Chapter 75

Chapter 75

After returning to Dangui Courtyard, Jiang Chun found a cloth bag she had brought from home and put three pounds of red dates into it. Then, she called Gui Xiang and asked her to deliver the dates to Madame Zhuang.

When they had moved the luggage earlier, Jiang Chun had been careful and kept one box to herself, saying that only she could open it.

These red dates were taken out from the system warehouse using the box as a cover.

The maids saw this and didn’t suspect anything. They found it quite reasonable.

Bringing local red dates from the countryside to the capital was something their young mistress would do.

After handling this, Jiang Chun took out the gift list sent by Jin Shu and began to browse through it.

The gift list was long and densely packed with items like a small ceramic stove and teapot for boiling water, toothbrushes and tooth powder, facial and lip ointments, cloth towels for washing face and feet, medicine for acclimatization and stomach issues, small pots for cooking porridge and medicine, menstrual cloths, and more.

They were all practical and inexpensive daily necessities, showing great attention to detail.

Clearly, Lady Lu the Second Mistress was not only skilled in social relations but also thoughtful and meticulous, adept at understanding others' needs.

Jiang Chun pondered over the list for a moment before suddenly remembering that her character was supposed to be illiterate.

So, she immediately grumbled, "Sigh, why did Lady Lu the Second Mistress write so much? I can’t read it anyway; she might as well have drawn some pictures instead."

Gui Zhi promptly said, "I can read. How about I read it for you, Madam?"

Eager to hear it, Jiang Chun immediately handed the list to Gui Zhi and urged, "Please read it to me quickly."

Gui Zhi took the list and started reading from the beginning.

As Jiang Chun listened, she planned the destination for each item. Once Gui Zhi finished reading, Jiang Chun pointed out a few items and asked Gui Zhi to pack them up and send them to Jiang He and Zheng Kun in the front courtyard.

The rest she asked Gui Zhi to put away for her own use.

After all this, Jiang Chun stretched lazily, thinking she could finally take a nap.

But just then, Gui Xiang returned excitedly from delivering the red dates to the main courtyard and reported, "Madam, the Ministry of Revenue has started delivering things to our house. I just saw many flatbed carts heading towards the storage rooms while I was delivering the red dates to Madame Zhuang. They were filled to the brim."

Jiang Chun perked up immediately.

Song Shian had been out for most of the day and hadn’t even returned for lunch. Had he finally finished sorting things out with the Ministry of Revenue?

But with so many items delivered at once, and with so few people available to help Madame Zhuang, it would probably take ten days or half a month to sort everything out and put them in their proper places.

It seemed that Dangui Courtyard would remain modest for a while longer.

However, Madame Zhuang proved to be more cunning than she had anticipated. She sent for Qiu Shi, the third sister-in-law, and the two sisters, Song Shiying and Song Shiyue, along with Jiang Chun, her daughter-in-law, to help her in the storage room.

Qiu Shi, known for shirking work, immediately excused herself, claiming a headache, and slipped away.

Before leaving, she even thought about her dowry and, upon returning to her courtyard, immediately sent a copy of her dowry list to her daughter, Song Shiyue.

Madame Zhuang was so angry she almost toppled over but could do nothing about her unruly third sister-in-law.

She could only glare fiercely at Jiang Chun, feeling that Jiang Chun should be her third sister-in-law’s daughter-in-law instead.

Jiang Chun, who was looked at inexplicably, soon grinned and said, "Mother, why are you looking at me like that? Are you planning to help your daughter-in-law sort out the items taken from Dangui Courtyard first? Oh my, with so many elders here, how could I possibly allow that?"

After taking the inventory list for the main house from Coral's hands, Lady Zhuang handed it over to the calm and steady Fourth Young Miss Song Shiyue, saying, "Start by organizing the items in the main house."

