Chapter 138

Chapter 138

It took Jiangyan and Jiang Chun considerable effort to calm Song Shian down from his tears.

After leaving the Fan Tower, Jiangyan was still uneasy and specially called Jiang Chun aside, instructing her: "Apprentice daughter, when you get home, pay more attention to Qingzhi. Speak gently, and whatever you do, don't mention having children again."

Jiang Chun nodded vigorously. "Master, rest assured, I definitely won't bring it up."

After a moment's thought, she added an explanation for herself: "Actually, I rarely mention this topic even on a regular day. Even my father only nags at me, not at his son-in-law."

Only then did Jiangyan feel somewhat relieved.

Watching his apprentice and apprentice daughter leave in the carriage, he sighed deeply.

People who study painting are often sensitive and delicate, prone to harboring deep-seated grievances.

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As his master, Jiangyan had only ever taken on one personal disciple in his lifetime. If he didn’t help resolve these issues, he wouldn’t be able to rest easy.

Jiangyan decided to write a letter as soon as he got back.

Over the years, he had traveled extensively and made friends from all walks of life.

He would write to these friends for help; perhaps one of them knew of a miraculous doctor skilled in treating infertility.

On the other side, Jiang Chun looked at Song Shian, whose eyes were red and slightly moist, and felt speechless.

She really wanted to scold him severely.

They had already discussed the topic of having children more than once, considering both the best and worst scenarios, and we’ve already thought of plans for both.

Clearly, he had agreed to and accepted it before, so why did he suddenly start crying when Jiangyan brought it up again today?

But remembering Jiangyan’s earlier warning, she chose to stay silent.

If she said something wrong and made him cry again, it would take forever to comfort him.

Instead, it was Song Shian who gently took the silk handkerchief from her hand and wiped the corner of his eye.

Then, lowering his gaze, he gave a shy smile. “I had a few more cups of wine today and heard that Teacher just got back to the capital and is already heading off to Jiangnan again, so my emotions got a bit out of control. I must look pretty silly to you, huh?”

Since he didn’t bring up the baby thing, it’d be dumb of me to bring it up now.

She immediately laughed and said, “I reckon my husband just ate too much and was getting tipsy. Otherwise, why would the tears just start falling without any buildup?”

Since Song Shian had temporarily kept his teacher occupied, he was in a good mood and didn’t mind being teased about getting tipsy. He joked, “Of course, there’s no need for buildup. What’s coming out of my eyes isn’t tears—it’s just the wine I drank!”

Jiang Chun sucked in a breath and shivered, rubbing her arms as she exclaimed, “Husband, that joke was *way* too cold!”

That was funny, but maybe skip the cold jokes next time.

He reached out, pulling her into his arms, resting his chin on her shoulder, and whispered into her ear, “When husband holds you, it won’t be cold.”

Jiang Chun pouted, rolling her eyes in her head and thinking, 'How cheesy.' But she hummed and said, “Next time, before you tell a cold joke, remember to hold me first. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll catch a cold.”

Song Shian twitched the corner of his mouth.

She’s as healthy as a horse. In the almost three years since he came back, she hadn’t caught a single cold.

How could I be so fragile that a few cold jokes would make me catch a cold?

But Song Shian quickly agreed: "Alright, I'll remember that."

Neither of them spoke again and they simply held each other quietly all the way.

As the saying goes, 'Birds of a feather flock together.' Spending all his time with Jiang Chun, Song Shian had long learned her skill of going along with whatever he wanted.

Taking advantage of how Jiang Chun treated him with care, he insisted on playing a game of a bandit forcefully taking a bride at night.

For the sake of realism, he even asked her to wear a red dress, and even her undergarments had to be red.

Jiang Chun bit her lip, unsure how to respond.

If it weren't for Jiangyan's warning, she wouldn't put up with this nonsense! But for now, she could only find a set of light summer silk shirts and skirts to wear, and found a red sweat towel to use as a red veil, covering her head.

Song Shian pinched her chin through the towel and deliberately said in a bold tone: "Such a beautiful woman, tonight she's mine, bandit!"

