The wind is gentle and the fun is endless

After returning from Mrs. Shen's birthday party, Huan Huan naturally didn't say anything, but she looked listless and listless. Even Xu Qu, who was busy all day and could only stay at home for a short time every day, could feel her low mood.

Xu Qu deliberately went out a little later that morning. Seeing Huan Huan casually fiddling with the food at the table without eating much, he couldn't help but ask, "Madam always has a good appetite. Is there anything wrong with you these past two days?"

Huan Huan listened but didn't answer. She tilted her head to look at him and asked, "Where's your husband? You've been so busy lately, what are you busy with?"

Xu Qu was stunned for a moment when she answered his question irrelevantly. Then, as if he had finally found an outlet for his worries over the past few days, he naturally sat closer to Huan Huan and replied, "I've been looking at lacquerware workshops recently."

He asked slowly and softly, "What kind of factory is it?"

"The factory is called 'Shun Ji' and has a history of sixty or seventy years, so it can be considered an old factory. It was originally acquired from another family. When it was acquired, it was just a small workshop, but now it has two to three hundred people. Every year, it produces a large number of lacquerware for the palace, and it also has stable big customers from all over the country." Xu Qu gave a brief account.

After listening carefully, he said, "It sounds like a well-run business."

Xu Qu nodded and said, "That's what it looks like on the surface."

"Oh? What about the actual situation? What's the problem?" Huan Huan asked with confusion.

Xu Qu said in a deep voice: "The master craftsman in charge is old, and there is no master with superb skills like him to take over his position. Several masters do not get along with each other, and factional disputes are rampant. The workshop is used to following the routine, and people are idle and lazy. At the same time, young apprentices with outstanding qualifications are difficult to be reused, and talented apprentices are often lost."

She slowly frowned and said worriedly, "So many questions. But you are also amazing, you can see so many things. Have you talked to your second uncle about these problems?"

Xu Qu said, "I did, but my second uncle said that everything was going well at Shunji and there were no problems. I was over-worrying."

"Is that so..." Huanhuan looked at Xu Qu. Although he didn't have any special expression, his eyes seemed to be a little frustrated and unwilling, which made Huanhuan worried. She muttered softly, "It seems that although Second Uncle has been in charge of the family's business for many years and is very experienced, he is also a little too mediocre..."

"That's right!" Xu Qu was a little surprised that his views gradually coincided with his own, and he couldn't help feeling a little happy.

Then he asked, "What about Madam? She seems depressed these days. Is there something bothering her?" Xu Qu's concern reminded Huanhuan. If he hadn't said anything, Huanhuan would have forgotten her own depression and what her aunt had said.

"Nothing." He shook his head slowly and said, "I just...feel that you are so busy every day, and I know too little. I hate that I can't be like...can't help you."

Xu Qu was obviously startled when he heard this, and there was a bit of surprise in his eyes. Then, he looked at her for a while with deep eyes, turned his head to think about it, and said in a very sincere tone: "You are happy to help me."

Huanhuan laughed after hearing this, with an expression of disapproval, shaking his head and saying, "How can you help others like this? This is too simple."

After that, Huanhuan and Xu Qu smiled at each other silently, kindness and care flowing between them. After a while, a few deliberate coughs were heard outside the door.

Xu Qu glanced at Youcheng who was pacing back and forth outside the door and said, "Okay, Madam, I have to go out. It's late today, and I won't be back for dinner tonight. But you have to promise me that you will eat well all day today."

"Don't worry!" He said slowly as he put a spoonful of West Lake beef soup into his mouth, and then looked at Xu Qu with a smile.

Only then did Xu Qu feel relieved and went out with Youcheng.

After chatting with Xu Qu, Huan Huan felt much more relaxed and her depression subsided. Then Xiao Yu came over and asked her if she wanted to go out for a walk with him.

Huanhuan asked curiously: "Hey, aren't you always too lazy to move? Why did you take the initiative to think of going out to play this time?" Xiaoyu answered honestly that Xu Qu had just asked her before leaving to spend more time with Huanhuan to relax.

Huanhuan heard this, smiled knowingly, and said, "Then let's take a walk in the mansion."

