Subsequently, Zhou Shuren started to calculate his options. He was not young anymore, but his sons were of the right age. Planning ahead, he understood that ancient renowned teachers could help avoid many pitfalls. Zhou Shuren was aware of his own shortcomings; his success in the imperial examinations couldn’t be replicated. He had the advantage of a modern perspective. However, his sons were different. Instead of trying to teach them directly, it might be better to find a renowned teacher to guide them in the traditional way, while he could offer his expertise in strategy.
In mid of the fourth Lunar month, Zhou Shuren finally ended his social activities and finalized his itinerary to go home.
Zhulan entrusted the courtyard to Wu Li Shi, though it should have been entrusted to Zhao Bo. Unfortunately, Zhao Bo went to the capital with his clan members to prepare for the imperial examination next year.
Zhulan’s quilt could not be taken back and had to be aired frequently, so it was finally entrusted to Wu Li Shi.
Now that Wu Li Shi had finished the work for the Zhulan family, she no longer had to help out, and her life was easier. She also believed that the Zhou family was their noble family, and was happy to help take care of their house for them.
The day before going home, Zhulan accepted the invitation of Wu Li Shi and went to the temple to worship Buddha. Zhou Shuren hired a carriage to take them there.
People in ancient times were superstitious, and there were always people worshiping Buddha in temples. Zhou Shuren and Mingqing offered incense, but the scenery in the temple was nothing special. She went out to see the scenery.
Wu Li Shi was familiar with the temple. She put incense and pulled Zhulan, “The master is very good at interpreting fortunes. Let’s go and ask for a fortune.”
Zhulan spirits lifted when it came to seeking plotlines for her novels; she was quite curious about what she might uncover. However, she decided not to seek a sign this time. What if it revealed something she didn’t want to know? She felt a bit guilty. Meanwhile, Mrs. Wu Li sought a sign, and the master sat very still, asking, “What are you seeking?”
Wu Li Shi said, “I am asking for my eldest grandson. To know if his future is bright.”
The master put down the signature and said, “With the help of noble people, you can overcome the difficulties and have a smooth future.”
The rest of the conversation wasn’t mentioned. Those who enjoyed good fortune in their official careers were the most frequent visitors to the temple. They had learned to speak in half-measures, as sharing too much information could bring trouble upon themselves.
Wu Li Shi recited Amitabha, and she thought to herself that it was indeed very effective, and she was even more convinced that the Zhou family was the nobles of their family, “Thank you, master.”
Zhulan was shocked. It seemed that the master was really capable, and she didn’t dare to step forward. Wu Li Shi left with Zhulan after she was sure that Zhulan didn’t want to ask for a fortune.
Zhulan told herself that she must not be curious about the master or ask for a fortune. Although modern people think it is superstitious, in ancient times there were still capable people who could read faces. Now that she had seen it, she warned herself not to be too arrogant. It was better to keep a low profile, and even to stay away from temples!
Two carriages went home, and after living in Pingzhou for almost two months, Zhulan bought a lot of things. There were five boxes when she came, seven when she came back, and one more box of Mingqing.
It was almost the fifth Lunar month, the snow had melted, and the roads were difficult to walk on. It was very muddy. Even if the day was getting longer, it was dark when Zhulan returned home.
She didn’t write a letter to the family in advance about when they were returning. When they got home, the whole family was having dinner.
As the carriage entered the courtyard, a crowd of people rushed out. Zhou Shuren had just helped Zhu Lan out of the carriage, but Li Shi ignored her younger son’s outstretched arm and instead, tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at her mother-in-law. She said, “Mother, you’ve finally returned.”
She finally knew how hard it was for her mother to take care of the family. She didn’t feel that the housekeeper’s rights were good at all. She only felt that her hair was falling out every day. As she counted the days, her mother-in-law was finally back. She didn’t have to worry about baldness anymore!
Zhulan took one step and Li Shi followed. If Zhou Shuren hadn’t looked so grim, Li Shi could have followed her back to the bedroom.
After she changed her clothes and came out, Li Shi immediately came over and said, “Mom, you have worked hard all the way. I will make whatever you want to eat.”
Zhulan was really hungry after not eating much at noon, “Bring out some white flour and make noodles with soybean paste.”
Li Shi quickly took out the spare key her husband had given her and said, “Mother, this is the key the head of the household gave me. Since you weren’t here, I used it to access the grain storage. Now that you’re back, I’ll return the key to you. Please, take charge of the flour distribution, as I’m not sure about the measurements.”
She originally worried that her mother-in-law would not come back according to the day, but before she could worry about food, her husband took out the flour. He gave her the spare key, saying that it was left by their mother when she left. If she didn’t come back on the specified date, she would use the key to open the grain room. Only then did she realize that even if her mother-in-law left, everything in the house would still be under her control.
Maybe, her mother-in-law had a lot of backup plans. She didn’t even dare to leave the house after getting the key, for fear that her mother-in-law would find out and come back to deal with her!
Zhulan didn’t take the key, “The key will be yours in the future. Mom trusts you, go get the flour.”
She made a spare key before leaving home, specifically for Li Shi. She had no intention of managing the food supply anymore, as dealing with three meals a day was truly a headache. She had made all the preparations, and she couldn’t allow Li Shi to back out of it now!