Jiang Chun's mouth twitched.

She still had the "red veil" on her head; how could he tell what she looked like through it? Did he have some kind of x-ray vision?

But she still cooperated by shivering and pushing his hand away, crying and pleading: "Who are you? Where is my husband? Where are the other people coming for the wedding? Let go! Let go now!"

Song Shian said coldly: "Your husband has been thrown to the back mountain. If you behave and please me, I'll let you go find your husband in the back mountain."

Of course, Jiang Chun couldn't comply. She immediately waved her arms and kicked her legs, trying to drive away the "bandit."

Song Shian grabbed two towels, tied one around her hands and the other around her feet.

Then he threw her over his shoulder and laughed loudly: "Let me, the bandit, take the place of your husband and finish what needs to be done. I'm very skilled and will definitely make you comfortable."

Jiang Chun screamed in fear: "No! Let me go! Let me go!"

Song Shian threw her onto the bed and immediately pressed himself on top of her, lifting her skirt and pulling off her undergarments, then joined their bodies.

Jiang Chun gasped inwardly.

But she didn't forget her role and immediately "cried" dramatically: "Ah... it hurts... Get out! Get out!"

Even as she cried, she couldn't help rolling her eyes.

Every time she read this kind of scene in a novel, she couldn't help but want to criticize it.

This wasn't just a matter of pulling back the bow; the sword was already drawn. How could the hero or the sidekick possibly back out now?

Crying and asking the other person to leave, wasn't that just cheering them on?

After all, in the eyes of some arrogant men, when a girl says no, she actually means yes.

Song Shian certainly wasn't going to stop.

Not only did he not stop, but he also worked even harder.

Jiang Chun felt like she was being tortured by him.

Goodness, even though it was just a game, she almost believed she had really been kidnapped by bandits and forced into this situation.

After it was over, she pounded Song Shian's chest hard and gritted her teeth, saying, "We were just acting; you weren't supposed to take it for real."

She almost felt like she was shattered by him, now feeling both sore and painful.

Song Shian kissed her forehead and said with a look of shame, "My dear, you know I had too much to drink..."

Jiang Chun nearly rolled her eyes to the sky.

The universal excuse—had too much to drink?

Song Shian moved his hand down and spoke softly, "Let me massage you, my dear, to ease your discomfort."

Jiang Chun immediately hissed in pain.

She quickly reached down, grabbed his wrist, and moved it away.

She scolded with a laugh, "No need, you're like a weasel wishing a chicken a happy new year—up to no good!"

Song Shian feigned innocence and played dumb, "What bad thoughts could your husband have?"

Jiang Chun didn't bother arguing with him and firmly said, "Go to sleep properly. If you have any more naughty ideas, I'll kick you out of bed and make you sleep on the floor."

Song Shian, still not satisfied, said, "Just now, it was the bandit and the bride consummating their marriage. The bride's husband hasn't consummated with her yet."

Jiang Chun: "..."

You really know how to play this game!

Blame myself for writing a novel for Jinjiang instead of a market romance, limiting your creativity?

Jiang Chun felt relieved that she had the intention but not the courage, and had always stayed obediently in Jinjiang to write. Otherwise, if she were to be thrown into a book like the heroine of *Flower Market*, she’d be in big trouble.

Her eyebrows shot up, and her sharp eyes glared at him coldly. She kicked her legs and snorted with a laugh, "Are you going to sleep or what?"

It was clear that if he dared to say no, she’d kick him right off the bed.

Song Shian quickly backed down, "I’ll sleep."

It had only been a few days since He Shuyu was caught when someone approached Madame Zhuang, hinting that Song Shichu and their husband seemed very compatible.

*

The Zhou family, known for generations as a scholarly and prominent household, had a good reputation in the capital.

It was Zhou Da Madam who had her eye on Song Shichu and wanted to match her with her eldest son, Zhou Kaicheng.

Zhou Kaicheng was twenty-five, the same age as Song Shian. He was a jinshi graduate and currently served as a sixth-rank official in the Zhejiang Revenue Bureau of the Ministry of Revenue, considered quite accomplished for his age.