Lady Zhuang did not have the dowry list of the old madam and wasn’t well-acquainted with the items in Pine Crane Court, so she couldn’t organize that first. She had to prioritize the main house, which represented the Song family’s honor.

Since her son hadn’t returned yet, she had to personally oversee the officials from the Ministry of Revenue as they transported the items, checking them against the list one by one to prevent any cheating or discrepancies.

These checked items would then be handed over to Jiang Chun and her two sisters-in-law, Song Shiying and Song Shiyue.

Or rather, it should be said that Shiyue took charge of the task, leading Jiang Chun and Song Shiying. The latter two were unreliable, each more so than the other, and she could only hope they wouldn’t be more of a hindrance than a help to Shiyue.

Fourteen-year-old Song Shiyue had been only twelve when the Song family was raided. She hadn’t yet learned to manage the household affairs, but being clever, she decided that small items would be more difficult to distinguish and opted to start with the larger furniture.

She pointed out a set of rosewood furniture that had originally been placed in the main hall of the main house, including a daybed, eight rosewood armchairs, and ten rosewood high tables, and instructed the servants to find them first.

Lady Zhuang’s maids and older women immediately began searching through the five storerooms filled with various items.

Jiang Chun thought to herself, "..."

At this rate, how long will it take to finish?

Even if they exhausted all their efforts to organize the main house's items, they would then have to repeat the process for the other courtyards. That would be a real ordeal.

Jiang Chun decisively raised a hand and said, "Wait, this method is too slow. We need to do it my way."

Both Song Shiying and Song Shiyue were startled.

Song Shiying, quick to react, immediately flattered Jiang Chun, "Big Sister-in-law’s method is definitely better. Please share it with us so we can see."

Seeing this, Song Shiyue had no choice but to recall the maids and servants and said to Jiang Chun, "I would like to hear Big Sister-in-law’s idea."

Jiang Chun explained confidently, "We should first categorize and register all these items. For example, furniture goes into one storeroom, antiques and ornaments in another, and fabrics in yet another. Once everything is categorized, it will be much easier to retrieve the items according to the lists provided by each courtyard from the respective storerooms."

Song Shiyue’s eyes lit up. "Big Sister-in-law’s idea is excellent."

Pausing, she added hesitantly, "But Mother told us to organize the main house's items first..."

Jiang Chun cleverly reinterpreted the instructions, "After categorizing, we'll retrieve the main house’s items first. That way, we won't be disobeying Mother's orders."

Song Shiyue pondered for a moment, then nodded. "We'll do it as Big Sister-in-law suggests."

Thus, they began with the first storeroom. Song Shiyue stood at the door, overseeing the servants as they carried items out one by one. She announced the type and name of each item, while Song Shiying took notes.

Once registered, the items were moved into the corresponding empty storerooms.

As for Jiang Chun...

She sat on a chair brought by a maid, holding a blue-and-white porcelain covered bowl, enjoying the sun, and sipping tea from time to time. She looked incredibly relaxed.

When Lady Zhuang came over to check on their progress during a lull in the Ministry of Revenue’s transport schedule, this was the scene she encountered.

She remarked, speechless, "Both younger sisters are busy running around, yet as the elder sister-in-law, you're so leisurely. Aren’t you embarrassed?"

