Chapter 102

Chapter 102

Clearly, in this confession session, only Jiang Chun was taken aback.

Song Shian, however, had known about her secret for a long time and had even guessed most of Zhong Wenjin’s secrets.

Jiang Chun finally grasped what it meant to be "intensely intelligent, almost diabolical."

It seems I’m not the clever one; he’s the true male demon!

Lying in bed at night, Jiang Chun felt increasingly indignant. She punched Song Shian a few times in frustration.

Muttering, she said, "Why be so smart? Can’t you be a bit slower and more dull like the second brother?"

Compared to Song Shian, the handsome yet tragic supporting character, the original male lead, Song Shirui, was more valiant and straightforward.

He had a typical military mindset and was very protective of his wife. Whenever Zhong Wenjin had any issues, he would rush to her side first, and even fought with his colleagues in the Golden Hall for her sake!

However, his mind wasn’t as subtle and perceptive.

Thus, in the original story, he never discovered Zhong Wenjin’s secret.

If not for them later having two sets of twins and their relationship remaining stable, allowing Zhong Wenjin to gain enough security to confess voluntarily, he might never have discovered the secret in his lifetime.

Since Jiang Chun controlled her strength while punching, Song Shian felt no pain. Instead, he reached out and drew her into his arms.

With a grin, he said, "It’s better for your husband to be smart, so our future children won’t be dull."

Jiang Chun wriggled a bit in his arms, found a comfortable position to nestle in, and hummed, "Wrong, wrong, wrong. A foolish father affects one person, a foolish mother affects the whole family. Whether the children are smart depends on the mother."

Upon hearing this, Song Shian said proudly, "Incredible! With a wise wife like you, how smart will our future children be?"

Even I, with my photographic memory, might be outshone by them.

Praised for her intelligence, Jiang Chun’s lips curled up, and she boasted, "Exactly, not only am I smart, I’m also strong. If the children inherit even one of these qualities, they’ll be able to get by."

Song Shian’s lips curled.

Getting by?

Dream on!

His children wouldn’t be allowed to coast through life. They must be strictly educated.

With the Crown Prince as their brother-in-law, as long as they show even slight competence, their futures will be bright.

But there was no need to tell Jiang Chun this.

A kind mother and a strict father—since she couldn’t bear to be harsh, he would take on the role of the ‘bad guy.’

Because of Jiang Chun’s one-sided confession, the two of them grew closer. She let down her guard, and Song Shian gained more trust in her.

At least it felt worthwhile to Jiang Chun.

Leaving other things aside, at least she had gained a helper who could assist her in "disposing of the loot," right?

Even so, Jiang Chun still faced the problem of not having enough manpower.

Although her cousin Zheng Kun was capable, he was still somewhat inexperienced. Being able to manage the affairs of the Fabric Store was already quite an achievement for him.

Adding a rouge and powder shop, he definitely wouldn't be able to manage it properly.

Moreover, the primary customers of the rouge and powder shop are women, so it wouldn't be appropriate for a male shopkeeper to be standing there.

Unfortunately, Wang Yiner’s health is poor, and she can’t stand for long periods, otherwise, she would be the perfect female shopkeeper for my rouge and powder shop.

Song Shian has some assistance available. The Crown Prince helped him retrieve a former servant boy, Mo Xin, and two attendants, Song Ping and Song Lu. Including Gui Shu, whom Madame Zhuang bought for him, there are four servants he can use.

However, they are all male servants, and Jiang Chun cannot use them.

Jiang Chun had no choice but to seek Madame Zhuang’s help.

She has always been straightforward in her actions. The next day, after her practice, during lunch in the main courtyard, she brought up the matter.

When Madame Zhuang heard her out, she pursed her lips slightly.

In the past, the eight shops and two estates of her eldest son were entrusted to her for management.

Now that he is married, it is reasonable to hand over the management of the shops and estates to his wife.

While it makes sense, Madame Zhuang still felt a hollow, uncomfortable feeling in her heart.