He had previously married Lu Shi, and they had a daughter, now five years old.

Three years ago, Lu Shi passed away from illness. Zhou Da Madam had been trying to find a new wife for him, but his conditions made it difficult—neither too high nor too low—so the search dragged on until now.

In fact, Zhou Da Madam had taken a liking to Song Shichu at the beginning of the year and planned to ask the Song family after the New Year. However, He Shuyu suddenly appeared.

Uncertain whether the Song family might arrange for Song Shichu to marry He Shuyu to settle the matter, she could only wait and see.

Now that He Shuyu had been confirmed by the Dali Temple to have murdered his first wife and was set to be executed after autumn, Zhou Da Madam had no more concerns and, fearing that time would work against her, quickly sent someone to the Song family.

Madame Zhuang hadn’t expected that someone would be so eager to propose marriage right after He Shuyu was caught, and while she was surprised, she couldn’t help feeling secretly pleased.

The Zhou family and Zhou Kaicheng himself were at the top of her list of potential sons-in-law.

She had her eye on him from early on and had people gather all the information they could, even things that weren't necessary.

She originally planned to wait until He Shuyu's sentence was finalized and the rumors about him and Song Shichu died down, then she would send someone to give the Zhou family a hint.

If the Zhou family was also interested, she would arrange for the two youngsters to meet.

Although it's customary for the man's family to take the initiative in proposing marriage, Song Shichu's situation was different.

Moreover, the Zhou family and Zhou Kaicheng were truly the best match for Song Shichu. It would be a pity to miss this opportunity.

Madame Zhuang had learned a lesson from Jiang Chun: a thick skin means you'll never go hungry.

What if the woman's family took the initiative and sent a message? Once the marriage was set between the two families, the Zhou family wouldn't dare mention it for the sake of their own reputation.

Unexpectedly, before they could make a move, the Zhou family sent someone to express their interest first.

Madame Zhuang felt that the Zhou family was quite considerate. Her previous eight-tenths satisfaction with them immediately increased to nine.

Though she wanted to agree right away and arrange the meeting for the next day, she held back.

As the bride's family, they needed to maintain their dignity. It wouldn't be proper to agree immediately after the first message was sent.

She deliberately delayed for five days before sending a message to the Zhou family, informing them that they could come to the Song family for the meeting on the eighth day of May.

"Congratulations, Second Sister," Jiang Chun greeted Song Shichu immediately when she went to pay her respects to Madame Zhuang that evening before the meeting.

With a playful smile, she added, "Tomorrow is the big day for Second Sister to meet the prospective groom. I don't have anything fancy, but I'll give you a red camellia floral hairpin to add some joy."

Song Shichu's face turned slightly red as she quickly thanked her, "I’ve received so many nice things from you, Elder Sister."

The hairpins from Elder Sister were far more exquisite than those sold in stores.

She had worn a red plum blossom hairpin that Elder Sister gave her to a banquet and received many compliments, including from the future mother-in-law, Madam Zhou.

Zhong Wenjin, who was five months pregnant, also chimed in, "Then I'll give Second Sister a watch. It's a new product that Shunfeng Foreign Goods Store is preparing to launch next month. No one else has it yet."

She had sourced some gold-plated mechanical watches from Pinduoduo to sell for fifty taels each, planning to make a hefty profit off those wealthy families.

Her watches were truly unique products in the entire Great Zhou, far ahead of the Western world of this era by countless years. Was it expensive to sell for fifty taels?

Not at all!

Besides, she was targeting those wealthy families who had money to spare, not the common folks. She had no moral qualms about it at all.

After all, these wealthy families had everything except a lack of money.

Jiang Chun played along, exclaiming, "Wow, a watch! Even we two business owners can’t bring ourselves to buy two for ourselves."

Jiang Chun really couldn't bear to buy it.

After all, Zhong Wenjin, wanting to avoid suspicion, told her that the cost price of the watch was thirty taels each.

If Jiang Chun were to buy one for herself, she'd have to buy one for Song Shian too, to avoid making him feel left out.

