"Just taking such a small dividend? Zhong Xingwang also felt it was not very realistic. What would he do when his father and mother got old, and if his brother and sister-in-law changed their ways?"
"As for becoming an official, the exams are in the second half of the year, and whether I pass or not is still unknown. I can’t make careless promises!"
"I understand what my younger sister means," he said. "When I get back, I’ll have my family allocate some assets for me to manage, so I’ll have some security for supporting the family. Continuation of my studies or otherwise can only be considered for now."
Ye Shiqi nodded. These were all children of wealth, used to freedom, reliant on their families, and in reality, they had not yet truly experienced hardship.
Realizing this was already not easy, so she asked again, "Do you like my elder sister?"
Zhong Xingwang felt like a sinner being scrutinized, needing to make the other party satisfied with his answers.
"You like my elder sister, and you must love her for a lifetime, never make her cry, not fight back when hit, not talk back when scolded, let her manage all the silver on your person, and never let her suffer any grievances. Can you do that?"
Zhong Xingwang... The way the little girl naturally spoke of love made him feel embarrassed, alright!
The young girl was suggesting that her sister would dominate him in the future: to not fight back if hit, nor talk back if scolded, clearly meaning a lifetime of submission to a wife, but somehow, he found the idea rather pleasing.
"Yes, I can do that."
Ye Shiqi didn’t want to dwell on the topic, pressuring someone too much might scare them away, so she changed the subject.
"Brother Wang, could you ask your family to help us find a residence in Capital City? It doesn’t need to be as large as a wealthy family’s estate, just enough for our family to live in would be fine."
Ye Shiqi considered that houses in Capital City must be very expensive, and they couldn’t afford a luxury mansion yet. They also wanted to buy shops, and once in Capital City, they would find other ways to develop.
"Alright, I’ll write a letter to have someone at home help out. What are your requirements for the residence?"
Hearing the young girl say this, Zhong Xingwang saw ambition in the girl’s eyes, a kind that did not belong to a girl of her age.
He worried about his family not agreeing; taking a wife from so far, a wife’s family too distant was a bit hard to stay in touch with.
Wouldn’t that be perfect? They would buy a house in Capital City, and development there in the future would be much easier.
Mrs. Li, from her conversation with Mrs. Mo and the hints she caught, understood that Mrs. Mo was looking for a match for her brother Zhong Xingwang, eyeing her eldest and second daughters, though it seemed Zhong Xingwang taken a liking to the eldest.
Mrs. Li didn’t commit to anything, she needed to discuss with her husband back home before making a decision.
Moreover, they hadn’t formally employed a matchmaker yet; a verbal agreement meant nothing.
Mrs. Mo told him that if they were considering, they would write to her parents tomorrow, and once her family replied, they would invite the matchmaker.
Mrs. Li nodded in agreement, encouraging them not to rush; matters of marriage need to be thought through carefully.
In fact, Mrs. Li, after today’s commotion with Ye Zhiwei’s fat wife and their daughters causing trouble, felt it was time to settle her eldest daughter’s engagement soon.
They came to make trouble today, deepening hatred. Mrs. Li felt a headache; some people were so malicious, using others as stepping stones.
"Madam, something has happened at home. The Old Master and Grand Master want you to come home quickly."
Since the previous disturbance, Mrs. Li and the guests had been chatting and dining in a separate room, never going back to the main hall.
A worker from home, whether he ran or rode a horse, came in drenched in sweat, indicating something serious had happened.
Mrs. Li got up in a hurry, recalling that there were guests present, she bid her farewells, promising to gather again when possible.
Her relatives and the guests, seeing the urgency, didn’t mind her early departure.
Mrs. Li brought her four daughters and called her youngest daughter, left her son to be sent home later, and took the carriage back home.
Zhong Xingwang wanted to talk a bit more with Ye Luoqi, feeling a bit embarrassed, but now that they were leaving, he had to wait for another opportunity to visit them.
Ye Shiqi was discussing recent Capital City affairs with Zhong Xingwang, called away by her mother; she could not foresee what emergency had arisen since her arrival in this body had already altered her family’s fate.
Upon arriving home, entering the courtyard, they were greeted by the scent of blood. There were midwives coming and going, and a doctor had been summoned.