Xia Ershu's family matters were all beyond Old Man Xia's control, let alone theirs. All Xia Dagu did was remind Zhenzhu and tell her that next time Guo Yuhuan met her at Yao Wang Miao Hutong, she shouldn't respond to Guo Yuhuan.

  However, later events proved that Xia Dagou was overthinking. Guo Yuhuan often went to Yao Wangmiao Hutong afterwards, but never came to find Zhenzhu for company again.

  Next door, Guo Xi's family

  Guo Xi and Guo Qian were meticulously questioning Guo Yuhuan, who was delighted to tell them all about what had happened in Yao Wang Temple Alley. She mainly talked about how luxurious the mansion was and how extravagant Zhang Qia'er's food, clothing, and daily life were. She told Guo Xi and Guo Qian that Zhang Qia'er liked her very much.

  "She also told me to come back often, so I can keep her company." Guo Yuhuan said, and then took out the handkerchief and ring that Zhang Qia'er had given her for Guo Xi and Guo Qian to see. "This time we went in a big group, if it were just me and Zhenzhu who went, the host would definitely have given us more generous gifts. Next time if I go alone..."

  Although Guo Yuhuan didn't say it out loud, both Guo Xi and Guo Qianzhi had already understood.

  "I'm really busy today. Next time, I'll go with you." said Guo Qian Shi.

  She had been there once and knew Zhang Qiaoer, Luo Juan and others, so Guo Yuhuan felt that it was no longer necessary to have someone accompany her. Although Guo Qian was her own mother, this mother of hers was not very clever and sometimes spoke unpleasantly. Therefore, Guo Yuhuan did not like to let Guo Qian accompany her.

  "Mother, I've already acknowledged the door. What else do you want to accompany me for? There are so many things at home, just help my father at home." Guo Yuhuan said with a pout.

  "You kid, how can you go alone?" Guo Qian's wife scolded with a smile, "I also need to formally visit and pay respects. You alone can't settle things, I and your father have to go."

  Guo Yuhuan's face turned slightly red, and she held a handkerchief in her hand, too shy to speak again.

  Guo Xi and Guo Qian smiled. Guo Qian also asked for Guo Xi's opinion: "It was said at the wine table, do you think this can be done?"

  "I can see that." Guo Xi's dry face cracked a smile, "The household of the Imperial Censor is a huge family business. The Zhangs are connected to them, and although the Xia family's second son is one level down, there are still countless benefits. The Zhangs don't have many people either, so they called on the Xia family's second son for such a big matter; from now on, they'll have to rely on them for everything."

  "We'll just have to drink that old wine, Xia Jia's second brother said he'd take it and that was that. Nobody else would dare do such a thing. You also heard Xia Jia's second brother say that after the monitor official gets his position, they'll all have to follow him. Xia Jia's second brother is someone who can make money. His two sons, the younger one isn't worth mentioning, Xia Zhu is the eldest and everything has to be done with Xia Zhu first. Our daughter marrying Xia Zhu is better than marrying some small peddler."

  Guo Yuhuan was twelve years old, and Guo Xi and Madame Guo were already worried about her marriage. They had only this one daughter, and they thought she was better than anyone else's, so it was inevitable that their hopes for her were somewhat higher.

  People from slightly better-off families looked down on them, but those from even higher social classes didn't necessarily look up to them either. Moreover, Guo Yuhuan was an only daughter with no brothers to support her, and many families were unwilling to marry a girl like that.

  As for marrying a poor young man, this was something that Guo Xi and Madame Guo had never considered.

  Their shop suffered from this incident and couldn't recover in a short period of time. Guo Xi then had other ideas.

  "Gui Fang Zhai is a big shop, I saw Xia Jia Lao Er bringing Xia Zhu and they didn't eat or drink less. Our wine shop isn't doing well, I plan to go over and follow Xia Jia Lao Er, it's not like we'll earn less than this shop... Later if they follow Master Monitor to be an official, our whole family will follow too. My brothers and I help each other out, it's better than opening any shop."

  Guo Xi spoke out his abacus, and Guo Qian Shi deeply agreed. Guo Yuhuan was shy but also delighted. The three of them immediately settled on a plan: Guo Xi would go to the Gui Fang Temple tomorrow to find Xia Er Shu, while Guo Qian Shi and Guo Yuhuan would head back to the Yao Wang Miao Hutong.

  ……

  After the Dragon Boat Festival, Xia Zhi began to slowly close down her small workshop. The contract with Gui Xiang Zhai had already been settled, and everything after the champion zongzi would be taken over by Gui Xiang Zhai, even several capable female workers had been arranged.

  These women workers are of course very grateful to Xia Zhi and work even harder with more enthusiasm.

