Zhenniang, The Three of Us (Part 8)

Jian Yu'an has transmigrated into a TV series he watched before, but what exactly is going on with this transmigration?

Stepping out of the Song family's gate, I was instantly transported to a new location, without any warning, just like flipping through a PowerPoint presentation.

Jian Yu'an was about to have a heart attack from all this. In front of him was an old woman dressed in bright colors, chanting and dancing.

Seeing this, Jian Yu'an had only one thought: Is this world normal?

Granny Wang was about to perform the ritual to summon the spirits, and she was also keeping a close eye on Zhao Zhenniang's reaction. When she saw Zhao Zhenniang open her eyes and her expression was completely different, she immediately knew that the Second Sister, whom Third Aunt had mentioned, had arrived!

He immediately put down what he was holding and said with a fawning expression, "Is this Second Sister Hu? Third Aunt asked us to invite you here!"

Jian Yu'an: ...

Who is Third Aunt?

Most people would have felt tricked and angry in this situation, but Jian Yu'an had anticipated the time travel and was very cautious, so he did not show any inappropriate expression.

Analyzing the person's demeanor and words, he raised his chin and asked, "What did she call me here for?"

Seeing her like this, Aunt Wang realized, "That's right."

My third aunt said that my second sister has a bad temper and isn't easy to please, but this attitude suits her.

When faced with her second sister's bad temper, Granny Wang would definitely serve her with utmost respect, her tone full of flattery: "Third Aunt said that you have extraordinary abilities, and ordinary people benefit endlessly from your guidance."

"Though we are just ordinary folks and of little use, we sincerely wish to offer our worship to you."

"If I could receive your guidance, I would surely be dressed in fine clothes and made of gold and jade to serve as your celestial body!"

Jian Yu'an fell silent.

As Granny Wang spoke with her head down, she realized that this was still Zhao Zhenniang's home, but for some reason, she had suddenly become "Second Sister" in other people's eyes, as if she were some kind of deity.

In this semi-feudal era, being discovered as an outcast was not good news.

Fortunately, he was still in the realm of immortals, so Jian Yu'an forced himself to remain calm and said, "Who am I to need your offerings?"

Seeing this, Granny Wang immediately adopted an even lower posture, speaking very softly.

My third aunt had said before that my second sister had a fiery temper and would definitely be angry if her meditation was interrupted and she was called here.

They had to be careful in their offerings, hoping she would change her mind.

Otherwise, if things get out of hand, it will be hard to handle. Third Aunt said that Second Sister should start cultivating first, as her spiritual level is higher than hers.

Aunt Wang's humble attitude put Jian Yu'an at ease a little, so he raised his hand and asked her to bring the mirror.

When Granny Wang saw this, she was immediately delighted.

Third Aunt said that Second Sister looks beautiful in her clothes and has a beauty treatment.

She would ignore an ugly woman even if she offered her a fortune, but if she summoned a beautiful woman, the second sister would often be reluctant to part with her beauty and would stay to enjoy her charms.

The person who went to the city to bathe and change clothes a few days ago was not her, but her second sister.

Since Second Sister is willing to dress up, it means she's satisfied with her appearance. If you clean her up, she might grant you some extra favor.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhenniang suddenly realized what was going on.

No wonder she suddenly lost consciousness a few days ago; she went to the city to take a bath and change her clothes.

She thought it was her third aunt who thought she was dirty, but it turned out it wasn't her third aunt, but her second sister who had come.

The second sister's original surname is Hu, so it's quite obvious which kind of deity she belongs to.

It makes perfect sense that Hu Jiaxian is fond of beautiful women!

Zhao Zhenniang specially went to the foreign firm and spent five cents to buy a small glass mirror, which made people look exceptionally clear, and placed it in front of her second sister.

After changing clothes and taking a shower, and tidying up my face and hair, I waited for my second sister to check me.

Jian Yu'an: ...

The mirror still reflected Zhao Zhenniang's face, but the situation before her seemed very wrong.

Suddenly faced with an unfamiliar environment, Jian Yu'an was on high alert, constantly trying to gauge the state of the strange sorceress opposite him.

After handing her the mirror, the sorceress clearly revealed a smile that suggested she was certain of success.

In other words, her request for the mirror was within the fortune teller's expectations, and she felt that this action meant her goal could be achieved.

