Chapter 120

Chapter 120

On the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, after the local government office reopened, He Shuyu was summoned by the Ministry of Justice to appear for a trial.

Naturally, he would not confess, insisting that his wife, Lady Lu, had died suddenly from a heart ailment.

He also mentioned that his father-in-law, Elder Lu, had requested a coroner from the neighboring Shuiwen County to perform an autopsy.

Without evidence, Minister Cheng Zhenian of the Ministry of Justice could not convict him. This court appearance was just a formality.

The details of the case could only be determined after an investigation was conducted in Huang County, Dengzhou Prefecture.

However, since He Shuyu was involved in a case of death, he could not leave the capital before the case was closed, or he’d be seen as a fugitive trying to escape punishment.

He Shuyu was frustrated. He knew that the Song family was deliberately obstructing him to delay his official appointment, but there was nothing he could do. The laws of the Great Zhou dynasty were clear on this matter.

He considered causing a scene at the Song family’s residence again, but after being beaten by Madam Song, the country girl from a farming background, it took him a full seven or eight days to recover from the pain.

He had lost both his dignity and reputation.

If he went again and got beaten once more, how could he still show his face in the bureaucracy?

Thus, he gave up on the idea.

However, he did not give up entirely. He spent some money to hire beggars and idle laborers, instructing them to spread rumors about his relationship with Song Shichu.

Within a few days, the entire Imperial City knew that Song Shichu, the second daughter of the Song family, had served as a secondary wife for two years when He Shuyu was the county magistrate of Huang County.

When the news reached the Song family, Song Shichu remained extremely calm.

She was certain that He Shuyu, a shameless man obsessed with power and wealth, would not give up easily.

With Madam Song keeping the household in check, he would not dare to visit again after receiving a good beating.

The only thing he could do now was to deliberately ruin her reputation, hoping that the Song family would marry her off to him to settle the matter quietly.

Unfortunately for him, the Song family was not the Cheng family.

Nowadays, apart from her mother and Second Aunt who had slightly better fortunes, everyone else in the family had a dark past. Her cousin, Song Shiying, had even been sold to a brothel.

Their family’s reputation was already at its lowest point.

No matter how much He Shuyu tried to tarnish her reputation, it would not significantly affect the Song family.

Her mother was right. Even if the whole world knew she had been a concubine, she was still the younger sister of the Crown Prince’s wife. Many people would still be eager to marry her.

There was no need to feel ashamed because of her past.

As her elder sister-in-law put it bluntly, even if there was a mistake, it was the fault of the old emperor. She was merely an innocent victim.

Although Song Shichu didn’t take this matter to heart, Jiang Chun was worried that she might get depressed and isolate herself. So, she had her stay by her side, assisting her.

Jiang Chun consulted the almanac and decided that the twenty-second day of the first lunar month was an auspicious date. She planned to open both of her shops on that day and had been working nonstop in the past few days.

When Song Shiying found out, she pulled Song Shiyue and insisted on getting involved.

Jiang Chun feigned annoyance. "You two want to help? More like you're here to make trouble."

Song Shiying replied confidently, "Who said we're here to help? We're here to learn how to run a shop."

"Now I'm someone who owns a shop too. If I don't learn from Big Sister-in-law, how will I be able to open my shop in the future?"

Song Shiyin insisted that Madame Li give her a shop when she saw that Jiang Chun was opening one.

Madame Li was not indulging her whims: "I'll naturally give you shops and estates as dowry when you get married. There's not even a hint of a marriage proposal yet, so what do you need a shop for?"

Song Shiyin resorted to crying, throwing tantrums, refusing to eat, and threatening to hang herself in order to get her hands on a shop.

Before Madame Li could soften her stance, Song Shian could no longer bear it and spoke up for Song Shiyin: "Mother, just give my sister a shop to play with. You have several shops in your dowry anyway.

Don't let her make a fuss anymore; I just got home for a break, and my head is going to explode from all the noise."

Song Shian was set to take the county-level examination next year, and Madame Li, afraid that Song Shiyin's antics would disturb her precious son's studies, finally relented and gave Song Shiyin a shop.

