Madam Gu immediately smiled and said, "Oh dear, I'm also confused by Sixth Master's antics."

Qin Yuan noticed that Yu Jie'er and Cheng Ge'er's eyes dimmed. Old Madam Gu's expression was displeased, but she didn't say anything more, obviously because Sixth Master Gu held back.

Qin Yuan had no intention of indulging Madam Gu, and said with a smile, "That's right. With Sixth Master making such a fuss every day, Sixth Sister-in-law probably can't take care of many things. Shouldn't it be Sixth Sister-in-law who should be in charge of calling a doctor? Why are you asking the two children? They should stay in the main room and not bother the patient. It's already very sensible of them to let her rest and recover properly."

Gu Jinghui had told her that from now on, Zhao Niangzi's affairs would be handled by Old Madam Gu, and as for things like hiring doctors, Sixth Madam would be in charge of the household and would take care of those matters.

Let Madam Zhao handle her troubles, let Sixth Madam worry about it.

What's the point of these two women ganging up on Old Madam Gu?

Madam Gu's smile hardened.

Qin Yuan added, "If Sixth Sister-in-law is too busy, I can also..."

Madam Gu quickly interrupted, "How can that be? Third Sister-in-law still needs to find pepper, doesn't she? So many of us are following Third Sister-in-law to make money. These are all small matters, no need to trouble you, Sister-in-law."

Old Madam Gu sighed and said, "You should try to comfort Zhao Niangzi. You two used to get along well and could talk to each other. Your third sister-in-law has only been married for a few days and is not familiar with Zhao Niangzi. I'm afraid you won't see eye to eye. She has such good children. She should cheer up and get better as soon as possible for the sake of the children. What was originally a minor illness can easily turn into a serious one if left untreated."

Even so, Zhao Niangzi would feel a little worse after taking the medicine, and after a while, she would feel a little worse again.

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while before parting ways.

Madam Gu's eyes widened as she stared at the box.

Madam Gu continued, "Mother, Eighth Prince, I... sigh, you and Eighth Prince had a lot of trouble these past few days, and you felt really stifled. You really wanted to find a family member to keep you company. I know your nephew, you're a bit younger than Baozhu, and you're almost at the age where you should be engaged. It's too boring to keep running around and being cooped up at home all day. I was thinking, what if we invited you over as a guest? One of you could keep you company, and the other could help you persuade Baozhu to do needlework. Wouldn't both of you be able to go out and meet guests? It's said that you might even be able to find a suitable match."

"I can't believe they've grown so young," Old Madam Gu sighed. "In the blink of an eye, the children have grown up so fast. I'll let you come and keep him company. A man's marriage should be arranged with a good match. It's too much to worry about anything. He's in charge of the household, so he can decide how things should be arranged. Eighth son has been in poor health since he was a child. He always gives in to me and makes a fuss over nothing. You'll scold me, and he'll be narrow-minded. It's hard to get through these days."

Madam Gu immediately smiled and said, "That will indeed require some thought. Sister-in-law Gu is intelligent and kind; she will surely come up with a solution."

Madam Gu said happily, "Of course, how could we, mother and daughter, become mother-in-law and daughter-in-law if we are destined to be together?"

Shu Guan also guessed Shu Guanliang's plan and changed the subject, saying, "You did look for pepper in the capital those two days. Because of the Qi Prince's Mansion, the price of pepper was low. It is also because the Qi Prince's Mansion received some news that they want to purchase pepper in small quantities. I'm afraid the price of pepper will rise again in the coming days."

Madam Gu was determined to distance herself from Zhao Niangzi, and upon hearing this, she said, "Mother, you've already asked the doctor. Zhao Niangzi's illness isn't just a cold. The recurring symptoms are probably because she's been exposed to the cold and has worn out her blankets. Doctors are usually very skilled and inexperienced, but they can cure even minor illnesses quickly. The illness will only worsen in a couple of days. Mother, you're worrying too much."

Madam Gu, seeing what was going on, laughed and said, "I really didn't expect my sister-in-law's dream to be so accurate. It's just a pity that pepper can't be found now."

Old Madam Gu wanted to say something, but seeing your appearance, she stopped and only praised Qin Yuan a few times.

Upon hearing this, Madam Gu's face darkened.

Madam Gu said to Granny Zhao, "Tell this Persian merchant that it's seventy-one taels of silver per catty, and we'll buy it all. I'll go back to my hometown later and wait until I reach the Prince Qi's mansion."

Qin Yuan nodded and said, "It's just that you were unlucky. You were matched up by chance. It's also because your mother and I are not meant to be."

Qin Yuan sighed and said, "Is that so? Let's see if Gu Shiyi can find out. If he can, those steward mothers' money will probably be deposited in."

Zihe kept a close eye on Zhao Niangzi, to prevent her from causing trouble.

The doctors who came were all wicked. They all said it was a serious illness like a cold, and that the medicine would only last one or two doses before it would cause her to fall ill. But Zhao Niangzi's condition kept recurring and showed no signs of slowing down.

"Pepper prices may rise further."

After thinking for a moment, Madam Gu asked, "Is it the one with the oval face and almond-shaped eyes?"

Old Madam Gu and Granny Rong had no further suspicions, but they were reluctant to speak out because the two children were naughty.

Shu Guan continued, "Gu Shiyi hasn't left the capital to search yet, and we know when she'll be back. You weren't really busy those few days, but the main problem was that your dowry shops were all affected by the change of location of the stalls in the West Market. Business was bad, and you were trying to figure out how to revive them. You knew that doing any business would be bad."

Madam Gu smiled and said, "Mother is absolutely right. Your brother and sister-in-law are also worried sick about your marriage. Eighth Master... sigh..."

"The sandalwood and borneol pills he'll prescribe next will smell terrible. Light them while doing your homework, and you'll be mentally sharp." Old Madam Gu smiled as she took the box, opened it, and smelled it. Her smile grew even more comforting. "I don't know why, but you find the smell comforting. I'm afraid the pills are just what you need."

Cheng Ge'er looked up and glanced at Madam Gu.

Madam Gu said in a very bad mood, "They said they could definitely buy it. The Prince Qi's mansion in the capital is too far away to reach. Gu Shiyi is always reliable in his work."

Madam Gu's pupils contracted.

Madam Gu sighed and then spoke.

Qin Yuan took the box of incense pills from Cui Ming's arms and handed it to Qiu Ju's servant, saying, "Mother, I heard from Rong Mama that you've been sleeping poorly these past few days because you were worried about Zhao Niangzi's health. I know a recipe for incense, so I asked Manager Re for some spices and made some calming and nourishing incense pills. Since it's summer, I also mixed in some other ingredients, so wearing a sachet can also repel insects. Originally, only a few of those incense pills were made, and yesterday the Marquis even took a few. If you use them up, Mother, I'll make more."

"I hope it will turn out as my eighth brother and sister-in-law said."

"Yes, not you, her name is Xu Zhen."

"What?"

Qin Yuan responded.

When you came out of the servants' quarters, Madam Gu grabbed you and asked, "Is what you said true, Eighth Sister-in-law?"

Qin Yuan smiled and said, "You were just saying that casually. The Qi Prince's Mansion inquired about prices and drove down the price of pepper. That stuff isn't rare, and there are few buyers and sellers. Now, people in the capital who don't have any are holding onto their pepper and want to sell it. The Qi Prince's Mansion did that, saying they got some information. You think the price will continue to rise, right?"