Chapter 73: Benefits
After dinner, Li Yuzhu was weaving, Li Jinzhu was spinning, and Li Yin Zhu tidied up the kitchen. She washed her hands and sat beside her eldest sister, preparing cotton slivers for her.
Li Xuedong and Hong Zhenye were invited out for crabs and were not at home.
Li Xiaonan took four peanut cakes, first offering one to her third sister, then popping one into her eldest sister’s mouth.
“Such a big piece, how can you eat it all in one bite?” Li Jinzhu stopped her spinning wheel and took the peanut cake.
“Our A Nan is someone who doesn’t keep good things overnight,” Li Yuzhu said with a smile.
“This cake is best when it’s fresh,” Li Xiaonan said, handing the cake to her second sister.
“Is the Xiucai Scholar at home?”
The voice of the eldest uncle came from the doorway.
“Eldest Uncle, please come in and talk,” Li Jinzhu called out, standing up to greet him.
Li Yin Zhu took out a cup, poured a cup of hot tea from the warmer, and then placed a dish full of pastries in front of Li Wenliang.
“Eldest Uncle, please try these. They are pastries from the Prince’s Estate!”
“Then I must try them.” Li Wenliang picked up a piece, took a bite, and savored it, praising it repeatedly, “They are indeed delicious.”
After eating a pastry and drinking some tea, Li Wenliang took out a thick memorial from his sleeve and handed it to Li Jinzhu.
“The betrothal gifts and dowry for Third Sister have been largely agreed upon. Please take a look and see if it’s acceptable.
“The Hong Family has chosen the sixth day of the third month. After the wedding, Third Sister will live with Hong Erlang in their house in Pingjiang City. Old Master Hong said that he would be much more at ease if Third Sister could oversee Hong Erlang’s studies from then on.”
“Alright,” Li Jinzhu nodded.
It had been agreed long ago that the wedding would be in the spring.
“Your Tang Weng Weng’s intention is for Third Sister to be married from Li Family Market. Firstly, it’s much closer to the county town. Secondly, the house in Xiao Li Village is currently occupied by tenants. If she were to be married from Xiao Li Village, the tenants would have to move out first and then move back. The third month is a busy farming season, so moving back and forth would be inconvenient,” Li Wenliang continued.
Li Jinzhu glanced at Li Yuzhu and nodded, “Yes, we will follow Tang Weng Weng’s wishes.”
“Third Sister’s marriage is mostly settled. Regarding our Xiucai Scholar, I went to Gao Village Market the day before yesterday. Mr. Gao didn’t say much, but Mrs. Gao’s intention is to live with our Xiucai Scholar in their old age.
“The Gao family has no other children, and you siblings have lost your parents. Having an elder in the Xiucai Scholar’s household in the future would be a good thing. Moreover, Mr. Gao and Mrs. Gao are both learned and courteous individuals, so I have already agreed on behalf of the Xiucai Scholar.”
Li Jinzhu nodded quickly, “Even if Mrs. Gao hadn’t said anything, we would have planned the same. At the very least, even if this marriage hadn’t happened, Xuedong should still care for Mr. Gao and Mrs. Gao in their old age and see them off. Without Mr. Gao, Xuedong would not be a Xiucai Scholar.”
“That’s good,” Li Wenliang breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, “Mr. Gao’s family has two hundred and forty mu of paddy fields, and Mrs. Gao has a shop as her dowry. They say it will all be given to Zhi Jie’er as her dowry.
“My Third Tang Uncle inspected the paddy fields, and I inspected the shop. Neither was managed very well. My Third Tang Uncle and I calculated that if managed diligently, the profit could increase by at least thirty percent. I will discuss this with Mr. Gao once the marriage is finalized.”
Li Jinzhu listened intently, wanting to say something but swallowing it back.
She felt uneasy about all the major and minor matters of their household being handled by the eldest uncle.
Li Xiaonan sat close to Li Jinzhu, resting her chin on her hands as she listened.
