Chapter 83

Chapter 83

While Jiang Chun was busy here, Jiang He and Zheng Kun, who lived in the outer courtyard, were also occupied. They used these two days to thoroughly clean the new residence inside and out.

Learning that her father and cousin had already cleaned the new house, Jiang Chun first informed Lady Zhuang, then asked Manager Liu to arrange people and carts to transport the furniture to the Jiang residence.

Noticing the furniture was made from high-quality walnut wood and varnished, far better than the furniture made for his wedding with Jiang Chun’s mother, Zheng Shi, Jiang He was so pleased that he couldn’t stop smiling.

He repeatedly reminded Jiang Chun, “Chunniang, remember to thank my in-laws on my behalf.”

Unfortunately, since the father-in-law hasn’t returned yet, he felt it inappropriate to interact much with his mother-in-law; otherwise, he would have thanked her in person.

Jiang Chun sighed exasperatedly, “Dad, you’ve said this eight times now. Your daughter is still young and doesn’t have memory issues, how could I forget such a minor detail?”

Jiang He gave her a white look. “You child, spouting nonsense. Thanking your in-laws is a significant matter, how can it be considered trivial?”

Jiang Chun could only respond again, “Alright, Dad, I’ll go tell Mother after delivering the furniture.”

As the Zhuang family had been buying a lot recently, there was no shortage of carts at home. Manager Liu arranged eight flatbed carts to load all the furniture Jiang Chun had requested.

In one trip, they arrived at the Jiang residence behind the West Market.

Jiang Chun carefully noticed that all the neighboring houses had signboards hanging above their doorways, but their own entrance was strikingly bare.

After a moment of thought, she spoke to Jiang He, who was about to carry the furniture himself, "Father, all the neighbors have signboards hanging. Let your son-in-law write one for us when we get back."

Jiang He walked to the gate and looked around at the houses on either side. Sure enough, all the neighboring doorways had plaques hanging above them.

He smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright, then have your husband write one."

Hearing this, Manager Liu added with a smile, "Young Master Jiang's 'Qingzhi script' is peerless in the Imperial City. Everyone who sees it speaks highly of it. Once the plaque written by your husband is hung above the doorway, who knows how many people will envy you for having such an excellent son-in-law!"

Jiang He beamed, "My son-in-law's writing is indeed very good, neat and precise, as if measured with a ruler."

Manager Liu’s smile stiffened.

Jiang Chun laughed and teasingly said to Jiang He, "Father, what you mean is the 'Guan'ge script' that my husband writes. It's the style used for imperial examinations and official court documents, so it must be precise and orderly, making it easy for others to read.

What Manager Liu means is the 'Qingzhi script,' which is bold and dynamic. Or to put it plainly, it's vigorous and full of grandeur. It’s perfect for inscribing plaques."

Upon hearing it, Jiang He clapped his hands together and gave a single clap. "This is good, this is good. A fierce-looking plaque is perfect for protecting the house."

He seemed to understand, but not entirely.

Manager Liu bit his cheek to suppress a laugh.

Considering Jiang He’s educational level, Jiang Chun didn’t expect much. Hearing this, instead of refuting, she gave him a big thumbs up and praised him. "Dad, you’ve got some great ideas. Others didn’t think of this detail, but Dad, you did."

Blushing slightly from the praise, Jiang He scratched his head and changed the subject. "Don’t just stand there. Help move the furniture."

Just as Manager Liu was about to intervene, he saw Madam Jiang lift an armchair with one hand and walk into the house effortlessly.

Beside the cart, two young servants were lifting an armchair together and exchanged astonished glances.

After a moment, they both exclaimed to Manager Liu, "Madam Jiang is so strong!"

If not for maintaining his authority before the Song family’s new servants, Manager Liu would have agreed with them.

Jiang Chun helped unload all the furniture and directed the servants accompanying the cart to place them in the appropriate positions.

It took over an hour to fill the previously empty Jiang family house.

She personally dug a hole between the east annex and the east bedroom, and another in the south corner of the east bedroom, to install the heating stove brought from Daliushu Village.

