Tianliangyuan

Chapter 92 He's got his eye on it.

Xu Lin's subordinates went to Baiguoyuan several times, but failed to get their approval. The season for brewing wine had passed, and the nights were already freezing. Xu Lin naturally couldn't wait any longer.

She couldn't directly ask for the brewing recipe; after all, she was her aunt, and she still had to save face.

But now that she sees Xu Zhaozhao making a fortune every day, while she, as her aunt, doesn't get any benefit from it, she's definitely not happy about it.

Xu Lin had been eyeing Xu Zhaozhao's businesses for a long time. Besides the two restaurants in Xiangpiaopiao, there was also Meirenzhuang, which should also be related to Xu Zhaozhao. However, she couldn't be sure whether Meirenzhuang was Xu Zhaozhao's business or not. They only employed novices, and she didn't recognize any of them. Moreover, she had asked around several times but hadn't been able to get any information.

“Zhao Zhao is just using some of her mother’s businesses for practice now. Your sister-in-law also said that these businesses will be given to her as her dowry in the future. Why are you still thinking about these things?”

Xu Lin quickly wiped away her tears, moved forward, and took the old lady's arm, starting to play the victim.

“Mother, it’s not that I, as your aunt, am after my niece’s business, but I really have no choice. No matter when Huaizhi’s job is settled, we still need to arrange a marriage. If we get married next year, how can we do without money for the dowry and the wedding? I do have some dowry left, but I can’t use it all for my son’s sake. I still have my daughter, Qian’er.”

The old lady softened her heart.

After all, she's his own daughter; how could he really ignore her?

"I'll ask the Marquis about Huaizhi again tonight. But I overheard something last time. It's said that if Huaizhi can gain experience in the countryside for two or three years before returning to the capital, he'll have a good chance of being promoted, which will be beneficial to his career."

Xu Lin's expression changed upon hearing this, but the old lady held her down.

"Let me finish. I know you feel sorry for Huaizhi, but you are his mother. You should think far ahead for your children. How can you only care about short-term gains? Don't you want Huaizhi to become an important official in the court in the future? Do you want him to spend his whole life stuck in a low-ranking official position?"

Xu Lin was stumped by the question. As a mother, she naturally hoped that her son would have a bright future, but she was also worried that her son would be bullied by others and have no one to rely on. Wouldn't that be pitiful?

“Mother, Huaizhi has never left the capital since he was a child. The farthest he has been is Wannian County and Chang’an County. I really can’t bear to let him suffer outside. I don’t understand the ways of officialdom, but if he has no one to rely on outside, he will inevitably be ostracized by everyone. I’m afraid that Huaizhi will not be able to bear it.”

Ultimately, Xu Lin knew whether the son she raised was weak or not. If he went to the local area and no one helped him, he wouldn't be able to make any contributions, and he might even have to find someone to smooth things over for him.

"I will speak to the Marquis about this matter and ask him to find a way to keep Huaizhi closer to the family. It's not a big deal, so why are you so worried? As for the business you mentioned, just focus on managing your own business well. No matter how much income you have, don't go and subsidize the Sun family anymore."

Even though the old lady is old, she is not so confused that she cannot distinguish right from wrong.

Xu Lin's dowry was quite substantial back then. Whether she spent it all herself or used it to support the Sun family, she certainly has her own eyes to see.

Xu Lin looked ashamed. She knew that if she always came back to her parents' home to ask for this and that, she would be looked down upon, but what could she do?

What about the whole family? Are they all supposed to starve?

It would be too tragic if they relied entirely on her dowry to make a living!

Although the old lady also felt that her granddaughter should not be used to subsidize her daughter, she still wanted to try to secure some benefits for the Marquis's family if there were any.

"Zhao Zhao, I heard that you are doing quite well in several businesses now, especially that wine, which is really popular."

“Grandmother, I was worried about you. You weren’t feeling well before, and after consulting with the imperial physician, I learned that you needed to abstain from alcohol while taking your medicine. So, I took the liberty of temporarily moving the several jars of wine that were originally meant to be given to you to Father’s place. A couple of days ago, when Mother invited the imperial physician to prescribe medicine for you, I asked a question and he said that by mid-December at the latest, you could reduce your alcohol intake.”

The old lady was initially displeased because Xu Lin had mentioned to her more than once that Xu Zhaozhao had obtained good things but didn't think of sending them to her grandmother, which was clearly unfilial!

The old lady kept quiet because she was the Marquis's legitimate daughter.

Xu Zhaozhao's explanation made the old lady feel somewhat ashamed.

At his age, still thinking about the younger generation's things is somewhat disrespectful.

"You mean the longevity wine?"

"Yes, Grandmother. I consulted the imperial physician, who said that you should use less of this longevity wine, and you should avoid other alcoholic beverages for the time being. You should also avoid wine."

The old lady sighed, "It's so frustrating to see such good things but not be allowed to use them!"

The group chuckled softly, and Wang Ruolan deliberately changed the subject, finally easing the oppressive atmosphere in the room.

"Zhaozhao, have you sent those wines to your maternal grandparents' house?"

"Grandmother, we sent some. Because the first batch of wine was too small and several important people had already pre-ordered it, we only sent a few small jars to my maternal grandfather. I have already instructed my servants to make sure to reserve enough wine before the New Year, and to send a few more jars to my aunt as well."

Wang Ruolan now understood that the old lady felt jealous because Xu Zhaozhao and Xu Lin were not close, and since Xu Lin had just come today, she was bound to whisper in Xu Zhaozhao's ear again.

“Mother, not only are the longevity wine and Jinhua wine expensive now, but many nobles are also vying for them. Previously, the Marquis sent several jars to the Emperor, but the Emperor scolded him, saying that he only knew how to enjoy himself, and forced the Marquis to send all the wine in his mansion to the palace. Your share was also lost and all of it was given to the Emperor.”

The implication is that this is something the Emperor wants to seize, and who dares to stop him?

Even the Marquis himself didn't have any to drink, let alone the others.

Upon hearing this, the old lady knew she couldn't say anything more, after all, it was an honor for the Marquis's mansion to have caught the Emperor's eye.

Madam Zhang laughed and said, "That's right. The most popular wines this year are the longevity wine and the Jinhua wine from our sister's side. My mother even asked me if I could spare a few jars to offer to my grandparents. I told her that my husband didn't have any to drink. At first, my mother didn't believe me, but when she found out that the Marquis had sent them all to the palace, she had to give up the idea."

"My dear sister, next time you serve wine, please remember your brother and I and send it directly to me. If you send it to Father again, I'm afraid it will be lost again. Although I can't drink, I can still offer it to my family to make them happy."

His words were somewhat joking, which made everyone laugh even more heartily.