Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Since he said he would let her climb his tree, Song Shian held her with one arm while he struggled to remove her skirt with the other hand, and then proceeded to remove her pants.

He then removed his own pants.

And just like that, they became one.

Jiang Chun immediately drew in a sharp breath, her eyebrows furrowing tightly.

She gritted her teeth and scolded, "Song Shian, you brute!"

Why did she only scold once?

Because the initial discomfort quickly faded, and the place that had long grown accustomed to him began to feel pleasure, turning from discomfort to comfort.

In her heart, she felt that this occasional roughness was quite exhilarating.

Of course, she would only think this in her mind and would never dare say it out loud, otherwise who knows how much it would encourage Song Shian.

After a moment, Song Shian stopped moving. His phoenix eyes, glittering like rippling waves, looked at her as he chuckled and said, "Wife, it's your turn to climb the tree."

Jiang Chun, who was in the heat of the moment, wrapped her arms around his neck and hooked her long, slender legs around his waist when she felt him stop.

Then, using the strength of her waist and hips, she started moving herself.

This up-and-down motion was just like climbing a tree, wasn't it?

When it came to playing around, Song Shian really knew how to do it. Even she, a modern person who had watched countless "pig-running" scenes, had to give him a thumbs up.

Song Shian half-closed his eyes, enjoying her movements, a flush appearing on his fair cheeks as he bit his lip.

As he enjoyed it, sounds of pleasure escaped his lips.

Jiang Chun adored his sounds of pleasure and was instantly energized, climbing even more energetically.

This, in turn, caused Song Shian's breathing to grow heavier, and his sounds of pleasure became more unbearable.

Which spurred Jiang Chun to exert even more effort.

As a result, Song Shian couldn't hold back, and they reached the peak together.

For a moment, the only sounds in the spacious room were their heavy, intertwined breathing.

Song Shian held her tightly in his arms, one hand on her waist and the other on her back.

He softly muttered, "As your husband, I truly enjoy the marital relations with you, my wife."

Jiang Chun was still on cloud nine, her mind a complete blur, hearing his words but not fully registering them.

This was way too stimulating.

Even as an old married couple, trying new things in this area could bring a lot of excitement and enhance their marital relationship.

Having tasted the pleasure, Song Shian, after resting for a while, felt the urge again and encouraged Jiang Chun, "Wife, how about climbing the tree once more?"

Jiang Chun rolled her eyes and retorted, "Climb your head, ghost of a fool! We've been traveling for days, exhausted to the bone. I just wanted a little taste, but must you eat until you're stuffed?"

Song Shian, finding her words reasonable, didn't push further. He removed their upper garments with one hand and held her in his arms as they lay down on the step bed, content to sleep.

*

The next day, Gui Zhi and Gui Ye had indeed prepared bathwater early in the morning. They bathed individually before heading to the main courtyard to pay their respects to Lady Zhuang and have breakfast.

So far, only a few masters of the Song family had returned, so the three daily meals were being taken in the main courtyard.

Lady Zhuang saw her son and daughter-in-law walk in hand-in-hand, both with rosy complexions and looking like they were in high spirits.

As a woman with experience, how could Lady Zhuang not understand the implications?

Her heart first filled with joy, feeling hopeful about the prospect of grandchildren.

But soon, her mood darkened.

Her son was now a matriarchal son-in-law of the Jiang family. Even if Jiang Chun were to give birth to a child, the child would take the Jiang family’s surname and inherit their ancestral line, which was unrelated to the Song family.

After a moment, her expression softened slightly.

Although Jiang Chun’s child was unrelated to the Song family, the child was still her son’s flesh and blood and would still call her grandmother.

With this thought, some of her disregard for Jiang Chun softened somewhat.

When she heard that Jiang Chun was going out with her father that day to find a real estate broker to buy a house, she couldn’t help but speak up, “The real estate brokers in the capital size people up by their accents. As soon as they hear your accents, they’ll know you’re from out of town and will try to cheat you.

Why don’t you let Manager Liu go with you? He’s a trusted steward of my mother and has done plenty of errands outside for the Zhuang family. Most of the brokers in the city know him well.

With him leading you, no broker will dare to cheat you.”

