Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao's eyes widened instantly: "Four thousand seven hundred taels? Such a large sum of money? My dowry certainly can't afford it."

Even though the capital city is full of high-ranking officials and nobles, it is impossible for any official to produce nearly five thousand taels of silver in a single day.

Even merchants who do business may need some time to gather their resources.

Zhao Qingshu just looked at her affectionately: "I do need a lot of money, and I know that your dowry is almost gone. But the death benefits for your parents-in-law are more generous than your dowry."

Madam Zhao looked hesitant, clearly indicating that she did not want to agree.

That death benefit was the last thing her parents left her, and she never touched a single penny of it.

"Why don't you ask Consort Liang if she has any cash? I don't need that much dividend."

How could he possibly ask Consort Liang for that silver?

Zhao Qingshu didn't show his true thoughts on his face. He patiently and gently said to Madam Zhao, "I opened this second restaurant specifically for you. How can you ask your sister for money?"

He glanced tenderly at Madam Zhao's face, which was covered in red rashes, and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"The original intention of opening this restaurant was to provide you with security. I would be heartbroken if my sister made the money."

“I know that the pension is the last thing your parents left you, but it doesn’t disappear when you take it out; it will only increase.”

Mrs. Zhao was somewhat captivated by his gentle voice.

“This second restaurant is essentially a joint venture between my parents-in-law and me, opened just for you. I will cover the rest of the costs, and you will be the sole owner of this restaurant.”

“I want to use this restaurant to tell you, and also to tell my parents-in-law who are still alive, that I will take good care of you for them, Ya Xian. You have always felt that you have no home after your parents are gone, but I have always been your home.”

When Madam Zhao heard this, she could no longer hold back her tears.

The grievances she had been holding in for the past few days surged up in an instant, and she sobbed as she threw herself into Zhao Qingshu's arms, her tears soaking his clothes.

"My parents are dead, and the other branches of the Zeng family are eyeing me covetously. My husband, you're all I have left, you're all I have..."

Zhao Qingshu patted the back of her head: "Not only do you have me, but you also have money and a restaurant. Time is of the essence, when can you provide the money?"

Madam Zhao stepped out of his arms, looked up at him, and asked with a somewhat bewildered expression, "Is it in such a hurry? Aren't we still on Heyan Mountain? The restaurant won't be able to open anytime soon."

Zhao Qingshu's expression remained unchanged: "Of course I'm anxious for you."

Madam Zhao had no doubts: "Then I will send a message back now and have the head maid move out the silver."

Zhao Qingshu finally heard the answer she wanted, and couldn't wait to get off the bed.

Madam Zhao was caught off guard by his actions and instinctively tried to grab his sleeve, but Zhao Qingshu simply patted her head.

"You are still being punished during the Fengshan ceremony, so we cannot be too intimate."

Madam Zhao suddenly realized what was happening and came to her senses. She wanted to say something, but Zhao Qingshu seemed to have something urgent to attend to.

"Then I'll get busy running your restaurant. Oh, by the way, since that cousin of yours has come to you for help, you should grant her wish as a mother."

"It just so happens that Song Xizhi isn't a good person either. She's shameless and deserves what she got for treating you like that. It really breaks my heart."

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao felt reassured: "I know what to do now, my husband. You don't need to worry about me, I'm not in pain."

Zhao Qingshu nodded, gently told her to rest well, and then hurriedly left.

In winter, it gets dark early. Not long after Zhao Qingshu left, it got dark, and the households in the courtyard lit candles. The candlelight was dim and yellow, making the whole house look yellowish.

By candlelight, Zhao Qianlan sat on a soft couch, fiddling with a thin bodice, on which a pair of mandarin ducks were embroidered.

At that moment, the previously closed window creaked open.

She looked up in a panic, then quickly hid her undergarment under the needle and thread. Only when she saw the man in front of her did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Zhao Qianlan lowered her voice, her eyes bright, and a hint of coquettishness appeared on her face: "Cousin, you haven't wanted to see me lately. I thought we'd be strangers for life, just like this afternoon."

Zhao Qingshu had changed his clothes and had a frivolous smile on his face. He reached out his hand to Zhao Qianlan and asked, "If I didn't miss you, would I be climbing through the window now?"

Zhao Qianlan also grasped his hand: "You're too bold, actually coming directly to my house. Wasn't that place nice before?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qingshu's expression turned serious for a moment: "On the night we first met, there were signs of a fight in the bamboo forest. Now, there are multiple forces in Heyan Mountain. It's really not safe for us to go there again."

"Don't go to that place again in the future."

Zhao Qingshu is a cautious and suspicious person. If he senses any risk in something, even the slightest, he will abandon it immediately.

Zhao Qianlan didn't say anything when she heard this.

He didn't speak, but instead looked down and fiddled with Zhao Qianlan's wrists. He noticed that the binding marks on her wrists had completely disappeared, and his heavy expression changed, his eyes becoming more ambiguous.

"The traces here have disappeared. I wonder what happened to the other places?"

As Zhao Qingshu spoke, he took out a series of trinkets from his cloak, each with a different design, and placed them one by one on the square table in front of Zhao Qianlan.

"Just now you seemed unhappy when you heard we couldn't go back to that room. Were you craving these things...?"

"It's alright, I brought it. This? This? Or this?"

Zhao Qianlan looked at those things and felt a certain attraction to them; she genuinely liked them.

After that last time, she became somewhat addicted, feeling as if she had returned to her youth when she was only a teenager, and was bolder and more uninhibited than she is now.

Not only did she actively flirt with her cousin, but she also elevated her status within the Zhao clan, making everyone afraid to look down on her.

Ultimately, relying on this connection, she carefully selected Song Juncai, the best marriage she could hope for—the highest possible match.

Although Zhao Qianlan thought this in her heart, she still said to herself, "Who said I'm greedy? You should remember what you promised me."

"If you can't raise the money, I won't go with you. When can you give me the four thousand seven hundred taels of silver? I need it urgently."