Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Jiang Chun went along with Song Shian's compliment, taking the opportunity to step down from the situation.

By exposing Zhuang's lies, Jiang Chun wanted to show Song Shian that she wasn't someone who could be easily deceived.

She easily let the matter pass without making a fuss. She didn’t make a scene for two reasons: first, he had indeed gone out on important business; second, his intentions were good—he hadn’t had the heart to wake her up because he was concerned about her sleep.

If she misunderstood his kindness and blamed him, it would make him feel disheartened.

Song Shian was fully aware of how generous she was being.

Later that night, lying in the traditional Chinese canopy bed, he buried his face in front of her and sighed affectionately, "My dear, you are truly the most considerate person under heaven."

Jiang Chun smiled and said with a grin, "My dear husband, you are the second most considerate person in the world."

"Snicker," Song Shian couldn’t help but laugh.

Her unexpected way of speaking always delighted him.

After a moment of laughter, he reached out to embrace her, his voice turning low and husky as he asked, "My dear, do you still want your husband tonight?"

Jiang Chun gave him a light kick and said with a mock glare, "You've been running around all day. Aren't you tired? And you're still thinking about that?"

Song Shian yawned and chuckled softly, "I am a bit tired, but if you want to, as your husband, I would definitely accompany you no matter what."

Jiang Chun laughed and scolded, "What nonsense are you talking? I'm not as greedy as you!"

Seeing that she really wasn't in the mood, Song Shian rubbed his face against her, found the best spot, and closed his eyes.

In just a moment, his breathing became steady and deep, evidently having fallen asleep.

Jiang Chun gently stroked his inky black hair and listened to his steady breathing, feeling utterly content.

She then also closed her eyes.

*

For the next three days, Jiang Chun was "occupied" at the storeroom.

In fact, it was Song Shiying and Song Shiyue, along with the maids and nannies from the main house, who were doing the work. There was little for Jiang Chun to do.

But Jiang Chun believed herself to be quite important.

With the formidable lady of the house supervising, the newly bought servants were all obedient and followed orders without question.

The classification work was completed in just two and a half days.

By the afternoon of the third day, items were delivered one after another at the main courtyard.

Shanhu couldn't help but praise, "This method of yours, Madam, though it seemed a bit troublesome at first, ultimately saved a lot of effort."

"What’s so special about it?" Madame Zhuang stubbornly retorted, though she had to admit that Jiang Chun had done a good job.

Shanhu, being Madame Zhuang's maid and a lifelong servant of the Zhuang family, naturally took her mistress's side and added, "Of course, a trick like this—how could someone like you, a mistress, not have thought of it?

It’s just that you were too busy at the time, allowing Madam the opportunity to shine."

Madame Zhuang snorted, "Let her shine. As her mother-in-law, should I compete with her for recognition?"

These are all minor issues. She only hoped that Jiang Chun would act appropriately when attending the banquet at the Jinxiang Marquis Estate the next day and not cause any drama that would be impossible to resolve.

There’s no way she wouldn’t cause some trouble. After all, she had overheard the "clever plan" Jiang Chun and Song Shiying had concocted.

She could help cover up small incidents, but if things got out of hand and Jiang Chun was reported to the Crown Prince’s Consort or the Empress Dowager, then it really would be impossible to resolve the situation.

Jiang Chun, however, had no such concerns.

Worst case, she’d be reported to the Crown Prince’s Consort or Empress Dowager Zheng and receive a mild scolding that wouldn’t be of any consequence. She was illiterate, after all; they couldn’t even make her copy scriptures as punishment since she didn’t know how to write.

What was there to be afraid of?

With this mindset, she climbed into the carriage bound for the Jinxiang Marquis Estate.

Song Shiying was supposed to ride in the same carriage as Song Shiyue, but she insisted on joining Jiang Chun, dragging Song Shiyue along as well.

Madame Zhuang was so angry she gritted her teeth, but with the banquet approaching, she didn’t want to waste time arguing over such trivial matters. Adopting an "out of sight, out of mind" approach, she got into her own carriage.

In addition to the three carriages for the masters of the Song family, the maids and older women who were attending to them filled another three carriages. A total of six carriages traveled in a grand procession to East Hua Street.

The route from Guihua Lane to East Hua Street happened to pass by the East Market.

Jiang Chun, on the scent of fish, pulled aside a small section of the brocade curtain of the carriage window and carefully selected suitable shops to check in at.

