Carrying the little lucky star, leading the villain on the road to exile

Chapters 647 and 648: The Study
The two ladies of the Bai family watched the siblings fooling around with smiles. The eldest sister-in-law was just being polite. Anyway, who wouldn't envy the relationship between the siblings?

Moreover, the eldest sister-in-law is very kind to the Bai family. She gives them the secret recipe without hesitation, and when they are unsure of what to do, she helps them solve the problem in no time.

Such a sibling relationship, free from rivalry and sordidness, with only mutual support, is something others can only envy.

Bai Suihe knew what kind of people her two sisters-in-law were. At home, they put their husbands first and managed the household affairs very well. Bai Suihe often muttered to Old Madam Bai that the Bai family had really struck gold.

The eldest sister-in-law doesn't cause trouble and often speaks well of her mother-in-law and husband. Naturally, they are grateful. When they encounter something good while traveling, they will think of their eldest sister-in-law. This way, the family gets along better.

Unlike those collateral branches and illegitimate children, who often fight to the death for a little bit of profit, resulting in bloodshed and making a laughing stock for everyone.

Now, even the father-in-law is getting a headache from all these concubines, so he shamelessly came back to live with his mother.

My mother-in-law was originally going to come along this time, but my father-in-law shamelessly wanted to come, so she simply decided not to come, so as not to spoil her son and daughter's good mood.

"Big sister, you should really teach him a lesson," Wu Shuzhen, Bai Jianbei's wife, said with a smile as she walked over, pushed Bai Jianbei aside, and took Bai Suihe's arm. "He's so irresponsible every day, and he loves to fight with the two children. I never thought he'd end up fighting with you."

Bai Suihe patted her hand, "Didn't your mother tell you before that you're in charge of the household? You have to take care of things. If he dares to resist, your mother and I will stand by you."

"That's why I've come to complain to my sister," Wu Shuzhen said with a smile. She also came from a merchant family, but her family's wealth was not comparable to that of the Bai family.

She thought her life would be difficult after marrying into the Bai family, but to her surprise, the Bai family were all kind people. There were no conflicts between the brothers and sisters-in-law, and the whole family lived in harmony. Her mother always said that she had fallen into a lucky nest.

“Since we’re all here today, go ahead and sue them if you want. We’ll deal with them together later.” Bai Suihe said, looking at her younger brother’s wife, Tian Xinya, “My younger brother shouldn’t be that unreasonable, right?”

Tian Xinya smiled and said, "My husband is very good."

In Tian Xinya's eyes, Bai Jiannan is a qualified husband, a qualified father, and a qualified head of the family; he is truly impeccable.

Bai Suihe smiled and pointed at them, "Alright, I, as the eldest sister-in-law, have done my job properly. Let's not delay any longer, or the food will get cold."

"When you come, please try it out and see if my food can compare to that of the restaurants."

Tian Xinya smiled and said, "I dare not compare. Many of the dishes in our restaurant come from you. You are the source of our restaurant."

"Look at that mouth, it's quite eloquent. It seems Jiannan has gained a capable wife."

The family chatted and laughed until they finished eating. Then, the two brothers followed Gu Kaiyuan to the study, while the women and children sat under the pavilion in the courtyard, looking out at the sea.

“The scenery here is still the most beautiful, eldest sister,” Wu Shuzhen said, leaning back on the soft couch. If anyone knew how to enjoy life, it was her eldest sister. Every time she came, there were new and interesting things. “This soft couch is really nice. Eldest sister, you have to bring some back for us later.”

"I've prepared everything for you," Bai Suihe said with a smile, watching the children playing in the yard. "They're so lucky to be here, carefree now." Tian Xinya replied, "It's only when they come to your place, eldest sister, that they can relax for a while. They have too much homework usually, but I know that Master is doing this for their own good."

Looking at them, Bai Suihe couldn't help but think of her two little devils. One of them had been doing quite well after being reformed on the deserted island, so she and her husband couldn't wait to send the other one there as well. She wondered how he was doing now.

There is a school there, built based on the teachings of later generations. Different courses are taught every day. A few days ago, news came back that the two children seem to be doing well and are gradually catching up with the other children.

“These are all necessary experiences for their growth,” Bai Suihe had previously considered letting her children take the imperial examinations, but after learning about the system, she, as their mother, backed down.

Confucian classics, policy essays, eight-legged essays, calligraphy skills, mathematical ability, etc., each level requires a great deal of effort.

If both children are academic geniuses, Bai Suihe would guide them without hesitation.

Unfortunately, those two little devils couldn't settle down at all, so Bai Suihe didn't force them. If it really didn't work out, as his sister said, he would just give them a territory to be their lords, so they wouldn't have to suffer those hardships.

“That’s right,” the conversation flowed easily when the topic turned to children, with all sorts of embarrassing stories and parenting tips. Once the conversation started, the initial awkwardness disappeared instantly.

In the study, as soon as Gu Kaiyuan sat down, he cut to the chase, saying, "You should also know about what's happening in the court."

The two brothers looked solemn. Although they were just merchants, the affairs of the imperial court were also closely related to them.

This time, some of their relationships disappeared from the court with the ascension of the new emperor.

However, they are businessmen and will not invest in a small group of people. They will invest in multiple areas, so the information can still be controlled.

“I’m afraid things will get turbulent from now on,” Bai Jiannan said. After years of hard work and experience, he has become a successful businessman and a steady head of the family. “I have already given orders to consolidate the assets, and some businesses can be closed at critical moments.”

However, the Bai family owns so many businesses that if they were to close down at the same time, it would have a significant impact on the entire Rong Dynasty. Therefore, countermeasures have already been issued, and the managers in each region will handle the matter accordingly.

"I've temporarily suspended operations at the seafood restaurants in the capital due to transportation difficulties, but other places will continue as usual." Now that the new emperor has just ascended the throne, although things have temporarily stabilized in the capital, the turmoil below has made those nobles less inclined to indulge in such culinary desires, so the closure of his restaurants there doesn't have a significant impact.

"So what's your opinion on tax increases?"

"I'm afraid the next step will be to impose taxes on merchants." Bai Jiannan knew that the new emperor was short of money, and it was only a matter of time before he would target them. He just didn't expect him to target agricultural taxes first.

“I’m afraid it’s more than that,” Gu Kaiyuan said with a smile, looking at his two brothers-in-law. “The Bai family has been quite prominent these past few years.”

The two brothers' expressions changed. They understood what this meant. Their eldest sister had mentioned it to them before, and they wanted to keep a low profile as much as possible. But with such a large business and such big moves, they couldn't afford to keep a low profile.

The two brothers asked in unison, "Brother-in-law, what do you think we should do?"