"No need, why be polite? I just said that idea casually. After all, it was your sister-in-law who had the courage to educate her son." Xu Shichu said.
When Madam Li came to visit her, she talked about how her eldest nephew from her natal family rebelled against the marriage arranged for him by his family and insisted on marrying a woman of unknown origin.
Her sister-in-law was worried and anxious. She tried to persuade her son, scolded him, and even beat him, but to no avail. Instead, it made her son even more rebellious. He and the woman were like a pair of mandarin ducks beaten with a stick. He wished he could break off relations with his family and wander around the world with his beloved woman.
Mrs. Li's family had no way to deal with her eldest nephew, and even Mrs. Li, who was married, was worried about this. So she told Xu Shichu about this when they were chatting, and asked Xu Shichu for his advice.
Xu Shichu jokingly told her that since her eldest nephew longed for a carefree rural life, she should drive him out and let him be self-reliant, not using the family background or money, but relying solely on his own abilities to support himself and see if he can hold on.
Unexpectedly, Mrs. Li's sister-in-law really tried her best and adopted Xu Shichu's idea. Sure enough, it didn't take long before the son started complaining and crying to come back.
Madam Li said quickly, "If you hadn't come up with this idea, my sister-in-law would have no place to exert her strength even if she was very ruthless."
About half a month later, Mrs. Li brought her sister-in-law to come and thank Xu Shichu in person.
Madam Li's sister-in-law is the wife of the Marquis of Zhen'an. She is in her forties and has a kind face, but she is very straightforward when she speaks. When she saw Xu Shichu, she came up to her very enthusiastically, shook her hand, and said with amazement:
"No wonder everyone says that Prime Minister Luo's wife is extremely beautiful. Seeing her today, it's true that her reputation is well-deserved!"
Then she repeatedly ordered her maid to unpack the gifts she had brought, saying, "Quickly take out the gilded brocade with flowers that I want to give to Madam. It will match Madam's hair and clothes today. Madam Luo will definitely look good wearing it!"
The maid skillfully found the flower ornament from a pile of precious gifts. The flower ornament was dazzling in shape and exquisite in workmanship, and it was obvious that it was worth a lot of money.
The wife of the Marquis of Zhen'an took the flower ribbon and personally helped Xu Shichu put it on her forehead. The tassels of the flower ribbon embellished her forehead, making her whole body glow and become even more beautiful and charming.
"It's true that Hua Sheng should be paired with a beautiful woman!" Lady Zhen'an Hou took a step back, looked Xu Shichu up and down, and said in amazement.
Madam Li quickly pulled her sister-in-law, who was so familiar with her, and said to Xu Shichu awkwardly, "I'm sorry, my sister-in-law is a person who does what she wants. She gets close to whoever she likes. I hope you can forgive her for her offense."
"It's okay, I know she has no ill will towards me." Xu Shichu smiled and said, she really only felt a strong affection from the wife of the Marquis of Zhen'an, so she allowed her to get close to her.
"Then Madam Hou, since you said that Hua Sheng was given to me, I will accept it without hesitation." Xu Shichu said to Madam Hou with a smile.
"You're welcome. It's a gift for you. I like to see beautiful women dressed up with jewelry and clothes. It makes me feel comfortable!" Lady Zhen'an Marquis made no secret of her obsession with looks.
"Okay, sister-in-law, please calm down a little." Mrs. Li quickly grabbed her sister-in-law's hand which was still eager to move.
The wife of the Marquis of Zhen'an then sat down on the chair obediently and started talking to Xu Shichu:
"Thanks to your idea, I was able to give my unfilial son a good beating. I have to thank you very much. Otherwise, I would really be helpless and have no way to deal with that kid. But now he has suffered enough and no longer despises fame, wealth and vulgarity, let alone the ordinary life of idle clouds and wild cranes!"
"The prodigal son has turned over a new leaf and turned over a new leaf? Congratulations, Madam Marquis." Xu Shichu said with a smile. In fact, she did not think that it was excessive for young people to pursue freedom and live the life they wanted. As long as he could be self-reliant and live the life he wanted with his own abilities rather than relying on the protection of his family, then there was nothing wrong with it.
But if he enjoys the protection of his family, but resents that his family cannot give him freedom, and he himself cannot support himself... Xu Shichu despises such a person. Isn't this like wanting to be a virgin and also to be a saint? How shameless.
"There's nothing to congratulate. It was only after this incident that I realized that my eldest son was not a man worth raising. He was so stubborn and reckless in leaving the family and disobeying his parents for a woman of unknown origin. He couldn't take responsibility for himself, his ability didn't match his dream, and he was impulsive, stupid, and incompetent..."
The wife of the Marquis of Zhen'an sighed and criticized her eldest son sharply, leaving Xu Shichu stunned.
Most mothers in the world always have many fantasies about their children, unconsciously beautify their children, and find many excuses for their children's wrongdoings. However, Mrs. Hou can look at her son's problems soberly and rationally. She is really a smart and wise woman.
Madam Li quickly pulled her sister-in-law's sleeve and said, "Sister-in-law, aren't you too harsh to say that about your nephew? He has learned his lesson and will mature in the future."
Madam Hou rolled her eyes. "He's almost twenty years old now and he can still do such a thing. As the saying goes, you can tell a person's future by looking at him when he's three years old. I don't count on him anymore. Fortunately, I still have a little son!"
Mrs. Li was shocked: "Sister-in-law, are you going to give up on him?"
"It's not giving up, but your elder brother and I have begun to consider whether to let the youngest son inherit the title of the Marquis. The youngest son is steady and reserved, much better than his elder brother." The Marquis's wife said without hiding anything, and she was a little worried.
"We are afraid of your nephew. What if he gets stubborn again in the future? If he inherits the title, he will not only be the eldest son of the Marquisate, but the lives of a large family will depend on him. It doesn't matter if he destroys himself, but we are most afraid that he will destroy the entire family. Do you think we should not seriously consider this?"
Madam Li also thought of the importance of the heir to the Marquis's Mansion to the family, so she kept silent.
As an outsider, Xu Shichu would certainly not raise any objection to the selection of the successor to the Marquis of Zhen'an.
If the big trumpet is useless, isn't it normal to practice the small trumpet again? Xu Shichu understands Madam Hou very well.
"Let's not talk about these unhappy things. By the way, come and try the fruits I picked recently. They are called champagne fruits, which are brought over from foreign countries. They taste sour and sweet and have a unique flavor. You can try them." Xu Shichu pushed a plate of round fruits as big as eggs in front of the aunt and sister-in-law.