The weather was very good today. Huanhuan and Xiaoyu took a leisurely walk around the Xu residence, and finally stopped to rest in a pavilion behind a rockery. The warm sunlight shone obliquely into the pavilion, shining on the body, making people feel very warm.

Gradually, Xiaoyu fell asleep and slowly sat aside, seemingly gazing at the weeping willows in the distance, but in fact she was thinking about something silently.

Suddenly, there was a rustling sound, it was the sound of a broom sweeping fallen leaves on the other side of the rockery. Several maids were chatting while sweeping, and because of the noise of the broom, their voices were a little loud, and they could be heard clearly on the rockery side.

"It's the middle of the day now, some people are eating, some are sleeping, but that aunt is looking for trouble with us saying there are too many fallen leaves and insisting that we sweep them up now. Isn't this just looking for trouble?" said a complaining voice.

"That's right! It's autumn! The leaves are falling all the time, how can they be swept away? She is the only one who has too many problems!" Another high-pitched voice sounded.

"I think she is just idle!" an angry voice came.

"Idle? She is very busy! I heard that she has been writing letters and sending invitations recently, trying all kinds of ways to get Xie Bihua to come to her house. She was not embarrassed at all and kept going to look for her even after being rejected. I wonder what her plan is!" said a somewhat hoarse female voice.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Xie Bihua abandoned our young master back then, and now she would be too embarrassed to come to our Xu Mansion again if she has any dignity."

"Who says it's not true? But my eldest aunt doesn't think so. She has always liked Xie Bihua very much and always thought that only she is worthy of our young master. In comparison, the young lady's family background is so low, she feels unbalanced."

"I think the eldest aunt has missed the point. After all, the young master has an ear disease, and he and the young lady have a good relationship."

"After all, they are a wealthy family. It can't be as simple as we think."

"You don't know this. The truth is simple!"

"Hey, how come ivory comes out of your dog's mouth? When did you learn such a fancy word?"

"Pah, pah, pah, what a dog's mouth! This is what the young master told me once. Who are you calling a dog's mouth?"

"Ouch, I said something wrong, isn't it okay? I'll slap myself in the mouth!"

"If you ask me, the eldest aunt is a snob! The young mistress is such a good person, but she is always bullied by her just because her family has no background. I see her looking for trouble all day long. She is not idle, she is just bored!"

"You're absolutely right. She's just bored and has nothing to do. Hahaha..."

"Hahaha……"

Several maids were chattering back and forth, making it very lively. Xiaoyu, who was awakened by the noise, blinked her sleepy eyes and looked at Huanhuan. Just as she was about to say something, Huanhuan put her finger in front of her mouth and made a "hush" gesture to stop her. Then Huanhuan stood up and waved to Xiaoyu, asking her to follow her. The two of them went back to Xinyuan from another direction.

Back at Xinyuan, Xiaoyu asked Huanhuan in confusion, "Miss, what do you think the eldest aunt wants to find Xie Jin for?"

While slowly opening the closet and concentrating on finding something, he calmly replied, "We don't care about other people. We just need to do our own thing."

After rummaging for a while, she suddenly said "Found it!", then took out a bundle and weighed it in both hands.

Xiaoyu looked carefully and immediately frowned, saying, "Miss, are you going to that kind of place again?"

Huanhuan acted as if it was a matter of course and said, "Hey, Xiaoyu, let's be clear. We are going to sell rouge and do business. What do you mean by that expression?"

"But, Miss, it will be a big trouble if we are discovered." Xiaoyu muttered.

"It's okay, just be careful. We've done it so many times, nothing will happen. Be confident." He said slowly while patting Xiaoyu's shoulder.

"Miss, can I not go? I feel uncomfortable when I hear the tone of the people there speaking." Xiaoyu was still reluctant.

"If you don't go, how can I carry so many things by myself? Don't worry, I will reward you after the task is accomplished. Tell me, what do you want? How about the glutinous rice cake from Yuyuanzhai in the east of the city?" He asked slowly and tentatively.

"This..." Xiaoyu hesitated.

Seeing Xiaoyu wavering, Huanhuan immediately made the decision, "I'll buy you rice cakes and take you to the theater! It's settled! We'll set off in a moment."