Chapter 21: Xie Zhong’s Plan
Xie Zhong carried Zhu Yanyi home, the joy radiating from his entire body leaving Qi Qiaoer quite surprised. “Why are you so happy today? Did you find gold?”
“This is even more joyful than finding gold,” Xie Zhong replied with a beaming smile.
Qi Qiaoer looked at him in confusion. She knew Xie Zhong was always a man of calculation and talent, but it could be said that he was born at the wrong time. If he had lived in ancient times, Xie Zhong could have at least taken the imperial examinations. However, during the years of his birth and upbringing, the imperial examinations did not exist, and being educated did not necessarily guarantee a good outcome. The fact that Xie Zhong had managed to survive safely was, in itself, a stroke of luck.
Qi Qiaoer was actually Xie Zhong’s child bride, having come to the Xie family at the age of seven. She had stayed by Xie Zhong’s side through many storms and hardships, and it was rare to see him display such open joy. It had been a long time since she had seen him this happy. “Is there something more joyful than finding gold? Tell me, so I can share in your happiness.”
Xie Zhong made no attempt to keep it a secret, though his delight did not diminish noticeably. “Our Anni has the ability to never forget what she hears. Today, I taught a few children some characters, and Anni remembered them all. I suspect she might even have photographic memory, though that is just a suspicion. Regardless, I can confirm that Anni is absolutely suited for studying. I plan to teach her personally in the future.” Although Xie Zhong had shed the frivolous and flamboyant demeanor of his youth, the current situation was clear to him. Since the restoration of the National College Entrance Examination, he knew the state was once again placing importance on talent. This was why he had urged Xie Chengyu to keep up with his studies, hoping only that his younger generation would have a brilliant future.
“That’s wonderful, but Anni is only here during the day; she is taken back home at night. Do you have time to teach her?” Qi Qiaoer asked.
Xie Zhong pondered for a moment. Even though he appeared leisurely, he still had tasks to attend to during the day. “I have thought about it. Now is the best time for Anni to lay a foundation. We will have Anni sleep with us. If I have time during the day, I will teach her then; if not, I will teach her at night. Once her foundation is solid, we can arrange other matters.” By “other matters,” he implicitly meant that she would continue living with them.
Qi Qiaoer glanced at Xie Zhong. “Your idea is good, but you should really figure out how to build a house. A-Sheng is grown up now; he’s old enough to be talking about marriage, yet he doesn’t even have a room of his own. A-Cheng will also grow up gradually. A-Yan isn’t back now, but when she returns for festivals and holidays in the future, there will be no place for her to stay. These issues all need to be resolved.”
Xie Zhong thought for a while, as if weighing something, and after a long pause, said, “We will build the house during the spring and summer of next year.” Once he spoke, Qi Qiaoer did not ask where the money would come from. The fact that he said it meant he was confident in his ability to build the house.
That evening, Zhu Shun Yao and Xie Xinlian brought Zhu Yanli to the Xie family home. Originally, Zhu Yanyi stayed at the Xie house during the day and returned home at night. However, since Zhu Yanyi had fallen into the water a couple of days prior, they were worried she might catch a chill on the journey back and forth, so they did not send her home. Moreover, Zhu Yanyi clearly remembered that in her previous life, because she had fallen into the water and insisted on going home, she had suffered from recurring fevers afterward. Xie Xinlian, having to work while also caring for her, had unfortunately suffered a miscarriage. In this life, with the presence of the Spiritual Spring, Zhu Yanyi’s body had completely changed. Nevertheless, Zhu Yanyi stayed at the Xie house for a few more days. Most importantly, she hoped Xie Xinlian could safely give birth to their third child. Although family planning had already begun, its implementation in rural areas was still slow. Mandatory enforcement was only two years away, so it was better to have the child now, regardless of gender. At the very least, it would prove that the main branch of the Zhu family was thriving, even if they had three daughters.