Chapter 104

Chapter 104

Zheng Kun had cleaned out a shop in the West Market, wiping it down three times inside and out until it was spotless.

He then spent three days visiting other fabric stores in the West Market, after which he wrote up a procurement list and asked Mother Cao, the gatekeeper at the second gate, to pass it to Jiang Chun.

When Jiang Chun received the list, she felt somewhat troubled.

It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the list; it was quite comprehensive, showing that Zheng Kun had put in considerable effort over these days.

Jiang Chun was troubled about whom to ask for help with the procurement.

In the past, whenever she needed something, she would ask Wu Guanshi, the steward in charge of procurement in the mansion.

But those were mainly small daily necessities.

The list Zheng Kun submitted contained a large number of items, both big and small, needed to open a shop.

Wu Guanshi, who had only been brought in by Madame Zhuang not long ago and thrust into his position as steward, might not be reliable.

Just at this critical moment, good news came from Song Shian’s side. He had located the Song family’s former steward, Song Youfu, and had already sent someone to fetch him.

The Song steward’s family had been sold to the Hebei region, not too far from the capital city. With the roads still clear as it hadn’t snowed yet this year, they expected to bring him back within ten days.

Jiang Chun decided to wait.

Being the steward of a prominent family like the Song family, Song Youfu must be extraordinary. Besides being well-acquainted with the Song family’s situation, he would surely know the capital city well too.

It would be perfect to ask him to help procure the items needed for setting up the shop.

She could even ask him to recommend reliable people for finding fabric brokers.

Still, she sent a message to Zheng Kun, asking him to quickly inquire about fabric brokers.

He needed the experience to eventually stand on his own.

As newcomers opening their first shop, it was reasonable to seek the Song steward’s assistance.

If they opened more shops in the future and continued to rely on the Song steward, it would be a bit unreasonable.

Therefore, it was best to let Zheng Kun handle the inquiry. If he found reliable people, that would be ideal; otherwise, it would be fine, as they had the option of seeking help from the Song steward.

Jiang Chun was not idle either. She reassessed her system warehouse and made a list, asking Song Shian to help sell the items on the list.

First were the furniture items.

These included: two red sandalwood Luohan beds (daybeds), one red sandalwood daybed (couch), two red sandalwood chamber pots with gold inlay, one embroidered kang screen (wall hanging), one huali wood round chair, two huali wood armoires, one zitan chamber pot with gold inlay, a pair of red sandalwood armchairs, one snuff bottle, two ebony canes, and six agarwood beads.

Next were the writing and painting supplies.

These included: 65 reams of xuan paper, 30 ingots of pine soot ink, three Duan inkstones, 48 bamboo brushes, 25 reams of white cotton paper, four reams of cocoon paper, 10 reams of gold-sprinkled red paper, two Hu brushes, two ingots of gray ink, 50 Hua Xian tags (decorative labels), 20 rabbit hair brushes, 19 reams of Chengxin paper, 20 ingots of oil smoke ink, eight ingots of lacquer-decorated ink, 12 reams of water-patterned paper (decorative paper), three jade paperweights (ornamental weights), two Chengni inkstones (specialized inkstones), and two carved jade seals (stamps).

There was also a pair of stone lions that she didn’t know how to categorize.

After listing everything, she realized there weren’t as many items that could be sold as she had initially thought.

Iron was a controlled item, so ironware couldn’t be sold but had to be kept for personal use or sent to a blacksmith to be forged into other items.

Medicinal herbs were also too precious to sell. The system-produced herbs were of excellent quality, and it would be a pity to sell them; it was better to keep them for personal use.

The valuable pepper from the spices had already been sold by her, leaving only ordinary spices such as star anise and cinnamon, which weren’t even enough to use for making braised meat, so she couldn’t bear to sell them.

Although she had a fair amount of assorted jewelry, some had to be kept for her own use, while other small items were to be given as gifts or rewards to servants, so they couldn’t be sold either.

The fabrics could be sold and were the most numerous among all the items.

However, since she planned to open a fabric shop, selling them through her own shop would be more convenient later on, so there was no need to trouble Song Shian for this.

Additionally, there were several jars of wine, which could be kept for Jiang He to drink.

