Sécurité

Chapitre 36

Before Master Cheng, the dowry of Madam Qian and Xiao Yuan all belonged to his grandsons. How could anyone easily touch them? His anger flared, but he didn't want to scold his wife in front of a concubine. So he took a piece of Tianhuang stone and first coaxed Concubine Ding back home. Only then did he go to Madam Qian's room to settle accounts with her. Madam Qian naturally argued that the shares were offered by her daughter-in-law, and that she hadn't accepted them. But Master Cheng believed Concubine Ding's words first and refused to listen to her. He continued to throw things around and scold her.

Aunt Ding returned to her room and sat for a while. Unable to contain her excitement, she secretly slipped to Madam Qian's window to listen. She heard Master Cheng's angry shouts coming from inside and covered her mouth, laughing for a long time. After Master Cheng finished reprimanding his wife and left, she suppressed her laughter and went into Madam Qian's room to find her. She showed her the piece of Tianhuang stone and pretended to be troubled, saying, "I served you diligently, Master, but you rewarded me with a hard stone. What use is it? Did you get two to exchange?"

A servant had already reported that Master Cheng had been staying in Concubine Ding's room for the past few nights. Madam Qian initially didn't believe it, but upon seeing the Tianhuang stone, her heart began to race. Such a valuable item couldn't have been bought by Concubine Ding herself, so her words were most likely true. If it was true, then what ability did she possess to restore Master Cheng's virility, a man who had been rendered useless? Madam Qian was both puzzled and alarmed. She had only been scheming against her daughter-in-law, and had inadvertently pushed her husband towards Concubine Ding.

Seeing that she stared at the Tianhuang stone for a long time without saying a word, Aunt Ding guessed that she was frustrated and became even more smug. She reached out to hug Xiao Si Niang beside her. Xiao Tongqian, sensing that things were not going well, quickly went inside and brought out a small box. He took out a pair of men's trousers from the box and asked Aunt Ding, "Do you remember this?" These trousers were the ones that Madam Qian had framed Aunt Ding for during their first encounter. Whether Master Cheng believed it or not, as long as it was brought up again, she would never be able to recover her reputation. Aunt Ding had been living a peaceful life for too long and had forgotten about this incident. She slunk out with her head down, even forgetting to take the Tianhuang stone.

Little Copper Coin gently called out "Madam" and advised, "I'm just a petty person who's gotten ahead. Don't pay her any mind. Madam, just show these trousers to Master." Madam Qian replied, "We have to consider Fourth Miss's reputation. She still has to get married. Go find a slave trader tomorrow." Little Copper Coin understood, took the box back and hid it. She then picked up the Tianhuang stone, intending to throw it away, but Madam Qian stopped her, saying, "Give it back to her. Don't let people say I'm jealous of a concubine." On the surface, she was calm and collected, but in her heart, the jealousy had already turned upside down. Although Aunt Ding was younger, she had given birth before and was just a concubine. Since Master Cheng was already useful, why didn't he come to her room instead of going to find her?

The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. She hid and cried, and had no interest in finding out who had told Master Cheng about her demand for the toy store shares. The next morning, she took a sedan chair back to her parents' home to find Madam Xin.

Madam Xin smiled as soon as she saw Qian: "Being a mother-in-law is really good; you don't need anyone's approval to go back to your parents' home." Madam Qian was full of resentment: "You only know about my battles with my daughter-in-law. Now look what's happened; that concubine has taken over the master." Madam Xin pulled her into the room, bolted the door, and asked in surprise: "Isn't your son-in-law useless? How did Concubine Ding manage to take him over?" Madam Qian shook her head: "I didn't know, that's why I came to ask you, Mother." Madam Xin, being older and more knowledgeable, remembered that one of her concubines seemed to have such methods, so she called her over to ask. Sure enough, she had many unusual ways to amuse a man.

Madam Qian blushed and said shyly, "These are all shameless methods; I won't learn them." Madam Xin said urgently, "What's the point of saving face in the boudoir? Winning over a man is more important than anything else. It's my fault for not thinking of a way for you sooner; I beat you to it." The concubine, who had been brought in to be your tutor, secretly rolled her eyes at her after hearing this. Madam Xin finished advising her daughter and looked up, just in time to see this. She immediately told her to go down and receive her punishment.

Madam Qian, being an experienced woman, sat there thinking for a long time, but still couldn't bring herself to do those shameful things. No matter how Madam Xin tried to persuade her, she wouldn't listen. She thought to herself, "As long as I sell Aunt Ding, I won't have to worry about my husband not coming back to my room."

When she returned home, Little Copper Coin had already been brought by the slave trader, who was holding the indenture and waiting for her. Although Madam Qian didn't care about the price, the slave trader insisted on inspecting the goods first, so she had to send a maid to fetch Aunt Ding. The maid recognized the slave trader's attire, and instead of going to Aunt Ding, she ran to find Xiao Yuan: "Young Madam, Madam wants to sell Aunt Ding."

Ayun gave her a reward and said with a smile, "It's really good to have someone on your own." Acai disagreed, "All the maids in the house were personally chosen by Sister Cailian, and they're all on our side." Xiaoyuan didn't have time to listen to their chatter and hurriedly called a rough old woman who swept the alley to inform Master Cheng.

