PFC Chapter 213 Let’s not live like this anymore!
Chapter 213 Let’s not live like this anymore!
Chapter 213 Let’s not live like this anymore!
In the study of the Xu Mansion, Xu Chaoqian was sitting behind the desk sipping tea.
In front of him sat a middle-aged scholar with a fair complexion and gentle demeanor. He looked cold and aloof, with a sense of being out of touch with the world.
This person is Pan Ran, the head of the Celadon Hall of Baiyang Academy. He is well-educated and knowledgeable. He has been a teacher for twenty years and can be said to have many students all over the world.
Xu Ming, the fourth young master of the Xu family, was sent to Baiyang Academy at the age of seven and studied in the Qingci Hall. It has been four years now.
Baiyang Academy was located hundreds of miles away in the secondary capital. Initially, students could return home every six months, but from the age of ten, they could only return home once every two years. This past Spring Festival, he had spent it at the academy. Xu Ming, Xu Liu's only son, was naturally reluctant to let him go, but Xu Chaoqian was resolute on the matter. After all, Baiyang Academy was one of the most prestigious academies in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and not just anyone could enter. Similarly, the Celadon Hall only accepted children of exceptional talent.
Manager Pan came here to inform Xu Chaoqian of Xu Ming's achievements in the past year and to collect this year's tuition.
Xu Ming had good results last year and ranked among the top in the Celadon Hall, which made Xu Chaoqian quite pleased.
His son has done well for him, and all his efforts have finally paid off!
After all, after seeing Xu Liu's corpse, the reason why he was so tough in asking Xu Rongrong to hold back was because he was afraid of delaying his young son's future.
You have to know that the competition in Baiyang Academy is very fierce. If Xu Ming returns home to mourn for Xu Liu's death, then after three years, he will be over the age limit and unable to return to Qingci Hall.
If he wanted to advance to Bishuitang… after missing three years of classes, it would be difficult for him to get in no matter how hard he tried. He would definitely be kicked out of Baiyang Academy by then, something Xu Chaoqian could not tolerate.
After all, being able to send his son to the coveted Baiyang Academy is something that many colleagues envy. How could he let everything go to waste?
Not to mention it was all for that useless woman.
Thinking of this, he once again lamented his wisdom!
So, while he was chatting with Mr. Pan in the study, he ordered Xu Dong to go to the backyard to ask the second young lady for tuition.
Xu Yaoyao came in gracefully, wearing a pink goose down dress.
Silver charcoal was burning in the study, making it warm.
Xu Yaoyao frowned: She couldn't bear to use such good charcoal! Her father was willing to put it in the study.
Xu Chaoqian was so engrossed in his conversation that he paid no attention to his daughter's expression. He waved as she entered, "Second sister, here you are! Come meet your brother's teacher, Pan." Xu Yaoyao stole a glance. The man looked about her father's age, but his demeanor carried him with the aloof air of a hermit. She bowed quickly, "Greetings, Pan."
Her voice was soft and sounded pitiful.
When Pan, the head of the receptionist, saw that it was a female relative who had come, he lowered his eyes and returned the greeting: "Second Miss, you are so polite."
Then he called the boy into the study.
After the servant came in and paid his respects to the master, he took out an envelope from his bag and handed it to his master. He then stood by and did not leave.
Just now, Manager Pan was talking with Lord Xu, and as a servant, he should have been guarding outside the door.
But now, there are more women in the house, and Pan Zhang'an needs to avoid suspicion, so he can no longer go out.
However, the master and servant did not stay long.
Pan placed the envelope on the desk and said, "It's getting late. I have to visit the families of other students in the capital. The tuition for your fourth young master this year is in this envelope. Please prepare it before I leave the capital the day after tomorrow."
After saying this, he retreated with the servant.
The Xu family father and daughter hurriedly sent them to the door.
Watching them board the carriage and depart, Xu Chaoqian sighed, "The Baiyang Academy truly lives up to its reputation. The teachers all have the air of immortals."
Xu Yaoyao ignored her father's admiration and opened the envelope to take a quick glance.
"Two hundred taels!" Xu Yaoyao exclaimed.
Xu Chaoqian was startled by her and glared at her: "What's the big deal? What's the big deal?"
After the father and daughter returned to the study, Xu Yaoyao immediately called Manager Xu and said, "Give the account book to father for review."
The day after Xu Rongrong left for the southern suburbs, Xu Yaoyao summoned all the servants to the hall and announced that he was taking over the Xu residence's housekeeping duties. Before New Year's Eve, she had been grounded by Xu Chaoqian due to an incident involving New Year's gifts. Now, after the eldest lady left, she was flaunting her power again, and naturally, the servants didn't take her seriously.
Some people even secretly went to Xu Dong to complain, but unexpectedly Xu Dong said that these were the master's intentions...
So the servants had no choice but to obey.
Although Manager Xu was dissatisfied, he was powerless after all, so he had to hand over the account book.
Before Xu Yaoyao had even had a few days to get over the novelty of life, he felt the difficulty of being the head of the family.
She had known Cheng Jintong, the granddaughter of the Minister of Rites, for a while, but she had never been able to get along with her. Thinking that she was a daughter of a wealthy family, she wanted to take advantage of her position as head of the household to buy herself a few sets of headwear to impress the nobles. However, who knew that the thick account book would definitely slap her in the face.
Forget about the expensive jeweled headpieces, even the gilded ones she couldn't afford now! These past two days, the family wanted to buy spring clothes, and the farm wanted to buy seeds for the spring, so they all came to her for money.
Now, I have to pay tuition to my fourth brother.
There are only two hundred and fifty taels of silver in the account. If we pay this tuition, the whole family will be left with nothing?
Seeing his second daughter's unhappy expression, Xu Chaoqian took the account book with a half-believing and half-doubting attitude. He glanced at it and was stunned: "Why is there only this much money?"
Xu Yaoyao sneered inwardly, but a pitiful expression appeared on her face. "That's right. Ever since my daughter took over the household, she's been so strapped for cash. I really don't know how my eldest sister managed the household before."
She wanted to throw dirty water on Xu Rongrong.
But some people didn't indulge her. Steward Xu said bluntly, "Since the eldest lady took over the household management from the madam, all the accounts have been recorded in this book. Every item is clear and can be verified."
Xu Yaoyao: "..." Xu Chaoqian was so worried about money that he couldn't care less about their verbal dispute. He used to own a profitable porcelain shop, but he sold it last year to cover the losses he'd incurred from Xu Liu's loan sharking.
Nowadays, both the public office and the shop he owns are doing averagely.
But no matter what, he still had to pass this hurdle, so he ordered: "First, collect the tuition and hand it in. Don't let Mingge'er be shortchanged."
Xu Yaoyao was anxious: "What should I do next?"
Xu Chaoqian glared at her. "What do you think we should do next? Since all the affairs of the mansion are in your hands, you should naturally make more decisions when something happens."
Xu Yaoyao: "..."
Before she could say anything, Xu Dong knocked on the door: "Master, Second Miss. Someone from the farm wants the offerings from Third Miss."
Xu Minmin was imprisoned in a farm outside Beijing. As the third daughter of the Xu family, she had to receive support from the farmers on the farm. However, apart from rice, everything else needed money to buy. Naturally, she had to ask the owner for the money.
"How much?" Xu Yaoyao asked.
"Thirty taels." Xu Dong replied.
Xu Chaoqian lowered his head and looked at the tea foam in the tea bowl, without moving for a long time.
Seeing this, Xu Yaoyao sneered and said, "Give it to me."
After paying, there are only twenty taels of silver left. Let’s just not live like this anymore!