Jiang Chun still let both of them follow her.

After all, it's the same effort to herd one sheep or three; there's not much difference.

*

After several busy days, the preparations before the opening were finally completed.

The twenty-second arrived in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Chun had people buy four strings of hundred-shot firecrackers, two strings for each shop, to be lit precisely at noon, an auspicious time.

For the opening event at the Chun'an Fabric Store, Jiang Chun offered a promotion of "buy three feet, get an extra foot free," giving an additional foot of fabric for every three feet purchased.

The customer base in the West Market was primarily common folks. Upon hearing that the newly opened Chun'an Fabric Store was offering an extra foot of fabric for every three feet bought, countless thrifty housewives flocked there.

The Chun'an Fabric Store was so crowded it was bursting at the seams, even more packed than when the Shunfeng Foreign Goods Store had opened.

Jiang Chun stayed there for only two quarters of an hour before taking Song Shichu and her two sisters to the cosmetics store, Xiang Sai Xue, in the East Market.

As soon as Song Shiyue saw the signboard, she smiled and said, "‘Are the fragrant clouds about to pass over the snowy cheeks?’"

The line is from Wen Tingyun's "Bodhisattva's Savage·Small Hills Overlapping with Golden Light and Shadows" from the Tang dynasty.

Since the Great Zhou followed a different path from the Tang, it's not surprising that Song Shiyue could recite it.

Although the three sisters had followed Jiang Chun in and out of the East Market countless times these past few days, they didn't know the name of the shop since the signboard outside was covered with a red cloth.

Jiang Chun praised her: "Yue'er, you really know your poetry; you immediately recognized the origin of the name."

Song Shiyin, not wanting to be left behind, said, "Wen Feiqing's poem—as if I can't recite it too."

Wen Tingyun, courtesy name Feiqing.

Jiang Chun said with a smile, "I can't recite it; that shop name was actually chosen with the help of your elder brother."

The name Chun'an Fabric Store was her own creation, simply taking a character from her and Song Shian's names and removing the 'wood' component.

She left the naming of the cosmetics store to Song Shian.

One person chooses one; it's fair and balanced.

However, the names Song Shian came up with were quite elegant. It's not that they were bad, but they were too ordinary, in the same style as other cosmetics stores.

What Jiang Chun wanted was something different, something that would grab everyone's attention.

So she took charge herself and came up with three names: Dian Jiang Chun (Pointed Crimson Lips), Ban Mian Zhuang (Half-Face Makeup), and Xiang Sai Xue (Fragrant Cheek Snow), then asked Song Shian to help choose one from them.

Song Shian was at a loss for words at the time.

In the end, he settled on "Xiang Sai Xue," picking the best option from a limited selection.

Song Shiying couldn't help clicking her tongue. "Big brother actually came up with such a name for the shop. This is obviously quite different from his usual naming style."

She moved closer to Jiang Chun and whispered teasingly, "Big sis, how did you convince big bro to make him comply?"

Jiang Chun gave her a side-eye and deliberately teased her, "Oh, you're still an unmarried young lady. You shouldn't ask about this."

Song Shiying: “……”

Well, no need to ask; she already knew the answer.

Hmph, when we were in Daliushu Village, I overheard enough to know all about your little secrets.

They went straight to the second floor via the back door.

On the second floor, in addition to a private room reserved for Jiang Chun, the owner, there were seven other rooms, each with a wooden sign that read "VIP Lounge."

These were meeting and resting rooms prepared for VIP customers.

VIP cardholders wouldn’t need to crowd downstairs to browse. The store clerks would bring the products they were interested in to the VIP rooms for them to choose from.

Along with regular items, they also had the eligibility to purchase high-end, custom-made products, including high-quality ancient cosmetics available through loyalty programs and modern makeup sourced from Zhong Wenjin.

After careful consideration, Jiang Chun set the VIP threshold at 100 taels.

Customers who spent 100 taels on cosmetics in the store last month would receive a VIP card, entitling them to VIP lounge services and the eligibility to purchase high-end products.

The VIP card was valid for one month.

That means to enjoy VIP services all year round, an annual expenditure of 1,200 taels would be required.