Master Cheng, eager to enjoy the pleasures of his wife again, was not about to let Madam Qian sell Concubine Ding. Upon receiving the news, he rushed to her room, personally chased away the slave trader, and even accused her of being "jealous." He strictly adhered to the rules and did not comfort Concubine Ding in front of his wife, but he took concrete actions and stayed in Concubine Ding's room for several more nights.

When the news reached Xiao Yuan's room, A Yun was filled with remorse: "I thought Master would help sell Concubine Ding, but who knew he would keep her? If I had known this would happen, I should have stopped the young mistress from going to report the news." Xiao Yuan thought to herself, "What good is it for one person to be in charge? If there isn't a concubine to keep my mother-in-law in check, my life as a daughter-in-law will probably be even more difficult."

Chapter 104 Cold Food Festival

When Mu Tian learned of the dispute between Madam Qian and Aunt Ding, he was quite puzzled: "It's someone else's business, how did it become their quarrel?" Xiao Yuan chuckled for a while and asked him, "What clever trick did Aunt Ding use to get Father to stay in her room every day?" Cheng Mu Tian was both ashamed and angry: "How could I, as your son, know about such things, Father?" Xiao Yuan asked curiously, "Aren't you afraid that Aunt Ding will give you a brother?" Cheng Mu Tian quickly shook his head: "No, actually Father..." Suddenly, he became alert: "Are you trying to trick me?"

Xiao Yuan laughed and fell onto the bed: "You said you didn't know, so why are you so sure?" Cheng Mutian got really angry, flipped her over to hit her, but couldn't bring himself to do it, so he stripped her clothes off and punished her in a different way. Xiao Yuan hugged his head and whispered, "Aunt Ding taught me that method to thank me for saving my life. Do you want to try it?" Cheng Mutian got angry again: "I'm not crazy." But after Xiao Yuan tried it out a couple of times, he immediately changed his mind: "It's actually quite interesting."

The room was filled with breathtaking scenery, which needs no further explanation.

Since Master Cheng spent two or three nights in Concubine Ding's room, Concubine Ding felt that she had turned her life around and urged Master Cheng to let her raise Xiao Si Niang. Unfortunately, Master Cheng was not ambiguous about matters that violated the rules and resolutely refused her request.

Madam Qian had been alone in her room for quite some time, and her envy was unbearable. She no longer cared about saving face or being shy, and used some of the skills taught to her by her concubine. This gave Master Cheng a refreshing experience. However, she had been raised as a lady of a prominent family for too long, and was very dignified in her boudoir. She was not as uninhibited as Concubine Ding. Master Cheng was only interested for a couple of days and most of the month before he started going to Concubine Ding's room again.

While Master Cheng's wives and concubines were engaged in fierce competition, Xiao Yuan found herself with a life of leisure. Every day, besides seeing the stewardess and doing accounts, she would entertain her son and tease her husband, living a very happy life.

Before they knew it, the Cold Food Festival was approaching. Xiao Yuan held Wu Ge and looked at Sister-in-law Yu with a smile, saying, "Luckily, Brother Wu has a wet nurse. Otherwise, how could he, at such a young age, endure eating cold food for three days?" Sister-in-law Yu smiled and took Brother Wu to breastfeed him. As she walked to the door, she turned back and said, "Young Madam, Cai Lian is back."

Xiao Yuan looked up and saw that in front of her were Cai Liantou and Ren Qingsong, who was carrying a food box. When she saw the two of them walking together, she finally felt relieved and hurriedly told the little maid to bring a stool for Steward Ren to sit on.

Ren Qingsong placed the food box on the table, opened the lid, and showed it to her. The box had three layers: the first layer was a box of seasonal "Zitui Swallows"; the second layer was a bowl of chilled ginger; and the bottom layer was preserved cakes. Xiao Yuan asked, "Is this for the Cold Food Festival?" Ren Qingsong nodded, "Yes, but our cake shop mainly serves high-ranking officials and nobles. Those families have plenty of cooks and cooks; they wouldn't bother with these cheap things. I've come to discuss with the young mistress whether we should rent a small shop to sell 'Cold Food Boxes'." He then smiled, "These items were all made by Cailian herself. Would the young mistress like to try some?"

Cai Mang took a small bowl and spooned a few spoonfuls of frozen ginger, then broke the preserved cake into pieces and placed them in front of Xiao Yuan. Xiao Yuan first had the maids take the "Zitui Swallow" (a type of steamed bun) to thread onto willow branches and stick them on the eaves, then ate a few bites of frozen ginger with the preserved cake and laughed, "The taste is alright, but will anyone buy something so ordinary?" Ren Qingsong replied, "The frozen ginger is made with pork hock, and we also added chicken broth. Although pork is cheap, ordinary families can't afford it, let alone chicken."

But we produce in large quantities. One pound of pork hock and a pot of chicken bone broth can make several portions of aspic, which can then be sold. This reduces costs, and even poorer families can buy some to try.

Cailian added, "Prices have gone up. Flour is expensive too. Let's buy a 'Cold Food Festival Box' to take home. It's festive, and we have something to eat. It's both economical and practical."