Perhaps this is the challenge of becoming a mother-in-law after her son marries.

However, she did not refuse to help, as she had someone suitable.

She said lightly, "Your uncle helped me retrieve some attendants from my family. Among them is a lady named Cao Wan, who used to manage my needlework shop. She has excellent communication skills and is very perceptive, which should meet your requirements."

Jiang Chun was delighted and was about to agree when she added a polite remark, "If you lend me someone you’re accustomed to using, won’t you be left without help?"

In this ancient society, male shopkeepers are easy to find, but female shopkeepers are rare.

Those who are capable may not be willing to step forward, and those who are willing may not be able to handle the responsibilities of a shopkeeper.

Madame Zhuang snorted, "If I needed someone for myself, would I lend them to you?"

My needlework shop’s location isn’t ideal, and the income is minimal. It’s better to rent it out and earn a steady rental income.

Jiang Chun was immediately relieved and, with a smile, came up to hold Madame Zhuang’s arm, "Mother, you’re so good to me, just like my own mother."

Madame Zhuang pushed her arm away impatiently, laughing, "Don’t try to get cozy. If I had a daughter like you, I’d be furious three times a day!"

It’s only because, as a mother-in-law, she is open-minded and, for the sake of her eldest son, tolerates a lot; otherwise, they would have quarreled countless times.

Silently observing her eldest daughter-in-law and mother-in-law’s ‘deep bond,’ Zhong Wenjin weakly interjected, "Mother, could you lend me a male shopkeeper?"

Before Madame Zhuang could respond, she continued, "It’s okay if you can’t lend one. I can also put up a notice and hire someone from outside."

But if I hire someone unreliable from outside and they cause Big Sister-in-law’s and my shop to go bankrupt, it’s not a big deal for me since I didn’t invest much.

However, if Big Sister-in-law’s 1,900 taels of silver go down the drain...

Madame Zhuang glared at Zhong Wenjin and said irritably, "You’re copying just because the other asked for someone!"

One by one, they come to me asking for people, as if I'm a slave trader or something?

Speaking of slave traders, she did recall something.

She had previously prepared to bring in more people to the estate and had sent someone to pass a message to the familiar slave trader, Wang the Tooth, but in the busyness of the past few days, she had completely forgotten.

She hurriedly said to Coral, "Send someone to tell Wang the Tooth that I have time today, and she should bring the people over."

Jiang Chun rolled her eyes and said to Madame Zhuang with a smile, "My cosmetics shop only has a female shopkeeper, but I also need a few female clerks. Since you're buying people anyway, why not help me buy them?"

Madame Zhuang stretched out her hand and snorted, "I can help you buy people, but you have to give me the silver."

Jiang Chun's face immediately twisted like a chrysanthemum. "Mother, we're mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, why do we need to be so clear about money?

People might think that our relationship is terrible, down to the point where we have to split every last coin.

Besides, as you know, I've invested all my savings in Second Sister-in-law's foreign goods business, so how can I possibly take out more silver for buying people?"

Madame Zhuang wasn't foolish and wasn't going to be deceived by her.

She said coolly, "Oh? If you can't even afford to buy people, I think you should just close your cosmetics shop.

After all, besides the silver for buying people, you also need money to stock goods, and to pay the shopkeeper and clerks their monthly wages.

Even if you only stock the cheapest cosmetics, you still need at least five hundred taels of silver to open a cosmetics shop."

Here, she looked up at Jiang Chun and snorted with a smile, "Considering the fabric store you're planning to open, I estimate you still have this much left."

She raised a finger.

If she didn’t have enough capital to start a shop, she wouldn’t have come so eagerly to borrow people from her.

Jiang Chun: "..."

Her guess was right on the mark.

The saying "A short father produces one short child, but a short mother produces a whole bunch" holds true. Madame Zhuang, who bore a clever son like Song Shian, was also quite sharp.

Jiang Chun said with an embarrassed smile, "Mother, you really have keen eyes, and nothing escapes your notice."

