Madam Hu glared at the approaching woman with hatred, gritting her teeth in anger. However, she had already spoken, and now she dared not explain herself in front of Zhen Wanwan.

She was afraid that the more she explained, the less likely her son would get the school spot he had worked so hard to secure.

Zhen Wanwan paused for a moment. She had a good impression of Madam Hu and didn't want to make wild guesses, so she wanted to hear what the woman had to say.

The woman rolled her eyes at Madam Hu, then turned to look at Zhen Wanwan and instantly put on a smiling face.

"Madam Zhen, don't be fooled by this man!"

Zhen Wanwan squeezed the thick stack of silver notes in her palm and asked, puzzled, "I wonder what this lady means by that?"

At the same time, Zhen Wanwan silently prayed in her heart that it wasn't something outrageous, otherwise her money would be gone!

The woman glanced at Madam Hu with disdain before explaining to Zhen Wanwan, "Madam Zhen, this Madam Hu doesn't do any timber business at all! Her... her husband's family is in the coffin business."

Zhen Wanwan was stunned and looked at Madam Hu, only to see that her face was deathly pale and she was glaring angrily at the woman who was still babbling.

"Why isn't Madam Hu at home with a room full of coffins today? Instead, she has time to deceive Madam Zhen?"

"You!" Madam Hu was furious, wishing she could tear the woman in front of her apart.

Zhen Wanwan was also somewhat surprised; it was indeed easy for people to be taboo about doing business with the dead.

The thought that the silver notes in her hand were likely someone's life savings accumulated over a long period of time made Zhen Wanwan feel as if the notes were burning hot.

She pursed her lips, hardened her heart, and gritted her teeth, intending to return it to Madam Hu.

"Madam Hu, this..."

Madam Hu's eyes reddened, and she looked at Zhen Wanwan pitifully, causing Zhen Wanwan to swallow back the words she was about to say.

Seeing Madam Hu's expression, the woman became even more smug and spoke even louder.

"Madam Hu, your family is in the business of dealing in the dead. You should have some self-awareness. Today is an auspicious day. Aren't you afraid of bringing bad luck to us by coming here?"

"Besides, what kind of place is an academy? Do you think that just because your family is incredibly wealthy, you can get your son into a school by spending a little money?"

Zhen Wanwan didn't hear anything besides the others, but she did hear about being extremely wealthy.

She suddenly realized that Madam Hu's clothes were all high-quality and cheap; this outfit alone could probably buy a house in the county town!

As long as she doesn't have to give away money that would bankrupt her, she doesn't care what the other person's identity or what kind of business they're in.

Moreover, she founded this academy without considering social status, wealth, or gender.

Now Mrs. Hu is her investor and her benefactor, so she can't afford to offend her!

Zhen Wanwan quickly tried to smooth things over: "I don't think there's a hierarchy in any profession. Everyone earns money based on their own skills. And what's wrong with selling coffins? Everyone dies eventually. Can you honestly say that you won't be lying in a coffin after you die?"

Everyone fell silent upon hearing this. Although the woman was still somewhat unconvinced, she didn't say anything more after Zhen Wanwan spoke up.

Seeing that Madam Hu was embarrassed, Zhen Wanwan quickly waved her hand and told everyone to go eat.

She smiled at Madam Hu, who was her top female friend; she couldn't let her be unhappy.

"Madam Hu, please don't pay attention to what others say. Besides, I don't think there's anything wrong with the coffin business; it's actually accumulating good karma!"

Mrs. Hu was worried that Zhen Wanwan would blame her, but to her surprise, the other party comforted her with a smile, which moved her to tears.

She then pulled out a stack of silver notes from her other sleeve and quietly handed them to Zhen Wanwan.

“Madam Zhen, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have hidden this from you. But… as you can see, my family makes coffins, and usually no one visits us. I was just afraid you…”

"Madam Hu, there's no need to explain anything. I have no reservations about this, and as I just said, there's no such thing as a noble or lowly profession. Everyone earns money based on their own skills. Your family has this skill, which is something many people would kill for!"

Zhen Wanwan squeezed the new, warm banknotes; this thick stack of them, she had no idea how many there were!

Seeing Zhen Wanwan's serious expression, Madam Hu finally believed that she did not share the prejudices of others.

She hesitated for a few seconds, nervously fidgeting with her fingers, and mustered her courage to ask, "Madam Zhen, I wonder... I wonder if, after this academy is built, my child will be able to... will be able to enroll and study here?"

Zhen Wanwan's desire to count money reached its peak, and at the same time she was curious whether making coffins was really that profitable.

Upon hearing Madam Hu's question, he nodded without hesitation: "Of course! And all members of your family, regardless of gender, will be admitted!"

Mrs. Hu smiled happily, only knowing that her son could go to school. As for Zhen Wanwan's statement that both men and women could enter, she didn't take it seriously at all.

How could a girl study at an academy like a boy? Madam Hu thought Zhen Wanwan was just teasing her.

After holding back for a long time, Zhen Wanwan finally approached Madam Hu after the banquet and asked, "Madam Hu, is your family's coffin business very profitable? Can I invest and make money with you?"

Mrs. Hu was so frightened that her legs went weak. Looking at Zhen Wanwan, who looked innocent and serious, she was extremely flustered.

What exactly does Zhen Niangzi mean?

Zhen Wanwan never got an answer, but she made a mental note of it, planning to find an opportunity to learn more about the coffin industry.

After a busy day, lying in bed, Zhen Wanwan grinned and counted her money in front of her darlings, Guaibao and Tianbao.

After counting, they got an astonishing number: 100,000 taels of silver!

Zhen Wanwan rolled around on the bed a few times, hugged the two children and took a dozen deep breaths, scaring the two children so much that they dared not move.

Hearing the loud laughter coming from the bedroom, Zhang Mama and the others felt a chill run down their spines. Aunt Ma was afraid that Zhen Wanwan was possessed by an evil spirit and wanted to discuss with Zhang Mama about inviting a master to come back.

Inside the house, Zhen Wanwan held a large sum of money, beaming from ear to ear.

"I'm rich! I'm rich! Is this what it feels like to become rich overnight? Hahahaha, this is so awesome!"

It should be noted that the net profit of a department store is only 110,000 to 120,000 taels a year, and with the distributors included, it can reach about 200,000 taels a year.

But she earned the department store's annual profit in just one day. How could she not be excited?

After the initial excitement, Zhen Wanwan became extremely curious about the Hu family's coffin shop; she wished she could start selling coffins herself!

How come she didn't think of such a lucrative project?

If she had known earlier that selling coffins would be so profitable, she wouldn't have needed to spend so much time and effort figuring out how to start a project.

On the other side, inside the Hu family residence.

When Madam Hu recounted the events of the day, both father and son were moved to tears.

Mr. Hu patted his son on the shoulder and said with emotion, "Son! You can finally go to the academy to study! Remember to listen to the teachers at the academy, okay?"

Young Master Hu's eyes lit up, and he nodded excitedly: "I understand! I will definitely study hard!"

Mrs. Hu watched the interaction between the father and son and wiped away her tears with emotion.

Suddenly remembering what Zhen Wanwan had said before she left, she told Boss Hu the truth.

After listening, Mr. Hu remained silent for a long time, pondering another meaning behind Zhen Wanwan's words.

After thinking for a long time, he concluded that he hadn't given enough silver.