That’s not exactly a small amount.

But in reality, there were still some who could meet this threshold.

One group included wealthy and noble households with numerous shops and estates. They only bought expensive and rare items, and Xiang Sai Xue precisely met their needs.

Another group was the matrons managing household affairs in large families who had to purchase cosmetics for the female members of the household every month.

If there were many female members in the household, say dozens, each receiving an allowance of five taels, the total would easily exceed 100 taels.

They would naturally choose Xiang Sai Xue for both regular and high-end cosmetics.

As long as these two types of customers were captured, Xiang Sai Xue's annual performance would be quite impressive.

Not to mention the many regular customers who provided steady business.

Shopkeeper Cao Wan, too busy to join them, had a pot of tea sent up.

Jiang Chun and the others sipped tea while standing by the window observing the situation downstairs.

Song Shichu said with slight concern, "Compared to the bustling Fabric Store, this place feels a bit quiet."

There were only a few customers coming into the store.

Jiang Chun smiled. "Don't worry, I've had people create a lot of hype outside. Even if they come just for the spectacle, the ladies from wealthy and noble households will definitely show up."

Moreover, she also invited a top influencer to help promote.

Sure enough, a quarter of an hour later, Cao Wan rushed up, panting and said, "Boss, Princess Xinchang has arrived."

Jiang Chun immediately called out to Song Shichu and the other two, "My godmother is here, let's go welcome her."

The four of them, along with Cao Wan, hurried downstairs.

Princess Xinchang had already entered the shop with the help of nanny He, and was examining the cosmetics displayed in the counter.

"Paying respects to my godmother," Jiang Chun bowed and greeted her, then announced in a clear voice, "Godmother, you have a VIP card, please proceed to the VIP room on the second floor. The VIP room not only has dedicated staff to run errands for you, but you can also purchase exclusive high-end cosmetics custom-made by foreign merchants."

Nanny He, with a smile, played along and curiously asked, "Do guests without VIP cards miss out on these exclusive high-end cosmetics?"

Jiang Chun nodded and said with a smile, "That's right, every item of our high-end collection is a treasure, and only VIP cardholders have the qualification to purchase them."

Princess Xinchang snorted, "Quite a lot of tricks. This is the first time I've heard of someone refusing to make money. Alright, let's go up and take a look."

Jiang Chun eagerly stepped forward, supporting Princess Xinchang on the other arm, and said with a grin, "Godmother, this way please."

After helping her up to the second floor, she directly led Princess Xinchang to her own room.

Then she instructed the female attendant, "Bring two sets of high-end products."

Jiang Chun personally poured tea for Princess Xinchang and nanny He, and said with a smile, "Thank you, godmother, for coming all this way to support me."

Princess Xinchang humphed, "As a godmother, if I only accept gifts without helping my goddaughter, before long, this goddaughter might leave."

Jiang Chun laughed, "My husband is in the Imperial City, where can I go? Leaving is impossible. At most, I'll find another godmother to show filial respect to."

These words immediately earned a glare from Princess Xinchang, and she said coldly, "Show filial respect to someone else? Let's see who dares to snatch my goddaughter from me!"

Jiang Chun couldn't help but laugh out loud.

With such a domineering tone, Princess Xinchang, are you sure you're in the right movie?

In the midst of their conversation, the female attendant brought in a hand-carried case engraved with delicate orchid patterns.

Jiang Chun took it, placed it in front of Princess Xinchang, and opened the lid, revealing neatly arranged bottles and jars inside.

On the left were traditional items from our signature collection: spiral eyebrow pencil, goose egg powder, rouge paste, facial cream, and lip cream.

On the right were items sourced from Pinduoduo Mall: eyebrow pencils, eyeliners, 12 lipsticks, dual-color blush, sixteen-color eyeshadow palettes, makeup brush sets, makeup remover, and eye and lip makeup remover.

The traditional cosmetics on the left didn't need much explanation.

Jiang Chun focused on introducing the modern makeup products on the right, and then eagerly said, "Let me do your eye makeup? My eye makeup is shimmering and gorgeous, don't you think?"