“For the matchmaker for our Xiucai Scholar and the Gao family, I originally wanted to ask Old Master Hong to mediate. However, Old Master Hong told me to go to the county office and see if we could invite our County Magistrate Huang. So I went, and to my surprise, County Magistrate Huang was very pleased and immediately agreed!” Li Wenliang said with a smile.
Li Xiaonan tilted her head slightly, looking at Li Wenliang’s genuine smile.
He went to the county office as he said, and he met County Magistrate Huang. With her brother, the Xiucai Scholar, supporting them, the Li family was already considered a prominent family in Kunshan County.
“Our Xiucai Scholar is only eighteen after the New Year, and Zhi Jie’er is two months younger than our Xiucai Scholar. They are both still young. Mr. Gao’s intention is to finalize the engagement before or after the New Year and get married in two or three years.”
“Everything will be according to Mr. Gao’s wishes,” Li Jinzhu nodded.
“Next, let’s discuss the arrangements for the New Year,” Li Wenliang continued with a smile. “Our Xiucai Scholar is the Li Clan Leader, so he must return to Li Family Market for the New Year. Furthermore, there is the matter of the engagement. Your Tang Weng Weng’s intention is that you should have a house in Li Family Market.
Li Wenliang paused and looked at Li Jinzhu.
Li Jinzhu frowned slightly and looked at Li Xiaonan.
Li Xiaonan met her gaze and nodded, “I think Eldest Uncle is right. We need to have a home. This is someone else’s house.”
Li Xiaonan gestured in a circle with her finger.
“There is a small courtyard next to the Ancestral Hall, a two-courtyard house with five main rooms, two side rooms on each side, and a row of rooms facing the courtyard. It was built by a former Old Clan Leader for studying and was not lived in much. After discussion among several Clan Elders, if the Xiucai Scholar likes it, this house will be given to him.”
“Alright,” Li Jinzhu hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Li Wenliang breathed a sigh of relief.
The most difficult matter for him to handle on this visit was this house, fearing that Li Jinzhu would refuse it.
If it were before moving to Pingjiang City, Li Jinzhu would definitely not have accepted it. In the past six months, this eldest sister had made tremendous progress.
“Clan sacrifices begin with the Kitchen God Festival, and the Xiucai Scholar must return before then.
“The period around the Kitchen God Festival is the busiest time for our preserved egg business. We cannot close shop. At that time, let the Xiucai Scholar and A Nan go back first, and you three sisters can return after finishing the New Year’s business. How about that?” Li Wenliang discussed the final details with Li Jinzhu.
“Alright,” Li Jinzhu looked at Li Xiaonan. Seeing her nod, she also nodded in agreement.
“That’s all for today. It’s getting late, so I won’t delay you any longer,” Li Wenliang stood up and smiled at Li Xiaonan, “Regarding my eldest son’s schooling, can A Nan give me some advice?”
Li Xiaonan was taken aback for a moment, then said “oh” and stood up, walking out with Li Wenliang.
Outside the courtyard gate, Li Wenliang stopped at the bottom of the steps and lowered his voice, smiling at Li Xiaonan, “In the middle of last month, our shop in Linhai Town took on a business from He Ji Old Brand, making matching tokens for their warehouse. These tokens are finely crafted, and although the quantity is not large, the profit is excellent.
“At the end of the month, we took on another business from the Prince’s Estate villa, delivering incense and candles from overseas to the villa twice a month.”
Li Xiaonan looked at Li Wenliang without speaking.
“Both of these businesses, like the preserved egg business, came by fate,” he paused, then continued, “A family and a clan are like branches of the same tree, connected by shared spirit.”
“Does Eldest Sister know? Are you going to tell Eldest Sister?” Li Xiaonan asked after a moment of silence.
“What do you think?” Li Wenliang asked.
“Let me think,” Li Xiaonan sighed.
If she told her eldest sister about this, her eldest sister would definitely worry about her. If she didn’t tell her eldest sister, her eldest sister would always feel like she had taken too much advantage of the eldest uncle’s family and would feel uneasy.
This matter had to be known by her eldest sister, but she had to think carefully about how to explain it.
Alright, I’ll settle the accounts tomorrow.
