The Story of a Spoiled Daughter Raising a Husband

"Qian'er, do whatever you want to do. Even if something unexpected happens later, come back to me and your brother Xiuping will help you."

Tong Qian didn't want to dwell on the matter any longer, so she nodded slightly and obediently agreed to his words. However, she decided in her heart that she must try to change Ji Xiuping's mind from time to time in the future, otherwise, if she said something inappropriate later, she wouldn't be able to scare him.

After straightening up, he said to Ji Xiuping, "Brother Xiuping, as you know, I have to go to town from time to time to check on how the teahouses are doing. At the very least, I need to make sure that after I give them the scripts, they get the rightful share of the profits. And you're already studying with Master Qiu. From now on, we'll be spending most of our time in town."

After hearing Tong Qian's words, Ji Xiuping was slightly startled. He had only thought that the girl's personality had improved, but he had not expected that her ambitions had also grown.

Previously, he could afford the things she wanted, but this time, if her thoughts were exactly as he suspected, he simply couldn't afford them.

Ji Xiuping was in turmoil, but Tong Qian kept talking while watching Ji Xiuping's slightly changed expression, though she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Without any hesitation, she continued, "Brother Xiuping, as you know, I had a plan to buy a courtyard house before, and we had already discussed it. But to be honest, I was really happy that you supported my idea at that time."

Upon hearing this, Ji Xiuping sat down properly opposite Tong Qian and looked at her earnestly. "Qian'er, I still stand by what I said before. You can do whatever you want without worrying about my feelings. As long as you're happy, I'll be happy too."

As he said this, he couldn't help but frown, as if he was thinking about something, wanting to say something but unable to make a decision.

Tong Qian looked at Ji Xiuping's hesitant expression and was trying to figure out what he wanted to say. But before she could sort out her thoughts, she heard Ji Xiuping's voice.

"Qian'er, although I know you want me to study under Master Qiu for my own good, it is still an expense. If you really need it, then I won't study under him, and we can save some money to buy a courtyard that you like."

Tong Qian hadn't expected him to have this idea, and she felt a surge of disappointment. No matter how much she needed money, she would never use his academic career as an exchange. Because of her previous burdens, he had already fallen far behind. If she were to let him give up so easily because of some money, she would feel even more guilty.

With emotions surging within him, he spoke with unusual seriousness, “Brother Xiuping, I will only say this once. If I ever hear you say again that you want to give up studying with Master Qiu and interrupt your path to the imperial examinations, then I will never forgive you, and I will definitely leave this place so that you can never find me again.”

"You may not pass the imperial examination, or you may not be given important positions because of poor grades, but you cannot give up on your own initiative because of those unnecessary things."

Having said that, she stared at Ji Xiuping with a cold gaze, as if she would be furious if he dared to utter a single word of dissent.

Looking at Tong Qian these past few days, Ji Xiuping suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness. In many things, her thoughts were clearer than his own, and she was also more organized in handling certain matters. The abilities she displayed were things that he did not possess.

Before, she was the one who relied on herself to make a living, but now, it seems like everything is reversed. It's me who is relying on her. Although I do want to take the imperial examination, I really don't want to prevent her from doing what she likes because of my own situation.

I wanted to say something more, but seeing her like this, I had no choice but to keep quiet. If it were before, she would have just been throwing a tantrum and I could have easily coaxed her. But now, I had no doubt about the credibility of what she was saying.

After a pause, he understood Tong Qian's thoughts. If he couldn't pass the imperial examination, he would never be able to leave this place. If he stayed here, he would never be able to get rid of those established labels. Since she wanted him to persevere, he would never give up no matter how difficult the road ahead was.

"Qian'er, since you've said so, I'll definitely listen to you. I'll study hard under Master Qiu and I certainly won't let you down. But the only money we have left is what I gave you before. I'm afraid it won't be enough to buy the courtyard you want. Unfortunately, I can't think of any way to help you right now."

Seeing his determined look, Tong Qian breathed a deep sigh of relief and thought to herself: He finally figured it out himself. If he had insisted, I would have had to spend more time trying to persuade him, which would have taken up a lot of time. I really don’t have the energy to plan those trivial matters.

“Brother Xiuping, it’s best that you think this way. The money issue can always be resolved. Besides, we have the teahouse’s share now, and they still need me for the scripts and rehearsals. So, although we don’t have a lot of money right now, it’s almost enough. You don’t need to worry about that.”

"What I really want to say is that I have already chosen a suitable courtyard. Not only is it not far from Master Qiu's house, but it is also just the right distance from the teahouse. I think it is relatively convenient."

Looking at her so composed, a far cry from the stammering she had just been due to fear, Ji Xiuping couldn't help but sigh: This girl has truly grown up and changed a lot.

Tong Qian didn't care what Ji Xiuping thought and continued to express her own ideas: "I think the layout inside is quite suitable, so I've decided that I want to buy it in a few days."

"We'll just need to buy a few more things later. We'll stay in the town's courtyard most of the time, and come back here if we need anything special. That way, it won't interfere with our daily lives."