As for the incense earned from checking in at the spice shop, the amount was too small to justify the effort, so it would be wiser to wait until she had more to sell.

Of course, she had deliberately kept a few items suitable for Song Shian, intending to give them to him at the right time to surprise him.

However, by the time Song Shian returned from his duties in the evening, he still helped her choose some of these items.

He said, "The stationery can be sold, since it can be purchased at any stationery shop, but the rosewood and red sandalwood furniture should not be sold.

Rosewood and red sandalwood are quite rare, and many families start looking for a complete set of rosewood or red sandalwood furniture for their young daughters from birth.

Many families spend over a decade just to collect enough pieces.

If you sell these now, what will we do if we have a daughter in the future? It will be too late to regret it later."

After all, families willing to spend a lot on such expensive furniture are usually wealthy, and even if you offer more, they won’t agree to sell them back.

Jiang Chun hadn’t considered this.

Since there’s no sign of a child yet, how could she have thought about dowry matters?

But she was open to advice, so she immediately said, "Then the furniture made from these two kinds of wood will not be sold."

While it’s uncertain whether she’ll have a daughter, one should always be prepared and not resort to last-minute solutions.

And according to Song Shian, last-minute efforts might not work either, as these kinds of wood were scarce and had to be searched for slowly.

Amused, Song Shian lightly laughed and reached out to gently touch her head.

Jiang Chun, displeased, warned, "Don’t touch my head, be careful not to mess up my hairdo."

Song Shian pulled her into his arms and teased, "Then how about I touch other places instead?"

Jiang Chun: "..."

This man, he was never serious.

She said with some irritation, "No, behave yourself, don’t touch anywhere."

They hadn’t even had dinner yet, and he was already teasing her. If her temper flared up, it would be time for the main wife to have her meal, and things would get awkward.

Besides, when he teased her, how could he not be affected?

It’s like losing eight hundred to kill a thousand enemies.

Why bother?

Song Shian whispered into her ear, his voice hoarse, "How can we have a daughter if I don’t touch my wife? You’ve already started gathering the furniture, so we should also prioritize having a daughter."

Jiang Chun gave him a side-eye and said with a smile, "You don’t know that even before I had this magical artifact, you were already busy with the business of having children."

Song Shian kissed her gently, chuckling softly, "Can you blame your husband? It's just that my wife has a sweet tooth. If I don’t keep you well-fed, you’ll definitely think I’m inadequate."

Inadequate?

Jiang Chun twitched the corner of her mouth.

You’re inadequate? You’re far from it!

In fact, maybe a bit too much!

The two of them were discussing their private matters when Madame Zhuang’s chief maid, Feicui, rushed over, announcing that Nurse Liu from the Crown Prince’s Consort’s side had arrived.

Jiang Chun and Song Shian hurried to the main courtyard.

However, by the time they arrived, Nurse Liu had already departed.

Madame Zhuang didn’t hurry to speak. Only after Zhong Wenjin and Song Shirui arrived did she speak. "The Crown Princess has summoned the three of us. You two need to prepare thoroughly. The day after tomorrow, accompany me to the palace."

Jiang Chun asked sincerely, "Mother, what do we need to prepare for this?"

Madame Zhuang gave her a side-eye and replied impatiently, "Prepare the attire and accessories you’ll wear that day, and join me in the main courtyard each morning to learn palace etiquette."

Jiang Chun immediately shook her head vigorously, "Mornings won’t work. I need to train in martial arts with Coach Yu, and you know how strict he is, Mother. I can’t afford to skip class."

Madame Zhuang had forgotten about that and had to change her plan. "Then we’ll move it to the afternoon."

Jiang Chun nodded in agreement, "Deal."

Madame Zhuang turned to Zhong Wenjin, who immediately agreed, "Yes, Mother."

Jiang Chun grinned and said, "Mother, don’t worry. We’ll definitely study diligently."

Zhong Wenjin nodded vigorously in agreement.

Madame Zhuang: "..."

To be honest, she wasn’t very reassured.

Especially Jiang Chun, who was never a calm presence. Even if she learned all the rules at home, who knew what kind of trouble she might stir up once they entered the palace?