[Ding! Check-in successful at "Yanjing City Bank," gaining 8 ounces of gold.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at "Yanjing City Pawnshop," gaining 1 red sandalwood canopy bed, 1 pair of gold-inlaid jade earrings, and 2 bolts of cloud brocade.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at "Yanjing City Blacksmith," gaining 12 incense burners, 15 iron buckets, and 20 thimbles.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at "Yanjing City Medical Hall," gaining 1 jin of dangshen, 1 jin of bird’s nest, and 8 jin of goji berries.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at "Yanjing City Pharmacy," gaining 8 jin of black pepper, 6 jin of lily bulbs, and 6 jin of isatis root.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at "Yanjing City Jewelry Store," gaining 12 jade finger guards, 2 crimson gold coral flower crowns, and 20 hair ties.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at "Yanjing City Bookstore," gaining 12 reams of water-patterned paper, 20 bamboo pens, and 4 jade paperweights.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at "Yanjing City Fabric Store," gaining 16 bolts of fine cotton fabric, 8 bolts of fine linen, and 26 bolts of brocade.]

After the long list of system announcements finished, Jiang Chun broke into a smile, her grin so wide it nearly twisted her mouth.

It’s no wonder that under the Son of Heaven’s rule, every time she came out to check in, she struck it rich. This scale was unparalleled; neither Hongye County nor Shaoxing City could compare.

Indeed, she was born to be a capital citizen. Since she had come to the capital, no one would be able to take her away!

She was determined to stay here, even if it meant clinging on stubbornly.

Seeing her sister-in-law’s gaze fixed ahead with a strange smile, Song Shiyue couldn’t help but nudge Song Shiying discreetly and gesture toward Jiang Chun with her mouth.

Song Shiying, unconcerned, said, "Big Sis is like this often. I’m used to it by now. Don’t worry about it; it’s nothing."

Hearing this, Jiang Chun slipped her hand into her money bag, and under the cover of the bag, retrieved three jade rings she had just obtained from the system storage. She chose a white-and-red one to put on her right index finger.

As for the remaining two, without much selection, she casually handed one to Song Shiying and one to Song Shiyue.

Jiang Chun said with a smile, "Big sister-in-law just got some new jade thumb rings. Come, come, come, everyone gets one."

Song Shiyue looked at the jade ring in her hand, which had a lustrous sheen, indicating it was superior-quality mutton fat jade.

She hurriedly declined, "Big sister-in-law, this is too precious. I can't accept it."

Song Shiying, however, happily slipped it onto her finger and said with a grin, "Thank you, big sister-in-law."

She even added teasingly, "Big sister-in-law has become much more generous since coming to the capital. When I was living at the Jiang family, she used to charge me five wen a day for meals!"

"Don't worry, just take it. Don't be polite with your big sister-in-law."

Jiang Chun first comforted Song Shiyue with a smile, then turned her head and gave Song Shiying a sideways glance. "A pound of meat costs twenty wen. What good is five wen? At most, you could eat a few vegetable buns; you couldn't even afford meat buns."

"The reason I charged you for meals was just to keep you busy, so you wouldn't have too much idle time to let your imagination run wild. Tsk, my good intentions were thrown to the wind!"

Song Shiying wasn't entirely convinced. Big sister-in-law had been quite stingy back then, but she didn't dare to question it.

Though she no longer had to "bow her head under someone else’s roof," she was still counting on big sister-in-law to help her make an example out of someone today.

So she tactfully apologized, "Big sister-in-law, I was wrong. I'm so stupid for not realizing your good intentions. I deserve a slap on the face."

She even lightly slapped her cheek as she spoke.

Jiang Chun glanced at her and hummed, "Forget it. Your big sister-in-law is broad-minded and won’t bother with such trivial matters. I'm too lazy to argue with you, little girl."

Song Shiyue, unable to decline further, finally put the jade ring on her finger and sincerely thanked her, "Thank you, big sister-in-law."

Jiang Chun waved her hand casually, "No need to be so polite. Learn from your third sister. If you're shameless, you'll never go hungry and won’t suffer losses."

Song Shiyue obediently replied, "Thank you for your guidance, big sister-in-law."

The three of them chatted all the way to the Jinxiang Marquis's residence.

The carriage stopped at the secondary gate. Jiang Chun got out of the carriage, lifted her skirt, and hopped down. She then turned around to help her two younger sisters-in-law.

