CHAPTER 1528: CHAPTER 1528: CONFIDENCE

Zhulan could barely recognize Lady Yu. Lady Yu was so thin that her clothes hung loosely, and her complexion showed her illness. She knew that being sick often disgusted others, so she piled on layers of rouge and powder to appear healthier and sat away from the main seat.

Zhulan wasn’t one for such taboos. "I heard from Ning Ming that your appetite isn’t good. Here’s some fruit juice for you; have some sweetness."

Lady Yu’s taut nerves relaxed, and she gratefully said, "Thank you, Madam."

Zhulan noticed Lady Yu took one sip and then finished the whole cup; it was clear she genuinely liked it. She gestured for the maid to pour another cup. "If you like it, have more."

"It really is quite tasty."

Lady Yu felt a bit embarrassed and stopped after drinking the second cup, but she mentally noted the fruit juice to make it herself later.

Zhulan didn’t beat around the bush and directly asked, "You’ve come because of something, haven’t you?"

Lady Yu clasped her hands tightly. Though she had prepared eloquent words beforehand, none of them came out. But thinking of her son, she couldn’t let herself pass away without securing plans for him. "I don’t have much time left to live."

Zhulan froze for a moment. "Don’t be so pessimistic."

"The Imperial Physician already told me—at most, six months."

Lady Yu had wanted to hang on, at least until her son completed the imperial exam. But she couldn’t endure anymore, so she cared even more about her son’s marriage. Her mind churned with anger as she remembered her family sister-in-law’s words suggesting a union, yet opportunistically taking advantage of her. There was no way she could allow that.

Zhulan looked at Lady Yu’s calm demeanor, indicating she had already gone through the stages of regret. "Telling me all this means?"

"Ning Ming... after all, he’s someone you’ve practically watched grow up. Though he’s nothing like me, I know you don’t hold me in high regard, but Ning Ming is a good child."

Zhulan conceded this point; Ning Ming truly was a good child.

Seeing that Zhulan was willing to listen with patience, Lady Yu continued, "Madam, my time is running out. My husband has always been weak over the years and has gradually declined due to illness. After I’m gone, I don’t know how many more years he has left."

What worried her most was her son’s future. She had known her husband’s condition well throughout their marriage. Ever since her son turned seven, her husband and she had shared nothing but a bed for sleep. She feared, oh how she feared! That after she passed, her husband might have only a few years left, leaving her son without anyone to protect him.

As for the Ning Duke Residence, she had schemed before, only for it all to come to nothing. Her elder brother’s household was full of children—how could there be any resources left for her son? Her third uncle had already named his successor; she had no choice but to plan for her son herself.

Zhulan now understood Lady Yu’s intentions. "You’ve made plans. Does Ning Ming know?"

Being so directly exposed, Lady Yu clenched her teeth. If she didn’t speak now, she wouldn’t dare show her face here again. "He knows."

Zhulan thought to herself—this was Ning Ming disagreeing. Last time, when he gifted shrimp, it had come with a hidden agenda, yet the child hadn’t made any significant gestures. She sighed and remarked, "Marriage depends on fate."

Lady Yu grew emotional in her tone. "Madam, I don’t have much time left. If your granddaughter were to marry into our family, she would have no mother-in-law above her, nor would her father-in-law interfere in household matters. She would immediately take charge. My son is responsible; his temperament isn’t like mine. One of the young masters from the Hou Residence shares the same Academy as my son—they know one another well. My son’s character is good."

Lady Yu regretted deeply. If only she had known... she would still compete and maneuver for her son. Her only regret was that Zhulan didn’t have a good impression of her.

Zhulan said plainly, "Ning Ming’s character, I do trust."

Lady Yu released a breath of relief. As long as she didn’t affect her son’s prospects, that was enough. "During the family division, we received a substantial portion of property, and our household isn’t lacking in Silver."

"Neither is mine."

Despite the second wife growing wealthy later, the most affluent house remained the fourth. The fourth daughter-in-law had married in with the entire Su family in tow; her dowry, which was evident to all, was extravagantly generous. Among the granddaughters, Yu Wen’s dowry was the most abundant.

For this reason, the fourth couple was particularly meticulous about their only daughter’s marriage prospects.

Lady Yu was speechless.

Indeed, her family’s assets wouldn’t move Marquis Zhou’s household, and no one schemed against their family’s wealth precisely because they relied on the Ning lineage.

In the end, Lady Yu left without securing any answers, while Zhulan still had several fruits delivered back. These were exotic fruits that Chang Yi had brought back.

Zhulan shared Lady Yu’s proposal. "She did bring sincerity."

Declaring herself near death, predicting her husband wouldn’t survive much longer, promising immediate authority—it was indeed a significant gesture of sincerity.

Su Xuan was stunned. "She’s dying?"

"I don’t think she’s lying. There’s no benefit to deceiving us."

Su Xuan felt the need to process this information. It was too shocking. After a moment of reflection, she said, "A mother’s love—I respect that."

On the brink of death and still paving a path for her son’s future. Ning Ming needed opportunities to shine, but the Ning Duke Residence wouldn’t offer much help. If he wanted to excel, he did need a strong marital alliance.

Zhulan asked, "Have you and your husband decided not to have any more children in the future?"

"Mother, we’ve already discussed it and agreed not to. Of course, accidental circumstances don’t count."

The eldest sister-in-law had once claimed not to want children, yet an accident had led to Ming Jung’s birth. But she and Chang Zhi truly didn’t want more; two children were enough for them to handle.

Zhulan commented, "Just don’t regret it in the future."

Among the various households, the fourth had the fewest children, followed by the third. Lady Dong often wrote letters, frequently complaining about years of infertility and how people regarded her poorly.

Su Xuan had no regrets. Just as her husband had said, their household, aside from some extra Silver, had little to inherit. Two children were just right—they were less headache-inducing.

In Zhangzhou Province, Chang Zhong accompanied his niece’s husband to a village. Chang Zhong watched teenage children processing medicinal ingredients. "Is this how you process medicine?"

Liufeng nodded. "The kids are doing a good job processing the medicine."

Ming Teng inquired about the time left to finish and the Silver earnings this batch would bring, then asked, "Have you found reliable medicine merchants yet?"

Liufeng replied, "Someone from the Liu family visited. They’ll manage the purchase of all the medicine."

Ming Teng recalled hearing his uncle mention the Liu family briefly. Now understanding, he nodded approvingly. "Excellent—saves you trouble, doesn’t it?"

Liufeng was naturally delighted that Young Master Liu had come to Zhangzhou Province, making everything easier. "Indeed, the Liu family offers fair prices. Once this batch is sold, each household will earn Three Hundred wen money. When the final batch of more expensive autumnal medicine is processed, the yearly income will bring a bonus of Two silver taels."

For Zhangzhou Province’s people, this was a significant sum. Few households could produce even one tael of Silver; poverty reigned heavily.

Chang Zhong said, "The newly cultivated land’s yield is low. Once production increases, revenue will grow even higher. This is good—very good."

With Silver Coin in hand, the county would thrive rather than stagnate like a dead pond.

In the capital, Zhulan received Zhao Bo’s invitation. Zhao Bo’s wife was bringing their daughter and young son to the capital and wished to visit her residence tomorrow.

Zhulan sent back a response; she did wish to see them. She wanted to know how Zhao Bo’s daughter looked to inspire such confidence in the Zhao couple to bring her to the capital.