Noble Lady

"Rou'er, now is a time of great trouble. You should go back and settle down as soon as possible."

"But……"

"Let's go back."

Ji Minrou gave him a resentful look, looking back every few steps unwillingly.

Although He Minzhi also wanted to do so, he had been through a lot of quarrels since he came back, and he had been running back and forth to see a doctor, which was extremely physically demanding. He was really too tired to have such thoughts.

He has more important things to deal with at this time.

Although He Minzhi is ignorant of the sufferings of the world, he is not stupid.

The family's money is running out, and his mother's health is deteriorating. If he can't find a solution as soon as possible, He Ruyi and Mao Cuihua's wedding will be delayed, which will be his biggest loss.

So after much thought, he decided to go look for Zhang.

After all, there are only three elders left in the family, and my mother is sick from anger, so the only ones I can turn to are my second uncle and my second aunt.

Second Aunt is a capable housekeeper and might be able to give him some good ideas.

But it was too late today, already the second half of the night, so he asked Shitou to prepare hot water for a bath and quickly finished today's work.

The next day he got up early and wrote a letter asking for leave.

Then he tidied up a bit and hurried to the second room.

At this moment, the two sons of the He family were about to go to the academy for duty when they were blocked at the door by He Minzhi.

"Second brother, third brother."

"I've met brother."

He Minde and He Minxing paused for a moment, then quickly saluted him.

"No, no, there's no need to be so polite, my two brothers. We are all brothers." He Minzhi rarely tried to get close to others.

But He Minde and He Minxing had received instructions from their mother Zhang last night, so they didn't dare to accept his kindness easily.

"Don't be like this, big brother. Just tell me what you want."

"We both have no official positions, and you are a seventh-rank editor in the Imperial Academy, a person who has entered the cabinet in one step. We dare not approach you."

The two brothers hurried on.

Both brothers only had the title of scholar, and they did not continue to study. Now they are just teachers in the academy.

Regardless of his ranking in the family or his official position, He Minzhi had to perform the ceremony.

Besides, there's no such thing as a visitor without a reason. Someone like He Minzhi, despite his obvious status, still feigns modesty. That's definitely not a good thing.

He Minzhi: “…”

He only knew that the people in the second house were afraid of the first house and would avoid them to some extent, but he didn't know there was such a disadvantage.

Seeing that his polite gestures weren't working, he got straight to the point. "My two brothers, I'd like to see Second Aunt. I wonder if she's feeling better. Is it convenient for you?"

He Minde sighed when he heard this: "I heard about my aunt's situation, but our family is powerless to do anything right now."

"From mother to sister and your two younger siblings, everyone has fallen ill. I didn't even have money to hire a doctor yesterday, so I had to borrow money from the academy."

He Minxing then said, "Brother, it's not that we don't want to help you. You know, my second brother and I don't have any skills. We haven't learned any of our grandfather's abilities."

"You are the only one in our He family who is gifted and has the opportunity to become a prime minister. If we both had some talent for studying, we would definitely be taking exams right now, and we wouldn't be teaching in a college."

"That's not what I meant. ..."

He Minxing didn't give him a chance to speak, and said directly, "My aunt asked my mother to be the housekeeper because she had high hopes for her, but she didn't expect the result to be like this."

"Mother is filled with regret, which is why she's so exhausted and worried that she's become ill. Last night she was talking nonsense, saying she shouldn't have taken over the burden of the household."

He Minde saw this and quickly said, "Brother, you are great, and Auntie is also a capable person. We all believe that you will be able to arrange Ruyi's marriage."

"Let us apologize on behalf of our mother here."

The two brothers apologized sincerely, bowed their hands and said sorry seriously, then suddenly realized that it was getting late and they had to go to the academy, and then left in a hurry.

He Minzhi: “…”

Looking at the second house's yard, he didn't know whether to go in or not.

My second uncle is the county magistrate in a small county town in a remote suburb. He doesn't come back every day. He only has time to come back to visit during his one-month leave.

So once the two brothers He Minde and He Minxing left, there were only women in the courtyard of the second house, and it was not convenient for him, a grown man, to barge in.

Now I am at the door, unwilling to go forward or retreat.

Thinking of this, he simply asked Shi Tou to go and find Ji Minrou.

There is only a yard for female members, so it is more convenient for women to enter.

Soon Ji Minrou came and promised him solemnly that she would be able to convince Zhang.

He Minzhi naturally believed her promise.

But after a while, Ji Minrou was driven out by He Shuang.

"My mother is already ill and talking nonsense in the middle of the night. Even though she's like this, you guys won't let her go?"

"If it weren't for my aunt insisting that my mother be the manager, how could everyone in our second branch fall ill from overwork? Now, even the money for medical treatment has to be borrowed from the academy."

He Shuang who said this also looked sick. The girl who usually seemed lively and energetic now looked pale and looked like she could be blown down by a gust of wind.

"This, this is not because of me..." Ji Minrou instinctively wanted to curse back, but when the words were on the tip of her tongue, she remembered that He Minzhi was just outside the yard.

Then he put on his bullied, tearful expression again: "It's fine that my third cousin didn't want me to see the second old lady, but why did she say such hurtful words?"

"When my second cousin marries into the Cui family, the He family will rise to a higher level. Wouldn't your second branch also benefit from it? Maybe your two brothers can even get official positions."

"Why do my cousin and aunt have to shoulder all the hard work? Isn't it your responsibility as the second branch to contribute?"

"Don't use that excuse. Do you really think I'm a three-year-old who's so easy to fool? You're still talking about taking advantage of me, but I don't think I've gotten any advantage at all. I'm the one who got into trouble because of you guys."

He Shuang coughed weakly a few times as she spoke, and then asked the "only" healthy mother in the second house to come out and drive her away.

He Minzhi heard their conversation outside.

He agreed very much with what Ji Minrou said. Since they were members of the He family, they had to share happiness and difficulties. Why did the Second Aunt and her family live under the protection of him and his mother for so many years?

Moreover, if Ruyi marries Cui Hua, she will be able to win over the Second Master Cui of the Xue family's East Mansion. By then, not only will his career be greatly improved, but the future of his second uncle and two cousins ​​will also advance by leaps and bounds!

But they are so short-sighted that they can only see the difficulties at hand.

If it were before, he would definitely have the nerve to let Ji Minrou come back and then turn around and leave.

But today, he has no other choice.

He would not give up until he saw Zhang. After all, Zhang had lived many more years longer than him. Even if she had no experience in housekeeping, she must have a lot of experience in the affairs of the rear house.

She must know where to get the money, otherwise she wouldn't have fallen ill at such a time.