This immediately caused a slight stir among the two women who had just gotten off their carriage inside the gate.

Lady Zhang, whose husband had just been transferred back to the capital, curiously asked the woman who had gotten off the adjacent carriage, "Do you know which military official's young lady that is? She's quite bold and refreshing."

The woman, whose maiden name was Cao and who was the wife of Lu Zhening, the deputy commander of the Northern City Military Command, laughed and said, "Young lady? Haven't you noticed she’s wearing a traditional married woman’s hairstyle? As for which family she's from..."

Lady Cao leaned in a little and lowered her voice, "The two young misses beside her are from the second and third branches of the Song family. I'm guessing she’s probably the wife of Song Shi'an, also known as Song Qingzhi."

Upon hearing this, Lady Zhang immediately exclaimed, "Is that the country butcher’s daughter who married into the Song family?"

Before she could finish, Lady Cao quickly covered her mouth.

After seeing the Song family's women walk away, Lady Cao let go and said with some annoyance, "Are you crazy? If she had heard you, you'd have offended her."

Lady Zhang, however, didn't seem to care, "So what if I offend her? She's just a butcher girl from the countryside. You might be afraid of her, but I'm not."

Lady Cao gave her a look as if she were an imbecile and couldn't be bothered to say more. She took her maid's arm and walked towards the inner courtyard.

Once they were at a distance, she gritted her teeth and said to her maid, "I must not have consulted the almanac today, to have encountered such a fool!"

Before the maid could respond, she added with some irritation, "It’s my own fault for being so foolish, I actually conversed with such a fool."

The maid first cautiously looked back and then whispered, "My lady might not recognize her, but Lady Zhang is the cousin-in-law of Miss Cheng, who happens to be Lord Song’s former fiancée."

Madame Cao was initially taken aback, then murmured in understanding, "No wonder she holds a grudge against Madam Song. So that's the reason."

The maid nodded in agreement.

Madame Cao then scoffed with disdain, "Does she still have the gall to bear a grudge against Madam Song? It’s not like Lord Song called off the engagement to marry someone else. The Cheng family hastily ended the engagement out of fear for the Song family’s downfall." She sneered. "And now that the Song family has been rehabilitated, does she regret it?"

The maid replied, "Given the Song family’s current success, the Cheng family is surely regretting it."

While the mistress and servant continued to disparage the Cheng family, elsewhere, Jiang Chun obediently followed Madame Zhuang to pay respects to the elderly Lady Liao of the Jinxiang Marquis Manor.

Lady Liao had a plump, round face and a somewhat rotund figure, bearing a resemblance to Grandmother Jia in *Dream of the Red Chamber*.

Seeing Jiang Chun bow, she stood up, personally helped her up, and praised her extensively while holding her small hands, "What a lovely young lady you are, and so tall as well! I simply adore someone like you. Unfortunately, I’m not as fortunate as your mother to have such a wonderful daughter-in-law."

She then had a pair of jadeite bracelets brought over as a gift for their first meeting.

"Thank you for the gift, Lady Liao," Jiang Chun said, handing the bracelets to Gui Zhi. She then flattered Lady Liao with a broad smile, "You have such a kind and merciful face, just like the Bodhisattvas in the temple. At a glance, one can see that you are destined for a long life."

Lady Liao was so pleased that she beamed with joy.

Madame Zhuang then had Jiang Chun pay her respects to Lady Zhao of the Jinxiang Marquis Manor and Second Madam Ma of the same manor. Jiang Chun also paid respects to Eldest Miss Lu, Lady Liao’s daughter, who lived at her natal home with her children after being widowed.

All three also presented Jiang Chun with gifts as tokens of greeting.

Not only these three, but other visiting ladies of higher seniority than Jiang Chun also presented her with gifts upon their meeting.

Guiye's slung bag was nearly full.

Jiang Chun felt she had shown great foresight in asking Guiye, who was skilled at needlework, to make her a slung bag. And it proved very useful today.

After receiving so many gifts this time around, Jiang Chun felt this trip was absolutely worthwhile.

After meeting all the elders, Jiang Chun was led to the back hall by Lady Xiao, the wife of the Jinxian Marquis’s heir, who was also a close friend of Song Shian.

Lady Xiao held Jiang Chun's hand and said with a smile, "My husband and Song Langjun are close friends. I've been eagerly awaiting the chance to meet you, Jiang Chun. Today, my wish has finally been fulfilled."