Manager Liu was the steward Lady Zhuang had borrowed from her maternal family. He had been sent to Tongzhou to receive guests but had missed the group and only returned to the city that day.

Jiang Chun immediately beamed and thanked her, “Thank you, Mother. If you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known that the real estate brokers in the capital are so cunning, specifically targeting us as outsiders.”

Third Madam Qiu Shi said slowly, “Oh, I thought Big Sister-in-law really disliked Chunniang, our country daughter-in-law. I didn’t expect Big Sister-in-law to have a warm heart beneath her cold demeanor.”

Lady Zhuang replied indifferently, “If she gets cheated, it’s no big deal, but if the Song family’s Eldest Madam gets cheated, it becomes a big issue. If word gets out, who knows how much the Song family will be mocked?”

If Jiang Chun were to lose money, it would be as if her son were losing money.

A woman who used to slaughter pigs could only earn a few coins. If she had money to buy a house for her father in the city, it must have been silver earned by her son.

She couldn’t stand by and let her son’s money be swindled away by those cunning brokers.

Third Madam Qiu said with a sneer, “I understand. Big Sister-in-law is only thinking of the Song family’s reputation and not out of any concern for our daughter-in-law.”

Song Shiyue tugged at Third Madam Qiu’s arm and, with a smile, changed the subject, “I noticed the orchid floral hair accessory on Big Sister-in-law’s head looks very unique. It seems to be crafted in the southern style?”

Jiang Chun immediately perked up, touching the floral accessory on her head and grinning, “Fourth Sister has a good eye. This is indeed a southern craft, bought from a jewelry shop in Shaoxing City when we went to redeem Yin Jier.

I originally went into the shop to buy some floral hair accessories as gifts for the female relatives, but your eldest brother insisted I buy one for myself. I refused, but he picked out this orchid floral hair accessory and forced it into my hair, saying it was ‘very beautiful.’

I’m not sure if it’s beautiful, but it cost me an extra eighty-three wen, and I was so distressed that I couldn’t sleep well that night.”

Song Shian thought, *Distressed and couldn’t sleep well? Was the person who slept soundly in my arms that night a ghost?*

Song Shiyue, meeting such an unreserved woman for the first time, was momentarily stunned before laughing and complimenting, “Big Brother and Big Sister-in-law are truly a match made in heaven, like immortal companions.”

“Oh, I like what you said,” Jiang Chun waved her hand generously, “Incidentally, I still have a few more floral hair accessories from Shaoxing. I’ll send two each to Mother, Third Aunt, Third Sister, and Fourth Sister through my maid. They’re nothing extraordinary, just fresh styles. Please don’t reject them.”

Jiang Chun paused for a moment before speaking frankly, "Even if you disdain it, there's no help for it. I'm poor and can't afford a better gift for the occasion."

Previously, when she visited a jewelry store in Shaoxing city, she received a reward often traditional velvet flowers. It just so happened that there were five young female relatives in the Song family, so two flowers each would be perfect.

As for Lady Song, she was too old to wear velvet flowers, so Jiang Chun planned to find another way to express her respect.

Third Madam Qiu curled her lip.

Jiang Chun was quite the schemer, using these inexpensive Shaoxing velvet flowers to bring up the topic of gifts.

She was openly asking for gifts from both Madam Qiu and Elder Madam Zhuang.

Yesterday, when Madam Qiu saw that Elder Madam Zhuang was pretending to be oblivious and didn’t give a gift, she followed suit and pretended to forget as well, hoping to just gloss over it...

But who knew, they had encountered a brazen person who, seeing that no one gave her a gift, asked for one herself.

Third Madam Qiu looked up at Elder Madam Zhuang with a smug expression on her face.

After all, she was only Jiang Chun's third aunt by marriage, while Elder Madam Zhuang was Jiang Chun's direct mother-in-law. If anyone was going to be embarrassed, it would be Elder Madam Zhuang first.

Elder Madam Zhuang responded calmly, "Thank you for your gift, but unfortunately, all my dowry has been taken away by the Ministry of Revenue. I don't have any decent gifts to give you at the moment, so I'll have to make it up to you later."