At first, Jiang He tried to stop her. "You should keep it for you and your husband. I'm not afraid of the cold. The kang keeps me warm at night, and I sleep soundly until morning. I don’t need this heating stove."

Jiang Chun deftly assembled the iron pipes and said with a smile, "Dad, you keep it. Don’t worry about us. The master’s bedroom in the Song family has a heated floor, and it’s warm like spring in the room when it’s lit, much better than this heating stove."

Thinking for a moment, she added, "Winter is coming, and I’ll find time to buy coal from the fuel shop. That way, we won’t have to worry about price increases when it gets colder."

Jiang He called Jiang Chun aside, away from Manager Liu, and asked in a low voice, "You’ve used all your savings to buy this house for me. Do you still have money to buy coal?"

Although he didn’t manage the money, he had a good sense of how much the family had. After buying this house and paying the informant’s share, he figured his daughter might have only about fifteen or twenty taels of silver left at most.

Jiang Chun said with a smile, "Dad, a dan of coal costs just over a hundred wen. Even if prices are higher in the capital, buying two thousand jin would cost at most three taels. I can afford it."

Deciding that today was as good a day as any, and since the west market was just two streets away, she added, "Since I’m here today, I might as well go to the west market to buy the coal now."

Jiang He was rendered speechless. "You’re always so impatient; you can’t even wait for dawn when the rooster crows."

Jiang Chun finished setting up the heating stove, while an industrious servant boy drew water from the well in the backyard. She washed her hands in a wooden basin.

She refused Manager Liu's accompaniment and, taking Gui Zhi with her, chose two clever servant boys to accompany her on foot to the West Market.

Manager Liu hesitated, but seeing that Young Master Jiang and Young Master Zheng seemed unperturbed and continued with their tasks, he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.

Ladies from prominent families seldom ventured out of their homes, and even when they did, they wore veiled hats to conceal their faces.

Only ladies from modest backgrounds, like Madam, would stroll boldly through the streets without a veiled hat.

But since her own father didn’t care, and although her mother-in-law wished to discipline her, she obviously couldn’t control her given the current situation.

As he was temporarily assigned to the Song family, he decided it was best not to meddle in their affairs.

If there was anyone in the Song family who could rein in Madam’s behavior, it would probably be the elderly Mrs. Zhou, the strict and rule-conscious matriarch.

Once the old lady returned to the estate, Madam’s days of freedom would likely be numbered.

*

Jiang Chun certainly didn’t need to come to the West Market in person; sending Manager Liu to the charcoal shop would have been sufficient for such a minor errand.

But she still came.

Firstly, she was eager to explore this bustling "commercial street"; and secondly, it was a good opportunity to check in and pick up some valuable items.

After buying the house, she was now truly penniless.

Another task was to scout around and find out which pawnshop was reliable, so she could pawn things there later.

Her check-in system was brimming with various items, each of which could be exchanged for some silver.

While the Song family was in a chaotic state and the other masters hadn’t returned yet, she seized the opportunity to make some quick silver before anyone noticed.

Having money in hand brought peace of mind.

She could even invest in Zhong Wenjin and hop on her "cross-border trader" venture.

[Ding! Check-in successful at "Yanjing City Bank," earning 24 taels of silver.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Pawn Shop," obtained 1 jade gourd, 1 Taishan Shigandang statue, and 1 brocade padded jacket.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Blacksmith Shop," obtained 8 iron teapots, 11 iron axes, and 9 iron rakes.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Medical Clinic," obtained 3 jin of donkey-hide gelatin (Ejiao), 5 jin of sea cucumber, and 12 jin of black pepper.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Apothecary," obtained 4 jin of Gastrodia elata, 3 jin of Chinese angelica (Angelica sinensis), and 6 jin of bird's nest.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Jewelry Store," obtained 8 pairs of red coral pendant earrings, 9 silver hairpins, and 6 pairs of floral hairpins.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Bookstore," obtained 13 reams of xuan paper (traditional Chinese paper used for painting and calligraphy), 10 wolf-hair brushes, and 8 ingots of lacquered gold ink.]

