Chapter 95 - 94 She Doesn't Know
Chapter 95: Chapter 94 She Doesn’t Know
Mrs. Li had not expected that her husband also did not know where their daughter’s honey had come from. Ask a child who cannot speak? Her husband could not find out either.
Over the month, her husband had encountered many matters and also kept the secret of their youngest daughter’s secret from the family, and even more so, he did not mention it to her.
“Mrs. Li, such fine honey, next time you go home, ask where the honey was bought from. We should buy some to give as gifts or for consumption at the mansion.”
Madam thought further ahead; the New Year was approaching, and it was time to give New Year gifts. This specialty product would be an excellent gift to send to the Capital City, to bring healthful items to the family, which represented a meaningful gesture.
“Mother-in-law is right, the honey bought previously by our mansion was not as good. Now that we have found a quality product, let’s prepare some New Year gifts for the people at the mansion.”
The young madam felt that after eating the honey, the prior heaviness in her body seemed to have eased a great deal. Her hands and feet, which had been somewhat swollen, also looked much better. She thought that this kind of honey was better than tonic prescriptions and without the toxicity of medications.
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She thought of visiting her maternal home after a year of absence. She was about to give birth and could not return to her maternal home before or after the New Year. She could send New Year gifts instead.
Sending New Year gifts was a delicate matter as wealthy families lacked nothing in terms of rich food and clothing but were deficient in health supplements, especially pure natural supplements like honey that enhance beauty.
Mrs. Li, after hearing the words of Madam and the young madam, could only nod in agreement. She could investigate further only a month later.
“Grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, this honey was gifted to me by my little sister. Don’t take it to the big kitchen. My things should be kept for my own slow consumption.”
After having his fill, Tang Shunyan found out that the tasty pastry was made with honey, which made it so delicious, he was reluctant to hand over his gift to others.
“Yan’er, there’s quite a few pounds of honey here. You alone could consume it for a long time. Save some for your mother and have someone make pastries every day.”
This time, the young madam thought of the county magistrate’s house. Today, her son and Mrs. Li went out, and the county magistrate’s house had sent an invitation, indicating they would visit their mansion tomorrow.
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Previously not considered, only the young madam thought of using this honey in pastries to entertain the lady and daughter of the county magistrate’s house.
When Tang Shunyan’s mother requested, could he say no? Besides, his mother was going to save some honey for him and had promised to have pastries made for him every day. As long as he could enjoy tasty pastries daily, it was fine to leave more honey with his mother.
“Mrs. Li, the housekeeper and Mr. Li reached some verbal agreements, are you aware?”
At this moment, Mr. Tang remembered the matter they had just discussed. Being a member of the Ye family, Mrs. Li must also be informed of this matter.
“What agreement? I don’t know about it!” Mrs. Li’s puzzled look, could it be that her husband and the housekeeper had discussed something she was unaware of?
“Housekeeper, please tell Mrs. Li,” Mr. Tang said, knowing from Mrs. Li’s expression that she was unaware of the discussion between the housekeeper and her husband.
The housekeeper nodded at the young master’s command and then turned to Mrs. Li and said, “Your youngest daughter gifted a toy to the young master and also mentioned that your family is currently carving wooden Bodhisattva statues for sale. I thought of collaborating with your family or perhaps inviting your husband to our county’s wood factory to carve some finer wooden Bodhisattvas.”
Upon hearing what the housekeeper said, Mrs. Li immediately became anxious. If her husband came to the county, what would happen to the children at home?
“Housekeeper, has my husband agreed to this?”
The housekeeper shook his head and said,
“Your husband mentioned he was worried about the children at home having no one to take care of them while he is at the county’s wood factory. Considering your family’s situation, he thought of coming back to the county and discussing with the Old Master and the young Master, then coming up with a cooperation proposal—inviting you to work for us.
We provide the wood, your husband does the carving and design, and both families cooperate. The profit made would be shared with your family.”
“Housekeeper, I don’t understand business matters, being a woman. Unless my whole family moves to the county, having only my husband work in the county while I work here means the children at home would be really pitiful. You might already know, my in-laws and sister-in-law do not take care of the children at home.”
Mrs. Li thought of her children at home being so pitiful that tears couldn’t help but fall.
Just for money, she had left her one-month-old daughter to work as a housekeeper for others, her little daughter at home was so pitiful.
In the living room, apart from the young madam and Jufeng, everyone else felt pity for what Mrs. Li said.
“Wet nurse, if I could bring my sisters to the county to work, I could see them every day.”
Shunyan listened to the wet nurse’s words, his little face full of expectation, thinking about seeing his sisters every day.
“Young Master, even if they follow my husband to the county, they won’t be able to see the Young Master every day, since the Young Master has a full schedule of studies every day.”
Mrs. Li, having noticed the young madam glaring at her, timidly bowed her head as she spoke.
“Wet nurse, rest assured, I will visit my sisters before my studies start in the morning, and then see them again after my studies are done. That way I can see them and not neglect my studies.”
Shunyan’s words provoked his mother to glare angrily at Mrs. Li; his father, however, laughed and said,
“Son, that means you will have to wake up even earlier. It will be tough, won’t it? Is the teacher giving you too light a workload? Should I talk to him about giving you more?”
“Father, look at my tiny arms and legs, I already struggle with the teacher’s assigned tasks every day. But to see my sisters, I don’t find it tough, hehe.”
The words of Shunyan made the young madam unbearably angry, reprimanding her son,
“Nonsense, our family is a wealthy family. How can you play with commoner girls? Moreover, you have so many sisters and playmates already. Put that idea to rest.
The County Magistrate’s wife sent us an invitation today, and they will visit us tomorrow. Mother only allows you to be friends with children from wealthy families.”
Tang Hailong and Mr. Tang were silent throughout, aware of the family’s thoughts on alliance marriages, a silent admission that such arrangements were in the adults’ unspoken understanding.
The Madam had long understood his daughter-in-law’s thoughts and did not oppose them; as parents and lovers, they thought of helping their children reach higher places and planning a bright future for them was not wrong.
The young madam further believed that her son’s future wife must be from a wealthy family, to bring her honor—she could not marry someone from a commoner family, as it would embarrass her and make her the target of ridicule for not teaching her son properly.
If her son were to take concubines in the future, considering someone from the commoner class might be an option, but only if she were literate, knowledgeable, and could read—only then could she enter the Tang Family.
In the midst of the Tang Family’s conversations, even the naive Mrs. Li understood that wealthy families sought matches within their own stature, and however good her daughter might be, she was still just a commoner.
While others already planned their children’s futures, as common folk, they could only wait for their children to grow up hoping for a good future, unable to plan it for them.
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