Jiang Chun instinctively replied, "I don't really feel that way."
Seeing that Madame Zhuang's expression had turned somewhat unpleasant, she immediately perked up, acting as if she had just hit the jackpot, and said, "Who said I was being idle? I racked my brains to come up with this idea of categorizing and organizing. I’ve saved Mother at least a dozen days of work. If you don’t believe me, ask Yue-er."
Madame Zhuang looked at Song Shiying doubtfully.
Song Shiying then explained Jiang Chun’s idea and praised her enthusiastically. "This idea of hers is really quite clever. Sister San and I could have thought of it too, but we were too focused on doing what the eldest aunt asked, trying to organize the main courtyard's items first. Our thinking was stuck in a rut."
"Thanks to Elder Sister-in-law, she woke us up from our slumber."
Madame Zhuang looked at Jiang Chun with disbelief.
Song Shiying was right. They could have come up with the idea themselves, as the Song family's storerooms had always been categorized this way. But for Jiang Chun, the daughter of a rural butcher who had never seen much of the world, to come up with such a plan was truly impressive.
Madame Zhuang pursed her lips and, uncharacteristically, praised her. "Well done."
Jiang Chun beamed and humbly said, "You flatter me, Mother. I just came up with the idea. Third and Fourth Sisters-in-law are the ones doing all the work. If you wish to reward us, please reward them instead."
Madame Zhuang was momentarily speechless.
Was she trying to use the two younger sisters as an excuse to fish for rewards?
If she really followed Jiang Chun's suggestion and rewarded only Song Shiying and Song Yue, who knew what scene Jiang Chun would make?
Madame Zhuang gave Jiang Chun a stern look and said, with some exasperation, "There will be rewards, and all three of you will get them. I’ll give the rewards once you’ve finished sorting out all the items from the Ministry of Revenue."
"Thank you, Mother. You’re truly a fair and just mother!" Jiang Chun beamed and smugly winked at Song Shiying, implying, 'Follow me, and you’ll get a share of the rewards.'
Song Shiying and Song Yue hurriedly thanked Madame Zhuang.
Afterward, Song Shiying gave Jiang Chun a nod of approval.
Song Yue, unsure how to respond and unwilling to thank her sister-in-law in front of Madame Zhuang, could only smile at her.
After Madame Zhuang left, Song Shiying and Song Yue continued their work.
Jiang Chun, sitting alone, after drinking several cups of tea, began to feel bored.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to help, but that she couldn’t. Being illiterate, she obviously couldn’t handle the task of registering and recording.
She couldn’t do Song Shiying’s job either, as she couldn’t distinguish between the various types of valuable wood, exquisite carvings, antiques, paintings, fabrics, and furs.
Acting like she was slacking off was just her last bit of stubborn pride.
It seemed like the time had come to use today's events as an excuse to ask Song Shian to teach her to read and write.
She hadn’t had the opportunity before, as for the past two years she had been busy making a living and had no time or reason to bring it up.
Now that she was living comfortably in the Song family, with no pressure from daily life and plenty of free time, she should make use of it to learn more.
As for why she asked Song Shian to teach her instead of bothering Madame Zhuang to hire a tutor?

Of course, she wanted to take this opportunity to show off her "wisdom" to Song Shian and display her party trick of "learning at first try."

Let him discover yet another one of her strengths.

Ahem, and when she had the time, she could also engage in a bit of "teacher-student" play to enhance their marital relationship.

Wouldn't that be much better than hiring a female tutor?

Naturally, she also needed to learn martial arts, not because she aimed to be the best fighter among the noble ladies of the Imperial City, but simply for self-protection.

Better safe than sorry.

If she were to encounter danger on a day when Song Shian wasn't by her side, relying solely on her mere strength wouldn't be enough.

After all, the Imperial City wasn't like their small county of Hongye; it was a place where dragons and tigers lay hidden, with many skilled fighters.

What she didn't expect was that a roadblock would appear on her future path as a martial artist.

In the evening, when Song Shian returned to the mansion and went to the main courtyard to report on his affairs at the Ministry of Revenue that day, just as he was about to leave, he heard his mother ask seriously, "I heard you're planning to find a martial arts master to teach Jiang Chun some fighting skills?"

Song Shian didn't ask how his mother found out; it didn't take much thought to guess that Jiang Chun must have boasted about it.

He nodded and said, "Yes, she has some strength but doesn't know any martial arts. If she ever gets into a fight, she'll be at a loss."

Madame Zhuang hesitated, then said, "She's a woman; she doesn't need to fight like a man. How would she get into a fight?"