Xiao Yuan nodded approvingly. Looking at the two people in front of her, she felt a sense of perfect harmony. Renting a small shop wasn't difficult. She immediately agreed, took out the money, and handed it to them to set up. The "Cold Food Box" had low costs and simple production procedures. Ren Qingsong took the capital, and in just a few days, he opened Cold Food shops in various poor neighborhoods. At Cai Lian's suggestion, he added glutinous rice cakes, steamed rice, and salted duck eggs, allowing for free combination. Those poor people with little money, and even small merchants, saw that with this box, they didn't need to buy flour or pork. They all felt it was a great deal and rushed to buy a few before the Cold Food Festival.

The poor areas of Lin'an were very different from the rich areas. The multi-story wooden buildings stood side-by-side, so densely packed that it was difficult to find even a small courtyard. Because the houses were so close together, good news spread quickly. Within days, everyone knew that He's Cold Food Shop's cold food boxes were both cheap and convenient. They called their friends and family to buy them, and the shop's business boomed even more.

Cheng Mutian returned home that day. He heard someone playing the flute at the door. Upon closer inspection, he saw it was a vendor selling thick syrup. Remembering his son, Wu Ge, he quickly ordered someone to buy the entire load and carry it back to his room. The so-called "thick syrup" was nothing more than a thick, heavy sugar syrup. Xiao Yuan forbade Wu Ge from eating much. Seeing Cheng Mutian bring back the whole load, she said with distress, "I just didn't think it was anything special, so I didn't have the kitchen make it. I didn't expect you to buy so much." Cheng Mutian tasted it and found it unpalatable. He put down the bowl and laughed, "It's just for the season. Who cares?" Xiao Yuan asked him, "You bought so much, did you send a bowl to Xiao Si Niang?" Cheng Mutian, busy coaxing Wu Ge to try another bite of the syrup to celebrate the season, didn't even look up, "She has her stepmother to take care of her. Why should I care?"

Xiao Yuan laughed and scolded him for being too biased. She ordered someone to send half of the thick soup to the front yard.

The Song people valued three festivals most: the Winter Solstice, New Year's Day, and the Cold Food Festival. Therefore, Master Cheng was in high spirits for the festival and instructed his steward, Xiao Yuan, to prepare a small family banquet. The Cold Food Festival lasted for three days, during which fires were forbidden. The family banquet consisted of nothing but "cold food" such as glutinous rice cakes. Xiao Yuan simply brought a large stack of cold food boxes from her family's cold food shop, filling the table to the brim, and also gave a box to the steward's wife and the head maids of each courtyard.

As the family banquet began, everyone's expressions were different. Master Cheng was delighted to see his daughter-in-law bringing in more money for his grandson. Madam Qian's dowry shops were losing money every month, and her daughter-in-law was making money but not helping her, so she just stared at the frozen ginger without saying a word. Aunt Ding was happy to see the main wife frown, and took the opportunity to scoop up some thick soup to coax Xiao Si Niang to come to her side.

Cheng Mutian was now very well-mannered, munching on his glutinous rice cakes without looking at anything else. It wasn't Xiaoyuan's place to serve him, but Aunt Ding was coaxing Xiao Si Niang, so she had no choice but to stand up, scoop up a bowl of wheat porridge, and present it to Master Cheng, saying, "Father, the shop only sells dry food. I brought some porridge from the kitchen. You can have a sip with the cakes."

Seeing his father's concubine sitting still while his wife busied herself with errands, Cheng Mutian's brows furrowed like ink blots, dared not openly voice his opinion. Instead, he deliberately coughed. Master Cheng, realizing what was happening, quickly said, "Daughter-in-law, please sit down. Let Aunt Ding come." Aunt Ding had spent half a day trying to appease her mistress but hadn't succeeded, and was feeling quite upset. Hearing Master Cheng call her to serve, she reluctantly walked from her small table to the large table, took the bowl from Xiao Yuan's hands, and placed it before Madam Qian.

Like her, Madam Qian also loved seeing her opponent sad. A smile would appear on her face as she asked Xiao Yuan, "Daughter-in-law, how much are these boxes?" Xiao Yuan replied, "Cheap. Fifteen yuan a box with frozen ginger or salted duck eggs. If you want both, the price doubles. If you don't want either, it's even cheaper, only five yuan." Madam Qian exclaimed in surprise, "How can you make money selling them so cheaply?"

Xiao Yuan was unwilling to tell the truth, only saying, "It's just a game to pass the time. The shop was only rented for a few days, and it will be closed down after the Cold Food Festival."

The principle of "small profits but quick turnover" was something that both Master Dao and Cheng Mutian understood, but neither of them was willing to tell Madam Qian. Madam Qian genuinely believed that her daughter-in-law's shop was losing money. As soon as the family banquet ended, she questioned Master Cheng: "You always say that my dowry is to be left to my grandson. I get scolded for spending even a penny more. Is my daughter-in-law throwing money into the water to open a shop? Why don't you say anything to her?"