But there was no way she would pay up, and she argued, "Even though I have silver, as a daughter-in-law starting a business for the first time, shouldn’t the mother-in-law chip in with at least a few hundred taels of silver for buying people?

Otherwise, if people ask how much your mother-in-law contributed to your business, and I tell them you didn’t contribute a single coin...

It wouldn't sound good."

Madame Zhuang: "..."

She said speechlessly, "Stop making things up. I’ve never heard of a rule that a mother-in-law must provide financial help when her daughter-in-law starts a business."

Jiang Chun casually made things up, "In Qi Prefecture, there is such a saying. Second Sister-in-law, is there such a saying in Gusu Prefecture?"

Zhong Wenjin told a barefaced lie, "I don’t know if there’s such a saying in Gusu Prefecture, but in our small Ning’an County, there definitely is."

Madame Zhuang gave them both a white look and said with a snort, "You two sisters-in-law are in cahoots, trying to trick me!"

Hearing this, Zhong Wenjin immediately played along and said, "Mother, when you buy people for Big Sister-in-law’s shop, buy me a few male servants as well. My foreign goods shop is also short of staff."

Madame Zhuang said firmly, "Buy what? If you don't spend a single penny, I'm not buying anything for you."

They keep trying to pluck wool from this sheep every day. Don't they fear leaving me bald?

*

Madame Zhuang was outwardly tough but inwardly soft.

Despite her stern words, when Wang the toothless old woman brought people over that afternoon, she still bought four male servants for Zhong Wenjin's shop and four male servants and four maids for Jiang Chun's two shops.

Including the four maids and four elderly women assigned to each courtyard, Jiang Chun received sixteen people at once.

Jiang Chun looked at the four male servants and experienced genuine surprise.

Actually, she had only asked Madame Zhuang to help buy maids because for the rouge and powder store, she planned to use the high-quality products from the sign-in system as a carrot to dangle before the noblewomen in the capital, implementing a membership points system.

The store’s manager and staff needed to be trusted insiders.

That’s why she asked Madame Zhuang to help her hire people.

For the fabric shop, she could simply post a recruitment notice.

With Zheng Kun, her trusted man, as the manager, and the shop selling only ordinary fabrics, there wouldn’t be any issues.

Who knew that Madame Zhuang would proactively buy four male servants as staff for her...

Touched, Jiang Chun sniffled and immediately returned the favor by taking out a bag of blood bird’s nest from her large chest, sending Gui Zhi to secretly deliver it to Madame Zhuang.

Indeed, it was done secretly.

Gui Zhi recounted every detail to Madame Zhuang, saying, "Our mistress said that this blood bird’s nest is for you to use secretly. Don’t make it public.

If the matriarch on your side finds out, and you don’t show filial piety by offering it to her, people will say you’re unfilial; if you do offer it to her, not only will you not get to eat it yourself, but our mistress will also feel distressed."

Madame Zhuang: "..."

Her heart was a bit complicated.

This large bag of blood bird’s nest, just by holding it, she knew weighed at least one jin (about a pound).

Blood bird’s nest, a precious item, was always in high demand and short supply, costing two to three taels of silver per piece.

A jin of blood bird’s nest, containing about ninety pieces, could easily sell for 250 taels of silver.

Was this daughter-in-law clever or not?

If she wasn’t clever, she knew to come to her mother-in-law for help the moment she encountered a problem, instead of going out and hitting a wall, only to have her eldest son come begging later.

If she was clever, why did she haggle with me for a full two quarters of an hour just to get me to spend money to buy four maids for her?

Each maid cost between fifteen to twenty taels, and even those who could read and write were worth at most twenty-five taels.

Four maids would cost at most one hundred taels.

Yet the blood bird’s nest she sent over was worth 250 taels, clearly far exceeding the cost of buying the maids.

How did she calculate this?

What exactly had her eldest son been teaching her about reading, writing, and accounting? Couldn't she even figure out that 250 is greater than 100?

Hmph, they must have been fooling around all this time.

