How did such immense wealth fall into my family?

Madam Jiang nodded. "Your aunt is not only smart, but also tough. You should learn from her."

"Oh. Great-grandmother, did you already know my aunt?"

"Yes. Your great-grandmother knew your aunt when she wasn't even as tall as a table leg. Back then..."

Over here, while feeding her great-granddaughter milk, Madam Jiang told her stories from the past.

On the other side, when the Duke of Jin returned, the Duchess of Jin asked, "What did Mother say?"

"My mother said I was a coward."

"You're pretty cowardly."

The Duke of Jin glanced at his wife. "You and your mother aren't cowards? If you weren't cowards, why did you wait until Qian Gousheng returned before letting Qian Shi take a concubine for Heng'er?"

"We...we..."

The Duke of Jin sat down in a chair. "You were all afraid that Gou Sheng would hold you accountable. That's why you waited until Gou Sheng came back before you spoke. And then you didn't even dare to directly give Heng'er someone, so you had Qian Shi arrange it."

"You didn't actually let the Qian family make the arrangements; you wanted to use the Qian family to gauge Gousheng's attitude. You've already chosen your people, haven't you?"

The Duchess of Jin refused to admit it. "You're talking nonsense."

The Duke of Jin took a sip of tea. “I’ve been your wife for so many years, and I’ve been a son to my mother for so many years. I know exactly what you two are thinking. Let me tell you, don’t go looking for trouble.”

"How can this be called making trouble out of nothing? Which noble son in the capital doesn't have concubines?"

Duke Jin took another sip of tea. "Then just give Heng'er someone directly."

"I...I just haven't found a suitable one yet."

"You're just being stubborn."

"I didn't."

"Why don't you just give Heng'er someone else if you don't have one?"

"I...I don't have time to chat with you. I'm going to pack Heng'er's things."

After saying that, the Duchess of Jin left.

The Duke of Jin smiled. If Gou Sheng hadn't reminded them, he might never have discovered his grandson was an imposter. Besides, Gou Sheng risked his life to save him as soon as he heard he was injured. Gou Sheng had been so good to him; how could he let Qian Shi suffer any injustice?
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, Xia Hua's wedding day has arrived.

Xia Hua was very uneasy.

Just as Gousheng was getting ready for bed, Xia Hua arrived. "Gousheng, your second sister wants to sleep with you."

"Okay." Gou Sheng patted the empty seat next to him. "Come on up."

"Hey!" Xia Hua took off her clothes and lay down next to Gou Sheng.

Gou Sheng hugged Xia Hua's waist. "Second Sister, are you nervous?"

“I…I’m afraid Young Master Xi won’t like me.”

Gou Sheng nuzzled his face against Xia Hua's neck. "You can't force feelings like that. Instead of wondering if he likes you or not, think about what gives you the confidence to back you up?"

"Confidence?"

“That’s right.” Gou Sheng looked at Xia Hua and said with a smile, “Your brother-in-law is a general with a large army, and your sister-in-law is the emperor’s niece.”

Xia Hua felt a little more at ease. "I was afraid I wouldn't have anything to say to him."

"If you have nothing to say, then don't say it."

"Uh...isn't this a bad idea?"

“There’s nothing wrong with that. He was the one who wanted to marry into our family. If he remembers, he should talk to you first. If he doesn’t remember, you don’t need to try to please him. It’s not worth it.”

Xia Hua bit her lip. "Okay. If I can't get along with him anymore, can we get a divorce?"

"Yes. I'll speak to the Emperor about it then."

Will the Emperor be angry?

"No." She found a bunch of prestigious people to be teachers at her academy. The combined reputation of those people should be comparable to that of Dean Nangong.

Xia Hua was relieved. "If he doesn't like me, I'll divorce him."

"Hmm. I heard your embroidery skills have improved again. Would you like to become a teacher at my academy?"

"Me?!" Xia Hua was surprised.

"correct."

"Can I?" "Of course you can." Rather than letting her second sister worry about whether Xi Huaizhou likes her, it's better to find her something to do. "I need a female tutor, so you'll be helping me out."

"What help do you need? I'm your second sister."

"Hehe... I knew you would agree. Let me tell you, besides teaching them embroidery, you can also teach them to read."

"How would I know how to teach others to read?"

"Why not? I have children too."

"I can handle the younger kids. But I can't teach them when they get older."

"I know. Let me tell you, besides teaching others, you can also listen to the lessons of other teachers." When your heart is full, you naturally won't be so dramatic about men.

The two sisters chatted for more than two hours before going to sleep.

The next day, Zhao saw Xia Hua with dark circles under her eyes and pinched her several times. "You brat, did you go to bed very late last night? Don't you know you're getting married today?"

Xia Hua dodged and apologized. "Mother, I was wrong. I'm the bride today, please forgive me."

"Hmph! You're such a troublemaker."

That night, when Xi Huaizhou lifted the veil, he saw his bride sleeping soundly.

Xi Huaizhou: "..." This girl is really bold. "Wife? Wife?"

Xia Hua scratched her ear. "Don't call me Mom, I haven't had any children yet."

Xi Huaizhou: I called you "wife"! "Xia Hua".

"Hey."

"Xia Hua, it's time for us to drink the nuptial wine."

"A toast...a toast?!" Xia Hua sobered up.

Xi Huaizhou looked at Xia Hua and called out with a smile, "Wife."

Xia Hua's face flushed red instantly. "I'm sorry, I'm a little tired."

Xi Huaizhou sat down next to Xia Hua. "Did you go to bed very late last night?"

"Yes. I don't know how to get along with you? You've read so many books."

"I won't try to be literary with you, don't worry."

"That's good." Xia Hua rubbed her face to clear her head. "Let's drink from the same cup."

"it is good."

After drinking the nuptial wine, Xia Hua took a deep breath. "Go to sleep."

Xia Hua encouraged herself as she got into bed. "My brother-in-law holds considerable military power, and my sister-in-law is the emperor's niece."

Xi Huaizhou: His wife is indeed Gou Sheng's sister; she's not coy at all. But, "Wife, aren't you hungry?"

Xia Hua froze instantly.

Xi Huaizhou wanted to laugh. "Wife, you should eat something."

Xia Hua blushed as she climbed off the bed. "You should eat some more too."

"Okay." Xi Huaizhou picked up a meatball for Xia Hua. "This meatball is quite delicious, you should try it."

Xia Hua blushed and stuffed the meatball into her mouth.

After finishing her meal, Xia Hua bit her lip and looked at Xi Huaizhou, saying, "I feel like we're from two different worlds. Last night I asked Gou Sheng if we could get a divorce, and Gou Sheng said yes."

Xi Huaizhou: "..." I should have known better than to ask her if she was hungry. "Wife, what do you mean by that?"

Xia Hua bit her lip again. "What I mean is, if you don't want to live with me, let's be a fake couple."

"and then?"

Xia Hua took a deep breath. "Then we'll get a divorce in a few years."

Sure enough. "Wouldn't you be at a loss then?"

Xia Hua glanced at Xi Huaizhou. "Losing money for a few years is better than losing money for a lifetime."

(End of this chapter)