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Fabric Store," obtained 12 bolts of silk, 18 bolts of fine cotton cloth, and 6 bolts of feather gauze.]

In addition to the shops where she regularly checked in, Jiang Chun also noticed a specialized spice shop.

The shop sold various cooking spices and incense materials, as well as incense sticks, incense tablets, and incense balls.

None of them were cheap.

She decisively chose to spend 1 check-in point to clock in.

[Ding! Check-in successful at the "Yanjing City Spice Shop," obtained 1 jin of musk, 1 jin of styrax, and 1 jin of ambergris.]

Hearing the system notification, Jiang Chun's heart surged with excitement.

She stepped into the spice shop and asked the shopkeeper about the prices of a few spices.

A jin of musk was about twenty taels, and styrax was cheaper but still around ten taels.

But the key item was the ambergris; it was exorbitantly expensive.

Although ambergris in the Great Zhou Dynasty wasn't as overpriced as during the Jiajing period of the Ming dynasty, where it was hyped due to Emperor Jiajing's preference for ambergris—causing the price to soar to 100 taels of silver per jin, making a jin worth over a thousand taels of silver.

She had truly struck it rich!

This was the first time since Jiang Chun had obtained the check-in system that she had experienced what it felt like to "get rich quick."

Putting aside the Shu brocade, even if twenty pieces of Shu brocade were sold, they could fetch as much as five hundred taels of silver.

The problem is, it cannot be sold.

It's not that it can't be sold, but that we don't dare to put it up for sale.

Ambergris doesn't have this worry.

Ambergris is a substance produced by sperm whales, and fishermen or merchants who frequently travel to coastal towns for business might acquire it.

Although Hongye County does not border the sea, it is near the Grand Canal, and many merchant ships pass through, so it is quite possible for Jiang Chun to acquire it.

However, she couldn't retrieve it from the system warehouse for sale and had to put the idea on hold.

Coming out of the spice shop, Jiang Chun walked and browsed along the way, heading towards the Xinhuo Shop as directed by the spice shop owner.

Upon arriving at the Xinhuo Shop, Jiang Chun was inwardly surprised after inquiring with the shop owner, Mr. Xue.

In the capital, a dan of coal costs as much as two hundred wen!

In Hongye County, a dan of coal costs only one hundred and thirty-five wen.

Each dan costs sixty-five wen more.

One dan equals one hundred jin, so two thousand jin equals twenty dan, which means she would need to spend an extra thirteen hundred wen.

No wonder people say "living in the capital is not easy;" everything really is more expensive than in other places.

Jiang Chun managed to negotiate five wen off each dan, and finally, two thousand jin of coal was agreed upon for thirty-nine hundred wen.

Jiang Chun took a piece of silver weighing about four taels from her purse, placed it on the counter, and said to Shopkeeper Xue, "Can you deliver it? It’s just two streets away on Shengping Street."

Shopkeeper Xue smiled and said, "We deliver within a three-street radius. Since your house is within range, we can deliver it. Could you tell me which house on Shengping Street it is?"

Jiang Chun smiled and said, "We have just moved in. The previous owner had the surname Su."

Most residents on Shengping Street are merchants who do business in the West Market, so Shopkeeper Xue was very familiar with the situation and immediately smiled, "So, Lady, you have bought Mr. Su's house."

Jiang Chun didn't elaborate and only smiled, "There are people at the house, so please arrange for delivery as soon as possible."

Master Xue smiled and said, "Don't worry, madam. The charcoal comes in pre-packed bags. I'll have the boys load it onto the cart and deliver it right away."

Seeing that Master Xue seemed very well-informed, Jiang Chun casually asked him, "Do you happen to know which pawnshop in the West Market is the most fair?

We're from another place and brought along a lot of items that we don't need now that we're in the capital.

I plan to pawn them at a reliable shop, partly to generate some additional income and partly to avoid cluttering our new residence."