Favoring one's wife over another's would cause gossip if word got out. Mr. Cheng had no choice but to tell her, "She makes at least half the profit from each box. She rented about ten shops, and I heard that all 1,500 boxes she made on the first day sold out quickly, and they kept increasing the quantity in the following days. You can do the math yourself." Mrs. Qian wasn't good with abacuses, but she roughly estimated it was a large sum, half-believing, "1,500 boxes? Even with a dozen shops, each shop would need to make about a hundred. Where would she get that much time and manpower? Are you kidding me?"

When Old Cheng heard her words, he laughed: "Your daughter-in-law says she doesn't understand cooking, but I think you're even more clueless. The 'cold dishes' sold during the Cold Food Festival are all cold food, and they don't need to be made on the spot. Her main kitchen is located elsewhere, and she has hired many daughters-in-law who work in shifts day and night to make them. Boxes are being shipped to the shop like a flowing water. How could she not keep up?"

Madam Qian felt a sharp pain in her chest and needed Xiao Tong's support to stand steadily. "My daughter-in-law is making money like this, and you didn't even invite me to join you." Master Cheng said angrily, "What are you going to do with the money? Are you going to use it to move back to your parents' home and benefit your adopted brother?" Madam Qian hurriedly explained that Old Master Qian and Madam Xin would never adopt a son. Master Cheng said, "Who are you trying to fool? According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, even if a family line ends, a son must be adopted." Seeing that she couldn't persuade him this way, Madam Qian changed her tactics and said, "You keep saying that the money belongs to your grandson, but my dowry shops are almost all gone. I'm afraid that by the time my grandson grows up, he'll only be an empty shell."

Although Master Cheng kept a close eye on her money, he had never interfered with her business—his own business was managed by Cheng Mutian. He exclaimed in surprise, "It has come to this?" Seeing that he was softening, Madam Qian added fuel to the fire: "Not only the shops, but the estates are also producing little, and even the farmers are starving."

Master Cheng's son and daughter-in-law are both capable at home and at work. Hearing that her shops and estates were losing money, they looked down on her and said, "It's a good thing we didn't let you manage the household, otherwise we would have squandered all our rice money."

Chapter 105 The Gold Shop (Part 1)

Hearing Master Cheng speak of her this way, Madam's jealousy flared up. She quickly put on a smiling face and said, "It's just that I'm not good at it, that's why I wanted my daughter-in-law to help me. She may not be capable, but she has a good attitude. Master Cheng is genuinely concerned about her dowry, so when his son and daughter-in-law came to pay their respects, he discussed it with Xiaoyuan: 'Daughter-in-law, your mother-in-law's dowry will eventually belong to Wu-ge. If she squanders it, you'll be the ones who suffer. Why don't you help her manage it?'"

Cheng Mutian, not wanting his wife to suffer, quickly replied, "Father, Wu-ge is still young. He cries without his mother holding him. She can't stand him doing the accounting for even a little while longer." Old Master Cheng, also unwilling to see his grandson cry, had no choice but to give up.

The young couple returned to their room after exchanging greetings. Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "Brother Wu, with Sister-in-law Yu and Madam Sun by your side, there's no need for me to take care of things personally." Cheng Mutian said, "Business has its ups and downs. If you help her manage her dowry and make a profit, that's fine, but if you lose money, it'll all be your fault. Why bother?" Xiao Yuan said admiringly, "I thought you were just worried about me, but it turns out you have a deeper reason. You're definitely someone who's been in business for a long time; you think things through more thoroughly. I was originally thinking of taking on the task to fulfill my filial duty, but it seems I'd rather not take it on and offend her a little than wait until I lose money and then be blamed." Cheng Mutian's face flushed slightly, and he muttered, "Who's worried about you? They're just afraid you'll get sick and have to spend money on medicine."

They were determined to make excuses, but Madam Qian wouldn't give up. A few days later, she summoned Xiaoyuan again, first complaining about the shop's losses, then asking for advice on how to make money. Xiaoyuan thought that her stepmother was always nagging her, and she couldn't do anything. She decided to think of a safe way to appease her, so she said, "Mother, I really don't know anything about how to make money. The managers are handling the shop. I do have an idea on how to stop losing money." Madam Qian was overjoyed and quickly asked her what brilliant idea she had. Xiaoyuan continued, "It's simple. Close down the shop that's losing money every month, and sell the estate that doesn't produce much. Preserving the capital is better than anything else."

Madam Qian also thought this was a good idea. Closing the unprofitable shop would at least prevent her money from flowing out like sand through an hourglass day and night; but if she closed the shop and sold the estate, her dowry would be a pile of dead money, which would diminish with each expenditure, and by the time she was old, she might have nothing left. Unwilling to accept that her true goal had not been achieved, she ordered Xiao Tongqian to bring a jewelry box and place it in front of Xiao Yuan: "Daughter-in-law, see if you like it."

Xiao Yuan opened the box and found a translucent crystal double lotus flower inside. She hurriedly pushed the box back, saying, "Mother, this is too precious; I dare not accept it." Madam Qian smiled, "What use is money to me? I just want to open a few shops to pass the time. Sitting here is boring; please help me, Mother!" Xiao Yuan was very troubled, "Mother, it's not that I'm refusing, it's just that I really don't understand business." Madam Qian wasn't angry at all, "Then lend me one of your managers?"

