Chapter 574 Shen Wantang, How Have You Been?

Feeling guilty, Jiang Yan immediately said, "Cousin, you don't need to pay me out of your own pocket. I can borrow some money from the bank!"

“Cousin, if you borrow money from a bank, won’t the interest be very high? Wouldn’t all the money we earn go to someone else? Forget it. I recently acquired some jewelry. Let’s sell it and get the money for you to buy goods! Besides Shuiyunyan, we also need to buy some other materials. The shop counters can’t be empty.”

Jiang Yan smiled and said, "Cousin, don't worry. I'm acquainted with the manager of the money exchange. I even gave him some fabric to wear before!"

“He promised me that if I was really short of money, I could borrow it from him to tide me over, and as long as we paid it back quickly, he would only charge me a small amount of interest.”

"Keep your jewelry. You're now favored by the ladies of the capital. When you go out to visit, you'll need some decent jewelry to make an impression."

Shen Wantang frowned: "How fast do you mean 'quickly'?"

"It can't be longer than half a month. If it's longer than half a month, the shopkeeper won't be able to make the decision. Cousin, do you think we can sell all the Shuiyunyan cigarettes we've brought in within half a month?"

Shen Wantang smiled: "Yes!"

Having already experienced it twice in her previous lives, she knew that as long as someone of high status took the lead in wearing Shui Yunyan, it would quickly become a sensation throughout the capital.

Even the ladies of the palace will be vying for it.

With the money problem solved, Shen Wantang no longer needed to sell her jewelry. She lowered her head and focused on selecting fabrics.

Jiang Yan carefully noted down each piece of material she had chosen, and then took out the account book to show her.

As Shen Wantang flipped through the account book, Jiang Yan watched her intently from the side.

He sighed inwardly, feeling that the gap between him and her seemed to be widening. Rumors were circulating that not only had Princess Ning taken a liking to Shen Wantang and wanted her to be the heir apparent of the Ning Prince's mansion, but even the proud and arrogant Duchess had taken a liking to Shen Wantang and wanted her to marry into the Duke's mansion.

He wanted to ask Shen Wantang who she wanted to marry, but he felt that it would be too abrupt and he was afraid that asking would upset her, so he could only keep the question to himself.

Shen Wantang naturally had no idea what Jiang Yan was thinking. After reviewing the account book and confirming that they had indeed made a profit, she smiled and said, "Cousin, you've done a good job these days. You can continue with your work. I'm going back to the manor. Once Shui Yunyan is in, send someone to let me know so I can come and collect her. Don't send her directly to the Shen family, lest she be intercepted."

Jiang Yan snapped out of her daze: "Okay, I understand."

Shen Wantang nodded and left with Du Juan.

On the way back, Dujuan couldn't help but ask, "Miss, you only ordered one bolt of fabric. Who are you planning to give it to?"

Shen Wantang was in a good mood and asked her with a smile, "Who do you think I should give it to?"

"This servant thinks it's definitely not for Madam and Miss Gu. It might be for Princess Ning, but it also seems like it could be for the Duchess or Miss Gu."

Shen Wantang looked at her little maid with a mixture of amusement and exasperation: "Last time I went to the Ning Prince's mansion, my stepmother deliberately sowed discord. It was obvious that the Ning Princess no longer liked me. Why did I go and try to win her over by sending her such expensive fabric? Do I have money to burn?"

Du Juan scratched her head: "This servant thought you wanted to send a gift to Princess Ning to mend your relationship!"

“There’s no point in fixing it. I never intended to marry Xiao Qingyuan, so there’s no need for me to please the princess. If I truly wanted to marry into the family, I would have slapped Qi in the face when she spoke ill of me, instead of letting the princess misunderstand.”

Du Juan looked at her in shock: "Miss, so you deliberately made the Princess dislike you?"

"It's not that I intentionally wanted her to dislike me, but I'm too lazy to make her like me anymore, because not only will I not marry into the Ning Prince's Mansion, but I also won't give Shen Mingxuan that hope!"

Princess Ning despises her, and she will also despise the Shen family. Shen Mingxuan will have no chance of marrying into the Ning Prince's Mansion.

As they were talking, the carriage suddenly stopped, and Shen Wantang was jolted quite a bit. She frowned and asked the driver, "Uncle He, what happened?"

"Second Miss, someone has stopped our carriage."

Du Juan immediately lifted the curtain, and Shen Wantang looked outside. In front of the carriage stood a person wearing a black cloak. The large hood of the cloak covered most of her face, only revealing a section of her fair, pointed chin.

"Shen Wantang, how have you been?"

As soon as Shen Wantang heard the voice, she knew who it was.

It's Chu Yanluo!

She was indeed reborn once again!

When she died in her previous life, she must have been more unwilling than anyone else; her resentment was probably even stronger than that of the fiercest ghost.

If she were to live again, she would no longer pester Xiao Qingyuan, nor would she wear white; instead, she would wear black.

It's hard to say whether all white or all black is more eye-catching; in any case, her current attire is quite strange and out of place among ordinary people.

Shen Wantang pretended not to know her and casually asked, "Who are you?"

Chu Yanluo's voice was icy: "Who I am is not important. What is important is that I can help you."

"I don't need your help. You should leave now and not block my carriage."

"Are you sure? You can marry into the Ning Prince's mansion without my help?"

“I had no intention of marrying into the Ning Prince’s mansion. The Prince’s mansion is a high-class family, and it is not a place that a woman from a humble family like me can aspire to.”

"What if I told you that you married into the Ning Prince's family in your past life?"

"Are you a liar? There's no such thing as a past life. Stop lying to me and get out of the way. I need to go home."

"Of course I'm not a fraud. I'm a chosen one with great fortune. I can be reborn repeatedly, and I know everything that happened in my past life!"

"Even if you're not a scammer, why are you helping me? I don't believe in free lunches."

"Because I want revenge! In my past life, I was killed by that heartless man Xiao Qingyuan. In this life, I will make him pay a bloody price!"

"Huh? You're going to kill Prince Xiao?"

"Kill Xiao Qingyuan? Heh, that would be too easy on him!"

Chu Yanluo smiled sinisterly, "I'll make him wish he were dead!"

Shen Wantang frowned deeply: "Since you want to get revenge on Prince Xiao, why do you want me to marry him? Wouldn't I suffer along with you? Listen to what you're saying, is it even reasonable?"

"No, you won't suffer any harm. You will only become the mistress of the Ning Prince's Mansion, living a respectable and wealthy life. That's how you lived in your past life. No matter what Xiao Qingyuan becomes, it won't affect your status."

Chu Yanluo's voice was low, yet it sent chills down one's spine: "Shen Wantang, I was so envious of you back then. You were living such a good life! If you want to live a life of wealth and luxury in this life, then listen to my arrangements. I won't harm you. I just want to help you. After all, we were... good friends in our past life."