Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 1010: The Requirements Are a Bit High

Chapter 1010: Chapter 1010: The Requirements Are a Bit High

Zhou Laodi gestured for his little girl to play on her own. "I’m thinking of selling the big ones to exchange for silver so that next year we can buy a manor. These large gemstones are seldom seen in the country; some people of insufficient status find them hard to come by. Selling to them not only gets us silver but also favors. The smaller ones I plan to give away as gifts. It’s the end of the year, and giving them as presents is just right."

Zhao’s face was adorned with a smile. The fact that her husband was willing to discuss with her showed his place for her in his heart. Even though her husband had been away for a year, he still cherished her deeply. "Are you buying the manor as a dowry for our two daughters?"

Zhou Changyi nodded. "The son is still young; there’s no rush. But we need to save up more for our two daughters’ dowries. A dowry is a woman’s support."

A woman’s dowry can be left to her children, and if things don’t go well, in the event of a divorce, she can take it with her. Should any mishaps occur, no one can touch the woman’s dowry—after all, a dowry is a woman’s confidence in her marital home.

Zhao did not object, especially after seeing her sister-in-law’s dowry. The talk of the capital was the ten-mile-long bridal procession; who would have thought the Zhou family could come up with such a large dowry? "I’ll follow your lead."

Zhou Changyi looked at his steady eldest daughter and his lively youngest daughter and wanted to raise his girls well, especially after seeing the status of women in the countries he had visited. Going out once had changed his mindset a lot. Regrettably, the only thing he could offer his children was monetary wealth.

Luckily, father is highly skilled. According to him, the third brother is getting an official post next year, and the fourth brother will be taking part in the provincial exams. He only wished he had their brains to study, but alas, his only obvious talent lay in his linguistic gift.

At the Ning Duke Residence, the first wife had already left the Duke’s household, and the second wife had also moved out of the main courtyard.

The Duchess looked at the fruit in her dish. "Parental upbringing is so important. The Zhou family may not be noble, but they do know how to raise their children. When I think about our grandchildren’s marital alliances in the future, apart from the necessary ones, there’s really no need to cling to noble families."

The Duke looked up. "I know."

The Duchess leaned in closer. "Before we die, we must ensure our eldest grandson’s marriage is arranged. It would be even better if all of our grandsons’ marriages could be settled."

The Duke, "..."

His wife really didn’t trust Lady Du and Yu’s ability. Back then, even Lady Du regretted her mistakes, but it was too late to lament. As for the Yus, they weren’t his choice; at least the Sons were a good pick. Yes, their judgment had been sound.

The Duchess didn’t even consider Zhou Shuren’s granddaughter. With Rongchuan still at the Ning Duke Residence, that was an impossibility. Furthermore, with the Emperor still in power, such a match couldn’t even be broached. She aimed to select a good match. "I hope to find someone like Xue Han for our eldest grandson."

The Duke, "...Do you not think your standards are a bit high?"

Besides, the capital wasn’t at the sole discretion of the Ning Duke Residence. Zhou Shuren and his wife’s social capabilities weren’t something just anyone could have—it was their cautious guidance and example that made Zhou Xuehan who she was today.

The Duchess fell silent; indeed, her expectations were quite high. "I’ll keep looking."

At the Zhou residence that night, Wu Ming came by himself. After the Ministry of Rites was reorganized, Wu Ming found it rather easy to work there, free from difficulties, and with not much to do, he was often seen with a smile.

After dinner, Wu Ming didn’t rush to leave. He stayed to chat with Changyi and even listened to Changyi speak three foreign languages, which made Wu Ming’s eyes shine. "Second Brother, I’ll come to study with you every night from now on, is that alright?"

Changyi was surprised; he could actually teach the Top Scorer! Grinning from ear to ear, "Of course, it’s alright."

Rongchuan raised his hand. "Second Brother, me too."

Yesterday, he truly didn’t expect to learn, but today, after listening to his father and grandfather, he felt it was very important.