Princess Xinchang didn't refuse and turned to nanny He, saying, "Call Ruan inside and let her learn how to do eye makeup."

Ruan was the lady responsible for Princess Xinchang's hair and makeup, and she had come along and was waiting outside.

Nanny He responded and left, returning shortly with a thirty-something woman.

Seeing her, Jiang Chun first used the eyeliner to draw a line for Princess Xinchang, then used the eyeshadow from the makeup brush set to apply the eyeshadow.

After finishing the eye makeup, she applied blush and finished with a coat of bright red lipstick.

She held the table mirror in front of Princess Xinchang and said with a grin, "Mother, take a look. Don't you appear more spirited and beautiful than before?"

Princess Xinchang looked at her reflection in the mirror and saw that her eyes looked more defined with the applied eyeshadow. The layers of eyeshadow made her eyes appear misty, adding an indescribable charm to her appearance.

She couldn't help but exclaim, "These foreign cosmetics are quite interesting."

Jiang Chun smiled and said, "I only used three colors from the eyeshadow palette. There are sixteen colors in total, Mother. You can let Ruan Niangzi slowly experiment with different combinations to see what suits you best."

She then took out the makeup remover and eye and lip makeup remover, explaining their uses to Ruan Niangzi.

She also said to Princess Xinchang with a smile, "Mother, it's important to remove makeup properly every day. If not, it can clog pores and cause pimples and acne."

Princess Xinchang rolled her eyes and said, "Is that necessary to say? Applying makeup is like painting a wall with lime. If it's not cleaned before bed, it will harm the skin."

Jiang Chun smiled.

See, people from ancient times know no less than modern people.

However, their soaps have poor cleansing power. Jiang Chun took the opportunity to praise the soap from her foreign goods store, "The local soap doesn't clean the face well. Mother, remember to use the soap from our store."

Jiang Chun had already given Princess Xinchang a pocket watch, a table mirror, and soap before. She wondered if she had used them.

Facial cleanser hadn't been added to the list yet and would have to wait for future releases.

Princess Xinchang hummed softly, "Wordy."

Jiang Chun said with a grin, "What's wordy? This is called caring for you, Mother. Don't act all ungrateful after benefiting from my care.

Having someone as caring as me, I'm sure many people envy you."

Princess Xinchang pursed her lips and actually felt like agreeing a little.

The reason she recognized Jiang Chun as her goddaughter wasn’t because of Jiang Chun herself, but because of Song Shian and the Song family behind him.

But after spending some time with her, Princess Xinchang found herself gaining a thoughtful daughter. Whenever there was something delicious or fun, Jiang Chun would send a share her way.

She also showed great care for her every day.

Not only her, but Jiang Chun also cared for the husband and Nian'ger.

It wasn't a loss to recognize this goddaughter.

But Princess Xinchang still softly hummed, "Envy? Envy that I have a goddaughter who assaulted an official?"

This was obviously referring to Jiang Chun beating He Shuyu.

Bad news travels fast. After Jiang Chun beat him up, it quickly spread throughout the Imperial City.

Jiang Chun corrected, "Wrong, it wasn't assaulting an official, but beating a lecher who slandered my second younger sister's innocence.

For such lechers, I’ll beat them whenever I see them, one or two at a time."

Princess Xinchang: "..."

This girl was already bold and daring, willing to beat anyone. Now with me as her backer, she'll probably become even more unrestrained.

But she didn't say much.

Wasn't it what Jiang Chun wanted in recognizing her as her godmother? To have her back her up?

They are just getting what they want from each other.

*

Princess Xinchang, being of noble status, did not stay long at Xiang Sai Xue. She only sat for thirty minutes before leaving with two sets of bespoke garments.

Not long after she left, the store began to fill with customers.

Within just one hour, the entrance was crowded with countless sedans and carriages.

Thanks to Princess Xinchang's endorsement, the noblewomen who had been hesitant finally decided to visit.

With the sudden influx of customers, Jiang Chun, Song Shichu, and the others had to step in to assist.

Fortunately, the three of them had not wasted their time following around these past few days. They had learned everything they needed to know and had a full set of high-end products in hand, so they were able to make introductions confidently.

