"Don't be nervous, I'm just casually asking." Seeing his bewildered look, You Jin couldn't help but laugh a little. She felt Han Li thought of herself as a bad guy who separates mandarin ducks: "You are sixteen now. If you are an ordinary person, you've reached the age to talk about marriage. If you have any ideas, why don't you tell me?"
Han Li shyly rubbed the back of his head. Thinking of the difference between himself and the person he loves, he couldn't help but feel a little dejected: "I have no parents and no family business. How can anyone be interested in me?"
The more Han Li thought, the more lost he felt in his heart. Afraid he was the toad who wants to eat swan meat!
You Jin didn't care what he was thinking and just stated: "Since you came, you had been reading and practicing calligraphy with our family. Why should you underestimate yourself? I currently have an idea. I want to send you to Chaxiang to help manage things, what do you think? "
"Go to Chaxiang?" Han Li understood Eldest Miss was promoting him. But at the thought that Er Hua would be left alone in Wuliqiao after he left, he still felt a little bit reluctant.
You Jin knew his worries and assured: "Just go with peace of mind. Er Hua will not be wronged in Su's house. Right now, there is only Song Hua in Chaxiang. He has no one to consult with when something happens. You have studied with Uncle Song for a while. It's time to put it into practice."
In fact, You Jin's expectations for Han Li were more than that: "Besides, you can't relax your study when you go to Chaxiang. You're currently not a lower class. It's better to be a Tongsheng than to have a clean background."
According to Dafeng's law, lower class people who sold themselves cannot participate in the imperial examinations. When Han Li entered Su Family, he didn't sell himself. Now it seems that it was a good thing.
After talking for a long time and seeing Han Li's entangled reaction, You Jin decided to increase the medicine dosage: "You can't possibly think of proposing marriage to our family with nothing, right? It's not that I don't know how you feel about You Yin. You Yin is my younger sister. I naturally hope for her to not suffer in the future. With your current state, what do you use to propose marriage?"
"Eldest Miss?!" Han Li was so frightened that his eyes stared straight at her. He didn't know what to say.
You Jin waved her hand and didn't bother with him anymore: "Just think about it carefully."
Then she sent him out. When Han Li left the study, his mind was like a puddle of paste, not knowing what to do.
***
Only You Jin and Han Li knew about this matter. Both tacitly never mentioned it like they had forgotten about it.
The Mid-Autumn Festival was getting closer. On the eleventh, Song Hua who was in Chaxiang returned to Wuliqiao after a few days of traveling.
"You've gotten thinner, darker, and taller" Looking at her son whom she hadn't seen for nearly two months, Auntie Song's eyes couldn't help but turn red.
On the side, Uncle Song also teared up, but he suppressed his emotions and spoke, "It's a good thing that Son is back. Old woman, why are you crying so much? You must have been tossed around all the way back, go in and quickly rest."
Hearing what her man said, Auntie Song remembered that her son had been traveling a long way and was probably very tired. She hurriedly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "Oh! That's right, Miss said that you just need to rest when you are back. Go in and have a rest, Son. Wait for Miss to come back before reporting for duty."
It turned out that You Jin went out early this morning. The Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching. She wanted to give some gifts to customers for their custom. Putting aside the rest, the magistrate, Official Qin's family was a must-send.
Xiao Lin Yu stayed in Su's house for more than a month and it was not for nothing. With his string connecting, You Jin can be regarded as tying on the magistrate's big tree. In addition, the magistrate's wife Mrs. Wu loved to eat. She was full of praise for Sujiaxiang's cakes. Mrs. Wu only gave birth to two sons, but didn't have her long desired cute and well-behaved daughter. It went without saying she took a liking for Su Family's girls who can make such delicious cakes and were pretty.
Sure enough, less than a quarter of an hour after Su Family's two large food boxes were delivered to the magistrate manor, the servants of Qin Family who sent the food boxes in came out with the gift that Mrs. Wu had asked someone to prepare: "Miss Su, my family's Madam specially instructed to give this gift to you."
Mrs. Wu was originally a miss from a wealthy family. So naturally the things she gave away wouldn't be carelessly chosen. You Jin didn't refuse: "Please help me to thank Madam for the reward."
You Jin knew that as a person of this level can't see Mrs. Wu as wished, so she won't push and pull on such a trivial matter. She got the people around her to accept Qin Family's gift and left.
After giving gifts to the customers whom they had business dealings, You Jin started to prepare gifts for her employees: two mooncakes and five jins of pork. As for those who sold themselves to Su Family and those who lived and boarded at Su's house, five jins of pork were changed to fine cotton material of the same price.
"How much do these things cost?" Looking at the mountain of gifts, You Zhu couldn't help but click her tongue: "Eldest sister, you are too generous!"
After counting the numbers correctly, You Jin responded with a smile: "People's hearts are something that needs to be won over. It's worth spending a little money to stabilize the hearts of dozens of people in our family. If people's hearts part away, then no amount of money can be exchanged back for it. A harmonious family can make everything prosper. You Zhu, do you understand?"
In the past two years of opening a snack shop in Luohe Prefecture, You Zhu had met many people despite not often being in the front shop. She understood the importance of disciplining subordinates, so she naturally accepted this lesson: "I understand Yes, Eldest Sister."
Seeing that there was no dissatisfaction on You Zhu's face, You Jin nodded and said no more. She knew that You Zhu was a smart little girl. There was a limit to everything.