  Occupying Xia Dagu's backyard for these days, Xia Zhi originally wanted to give some rent, but Xia Dagu and Changsheng naturally refused to accept it. Xia Zhi didn't insist on giving either, thinking in her heart about what gift she should buy for Xia Dagu's family.

  Zhenzhu is the smallest and most spoiled at home. Xia Zhi knows she has always wanted a moonlight skirt, so he takes her to make one. Zhenzhu is overjoyed and becomes more affectionate towards him. Summer Big Aunt scolds her for spending too much money, but Guo Aunt and Uncle both openly and secretly praise her for being capable.

  Apart from the moonlit dress for Zhenzhu, there were also a pair of shoes that Yunuo gave to Changsheng. Xia Zhi also bought small gifts for Xia Dagou, Guo Gufu and Changsheng, not too expensive but very thoughtful.

  As for the zongzi eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival, they were naturally all made in the workshop. The arrangement of summer solstice was a win-win situation. After closing the workshop, Xia Zhi also settled all accounts.

  Four hundred taels of silver were all made into capital by Xia Zhi, and after deducting all the costs and expenses, a total of eight hundred and fifty-six taels of silver were left in Xia Zhi's hands. Xia Zhi put the loose silver in her dressing box and took the intact eight hundred taels to find Li Xia.

  Li Xia did not have a separate courtyard in Wenshan Academy. When he was at the academy, he usually stayed in Li Shanzhang's courtyard. Today, Li Shanzhang is not around, and only Li Xia is alone in the wing room.

  Li Xia was delighted when she saw Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu Er had arrived.

  "Li Xia, you've been busy lately." Xia Zhi placed a food box on the table and smiled at Li Xia. She had gone to the kitchen beforehand to make two small desserts, originally intending to give them to Li Shan Chang.

  Li Xia has been very busy lately. It's not necessary to mention his studies. Another thing is the festival. A big family like Li's, with Li Xia's status, these days it's inevitable to welcome and send off guests. Xia Zhi knew he was busy, so she came to find him after the festival.

  "You don't understand my suffering, yet you tease me." Li Xia's face revealed a bitter smile as he himself opened the food box, took out the pastries made by Xia Zhi, and began eating with tea. "Sixteen, Old Uncle, you all have fun playing."

  Xiao Hei Yu just smiled, he was quite sympathetic to Li Xia. However, he still told Li Xia about the various interesting things that happened when he went to the night market on Xishi Street with Xia Zhi and Tian Lai Bao.

  "Ah, why didn't you look for me to play together?" Li Xia sighed intentionally.

  "It's us who found you, can you just play with us?" Xia Zhi said with a smile.

  Li Xia couldn't help but smile. He had been incredibly busy these past few days, to the point where he wouldn't have needed Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu to come find him - he would have gone to look for them himself.

  "This year is no good, next year, next year during Dragon Boat Festival you all come again, I'll accompany you to have a good time."

  "Li Xia, are you free now?" asked Xiao Hei Yu Er, "I'm telling you, there's a super delicious barbecue skewer place that both I and Shi Liu have been craving. Come on, let's go eat together!"

  Xiao Hei Yu introduced Li Xia to the grilled skewers at Xishi Street Night Market, good things should be shared with everyone.

  Li Xia knew that Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu would be returning to Daxing Village soon. He had been particularly busy the past two days, also in order to free up some time to spend with them. After Xiao Hei Yu said this, Li Xia thought for a moment, then nodded his head as if he had made a major decision.

  "I'll go try it, I guarantee it's delicious?"

  "It's guaranteed to be delicious." Little Hei was teased by Li Xia into giggling, "Li Xia, come on, I'll treat you. Sixteen has already given me my wages."

  "Wow, Uncle has money now. Then I must go and eat this skewer of meat. Uncle, do you have enough money? I can eat a lot." Li Xia is still quite good at teasing kids.

  Xiao Hei said with certainty. "I got paid 160 yuan and I haven't spent it yet. I was thinking of inviting you to have some grilled skewers."

  "Uncle, you're too kind to me." Li Xia was overjoyed and lifted up Xiao Hei. As the elder of the family, Lao Ye had not been lifted high for a long time. Xiao Hei pretended to be serious but couldn't help smiling in the end.

  Only Xia Zhi and Li Xia were left, and Xiao Hei was no longer concerned about his identity as a senior.

  Xia Zhi sat beside, watching Li Xia and the little black fish play, her mouth corners slightly curled up. Li Xia likes kids so much and knows how to coax them into playing, later if he has his own kids, I wonder what it'll be like, should be quite interesting.

  "Sixteen, what are you thinking about?" Li Xia put down the little black fish and saw Xia Zhi holding his chin and smiling, so he asked Xia Zhi a sentence.