Song Shian revealed everything, recounting the incident where Liu Qitan had coveted Jiang Chun's beauty and sent people to intercept and attempt to kidnap her on the way.

After finishing the story, he said fearfully, "Luckily, she has great strength and dared to fight for her life. Plus, her father had given her a broadsword for protection, so she managed to escape."

"So, this was what happened..." Madame Zhuang hadn't expected such a backstory and had thought her son had been influenced by Jiang Chun to act rashly.

She was about to say that circumstances had changed and that no one would be so bold as to covet the wife of the Crown Prince's relative.

But after such a dramatic turn of events, Madame Zhuang found herself feeling uncertain.

With the old emperor's unpredictable nature and the recent deaths of his beloved concubine and son, it was uncertain if their son's position as Crown Prince would remain secure.

Until he ascended to the throne, anything was possible.

If something unexpected occurred, Jiang Chun, having learned martial arts, wouldn't be a burden to their son but might even help him escape danger.

Thinking this through, finding a martial arts master for her seemed very necessary.

She immediately changed her tune, saying, "Since you've already promised her, make sure to find a reliable master, not someone who just puts on a show."

Song Shian smiled lightly and said, "Mother, don't worry. I have someone in mind and will visit them in a few days."

Madame Zhuang didn't ask for further details and waved him off, saying, "Go rest. In half an hour, join me for dinner with your wife."

"Your son takes his leave." Song Shian bowed respectfully and then left.

When Song Shian returned to Dangui Courtyard, Jiang Chun had only been back from the warehouse for a short while.

As soon as she saw Song Shian, she immediately ran up to him, burrowed into his arms, and cried, "Husband, I feel so inadequate."

*

Song Shian was startled and hurriedly asked, "What's the matter, my dear? Has someone been talking nonsense?"

Jiang Chun, with a crying tone, said, "Mother assigned me, Yin'er, and Yue'er to organize the storeroom. But those two girls could easily identify the items and even read and calculate, while I was good for nothing and could only sit there doing nothing.

Even with my thick skin, I couldn't bear such a comparison.

Although Mother didn't say anything and even mentioned giving us a reward after we finish organizing everything, I still felt embarrassed.

I’m determined; I want to learn to read, write, and do math. Husband, will you teach me?"

Song Shian was speechless.

You can even write in Arabic and are proficient in both mental and written calculations.

You often forget your "illiterate" act and casually recite passages from books that I and our third cousin have copied, not to mention quoting poems and prose as if they were at your fingertips.

You’re full of holes, more than a sieve.

And now you’re playing the big bad wolf in my arms?

After a moment of silence, Song Shian curled his lips, sneered, and said, "You don't know the first thing about characters, and I'll have to teach you step by step. This won't be an easy job. What’s in it for me?

You know, in a few days, I'll have to resume my duties at the Hanlin Academy, and I'll be very busy. If there’s no benefit, then I'll have to ask my lady to find someone else."

Jiang Chun looked up at him and said angrily, "Teach me or not, if you don't, I'll continue being illiterate. When I go out as a guest and get laughed at, you won’t have any face either."

Song Shian laughed and said, "I have plenty of face. Among all the officials and nobles in the entire capital, you won't find a second person who'd dare to marry a former country butcher like me."

Jiang Chun was speechless.

Are you actually proud of that?

She snorted and said, "What do you mean by saying you married a butcher woman from the countryside? It's clearly me, a butcher woman from the countryside, who took you as my husband!"

Song Shian's expression stiffened, oh no, she actually caught the loophole in his words.

This woman is sharp when she shouldn’t be.

He quickly corrected himself, "Yes, among all the officials and nobles in the entire capital, you won't find a second person who'd dare to be a son-in-law to a butcher woman from the countryside."

Jiang Chun's mouth twitched; this guy really went to great lengths for benefits.

She gave him a white look and said, "What are you scheming? Really, we only had a feast last night, and now you're already angling for more benefits. I’ve never seen anyone so greedy!"

