Chapter 1702: Chapter 1702: Ji Jingniang

The head housekeeper of the outer courtyard, upon hearing this, thought for a moment and then settled his mind.

"Go and inform Ms. Xiao Lin in the inner courtyard. If she doesn’t want to be sent away for spiritual cultivation, then she should follow the eldest to the countryside to lure and kill poisonous insects." After Elder Ji gave these instructions, he went out.

"Yes." Housekeeper Ji personally went to the inner courtyard to handle this matter.

Ms. Xiao Lin heard and immediately began to cry: "The matters concerning Nanny Ji truly have nothing to do with me... I am not only Zhenniang’s stepmother but also her own aunt. I am here under the orders of the Feng Family to take care of her and her brother, how could I harm them?"

Housekeeper Ji said, "Madam, you really don’t need to say this anymore. What kind of man is the Master? Would he not see through your tricks? Pack up your things and follow the eldest master to the countryside to lure insects, or else when the Master returns to the mansion, he will either send you to the family temple for cultivation or divorce you in place of his son."

He continued, "The Lin Family is not formidable now; Company Commander Xie has made merit and befriended Hero Qin and the grandson-in-law of the Guang Cheng Marquis Mansion. The Master will not offend the Xie Family for the sake of a son’s second wife."

"What?"

Ms. Xiao Lin became afraid and could only agree: "Rest assured, Housekeeper, I will pack up and go to the countryside with the eldest master."

Only then did Housekeeper Ji leave.

Ms. Xiao Lin was unwilling, so she called her son and daughter, crying: "Your grandfather does not like me and wants to find ways to torment me to death... After mother leaves, the two of you must take care. While Ji Qi is not in the mansion, Brother Qian should visit the shop more to manage affairs and socialize with the sons of government office officials... Jingniang should do the same, as mother has told you. If there’s a chance, always strive for yourself, you must marry better than Ji Zhenniang!"

"Mother, rest assured, daughter knows what to do. Once daughter marries into a high-class family, Ji Zhenniang will surely see trouble!" Ji Jingniang, though only fourteen, had been taught to be crooked by Mrs. Lin, spending her days wanting to trample Ji Zhenniang underfoot.

Ms. Xiao Lin wiped her tears and praised, "Good, good, indeed our Jingniang has ambition."

However, Ji Jingniang’s ambition was a bit excessive, as she asked, "Mother, who are the adults from the three sections and one temple this time? Are there any young ones? That grandson-in-law of the Guang Cheng Marquis Mansion, being able to befriend Xie Cheng, is surely not old."

Ji Qian said, "The adults from the Capital who came are all older."

Ji Jingniang felt disappointed: "Truly a shame, if only Junior Minister Ming could come again."

"Jingniang, what do you mean by this? Are you not trying to climb these high-class families? They are all already married with children!" Mrs. Lin was not foolish; she heard Ji Jingniang’s intent.

Ji Jingniang argued: "So what if they are married with children? When mother married father, had he not already had Ji Qi and Ji Zhenniang?"

She continued: "Isn’t grandfather favoring Ji Zhenniang because she married a military officer? As long as I marry someone with a higher official position than hers, grandfather will surely kick her out, and no longer use Ji family money to subsidize her!"

Junior Minister Ming is quite excellent, but she cannot go to the Capital to flirt with him.

The Guang Cheng Marquis Mansion has a duke title, and it’s said it will be passed to the son of Company Commander Zhang. If she can get close to Zhang Yan, she will eventually become the Old Madam of the Guang Cheng Marquis Mansion!

That Hero Qin is also not bad, the merits he earned far exceed Xie Cheng’s. He will surely be promoted to a first-rank official.

The Gu Family came from fleeing famine, their family background does not compare to the Ji Family, and Gu is even an ugly girl.

God above, how can such an ugly one be deserving of a hero!

If Hero Qin is granted a high official position due to his merits, she will speak with her grandfather. Given her grandfather’s nature of cozying up to officials, he will surely agree.

Ji Jingniang was dreaming splendid dreams, and her knowledge of the matters concerning Zhang Yan and Qin San Lang were all thanks to Ji Zhenniang writing letters home to show off.