  Summer solstice suddenly came back to his senses, and hurriedly waved his hand: "I didn't think of anything."

  "Are you here just to find me or to find my dad?" Li Xia also sat down at the table, smiling and asking Xia Zhi.

  "Of course I came looking for you. But also wanted to see Mountain Long, nothing in particular, just wanted to see the old man and pay my respects." Xia Zhi said with a smile.

  "It's all right. He went to visit a friend today. I'll pass on your words to him. Don't mention it, my dad still quite misses you and Uncle." Li Xia said as she put away the things on the table, then told Xia Zhi that the rest of her time today belonged to her and Xiao Hei Yu.

  The little black fish cheered.

  "That's great." Xia Zhi said, "The workshop is almost all packed up, and I've brought the money with me." The 700 taels of silver had been exchanged by Xia Zhi into various denominations of silver notes. She took out the notes to show Li Xia.

  Li Xia glanced at it and smiled: "It's still a lot of money."

  "It's okay, I guess." Xia Zhi's attitude was very calm. This year she had already laid a good foundation for Zhuangyuan zongzi, and next year after joining forces with Gui Xiang Zhai, the market share of Zhuangyuan zongzi would definitely be higher, at that time it wouldn't just be about making this money.

  Li Xia saw that Xia Zhi had brought all the money with him, so he didn't say much and just called for the servant to prepare the carriage.

  "We'll send the money over right now."

  Xia Zhi nodded naturally. She and Xiao Hei followed Li Xia out and got on the carriage, heading straight to Dongshi Street. The pawnshop that Li Xia found for Xia Zhi was the largest one on Dongshi Street, "Kaiyuan Pawn". He was familiar with the place and quickly helped Xia Zhi finalize the contract with the shop's manager. Eight hundred taels of silver were deposited into the pawnshop, earning an annual interest rate of 1.5%. When the time came, the interest could be withdrawn or left in the pawnshop to continue earning interest.

  Such interest, of course, cannot compare to the high-interest loans from usury, but in today's terms, it is already quite high. Eight hundred taels of silver lent for a year would yield an interest of one hundred and twenty taels, enough for a small family to live on for two or three years. If not for Li Xia's help, Xia Zhi wouldn't have been able to find a store willing to offer such high interest.

  Eight hundred taels of silver, in Kaiyuan can be considered a small shareholder, all because they followed Li Xia's path.

  She put the contract in her sleeve, and Xia Zhi's mood was not bad. From now on, she would be a person with a fixed income. However, this was just the beginning. Xia Zhi would not be satisfied with an annual income of 120 taels. She hoped that through hard work, her life could get better and better.

  While living a good life herself, she also hopes to be able to help those people who are on her mind.

  "Sixteen, are you just going to put this contract away like that?" Li Xia looked at Xia Zhi.

  It's almost time to return to Daxingzhuang, if the contract is discovered by Tian Shi. Although Tian Shi can't recognize many characters, it's not that he can't read at all, just in case.

  Xia Zhi is also considering how to collect this contract. In addition to this contract, she also has a contract with Guixiangzhai for the champion zongzi.

  "Li Xia, otherwise, I'll leave these two contracts with you, can you help me keep them?" Xia Zhi thought for a moment and consulted Li Xia.

  "It's not that it can't be done." Li Xia smiled, his eyes curved into a crescent shape. Summer's complete trust in him made his mood inexplicably good. However, he was considering more for Summer's sake. "I'll teach you another method."

  After leaving the pawnshop, Li Xia took Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei to a silver building. Li Xia whispered a few words to the young man in the silver building, and he brought out a tray.

  There are silver hairpins, silver bangles and silver lockets on the tray. The young shop assistant invites them to choose whatever they like.

  Summer solstice is somewhat bewildered and puzzled.

  Li Xia smiled and nodded to the young man. The young man understood, took out a silver hairpin, and gently opened one end of the pin for Xia Zhi to see.

  The hairpin was originally hollow, and the gap was just enough to hold a rolled-up paper.

  The silver hoop's garlic head can also be opened, and the lock piece is two pieces combined together, which can also hold some things, such as one or two silver tickets, or a tightly rolled thin contract.

  The eyes of Xia Zhi lit up.

  "Even if we don't release the contract, hiding one or two silver tickets for emergency use is also possible." Li Xia said in a low voice to Xia Zhi.

  "Li Xia, how did you know this?" Xia Zhi asked curiously. There was no such intricate jewelry visible on Li Xia's body.

  Li Xia smiled and said, "Sixteen, don't ask about this anymore. Hmm, I'll tell you later."

  Not saying now, when will you say it later? Li Xia is also quite strange, thinking of summer solstice.

  (。)