Chapter 1011: Chapter 1111 Thick-skinned

Xue Mei shook her head slightly, "Mom, I’ve already made up my mind, I won’t be going back with you."

She had already troubled her parents enough. If she were to follow her husband and her in-laws weren’t returning, would she let her mother take care of them? No, that wouldn’t do, so she would not go back with them.

Zhulan had thought her daughter would return with her, since Su Xuan was going back with Chang Zhi, "Your in-laws don’t plan to visit home?"

Xue Mei smiled, "My in-laws just bought some land, and the harvest was good last year. They really can’t bear to leave."

"It’s good to have something to do."

At this moment, Zhulan saw her twin grandsons running into the room. These two children were the sturdiest and bumping into them was not pleasant.

Xue Mei’s face darkened, "You two need to walk properly. Why are you running? Where are your manners?"

The twins, realizing their mother was not leaving, behaved themselves. But being tough kids, after paying their respects, they became unruly again. Jiang Ping’s eyes gleamed as he looked at his grandmother, "Grandma, we want to go abroad with Uncle Two."

Jiang An nodded repeatedly, "Grandma, we want to see what it’s like."

They had just been listening to stories told by Uncle Two. They told him they wanted to join him, but Uncle Two disagreed, so after thinking it over, they came to ask their grandmother, who was the most authoritative at home.

Zhulan laughed upon hearing this. She was willing, but not just yet, "Do you speak any foreign languages?"

She wouldn’t outright say no. With children, the more you forbid something, the more they dwell on it.

The twins were dumbfounded, "What’s a foreign language?"

Zhulan recited a phrase she had learned, the simplest one she had heard from Chang Yi, "Did you understand that?"

The twins pulled a face, not understanding. Jiang Ping asked, "Isn’t it enough that Uncle Two can speak it?"

Zhulan shook her head, "That won’t do. Abroad, there are only foreigners, so you must learn foreign languages."

The twins trusted their grandmother. Words spoken by her would come true, so the children dashed off quickly.

Xue Mei asked, "Mom, if they really learn it, will you let them go?"

Zhulan chuckled, "How well they learn, and to what level they should reach, is still up to us to decide."

Xue Mei laughed, "Mom always knows best."

At the Prince Residence, Zhang Yang knocked over the medicine bowl in his hand. He had been taking medicine for so long just to have a child, and now, at the end of the year, despite all the medicine, there was still no child.

Zhang Yang’s mood was becoming increasingly irritated, especially with the fourth prince acting like a mad dog, always picking fights with him behind his back. He looked at the doctor grimly, "If the medicine continues to be futile, you won’t need to keep your head."

The doctor remained composed, "Your Highness, the poison inside you has been resolved, but your body is still weak. You haven’t fully recovered yet, so you can’t rush the matter of having children."

Zhang Yang clenched his fists. A child, a child. The last set of rumors had been evaded, but if he remained childless, the rumors would only become more vicious, "You may leave."

The doctor turned and walked out, deeply worried. This matter of the child couldn’t be delayed.

At the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren watched Wong Ju munching on the fruit he had brought, "You really have a thick skin, coming here to freeload fruit off me repeatedly."

Wong Ju acted as if he hadn’t heard, believing that what you’ve eaten is yours. After finishing one fruit and reaching for another, he got a slap on the hand, "Stingy."

"And what about your face? This fruit isn’t even available in the capital."

Wong Ju was envious. Fruits in winter were hard to come by, especially ones with such thin skin and rich flesh. No, even in summer, they were not available due to transportation difficulties. "I heard your son brought you quite a lot."

He was truly envious. That was the advantage of having many sons. Look at his family; he couldn’t bear to let even one go out.

Zhou Shuren darkened his face. Many were indeed many, but last night two portions were taken away, and he had no idea what Rongchuan had said. That evening a eunuch from the palace arrived and took away a basket, a very large basket. After that, the Crown Prince Residence came. Such shamelessness.

When he brought the fruits to the Ministry of Revenue, it was not to show off. He genuinely loved eating them. The rooms were always heated with coal braziers, making them very dry, which was why he brought the fruits in the first place, to sneak and eat them. Yet he was still caught by Wong Ju, who often dropped by unannounced. And so, he ended up supporting one more mouth.

Seizing the moment as Zhou Shuren scowled, Wong Ju swiftly grabbed two fruits, leaving only one for Zhou Shuren, and then slickly hid them in his bosom. He said seriously, "My father went to the palace yesterday afternoon, didn’t he?"

Zhou Shuren was genuinely unaware. "The Emperor summoned him?"

"Mhm, he summoned my father, and he asked me to tell you that your second son doesn’t need to rush out next year."

Zhou Shuren thought to himself, the Emperor is indeed efficient. Well, the Emperor’s efficiency has always been high. Then twitching, Wong Ju only mentioned this after coming in for tea and fruit, making Zhou want to hit him.

Wong Ju also knew he was in the wrong, coughing once, and carefully guarding the fruits in his embrace. "These are for your future son-in-law. Make sure you’re not too stingy to offer them."

After saying this, he fixed Zhou Shuren with a stare that clearly demanded, ’Aren’t you going to give some fruits to your son-in-law?’

Grinding his teeth, Zhou Shuren said, "Please prefix that with ’future.’"

Wong Ju withdrew his gaze regretfully, thinking to himself that Zhou Shuren really was tight-fisted. It was fortunate he had grabbed them quickly. "Although I haven’t entered the Ministry of Rites, there’s been a lot of noise coming from there."

Speaking of this, Wong Ju was happy. The better things were for the Zhou family, the better for the Wong family.

In Zhou family village, Dong Yiyi held the letter from her sister and felt happy for her after reading it, but also despondent. Ever since her sister left the capital, no one spoke for her when it came to marriage prospects.

Mulan looked worriedly at her mother. Every time she received a letter from her aunt, her mother was overjoyed, and so was she—her aunt was very good to her and her brother. "Mother, what did aunt say in her letter?"

Dong Yiyi smiled, "Good news in the letter. Although it’s not finalized, your uncle-in-law will be appointed to an official position next year."

Mulan was taken aback, then surprised. "Uncle-in-law is amazing, getting an appointment so soon."

Dong Yiyi stroked her daughter’s hair, "Your uncle-in-law is indeed not bad, but the truly remarkable one is your uncle-in-law’s father."

If someone from the Jiang family clan was still in the capital, their family wouldn’t have suffered so much.

Since the family disaster, Mulan had grown up a lot and understood many things she hadn’t before. "Mother, are you worried about big brother?"

Dong Yiyi smiled, "I used to be very worried, but now with your aunt, the smoother your uncle-in-law’s career, the more reassured I am about your brother’s future."

Mulan knew what her mother meant, pursing her lips; it now seemed there might no longer be the possibility of her mother marrying again.

Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the twenty-ninth, another year gone by. Zhou Shuren, after a busy year, could finally rest at home with peace of mind.

The cold winter did not dampen the joy of the New Year. No, it should be said, the children’s joy for the New Year.

Zhulan wrapped herself in a thick cloak, frowning as she watched the children outside playing with blocks of ice, her eyes cutting into Zhou Shuren like knives. In such cold weather, Zhou Shuren led them in this nonsense, not afraid of the children getting sick during New Year!

Feeling his wife’s gaze, Zhou Shuren touched his nose. Alright, he too wanted to play, to relax and unwind.

Just then, the steward came in, "Master, Mr. Gu has arrived."

Zhou Shuren rubbed his chilly hands, "Alright."

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