Jiang Chun immediately spoke magnanimously, "It's alright, Mother. I'm not in a hurry. A person of your noble birth and lineage would never act like those petty village mothers-in-law who deliberately find excuses to withhold gifts from their daughters-in-law."

Elder Madam Zhuang: "..."

As another person from a prestigious family, Third Madam Qiu felt implicated by Jiang Chun's words as well.

But since Elder Madam Zhuang had already found an excuse to stall, how could she, as the younger sister-in-law, give her gift before Elder Madam Zhuang?

Third Madam Qiu had no choice but to follow suit, sighing as well, "My dowry has also been taken away by the Ministry of Revenue. I really can't find any decent item to give you as a gift, so I'll have to make it up to you later."

Jiang Chun said with a smile, "Don't worry, there's no rush. I'm not one of those people who would demand gifts at the slightest opportunity."

That's exactly what you are! Third Madam Qiu's mouth twitched. She decided that as soon as her dowry was returned, she would promptly give Jiang Chun a generous gift. Otherwise, she was sure that Jiang Chun would ask for it directly.

At that point, she would have no choice but to ask for her face as an aunt.

After breakfast, Song Shian took a thick pile of warehouse records to the Ministry of Revenue to verify the accounts, while Jiang Chun went to the front courtyard to meet Jiang He and Zheng Kun.

*

The three of them, led by Manager Liu, went to discuss the purchase of a house with a property broker.

As soon as they sat in the carriage, noisy chatter came from the second gate, "Wait for me, elder sister-in-law... wait for me ah..."

Song Shiying, hoisting up her skirt, hurried over, with a maid who was nearly out of breath following behind her.

During her year in the countryside, she had been compelled by Jiang Chun to do all sorts of tasks, even shoveling pig manure. Her stamina was far better than that of other ladies from noble families.

Even better than some pampered maids from high-ranking official households.

Song Shiying ran up to the carriage and was about to step onto the footstool.

Jiang Chun gave her a scornful glance and said exasperatedly, "We're going to find an agent to buy a house. We might have to visit several places to view houses, which will be quite tiring. Shouldn't you stay home and enjoy some peace?"

Song Shiying climbed into the carriage and squeezed next to Jiang Chun, grinning, "I want to learn how to buy a house from you, elder sister-in-law. If I don’t find a suitable match, I'll need to buy a house to attract a husband, right?"

Jiang Chun: "..."

She had originally wanted to lecture Jiang He but thought better of it.

It was said that Second Aunt and her mother-in-law didn’t get along too well, so it was better to leave Song Shiyin, who was solely focused on finding a husband for her daughter, to let Second Aunt deal with her own headaches.

Steward Liu led them to find a matchmaker nicknamed "Mr. Bao."

This man, surnamed Bao, knew people from the highest officials to the lowliest peddlers and was well-connected in all walks of life, which earned him the nickname for his unmatched access to information.

When Mr. Bao heard that Madam Song, the Crown Prince's cousin's wife, was looking to buy an estate, he immediately recommended three large estates with five courtyards each, the cheapest of which cost a whopping 35,000 silver taels.

Jiang Chun thought to herself how lucky she was to have seen the world beforehand; otherwise, she might have fainted from shock upon hearing such a price.

Jiang He, however, was not as calm. He shook his hands vigorously, saying, "It’s just me and my nephew living there. Why would we need such a large estate? A single courtyard should be enough."

Mr. Bao’s eyes lit up with understanding.

It turned out that it wasn’t Madam Song buying the estate, but her father.

He immediately adjusted his approach, "I do have a few single courtyard estates. Would you like me to take you to see them?"

Jiang Chun nodded, "That would work."

A single courtyard estate couldn’t be that expensive. They could view it first, and negotiate the price if they liked it.

The first estate they went to see was in an excellent location, just a street away from the Hanlin Academy. The houses on this street were single courtyard siheyuan, and most of the residents were scholars working at the Hanlin Academy.

Though small, the estate was exquisitely built with carved beams and painted rafters. In the courtyard’s central courtyard was a large vat holding a basin of water lilies.

The grey tiles and white walls exuded an ancient charm, rich in artistic appeal.

The asking price was also quite reasonable, just 2,500 taels.

Jiang Chun thought that with some bargaining skills, she might be able to negotiate the price down to around 2,200 or 2,300 taels.