Jiang Chun quickly replied, "Lady Xiao, no need for such formalities. My name is Chun, the 'chun' of the toon tree. You can call me Jiang Chun or just Jiang."

Lady Xiao gave her a sidelong glance and retorted playfully, "You're asking me not to be formal, but you're still calling me Lady Xiao!

How about we drop the formalities? Since I’m a few years older, I’ll call you Sister Jiang, and you can call me Sister Xiao, okay?"

Since Lady Xiao was trying to be friendly, Jiang Chun readily responded, "Sister Xiao."

Lady Xiao smiled with satisfaction. "That’s much better."

As they spoke, they entered the flower hall.

The flower hall at the Jinxian Marquis’s residence was expansive, divided into the main hall and two smaller halls to the east and west.

The west small hall housed unmarried young ladies, while the married young ladies sat in the east small hall.

Lady Xiao led Jiang Chun into the east small hall and seated her next to her best friend, Lady Cao, instructing her, "I still have some things to attend to. Please, Sister Cao, take good care of Sister Jiang for me."

"Of course, go ahead with your business," Lady Cao responded curtly, though inwardly she felt like scolding her lifelong best friend.

This Jiang lady was clearly a hot potato. She had barely entered the second gate when she ran into trouble. And now, they’d seated her right next to me, as if afraid I wouldn’t end up covered in blood!

As it turned out, Lady Cao’s worries were not unfounded.

No sooner had Jiang Chun sat down and drunk a cup of tea than Lady Zhang, sitting behind her, began to "whisper" to the person next to her.

Lady Zhang said, "Originally, my aunt and cousin were supposed to accompany me, since I've just arrived in the capital with my husband and don’t know anyone here. They were going to help me get acquainted, you see?

But when they heard that someone was coming, to avoid any awkwardness between my cousin and that person, they decided not to come.

To be honest, I don’t think it was necessary. We are all guests who received invitations from the Marquis of Jinxiang’s estate. Who can come and who cannot?

My aunt and cousin are simply too kind-hearted; they always think of others. Such thoughtful people are rare these days."

The Lady Wang sitting next to her, whose husband was a disciple of the Cheng family’s eldest master, naturally agreed with Lady Zhang.

She chimed in, "Lady Zhang is right. Who doesn’t know Miss Cheng Da? Renowned for her beauty and gentle nature. The other day, my old grandmother was saying, which lucky young master will have the fortune to marry such a fine young lady?"

Lady Zhang sighed. "Many families have come to ask for her hand in marriage. The doorstep of my aunt’s house has almost been worn down by all the matchmakers. Unfortunately, my cousin hasn’t accepted any of them.

Alas, perhaps she’s still too heartbroken to consider marrying anyone else."

It was still early, and only three or four groups were seated in the eastern hall.

Jiang Chun didn’t know this loud-mouthed Lady Zhang, but when the lady sitting next to her mentioned "Miss Cheng Da," it hit her.

So, this was aimed at her.

While Song Shiying hadn’t found the "chicken" to set an example with yet, a "chicken" had already appeared here.

Jiang Chun twisted her waist, making a full 180-degree turn to face Lady Zhang. She crossed one leg over the other, resting her ankle on her knee.

Casually, she grabbed a handful of five-spice melon seeds and began peeling them one by one. She said in a casual tone, "Is this lady still drunk from last night? To be spouting such nonsense so early in the morning, it’s quite funny."

Lady Zhang was caught off guard.

She had assumed that this newcomer from the countryside, attending the Chrysanthemum Banquet at the Marquis of Jinxiang’s estate, would be either timid or overly cautious. Even if she had heard the veiled jabs, she would just seethe inside, not daring to retort.

But here she was, jumping in right away. How dare she?!

Lady Zhang sneered and, raising her voice, said, "Lady Jiang, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? I was discussing family matters with Lady Wang. You suddenly interrupted us and said these absurd things. That’s quite rude, don’t you think?"

Jiang Chun put a pile of shelled seeds into her mouth, chewed for a moment, swallowed, and then said with a smile, "Stop pretending. You were shamelessly gossiping about my husband behind my back, and when I overheard you, instead of apologizing or reflecting, you try to deflect the blame.

No wonder. You’re related to the Cheng family, after all. Pretending to be innocent and accusing others first—you’re really good at that game.