What caused this situation? Jian Yu'an felt there was a key information gap involved.

But before she knew about this information gap, Jian Yu'an couldn't do anything that didn't fit other people's perceptions, since she knew nothing about the role she was playing, and she didn't even know who she was.

If you are yourself, then whatever you do is yourself.

If you're playing someone else, you can't go overboard in the slightest.

Jian Yu'an put down the mirror, raised his chin, maintained his persona, and said with an air of humility, "Tell me what it is first, and I will consider it."

Upon hearing her agree, Granny Wang was overjoyed. Her third aunt was absolutely right!

Take Jian Yu'an to the oil mill and introduce their business to your second sister.

To build rapport, Granny Wang explained in detail that this was a good deed of helping those in distress, and that if she did it, it would definitely benefit her spiritual practice.

As Jian Yu'an listened to this familiar modern oil mill management model, the more he looked at it, the more familiar it seemed, until one moment he suddenly realized what it meant.

Wait a minute, is there going to be another time traveler?

In an instant, everything that had been blocked became clear, and Jian Yu'an immediately grabbed Granny Wang's arm and asked, "Where is Third Aunt!"

Aunt Wang was taken aback by her sudden outburst and stammered, "Third Aunt said you've come, so she's making room for you. She'll be on duty after noon from now on."

Jian Yu'an: ...

What does it mean to make room for her? Does it mean... they share one body?

In an instant, Jian Yu'an thought of the inexplicable blackout he had experienced before.

She suddenly appeared here from the Song family's doorstep; before she arrived, there was an additional storyline about observing mourning.

I was completely confused before, but now I understand everything. It turns out there's another transmigrator inside this body!

For a moment, Jian Yu'an felt utterly absurd.

She understood time travel, and she understood multiple time travels, but how could multiple time travels be connected to one? If there were limited spots, why didn't you just choose not to travel?

Jian Yu'an had a million curses churning inside him, but he still thought, "Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it. If I can't find a way back, I can only make the best of it here. Even if I'm wearing multiple layers of clothing, I can only try to make the best of it..."

Forced to accept the status quo, Jian Yu'an began to grit her teeth and analyze the information left to her by another time traveler.

The fact that she postponed her marriage immediately after transmigrating shows that she knew the original plot and that Zhao Zhenniang would have a bad ending after marrying into the Song family. Therefore, she delayed her entry into the Song family and returned to start her own business.

She then mentioned a specific time: noon.

Jian Yu'an didn't understand the twelve two-hour periods of ancient times, but he didn't need to understand the noon time to grasp it.

"Beheading at noon" refers to the time when the yang energy is strongest, which is midday.

Another time traveler reminded her that their personalities would switch at noon. Jian Yu'an recalled that the last time she lost consciousness was indeed at noon.

Jian Yu'an was speechless for a moment. She had thought that she could change the original owner's fate by relying on her own efforts after transmigrating, but she didn't even have complete control over the original owner's body!

No matter how harsh the environment, she can turn things around with her advanced knowledge, but what if her body is fighting?

...

Having figured out the whole situation, Jian Yu'an was speechless and more at ease with Granny Wang, as she already knew the whole story.

Clearly, the other time traveler hadn't expected to travel through time with someone else either, until the day she unexpectedly went to the Song family, which led the other time traveler to discover her existence.

She was clever enough to come up with a set of ghost and spirit stories to justify herself, but how could she actually reveal her special existence to the natives!

What kind of era is this? Lawlessness and a complete lack of human rights.

Pretending to be a ghost or spirit may bring temporary pleasure, but if things don't go your way, you'll be used as a sacrifice and drowned in a pig cage.

They only had advanced knowledge, not superhuman strength. They were beaten to death with sticks. What good is it to say they are gods?

Jian Yu'an had a million complaints in her mind, but it was clear that her partner, who shared this body with her, didn't think that much about it.

He went to the Song family to postpone the engagement as soon as he transmigrated, and when he came back, he led the villagers to get rich, without considering any consequences.

It's as if she still lives in a civilized and law-abiding modern world where villagers can reason with her. Is it possible that in this chaotic era, violence is the only constant?

Why do women in this era have to get married? Because without a strong man in the family, women often cannot protect themselves.

Why do women in this era strive so hard to have a son? Because without a son to inherit the family business, a woman's property will be taken away by her relatives.

