Chapter 176
Shen Chu wore exquisite makeup. The moment her veil was lifted, she looked up at her husband.
As I had inquired before, Wen Leqian was a handsome young man.
Wen Leqian turned around and looked at the table not far away.
“My mother said that when a woman gets married, preparations should begin in the middle of the night. I imagine you haven’t eaten much. This is a meal she specially prepared for you in the kitchen. Eat first.”
The feeling of being hungry is unpleasant. Upon hearing this, Chen Chu immediately stood up, walked to the dining table, and slowly sat down.
"Eat."
Several delicious dishes were laid out on the tray; it's never comfortable to be hungry, and there were also pastries on top.
Shen Chu picked up her chopsticks, appearing poised and unpretentious. She ate slowly and methodically, without any haste.
Wen Leqian watched her eat, feeling bored, so he picked up a piece of cake and put it in his mouth.
He was alright. Although he had drunk quite a bit, he had eaten a full breakfast and wasn't hungry.
Chen Chu glanced at the groom in his red wedding attire, then took the opportunity to look around. The house was much larger than she had expected, and it was clean and tidy.
My mother-in-law seems to be easy to get along with.
Wen Leqian looked at his wife, recalling what his married classmates had told him, and felt a sense of anticipation.
In the main room of the backyard, Wen Shi was lying on the bed, his face flushed from drinking. Ying Xiang had to send the servants away and then, with some effort, she managed to get Wen Shi to cooperate.
He reeked of alcohol, so Yingxiang removed the small table from the Luohan bed and helped him over.
"You sleep here first."
After saying that, she reached out and took off Wen Shi's outer robe, then took a thin blanket and covered him with it.
She took off her coat, lay down on the soft bed, and quickly fell asleep.
Wen Shi habitually gets up at four in the morning. When he got up, he felt a splitting headache and it took him a long time to recover.
After regaining consciousness, he looked around the room and saw nothing he didn't understand. He went to the wardrobe, changed into a new set of clothes, and dressed neatly before heading to the dining room for a meal.
With a large family, perhaps we can separate the kitchens in the future, with the kitchens located in each room, which would reduce the workload.
Old Man Wen and Mrs. Liu are getting old and don't sleep well.
"Third son, when is your wife going to serve tea?"
"It's still early."
It was all arranged that after breakfast, we would go to Shou Kang Tang. The Wen family was all there, and Yingxiang got up not long after.
Inside the courtyard, Wen Leqian lay on the couch, looking relaxed and carefree. Chen Chu was dressing and tidying herself up beside him, with two maids helping her with her makeup.
She said she got up very early, for fear of being late.
"Keep your makeup light and your hairstyle simple. Wear that ruby hairpin."
Although it should be simple, it shouldn't be too plain either, as her scalp was quite uncomfortable yesterday.
After the couple finished getting ready, they went to pay their respects to their elders.
The elders in the family had taken their seats one after another. Looking at Chen Chu, who was wearing a red long gown, the Wen family members had different thoughts.
Yingxiang was quite satisfied with this daughter-in-law.
Because there is a next generation in the family, Shen Chu had already prepared red envelopes.
After exchanging greetings and offering tea to everyone, Wen Leqian introduced her to the family. She then greeted the elders of the Wen family, but none of them made things difficult for her, and they didn't say much.
Xiuyu looked at Chen Chu and felt a pang of sadness. This daughter-in-law was good-looking and very polite. Thinking of her own son, the difference was huge.
"Sit down. From now on, we'll be family. The most important thing for a family is harmony. With a small family, everyone can just do their job."
"yes."
Upon hearing this, Shen Chu curtsied.
She still respected her father-in-law very much, and looking at her mother-in-law beside her, she didn't think she was shrewd, capable, or troublesome.
"That's all for today. You two should rest now."
Upon hearing that it was time to go on duty and there was no court assembly today, everyone else stood up.
"I'll arrange for someone to take my brother and the others back."
Old Man Wen nodded.
