The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class

Chapter 135

The Little Demon King stood beside them like a clueless goose, his eyes wide as he devoured the juicy gossip.

Was Master Baili really going to adopt Auntie Hong as his goddaughter?

What about his brother?

Would his brother now have a grandfather too?

Zong Jincheng turned to see his brother, Zong Wenxiu, smiling faintly with happiness. Seeing his brother in good spirits, Jincheng’s mood lifted as well. He quickly sidled up to him and whispered, “Brother, does this mean you’ll be the legitimate son of the second branch now?”

Zong Wenxiu replied, “I suppose so...”

Truthfully, he had long grown accustomed to his status as a concubine-born son.

Apart from that one time at the hunting grounds when Wei Xinglu had taunted him, almost no one had brought it up again. And back then, his younger brother had chased Wei Xinglu for ages to avenge him.

Now, what mattered to him wasn’t legitimacy or illegitimacy, but the sense of stability. From now on, he could stay at the Marquis Manor for a long, long time, right?

Zong Jincheng was clearly thrilled, showing no signs of worry about being overshadowed. Instead, he exclaimed excitedly, “Congratulations, brother! You deserve the best!”

“Thank you,” Zong Wenxiu said, scratching his head sheepishly.

The two brothers’ harmonious bond was not lost on the elders. They remembered how, before their departure, the two boys had barely spoken to each other. Now, they were as close as real brothers, all thanks to their sister-in-law, Xu Wan.

After dinner, the Old Marchioness called Xu Wan over for a chat.

“Wan’er,” the Old Marchioness began, “I’ll be frank with you. I want to compensate them—Auntie Hong and Wenxiu. But I’m concerned it might affect how you’re raising Jincheng, so I wanted to discuss it with you first.”

“Affect ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‍me?” Xu Wan asked, not quite understanding what they had in mind.

Still, she seized the opportunity to voice her own idea. “Mother, I’ve been thinking lately that Jincheng still lacks a proper etiquette tutor. I haven’t found the right person until now, but I’ve noticed that Auntie Hong might be a good fit. I’d like to invite her to assist in teaching, with an additional one hundred taels per month. What do you think?”

The Old Marchioness was pleasantly surprised. “That sounds excellent. As long as you two agree, it’s fine by me.”

Xu Wan nodded. “Then I’ll go ask her right away.”

As she turned to leave, the Old Marchioness suddenly called her back. “Wan’er, there’s no need to be so formal. Steward Liu mentioned that the last time you took the boys out to eat at Zuixiang House, you paid from your own allowance. That’s unnecessary. You’re now the mistress of this household, in charge of all its affairs. The funds are at your disposal.”

The Old Marchioness was used to seeing noblewomen in power spend extravagantly. Having a daughter-in-law who meticulously accounted for every penny was a bit unusual, especially in a household as wealthy as theirs. It made Xu Wan seem overly cautious.

She later thought it might be due to Xu Wan’s upbringing. Life in the Xu family had been so difficult that it had left her wary of taking even the slightest advantage of the Marquis Manor’s wealth.

Xu Wan didn’t deny it, simply nodding meekly. “I understand. I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Mother.”

After seeing her daughter-in-law off, the Old Marchioness turned to her husband, who was diligently practicing his calligraphy. “Your handwriting is so terrible. Is there even a point in practicing?”

The Old Marquis stroked his beard and replied, “I’m just trying to understand what it feels like to write. Why is our son Zong Zhao so obsessed with it that he wants to take the imperial exams?”

He couldn’t comprehend his eldest son’s passion and had tried to see things from his perspective, but to little avail.

The Old Marchioness rolled her eyes. “Instead of trying to figure out Zhao’er, why don’t you help me figure out Wan’er?”

The Old Marquis scribbled another character on the paper and said casually, “What’s there to figure out? She’s just like the managers you’ve worked with in various industries.”

The Old Marchioness paused.

She had felt the same way but hadn’t quite put it into words. Now that her husband had pointed it out, it all clicked.

She quickly snatched the brush from his hand. “If you’re just going to doodle, why not help me come up with a plan? Zhao’er isn’t here to guide us. What if Wan’er decides to leave once she’s saved enough money? I want to entrust the entire Marquis Manor to her!”