Wang Anmei shook her head: "I don't deserve such a day. I've also thought about what my future would be like if I weren't like this. But no matter how much I fantasize, I know these things aren't mine to have. If I'm lucky enough, I'll live long enough to see my mother off and then find some place to end my miserable life. And if I'm unlucky, there's nothing more to say."

  "I'm being serious."

  Xie Wan looked at her, her eyes deep and solemn. At this moment, she had turned back into the calm and decisive Xie Wan. "If I promise to let you live a life like this, free from the fate of being discriminated against, becoming the young mistress of an official's household, without having to fulfill wifely duties or worry about having children, will you agree or not?"

  She spoke word by word, her eyes not allowing her to evade.

  Since Mr. and Mrs. Zhao can abandon their foolish eldest son, it is clear that they still retain the most basic innocence of a child. If there was a virtuous and elegant woman who was willing to accompany Young Master Zhao, they would likely respect this woman. If Wang Anmei were to marry into the family, without mentioning anything else, at the very least she would be absolutely obedient in front of her parents-in-law.

  In addition, judging from all the details that Li Ershun collected in Zhao's mansion, another son and daughter raised by Mr. and Mrs. Zhao also had good conduct. Although they lived in their old home in Fujian, they would send letters every month, and the letters would always ask about Master Zhao. After Wang Anmei married into the family, it was impossible for them to have conflicting interests with her, so why wouldn't they treat her kindly?

  Xie Wan is still quite confident about Wang Anmei's days after marrying into the Zhao family.

  Wang Anmei listened to her words, and was both delighted and suspicious. She was delighted that there might really be an opportunity to change her fate. But she was also skeptical - how could Xie Wan, who was still so young, have the ability to help her secure a stable and worry-free life? And yet, when she mentioned the four characters "husband and wife", it seemed completely natural...

  Xie Wan looked at her twice and knew she needed time to think. So he loudly called Luo Sheng over and started doing his own thing.

  "Go get the accounts for these past few months."

  Luo said, bringing it up. Xie Wan's pen holder lightly tapped the pen holder and flipped through the account book. Her eyes never looked at Wang Anmei sitting in the chair opposite her again, but after finishing the account, she turned to Luo and said: "This year is slightly better than last year. But it's still not enough. I've been thinking about it for two days, why don't you invite an older and more experienced tailor to come and use our fabrics to make finished clothes to hang in the store, let's see if there's any effect."

  Luo Sheng's approach is too conservative, every time he stocks up on silk fabrics based on past sales experience. However, just because something sold well in the past doesn't mean it will always sell well, fashion is like a woman's appearance, it needs to stay fresh and new.

  But for now it's not yet time for a major change. Luo Sheng's business is still growing and profitable, so he'll just leave him be for the time being.

  Luojian felt enlightened after listening, and realized that the tailor shops in the city didn't sell fabric, while the silk and satin shops didn't sell finished clothes. Each had their own rice bowl, which was a set rule. However, hanging up two finished garments as samples was something no one dared to say was against the rules. In this era, apart from those skilled at sewing, most people were just looking at what was in front of them. How many people had the imagination to turn a bolt of fabric into a garment in their minds?

  Luo nodded in approval and began discussing with her: "I know of a skilled seamstress named Ma on the back street..."

  They talked here, as if Wang Anmei sitting beside them had become a transparent person.

  Since Xie Wan sat back at her desk, Wang Anmei had been sizing her up.

  She was more and more surprised as she looked at her. Because she had never known that Xie Wan, who was much younger than herself, actually had such an extraordinary ability to manage the store, and Luo Zhuanggui was extremely respectful to her, with a serious and solemn gaze. Not even a hint of thinking that the person in front of her talking was just a little girl!

  If it was astonishing for Wu's mother to hear about Xie Wan's luxurious life, then the current her was simply stunning!

  She hadn't seen much of the world, but the self-confidence and calmness that radiated from her was something that even boys of the same age couldn't possess. Even in her grandfather, who had many more years of experience than her, she only saw a calculating gaze and a belly full of vanity. When did someone like Xie Zhuo appear, making people unknowingly feel a sense of submission?

  At this moment, her heart was like a stormy sea.

  What she said to her just now, wasn't it true?

  Xie Wan handed over the task to Luo Sheng, picked up her tea cup and looked at Wang Anmei twice, took a sip before putting down the cup and said: "Sister, have you thought it through?"

  Wang Anmei stood up subconsciously, as if the person in front of her was no longer a little girl, but a big shot who made her unable to be careless.

  "I, I..."

  She didn't know what to say either. Should she agree? It felt a bit frivolous, and she was afraid of being laughed at. Should she disagree? But then she might miss the opportunity.

  She was fidgety and restless, lowering her head and twisting her fingers together.

  Xie Wan smiled faintly and gave her a way out: "If sister agrees, then try this tea. This year's autumn tea, although not as good as spring tea, is also not bad."

  She said as she raised her bowl and made a inviting gesture.

  Wang Anmei's face turned red as she sat down, and then slowly stretched out her hand to the tea bowl, holding it in her hand. But also because she finally agreed, and didn't know what Xie Wan was thinking in her heart, she felt happy and flustered at the same time, and her face became even redder.

