Do you know: I, a commoner prime minister

Chapter 34 Sheng Changbai

But the things that were given to them were never returned.

Although this is also closely related to conditions, even in good weather, families with poor conditions can barely make ends meet.

Even if they incur foreign debt, it is difficult to have the spare capacity to repay it.

But whether they can afford to repay is one thing, and whether they have the attitude to repay is another.

Obviously, Zhou An didn't have any of these relatives, so he didn't have a good impression of them.

After Shulan finished meeting her elders, Madam Hao asked Yu'er to present gifts to her new sister-in-law, and Shulan also presented the gifts she had prepared.

"Alright, everyone's hungry, let's eat."

After Zhou Li finished speaking to his relatives, he began to say something.

The men ate breakfast in the main hall, while the women went to the main hall in the back courtyard, eating separately.

Nothing much happened in the main hall; breakfast was eaten very uneventfully.

The situation was different in the backyard. The two aunts kept finding topics to subtly suggest that Shulan give part of her dowry to Hao Shi.

"alright!"

Hao interrupted them calmly, saying, "The eldest son's marriage has delayed you for several days. Now that the end of the year is approaching, there are many things to do at home."

I've prepared some New Year's gifts for you. You can head back after breakfast. I'll take Dalang and the others back to visit after the New Year.

The two sisters-in-law exchanged a glance and dared not say anything more.

After breakfast, Mrs. Hao used the excuse of needing to talk to Shulan to send the two away.

"Daughter-in-law, don't take what they just said to heart," Hao said.

"Mother-in-law, I didn't take it to heart, but I think what my two aunts said is right. The household expenses still need to be managed by you, Mother-in-law. It won't do if you don't have money."

Shulan wasn't sure if her two aunts' words were at Hao's behest, but she didn't really care about giving her mother-in-law some money for household expenses.

"I don't know how to manage this place. From now on, you will be in charge," said Madam Hao.

"After all, the daughter-in-law has only just entered the family..."

Shulan tried to refuse, but Hao Shi took her hand, patted it, and said, "What I said is true. Your father-in-law and I only know how to farm. There are so many servants in such a big house. Why would I care about them?"

"They said that because they wanted you to give me money so they could find a chance to borrow money from me."

Madam Hao sighed, "I know these two sisters-in-law better than anyone else."

.........

After having breakfast and chatting with Shulan for a while, Zhou An noticed that Shulan hadn't returned yet, and since he didn't want to go to the backyard, he went straight back to his room.

He knew his mother wouldn't make things difficult for Shulan, so he wasn't worried.

I was up until midnight last night and got up early this morning, so I'm feeling a bit sleepy.

I lay down on the bed and soon became a little drowsy.

"If you are sleepy, young master, why don't you take off your clothes and go to sleep?"

Chunhua said worriedly, "I'm afraid you'll catch a cold lying like this."

"Hmm~"

Zhou An rubbed his head and, seeing that Shulan had not yet returned, was about to speak when he saw Shulan walk in with her hands folded over her abdomen.

"My lord!"

Even though the two had already consummated their marriage, she still couldn't help but blush slightly when she saw Zhou An.

"My wife is back!"

Zhou An sat up, patted the spot next to him, and said, "Come and sit down."

"yes!"

Shulan responded, moved lightly, and, with a fragrant breeze, sat down next to Zhou An.

"You may all leave," Zhou An waved his hand.

"yes!"

Madam Shen bowed and led her maid out.

Zhou An reached out and put his arm around Shulan's waist, feeling her body tense up instantly.

Shulan felt a surge of panic: "My husband wouldn't be thinking of doing this in broad daylight..."

She was torn, unsure whether to refuse or comply.

Seeing that her ears were red, Zhou An stopped teasing her and said, "Why did Mother keep you here for so long?"

"My mother-in-law wants me to manage the household..."

Shulan breathed a sigh of relief and recounted what had happened in the backyard.

"Although my mother was illiterate, she was very clear-headed."

Zhou An laughed and said, "She asked you to manage it, so you can manage it."

"Mm." Shulan nodded.

"Tomorrow is the day for my wife to return to her parents' home. Tell me about any relatives she has so I can have a better understanding," Zhou An said.

"This humble servant..."

"Don't refer to yourself like that. We're husband and wife. Relax a bit in private."

"My home..."

Shulan gave a brief introduction to the Sheng family's situation.

Zhou An actually knew some general information about the Sheng family, but not much about the specifics.

The Sheng family had three brothers in Shulan's grandfather's generation. However, now only the patriarch of the third branch is still alive. The patriarchs of the first and second branches have passed away, and only the patriarch is still alive.

However, the second wife was not in Youyang because she was an official. This time, when she got married, it was the eldest son of the second wife who returned.

As the two were chatting, a maid came to inform them that Madam Hao had asked them to see the guests off.

The young couple accompanied their parents to see off the relatives, and then returned to their room to continue chatting.

This is also a drawback of arranged marriages, where the two people not only do not meet before marriage, but also learn about each other through other people's stories.

After they actually met, they went straight to the bridal chamber.

Although there has been a deep integration, a sense of unfamiliarity still exists.

Getting to know each other's family situations is the best way to gradually eliminate feelings of unfamiliarity.

……

The next morning, Zhou An and Shulan had breakfast and, accompanied by their parents, took a car to the Sheng family home with gifts.

Sheng Changsong led the younger generation of the Sheng family to the door to greet them and led them to the main hall.

"Xiao Xu greets his father-in-law and mother-in-law!" Zhou An bowed.

"No need for such formalities, son-in-law!"

Sheng Wei had been observing Shulan's expression ever since the two entered the room. Seeing that her complexion was rosy and she had a smile on her face, he knew that the young couple were very harmonious.

He introduced Sheng Yun and his wife, as well as several elders from the third branch of the family, to Zhou An. Finally, he pointed to a boy who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old and said, "This is Sheng Changbai, the eldest son of the second branch of the Sheng family. His father is serving as a prefectural judge in Yangzhou and has been away on official business, so he has not returned."

Don't let Bai Ge'er's young age fool you; he's quite knowledgeable. You can discuss your studies with him.

Zhou An looked Sheng Changbai up and down; he was indeed mature beyond his years.

Sheng Changbai should be around thirteen years old now. If it weren't for his youthful face and serious demeanor, he would look like he's seventeen or eighteen at first glance.

"Is my younger brother Changbai studying at Yangzhou Academy now?" Zhou An asked.

Sheng Changbai shook his head and said, "Brother-in-law, I am not at Yangzhou Academy, but at Mingde Academy."

"Changbai's ability to enter Mingde Academy suggests that his talent has surpassed mine," Zhou An exclaimed.

In addition to the government-run Yangzhou Academy, Yangzhou also has the Mingde Academy, which is quite famous in the Jiangnan region.

Mingde Academy was a private academy. Although it was not as famous as Bailudong Academy, it was far superior to many government-run academies.

The most important factor was the difficulty of entry; government-run academies inevitably attracted some people who relied on connections and backgrounds.

However, Mingde Academy has very strict admission requirements; no matter how strong one's background is, those who do not meet the standards will not be accepted.

Zhou An had heard that some scholars who had passed the imperial examinations wanted to enter the Mingde Academy in the city, but were rejected because they failed the test.

The reason they have this confidence is because the founder of Mingde Academy was the late emperor's teacher.

The plaque for Mingde Academy was written by the late emperor.

Although the original founder has passed away, no one dares to act recklessly simply because of the plaque above the entrance.