There was nothing more to say. This was simply her nature.
"Whether I fulfill your wishes depends on your performance!" a sentence concluded their conversation.
After hearing their dialogue, Fan Zehao looked down on Wang Hui from the bottom of his heart. Such a vain person was truly an offense to his eyes.
During dinner, Wang Hui also joined them. She took care of Zhao Jiaqi and tried to serve Fan Zehao, but he refused.
He had only promised to help his wife with this matter. He was truly not an ungrateful scoundrel who would upset his wife.
His actions led Wang Yuanzhi and Wang Hui to believe he was afraid of his wife, hence his avoidance. They were quite understanding.
After dinner, Wang Hui helped Zhao Jiaqi go for a stroll, while Wang Yuanzhi took Fan Zehao to the study.
They closed the door and talked for a full hour. Meanwhile, Zhao Jiaqi was conversing with Wang Hui.
"This afternoon, I heard you used to raise pigs and chop wood? But you seem to live quite comfortably, not like someone who has done farm work!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Hui scoffed, "That's because Madam hasn't seen the hardships I endured before. I did these things frequently. Only when I was ten years old did my life get a little better, and I stopped doing them!"
Ten years old, that was seven years ago?
Zhao Jiaqi feigned surprise, "Oh? Did your father start a business, allowing your family to afford meat?"
"More or less. I was young then. I knew Father ran into the mountains every day and came down with things in the evening. After a trip to the county town, we would have grain and meat, and he would buy me new clothes!"
Zhao Jiaqi committed these words to memory, pondering what Wang Yuanzhi carried in his satchel.
"What's in your father's satchel? Do you know? To be honest, I suspect your father dug up ginseng on the mountain and traded it at the apothecary for silver, which is how he bought you good food!"
Wang Hui covered her mouth and chuckled, "Not at all. I've seen it. It's a square black object. When lit, it gives off a pleasant fragrance!"
This statement surprised Zhao Jiaqi. She had assumed Wang Yuanzhi was carrying gold to sell and get silver, but it turned out to be something else!
She began to ponder what this black, fragrant item could be, but no matter how she thought, she couldn't figure it out!
As they walked a few more steps, the sky began to drizzle, and it started to rain. Forced by the circumstances, they both returned indoors.
Wang Hui, ignoring her own dampness, wrung out a towel to wipe Zhao Jiaqi, but Zhao Jiaqi stopped her, "I'm fine. You wipe yourself first!"
A seventeen-year-old girl, only about three years older than her own daughter, her crude understanding was a result of her parents' poor upbringing.
Children living in the countryside were quite hardy. If a pampered young lady were exposed to this much rain, she would surely catch a cold the next day.
It was said that guests would stay on rainy days, and today, it was as if heaven favored them. Zhao Jiaqi was quite pleased. She invited the young girl to stay for tea and a chat.
She hoped to glean some information from her.
With this thought, she poured tea and offered it to her, "My husband is usually quite boring. I'm the only one at home. You're grown now and have your own things to do. I have no one to talk to. When you enter the manor later, you must chat with me more!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Hui secretly rejoiced. Her joy wasn't about being able to chat with her, but about usurping her position as madam.
She didn't say much, but her face betrayed her thoughts. Such impatience truly made Zhao Jiaqi sweat with embarrassment.
"If Madam doesn't mind my clumsy speech, I would be very happy to chat with Madam!"
Her words were pleasant, but Zhao Jiaqi couldn't lie. "Why would I mind? It's just that once our identities change, it won't be as convenient to speak like this."
Zhao Jiaqi paused and continued, "As you know, there are many rules in wealthy households. If there are no rules, one will be laughed at. When you enter the manor, I will find a governess to teach you properly."
Seeing that Madam had clearly accepted her, Wang Hui wondered if this premature mention meant she was preparing her for "sleeping with the master."
Thinking of such a shy matter, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous, yet she dared not ask Madam how to conduct oneself for the first night.
"However, seeing your family is quite prosperous, your father must have hired a governess for you, right?"
"Not at all!" Wang Hui shook her head. "But he taught me some characters. I wasn't interested, so my father stopped bothering me and just told me to remember the characters on the banknotes. So, besides the characters on the banknotes, I don't know much else!"
Zhao Jiaqi frowned slightly. This... was she being neglected? Or abandoned? Or truly doted upon to the core?
Seeing Zhao Jiaqi's silence for a while, Wang Hui feared that Madam disliked her for not being literate. She quickly added, "Although I'm not good at writing, my needlework is excellent. I was specifically taught by a seamstress. I wouldn't dare say whose seamstress in this town is better than mine, but I can say that I'm among the best in town!"
"So, your embroidery is very good? Then, why don't you bring out a handkerchief and let me take a look!"
Speaking of embroidery, Zhao Jiaqi truly felt ashamed. Besides this skill, she had no other major flaws. But at this moment, someone claiming to be exceptionally skilled in embroidery couldn't help but make her a little jealous.
Upon seeing Wang Hui's embroidered handkerchief, Zhao Jiaqi gasped in surprise. She had to admit, this was a true handkerchief, while hers could at best be called a clean piece of cloth!
She had to admit, she was quite talented in this area, but it was a pity.
As Zhao Jiaqi handed the handkerchief back, she asked, "You're already seventeen, haven't any suitors come to propose to you?"
Wang Hui smiled shyly and replied honestly, "Yes, but I looked down on them all!"
"Those people were either from nearby villages, or from the town or prefecture's wealthy families. Among those with good family backgrounds, there were some acceptable ones, but they were all wastrels, not at all suitable matches!"
"There were also sons of landlords in the villages. Madam, you don't know, but the sons of landlords are not only greedy for money and lustful, but they also always want to reap where they haven't sown. They don't even look at themselves and want to eat swan meat. They are truly detestable!"
Look at her words, she detests them. If she knew that her own husband used to be a country person, living in extreme poverty and making a living by hunting, would she consider her husband a butcher who specialized in killing small animals?