Even at cost, two watches would still amount to sixty taels, which was a significant sum.

But now that Song Shichu, my younger sister-in-law, is already wearing a watch, it would be a bit embarrassing if Song Shian, as the elder brother, doesn’t have one.

Jiang Chun clenched her teeth and said, "Second sister-in-law, I’m going to buy a men’s watch for your husband."

Zhong Wenjin stroked her large belly and smiled. "Why don’t you get one for yourself and match with Big Brother? It would be no fun if only he is wearing one."

Jiang Chun twitched the corner of her mouth.

This woman was truly a business genius. Before the watches were even on the market, she had already come up with the concept of couple’s watches.

To avoid making their wives suspicious that they had mistresses, those wealthy husbands would have to buy two watches to prove their innocence.

After all, they weren’t short on cash, so buying one or two watches didn’t make much of a difference to them.

But for the Shunfeng Foreign Goods Store, this would double their sales.

Jiang Chun gave Zhong Wenjin a thumbs up and sincerely praised her. "Second sister-in-law, you are truly a business genius!"

Zhong Wenjin slightly raised the corner of her mouth, somewhat pleased. "Big sister, you flatter me."

With the idea of couple’s watches out there, Jiang Chun had no choice but to buy two watches.

She also took the chance to tease Song Shichu. "Why don’t you buy a men’s watch with your second sister-in-law? If you and Zhou hit it off during the meeting, he can give you a gold hairpin, and you can give him a men’s watch in return. Wouldn’t that be perfect?"

According to the customs of the Great Zhou, after a successful matchmaking meeting, if both parties were interested, they would exchange gifts to preliminarily establish their relationship.

Only then would both families formally proceed with the three letters and six etiquettes.

In big families, the man’s side would give a gold hairpin, while the woman’s side would return the gesture with gifts like pouches, sachets, and fan bags.

Before she could finish, Madame Zhuang scolded her. "You knew your second sister didn’t have much money saved, yet you still said that. Are you trying to swindle my money?"

Jiang Chun smiled. "Don’t worry, Mother. When the time comes to buy watches for you and Father, Second Sister-in-law will take care of it. Even if you pay for Second Sister’s men’s watch, you’ll still save thirty taels of silver."

Madame Zhuang snorted. "I could have saved sixty taels, but because of your suggestion, thirty just grew wings and flew away."

"Not at all, not at all," Jiang Chun shook her head and pointed at Zhong Wenjin with a smile. "Your money didn’t fly away; it’s now part of your grandson’s future, temporarily held by Second Sister-in-law. It won’t be lost."

Her words were so reasonable that Madame Zhuang couldn’t find anything to refute.

She could only send Shanhu to fetch thirty taels of silver and hand them to Zhong Wenjin.

Zhong Wenjin was so happy that the corners of her mouth almost bent with joy.

The watches she had imported from Pinduoduo Mall cost two hundred taels each. Even selling them to her family at the so-called cost price of thirty taels each, she was making a huge profit.

In just a short while, she sold three watches and made ninety taels of silver.

Although she had to give away three watches to Song Shichu, Madame Zhuang, and Song Zhen Ting, it didn’t cost her much.

Actually, she had also offered to give a watch to Big Sister and her husband, but once Big Sister found out the cost price was as high as thirty taels, she refused to accept it, so she had to drop the idea.

*

Since Jiang Chun had to practice martial arts with Yu Ancheng every morning without fail, she couldn’t watch the excitement of Song Shichu and Zhou Kaicheng’s meeting.

Fortunately, Song Shiying, the big chatterbox, could report on her behalf.

Just as Jiang Chun’s lunch was being served, Song Shiying burst in.

"Oh, what a coincidence! I haven’t had lunch yet, so I’ll just join you, Big Sister-in-law," she said with a smile.

Jiang Chun gave her a dirty look. "That’s quite a coincidence indeed."

She still asked Gui Zhi to add a set of utensils and requested Mother Li from the small kitchen to prepare a plate of braised pig intestines with cucumber and garlic sauce.