Madame Zhuang had made up her mind to keep a close eye on both of them once they were in the palace. If she detected any signs of trouble, she would stop it immediately.

With a stern face, she warned seriously, "The palace is not like the outside world. We cannot afford to offend any Imperial Consort or Princess. Once we’re in the palace, you two must follow my lead. Whatever I do, you do the same. No nonsense."

She then looked directly at Jiang Chun and said coldly, "Especially you. No stirring up trouble. Otherwise, even the Imperial Consort might not be able to protect you."

Of course, this was just to scare her.

Without an Empress Dowager or an Empress in the palace, the highest-ranking lady was Crown Prince’s Consort Song Shi Yu.

As long as Jiang Chun didn't provoke the old emperor, even if she did provoke other consorts or princesses, they would likely let it slide for the sake of the Crown Prince’s Consort’s face.

Naturally, there was no need to tell Jiang Chun all that. Otherwise, she might become even more uncontrollable.

Jiang Chun said innocently, "When have I ever been the one to cause trouble? It's always trouble that comes looking for me. I only retaliate to protect the Song family's dignity. You wrong me."

For some reason, Jiang Chun always felt that Madame Zhuang was jinxing herself, but she had no evidence.

Since there was no evidence, she could only agree verbally: "As long as no trouble comes looking for me, I definitely won't cause any trouble for the Crown Prince’s Consort."

Madame Zhuang felt much more relieved when she heard her speak with such confidence.

As long as Jiang Chun didn’t cause any trouble, Rui’s wife alone wouldn’t be able to stir up any waves.

But obviously, Madame Zhuang felt relieved too soon.

Of course, that’s a story for later.

*

In the two days before entering the palace, Jiang Chun was very busy.

In the morning, without fail, she trained in martial arts with Yu Ancheng, and in the afternoon, she studied palace etiquette with Madame Zhuang for an hour.

Then she hurried back to Dangui Courtyard to work on her sausages.

It was already mid-November, the ideal time for making sausages.

If she started any later, with the possibility of continuous snow or howling winds, even if the sausages could dry, their taste would be significantly affected.

The day before, Jiang Chun had Wu Guanshi purchase a whole pig’s worth of meat and all the pig intestines.

She prepared and soaked the intestines, and today her task was to slice the meat, marinate it, and stuff the sausages.

With time tight and the task heavy, she called all six maids and six older women from Dangui Courtyard to help, and even picked up a large cleaver herself.

When Song Shiying heard that her elder sister-in-law was stuffing sausages, she brought Song Shichu and Song Shiyue to watch, only to be drafted by Jiang Chun.

Having been "trained" (or rather, pushed hard) by Jiang Chun for two years, Song Shiying’s knife skills were passable, so she joined the team slicing meat.

Song Shichu and Song Shiyue were not skilled at cutting, and Jiang Chun didn’t have time to teach them on the spot, so she assigned them to be porters, responsible for transferring the sliced meat from the chopping board to a large wooden basin nearby.

For a while, everyone in Dangui Courtyard was busy at work.

The Song family’s members had varying reactions upon hearing about this.

Zhou Shi and Madame Li, the aunt and niece, were extremely repulsed and wanted to avoid Dangui Courtyard.

They even forbade the servants from their own courtyards to go near Dangui Courtyard, to prevent them from bringing back any unpleasant odors.

Others who had tasted the delicious spicy stir-fried pig intestines couldn’t help but feel anticipation.

Jiang Chun met their expectations and made some spicy sausages as well.

She dry-fried the chilies given by Zhong Wenjin on a heated iron pan, ground them into chili powder with a medicinal mortar, and then mixed them with other spices into the meat slices in the wooden basin.

After marinating for most of the day, she began stuffing the sausages after returning from studying palace etiquette the next day.

Although there were no sausage-stuffing machines in ancient times, it didn’t pose a problem for her. She simply borrowed several large funnels from the main kitchen used for dispensing soy sauce and vinegar.

She put the casing on the end of the funnel and stuffed meat slices into the funnel, using chopsticks to poke through any blockages.

The efficiency was surprisingly good.

Two large basins of meat were all stuffed in the better part of an afternoon.