Upon hearing this, Master Xue chuckled, "Madam, you bought the Su family's residence but didn't know they owned a pawnshop?"

Jiang Chun really didn't know.

When she bought the house via a go-between, she specifically requested that the owner must have a legitimate business. She ruled out those who ran gambling houses, brothels, or were ruffians and the unemployed.

The go-between was well aware of her status as the Song family’s Eldest Madam and didn't dare to conceal anything from her.

So, after confirming that the Su family's son was the legitimate owner, she didn't inquire further about what business he was in.

Master Xue continued, "The Su family pawnshop is a century-old establishment. Several generations of their ancestors ran pawnshops, and they are well-regarded in the West Market."

Jiang Chun asked curiously, "Pawnshops are businesses that can yield great profit. Given that the Su family has been in this business for generations, how has it come to the point that Mr. Su has to sell his residence to raise funds?"

Master Xue shook his head and sighed, "There's no way around it. What can be done when the son is a prodigal? No matter how substantial the family's wealth is, it can't withstand his wastefulness."

Jiang Chun had nothing to say.

Even in modern times, there are successful entrepreneurs whose fortunes are squandered by their good-for-nothing sons, with the family business quickly squandered after their passing.

But Jiang Chun didn't care much about other people's affairs. She listened but didn't dwell on it. What she cared about was whether the Su family pawnshop still had working capital. "If the Su family has come to selling their residence to raise funds, can the pawnshop still operate?"

Master Xue smiled, "You can rest assured about that, madam. Mr. Su is a prudent man. His son can access the family's assets but cannot touch the pawnshop's assets.

The pawnshop is running just fine. It's just that the son's spending exceeds the shop's earnings, which is why they had to sell the house to fill the financial gap."

Jiang Chun: "……"

This situation is truly hopeless. Did Mr. Su ever consider starting over with a different son and raising a new son from scratch?

Although she inwardly mocked the situation, on the surface, she just smiled and said, "Thank you for the information, Master Xue. Since the Su family pawnshop is fair, I will go there if I need to pawn items."

"Madam, you're too kind."

Jiang Chun came out of the Xinhuo Shop and went to a restaurant to order takeout, then returned to her residence on Shengping Street.

Indeed, restaurants and food shops in the Imperial City offered takeout services, with dedicated staff responsible for delivery.

After you finished your meal, they would come back to collect the food containers and tableware.

All free of charge.

Unlike today, you had to send a servant or go in person to place an order.

After having lunch in the new house, once the Xinhuo Shop had delivered all 2,000 jin of coal, they then returned to the Song family residence.

Although the house was nearly set up, arranging the household items they brought from Daliushu Village would make it fully prepared, ready to start cooking.

However, in ancient times, moving required choosing an auspicious day based on tradition. It wasn't something to be done casually.

When Jiang Chun next went to the pawnshop, she would consult a fortune teller to select a good day for moving.

Once she found an auspicious day, they would officially move.

*

By mid-afternoon, they returned to the Song family residence.

Jiang Chun reckoned that at this hour, Madame Zhuang should be napping, so she avoided the main courtyard and instead planned to return directly to Dangui Courtyard.

But as soon as she crossed the second gate, a young maid named Hu Po, who served in the main courtyard, hurried over anxiously and said, "Madam, you're back! Madam Cheng, Madam Sun, and Lady Zhang are in the main courtyard talking with the lady of the house."

From her tone, it was evident they had been waiting for her at the second gate for some time.

Jiang Chun arched an eyebrow. "I thought they would swallow their pride and accept the loss quietly after yesterday’s events, but they still came to our door."

Hu Po licked her lips and weakly added, "Madam, Miss Cheng also came..."

Jiang Chun let out a scoff of amusement.

She thought Miss Cheng could hold her patience and continue to stay hidden, but after she had just dealt with Zhang Shi, Miss Cheng couldn’t keep quiet anymore?

Jiang Chun didn’t say much to Hu Po and headed towards the main courtyard.

Madame Zhuang had already said she would take care of it herself, so now that they had come knocking, how could Jiang Chun, the instigator, stay hidden?