Subsequently, Zhou Shuren started to calculate his options. He was not young anymore, but his sons were of the right age. Planning ahead, he understood that ancient renowned teachers could help avoid many pitfalls. Zhou Shuren was aware of his own shortcomings; his success in the imperial examinations couldn’t be replicated. He had the advantage of a modern perspective. However, his sons were different. Instead of trying to teach them directly, it might be better to find a renowned teacher to guide them in the traditional way, while he could offer his expertise in strategy.
In mid of the fourth Lunar month, Zhou Shuren finally ended his social activities and finalized his itinerary to go home.
Zhulan entrusted the courtyard to Wu Li Shi, though it should have been entrusted to Zhao Bo. Unfortunately, Zhao Bo went to the capital with his clan members to prepare for the imperial examination next year.
Zhulan’s quilt could not be taken back and had to be aired frequently, so it was finally entrusted to Wu Li Shi.
Now that Wu Li Shi had finished the work for the Zhulan family, she no longer had to help out, and her life was easier. She also believed that the Zhou family was their noble family, and was happy to help take care of their house for them.
The day before going home, Zhulan accepted the invitation of Wu Li Shi and went to the temple to worship Buddha. Zhou Shuren hired a carriage to take them there.
People in ancient times were superstitious, and there were always people worshiping Buddha in temples. Zhou Shuren and Mingqing offered incense, but the scenery in the temple was nothing special. She went out to see the scenery.
Wu Li Shi was familiar with the temple. She put incense and pulled Zhulan, “The master is very good at interpreting fortunes. Let’s go and ask for a fortune.”
Zhulan spirits lifted when it came to seeking plotlines for her novels; she was quite curious about what she might uncover. However, she decided not to seek a sign this time. What if it revealed something she didn’t want to know? She felt a bit guilty. Meanwhile, Mrs. Wu Li sought a sign, and the master sat very still, asking, “What are you seeking?”
Wu Li Shi said, “I am asking for my eldest grandson. To know if his future is bright.”
The master put down the signature and said, “With the help of noble people, you can overcome the difficulties and have a smooth future.”
The rest of the conversation wasn’t mentioned. Those who enjoyed good fortune in their official careers were the most frequent visitors to the temple. They had learned to speak in half-measures, as sharing too much information could bring trouble upon themselves.
Wu Li Shi recited Amitabha, and she thought to herself that it was indeed very effective, and she was even more convinced that the Zhou family was the nobles of their family, “Thank you, master.”
Zhulan was shocked. It seemed that the master was really capable, and she didn’t dare to step forward. Wu Li Shi left with Zhulan after she was sure that Zhulan didn’t want to ask for a fortune.
Zhulan told herself that she must not be curious about the master or ask for a fortune. Although modern people think it is superstitious, in ancient times there were still capable people who could read faces. Now that she had seen it, she warned herself not to be too arrogant. It was better to keep a low profile, and even to stay away from temples!
Two carriages went home, and after living in Pingzhou for almost two months, Zhulan bought a lot of things. There were five boxes when she came, seven when she came back, and one more box of Mingqing.
It was almost the fifth Lunar month, the snow had melted, and the roads were difficult to walk on. It was very muddy. Even if the day was getting longer, it was dark when Zhulan returned home.
She didn’t write a letter to the family in advance about when they were returning. When they got home, the whole family was having dinner.
As the carriage entered the courtyard, a crowd of people rushed out. Zhou Shuren had just helped Zhu Lan out of the carriage, but Li Shi ignored her younger son’s outstretched arm and instead, tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at her mother-in-law. She said, “Mother, you’ve finally returned.”
She finally knew how hard it was for her mother to take care of the family. She didn’t feel that the housekeeper’s rights were good at all. She only felt that her hair was falling out every day. As she counted the days, her mother-in-law was finally back. She didn’t have to worry about baldness anymore!
Zhulan took one step and Li Shi followed. If Zhou Shuren hadn’t looked so grim, Li Shi could have followed her back to the bedroom.
After she changed her clothes and came out, Li Shi immediately came over and said, “Mom, you have worked hard all the way. I will make whatever you want to eat.”
Zhulan was really hungry after not eating much at noon, “Bring out some white flour and make noodles with soybean paste.”
Li Shi quickly took out the spare key her husband had given her and said, “Mother, this is the key the head of the household gave me. Since you weren’t here, I used it to access the grain storage. Now that you’re back, I’ll return the key to you. Please, take charge of the flour distribution, as I’m not sure about the measurements.”
She originally worried that her mother-in-law would not come back according to the day, but before she could worry about food, her husband took out the flour. He gave her the spare key, saying that it was left by their mother when she left. If she didn’t come back on the specified date, she would use the key to open the grain room. Only then did she realize that even if her mother-in-law left, everything in the house would still be under her control.
Maybe, her mother-in-law had a lot of backup plans. She didn’t even dare to leave the house after getting the key, for fear that her mother-in-law would find out and come back to deal with her!
Zhulan didn’t take the key, “The key will be yours in the future. Mom trusts you, go get the flour.”
She made a spare key before leaving home, specifically for Li Shi. She had no intention of managing the food supply anymore, as dealing with three meals a day was truly a headache. She had made all the preparations, and she couldn’t allow Li Shi to back out of it now!