"Jingniang, don’t be muddled, how can a young maiden go to be a second wife? Mother was forced back then." Ms. Xiao Lin scolded Ji Jingniang thoroughly.

But Ji Jingniang completely ignored it.

Ms. Xiao Lin looked on worriedly, wanting to scold more, but Housekeeper Ji sent someone to urge her.

Ms. Xiao Lin had no more time to reprimand, she could only repeatedly instruct Jingniang to keep to rules and then left.

Ji Jingniang was disdainful inside, and after Ms. Xiao Lin left, she had Ji Qian inquire whether the adults from the three sections and one temple had brought any sons, what kind of people were in the Guang Cheng Marquis Mansion, what handles did Gu have, and what did Hero Qin like?

...

Elder Ji knew the children raised by Ms. Xiao Lin were unreliable, but he hadn’t expected Ji Jingniang to have such foolish ideas.

However, he did not know this at the moment, as he was accompanying the adults from the three sections and one temple to audit accounts.

His guesses were correct, because of Xie Cheng’s meritorious service and connections with Qin San Lang, the adults from the three sections and one temple gave face to the Ji Family, and the accounts were only roughly audited, after which they sorted out one-tenth of the tax from all of Ji Family’s shops after three busy days.

Elder Ji quickly brought the silver to the government office, let the adults count and store the silver, and received a receipt with seals and signatures from the three sections and one temple along with the Magistrate and Lord Vice Magistrate, putting down the huge burden in his heart.

Other families, seeing how the adults from the three sections and one temple were courteous to the Ji Family, without making things difficult on the accounts, were incredibly envious... Their shop accounts were calculated repeatedly.

This was not all; wanting the adults from the three sections and one temple to seal and sign their receipts certainly required imploring time and again.

"Having a grandson-in-law who has achieved great merits is advantageous, look how powerful they are, they don’t even have to act humble like a grandson before these important figures, completing such a matter that could wipe out the clan when not handled properly in just three days."

This was the thought in the minds of all the masters of the Linhe Prefecture families, and they were very envious and jealous of the Ji Family.

Because of this matter, coupled with the affairs of the insect attractant, some noble families who looked down upon the Ji Family as a merchant lineage and some scholarly families, even certain noble family clans, began sending greeting cards to the Ji Family.

Elder Ji looked at these bustling greeting cards, very pleased, but instead of staying longer in Linhe Prefecture, he brought a gift to Yujiang County to the Xie Family, to apologize to the Xie Family.

"It is the Ji Family’s failure not to teach Zhenniang well, letting that girl be so inconsiderate, causing distress to the in-law family. This old man apologizes to you." Elder Ji could bend and stretch, personally apologizing to Father Xie and his wife.

"In-law family elder, this must not be!" Father Xie hurriedly supported Elder Ji: "Although Brother Cheng’s wife has some faults, she is without wrong in the grand scheme, in-law family elder must not act this way."

They were the parents of Xie Cheng, but Elder Ji was the grandfather of Ji Zhenniang, a generation elder to them, personally coming to apologize, they could neither refuse nor fail to treat him respectfully.

Mother Xie also said: "In-law family elder, you don’t need to do this..."

Seeing Elder Ji apologizing sincerely, Mother Xie plainly said, "I indeed did not like Zhenniang before, thought about having Brother Cheng divorce her. But now this idea is gone; Zhenniang, a pampered Fu Family lady, is willing to suffer with Brother Cheng in the Northwest, and she really endured the hardships, also resolving the heart knot, willing to lead a good life with Brother Cheng, then I hold no grudges anymore. Now, I only wish for them to be well and return home safely."

Nanny Xie wrote, stating Zhenniang no longer distanced herself from Brother Cheng, and their relationship improved. Estimating that after the war ends, the Xie Family may welcome a new member!

Mother Xie read the letter, cried tears of joy, Brother Cheng, this foolish child, finally endured and saw the bright future.

Upon hearing these words, Elder Ji was truly moved: "The in-law family’s family ethos truly earns this old man’s admiration, Zhenniang so inconsiderate and yet you still treat her kindly... She could marry into the Xie Family, truly her blessings cultivated over generations, this old man sincerely thanks the two in-laws for the kindness shown to her."

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