The Daily Life of a Down-on-Hard-Life Medicine Girl Supporting Her Family

Chapter 105 Shared Interests
"Warm..."

Madam Xu was also eager to know Chunyu's situation, and the old lady was a stubborn person, so it seemed that she had no choice but to tell the truth.

This matter can no longer be kept secret.

"Grandmother, you have to promise me that you won't rush things no matter what. In fact, whatever it was, it's all in the past. What I can tell you is that my eldest sister is really alright now, really, really well."

Although they survived a major ordeal, the fact that both mother and daughter are safe and sound is the greatest blessing.

Chunnuan knew that her elder sister had suffered a serious injury after she learned that her sister had filed a complaint with the emperor, but at that time she had no money and no medicine in the pharmacy, so she had no way to help.

A while ago, she made some pills and sent them over with a letter home, hoping that her elder sister could recover her health.

"Okay, Nuannuan, go ahead, I'm not in a hurry, I'm not in a hurry."

The elderly woman, despite her advanced age, assured Chunnuan that she wouldn't be in a hurry, which was both endearing and heartbreaking to see.

Sooner or later she would have to face it, Chun Nuan looked at the people surrounding her and took a deep breath.

Okay, go ahead and tell me.

"First of all, Mrs. Xiao is right, my eldest sister was divorced by the Wu family."

"Divorce them? The Wu family, how dare they?"

The old lady stood up abruptly: "What is the Wu family? My Chunyu is so good, how dare they divorce her?"

“Mother…” Tears streamed down Xu’s face. Fearing that something might happen to the old lady, she quickly stepped forward to support her: “Mother, we promised Nuannuan that there’s no rush. Besides, Yu’er is doing very well now. Please listen to what Nuannuan has to say.”

For some reason, Mrs. Xu trusted Chunnuan quite a bit, and listening to Chunnuan's words gave her peace of mind.

Chunnuan said that Yu'er was doing well now, and she believed her.

“Yes, Grandmother, don’t worry, the story is very interesting.” Chunnuan also stepped forward to help her up: “Please sit down and let your granddaughter tell you. Our eldest sister is indeed very, very good.”

At this moment, the story of Chunyu's journey from being divorced to filing a complaint with the emperor, to receiving rewards from the empress and empress dowager, and how she and her mother, along with their servants, live a comfortable life on the estate and also own a thriving shop in the capital, is told.

The Xiao family members were all in tears.

"Appealing to the emperor is no easy task; you have to be rolled on a bed of nails first," Huang said, wiping away her tears.

Spring is in the air... At this time, she would rather her third aunt not be so knowledgeable.

how to say?

My aunt sometimes speaks without thinking.

She insisted on emphasizing the process when the result was perfectly fine.

"Yu'er has always been a pampered girl, and she is facing such great pain only a month after giving birth. How did she get through it?" Madam Xu cried so hard that she almost fainted.

The old lady was both saddened and relieved.

"None of the girls in my Xiao family are bad."

"Grandmother, don't you blame my eldest sister for tarnishing the reputation of the Xiao family girls?" Chunnuan was still quite surprised. After all, in the capital, the reputation of girls from aristocratic families was of utmost importance. A bad reputation could implicate the entire family's daughters.

"What's the point of reputation if you're dead?" I've said it before, the old lady's temperament has really changed after experiencing such heartbreak: "Besides, we're in Shu, so far away, and Yu'er has no one to rely on. It's not easy for her to survive on her own, so why should I blame her? What right do I have to blame her?"

"Grandmother, on behalf of my elder sister, thank you!"

The old lady's words successfully warmed the heart of spring; this is love, the boundless and tolerant love from family.

“Nuan Nuan, write a letter to your elder sister and tell her that if she can’t stay in the capital, she should bring Panpan to Sichuan so that our family can be together. She will always be the eldest daughter of the Xiao family.”

"Yes, grandmother."

Chunnuan knew that her eldest sister had a dream: to earn enough money to rebuild her house in the capital and wait for the Xiao family to return from the northern deserts and Sichuan to reunite in the capital.

Panpan, isn't that just such an expectation?

"Nuan Nuan," her aunt suddenly asked, "how did your older sister bring down the Wu family?"

Mrs. Xu was very puzzled and shocked: how could her eldest daughter, who usually kept a low profile, be so brave?

I might not have dared to take that step myself.

"My eldest sister must have unintentionally grasped the lifeline of the Wu family, otherwise she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to do this."

"Fortunately, she succeeded." Madam Xu said, wiping away her tears. "How much pain she must have been in."

"Aunt, you don't need to worry. What doesn't kill us will make us stronger."

