The Story of a Spoiled Daughter Raising a Husband

Otherwise, if it really comes time to leave this place and I want to do something simple or easy, I will be willing but unable. Looking at the somewhat bewildered expressions on their faces, I am worried that they might lose this idea because of what happened before.

But I also trusted my previous understanding of them, so I sat there calmly, just wanting to wait quietly for them to sort out their thoughts, hoping that they could make the right choice, one that would also surprise me, in the process.

The three Li brothers were confused by Tong Qian's sudden words and didn't know what she wanted to say. However, given the terrifying experience they had just had, they didn't dare to ask any more questions at this moment.

All she could do was follow the line of thought that Tong Qian had given her and quietly ponder what she wanted to hear, or rather, what she wanted to hear herself say. Even so, she was unsure what kind of result would be the most anticipated.

After a moment, Li Ziyi said calmly, "Miss Tong, may I ask why you asked about this? Is there something we did that you're not satisfied with, or do you have some other considerations?"

As soon as Li Ziyi finished speaking, Li Zichen and Li Zirui looked up at Tong Qian, wanting to hear her thoughts.

Seeing how cautious the boys were, Tong Qian shook her head. "You really don't need to overthink it. I've already told you all the reasons. Based on your understanding of me, even if you can't guess what I'm thinking, you should at least be able to make a guess. Just tell me your thoughts without worry."

The group listened, exchanging hesitant glances, unsure of Tong Qian's intentions. After a pause, Li Zi said, "Miss Tong, putting everything else aside, we do indeed hope to get out of here."

"Don't misunderstand. It's not that we want to abandon our younger siblings. It's that we want to go out and find something more suitable for us to do, to become strong enough so that we can support them. That's the best way to help them. After all, even if you help us now, Miss Tong, we can't keep relying on you forever as we get older."

“Even if you don’t think there’s a problem, we still feel bad about it. Besides, even if your younger siblings don’t know, we know that our presence has already caused you some trouble. Many people here are talking about you because of us. Even if we wanted to explain, we’re afraid that it would make them look down on your younger siblings again, so…”

As he said this, he looked at Tong Qian with unwavering determination and continued, "Actually, we don't know what we can do, or what we can do to accomplish what we want. But we do know that during this period, what we should do is help you do what you want to do. We can talk about the rest later if there is an opportunity."

When Tong Qian heard his consideration, it was indeed what she had expected. Ever since she met Li Ziyi, he had always played the role of someone who always considered his younger siblings. The fact that he still had the same idea at this moment proved his choice. However, she didn't say anything and just waited for them to speak.

Although Li Zirui was the youngest of the three, he was relatively thoughtful in his considerations. Seeing Tong Qian's gaze, he remained calm but also showed a hint of anticipation. Without waiting for his second brother to speak, he interjected:

"Sister, actually, we all think the same way, but I guess what you want to hear is not just what it seems on the surface. It is understandable that eldest brother cares more about his younger siblings, but what I want to say is, if you don't mind, I know that young master Xiuping is currently preparing for the imperial examination."

Seeing that she didn't seem displeased by what he was saying, he boldly said, "What I'm thinking is actually quite simple, and it's quite suitable for our current situation. Since he's going to enter officialdom, there will inevitably be some backstabbing and intrigue in the court. When he first enters officialdom, he certainly won't have many colleagues with whom he has a good relationship."

"So we need someone trustworthy to help us, but as you know, it's probably too late for us to learn the imperial examinations now. Besides, we haven't learned anything since we were little, and our abilities are about the same as our younger siblings, so we really can't do those things."

"So I don't know what my eldest and second eldest brothers are really thinking, but I think that if I have the opportunity, I can study with a martial arts teacher for a period of time. If I have the chance later, I can join the army and also have the ability to protect my younger siblings."

“I know that we won’t get any opportunities when we first join the army, but Young Master Xiuping is only just beginning. If we can catch up now, we should be able to become his strength when the time comes.”

Tong Qian smiled and nodded when she heard Li Zirui say this. Although what Li Zirui said was the most important thing to consider at this stage, it was also the last thing she wanted to do, to let them be bound by the status quo. And the direction that Li Zirui was talking about, which was not really a direction, gave her a refreshing feeling.

This gave me a new idea: my departure was inevitable, and I couldn't take the teahouse and drama troupe with me. If I wanted trustworthy people, I needed to take them with me. Besides, no matter how much money I had, it wouldn't last until I started all over again. It seemed I had to think of other ways.

On the one hand, she could determine where to go in the future, and on the other hand, she needed to prepare enough money. Most importantly, she needed to find something to do. Even with these thoughts in mind, seeing the unease in their eyes, she didn't say much. Instead, she turned her gaze to Li Zichen, wanting to hear his opinion on the matter.

Li Zichen actually shared the same thoughts as his older and younger brothers, but seeing that she hadn't said anything, he didn't know what her opinion was.