  "If the three girls were really from such a family, then it would be good. If they weren't, and you had to go out of your way to ask around, then I wouldn't dare."

  Xie Wan walked back to her side and said, "Of course it's ready-made. But I think that if you were to marry into their family, it would be better for the Wang family to sever ties with them. It's not that I look down on people, but this is a very dignified family, and if the Wang family knew you married well, they would naturally try every means to make trouble, which would not only make things difficult for you, but also for your husband's family, turning a good thing into a bad one. What do you think?"

  Wang Anmei nodded thoughtfully, "You're right, actually there's no need for my sister to say it, I don't want to have anything to do with the Wang family either. I just miss my mother."

  "Why must your mother worry?" Xie Wan said, "The reason why Eldest Aunt was scolded by Eldest Uncle is all because she protected you. As long as you are in the Wang family, Eldest Uncle will be at ease and Eldest Aunt will naturally be safe too. She still has to give birth to a male heir for Eldest Uncle in the future, what if she gets hurt?"

  The Wang family is of humble origin and cannot easily take concubines.

  Wang Anmei never thought it would be so deep. Now that she has advised her, she is gradually feeling at ease. "What you said is also true. Looking at it this way, I don't have anything to worry about anymore. Rather than being on guard against being sold by him day and night, I might as well go find a way out for myself. Even if it's not a respectable family, as long as the person is kind-hearted, being poor isn't so bad."

  She sat with a faint sigh, and suddenly looked up and said: "I don't know if this family is from the local county or from another county?"

  Xie Wan smiled quietly and said: "I'll keep it a secret for now."

  After Wang Anmei left, Xie Wan sat on the attic for a while before going downstairs.

  "Go tell Li Ershun to come see me at the shop tomorrow."

  Xie Wan finished explaining these things and then went out the door.

  Wang Anmei has now got a foothold here, and what follows will be easy to handle.

  Xie Wan was lost in her own thoughts as she was about to get on the bus, when an old man selling oranges at the entrance saw her and suddenly stood up, grabbing several oranges with both hands and walking over to stuff them in front of her.

  She instinctively turned sideways and retreated, looking up at the old man with a bowed waist and a face full of wrinkles, which were even more pronounced due to the uneasy smile on his face. In his turbid eyes, there was both guilt towards Xie Zhu's actions and eagerness to show her friendliness.

  Xie Wan's face was shocked.

  Luo Sheng hastily said: "Qian Geer, you've come again today."

  Xie Wan felt that this old man was somewhat familiar, Luo Ju had already exclaimed: "Isn't this the old man who was bullied by Ning Da the other day?"

  They now secretly call Ning Da Yi "Ning Da Sha".

  Xie Wan looked carefully and indeed it was the old man who sold taro that day, hurriedly put down his guard, smiled and said: "Welcome to you."

  Qian Lao Han rushed to Luo Sheng and his son, smiled foolishly twice, then handed over the tangerine in his hand. It seemed that he felt he had been too abrupt just now, so his voice was a bit stuttering: "It's from our home garden, I've been waiting for you for several days, but didn't see you. It's very sweet, try some."

  Xie Wan hastily accepted the tangerine and held it to her chest. She didn't know whether she should pay or not, fearing that paying would hurt the other person's feelings, but not paying would go against her habit of not taking things for free. So she looked at Luo Sheng with pleading eyes.

  Qian Laobo gazed at her with deep affection.

  Lu Sheng rarely saw her in such a state of distraction, and he couldn't help but laugh: "Miss, don't decline anymore. Every time Old Man Qian comes to the city, he asks about you and brings some villagers from his hometown to patronize our shop's business. Today is also a coincidence, running into you on your way out. If you won't even accept these few tangerines, I'm afraid he'll have trouble sleeping tonight."

  "What's the point of talking? What's the use of talking?" Old Qian heard Luo Sheng mention his benefits and became even more flustered.

  Qian Lao Han had never seen Xie Wan before, but he knew her because he had inquired about her many times from Luo Sheng.

  The poor people are very simple-minded, and they remember even the slightest kindness. Xie Wan has never expected any return from Old Man Qian, nor does he expect him to bear a grudge, and he knows that their visits are limited to buying a few feet of fine cloth and some needles and thread, but it's rare for people to have such good intentions.

  Like the Wang family mother and son, one is a wolf with a wild heart, using the second wife's family property to support her ex-husband's son, and the other is a hypocrite who uses the second wife's connections to seize power. It's not that they don't know how to repay kindness, but rather they won't be satisfied until they swallow the second wife whole.

  Old Man Qian compared with them - no, how could the kind-hearted Old Man Qian be compared with those beasts?

  Thinking of this, she readily handed the tangerine to Yuxue and smiled: "I'll eat it first, then I'll ask Old Man for more."

  Because I was in a hurry to return to the government office to deal with the next thing, I couldn't stay any longer. But after getting on the carriage, seeing his hunched back, I thought for a moment and then instructed Luo Sheng: "Aren't there several idle wooden tables in our warehouse? In the future when Old Man Qian sets up his stall at the entrance, you can move them out to let him display his goods. This way he won't have to squat on the ground so laboriously."