Upon hearing this, even Little Copper Coin felt that she was going too far. Taking the opportunity of coming up to change Xiao Yuan's tea, he smiled and said, "Young Madam, Young Master has been in business for many years and must know quite a few brokers. Why not invite one to come and tell you about business?"

Xiao Yuan glanced at her gratefully and said to Madam Qian, "Mother is an elder after all. Even the maids around her are smarter than others. I think what she said makes a lot of sense. Why don't we invite a broker over? I'd like to take the opportunity to listen and learn how to do business."

This answer finally satisfied Qian Fu to a degree, and Xiao Yuan breathed a slight sigh of relief. She then turned around and ordered someone to invite Mao Dongxiang, the most famous broker in Lin'an.

Since the man in the east wing was not allowed to see the women, Madam Qian took it upon herself to borrow Master Cheng's study. She had a thick screen set up, and she and Xiao Yuan sat behind it, remaining silent and having the maids relay messages. Xiao Tongqian had received instructions from Madam Qian beforehand, and as soon as she saw Mao Dongxiang, she asked him what trades were the most profitable in Lin'an.

The man in the east wing was very smooth. He replied, "There are 365 trades, and every trade has its master. Our Lin'an is called the temporary capital, but it's actually the capital city. What kind of shops don't we have? Gold and silver jewelry shops, antique shops, general merchandise shops, tea shops, incense and medicine shops, paper and ink stationery shops, lacquerware shops, pottery shops, fruit shops, clothing shops, flower shops, dry cleaners, shoe shops, pet shops, pharmacies, restaurants, rice shops, butcher shops... Under the emperor's nose, every shop makes money."

Xiao listened as he poured out his story, going on and on. She almost burst out laughing. Turning her head, she saw that Madam Qian was listening intently, nodding repeatedly. Xiao had to suppress her laughter and put on a serious expression.

Little Copper Coin said, "You've said so much. We can't just open one of each kind. If we don't lack capital, what kind of shop should we open?"

Mao Dongxiang's eyes darted around. So this was a villager who had never done business before. A few words and he'd seen right through her. If he didn't make money off her, where else would he make money? He quickly said, "I was foolish. Since you have ample capital, a pawnshop is the best choice. All the big families in Lin'an run them."

The so-called "pawnshop" was a type of pawnshop. Madam Qian had seen them on the street when visiting relatives. There were indeed quite a few on the street, with signs hanging high that read "Pawnbroking." The shops were bustling with people, and business seemed quite good. She was about to nod to Xiao Tongqian when Xiao Yuan whispered to her, "Mother, pawnshops are a long-term business. It takes three to five years to break even. There's a war going on outside. It's not a safe business to do this."

The daughter-in-law finally started to think about her own feelings.

Somewhat relieved, he listened to her advice and shook his head at Xiao Tongqian. Xiao Tongqian also shook his head, and Mao Dongxiang immediately changed the subject: "Besides pawnshops, there are also gold shops, shops that sell goldware. Only a wealthy master like you can afford to run one."

Madam Qian was pleased with the flattery and smiled slightly, about to nod. Xiao Yuan quickly advised, "Mother, south of the Imperial Street, from the Five-Room Building in the north to the South Street of the Official Lane, and from Ronghe Lane in the north to the South City Lane, there are gold shops everywhere. The court has decreed that commoners are not allowed to use goldware, so those gold shops sell more than they buy, and their business is not very good."

Madam Qian was displeased that Xiao Yuan was trying to block her path to wealth: "You and I are both confined to our homes, how did you get this information?" Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "Erlang is always out running around, and when he comes back he tells me stories. Doesn't Father tell you these things?" As soon as Master Cheng came back, he went straight to Aunt Ding's room, so he didn't have time to talk to her about these things. Madam Qian blushed and shook her head at Xiao Yuan again.

Seeing that neither of the two suggestions he gave were satisfactory, Mao Dongxiang became somewhat anxious and said, "Pharmacies, bookstores, flower shops, restaurants, teahouses, and silk shops—aside from these, everything else is a small business."

Madam Qian was still silently counting in her mind when Xiao Yuan sighed and advised, "Mother, we have a pharmacy; our main business relies on contracting government-mandated yeast for brewing; we're not familiar with the other trades, so we need to be cautious." Madam Qian got angry: "You were the one who wanted to call the broker, and you're unwilling to listen to his suggestions. What are you really up to?"

Xiao Yuan said, "Mother, small businesses can make money just as well, why risk your capital? Why not ask the broker if there are any good, easy-to-profit businesses?" Madam Qian scoffed, "The money earned from a small business isn't even enough for me to buy cosmetics, what use would it be?"

Ignoring Xiao Yuan's advice, she insisted on taking out ten thousand taels of silver to ask Mao Dongxiang to help her buy a gold shop. Mao Dongxiang spent half a day persuading her, finally managing to lure her into the alley. He continued to coax her excitedly, "Gold shops are always bought and sold in tens of thousands of taels. What can a mere fifty thousand taels do?"