These three young women showed great promise and were quick learners. Jiang Chun felt she could groom them more in the future.

Watching them bustling about, Jiang Chun was reminded of Wang Yiner, whose marriage prospects were still undecided.

Through persistent effort, Wang Yiner could now walk for half an hour at a stretch.

Maybe she should write and ask if Wang Yiner would be interested in coming to the Imperial City?

If she came, she wouldn’t necessarily need to help with the business.

With money in hand and being clever, Wang Yiner could do whatever business she pleased.

The Imperial City was much larger than Hongye Town, with more people and opportunities. Perhaps her future lay here.

Thinking of this, she decided to write the letter that evening.

Although she had been busy all day, seeing the day's sales on the ledger brought a satisfied smile to Jiang Chun's face.

She generously gave Song Shichu and the others thirty taels of silver each as a token of appreciation for their hard work.

*

After all, most of their New Year’s gift money had ended up in her pocket. She was simply returning what she had won from them, plus an extra five taels each as a bonus.

For young ladies from such prestigious families, five taels was hardly enough compensation for a day’s work as shop assistants.

After returning to Dangui Courtyard, Jiang Chun, despite her tired body, wrote a letter to Wang Yiner.

The next day, when she went to Chun'an Fabric Store in the West Market, she passed by the Jiang family's home and took the opportunity to ask her father, Jiang He, "Father, I’m sending a letter back to Hongye Town. Do you want me to include anything for you?"

Jiang He, with a dark expression, replied irritably, "Send what? I have no mood for that."

Seeing this, Jiang Chun immediately asked with concern, "Father, what's wrong? Who upset you?"

Jiang He, with a stern face, replied grumpily, "It's that manager Hao from the grain store next to Chun'an Fabric Store. I've already said I have no intention of remarrying, yet he insists on introducing me to his widowed sister."

The previous day, Jiang He had gone to Chun'an Fabric Store to check on the situation. Seeing the shop packed with people and his nephew, Zheng Kun, spinning around like a top in a frenzied rush, Jiang He had volunteered to help collect money.

Having run a meat stall for many years, collecting money was a simple task for him.

During the midday break, Manager Hao from the neighboring Han's Grain Store came in to chat, and the two struck up a conversation.

However, their chat somehow turned to the topic of marriage.

Jiang Chun smiled and said, "Father, you are the eldest son of the Song family and the father-in-law of the Crown Prince's brother-in-law. In the eyes of others, you're quite a catch. It's no wonder people are trying to set you up in marriage. In the future, such situations will only increase, not decrease."

Jiang He said with some embarrassment, "If it were just casual talk, I could easily turn it down without a second thought."

You wouldn’t believe it, but that shameless Mr. Hao actually brought his sister over this afternoon for a meeting.

When did I ever agree to meet his sister? It’s completely absurd!"

In the Great Zhou, we don’t do blind marriages. If two families want to form a match, they first have the young people meet.

Only if both sides hit it off would they bring in a matchmaker to formalize things.

It’s kind of like modern-day dating, but with more parental involvement.

However, in ancient times, the choices for matchmaking were strictly controlled by the parents, and even if there was freedom, it was limited.

Jiang Chun twitched her lips and criticized along with Jiang He's words, "Mr. Hao really went too far. How can anyone arrange a meeting without the other party's consent? That's not how things should be done."

Jiang He nodded and said, "Exactly. Luckily, his sister is pretty level-headed. When I explained everything, she even apologized for her brother."

Jiang Chun curled her lips and reminded Jiang He, "Dad, watch out. This could be a setup.

Maybe they’re working together—one plays the tough guy, while the other plays the peacemaker, making her look like the reasonable one."

Jiang He snorted and said, "Let them try whatever they want. I’m not interested in remarrying, no matter what."

Jiang Chun smiled and said, "Dad, you’re sticking to your guns, and that’s smart."

After firmly turning down the proposal, he figured he should let his brother-in-law know how well he handled it.

He then said, "I'll have Kun'er write a letter to your uncle on my behalf. Come and collect it later."

Jiang Chun nodded and said, "Alright."