Jiang Chun had been messing around without any real results, as her belly had shown no signs of life until now.

It's really quite ridiculous!

Shanhu took out a purse and handed it to Gui Zhi, saying with a smile, "This is a gift from the Madam. Please thank your Madam on our behalf for her reverence."

Gui Zhi declined slightly before accepting the purse and returned to report the matter.

Shanhu opened the cloth bag containing the blood bird's nest and took out a bowl, presenting it to Madame Zhuang.

She praised, "Look at this bird's nest. Even someone as unknowledgeable as I can tell that it's a premium product among blood bird's nests.

The Eldest Madam is indeed generous. Instead of offering this precious item to her own father or keeping it for herself, she has chosen to reverence you, Madam, which shows that she sincerely regards you as her mother and treats you with filial piety."

Madame Zhuang stubbornly replied, "Whether it's sincere filial piety or just a mistake, it's still up for debate."

Shanhu mercilessly exposed her, "Madam, don't joke. Before marrying into the family, the Eldest Madam was known for running a pork stall every day. How could she not be able to figure out such simple accounts?"

Madame Zhuang was startled.

She had indeed forgotten about that.

After a moment of silence, she said with a bit of pride, "Hmph, even if she has taken so many good things from me, it's not a loss for her to reverence me with some fine items occasionally."

But where did she get this blood bird's nest?

A few days ago, the Elder Madam pretended to be sick and demanded bird's nest, so Manager Liu scoured everywhere and only managed to gather two taels of blood bird's nest.

Although the quality seemed decent, compared to what Jiang Chun reverenced, it was like comparing heaven to earth.

She raised the corner of her mouth slightly, a hint of a smile on her face, "Soak a bowl, and have the small kitchen stew it for me to eat early tomorrow morning.

As for the rest, store them carefully, and I'll share them with the Master when he returns."

Her husband had been confined to the Xishan mines for two full years. The mining work was the most grueling, and his body might have suffered greatly.

This blood bird's nest was the most nourishing and, unlike tonic medicine, it wouldn't harm the liver, making it perfect for him.

Of course, not to disappoint Jiang Chun's good intentions, she would also partake in it with her husband, having one bowl each day together.

As if mentioned, he appeared. The day after Madame Zhuang had been discussing her husband with her personal maid Shanhu, the male members of the Song family returned the next afternoon.

*

A group of four, including Song Zhen Ting, Song Zhen Ping, Song Zhen Sheng, and Song Shi Qian.

Had it not been for the guards on horseback protecting them from behind, the newly hired gatekeepers of the Song family might have mistaken them for refugees and chased them away with sticks.

They were skinny, their faces dark and worn from years of exposure to the elements, their hands as dry as chicken claws, some even bearing chilblains.

Although they had changed into silk garments bought by the Crown Prince's guards, they looked like refugees who had stolen rich people's clothes, quite out of place.

Madame Zhuang was the first to hear the news and hurriedly rushed out. Upon seeing the condition, tears flowed uncontrollably, "Master, you have suffered..."

Song Zhen Ting patted her arm lightly and turned to the Crown Prince's guards behind him, saying, "Thank you, gentlemen, for escorting us back. Please come into the estate for some tea and rest."

The leader of the guards bowed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Eldest Master Song, but we are in a hurry to return to the Crown Prince and report our mission, so we won't disturb you."

Hearing this, Madame Zhuang quickly wiped her tears with a handkerchief and gave Shanhu a meaningful look.

Then she smiled and said to the captain, "It's freezing cold outside. At least come in for a cup of tea before you leave, otherwise, we would really feel guilty."

The tall and burly captain saw Zhuang's little gesture clearly and knew that she was stalling for time. He was happy to engage with her.

After a short while, Coral hurried back, carrying a tray with about ten pouches, each containing two gold ingots.

Song Zhen Ting personally received them and then handed the pouches to the captain, smiling. "We appreciate your care for us on this journey, Captain Han. This small token of gratitude is far from enough to express our thanks, but please accept it."