We’re all seasoned veterans here, so don’t try to act pure and innocent with me. Heartbroken? Please. Everyone in the Imperial City knows that the marriage between the Song and Cheng families fell apart because the Cheng family, seeing the Song family being arrested and their property confiscated, rushed to break off the engagement and distance themselves.

And yet, in your mouth, the Cheng family becomes the innocent party, and Song Shian, who married someone else, becomes the heartbreaker.

Are you trying to make me laugh?

The Song family values their dignity and doesn’t like to gossip about others, but I, Jiang Chun, am not like that. I can’t stand dirt in my eyes."

She almost slipped and said "Liaozhai" but managed to catch herself in time.

Lady Zhang was so bluntly contradicted that her face turned alternately pale and red, and for a moment, she couldn't find a reason to retort.

In a rage, she stood up, rushed over to Jiang Chun, and shouted, "Who is the dirty thing? Who are you calling a dirty thing? How dare you scold people like that!"

Jiang Chun looked up, staring down at her with a mocking smile. "Oh, Lady Zhang, you're so young, how is it that your ears aren't good? Who is the dirty thing? Obviously, I'm talking about—"

She deliberately dragged out her words before firmly saying, "You!"

Enraged, Lady Zhang pushed Jiang Chun's upper body forcefully, causing Jiang Chun to lean back, her neck and head shaking from the impact.

"Ha..." Jiang Chun laughed outright.

It seemed that once outside of Hongye County, her reputation as the "Night Sea Patrol" wasn't effective anymore. Even any random nobodies dared to lay hands on her.

It looked like Song Shiying wouldn't get that "first kill" today.

Jiang Chun finished shelling the last few melon seeds, popped them into her mouth, stood up, took out her handkerchief, and placed it on the table. Then, she began to slowly and methodically remove her jewelry.

She first took off her jade ring, then her jade bracelets, and one by one, pulled the hairpins and hair sticks from her head, leaving only a single silk flower.

Seeing the situation was deteriorating, Lady Cao quickly signaled a maid from the Marquis of Jinxiang's estate to go and fetch Lady Xiao immediately.

After removing all her jewelry, Jiang Chun decisively lifted her skirt and kicked Lady Zhang, sending her crashing to the ground. Jiang Chun then sat on her and, rolling up her sleeves, said fiercely, "Do you think just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can lay hands on me? Today, I'll teach you a lesson. Let's see if you dare to be so bold next time!"

Rolling up her sleeves, she first slapped Lady Zhang twice, leaving immediate finger marks on her face. Then, imitating the way one would pat a horse's backside, she gave Lady Zhang's buttocks a few firm pats.

Though it wasn't as painful as a slap on the face, it was more humiliating.

Lady Zhang, pinned beneath Jiang Chun, howled in pain. "Owww... it hurts so much... Let me go! Stop hitting me! Don't hit my butt! You brute, stop hitting me!"

Her howls continued for a while, but Jiang Chun showed no sign of stopping. Furious, embarrassed, and in pain, Lady Zhang blurted out, "Stop it, you country butcher! A thug who only knows how to fight, stop it right now!"

Instead of getting angry, Jiang Chun grinned. "You knew I was a country butcher, a thug who only knows how to fight, yet you still had the guts to provoke me. It seems you're not very bright."

She slapped her even harder, hitting Lady Zhang's buttocks with a loud smack, and said coldly, "People who are used as tools by others deserve to suffer more pain!"

"Aoooo..." Lady Zhang let out an inhuman scream of pain.

All the ladies present, including those who had just walked in from the doorway, were completely stunned.

Having grown up in the circles of high-ranking officials and nobles, they had only ever seen verbal spats between women. Witnessing a full-blown brawl was a first for them.

Their shock was palpable, and not a single person thought to step in and break up the fight. Of course, part of the reason was the fear that Jiang Chun might see them as allies of Lady Zhang and attack them too.

As for Lady Wang, who was actually on Lady Zhang's side, she was so startled that she fell off her stool, her face turning deathly pale, and her hands and feet trembled as if she might pass out at any moment.

Had it not been for her dramatic reaction, Jiang Chun might not have even remembered this person existed.

Now that she did, Jiang Chun decisively let go of Lady Zhang, walked over, and kicked Lady Wang's backside twice, snorting coldly, "You minion, you're no better."

After kicking Lady Wang, she returned to Lady Zhang, sat back on her, and continued spanking her.

She waited for those who would come to stop the fight to "talk her down."