Too high to reach

Chapter 365 Gossip about the upcoming marriage
Those who have noticed the recent changes in the situation are all on edge.

They are busy in private, waiting for the situation to become clearer.

Meanwhile, those whose lives are unrelated to this continue as usual.

It's getting cold, and Mo Fan is getting married.

Zhou Jiu is going home to prepare for her wedding. These past few days, she's collected quite a few things, sorted them out, made accounts, and sealed them away here for now. After the wedding, she'll take them directly to the Mo family.

The things were neatly piled together, but her living quarters, including her wardrobe, were all empty.

Li Xiangling arrived and watched silently. She understood that once Ninth Aunt left, she would never come back to live there again.

She is no longer with the Zhou family.

She had no memory of what her mother looked like. Ever since she could remember, her aunt had been with her, and the two of them depended on each other for survival. This separation was something she couldn't bear at her age, and she began to sob.

Zhou Jiu was also very emotional; she was just as reluctant to part with Xiangxiang.

It wasn't until she was about to get married that she suddenly felt lucky that she hadn't married out of the family and could continue to take care of Xiangxiang. Xiangxiang was also lucky to have met Moyi as her stepmother.

Otherwise, how could anyone feel at ease leaving such a young girl in the Prince's mansion, holding the status of the eldest legitimate daughter?
When Mo Yi arrived, she saw the two of them crying in each other's arms, but she smiled and said, "Xiangxiang, the Mo family is also your maternal family. Once your father returns, everything will be settled. If you wish, you can go and stay at the Mo family anytime."

Ajiu wiped away Xiangxiang's tears, her face slightly flushed, and said, "Yes, Xiangxiang. The Empress is right."

"As long as you don't mind that the Mo family's house is dilapidated..." Mo Yi continued to tease Xiang Xiang.

"How could that be?" Xiangxiang smiled a little embarrassedly. After visiting the new house at the Mo family's residence, she complained to Aunt Jiu that the Mo family's courtyard and houses were quite dilapidated, and that her mother probably found out.

“Mother…Xiangxiang really enjoys eating at the Mo family’s restaurant,” Li Xiangling said.

This surprised Mo Yi quite a bit. In her memory, this little girl had never addressed her so naturally before.

Afraid that she would be embarrassed to say it, she continued, "Your ninth aunt's mother-in-law is very capable, thoughtful, and good at managing money... She can make the best of a limited budget to ensure that everyone eats well."

Zhou Jiu blinked her beautiful eyes as she looked at Mo Yi. Now that she was married, she would be living with her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and other relatives day and night. She was actually a little nervous…

Mo Yi noticed this and sighed, "You think the house looks dilapidated now... but the original Mo family was even worse. The third branch of the Mo family moved out, which freed up a lot of space. The house I lived in the earliest... didn't even have a yard, and I never saw any sunlight all winter."

As she recalled, she said, "Back then, if my uncle had social engagements and didn't eat at home, the meals were very simple. Bean porridge, pickled vegetables, steamed buns, tofu, and in the summer there would be some green vegetables, but in the winter there would only be pickled radishes. At most, we'd add some salted eggs or boiled eggs."

While living in the Zhou family, Zhou Jiu and Li Xiangling only felt mentally depressed, but their quality of life was not bad.

The meals were exquisite, and all daily necessities were provided, so the Zhou family didn't need to prepare anything, including the silver charcoal for winter. On the appointed days, the Prince's Mansion would send them in ample quantities.

Therefore, they had no idea about the things Mo Yi was talking about.

The two of them were actually listening with great interest...

“Sometimes, my second brother and Mo Bao would also eat with us… They’re boys, how can they eat without meat? Especially Mo Bao, he’s the most craving. My mother would buy some braised meat, roast chicken, sausages, and the like to add a dish. But most of the time, she would put it on a plate and place it in front of my second brother and Mo Bao, only letting them eat it… We would just watch!”

She said this with a playful smile.

Zhou Jiu and Xiang Xiang's eyes widened in disbelief: Such a thing?!
If that were true... how could the Empress still be laughing?

"Actually, my mother isn't stingy. It's just that my third aunt... that is, Mo Yuan's mother, not only does she eat but doesn't buy anything, and she also complains... My mother got upset, so she simply gave the food to the boys and made her and Mo Yuan watch over it. My sister and I were implicated."

After saying that, Mo Yi laughed again.

Those things that once confused and saddened her can now be told as jokes. The days that happened a year or two ago now seem like many years ago.