Captain Han declined a few times before placing the pouches into the saddlebag on his horse. He then mounted his tall horse and led the team of ten guards to the palace.

Other members of the household gradually received the news and gathered. By the time Elder Master Song and his group reached the second gate, they ran into the large group.

What followed was a touching scene of family reunion with tears in their eyes.

Jiang Chun blended in, holding a handkerchief and occasionally wiping her face, just going through the motions.

Song Zhen Ting, the head of the Song family, although having spent two years as a miner, had not lost his shrewdness and quickly noticed something odd.

He asked Zhuang, "Madame, who are these two women?"

As he said this, he looked at Jiang Chun and Zhong Wenjin.

Before Zhuang could respond, Jiang Chun immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said with a smile, "Father, I am your eldest son’s wife, my surname is Jiang and my given name is Chun. You can call me Chunniang."

Song Zhen Ting: "???"

An actually got married?

This wife of his was very tall, with a nice face, but her personality...

Was a bit too lively.

Zhong Wenjin followed suit, stepping forward and bowing, introducing herself with a smile, "Father, I am your second son’s wife, my surname is Zhong and my given name is Wenjin. You can call me Jinniang."

Song Zhen Ting: "???"

Rui also got married?

It had only been two years. How had both the eldest and the second son gotten married in that time?

Although they were of age to marry and have children, the Song family had been in trouble over the past two years, separated from each other. How could they have possibly thought about this?

Moreover, they had been reduced to official slaves. Even if someone was willing to marry them despite their status, one could imagine how poor the bride's conditions would be.

No wonder these two daughters-in-law were so "lively."

Upon further reflection, it wasn't liveliness. It was a lack of propriety!

Yet they continued to talk as if everything was normal.

Jiang Chun asked Zhong Wenjin, "Second sister-in-law, do you have any foreign frostbite salve?

I noticed that Father, the two uncles, and Third Brother all have frostbite on their hands. They probably have it on their feet too.

If we don't have good frostbite salve, once their hands and feet warm up, it will be unbearably itchy."

She was creating an opportunity for Zhong Wenjin to shine.

Zhong Wenjin immediately replied, "Yes, it's medication from a pharmacy in a foreign land. I used a jar of it when I had frostbite before, and it was very effective in relieving the itch and reducing swelling."

Jiang Chun smiled and said, "Then I'll pay for them. Second sister-in-law, could you please help me buy four jars? That way, we can give one jar each to Father, both Uncles, and Third Brother."

Zhong Wenjin didn't bother being polite with her elder sister-in-law, mainly because she was short on money, so she nodded agreeably and said, "Of course, elder sister-in-law. It's in stock, and I'll bring it to you tomorrow."

It was winter, an ideal time to sell the frostbite ointment. Zhong Wenjin had already ordered a batch from Pinduoduo Mall, which is stored in the system warehouse.

Song Zhen Ting gave the two of them a glance and then raised an eyebrow at Madame Zhuang.

His unspoken message was, "Are you going to let them act like this?"

Madame Zhuang slowly shook her head.

She wanted to manage them, but she needed the ability to do so.

She didn't dare to discipline Jiang Chun, and although she could manage Zhong Wenjin, the two sisters-in-law were in cahoots. If she tried to discipline Zhong Wenjin, Jiang Chun would surely intervene.

And Rui, who was straightforward, would certainly defend his wife.

Why invite trouble when she could live peacefully?

Song Shiqian, suffering from frostbite, was delighted to hear this and immediately clasped his hands, saying, "Thank you, elder sister-in-law and second sister-in-law, for thinking of us."

Madame Li, however, gave Song Shiqian an exasperated glare, as if disappointed by his lack of resolve.

What kind of foreign frostbite cream? She had never heard of it. How could it match the quality of the ointment from the Imperial Medical Bureau?

Their Song family was related to the Crown Prince’s Consort. If they asked the Imperial Medical Bureau for a few jars of ointment, would they dare to refuse?

Her son shouldn’t have thanked them so readily. She would need to have a serious talk with him later.