Auntie would never know that her eldest sister's days in the capital would be even more painful from then on.

"In the capital, we have so many in-law families, yet none of them have offered any help to Yu'er?" The old lady recalled something: "My maternal family is one thing, but what about the Xu family? Are they just standing by and watching?"

The Xu, Huang, and Zhu families are even less relevant, since Chunyu's maternal family is the Xu family.

Xu's face turned deathly pale.

On the day the Xiao family had an accident, Old Madam Xu, her own mother, sent her maid, Granny Yu, to find her: "You are already a married girl. If you want a divorce, go to the manor to spend the rest of your life. The Xu family will guarantee you food and clothing for the rest of your life."

This was already the greatest care she could offer.

She did not choose to divorce, but instead returned to her ancestral home with the Xiao family. When Granny Yu heard about her plan, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Madam Xu understood that Granny Yu's attitude represented her own mother's attitude.

Therefore, it was perfectly normal for the Xu family to stand idly by when Chunyu got into trouble.

They could abandon their own biological daughters, let alone their granddaughters.

"If only one relative by marriage had stood up for Chunyu back then, she wouldn't have been bullied like this." The old lady cried again.

“Grandmother, there’s a saying that goes, ‘Relying on mountains will lead to their collapse, and relying on people will lead to their departure. Only relying on yourself is the best.’” Chunnuan comforted her, “Look, isn’t everything going well for my eldest sister now? The bad people have also received their retribution.”

"Nuan Nuan, I'm afraid your eldest sister isn't having an easy time in the capital." Madam Huang added, "She probably no longer has a place in the circles of ladies and young women in the capital!"

Spring warmth lingers as I take a deep breath. Today, my third aunt is truly... indescribable!
"Third Aunt, before our Xiao family grandfather had his accident, the women in our family could even enter the imperial harem, let alone the circles of ladies, mistresses and young ladies." Chun Nuan said calmly, "After grandfather's accident, who do you think would still invite us to a banquet? Even if your Huang family invited us, they might not be willing to invite you, their aunt."

These words successfully changed Huang's expression!
Yes, Huang was not well-liked even in her own family. In truth, of the three families—no, including the Zhu family, four families related by marriage—the Xu family was the best.

However, the Xu family did not hold a high position in the capital. Xu Shi, the maternal grandfather, was only a sixth-rank guard captain and could not offer any assistance.

However, when my father and uncles were exiled to the northern desert, my maternal grandfather and two uncles still did everything they could to find people to help them, which ensured that my father and uncles did not encounter any mishaps on the way.

Chunnuan will always remember this kindness.

"Yes, the people in the capital are as cunning as a beehive." Madam Zhu sighed with emotion, "It's quite good for my elder sister to live a quiet life on the estate now, at least she won't be schemed against anymore."

Zhu Lingling had heard her husband mention Chunyu's marriage to the Wu family, and she immediately felt that she had been tricked by the Wu family.

I'm so grateful that I met such a wonderful Xiao family.

“Yes, we can live a quiet life behind closed doors, just like we have, quietly growing stronger until we have enough ability to stand proudly in the world. At that time, will we still lack invitations?” Chun Nuan said calmly, “At that time, whether we go to the banquet or not will depend on our mood.”

Huang paused for a moment, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing.

"Nuan Nuan, I feel a little more at ease knowing that your elder sister can get through this difficult time," the old lady said. "But why didn't you tell us sooner? Today, we were almost manipulated by that Wen family."

“Grandmother, there’s no use talking about the past; it only adds to the trouble,” Chunnuan said. “But I didn’t know they would use this as a weapon to hurt you. I absolutely cannot allow such a thing to happen.”

“Yes, when things happen, we should learn from Nuannuan and stay calm,” Xu said. “I was too worried and lost my composure. I almost fell for her trick.”

“Aunt, this isn’t your fault,” Chunnuan said. “Any mother would be shocked and heartbroken to hear news about her daughter.”

Mrs. Xu nodded with red eyes, "That's exactly right!"

Fortunately, her daughter weathered all the storms.

She can't hold her daughter back; she has to be okay.

"By the way, Mother, Mrs. Zhao told me something today: she wants to ask our Nuannuan to be her third daughter-in-law."

Madam Xu was genuinely worried that Chunyu's matter would affect Nuannuan's marriage. Mrs. Zhao was also present today, and it was rumored that Mrs. Zhao had connections with Mrs. Xiao and Mrs. Wen. If this were to happen…

"Oh?" The old lady breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that the Zhao family had this idea. Her eldest granddaughter hadn't married well, so she had to make sure Chunnuan was well taken care of. She had dealings with the Zhao family and knew what kind of person Zhao Minghua was. She turned to her grandson and asked, "What does Nuannuan think?"