Although she only had 2,000 taels on hand, it was fine. She still had a bunch of items in her system warehouse that she hadn’t dared to sell in Hongye County.

Now that the Song family was in a state of revival, it was the perfect time for large-scale purchases and to transport items from the Ministry of Revenue to the estate. She could pawn these items to make up the extra 200 to 300 taels.

However, Jiang He didn’t fancy the estate.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like it.

He mumbled in a gruff voice, "It’s a good estate, but the neighbors are all scholars. I’m a butcher; living among them would disturb their scholarly atmosphere."

Jiang Chun was about to refute and tell her father not to underestimate himself, but upon second thought, his concerns weren’t entirely unfounded.

As the saying goes, "Better a good neighbor than a distant relative." If Jiang He lived here, surrounded by scholarly people, they wouldn’t be able to socialize or connect on any level.

Over time, even if he didn’t develop depression, he would likely feel quite stifled.

Older people are indeed wiser, Jiang Chun thought, learning something today.

Even though Jiang He was illiterate and lacked formal education, his life experience and understanding of human relations were no less insightful than hers.

She turned back and smiled at Mr. Bao, "Uncle Bao, my father has a point. He really can’t mingle with scholars. Do you have any mansions in a bustling area?"

The middleman, called "Uncle Bao," quickly bowed in a respectful bow, "I don’t deserve such a title, Madam. Please don’t flatter me so."

After the pleasantries, he chuckled and said, "There actually is one place. I'll take you to see it, Madam."

Everyone climbed into their carriages and followed the carriage of the informant to a location two streets away from the Western Market, a quiet spot amidst the hustle and bustle.

As the informant unlocked the door, he smiled, "This residence is close to the Western Market, making it convenient for any purchases."

"Most of the neighbors here are merchants who run shops in the Western Market. They value harmony and prosperity, so they rarely get into disputes with others."

"A few years ago, I sold a house on this street. Later, I met Mr. Zou at a tavern, and he praised me for selling him such a good house. He said not only was the location excellent, but the neighbors were also very kind. As a result, Mr. Zou even paid for my drink."

"I wouldn't have been willing to introduce this house to you if I hadn't seen how filial you are, Madam, buying a house for your father as soon as you arrived in the capital."

Jiang Chun smiled, "Uncle Bao truly lives up to your reputation as 'the Informant.' You even knew about my arrival in the capital."

The informant chuckled, "The news of Master Song and Madam's arrival in the capital spread like wildfire. It would have been hard for me not to know."

With that, he respectfully gestured, "Madam, please. Sir, young master, and Manager Liu, please come in."

Once inside the courtyard, Jiang Chun took a look around the house.

Similar to the house near the Hanlin Academy, this one also had gray tiles and white walls. The main house had three rooms, with two side rooms serving as kitchens.

There were two rooms each in the east and west wings, along with a woodshed, a stable, and a latrine.

Most joyfully, there was a well in the backyard.

It was a small but complete house.

However, it wasn't as exquisite as the house near the Hanlin Academy. There were no large vases for water lilies, and neither the pillars nor the window frames were carved.

Jiang He took advantage of the moment when the Informer turned his back to them and gave Jiang Chun a significant wink, indicating that he was quite fond of this house.

Manager Liu, noticing this, took the initiative to ask about the price on behalf of Jiang Chun: "Old Bao, we’ve done business before. I’m here on behalf of our Lady, helping the Grand Lady to buy a house. Don’t give us any false prices; just tell us the honest price."

The Informer put on a troubled expression, hesitating for a while before holding up two fingers with each hand: "Two thousand two hundred taels is the lowest price the owner has given me. Any lower, and you’ll have to negotiate directly with the owner. But from what I know of that gentleman, it’s unlikely you’ll get much of a discount."

Jiang Chun smiled sweetly: "I’ve heard from Manager Liu about your skills, Uncle Bao. Is there any homeowner in this world you can’t handle?

Here’s the deal: I won’t let you work for nothing. You go and negotiate the price for us, and whatever discount you manage to get, I’ll give you a thirty percent cut. How does that sound?"

A discount of a hundred taels would earn him thirty taels as a commission, which was more than what the Informer would get from selling a house.

