Giving Her Money
"Miss, why is she acting like this?" Fushu was very dissatisfied with Xu Xi's attitude. "Why is she so indifferent? In this whole mansion, who else but you would pay attention to her? Look at how arrogant she is."
Zhao Ruyu sighed softly, "It's because of me that she had to stay in that kind of place for over ten years. Isn't it understandable that she hates me?"
"How can you blame the girl? It wasn't her own choice. If she has anyone to blame, it's her foster mother." Fushu was loyal to Zhao Ruyu and naturally sided with her mistress.
Looking in the direction Zhao Ruyu was heading, she asked again, "Are we going back already? How are we going to explain this to Madam?"
"Just tell the truth. If the old lady doesn't summon me, why would I go to her? What good would it do me?" Zhao Ruyu smiled. "It's just a few words of admonishment from the old lady; it's not like I haven't heard them before. Just listen."
"Once the list of successful candidates from the Capital Women's Academy is published, and the young lady's name is on it, let's see if Madam will still dare to scold her so easily." Fushu's face showed an expectant look.
Although Zhao Ruyu did not speak, a hopeful light shone in her eyes.
She was reborn a month ago, and all her energy since then has been focused on obtaining her identity documents. After trying many methods, she realized that she would basically not be able to get the documents without going through the old lady and the first lady. So she simply tried to attract the attention of the second young master of the Marquis of Pingnan in advance, so that the old lady and the first lady would pay attention to her.
After her true identity was revealed, she subtly expressed her concerns to the old lady, worried that the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence would look down on her background, and revealed her desire to apply to the Women's Academy. Although the old lady did not believe that she could really pass the exam, she still obtained an identity document for her.
The day before yesterday, she successfully took the entrance exam for the Women's Academy.
The old lady was worried that she would be laughed at if she failed the exam, so she didn't tell anyone except the first wife before the results came out.
But Zhao Ruyu herself knew that she was certain she would pass the exam.
In her past life, she married the second son of the Marquis of Pingnan and later became the Marquis's wife. She knew a little about the format of the entrance exams for the Women's Academy. Although the questions were different every year and the format was unpredictable, making it impossible to prepare, anyone who paid attention could always find a clue.
Besides character, the Capital Women's Academy also has high requirements for academic achievement. In her previous life, she had devoted a great deal of effort to her studies in order to win her husband's heart, and among the noble ladies of the capital today, she is now considered outstanding. It's just that she hasn't had the opportunity to show it yet. But with her talent and knowledge of the exam tricks, getting into the Capital Women's Academy shouldn't be a problem.
She was very confident.
She will definitely live a better life in this one than in her last.
At this moment, Xu Xi was drinking tea and eating snacks in the old lady's courtyard. The Marquis's mansion had a chef who made snacks that were much better than the ones she had bought when she went shopping with Xu Yongyi and his daughter that day. The ingredients were of high quality, the workmanship was exquisite, and there were many Xu Xi had never tasted before.
The old lady has now figured out Xu Xi's personality. It seems this child responds better to gentle persuasion than force. The Xu Yongyi family treated her well, and she still harbors feelings for them. But Lady Wei treated her badly, showing her no respect even to her own mother.
So no matter what she was thinking, on the surface she was incredibly kind to Xu Xi, letting Xu Xi eat whatever she wanted and asking her about her childhood in the Xu Family.
Fortunately, Xu Xi retained the original owner's memories and wasn't afraid of being questioned. She talked about her life in the county and the village, recounting how good the Xu Family had been to her, which further convinced the old lady of her suspicions.
At this moment, the First Madam also entered, smiling as she said to Xu Xi, "I've had someone prepare Tea Tasting Residence for you, near the Old Madam's courtyard. The courtyard is rather small, so please make do for now. Go and check it out later, and if you need anything, I'll send someone to get it for you."
Xu Xi had already stood up when she came in, and upon hearing this, she quickly curtsied and said, "I'm sorry to trouble you, Ruxi."
"Sit down, sit down and let's talk." The First Madam took the tea handed to her by the maid and sat down to drink tea and eat snacks together.
Thus, the conversation expanded from two people to three, and the atmosphere became increasingly relaxed.
After talking for a while, the First Madam became increasingly surprised.
Whether a person is knowledgeable or not can be known simply by listening to what they say; it's something that can't be hidden.
From Xu Xi's words, it can be inferred that although this child may not be particularly talented, she is very knowledgeable and has a very broad perspective. She can chime in on anything you say, and she doesn't seem like a child who grew up in the city or the countryside at all.
"Miss Xi, how do you know all this? Did your adoptive parents take you to many places?" the First Madam asked.
Xu Xi smiled and said, "I enjoy reading travelogues and writings about all sorts of anecdotes and interesting stories."
"I see." The First Madam and the Old Madam exchanged a glance, then the First Madam gestured to her Daya.
The maid handed a purse to Xu Xi.
The First Madam said, "You'll be reporting to the academy tomorrow. This is your tuition and other expenses from the manor."
She gestured for Xu Xi to open it. Xu Xi emptied the contents of the purse. Inside was a silver note, five silver ingots, and some loose silver.
The First Madam continued, "The silver note is one hundred taels. Keep it on you for protection, so you won't be caught unprepared if you urgently need money. The silver ingot is two taels each, totaling ten taels. Go to the academy tomorrow to pay your tuition and other fees; six taels should be enough. The remaining four taels are your monthly allowance for the next half month. The loose silver pieces also total two taels, which are for your pocket money or tips."
This hundred taels was a decision she made after discussing it with the old lady.
The household was running a deficit, and they had spent a lot of money making jewelry and clothes for Xu Xi. If Xu Xi didn't go to school, they would give Xu Xi a maximum of fifty taels of silver to live on, and at other times they would only give her her monthly allowance.
The reason for giving her fifty taels was that the other sisters had accumulated seventy or eighty taels of silver from the red envelopes they received during the New Year since they were young. Whether it was for buying something or celebrating a sister's birthday, they wouldn't be without any money. Xu Xi hadn't been able to enjoy the benefits of the Marquis's mansion all these years, so it wouldn't be right not to give her some money to keep her safe.
They offered the Xu Family one hundred taels of silver as a token of their gratitude, but the Xu Family refused. Xu Xi was about to leave for school, and with so little money, people would not only laugh at her, but also at the Marquis's mansion.
So after discussing it with the old lady, the first wife decided to give her one hundred taels of silver.
Lady Zhu looked at Xu Xi and said, "Normally, the young ladies in the manor receive four taels of silver per month. Since you're studying outside, your expenses for writing materials are higher, so the manor gives you eight taels of silver per month. There's still half a month until the next monthly allowance, so I'll give you four taels for now. If you have any major expenses, just tell me, and I'll give you more."
"Thank you, Auntie." Xu Xi stood up to express her gratitude.