Ming Dynasty: My Father Zhang Juzheng

Chapter 214: Golden Hoe Digging the Ground

After the Shandong students returned home, Songjiang Prefecture and even the entire Ming Dynasty were still not optimistic about the selection of this minor official.

What is a petty official?
They are just a bunch of chores, a job that anyone can do. Why do we have to take an exam?

And using the money from the court and local governments to support them is simply crazy.

Zhang Yunxiu just ignored all these opinions and thought that it was pure. Whatever he said now seemed to be unnecessary explanation.

He doesn't need to explain to everyone, time will tell everyone the answer.

Instead of wasting time, you might as well take a good rest.

Just after noon that day, Zhang Yunxiu took Xu Ruoxi's hand and slowly came to the small pavilion in the Xu family's back garden, with the green radish following gracefully behind them.

As soon as she entered, Green Radish first wiped the stone bench and then quickly put down the cushion.

Zhang Yunxiu and Xu Ruoxi sat down together.

This was the first time after their marriage that they came to the garden to enjoy the scenery in this capacity. Looking at his beautiful wife and concubine, Zhang Yunxiu waved his hand, and Xu Ruoxi blushed and shrank into his arms obediently.

"And you, come here too." Patting the left side, Zhang Yunxiu pointed at the green radish and said with a smile.

Luoluo nodded, moved her lotus steps, and leaned forward to lean on Zhang Yunxiu's left shoulder. The master and servant huddled in the arms of the same man, and both could see the shyness in each other's eyes.

The three of them just snuggled up to each other like this.

The refreshing summer breeze, carrying the faint fragrance of lotus, blew from the pond in front of them to the small pavilion with hollow walls on all sides, instantly making everyone feel refreshed.

Xu Ruoxi brushed her hair that was messed up by the wind, raised her head, looked at her husband, and asked with courage: "Husband, am I a useless vase, so you keep me by your side?"

Zhang Yunxiu smiled, smoothed her messy hair, and then pecked her smooth forehead, saying softly: "Everyone has something they are good at."

"Then tell me, what am I good at?" Xu Ruoxi sat up straight.

"Well, she is gentle and lovely, proficient in music, and has a scholarly air." Zhang Yunxiu said without hesitation.

"Isn't it just a pretty vase?" Xu Ruoxi said, her eyes misting over. "Xi'er, Xi'er is so smart, but I'm so stupid. I'm just a vase that only acts like a spoiled child."

"Miss, it's not you who is stupid. It's Luoluo who is stupid." Luoluo also stood up and walked to Xu Ruoxi's side to comfort her.

Seeing the master and servant singing the same tune, Zhang Yunxiu shook his head, looked at Xu Ruoxi and asked, "Tell me, what exactly do you want to do? I haven't seen you care about business before."

"I want to help you."

"How to help?"

"Learn to do business and let Xier teach me arithmetic."

Xu Ruoxi bit her lip and puffed her cheeks to express her innermost wishes.

Originally, she had no interest in doing business. Until a month ago, when Hao Ren came to visit her home, he called her Madam Zhang, but called Zheng Xier "Mrs. Zheng".

She was in a sentimental mood and couldn't sleep that night.

Why can Zheng Xier be called Madam Zheng, so powerful outside and officials of all ranks tremble in fear when they see her, while she, the legal wife, can only stay at home and be treated as a vase?

After all, she has no power.

Today, she and Luoluo are trying to seize her husband in order to gain some "power".

"You won't be able to learn it even if you study it," Zhang Yunxiu replied.

"I don't believe it. Why can't I learn it?" Xu Ruoxi became competitive and retorted while biting her cheek.

Green Rose looked anxious and followed up, "Yes, Master, our young lady is very smart. She started learning to play the piano at the age of five, and when she was ten, even the masters in the pleasure boats could not compete with her."

"As long as the lady is willing to learn, she will definitely be able to learn it." Zhang Yunxiu smiled and said nothing.

If these two naive people really wanted to do business, they would be cheated to the point of being skin and bones. To do business, the first thing is to be thick-skinned, and the second is to be cunning.

As the saying goes, there is no dishonest businessman, and there is no dishonest businessman.

These two people.
However, since his wife was willing to help him, he did not want to discourage her enthusiasm. After thinking it over, Zhang Yunxiu came up with an idea: "Well, if you really want to help me, you can go and listen to music and play the piano with the ladies of other families more often in the future."

When Xu Ruoxi heard this, she frowned and looked at her husband suspiciously, thinking: What kind of job is this? Listening to music and playing the piano, isn't it just a beautiful vase?
"Only you can go for this. Xier can't do it." Zhang Yunxiu saw what Xu Ruoxi was thinking, and hugged her in his arms, saying softly, "You are my legal wife and my representative. You are the only one who is qualified to go to meet with the female relatives."

Xu Ruoxi was greatly pleased with the words "She is the legal wife, and only she can represent her husband." Yes, with the Xu family behind her and the eldest son she gave birth to, it was indeed a bit of a loss for her to be a businessman.

Xu Ruoxi seemed to understand something. She said "Oh" softly and agreed with a smile.

"My sister-in-law is an expert in this area. You should go and ask her for advice."

"I know, I'll go right away."

Xu Ruoxi said this and just stood up and left.

After sniffing the lingering fragrance on his hand, Zhang Yunxiu turned around and looked at Luluo with a smile. Luluo tilted her head, crossed her fingers, fiddled with the hem of her skirt, and looked nervous and uneasy.

She is not as pretty or smart as Zheng Xier, and she does not have the status of a lady.

Her role is just to replace the young lady when she is not feeling well.

"Green radish." Zhang Yunxiu shouted.

"Ah! Yes." Green Radish agreed immediately and then raised her head suddenly.

"How many years have you been in the Xu family?"

"My dear, when I was eight years old, there was a flood in Songjiang Prefecture. The master took pity on me and brought me back to his mansion to be the young lady's personal maid."

"Oh."

Zhang Yunxiu let out a heavy "Oh", and Luluo's heart suddenly rose to her throat.

She really wanted to know how Zhang Yunxiu would treat her and what kind of concubine she wanted to be like Zheng Xier.

Make your son-in-law unable to leave you.

Instead of just being a plaything to please men in bed.

But she was also afraid that if she asked for too much, her son-in-law would think she was a greedy woman.

Just as Green Radish was struggling, Zhang Yunxiu moved his lips and spoke like a judge: "I am in Huating County and have two thousand acres of land.

Most of it has been rented out to Hao Ren and Yang Youcai, and I still have 200 acres in my hands. I will give these 200 acres to you."

"Whatever you want to do."

Two hundred acres?
Green Radish was stunned.

If we plant some crops, she would never be able to eat them all even if she died of starvation.

Before the flood, her family of four lived on four acres of land. Two hundred acres of land was simply unthinkable for her.

Thinking of this, Green Radish's eyes became tearful and red, which made people feel distressed.

Her mouth pursed and she began to sob: "Don't worry, sir, I will send people to take good care of these fields. When they grow crops, we won't have to buy food anymore!"

(End of this chapter)