In the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren did not hide his joy, and everyone who saw him could feel it.
Xiao Qing was still very curious, "Are you happy?"
This was the first time that Zhou Shuren was so happy when he came out of the palace. Every time he came out, he was full of bitterness and hatred, all because of money, so he was very curious. He also wanted to know what the emperor said, hoping to get some information from it.
Zhou Shuren nodded, "There is indeed good news. My second son is back."
Xiao Qing accepted this reason. Zhou Shuren would sometimes mention Guo's son, and he had heard it a few times. "Just come back safely, so you don't have to worry about him."
"Yes, I have so many sons that it's inevitable that I might have neglected some. I didn't notice it before because they were all around me, but this time I feel it deeply. As a father, I worry about every child."
Xiao Qing was happy, "Wang Ju will be envious again when she hears this."
Zhou Shuren also laughed. Wang Ju loved children. No, it should be said that all the Wang family loved children. Everyone in the capital knew this.
At Zhou's house, Zhulan was a little tired, so Changyi went back. She didn't fall asleep, but just closed her eyes to rest, and then Su Xuan came over.
Zhulan sat up from the small kang. Su Xuan must have something to tell her since she came here at this time. "Sit down and talk."
Su Xuan felt a little embarrassed. She didn't know her mother was resting. "Mom, I disturbed your rest."
"It's okay. I've rested for a while."
Su Xuan went home last night and pondered over it all night. The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. "Mom, my second brother has a foundation abroad, and I have a lot of money, so I also want to participate in maritime trade."
Zhu Lan knew that Su Xuan would be moved, "Tell me about it."
Su Xuan felt more confident when she heard that her mother had no objection. "Everyone knows that all the major families have merchants under their control, and those in charge are all trusted people. Mother also knows that I have been in charge for many years, and the Su family's business is managed by my daughter-in-law, who has many trustworthy managers under her. So my daughter-in-law wants to choose a merchant to join the business, and then the manager will come forward to manage it."
Zhulan knew that Su Xuan was very familiar with this. There were snack shops in foreign countries. No, it should be said that all the noble families and some officials with rich family backgrounds did this. Especially with the emperor's economic support in recent years, some harsh rules have disappeared. Whether it was Shi Qing or the grandson of the Xu family, they were all signals.
Zhu Lan looked at Su Xuan, "Do you want to bring the second room along?"
Su Xuan nodded, "Second brother has a foundation abroad and some connections, and second brother is good at foreign languages, so I want to give him some shares and let him take care of it more."
Zhulan thought that Changyi would definitely agree, "I'll talk to the second wife."
Su Xuan couldn't help but grin. As long as her mother asked, it would basically be done.
Zhulan did not mention the first and third rooms. This was Su Xuan's idea, and it belonged to Su Xuan. Although she asked Su Xuan to include the first and third rooms, she felt it was not a good idea. Each room had its own life, and she would not interfere.
As for herself, she didn't want to get involved. It's not that she didn't want to make more money, but she represented Zhou Shuren, and Zhou Shuren was already conspicuous enough, so it was better not to get involved.
Moreover, she has a complete plan for the future and does not need to change it.
At the Ningguo Mansion, Xue Han asked many questions that she did not understand. Her mother was able to answer them for her, but it was more convenient to ask her grandmother. As the wife of the Duke, she understood some rules better and knew more about some taboos. She gained a lot.
The Duke's wife became happier and happier as she spoke. Xue Han was asking sincerely and was not trying to fool her. She was so happy that she ate a fruit. When her husband came in with his son and grandson, she still felt a little unsatisfied.
Duke Ningguo could tell at a glance that his wife was very happy. This year, except for Rongchuan's marriage, his wife had been unhappy. "What are you talking about that makes you so happy? Let me hear it too."
The Duke's wife was in a good mood and did not give her husband a cold look. She handed over the fruit that Xue Han brought and imitated Xue Han's words. Anyway, her words showed her satisfaction with Xue Han.
Duke Ning was also happy about what Xue Han said about enjoying the food. As he got older, he liked to hear these things. "Good child."
Ning Xu raised his eyebrows. Before his son got married, he had met his daughter-in-law twice, but they had never spoken. After his son got married, the benefits of having an extra mistress in the family were obvious. Women are more attentive, and in just a few days, there have been many changes in the home. According to his son, the home has become warm.
Moreover, his daughter-in-law is filial to him, and she handles many things very well. She also manages the servants well. Now that his parents have spoken well of him, he is naturally happy.
Not to mention Rongchuan, he looked like my wife was the best and felt very happy.
Mrs. Du's palms were white, having turned blue from pinching them for so long. Ever since Zhou Xuehan came, her mother-in-law hadn't even looked at her, let alone Mrs. Yu. The only one who could speak was her eldest granddaughter Ning Ting.
Duke Ningguo sat down and tasted the fruit. It was very sweet and delicious. He liked it very much. "I heard from Rongchuan that your second brother brought back a foreigner."
Xue Han had nothing to hide. She would know about this sooner or later, so she said generously, "Yes, my brother came here to investigate. It is said that he is a person of status in their country."
He also brought a lot of gifts home, the most notable of which were gold and some local specialties.
Duke Ningguo did not ignore what Rongchuan said. Rongchuan would not feel wrong. He stroked his beard. Zhou Shuren's second son was also a ruthless character. Not everyone could kill someone. Even if someone was killed, not everyone could have the aura of a murderer. "I really want to meet him when I have time in the future."
Xue Han smiled and said, "I'll tell my second brother later. He will come over right away. Grandpa must see me then. Don't stop me outside. He will be sad."
Duke Ning was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "The Duke's Mansion welcomes you anytime."
In the past, he would not pay attention to Zhou Changyi, but now he does. Anyone with talent is worth paying attention to.
Ning Xu looked at his daughter-in-law a few more times and nodded inwardly. She spoke well, not being annoying but expressing her meaning accurately and gaining appreciation. Zhou Shuren and his wife were indeed good at educating their children. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but think of his second brother's eldest grandson. Then he thought again, forget it, it would be inappropriate for him to interfere in the second house.
Zhou family, second house, Zhao was just heartbroken and scared last night, and only today did she have the energy to sort out the things her husband brought back. There were too many things. The wood was easy to sort, but some small pieces needed to be carefully sorted, especially the gems and gold jewelry.
Chang Yi sat aside and played with his younger daughter, watching his wife and older daughter packing up things from time to time. When he saw his wife putting away all the gems, he thought for a moment and said, "Take some out. I'll go out and deal with them tomorrow and exchange them for some silver."
Seeing her husband at ease, Zhao looked up and asked, "How much did you take out?"
Zhou Laoer counted his friends in Beijing in his mind and said, "Take out eight big ones and six small ones."
Zhao asked her daughter to bring a small box and put the money her husband wanted in it. Then she put it in front of her husband and asked curiously, "The harvest is good this year, and we have a lot of money at home. What do you want to change the money for?"