There is a god in the sky

Chapter 399 Thoughts

Madam Xiao also came to a realization.

Aside from her unremarkable background, Shen Lan excels in everything.

If she didn't have a concept of social class, she would be very satisfied with Shen Lan as her daughter-in-law.

If the Zhao family incident hadn't happened, she might have found it hard to accept.

Having experienced a woman like Zhao Xuan, she understood that choosing a daughter-in-law meant choosing a family member, someone with whom one would live together in the future.

Who her parents are is not important; her character is more important.

Master Xiao stroked his beard and said, "In that case, our family should send a matchmaker to propose marriage another day."

"But she has no family, so who can I propose to? Why don't we invite her over for a visit, and I'll ask her indirectly?"

Madam Xiao had a lot of contact with Shen Lan and knew that she was not a girl who blindly followed the rules.

"There's no better time than tomorrow, I'll send someone to invite them."

Madam Xiao rolled her eyes at him, but still agreed, "Just say I'm not feeling well and ask her to come and take a look."

"Is Madam ill?" Master Xiao asked with concern.

"No."

The Xiao family has been through a lot lately. Madam Xiao doesn't understand the big events outside, but she's still feeling anxious and uneasy.

It's fair to say that in the past few months, very few businesses in Beijing have been able to have a peaceful life.

Now that the situation is largely settled, she can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

People tend to get tired easily when they relax, perhaps because their bodies haven't fully recovered.

Upon hearing that Madam Xiao was unwell, Shen Lan immediately brought her medicine box.

She made a separate medicine box, separate from the toolbox she used to keep her tools in.

The Xiao family began to close their doors to visitors. As soon as Shen Lan arrived, news spread that Madam Xiao was ill.

No wonder the Xiao family doesn't entertain guests.

However, the most talked-about topic is who Xiao Ji's fiancée is.

"Madam gave birth at an advanced age, which took a toll on her body. In addition, she hasn't been resting well lately and has been worrying too much, which has caused her to lose energy and blood. She just needs to replenish her energy and get more rest."

She didn't need to provide a formula for replenishing blood and nourishing qi; families like the Xiao family already had excellent formulas.

Madam Xiao sighed and said, "My health is getting worse and worse. Now I'm focusing all my attention on my child, and I haven't looked at the household accounts for a long time. I know Miss Shen is good at managing the accounts, could you help me take a look?"

Shen Lan instinctively refused, "Your head housekeeper should be able to look at the accounts, as should the young masters. How can I, an outsider, casually look through your account books?"

"I'm not afraid to admit it, but the servants always end up fooling their masters. As for the younger ones in the house, they run away faster than rabbits when they see the account books."

Shen Lan still didn't want to agree.

Each family's account books are private; what would happen if she saw them?

"How about this, consider it as me hiring you to be the accountant for my Xiao family. You just need to spend some time each month helping with the accounting. Ten taels of silver a month, is that alright?"

"Madam, the accountant outside isn't worth that much money."

“Aren’t you still in charge of the bookstore? You’re the head manager, so your wages can’t be calculated like those of an ordinary accountant.”

Shen Lan's monthly salary is actually quite substantial; it's more than enough for her to support herself.

Moreover, she has a considerable amount of savings.

But people never complain about having too much money, and she hasn't had much to do lately.

"Madam, are you really not planning to train a capable assistant at home? If your energy is limited, I can help train one or two people who know how to manage accounts."

Madam Xiao smiled broadly, "No need to teach me, you can do it yourself, I trust you."

This expression of trust made it difficult for Shen Lan to refuse further.

Moreover, she could sense Madam Xiao's goodwill.

"By the way, it's not very convenient for you to live outside now, why don't you move back in?"

"No, Lord Xiao is getting engaged soon. My status is different, so it's better for me to stay outside."

"Many people have come to propose marriage to him, but he doesn't like any of them."

Madam Xiao sighed, "My son has always been very opinionated. The woman we arranged for him before turned out like this. Now we just want him to marry a woman he loves. We don't care at all about her background."

Shen Lan's heart skipped a beat, sensing that Madam Xiao's words had a hidden meaning.

But will it be as she imagines?

Madam Xiao didn't beat around the bush with her. She took Shen Lan's hand and said, "You're a good girl, so I'll be frank. If you like my son, I'll arrange this marriage for him."

"This...this is your intention, Madam?"

"It was my idea, but it was also Xiao Ji's idea. He hasn't opened up to you about his feelings in all this time?"

Shen Lan blushed slightly and shook her head, saying, "I know Lord Xiao's feelings, but I still believe that I am not a good match for him."

Upon hearing this, Madam Xiao felt that there was hope.

"Are you worried that your family background isn't good enough for her, or are you worried that we won't agree?"

Shen Lan rarely opened up to Xiao Ji, but she had a desire to confide in Madam Xiao.

"Don't laugh at me, but my initial concern was that my family's grudge hadn't been avenged and I didn't want to drag Lord Xiao down with me."

She had also thought that her background was not a good match for the Xiao family, and that forcing them to be together would only make them resentful.

One cannot reach for things that are far away; it's tiring. To me, Lord Xiao is like a wise teacher and a helpful friend.

So you don't like him?

"I like him, but there are many things that come before love. If the Xiao family is willing to accept me, I will be happy if I marry him. If the Xiao family objects, then we will not be happy even if we are together."

The Xiao family is a powerful clan; perhaps the interests between husband and wife are more important than love. Don't you agree?

Madam Xiao had no rebuttal.

Wasn't her marriage to Xiao Zhengyang the result of discussions between the two families?

Fortunately, the couple gets along quite well.

Even so, she was heartbroken when Xiao Zhengyang took a concubine.

Shen Lan, despite her young age, saw things more clearly than she did.

Moreover, she has no burdens; she has no family behind her, and she doesn't need to sacrifice herself.

At this moment, Madam Xiao was once again reluctant for her son to marry her.

She is so calm.

If Xiao Ji betrays her in the future, she may leave without hesitation.

Madam Xiao always stood on her son's side.

But she was also reluctant to part with such a good girl.

She was also curious to see what kind of children such a girl would raise in the future; they would surely be outstanding as well.

"So what are your concerns now?"

Shen Lan got up and looked out the window, where she saw Xiao Ji leaning against a tree, having listened for who knows how long.

Their eyes met, and Xiao Ji smiled at her.

At that moment, Shen Lan knew that he would support all her decisions, whether she nodded or shook her head.

Is it because he doesn't love me enough?

Of course not, he gave himself the greatest possible freedom.

He never forces himself to make any decisions.

She looked at Xiao Ji and answered Madam Xiao's question, "My current concerns come from within. My mind is unsettled and I don't want to burden others with my own uncertainties."

Madam Xiao sighed, got up and left.

Shen Lan said to Xiao Ji, "Are you willing to wait for me for a year? After a year, I will definitely give you a positive answer."

Xiao Ji walked over, brushed his fingers over her head, and plucked a leaf from her head. "Okay."