After seeing Wen Chuanzong and the others off, Shen Chu returned to her own courtyard and began arranging her dowry, while Wen Leqian went to the study in the front courtyard.
Xinxin was curious and wanted to go to his sister-in-law's yard to take a look, but Yingxiang had previously told him not to go. Yingxiang grabbed him and stopped him.
"Spring Rain, have someone hitch up the carriage and take the young master to school."
The little guy's face immediately fell.
It's still early, we can make it.
The family now has several horses and an extra sedan chair, so getting around is no problem.
Upon returning to his courtyard, Shen Chu immediately ordered people to register and catalog the items, then began inspecting them and storing them in the warehouse.
"It seems the young master treats the young lady well."
Thinking of Wen Leqian, Shen Chu nodded naturally.
I met the elders of the Wen family today, and they were different from what I had imagined. My in-laws seem to be very nice, and I don't think I'll have a hard time in the future.
"From now on, don't call him son-in-law, it's not appropriate. Just call him Young Master and Young Mistress."
"yes."
Wen Leqian also has a younger brother, but he is still young. Today, Master Chen Chu met Wen Yixin. He is still a child, but he is very well-behaved and even smiled at her.
After packing up her dowry, she wasn't too surprised. Everything was done in a very conventional way. The shop and farm could generate money, and she would go and check them out when she had time, so she could manage them well.
Being able to live off one's own dowry without relying on the husband's family is the best outcome, giving one a strong sense of self-worth.
She carefully put the two land deeds into her money box, and then took another walk around the courtyard.
It's alright. The Wen family didn't have much money, but now they have their own business. This house can't compare to some wealthy families, but it's respectable compared to ordinary people. It has everything one would expect.
On the third day after their marriage, the couple returned to their parents' home by carriage, bringing some gifts with them.
Her wedding banquet was neither extravagant nor shabby.
Master Shen looked at his eldest son-in-law with satisfaction. His wife smiled faintly, but she was still very polite to her guests.
The two had a meal and then went home.
The visit to his bride's parents' home was considered over. The next day, Wen Leqian returned to the academy. He now goes home every night and doesn't stay at the academy anymore.
To be precise, he still has more than two years before he has to go back to take the exam, which is his top priority right now.
"The daughter-in-law greets her mother-in-law."
Shen Chu is very well-behaved and has come every morning and evening these past few days. Ying Xiang doesn't dislike her, but she can't let her daughter-in-law think she's not diligent.
"You can come visit on the first and fifteenth of each month from now on. Your father said that your grandparents are getting old and need to be well taken care of. You don't need to go over unless necessary. Just focus on your own things on weekdays."
After getting married, Shen Chu styled her hair in a traditional Chinese updo and dressed modestly. Her personality was not like that either; she preferred to be low-key and simple.
It's clear that her in-laws don't dislike her.
Watching her daughter-in-law leave, Yingxiang breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't care much about rules or putting on airs. Sleep was also important to her; getting up early every day was a bit exhausting. Recently, she also had to start working on some other things.
That kind of thing doesn't apply to her either.
Later, Liu was still a little unhappy. She loved being waited on, but Yingxiang sent Wenshi over, which calmed her down considerably.
However, the old lady has been unusually quiet lately and doesn't go out much. Even though the weather is already warm, Yingxiang felt something was wrong, but the maidservant didn't say anything.
Then I thought, it's better to avoid trouble, after all, she's not my biological mother.
In mid-April, the teahouse manager came to see Yingxiang.
"Manager, the landlord said that starting next month, they will not rent out this shop anymore, and they will not charge us rent. They want to take back the shop and start their own business."
Yingxiang was stunned for a long time after hearing what the person said.
It was originally an annual rent, but business was good, so we kept renewing it, but it became a monthly rent.
The weather is getting warmer now. This teahouse was her first business when she first came to Beijing, and it's impossible for her to buy it directly. She doesn't have that much money right now.
"I understand. Send everyone away, return their indentures, and close the shop."
Yingxiang lowered her eyes and then spoke.