You Jin paid great attention to the upbringing of her younger sisters, whether it was reading and writing, dealing with people, or even building a strong body. She did her best to teach them herself and spent money to ask others to teach what she couldn't understand. Mrs. Su had never intervened in the education of the children from the beginning to the end. After these years, she had already known that if her several daughters were like her, then big troubles would happen in the future. Although You Jin was stronger than most ordinary girls, it was better to not get bullied.
***
After a busy few days before the festival, Su Family held a family banquet on Mid-Autumn Festival. The masters and servants gathered together and enjoyed a sumptuous Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet.
"When I was little, I didn't know what the moon was, I called it a white jade plate. I had suspected that the celestial tower's mirror flew into the blue clouds." After the family banquet and all the servants dispersed, only ten members of Su Family were sitting in the gazebo in the backyard to enjoy the moon. Under the instigation of several sisters, little Seventh's immature and clear voice spread in the quiet night. Looking like a little lady, she stood upright with her hands folded obediently in front of her body as she recited the poem Teacher Yu Lan got her to memorize a few days ago.
After reciting it, she proudly puffed her little chest as she looked at her mother and sisters with a 'quickly praise me' expression. After getting the unanimous affirmation from them, she grinned and sat back beside You Jin.
Su Family's moon-watching activities continued until 10pm. The young ones couldn't win the sleepiness. Their eyes had long been dazed and couldn't keep open. In You Jin's arms was little Eighth, who was breathing steadily and deeply asleep. Kang-er was sleeping in Mrs. Su's arms.
"It's getting pretty dark and everyone is tired. Better go back earlier and have a rest!" Mrs. Su whispered. The older ones nodded at this. You Jin beckoned the women who were specially assigned to take care of the children: "Take the girls and Kang-er back to bed, Be careful and don't let them catch a cold."
"Yes." The few women took little Fifth, little Sixth, little Seventh, little Eighth, and young master who had fallen asleep from the arms of the masters and wrapped them with a thin cloak to protect against the night wind.
The night became more and more quiet. Everyone in Su Family had dispersed.
After taking a bath, You Jin wore a fine cotton jacket with patterns of auspicious clouds embroidered on the cuffs and corners. She sat on the kang by the window, looking out through the glazed window at the bright moonlight quietly filling Su Family's courtyard. Currently everyone had rested. Only the room where You Jin lived was still bright from the burning candles.
Maybe due to being down after the fun, You Jin thought of the man who had lived in her house for more than two months. After disturbing a pool of spring water, he really disappeared without news after his departure. She could not help but secretly berated: "If I had known earlier, I would have charged him more money!"
And the person she was thinking about was now sitting alone under the moon, drinking a little wine and getting a little drunk. Raising his wine glass with reddish cheeks, he invited the moon to drink together: "Raise a glass to invite the moon, and the wine will become three people. I'm afraid it's only you to accompany me tonight."
When Xiao Lin Feng escaped from the banquet in the front yard and slipped quietly to the backyard, he found his normally fallen celestial who didn't indulge in mortal fire Eldest Brother sitting on the ground and pouring himself a drink with his back against the rockery. From his back, he appeared a little lonely. The little white jade dumpling was wrinkled into a bun: "Eldest Brother, how much wine have you drunk? Where are the servants in your yard? Why is there no one to serve you?"
Listening to the younger brother's concern, Xiao Lin Yu smiled: "It's fine, Eldest Brother is in a good mood tonight. Why did you sneak away from the banquet?"
After finishing speaking, he poured another glass of wine into the white jade cup and drank it all in one gulp. The combination of spicy and mellow taste stimulated the taste buds. He couldn't help sighing: "It's truly a good wine!"
Xiao Lin Feng had never seen his eldest brother lose his composure like this. Worried, he sat beside him: "Eldest Brother, why don't I get someone to wait on you for a rest?"
Xiao Lin Yu shook his head. Looking at his worried younger brother, he sighed lightly: "It's fine, it's fine..."
Xiao Lin Feng tilted his head and had a sad expression. As soon as his eldest brother arrived home yesterday, he was called to the main room by old Ancestor and talked from the sun hanging in the west until the moon came out. Only then, the sandalwood door of the main room slowly opened. The formerly high spirited and vigorous Eldest Brother actually looked a little depressed. He didn't talk to anyone and went back to his courtyard by himself. Tonight was the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, but Eldest Brother drowned in wine by himself here and no one in the family came to look for him. Xiao Lin Feng didn't know what happened and the always mischievous him obediently sat beside his eldest brother and guarded him without saying a word.
"Lin Feng, have you thought about what to do in the future?" After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Lin Feng was so sleepy that he was nodding off when Xiao Lin Yu, who hadn't opened his mouth for a while, solemnly asked.
His head bobbed once more before he woke up with a startle after hearing what his eldest brother said. He rubbed his eyes and pondered for a while. However, he couldn't think of anything. In the end, he shook his head: "I don't know..."
He was pampered and spoiled since young. The next head of Xiao Family was Eldest Brother. Even if he drinks and has fun every day, he can live in prosperity and wealth for a lifetime. When he suddenly heard Eldest Brother ask this question, he really didn't understand why and didn't know how to answer it.
Glancing at Youngest Brother, Xiao Lin Yu shook his head and smiled helplessly: "Forget it. Just go back to sleep."
After saying that, he beckoned to Xiao Lin Feng's study attendant who was guarding not far away: "Take Youngest Young Master back to rest!"
Song Yan saluted and acknowledged. Afterward, he helped Xiao Lin Feng, who was already in a ball, out of the Jinyan Courtyard. Leaving only Xiao Lin Yu, who was already 70% drunk, to drink alone.