Ever since Jiang He’s Jiang Family Pork Shop opened, Jiang Chun no longer needed to send someone outside to buy pig offal. She could eat as much as she wanted.

However, pig intestines, as anyone who has prepared them knows, have a strong smell and are troublesome to clean. Even someone as much of a foodie as she is could only handle making them once every ten days or half a month.

This morning, Mother Li had just finished braising a pot of them.

Song Shiying grinned. "I heard early in the morning that Dangui Courtyard was braising pig intestines. I deliberately didn’t eat my breakfast fully, intending to come over at noon and have a big feast."

Jiang Chun gave her another dirty look and laughed. "Your second sister’s marriage prospects are looking good, and you’re next.

You should get married soon. If you keep coming over to eat and drink at my expense every day, you’ll thin out my wallet."

Song Shiying swallowed the spicy stir-fried intestines in her mouth and exclaimed, "For heaven's sake! I have a tiny appetite like a sparrow; I get full after a few bites. How much of your food can I really eat?

Besides, dear sister-in-law, you’re no longer what you used to be. Now you’re a co-owner of the Shunfeng Foreign Goods Store, which rakes in cash daily, and you own two very profitable shops. You’re quite the little tycoon! Are you really going to quibble over your sister-in-law eating a few bites of food?"

Jiang Chun laughed. "I am."

Song Shiying choked for a moment but then shamelessly laughed. "Then quibble away. Even if you complain, it won’t change anything. I’ll keep coming over for free meals. I won’t stop just because you complain."

Jiang Chun couldn’t help but laugh. "Your thick skin is truly a skill you’ve inherited from me. If you can be this shameless in your husband’s family, your life there will definitely not be too bad."

After all, the men and women of big families care about their reputation.

No matter what’s happening internally, at least on the surface, they care about their reputation.

Song Shiying pouted. "No matter how good life is in my husband’s family, it won’t be as carefree as living in my natal family.

Sigh, if only we could stay unmarried forever."

Jiang Chun didn’t blindly agree with her words.

If Song Shiying were someone who could clearly plan her life, had decided not to marry, and had considered the difficulties and obstacles involved while having the ability to support herself, Jiang Chun would naturally support her.

In her previous life, she had several author friends who had decided not to marry or have children.

But clearly, Song Shiying was just speaking casually. She wasn’t seriously intending not to marry.

She was just at a crossroads in life and felt a little lost about the turning point ahead.

If she blindly agreed, she might lead her astray.

Jiang Chun laughed. "When Mother finds you a suitable match, you’ll be more eager to marry than anyone."

Song Shiying’s face turned slightly red, and she said coquettishly, "Sister-in-law, don’t tease me. How easy is it to find such a good young master? I won’t have such good luck."

Jiang Chun pursed her lips.

See, just as she thought, this girl’s talk of not wanting to marry was just casual talk, not a decision made after serious consideration.

However, her older brother Song Shiqian’s marriage hadn’t even been settled yet, so it wasn’t her turn.

Jiang Chun changed the subject. "How did the meeting with your second sister’s potential match go?"

Song Shiying teased playfully, "Guess, Big Sis?"

Jiang Chun said confidently, "I guess your second sister is now wearing the Zhou family's gold hairpin."

Song Shiying immediately protested, "If you already know, why bother asking me?"

Jiang Chun shot her a look. "When did I find out? I just used my clever brain to figure out the truth.

Do you think my brain is as small as a sunflower seed, always acting on impulse?"

Song Shiying protested indignantly, "Don't talk nonsense, Big Sis. When have I ever done anything without thinking?"

Jiang Chun scoffed, "If you were thinking, then why haven't you opened the shop you worked so hard to get?

If you weren't sure what kind of shop to open, why didn't you ask me or your second sister-in-law for advice?

The shop is just sitting there, unused and collecting dust. I’m losing sleep over it."

Hearing this, Song Shiying beamed with pride. "Who says I don't know what shop to open? I've already figured it out!"

Jiang Chun raised her eyebrows. "What are you planning to sell?"

Song Shiying grinned, "Pork!"

Jiang Chun: "???"