After stuffing, she tied the sausages into sections with hemp ropes and hung them in a shaded area to dry.

Generally, it takes seven to ten days to dry, though it can vary depending on the drying conditions.

Seeing the sausages hanging along the west wall of the small kitchen, Jiang Chun felt a strong sense of accomplishment and contentment.

Having made the sausages, even if there’s another grain famine like two years ago, they wouldn’t run out of meat to eat.

This is what they call "having meat in hand, no worry in heart," right?

Unfortunately, the sausages have just been made and aren't ready to eat yet. Otherwise, she could bring a package tomorrow when she goes to the palace and let the Crown Princess and her family try them.

*

The next morning, Jiang Chun was woken up by Gui Zhi.

To save time, Lady Zhuang arranged for the main kitchen to deliver separate breakfasts for her and Zhong Wenjin, so they could eat and prepare before going to the main courtyard.

Gui Ye, who was more lively than Gui Zhi, noticed that her mistress was not at all nervous about her first visit to the palace. She ate her breakfast as usual.

Unable to help but praise her, Gui Ye said with a smile, "My lady is truly someone who has seen the big world."

Jiang Chun took a moment to understand her meaning before laughing, "The sky is big, but eating is the biggest. If the sky falls, there are taller people to support it."

The Crown Princess is my sister-in-law. If she likes me, that would be wonderful. Then I could occasionally get some luxurious perks from her.

If she doesn’t like me, it’s not a big deal. In the future, I will let Song Shian handle matters and minimize contact with her.

It’s not as if becoming the Crown Princess makes her feel different. She could meddle in her brothers' marriages and force Song Shian to divorce his wife, right?

She could do that, but Song Shian isn’t made of clay. He wouldn’t listen to her.

Look at Lady Zhuang and Song Zhen Ting. Even if they dislike me, they haven’t embarrassed me publicly.

Good bamboo doesn’t necessarily grow from poor seeds, right?

With this entirely calm mindset, Jiang Chun dressed in new attire and went to the main courtyard with the more composed Gui Zhi.

As soon as she entered the east wing room of the main house in the main courtyard, Lady Zhuang looked up and gave Jiang Chun a thorough once-over.

Jiang Chun was wearing a crimson brocade jacket with a straight collar, a pink pleated skirt underneath, and a red fox fur cape over it.

Noble families were quite particular about their attire. Whether it was a fur coat or not, the fur was always inside, with an outer layer of brocade or similar material.

It was understated yet luxurious.

But Jiang Chun, on the contrary, wore her cape inside out, with the fiery red fox fur on the outside, like someone who had hurriedly stolen a fur cloak to show off.

There was nothing to criticize about the ornaments on her head, as she was using the set of gold-inlaid pearl head ornaments that the Crown Princess had previously sent over with Nurse Liu.

She had only added a yellow wax plum flower.

Lady Zhuang remarked indifferently, "Your cloak is inside out."

Jiang Chun glanced at her red fox fur cloak and then looked back at Lady Zhuang, grinning, "No, it’s not. I wore it like this on purpose. It looks good this way."

The fiery red fox fur cape looked so festive and complemented her skin tone perfectly.

If she wore such gorgeous fur inside, what would be the difference from wearing beautiful clothes at night? It would be such a waste.

Moreover, she not only wore it inside out herself but also had Song Shian wear it inside out.

His fair skin and exquisite face, paired with a pure white fox fur cape, made him look both noble and otherworldly.

It looks absolutely gorgeous!

To avoid Madame Zhuang’s scolding, Jiang Chun quickly shifted the blame: "My husband wears it like this. I learned it from him. If you must criticize, start with him; he's the one responsible."

Madame Zhuang shot her a glare and said with annoyance, "Do you really expect me to believe your lies?"

An is my own son. Apart from the two years when our family was impoverished, he had been by my side for the previous twenty-two years. Do you think I wouldn’t know his habits and tastes?

He has never, not even once, worn his cloak backwards!

Jiang Chun is really good at making An take the blame for her.

Jiang Chun said with a grin, "I guess you believe me."

Madame Zhuang: "..."

She was about to scold her when Zhong Wenjin entered.

As soon as Madame Zhuang saw Zhong Wenjin's attire, she immediately frowned and forgot about Jiang Chun.

