Quick, female general, I traveled through time to save my father

Chapter 341: The Mother of the Bomen Raises Her Stepson 8

Only after dealing with the wave of wealthy gentry did Sirong begin to meet the elders of the clan.

During her conversation, Sirong revealed that she wanted to select some young children from the clan and bring them to the capital to be trained.

"Take the children of the clan to the capital?"

The elders of the Shen family looked at each other, and a gleam of light flashed in their turbid old eyes.

This is a great opportunity!

What is the capital? It's a place where the powerful and wealthy gather and where gold is everywhere! If I can send my own children there, even if they are just close to the Bo Mansion, they will be able to have a good future.

Sirong sat at the main seat, her fingertips gently stroking the edge of the teacup, a smile on her lips, her tone gentle but unquestionable:

"My uncle always said that if the children of the clan have a promising future, they will be able to support each other in the future."

She paused, her eyes slowly sweeping over the crowd, "It's just that young children, separated from their parents, inevitably miss them. So..."

"Master is right. The children of our clan should support each other so that they can have a better future."

Clan leader Shen Dechang straightened his back, his eyes gleaming, as if he had already seen the grand scene of his clan members becoming successful and bringing honor to the family.

He rubbed his hands together and spoke eagerly, "What does it matter if the child is young? Madam Bo is willing to take the trouble to plan this, which is already a great grace! You can choose whatever you want, and I wonder who would dare to be ungrateful?"

Sirong tapped the tabletop lightly with her fingertips, a smile on her lips, but with an undeniable sense of distance: "There's no need to force it. Both the child and the parents have to be willing."

She raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping across the crowd, "My uncle and I's original intention was to support the younger generation, not that the mansion was short of servants."

Shen Dechang nodded repeatedly, bending even lower: "Yes, yes, yes! The clan understands the painstaking efforts of you and Uncle! Even if we really let them become servants, it would be a compliment."

Sirong lowered her head and drank tea. She could still guess what the clan leader was thinking.

When everyone left, Madam Zhou deliberately lagged behind and sighed to the elders:

"Our wife is the most soft-hearted. She can't bear to see children suffer. Those without parents... well, if we can take them back, at least they'll have a chance to survive."

The elders looked at each other and quickly responded: "Don't worry, we will definitely handle this matter properly."

According to Sirong's instructions, children of appropriate age should be given priority, those from poor families or those whose parents are not fully alive. Secondly, the ratio of boys to girls should be 50/50.

When they met again to deliver the list, the clan leader and Sirong mentioned this matter.

He has prepared the list, but he still wants to fight for it.

Sirong has reserved 20 places. It would be great if all of them were boys. Even if not, 15 boys would be fine.

"Madam, are you going to take this... girl to the capital too?"

Clan leader Shen Dechang rubbed his hands, a smile on his face but dissatisfaction hidden in his eyes.

In his opinion, Shen Shigen's becoming an uncle has brought honor to the family, and now that he is willing to support the young people of the clan, it is an even greater favor.

But this favor should naturally be given priority to male children. After all, girls are from outside the family and will belong to someone else's family when they grow up. Why waste the opportunity?

Sirong's fingertips gently fiddled with the tea lid. When she looked up, the smile in her eyes was faint, but unmistakable:

"Clan leader, my uncle always said that the prosperity of a clan does not rely solely on men. If daughters are properly educated, they may bring honor to the family."

She paused, her tone still gentle, but every word was as sharp as a nail:

"Besides, since I'm in charge of the household affairs of the Bo Mansion, I need to have a few girls who know me well to help me. Why does the clan leader think that I shouldn't use the daughter of the Shen family?"

Shen Dechang's face froze and sweat broke out on his forehead.

How could he dare to refute? Si Rong's words were clearly reminding him that the Shen family was no longer ruled by the elders of the clan. Perhaps in a few years, he would have to step down as the clan leader and give it to Shen Shigen.

"Madam Bo is right. I am confused..." He laughed dryly and bowed his head.

I have started to have conspiracy theories in my heart and tried to put myself into my uncle's perspective.

"Marriage...I see!"

A gleam of light flashed in the eyes of clan leader Shen Dechang, who thought he saw through Sirong's plan.

The reason the Bo family wanted these girls wasn't to "know their background" at all. It was clearly to raise them and use them as pawns for future marriages!

The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed:

The male members of the family can make great achievements, pass the imperial examination and become officials, thus adding strength to the Bo's family.

If girls are raised in seclusion and taught music, chess, calligraphy, painting, etiquette and rules, wouldn't it be helpful for the Bo family to build connections when they marry into powerful families in the future?

As for what Sirong had just said, "Keeping a few girls around would also be helpful."

But the patriarch sneered in his heart:

"Who are you kidding? If you really just want a maid, why bother choosing one from the clan? Slaves bought from outside, with their indentures in hand, whose life and death are at your mercy, are no better than these maids who are related to you."

"What's more, if you really want someone close to you, why don't you choose your niece from your mother's family? Why choose the girl from our Shen family?"

But on second thought, this is also a good thing!

In the future, all the girls in their Shen family will marry into wealthy families, which is better than marrying a peasant after they grow up.

It is still the uncle and aunt who have a long-term vision!!!

Thinking of this, he smiled, his eyes filled with gratitude, and spoke warmly, "Madam, you have great foresight! If the girls in our clan can be trained by you, they will surely have great fortunes in the future!"

Sirong didn't notice the patriarch's thoughts. She was looking through the list of candidates.

Everything was done according to her wishes. Most of the children chosen were from the clan, whose families were not well off, and whose fathers had passed away and whose mothers had not remarried.

"Those children with widowed mothers, go back and tell them that they can bring their mothers into the mansion with them." He handed the list to Nanny Zhou and said, "Nanny, please take some time to find them a job in the mansion later."

"Yes, ma'am."

Sirong fiddled with her nails nonchalantly, her fingertips tapping lightly at a certain spot: "Let's add Pan Di from my uncle's family as well. I think I like that girl and want to keep her by my side and educate her for a few years."

She raised her eyes and looked at the clan leader with a half-smile: "After all... my husband and I are born of the same mother, so we should always treat him better."

Shen Dechang quickly bowed and said, "Madam, you are so kind! I will do it right away!"

"Madam is so kind!" Nanny Zhou bowed in response.

"Promoting the clan? Ha, it's a good thing for everyone to do."

Sirong tapped the table lightly with her fingertips, her eyes clear.

She knew Shen Shigen's character too well—righteous, nostalgic, and deeply attached to his bloodline. Even though he was now an uncle, deep down he was still the same Shen Shigen who had been raised on a shoestring by his clan.

When he returns from the battlefield in the future, the first thing he will do is to open an ancestral hall and distribute money. He wishes to make the entire Shen family rich and powerful.

If that's the case, why shouldn't this opportunity of "showing favor" be given to her, the mistress of the house?