Madam Qian knew nothing about business and believed that the more capital she had, the more she would earn. She was in a hurry to sell off her existing shops to raise money. Mao Dongxiang laughed, "This is what brokers do. I'll help you out." He helped Madam Qian sell all her shops, pocketing most of the profits, and gave her the remaining 30,000, still complaining that he hadn't received any money from the middleman. Those shops had originally cost 100,000. Although Old Master Qian had been cheated out of his money, he certainly wouldn't have sold them for only 30,000. Madam Qian voiced her doubts. Mao Dongxiang panicked for a few seconds, then quickly calmed down and said jokingly, "In these chaotic times, you can buy a shop for 30,000. It took me a lot of persuasion to get this 30,000."

Little Copper Coin thought he was being unreasonable and advised Madam Qian, "Madam, don't be so hasty. Why don't you ask Master first?" Madam Qian confided in her, "I just don't want Master to know. Otherwise, all the money we earn will go to Wu-ge, and we won't even have enough to prepare a dowry for Fourth Sister."

Madam Lai wanted to save for herself, and Xiao Tongqian couldn't persuade her any further. She could only watch helplessly as Madam Lai asked Mao Dongxiang to sell the estate, raising 100,000 strings of cash to open a gold shop on the north side of the Imperial Street. In truth, Madam Qian wasn't entirely without apprehension, but the Qian family's wealth was inherited from their ancestors, and the old master Qian and Madam Xin, whom she had always relied on, were only good at spending money and not at making it. She couldn't find anyone else to consult, and she was in a hurry to convert her open money into hidden money, so she could only choose to trust Mao Dongxiang.

The original dowry list for those shops had detailed entries that couldn't be falsified. Since there was no record of this gold shop, she first asked the newly hired accountant to make a false account, understating the capital by 20,000 before announcing to the whole family that she had opened a gold shop on the north side of the Imperial Street.

"The northern border?" Master Cheng and his wife Cheng Mutian exclaimed in surprise, and even Aunt Ding looked at her as if she were a monster.

Madam Qian hurriedly asked what was wrong. Aunt Ding, who had finally seized the opportunity to openly criticize the first wife, interjected, "The place where we live is where the rich people of Lin'an stay. The people living in the north are all poor. Where would they get the money to buy gold jewelry? Besides, they are all commoners. The imperial decree forbids them from using it."

Madam Qian's hand trembled slightly in her sleeve as she protested, "I've only just arrived in Lin'an and have never been to the streets before, how would I know so much?" Master Cheng was so angry he was practically fuming. He roared, "You know the capital is in the south, don't you? Even if you didn't know, couldn't you have asked your daughter-in-law?" Madam Qian quickly replied, "Of course I asked her. I asked her to take me into business, but she absolutely refused. My original shop was always losing money, and I was afraid that in the end I wouldn't have any money left for Wu-ge, so I had no choice but to open this gold shop."

Chapter 106 The Gold Shop (Part 2)

Mu Tian always taught Xiao Yuan to be filial and submissive in front of her elders. But at this moment, he was the first to lose his composure. He pressed down on the table, wanting to stand up and say a few words in defense of his wife. Xiao Yuan quickly kicked him lightly, not even glancing at Madam Qian, and said to Master Cheng, "Father, this has nothing to do with the south or the north. I earnestly advised Mother the other day that there are too many gold shops in Lin'an now, and they won't make money no matter where they open one."

After careful consideration, Master Cheng realized that this made sense, so he asked Madam Qian why she didn't listen to her daughter-in-law. Several maids were present at the time, and Xiao Yuan's earnest advice was evident to all. Madam Qian couldn't lie, so she stammered, repeatedly saying only, "It's because she didn't help me manage my dowry." Master Cheng felt sorry for Qian, so instead of scolding her, he helped persuade Xiao Yuan to take some time out of her busy schedule of taking care of her son to manage her mother-in-law's dowry shop.

Before Xiaoyuan could respond, Cheng Mutian grew anxious again. How could he agree to such a thankless task, lest he exhaust his wife? He braced himself to get up again, but then he heard Cailian's voice at the door: "Young Madam, I just came back from the cake shop and heard Wu-ge crying. His voice is hoarse." Master Cheng quickly stopped talking and said hurriedly, "Daughter-in-law, forget about your mother-in-law's dowry shop. Hurry back and comfort Wu-ge."

The young couple rushed back to their room, only to find Wu Ge happily eating a piece of cake, showing no signs of having cried. Cai Lian apologized, "I overheard outside for a while, and fearing it would be difficult for the young mistress, I used Wu Ge as a pretext. Please punish me, young mistress." Cheng Mutian laughed, "What crime have you committed? What punishment is there? Go and receive your reward." This was the first time he had praised his maid. Cai Lian and Xiao Yuan were both stunned for a moment before realizing what he meant, and then they smiled at each other—Cheng's filial son was favoring his wife.

Xiao Yuan escaped her job thanks to Wu Ge, so Master Cheng had to take matters into his own hands. He first scolded Madam Qian, then ordered her to sell the gold shop immediately. Madam Qian had spent a considerable amount on the gold shop and was reluctant to close it down, so she said, "The goldware hasn't been lost; we can just move the shop to the south." Master Cheng smashed two of her porcelain pieces, angrily saying, "Fool! You know you have to sell my concubine, but you don't understand business principles! My daughter-in-law explained it so clearly: you can't make money running a gold shop." After saying this, he started rummaging through her trunks to find the account book. Madam Qian remembered the fake account book and quickly handed it over, saying, "The account book is here; I entrust it to you, Master."