For now, the shop has to be closed; all she needs to do is settle the accounts.
"yes."
I had planned to expand the farm, plant mulberry trees and raise silkworms, and then produce some silk thread to sell, which would also make money. But the incident at the teahouse was completely unexpected.
Finding a suitable place nearby would be difficult, especially since they don't live there anymore.
The teahouse no longer has its core competitiveness. Even the spicy hot pot that used to be unique to the shop has been imitated by many businesses. The wisdom of the ancients is boundless. Some people can really guess the ingredients after just one bite.
She thought to herself, "Why not just shut it down?" and wondered if she could start another business.
Right now, Wen Shi's salary is enough to support the whole family, and there will be a surplus at the end of the year. The economic pressure is not so great, and the family also has a house. But Yingxiang doesn't want to be idle.
Early that morning, she was about to take a car out for a walk when Chunyu came to her with a note.
"Madam, the young mistress's aunt has sent an invitation. Her family is having a wedding in ten days and they would like you and the young mistress to attend the banquet."
Lord Shen naturally has brothers and sisters, who are all relatives. Although Shen Chu is married, she doesn't keep in touch with her maternal family, which will cause gossip.
Yingxiang looked at the invitation and couldn't very well refuse, since it was her daughter-in-law's family.
"Have someone tell the young mistress to prepare some gifts."
"yes."
This doesn't prevent her from going out today.
After taking a walk around, Yingxiang decided to put her previous plan into action: planting mulberry trees and raising silkworms. She felt this was a good idea and definitely couldn't give up. The fruit trees on her original farm had grown so well that she couldn't possibly cut them down. She planned to buy a few more acres of land specifically for this.
The family still has enough money to buy the land.
The tavern is relatively stable for now, but it doesn't own a shop. In the end, it's fine if someone rents to it, but if they don't, it will have to find a new place.
Shops in good locations are no cheaper than houses, costing tens of thousands of taels of silver each. Shops in very remote locations might take eight to ten years to recoup the investment. Thinking about this, she was also worried.
But worrying won't help; we can only take it one step at a time.
While you can live a decent life by relying on luck, there's a limit to how much you can make. If you want to make money, you still need to do business.
Looking at the children running around happily in the streets, Yingxiang had another plan in her mind. Why didn't she just build a children's amusement park in the city?
In the capital city, there are mostly houses and shops, so children can only play at home, and their play options are very limited.
Incidentally, you can also sell some pastries and fried meats, which are popular with children, and the profit is quite considerable.
Nowadays, there are carpenters and hemp ropes available. Yingxiang recalls that in modern children's playgrounds, wood can be used to make many toys, such as simple ones like skateboards and swings.
At night, she was still thinking about it, tossing and turning. Wen Shi lay on his side and, sensing his wife's actions, couldn't help but frown.
"Not sleepy yet."
"I'm going to sleep right away."
"I'm the one who supports the family."
Hearing this, he held his wife in his arms.
They had been married for many years, and he understood his wife well. She was different from many women in the world, and she valued different things.
Some mothers hope their children will get into high school, bringing honor to the family and making them proud. Yingxiang, however, doesn't value that as much. She values her child's health more.
Now that his daughter-in-law has entered the family, Wen Shi doesn't care about these things, but he can tell that his daughter-in-law isn't the type to cause trouble or like to put on airs.
This is completely opposite to his mother, who focuses more on herself.
Although Wen Shi couldn't quite understand, she respected it. Besides, her daughter-in-law was a good person and didn't need her mother-in-law to train her.
Yingxiang thought it over very carefully. The shop was too small and not suitable. If it really was going to be a children's playground, it would be best to rent an empty, larger courtyard in a residential area facing the street.
At that time, children can play, and women who usually take care of children will also have a place to sit, drink tea and eat snacks.
Yingxiang pondered how to promote it, until late into the night.
It's not something that can be decided in a short time.
On the day of the banquet, she dressed herself up and got into the carriage with her daughter-in-law.
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