Song Shian immediately protested, "I didn't say the benefit has to be in the bedroom. My lady, don't wrong an innocent man."

Jiang Chun sneered, "Stop pretending. I know you; when your tail is up, I know what mischief you’re up to!"

Song Shian took advantage of the situation, "Since my lady insists on thinking so, I have no choice but to admit to having such thoughts, since I can't win against you in an argument."

"Hey, you're still pretending to be innocent!" Jiang Chun's hand slid from his chest down to a critical area, and sure enough, she caught the evidence.

She laughed triumphantly, "See? I've caught you in the act."

Song Shian pursed his lips, his eyes darkening slightly, and lightly laughed, "If my lady wants to catch evidence, then you can keep catching it."

Jiang Chun unconsciously played with it for a while before realizing she had fallen for his trap. She let go of her hand and said irritably, "You big jerk!"

Before Song Shian could respond, she punched his chest lightly and said mournfully, "You must have been possessed by some stray ghost. Bad guy, get out of my husband’s body and give me back my cool, aloof, steady, and self-restrained husband who blushes when I kiss him!"

Song Shian: "..."

Clearly, it's this ghost who has occupied Jiang Chun's body, yet she's accusing me instead. Is this what they call "the thief crying 'thief'?"

Song Shian caught her mischief-making hands with one hand and wrapped his other arm around her slender waist. He whispered into her ear, "I'll give him back to you tonight, and you can do whatever you want."

Jiang Chun: "..."

She gave his leg a light kick and huffed, "You wish!"

Song Shian looked at her sideways, his tone seeming joking, yet there was a hint of underlying meaning. "Since you're unwilling, how about we switch? You return Jiang Chun to me, and I'll do as I please."

Jiang Chun's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

She couldn't tell if Song Shian was joking or if he had noticed something and was testing her.

After a moment of thought, she smiled and said, "Husband, don't dream anymore. The Jiang Chun of the past is gone. The new Jiang Chun is a brand-new Jiang Chun and won’t let you have your way."

She almost let slip "Niuhulu Jiang Chun."

Song Shian bent down and kissed her on the lips, then whispered in her ear, "Then how about we both do as we please? What do you say, my dear?"

Jiang Chun: "???"

She was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say.

It wasn't until that night, when he flipped around and pressed on top of her, that Jiang Chun realized what kind of trick he was planning.

She was speechless.

How could this ancient man be more playful than someone as experienced as her?

The experience, ahem, was actually quite good.

It was even more exciting than when he usually served me, adding an extra layer of thrill.

Though her jaw was a bit tired, there’s no such thing as pleasure without effort, right?

Besides, Song Shian was the person she had loved across two lifetimes. Before, he was just a character on paper, and she could only admire him from afar. But now, he was a living, breathing person she could kiss and hug. Even though she verbally resisted, she was actually happy to please him.

The two of them did as they pleased to each other once, and then had a proper session of intimacy, finishing only when it was well past midnight.

The next morning, before going to the main courtyard for morning greetings, Jiang Chun was dug out of bed by Gui Zhi and then sobered up after Gui Ye wiped her face with a cold, damp cloth.

Indeed, it's easy to get used to luxury, but hard to return to frugality. In the past, no matter how late they fooled around, she could still get up early to slaughter pigs, but now she couldn't even wake up for morning greetings.

She needed to hurry and urge Song Shian to find her a martial arts instructor; otherwise, she’d end up needing maids to help her walk.

She had planned to mention learning martial arts last night, but Song Shian’s distractions made her forget.

She turned to Gui Zhi and instructed, "When the young master returns today, remind me to urge him to find me a martial arts instructor."

Gui Zhi’s eyes widened in surprise. "Madam wants to learn martial arts?"

Good heavens, with her already considerable strength, if she learns martial arts, who would dare mess with her in the future?

I certainly wouldn’t dare to.