Having watched Cheng Mutian run his business for so many years, Master Cheng was quite adept at selling gold shops. Within a few days, he had sold all the goldware and then sublet the empty shop to a wine shop owner, making an extra five hundred coins. Master Cheng first recorded this five hundred coins in his private ledger before taking Madam Qian's gold shop ledger to ask her, "After deducting the wages for the hired workers these past few days, how come there's only less than eighty thousand? What about the money you made from selling the previous shops and the estate?"

Madam Qian refused to admit that she had hidden 20,000 strings of cash, claiming that Mao Dongxiang had handled it. Master Cheng immediately ordered someone to find Mao Dongxiang and question him, learning that the gold shop's capital was indeed 100,000 strings of cash. Madam Qian was still lamenting that her hidden 20,000 strings of cash were lost when Master Cheng was both shocked and furious: "Your previous dowry shops and estates were only sold for 100,000 strings of cash?" Madam Qian dared not speak. Little Copper Coin vaguely guessed that she had been cheated and hurriedly explained the truth, hoping that Master Cheng would help her: "Master, Mao Dongxiang only sold those shops and estates for Madam for 50,000 strings of cash, and the other 50,000 strings of cash were paid by Madam in cash." After saying this, she knelt down on both knees: "It was all Mao Dongxiang's doing. Madam has never left the house before, how would she know the ways of business?" Master Cheng naturally understood that Madam Qian had been tricked, but Mao Dongxiang insisted that the money he took was a middleman's fee given by Madam Qian, and Master Cheng could not do anything about it.

Having suffered such a great loss, Madam Qian dared not act rashly again and only wanted to hide her remaining 100,000. However, Master Cheng refused to return the 80,000 to her, saying he was afraid she would be easily swindled again. Madam Qian pleaded for several days without success, and finally filed a complaint with Old Master Qian and Madam Xin. Unfortunately, her parents were old and had no relatives in Lin'an, so they could not help her and could only advise her to be patient and take good care of the money she had.

As the saying goes, good news travels fast, and news of Madam Qian's failed business venture spread like wildfire throughout Lin'an. The wealthy businessmen who did business with the Cheng family always laughed at Cheng Mutian, saying that a merchant family had produced a villager, causing him to return home with a sullen face every day. Xiao Yuan couldn't bear to see him unhappy and suggested, "My third sister-in-law knows some people in the underworld. Why don't she find a few thugs to teach Mao Dongxiang a lesson and force him to return the money?" Cheng Mutian shook his head, "I know some hooligans too, but if my stepmother gets the money back, she'll probably make things difficult for you. I don't mind losing face; just don't get sick from exhaustion. Prices are soaring these days, and medicine is expensive."

Was this meant to be caring? It was touching, yet somehow felt a little awkward. Xiao Yuan playfully pinched him, deliberately complaining about his filial impiety. She successfully saw his expression change. Jokes aside, she couldn't afford to give anyone leverage. Xiao Yuan quickly invited Li Wu Niang for a private talk, asking her to find a rogue to demand the stolen money from Mao Dongxiang. Li Wu Niang said it was a small matter. She immediately found her old acquaintance Wan San'er, telling him to bring a few thugs. That night, they tied Mao Dongxiang up and took him to the West Lake for a good bath—forty thousand strings of cash!

Xiao Yuan got the money. Then, she played the villain. Without telling Madam Qian, she went straight to Master Cheng: "Father, Erlang is the most filial son. He can't bear to see Mother suffer. He specially found several capable people, and after many hardships, they finally recovered the money she was swindled out of. It was a full forty thousand strings of cash!"

Master Cheng was overjoyed. He asked, "Where's the money? Did you give it to your stepmother?" Xiao Yuan gestured towards Huaihua, who was standing to the side. After she and the servants had all left, she took out a box of coins and said with a smile, "I personally think it's better for Father to keep this money. But I'm afraid Mother will find out and punish me." Master Cheng's joy immediately increased to twelve times. He hugged the box of coins tightly and repeatedly assured everyone that this was a secret. He added, "I'll just say that I sent someone to get the money back, and it has nothing to do with you." He put most of Madam Qian's dowry in his own name. He was so happy that he smiled at everyone he met. He praised Cheng Mutian, who had come to practice boxing with him, again and again, praising him as a filial son.

Cheng Mutian had the ability to recover his stepmother's money but deliberately didn't. He was tormented by this. Suddenly, he realized he wasn't being vilified; instead, he was being called a filial son. Confused, he asked Xiaoyuan, "Wife, today Father actually praised me for being filial. Isn't that strange?"

Xiao Yuan secretly told him the truth, hoping for a word of gratitude. Unexpectedly, Cheng Mutian became angry: "This kind of thing should be done by a man. Why are you worrying about it? What if you mess it up?" Xiao Yuan pondered for a while, then tentatively asked, "Are you blaming me for going to find a rogue instead of asking you for help? Aren't you blaming me for giving my stepmother's money to Father?" Cheng Mutian's face flushed red. He pulled her into his arms, displeased, "Such a dangerous matter, and you didn't even discuss it with me, but went to tell Third Sister-in-law instead. So, in your heart, I'm ranked after Third Sister-in-law?" It turned out her husband was jealous. Xiao Yuan quickly gave him a sweet kiss and a gentle pat, coaxing him nicely.