Jiang Chun strode towards the main courtyard with a determined and defiant air, rolling up her sleeves as she walked. She decided that if they spoke too insultingly, she would teach them all a lesson.

Whether it was one or many, she wasn’t afraid.

She would beat them thoroughly, showing them she was not to be messed with, and ensure they avoided her in the future.

However, the scene in the eastern secondary room was entirely different from what she had expected.

Inside, there was laughter and lively conversation.

The speaker was Song Daguniang, Song Shi’an’s former fiancée: "Lady Zhong, I'm so impressed that you know medicinal herbs. I don’t have such skills; being able to tell leeks from wheat seedlings is good enough for me."

Just as Zhong Wenjin was about to respond modestly, she saw Jiang Chun walk in and immediately stood up with a sweet smile. "Sister, you’re back?"

The anger Jiang Chun had been holding in dissipated somewhat at the sight of her daughter’s obedient and charming smile.

"Yes, I came back as soon as I finished my work," she nodded in response, then turned to Madame Zhuang and bowed respectfully. "Mother."

Madame Zhuang immediately said, "Quickly, greet Madame Cheng and Madam Sun."

If she didn’t remind her, Jiang Chun would probably just find a seat and ignore the other guests.

To avoid appearing rude, Madame Zhuang had to remind her.

So, she turned around and gave perfunctory bows to Madame Cheng and Madam Sun, half-heartedly saying, "Greetings, Madame Cheng, Madam Sun."

Madame Zhuang's lips twitched.

She's definitely doing it on purpose.

As if I don't know, she can perform the bow quite well when she wants to.

She could match the second wife's bow, no problem.

Of course, only when she's serious about it.

But most of the time, even in front of me, she goes through the motions very perfunctorily, not willing to bend her knees an inch more, simply bowing slightly to finish it off.

Right now, she was acting in exactly that manner.

Lady Cheng and Lady Sun, clearly much more cultured than Lady Zhang, both raised their hands slightly and said, "There's no need for formalities, Lady."

Lady Zhuang pretended to scold, "Don’t call her Big Missus, don’t overwhelm her with such a grand title. Just call her Chunniang, the 'chun' from the toon tree."

Jiang Chun found a nearby chair and sat down, saying with a grin, "It’s the 'chun' from toon buds. Some love the smell and can never get enough of toon buds scrambled with eggs. But others find the smell unbearable, feeling nauseated and restless, wishing to get rid of it immediately."

After this lengthy explanation, she leaned back in her chair and said, "Oh well, to each their own."

Zhong Wenjin covered her mouth with her sleeve and stifled a few giggles.

Her sister-in-law’s tongue was indeed sharp, mocking others while flaunting her affection for her husband.

It seemed that besides her great strength, Lady Jiang was also skilled with words.

Despite their superior cultivation, Lady Cheng and Lady Sun couldn’t help but look upset after hearing this thinly veiled sarcasm.

In contrast, Cheng Wenyuan maintained her composure. She pressed her lips, stood up, and gave Jiang Chun a half-bow, saying with a smile, "Cheng Wenyuan greets Sister Jiang."

Jiang Chun, with no manners, immediately shot back, "Better call me Jiang Niangzi. I don’t dare to randomly acknowledge sisters just because you do."

Her smile froze immediately.

She had anticipated that this country-bred butcher’s wife of Song Shian would not be easy to deal with, being illiterate and prone to physical violence.

But she hadn’t expected that she would embarrass her so openly, speaking so unpleasantly.

After a moment’s pause, Cheng Wenyuan forced a smile and said, "Jiang Niangzi, don’t overthink it. We didn’t come here to find fault with you today. In fact, we’re here to apologize."

Jiang Chun looked at Lady Zhang and said with a grin, "Is Lady Zhang here to apologize to me? Is that true?"

As soon as Lady Zhang saw her detestable face, she felt aches all over and could barely contain her anger.

But she suppressed her fury, forced herself to stand up, and bowed, saying, "Yes, I am here to apologize to Jiang Niangzi."