, meat and vegetarian, were served with a pot of peach blossom wine. Two people ate and chatted, while another focused on enjoying the meal.
After a few drinks, Han Zhongyu began to worry.
"Although you have established a female household and are relatively more free, which is worth celebrating, women are inherently weak, and supporting the household alone is not as easy as you think. The world is always harsh on women. Have you thought about what the future holds?"
Xie Yushu was slightly tipsy and said in a daze
"Of course I'll live off my land! I have land, and I know medicine, so making a living won't be a problem."
My mountain villa is already under construction. I've already hired a group of people and built some basic houses. They can live there this year. Next spring, I plan to hire a good construction master to build the main courtyard and four side courtyards. I'll also build a hospital and a factory outside the villa. The staff is being trained. Ordinary petty thieves or hooligans won't be able to mess with me!
"What are you going to do with the factory you're building? Make pharmaceuticals?"
“Build two factories, one for pharmaceuticals and the other for making daily necessities, especially glass, which is a necessity. I don’t want to live in a dark, gloomy house for even a day longer.”
"Glass? Crystal?" Han Zhongyu guessed.
Xie Yushu gave a thumbs up
"Similar to glass, but cheaper and more convenient."
Han Zhongyu, feeling somewhat guilty, probed...
"Oh, so you'll have so much to do in the future, it's easy for people to take advantage of you. You might be able to make a fortune with a few servants, but what if powerful people or wealthy merchants try to seize you by force? You're a woman after all, you'll need to find someone to rely on. Have you thought about that?"
Xie Yushu raised her misty, watery eyes.
"That's true. Why don't you invest in my factory? It's just a partnership, and we'll split the profits 50/50! With you, the governor, in charge, those powerful and wealthy people won't dare to snatch our food from their mouths!"
Han Zhongyu choked. This reliance is not that reliance. I want to welcome you into my household, but you want to pull me into your business. Alas!
But considering his family background and Xie Yushu's status, he knew his elders would never agree to him marrying her. Making her a concubine felt like an insult to Xie Yushu, so he said dejectedly...
"Oh well!"
Xie Yushu was unaware of Han Zhongyu's complicated thoughts. When she heard that Han Zhongyu had agreed to join the group, she was overjoyed and her eyes crinkled with laughter!
Han Zhongyu, however, found that neither the wine nor the food tasted good anymore!
He didn't know when he fell in love. Maybe it was the moment she saved him in the refugee camp, maybe it was when she confidently and calmly recited poetry and drew pictures in front of him, or maybe it was her attitude of moving forward bravely despite all the hardships she had gone through.
Before he knew it, her voice, her smile, and her image had been imprinted in his heart.
It was a pity that she had already married someone else, and he could only suppress his love for her. But when he heard that she was getting a divorce, his heart almost jumped out of his chest, along with the feelings that had been stuck in his heart.
The more you care, the less you dare to say it, because you're afraid of losing it!
Han Zhongyu drank a glass of iced tea, which cleared his mind considerably. Thinking about the various differences between them, if he wanted to give her a responsible love, he could only plan slowly. He couldn't just force her into his household and let his family bully and harass her openly and secretly because of the difference in their family backgrounds.
Although his family was relatively open-minded and had a clean family tradition, it is human nature to flatter the powerful and belittle the weak. He was not so naive as to think that an ordinary person could receive much respect among a group of high-ranking officials and nobles.
Furthermore, he wasn't sure what she felt about. What if she didn't want to? Should he really force her?
Fine, let her join the group. Anyway, she's under my nose, so I can protect her. We can deal with the rest later!
If Han Zhongyu's thoughts were heard by a traditional, domesticated woman in this era who placed her husband above all else, she might be moved to tears. However, in the mind of Xie Yushu, a modern woman raised with ideas of gender equality, it was merely passable.
Of course, Xie Yushu was unaware of Han Zhongyu's true feelings, but the fact that she was able to sit here and have a meal with him, and that she considered him a friend with whom she could have a friendly relationship, showed the respect that Han Zhongyu showed in his every move. He truly respected life and women.
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