Xiangxiang finally couldn't hold back anymore, "It can't be like this? Then...then Mother, and your aunts, are you very sad?"

Mo Yi thought about it seriously, "Actually, it's not so bad. Many ordinary families have this problem. When there's good food, it's reserved for the able-bodied men in the family. Women just take a backseat."

"Your mother once accompanied your maternal grandfather to a small county town for medical treatment. There were many people there who could only buy rice and flour and eat their meal after working all day and receiving copper coins." Zhou Jiu and Li Xiangling exchanged another glance.

"In their view, no trouble is more important than having enough to eat."

“My father’s generation had already divided the family property and each had their own house. It was my eldest uncle who wanted to take care of his two younger brothers, so they lived together. This way, they could save money and live a better life. In fact, it was my eldest uncle who was supporting his two younger brothers.”

"Ah Jiu, your mother-in-law has so little money, yet she has to manage the family's food, clothing, and shelter; it's truly exhausting. This shows that your parents-in-law have many commendable qualities. If it weren't for them, our two families would be in even greater difficulty."

"But, Ajiu, don't think that everything about the Mo family is good, completely different from the Zhou family. No, that's not true. The problems of the Zhou family also exist in the Mo family. Individual feelings may differ, but in essence, they are similar. As long as you are human, you will have desires. With desires, there will be struggles."

Power, wealth, and lust are the first things people will fight over. Then there are conflicts arising from personality clashes and differing ways of doing things, mutual comparisons, and unspoken selfish desires. Everyone is the same in these situations. If you can realistically recognize these things and control yourself, your mindset will be balanced, and you won't suffer unnecessarily. You'll also experience less heartbreak and disappointment.

Zhou Jiu and Xiang Xiang listened attentively.

“Think back to some of the people we know… like Feng Liniang, who let her ever-growing desires destroy the wealth she never dared to dream of.”

Zhou Jiu nodded. That was what she thought too!

“Your aunt is already leading your sister-in-law in handling things, which is a bit of a hindrance. Your uncle is the head of the family, and your second brother is his only son. Logically, if you married into the family, you should take on the role of your aunt. But your sister-in-law is the eldest sister-in-law of this generation, and her personality and abilities are more suitable for taking over this business than yours. Have you thought about these things before?”

"I... to be honest, I've thought about it a bit." Zhou Jiu put aside his shyness and said seriously, "You probably know that the Zhou family doesn't pay much attention to this kind of training. Especially our fifth branch... I've realized that, but no one teaches us, and no one supports us."

Speaking of which, it was only recently, while I was by your side helping out and also seeking advice from Consort Tian, ​​that I learned so much. I think it's great that my sister-in-law has taken over. From now on, I will continue to observe and learn as much as possible. There are few people in the family, but there will always be things I can do…”

“Yes.” Mo Yi nodded in approval. “When you have ability, you have confidence! With confidence, you won’t dwell on grievances or resentment…”

That's just how I am...

Mo Rushan today can be considered a rising star among officials.

At his only son's wedding, there were many people who came to congratulate him, and the social standing was much higher than before.

The gifts given were also quite substantial.

The entire Mo family courtyard was in an uproar.

Mo Yi had already organized a team to come and help.

Both the Zhuang and Wang families sent their own people. Several accountants alone came… collecting gifts, counting them, and keeping records. They were incredibly busy…

The banquet was held at the restaurant next door, and the Mo family added some fine wine and dishes.

They only serve tea, candy, and snacks at home. Just those are enough to keep them incredibly busy. Not to mention, with so many people coming, the outhouse has to be constantly cleaned…

Mo Rushan and Zhuang Shi, now officially parents-in-law, dressed up nicely, their clothes all newly made.

Zhuang's head was adorned with an unusual amount of jewelry, the bracelets jingling.

The beautiful jade on the mountainside was a gift from my second brother.

Now, in every gesture he makes, he exudes the imposing presence of a high-ranking official.

Especially those eyes, that smile, they were so unfathomable...

The wedding hall was set up in the living room. Since the bride had not yet been brought back, the male guests stayed there or went to the dining room to talk.

The female guests were escorted to the courtyard where the third family had originally lived. The house had been emptied and set with tables, chairs, tea, and snacks. The women, relatives of the Mo family, were together, and their laughter and chatter could be heard outside the courtyard.

The ladies and noblewomen who arrived... wrapped in silks and satins, adorned with jewels, exuding fragrance, strolled into this ordinary courtyard with an air of superiority. Although somewhat incongruous, it also possessed a unique charm...

The kitten won't eat... *crying*