Now, let's talk about Master Cheng. He was overjoyed, as everyone is. Aunt Ding, who had been serving him that evening, asked, "Master, Madam was swindled out of so much money, how can you still be laughing?" Master Cheng hugged her and laughed, "I already had someone get that money back." Aunt Ding didn't believe him, "Madam said that Mao Dongxiang was very shameless and refused to give it to her." Master Cheng boasted, "In all my years in Lin'an, I know everyone. I just called two thugs, and they scared Mao Dongxiang away." Aunt Ding massaged his shoulders and laughed, "Master, you're really capable. You should keep this money yourself, so Madam won't be swindled again." These words were incredibly pleasing to the ear, and Master Cheng, feeling elated by her massage, took out a string of cash from his secret stash and gave it to her to make clothes.

Aunt Ding, reluctant to spend money on herself, used her remaining string of cash to buy several yards of fine cloth and personally made several new outfits for Xiao Si Niang. She then presented them to the wet nurse, begging her to dress Xiao Si Niang in them. The wet nurse, without Madam Qian's permission, dared not accept them. Aunt Ding, tears streaming down her face, stood before the room, refusing to leave. The wet nurse, having no other choice, took the clothes and went to the main room to report. Madam Qian touched the fabric of the little clothes and called Aunt Ding in, asking, "They're all silk. Where did you get the money?" Aunt Ding, deeply concerned for her daughter, replied, "Madam allowed me to change Si Niang's clothes, so I'll tell you everything." Madam Qian, finding this somewhat suspicious, nodded. Aunt Ding was overjoyed and quickly recounted how Master Cheng had retrieved and hidden the dowry money, then hurried to Xiao Si Niang's room to change her daughter's clothes.

Even Aunt Ding knew about it, but Madam Qian was kept in the dark. Filled with resentment, she abandoned her reputation as a virtuous wife and had a huge fight with Master Cheng. She packed her bags and returned to her parents' home, where she embraced Madam Xin and wept bitterly. Madam Xin comforted her, saying, "It's all bad news. Once the news of your impoverishment spreads, Second Aunt Cheng will definitely stop bothering you." Madam Qian shook her head, saying, "Master Cheng only gave me 120,000. She knows I still have some money; how could she not have designs on me?"

When Old Master Qian saw that his daughter had lost money and was causing trouble, he blamed Madam Xin, saying, "It's all your fault for sending Qian Shisan Niang's parents back. Otherwise, my daughter would have had an adopted brother to support her, and she wouldn't have been bullied to such an extent by her husband's family."

The lady was afraid that he really wanted to adopt her, so she said anxiously, "Qian Shisan Niang is not as well off as our daughter. Do you see her having parents to support her?" Old Master Qian could not argue with her and left in a huff. Madam Xin then gave her daughter advice: "Losing money is a small matter, but losing face is a big deal. You should stay at home and wait for your husband to come and pick you up in person."

Madam Qian said, "He has already taken my money, why would he come to fetch me? He probably wants to divorce me." Madam Xin said, "Nonsense! Everyone considers divorcing a wife a disgrace. He would never do such a thing. Besides, you still have some money and jewelry, which together are probably more than your daughter-in-law's dowry. Who would dare to look down on you, who would dare to divorce you?" Madam Qian felt that her mother was right, so she followed her advice and stayed at her parents' home.

Chapter 107 Gan Shier's Erotic Pictures

At the end of May and the beginning of May, the newlywed Gan Shier, accompanied by Cheng Sanniang, returned from Quanzhou to visit his father-in-law, but his mother-in-law was nowhere to be seen. He was about to ask her about it when Cheng Sanniang secretly tugged at him, and he quickly stopped talking, only telling him some interesting stories from Quanzhou and the grand occasion of his wedding.

Master Cheng inquired about his father's recent situation and invited him to stay at his home. Gan Shier declined, saying, "Although it is my father-in-law's kindness, staying at my father-in-law's house will inevitably cause gossip. I will take my third sister to stay in the small courtyard in the partitioned area for a few days, and then ask my brother and sister-in-law to find me a house."

Master Cheng was somewhat pleased that his son-in-law wanted to establish his own household, and he invited him to stay for a few drinks before letting him go.

Gan Shier skipped and hopped into the third courtyard, laughing, "Now I'm a proper son-in-law, I don't have to walk through the alley anymore." Cheng Sanniang, who had arrived earlier, blushed and leaned on Xiao Yuan's shoulder, laughing. Xiao Yuan quickly ordered someone to serve tea to the new son-in-law and then sent someone to fetch Cheng Mutian back. Gan Shier took the tea and drank a couple of sips, looking at Cheng Sanniang and saying, "Madam, can I ask now?" Xiao Yuan teased him, "What secret matter requires you to tell me first?" Cheng Sanniang, now able to make her own decisions, was much more generous than before, laughing, "It's nothing, he just wants to know why his stepmother isn't here." Xiao Yuan casually replied, "Madam Xin misses her daughter, so the stepmother went back to her parents' home for a few days."