Zhulan laughed, "Chang Yi, look at you now, you can even teach the Top Scorer and the Third-rank Scholar. Including your father the second-place scholar, the top three on the golden list are all here."

Chang Yi had never felt his foreign language was very useful. He studied hard abroad, but that was also because he had been deceived. Remembering his father’s words that mastering a skill means it’s truly yours, he was determined to learn the three most useful languages. Now that he had returned home, everyone even sought his teaching, filling his heart with a sense of pride.

Recalling last night when his father said there is no such thing as a useless skill, just a matter of how to apply it, his smile shone with a different radiance, "Good, as long as you don’t find it tedious, that’s great."

Zhou Shuren turned his head to look at his wife, his entire being radiated refusal. He worked for the Ministry of Revenue and truly didn’t want to start teaching ancient languages, "I’ll pass. The Ministry of Revenue is too busy."

Chang Yi felt disappointed in his heart. The opportunity to teach his father would have made him prouder than anything. He wanted to ask his father if he really didn’t want to learn but, meeting his father’s profound gaze, he felt a chill down his back. No, no, he didn’t want to teach his father more than anyone.

Zhulan had just mentioned it in passing, of course, she also wanted to scare Zhou Shuren a little, just for fun.

Zhou Shuren stared at Rongchuan, who had been eating at the Zhou family for two days in a row, "Rongchuan, your day of rest should be over tomorrow, right?"

Rongchuan nodded, "Yes, it should end."

Zhou Shuren hummed in acknowledgement, the Emperor would finally be able to see his son after marriage, and they wouldn’t have to put off the morning court any longer.

The next day, the Emperor saw his younger son after the wedding. Looking at the happiness radiating from his son, the Emperor zoned out for a long while. He had been the same when he first married, even though he wasn’t young at the time. But being with the person he liked was happiness itself.

Rongchuan looked down at his official robe to make sure he hadn’t worn it wrong, "Emperor?"

The Emperor redirected his gaze, smiling. After the Crown Prince’s marriage, the Empress had sought him out several times to talk, all hinting that she hoped he wouldn’t interfere with the Crown Prince’s affairs. The Empress was worried that he would be unhappy about the Crown Prince’s commitments to the Zhou family. He understood, in the Crown Prince’s marriage, the Empress saw what they couldn’t have, "Now that you’re married, you must live a good life in the future. Husband and wife, only the wife accompanies you always. With a harmonious family, all things will prosper."

Rongchuan was stunned for a moment. Wasn’t this the kind of thing his father should be saying? Recalling the past, his father had never said such things after he married, only telling him that getting married meant he had grown up and should take on responsibility. Rongchuan suppressed the odd feeling in his heart, "Yes, I will keep this in mind."

The Emperor couldn’t resist raising his hand to touch the back of his younger son’s head, "Go on with your duties."

Even though he hadn’t had the chance to drink the tea offered by his daughter-in-law, he wasn’t in a hurry.

As the Emperor left, Rongchuan raised his head, touching the back of his head. Although he was wearing his official hat, the gesture was still a profound shock to him, emotionally speaking. His father had never done that; at most, his father would hook his arm over his shoulder in a chummy father-son manner.

The Crown Prince didn’t bring Rongchuan back to reality. The Emperor’s behavior, even if not obvious, was sometimes too paternal. Rongchuan wasn’t a fool; he already had his suspicions, but because his uncle was so good to him, he hadn’t thought too much about it.

The Crown Prince looked at the Jade Pendant on his younger brother’s waist, his sentimentality gone, replaced only by jealousy. His brother had become so wealthy after his marriage that even he was envious. The quality of that Jade Pendant, it vexed him; his favorite gift from the Emperor had been given away!!

Back at the Zhou family home, Zhulan looked at the letter written by Steward Ding, which detailed the progress of their old family residence. The house was so large it wouldn’t be completed until the following summer, and the expenditure ledger came with the letter.

Zhulan wasn’t in a hurry to examine it, putting down the letter, she asked her eldest daughter, "For next year’s provincial exam, will you go back with Jiang Sheng?"