Seeing this, Pingting said, "Sister-in-law, this is venison. It's nourishing and good for you. This morning, Mother sent me half of it, and I brought half of it to you!"
Zhou Qiangwei and Zhou Baihe looked at the sisters-in-law getting along so well, unlike the scheming and troublesome affairs in other households. They truly envied them.
Zhou Baihe said enviously, "The princess and the princess consort have such a good relationship. It's rare to see sisters-in-law getting along this well!"
"Of course, it's just that my kindness to my sister-in-law is not even a tenth of hers to me."
Who could risk their life to save her at a crucial moment?
In this world, she had only found her sister-in-law, her mother, and Fan Xudong so far. As for others... she had never thought about them, nor dared to.
Those who could die for her were also those she would risk her life to protect. Was it just good to give a little something to her sister-in-law as a filial gesture?
It was clear how superficial these people were.
Four women gathered together and put on a show. Baihe gave the letters written by Zhang Cuihua, Yu Meng, and Xiao Junjun to the princess consort.
Even her sister-in-law and father-in-law wrote letters to Pingting.
They informed her that everything was going smoothly at home. Wang Lifeng had further expanded the workshop and hired many people. A portion of the money earned this year was spent on expanding the workshop.
The Miracle Workshop was now more than twice the size it was before, and it was believed that next year's profits would be even greater.
The shops had earned much more this year than last year. Everything was running smoothly, and there were no unruly individuals in the trade city. The inner city was now bustling with people.
The children's letters were rambling narratives of the events of the year, ending with questions about when they would return, as they missed their parents.
In short, Zhao Jiaqi was almost in tears. She closed the letter, wiped her eyes, and gave a wry smile, "We'll bring the elders and children back next spring!"
Pingting felt the same. She wondered if her child would recognize her. Holding the one in her belly, she had something to look forward to, at least she wasn't missing them as desperately as her sister-in-law.
Zhou Qiangwei glanced at her trembling sister. Then she looked at the princess consort and the princess. If she didn't say anything, her sister wouldn't be able to speak.
So, she took the initiative to smile and told them some good news: "Fan Biao has taken a wife. He invited acquaintances to a meal in the summer, so she has officially joined the family. They didn't have a big ceremony!"
"Firstly, it was the period of mourning for the late emperor, and secondly, both of them had been married and had children before, so it would have been awkward to have a grand ceremony. They just had a simple affair!"
"Elder Uncle is married?"
"I have a mother-in-law?"
Both sisters-in-law were stunned and asked her in surprise.
Finally, Zhao Jiaqi turned her gaze to Zhou Baihe, "Madam Li, which family did my elder uncle marry into... the person?"
Zhou Baihe blushed, not daring to look at either of them. Instead, Zhou Qiangwei said, "It's the person standing before you. You can't call her Madam Li anymore, you have to call her Madam Fan."
One shock wasn't enough, and now another bombshell. Zhao Jiaqi and Pingting were so stunned they didn't know how to respond.
Zhao Jiaqi forced a smile, "It's... it's also good. Elder Uncle has been lonely for so many years, and now he has someone to accompany him. It's good!"
Pingting hadn't thought that far. Sister-in-law Li Qian was Zhou Baihe's biological daughter, and now her own mother had married her father-in-law. This... wasn't the relationship all messed up?
"Sister-in-law, isn't this a case of 'the water flows to the nearby field'!"
It sounded so much like what her sister-in-law had said about recycling waste!
Didn't her father-in-law fall into the category of "a rabbit eating grass from its own burrow"!
The situation was already awkward, and now Pingting had escalated the awkwardness even further, leaving everyone unsure how to respond.
Zhao Jiaqi coughed lightly. She accepted the situation relatively quickly, breaking the silence.
"Aunt, why didn't Elder Uncle and Tiantian come?"
Zhou Baihe felt a warmth in her heart when the princess consort called her Aunt. The princess consort had already accepted her.
"They were supposed to come back together, but they didn't know what the situation was here, and it's winter. They were afraid the child might get sick on the road, so they didn't come back. I came to scout the situation. If there's nothing going on here after the new year, we'll bring the children back to reunite with the princess and the prince consort!"
"Then, Mother-in-law, are you going back? It's almost the new year in a month. Why don't you just stay? Write to Father in the spring and have him bring the children back. You won't have to run back and forth, which is too tiring!"
The princess called her mother-in-law and was so concerned about her. This made Zhou Baihe extremely excited, and she quickly waved her hands.
"I'll leave in a day or two. Men don't take care of children as meticulously as women. We'll bring the children back in the spring!"
With the princess's acceptance, she no longer felt tired. The heavy weight on her heart was lifted, and she felt completely at ease, not only not feeling tired but also filled with boundless energy.
When Fan Zehao learned that his elder uncle had married Zhou Baihe, he twitched his face, "Our family has now become related to the Prime Minister's family. Do we have a backing in the capital?"
Zhao Jiaqi, who hadn't considered this aspect, was reminded by him. She smiled and said, "Indeed."
She lowered her head and counted on her fingers, "Look, among the civil officials, we have the Prime Minister. Among the military generals, besides you, we have Godfather Fang Jingchen, and the newly titled Empress Dowager. Our lineup is quite formidable."
Fan Zehao moved her fingers up two more, "The Minister of Personnel is Fang Mingjiang, and the Minister of Revenue is Song Fei. I promoted these two. They are also our capable generals!"
If she remembered correctly, this Fang Mingjiang was the Vice Minister of Personnel and the Godfather's nephew. His promotion this time was reasonable!
Song Fei was the Prime Minister's legitimate son. For years, the Prime Minister hadn't personally recommended him, also to avoid suspicion and the spread of gossip.
Instead, it benefited her husband, who took the opportunity to promote him. Zhao Jiaqi had to admire her husband's intellect. The intelligence of a man who had opened his mind was truly unstoppable.
In mid-December, Empress Dowager Yao Jingyun suddenly announced the matter of selecting new consorts.
Daughters of ministers, as long as they were between fifteen and twenty years old, could participate in the selection.
As this news spread, it soon created a stir in the capital and across Yun Country.
During the new year, carriages were still speeding along the official roads. Young ladies from all over the country were heading to the capital to participate in the selection two months later. Arriving in the capital at this time was purely for preparation.
They also got to see the prosperity of the capital and observe the most beautiful women on the streets.
The jewelry stores and clothing shops were the busiest and made a fortune.
Even the noble ladies of the capital were not idle, and even daughters from non-ministerial families were racking their brains to find a way to get involved.
Early one morning, someone came to the Zhenguo Prince's mansion to deliver a visiting card.
Dazhuang took a look. The visiting card had Fang Jingwan written on it. Wasn't this General Fang's younger brother?
He had followed the prince for a long time and knew how much the prince valued his godfather, so he couldn't directly turn the person away.
"Wait, this servant will go in and announce you!" Dazhuang closed the heavy gate again, blocking the prying eyes of those trying to scope out the prince's mansion.
He had a rare few days off and was planning to go to the mountains with his wife, but his plans were unexpectedly disrupted.