She said speechlessly, "Why are you dressed so poorly?"

The clothes were fine; they were uniformly made by the estate, using the same materials, with only differences in colors and patterns.

But the head ornaments were too shabby, with only two small hairpins and a red plum blossom plush flower.

Compared to Jiang Chun, she looked like a neglected stepdaughter.

Madame Zhuang glared at her and asked angrily, "Didn't I give you two sets of hair accessories bought from the jewelry shop?"

Zhong Wenjin shrank her neck guiltily.

Her mother-in-law had indeed given her two sets of hair accessories, but she was currently busy with the foreign goods business. Every day, there were several expenses that needed covering.

She couldn’t rely solely on her sister-in-law’s money, could she?

So she had pawned one and a half sets of the hair accessories for silver.

After all, Zhong Wenjin wasn’t particularly concerned about her appearance, and her husband, Song Shirui, always said she looked beautiful whether she dressed up or not.

So she decided to keep it simple.

She didn’t hide anything and said honestly, "I pawned them, and the money can be used to fund the foreign goods business with my sister-in-law."

Madame Zhuang: "..."

Jiang Chun: "..."

Second sister-in-law, you really know how to get under people’s skin.

Sure enough, Madame Zhuang flew into a rage upon hearing her words: "Pawned them? And used the money to fund the foreign goods business?

I just bought these hair accessories from the jewelry shop, and you pawned them right away. Not to mention the loss incurred in the process, if people found out that the daughter-in-law of the Song family has to pawn her head ornaments to make ends meet, what would become of the Song family’s reputation?"

Jiang Chun: "..."

She was sitting here minding her own business, and somehow she got hit by a stray bullet.

If we're talking about who in the Song family pawns things the most, it's definitely her.

And when she pawned things, she subtly hinted that she was doing it on behalf of the Song family.

If this would bring shame to the Song family, then they probably would have shamed themselves completely, leaving not a shred of dignity.

Seeing that Madame Zhuang was turning a livid shade of red and her chest was heaving with anger, Jiang Chun, fearing something might happen to her, quickly soothed her: “Mother, please calm down and don’t hold Second Daughter-in-law accountable. She’s probably so poor that she had no other choice, which is why she resorted to those pieces of jewelry.

Think of it this way: Second Daughter-in-law would rather pawn her own jewelry and go around with a bare head than ask you for money.

Just for that, she surpasses countless daughters-in-law in the entire Imperial City.”

Madame Zhuang: “……”

It made so much sense that she couldn’t refute it.

But it was fine at home; dressing simply could still be praised as modest and unadorned.

The palace was different, though.

If one wasn’t dressed elaborately, others in the palace might think she, as a sister-in-law, has a problem with the Crown Princess.

With no other option, Madame Zhuang had Coral open her dressing chest and selected a gold phoenix hairpin and a pair of white jade waist pendants for her.

During the process, she expected Jiang Chun to ask for some jewelry as well. With a fear of unfairness, how could this miser miss such a good opportunity to benefit?

Surprisingly, she let it go. Jiang Chun only smiled throughout without asking for anything.

Madame Zhuang looked up at her, surprised, and raised an eyebrow.

Has she changed her ways?

Madame Zhuang found it hard to believe.

After all, even green mountains may change, but one’s nature is hard to alter.

“Why are you looking at me, Mother?” Jiang Chun asked, puzzled, then grinned: “Is it because I look especially beautiful today, so you can’t help but keep looking at me.

Alas, I was born with such beauty that even with a few random hairpins, I look like a celestial being, impossible to ignore.”

Madame Zhuang: “……”

This girl’s shamelessness is thicker than a city wall; otherwise, how could she say something so audacious?

Madame Zhuang said with annoyance: “Act normally. Don’t act crazy.

Remember, in the palace, speak less, and avoid saying anything nonsensical. If you frighten the nobles in the palace, I don’t know how many heads you’ll have left!”

Jiang Chun dismissed it with a shrug.

I’m not a fool. Being unrestrained at home is one thing, but acting recklessly in the palace would be courting disaster.

What Jiang Chun didn’t realize at that moment was that she would soon contradict herself.