Chunnuan was stunned.

Why did the Zhao family bring up this question?

Thinking of Zhao Minghua's attitude towards her, she guessed that Mrs. Zhao had some misunderstanding.

"Grandmother, your granddaughter is still in mourning, it is not appropriate to discuss marriage."

Chunnuan was certain that Zhao Minghua would much rather treat her like a mistress or a god of wealth, than marry her. He would definitely lose a lot of fun if he did!
“Nuan Nuan, you’re sixteen this year. Once the mourning period is over, you’ll be eighteen. This age is already quite restrictive in the capital, let alone in Sichuan.” The old lady felt sorry for her. “The Xiao family’s status has plummeted. We can no longer aspire to marry into a high-ranking family. The Zhao family has a good family tradition, and we know Young Master Zhao well. He’s a kind-hearted boy, a good match for you… let’s just make do.”

After all, it would be extremely difficult to find a better family than Zhao Minghua in Sichuan.

The old lady and Madam Xu both thought the marriage was acceptable.

Only Huang pursed her lips, glanced in the direction of Chun Shu and Chun Xin's house, and felt quite unwilling.

If by the time her daughter reaches marriageable age, the Xiao family has not yet experienced any ups and downs, and she can only marry into such a humble family, her heart will be shattered.

“Grandmother, this matter is probably just Mrs. Zhao’s wishful thinking.” Chunnuan had no choice but to tell the truth: “My granddaughter and Zhao Minghua have some business dealings, but when it comes to marriage, there is still a lack of fate.”

Thankfully, Grandma said Zhao Minghua was simple-minded!
She certainly never imagined that she could misjudge someone.

No one in the family knows that a naive twelve-year-old could take over a teahouse on his own and even compete with Master Zhang's teahouse.

Zhao Minghua made a fortune from the opening of the women's teahouse.

He no longer sees himself as a normal girl, but as a money-giving child in front of the God of Wealth.

He often moves closer to me, not because he has any special feelings for me, but because he wants to smell the money.

He had a huge grudge about not getting the perfume and rouge he made himself.

He always fantasized about one day sharing a piece of the pie with him, and he also dreamed of going to the prefectural city and the capital to conquer the world.

Is that what you call being naive?
What would a cunning person be like?

“Nuan Nuan, I know you’re obsessed with making medicine, unlike ordinary girls. Mrs. Zhao also told me that once you marry into the Zhao family, they will never restrict you. You can do whatever you want, just like you would when you were a young lady in your boudoir.” Madam Xu remembered that she had forgotten to mention such an important thing: “To be honest, Nuan Nuan, I was tempted when Mrs. Zhao said that, and I specially left an opportunity for you.”

"Nuan Nuan..." After listening for a while, Madam Xu finally spoke up: "I think the Zhao family's child is kind-hearted and a good child. He's a good match for you... His family background is actually not bad. His family owns a herbal medicine shop, and you happen to like tinkering with medicine. You two should have similar interests, so it's definitely worth considering."

Shared interests?

In the past, Chunnuan would never have admitted it, as her mind was completely focused on medicinal herbs.

At this moment, we do share a common interest: making money!

Although the Zhao family had many branches, Zhao Minghua had said that the ancestral business would be inherited by his eldest brother; his second brother was responsible for studying, while he, outwardly, was responsible for being a playboy, going wherever there was excitement, and spending his days doing nothing productive. In reality, he wanted to make money and become a wealthy man in Changzhou, no, not only Changzhou, but also the prefectural city, and even the capital, ideally having a place for himself, Zhao Minghua.

Coincidentally, Chunnuan is only interested in money now!

The Xiao family had no other choice but to become merchants.

The two can work together, but it's not like they'd work together for a lifetime. If they became just eating buddies and sleeping buddies, it would be quite uncomfortable.

The Xiao family was still trying to persuade Chunnuan.

Zhao Minghua was stunned after hearing his mother's words.

"Mother, did you really say that?"

"That's right, kid. If you can marry Nuannuan, that will be your absolute blessing. It's the good fortune that your Zhao family has accumulated over eight generations."

Zhao Minghua rubbed his hands together, twirled around, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing.

Yes, so what was the Xiao family's response?
"Mother, has the Xiao family agreed?"

"You silly boy, we haven't even formally proposed marriage yet, why should they agree? It's not like there's a girl who's worried about getting married!"

"That's right, Mother, you should hurry up and ask a matchmaker to come and propose marriage. What are you waiting for?"

Babies, please vote for Zhizhi if you have any votes. Thank you!
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(End of this chapter)