Putting everything else aside, if it weren't for the Song family's connections, they would have been devoured by the villagers by now, leaving not even bones behind. How could they possibly start a business properly?

Modern people like strong female protagonists who believe in relying on themselves and not men, but back then, women couldn't live by being strong female protagonists.

Jian Yu'an was terrified by the actions of the other time traveler, but fortunately, the other time traveler only postponed the engagement and did not withdraw completely.

With this connection to the Song family, the villagers would be hesitant to act rashly.

Shaking off his jumbled thoughts, Jian Yu'an began to clean up the mess left behind by the other transmigrator.

Although she strongly disapproved of the other transmigrator's reckless actions, things had already come to this point, so she had no choice but to continue. If she failed, the villagers would make a scene in front of the Song family, and the Song family might help her smooth things over for the sake of face, which would definitely worsen their impression of her.

First impressions are very important; if the first impression is bad, it's hard to turn things around.

Looking at the three hundred or so pounds of oil, Jian Yu'an instantly had an idea.

...

After the old dynasty collapsed, the revolution failed and the country descended into regional warlordism.

The warlords held great power in the region and were veritable local emperors. The Song family compound was the residence of the retired emperor, and the steward of the Song family was the chief eunuch in charge of the retired emperor's inner palace.

Ordinary families only dared to use sesame oil to save lives, but when Master Song had festivals, ancestral worship, or Buddhist conferences, he would donate hundreds of kilograms of sesame oil, not to mention daily expenses.

The Song Family Ancestral Hall has ninety-nine lamps burning eternally, which consumes eight catties of oil a day, all for nothing.

The 300-odd jin of oil that Zhao Family Village worked together to grind is nothing; it's easily digestible.

Imperial merchants have always been favored; with such connections, what else would they do but sit around doing nothing?

Jian Yu'an found the chief eunuch of the imperial palace who was close to the retired emperor and briefly explained his actions during the mourning period, including giving back to his neighbors and praying for the Song family.

She also said that although she was not yet married into the family, she wanted to fulfill her filial duty to the Song family ancestors, and that it would be great if she could provide lamp oil for the Song family ancestral hall.

Of course, the housekeeper also gets his share of the benefits; for every pound of oil collected, the housekeeper receives a five-cent kickback.

As the steward who wields great power in the Song family, Zhao Zhenniang naturally takes kickbacks on every purchase. However, in addition to kickbacks, Zhao Zhenniang also has the identity of the future third young mistress, so having someone in the inner quarters is not a bad thing for her.

He kindly promised Jian Yu'an that he would definitely pass on her message.

When Master Song heard the steward's message, he hesitated for a moment and then agreed.

We shouldn't let the good stuff go to outsiders; we need to support our ancestors. Since the third son's wife has this kind intention, we should naturally prioritize her.

I never expected that she, the daughter of a miller, would be so shrewd and calculating.

Master Song hadn't placed much hope in this regard, but now he was secretly delighted.

Upon arriving at the ancestral hall, we pay our respects and express our gratitude to our ancestors for their blessings.

A harmonious family ensures the continuation of the family line and the prosperity of the family business!

...

The steward, following the master's orders, personally handed the money to Zhao Zhenniang: "Now, sesame oil is sold in bulk for three cents, but who are you, Third Young Mistress? I'll give you three and a half cents, round it up to one hundred and thirty silver dollars."

The person who was discussing the matter was Jian Yu'an, but by noon, Jian Yu'an had already left work, and Zhao Zhenniang opened her eyes.

The moment she opened her eyes, it was time to count the money. Seeing so much money, Zhao Zhenniang was so shocked that she couldn't speak. She thanked the steward repeatedly!

housekeeper:……

Something feels off.

The housekeeper was a little confused by the Third Young Mistress's behavior, which was completely different – ​​sometimes shrewd, sometimes simple-minded.

Fortunately, Aunt Wang was with her the whole time. When the second sister left, her useless goddaughter stepped in and immediately took over the baton.

He counted out thirty dollars from the stack of money and handed them to the housekeeper.

"You're absolutely right, rounding up is good! Rounding up is good! Let's all round up! Round up!"

Zhao Zhenniang was originally extremely grateful to the steward, thinking that he was a really good person, but she only realized what was going on after seeing this.

Oh, so that's what it meant...