The Informer immediately changed his tune: "Look at what the Grand Lady is saying. Even without the cut, I’d still help you get a better price.

I’ll go find the owner right away. Even if it means losing face, I must bring down the price by a hundred or two for the Grand Lady."

Jiang Chun smiled: "Thank you, Uncle Bao. We’ll head back first. If there’s any good news, please inform Manager Liu."

The Informer nodded in agreement.

*

On the way back, Manager Liu, wanting to curry favor with the Grand Lady Jiang Chun, had the carriage pass through the middle of the Western Market, so that they, the newcomers to the Imperial City, could see its bustling scene.

The Imperial City had two markets: the Eastern Market and the Western Market. The Eastern Market was more upscale, while the Western Market was more affordable, with shops and stalls selling items that were more accessible to common people, making it their favorite place to visit.

The Eastern Market had no stalls, only shops, selling higher-quality goods at higher prices, frequented mostly by wealthy households and high-ranking officials.

Manager Liu’s move suited Jiang Chun’s intentions perfectly. She had accumulated a large number of check-in points, waiting to cash in once they arrived in the Imperial City.

While the goods in the West Market are not as expensive as those in the East Market, the check-in system only considers the city’s level, not the shop’s individual level.

The quality of the rewarded items is randomly determined, so it all depends on your luck that day.

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Literary Shop," obtained 32 bundles of xuan paper, 11 ingots of pine smoke ink, and 20 fine brushes.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Blacksmith," obtained 6 iron pots, 10 farm rakes, and 9 iron axes.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Medical Hall," obtained 2 pounds of edible bird's nest, 3 pounds of Astragalus, and 12 pounds of jujubes.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Pharmacy," obtained 1 pound of ginseng, 4 pounds of golden honeysuckle, and 2 pounds of Salvia miltiorrhiza.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Jewelry Store," obtained 2 pairs of floral hairpins, 1 pair of gold-inlaid jade bracelets, and 10 silver rings.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Fabric Store," obtained 22 bolts of brocade satin, 18 bolts of silk gauze, and 10 bolts of fine cotton.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Pawnshop," obtained 2 sets of top-quality rosewood wardrobes, 1 jade pendant, and 2 ornate red sandalwood painted gold chamber pots.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Bank," obtained 18 taels of gold.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Wine Workshop," obtained 8 jars of Jinhua wine, 6 jars of plum wine, and 12 jars of osmanthus wine.]

Jiang Chun had checked in at an extra wine workshop this time and wanted to see if she could get some wine.

The Great Zhou had wine, but it all came from the Western Regions, and the price was exorbitantly high, with small jars selling for dozens of taels, often with no market supply.

In the end, she only got Jinhua wine, which she had previously bought at a wine workshop in Shaoxing, and two types of fruit wine, which felt like a bit of a disappointment.

Next time, she shouldn’t waste her check-in points on wine workshops; it would be better to save them for other shops that might yield more valuable items.

There wasn’t time to examine everything carefully today, but when Song Shian has some free time, she could ask him to accompany her to the East Market for a day of leisurely shopping, to see if they could find other shops suitable for long-term check-in rewards.

However, apart from the wine workshop mishap, the rewards from the other shops were quite good.

As she browsed through the items in her system warehouse, her smile widened with joy.

Leaving other things aside, just the 18 taels of gold from the bank equate to 180 taels of silver!

Coming to the capital had really paid off; this place was indeed very prosperous for her.

Becoming wealthy was just around the corner.

Although she was about to deplete her savings to buy a house, with the check-in system in place, she believed she could quickly recoup the money.

Moreover, Song Shian had promised to give her control over eight shops and two estates; she would pluck all the profits, and her purse would surely fatten.

She rubbed her palms together, oh my, was she about to become a rich lady?

Who wouldn’t want to experience the joy of being rich?

Song Shiying observed her sister-in-law, who was smiling foolishly and rubbing her hands, her gaze fixed vacantly on a spot. Worried, she swiftly reached out to touch her forehead.

Surprised, she said, "No fever after all?"

Jiang Chun slapped away her hand and gave her a white eye. "What nonsense are you thinking about? I'm perfectly normal."

Song Shiying pouted.

"Normal, my eye!"