Zhu Xian rode her horse from the street. "Manager Qin, Hua Xiang Rong is opening tomorrow. Please reserve a spot for my mother." She sighed, her voice a mix of helplessness and delight. "My mother insists I come here so she can feel at ease. She's afraid I won't be able to get the clothes she wants tomorrow."
She hadn't felt this kind of family affection for far too long, and it was rare to see joy on her mother's face. It seemed that bringing us to the county town, away from that filthy Zhu mansion, was the best choice.
Although she was being instructed by her mother, Zhu Xian was actually quite happy.
Qin Xiaozhou stood up, rubbing his back, and directed people to put the plaque on. He joked, "Thank you for your graciousness, Madam Zhu. Tomorrow I'll be your ox and horse, and I'll definitely be at the forefront."
Zhu Xian held a riding whip and gently poked Qin Xiaozhou's shoulder. "You, you, you have the best tongue. I'm going to Xuancheng tomorrow, so I'm entrusting my mother to you for safekeeping."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of your aunt. Everything will be fine."
Hearing this, Zhu Xian felt relieved and was about to invite Qin Xiaozhou to dinner when Qian Sheng suddenly exclaimed, "You, you are Miss Zhu? The daughter of Lord Zhu of Wanzhou Prefecture?"
These words could cause a huge uproar. The governor of Wanzhou was someone he had only heard of, yet his daughter had been living in this small place, Fenggu County.
Zhu Xian frowned. "Who are you?"
Qian Sheng flattered: "My name is Qian Sheng, and I trade in silk. I had the honor of meeting Miss Zhu twice in Wanzhou. It is a great honor to see her again today. May I ask what brings Miss Zhu to Fenggu County? May I ask if I may have the honor of helping her with her troubles?"
Zhu Xian glanced at him indifferently, "No need."
The atmosphere became awkward for a moment. Qian Sheng secretly clenched his fist, but did not show it on his face. "Lord Zhu is the prefect of a prefecture, and Miss Zhu is a noble lady. You should leave everything to us lowly people. Why bother riding across the street in the sun? It would only lower your status and cause some gossip to offend Miss Zhu's ears."
Qin Xiaozhou smiled knowingly, as if watching a good show. Granny Qian's expression changed slightly, and she frowned, clearly displeased. However, she didn't interrupt, having already made up her mind about the cooperation.
Zhu Xian scoffed, "You certainly value hierarchy, but why bother to humiliate yourself like this?"
After saying that, he grabbed Qin Xiaozhou's arm, pulled him onto the horse, and rode away. It was Qin Xiaozhou's first time riding a horse, and with Zhu Xian sitting behind him, he was very excited. It wasn't until the horse had run through half the county that he belatedly realized, "Your father is the prefect?"
Why is Madam Zhu not staying at home as the mistress of the house, but instead running off to this small county town? Is there something wrong with the household?
Zhu Xian patted her head, "Mind your own business, it's not something you should know."
Qin Xiaozhou was the most adept at handling things. "Alright, then I'll just focus on currying favor with Madam Zhu and Miss Zhu, and I'll just make money to support my family. I won't know anything else."
"Hahahaha." Zhu Xian laughed loudly, "I love your intelligence the most."
Qin Xiaozhou was having lunch at the Zhu residence when someone came to the front gate to announce that Qian Sheng had arrived.
Zhu Xian was disappointed and put down her chopsticks, saying, "I won't see you."
Cui Yun asked curiously, "Who made you so angry?"
"A man who tries to admonish me with the precepts for women."
Cui Yun was taken aback, then waved for the servants to leave, saying, "Keep the gates closed; Miss will not receive guests today."
Qin Xiaozhou ate the meat silently, pretending he didn't exist.
In the pavilion by the side gate of the embroidered building, Li Zhen and Granny Qian touched a fox fur. It was soft to the touch. Granny Qian sighed, "It's a pity that it's mixed fur. If it were pure white fur or reddish fur, it would look so good as hemming clothes in winter."
Ye Su stood outside the pavilion, without saying a word.
Granny Qian estimated the money and gave Ye Su three taels of silver, saying, "Young master, if you want to sell furs in the future, just come to the Embroidery Building. We will buy them."
Ye Su nodded silently, put the silver into his pocket, slung his basket over his shoulder and left. Li Zhen chased after him, calling out, "Wait a minute."
The man stopped, turned around, but still didn't speak. Li Zhen immediately stood three meters away. "Are you a hunter? If you see any nice bird feathers in the mountains, you can collect them and sell them to us. We want bird feathers too."
Ye Su nodded, turned and left.
Li Zhen patted her chest quietly; this man exuded a menacing aura and was truly frightening. Granny Qian chuckled and stepped forward, "This man looks sturdy and keeps a stern face, but I don't think he's a bad person. However, if he comes again, you mustn't see him alone. You only have six months left in your widowhood period, so you should be careful about the separation of men and women and find another husband as soon as possible."
Li Zhen is not yet thirty years old. After two years of widowhood, she must remarry. She is often worried these days. She can't help but feel sad when she thinks of her old mother-in-law and her nine-year-old daughter. There is no reason for her to remarry with her mother-in-law and daughter, but she can't bear to leave them behind. So she can only save more money now to leave for the old woman and the young girl to keep her company.
"You," Granny Qian said, exasperated, "you're usually so quick-witted when it comes to new ideas for embroidery shops, even coming up with ideas for using bird feathers. Why can't you understand this now? Why don't you take your daughter to the embroidery shop as an apprentice? Your mother-in-law isn't completely helpless yet, so it would be reasonable for her to work as a helper in the kitchen."
"How can this be?" Li Zhen's heart pounded, and she felt a little disappointed. "My young lady has never touched a needle and thread before. Besides, if I let them come to the embroidery room, wouldn't that be showing favoritism?"
Granny Qian sighed, said nothing more, and returned to the embroidery building with the fox fur in her arms. Li Zhen hurriedly followed her.
Qin Xiaozhou listened with great satisfaction. The primary reason she supported Li Zhen was that Li Zhen was honest, focused on embroidery, and willing to think things through without any ulterior motives. Even now, as the manager of the embroidery workshop, she still follows the rules and doesn't try to get special treatment.
In the afternoon, after delivering the chickens, ducks, and geese, Zhao Yong came to the embroidered building and unloaded several large baskets of rabbit skins from the oxcart. "Sister-in-law, these rabbit skins are all properly tanned. Please take a look."
The Lu family roasted rabbits, and the skins were kept to make clothes in the fall. The rabbit skins were all pure white or pure black, and the mixed-hair ones were kept by the Lu family to make quilts for Wang Lan.
Qin Xiaozhou had everyone move in, and then discussed a few winter clothes with Li Zhen before going back.
The next day, Hua Xiangrong reopened, and this time it was even more lively than before. There were no troublemakers, and the business opened smoothly.
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