Transmigration: A Farm Girl’s Brocade
Chapter 526 - 274: Adding to the Dowry_1

Chapter 526: Chapter 274: Adding to the Dowry_1

Lady Fu visited once with her youngest son, Yi Gege, during this time. She came to guide Qian Yixiu in managing the household.

Lady Fu had a forthright and generous nature, which was the exact opposite of Pan Yang’s gentle and refined demeanor. However, this did not prevent the couple from getting along harmoniously. To this day, Pan Yang did not even have a concubine, which was quite rare in the noble circles of the Capital City.

Brother Jie was like Pan Yang, gentle and refined. Yi Gege was like Lady Fu, very forthright, and also very active. He became friends with Monkey Brother within moments and even cried when he left—not because he would miss anyone, but because he would miss the monkey.

Uncle Liang also visited once on his day off on the twentieth. Although he brought supplements for Qian Sangui, he did not disturb him. He only saw Qian Manjiang briefly before being sent away.

Before he left, he gazed deeply at the courtyard. It was now difficult to catch a glimpse of that graceful figure. In the future, he would have to visit when General Qian was on duty at the Palace, perhaps then he might have the chance to see her.

After leaving the Qian family, he did not return home but went to have fun with his good friends. His grandfather said that once the Qian family had settled down and Granduncle Qian’s health improved, they would finalize the marriage. He also hoped this would happen soon; the image of her was too vivid in his mind, and he was afraid someone else might take her away.

However, his mother was very displeased. Although she dared not openly defy the elders, she had secretly cried many times. He did not want to go home and listen to his mother’s nagging about how the Qian family girl was not good enough for him, that marrying their daughter would make them the laughingstock of others. She also said that Miss Qian was too young and that they should wait at least two more years until she reached marriageable age. He was already of such an age without an heir, and bringing in someone else to bear the children, it was so troublesome!

It was only after Uncle Liang had gone that Qian Yixiu learned of his visit. She too felt a sense of regret for not meeting him. She wasn’t looking for romance; she simply felt too stressed these days and wanted someone to talk to. Uncle Liang was a good friend of many years, and she found him easy to converse with.

However, the freedom she had enjoyed in the countryside was not comparable to her current situation; she had grown up. Even if Father Jiang would agree to her meeting Uncle Liang, Sister Zeng, who intended to mold her into a lady of high standing, would surely object.

While she didn’t need to listen to everything Sister Zeng said, it was still best to maintain a good relationship with her, gradually persuading her to act according to her wishes and to benefit her own purposes. She needed to portray the image of a lady under Sister Zeng’s guidance, yet becoming a true lady of high standing might be an impossible task for her entire life.

She sighed and gazed at the small piece of blue sky above her, which the surrounding rooftops had divided into small sections. She then looked at the flying eaves and upturned corners, beneath which lay layer upon layer of thick walls. Was she destined to live under this tiny patch of sky, confined to this deep courtyard forever?

She was unwilling!

Fortunately, although this dynasty was not as liberal as the Tang Dynasty, it was not as restrictive or harsh towards women as the Song and Ming dynasties. Many women from less affluent families were allowed to engage in business openly.

She didn’t need to be in the public eye, but she could direct others. Establishing the Glass Factory was urgent, and soon people would have to search for locations, purchase land, and find workers. In the future, she would buy a larger estate in the suburbs of the Capital, acquire more land, and build an even greater Moonlit Lotus Pond and Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. She could often stay there to play and ease the oppression she felt in the Capital City.

And then there was that more long-term plan, which would depend on the Emperor’s level of enlightenment...

On the morning of the twenty-fourth, Qian Sigui and the others, Qian Manchuan, Qian Manhe, and Li Zhandong, returned to Ji’an. They had toured around the Capital City and even circled the Palace, truly broadening their horizons.

They had their fun and ate their fill, but they also saw that the Capital City was flooded with pastry shops, making it impossible for outsiders to break into the market. The third branch of the Qian family had just arrived in the Capital and was too busy to help them. Considering how the third branch was either sick or busy, it was embarrassing to stay too long. They decided to return to their hometown to continue their work and wait for a better opportunity once the third branch was more settled in the Capital.

Qian Yixiu prepared several parcels of the Capital’s specialty goods for them and had servants escort them to Nan County Port, where she also arranged their tickets for the journey home.

After seeing them off, Qian Yixiu went to the main compound. Upon entering the hall, she saw Old man Qian and Old woman Qian were there, chatting and laughing with Lady Wu.

Old woman Qian could get out of bed and walk a few steps with assistance, thanks to her joy and the recent care she received. Staying in her own yard was boring for her, so she would come to the main compound in a sedan chair every day to visit her bedridden son. Her mouth was now more twisted than before, and she drooled constantly without much awareness of it. Now, she had ten servants solely to attend to her, and they made sure she was always spotlessly clean.