If you dare to betray me, your family will not have a good ending.
"Is it that the Prime Minister lacks confidence in his own ability, or in my character, or both?" Su Qingli sneered, her lips curled. She did not like the constraints under Fu Xuechen's deal, and these words made her feel strongly disgusted.
She was unwilling to be Xie Linyuan's vassal, nor was she willing to be Fu Xuechen's concubine and be manipulated by anyone.
"Miss Su is a sharp-tongued person. Your character will be determined by your next actions. If you dare to betray me and do something that brings shame to the Prime Minister's Mansion, you should know what will happen to your family!"
There was sarcasm and threat in Fu Xuechen's words, and his pair of beautiful eyes were as cold as a deep pool.
He said these words with gritted teeth, then turned around and walked away.
Su Qingli clenched her fists in her sleeves and didn't dare to meet Xie Linyuan for the time being. If Fu Xuechen misunderstood, her three closest relatives would be the ones to suffer in the end.
She can't take care of the household affairs for the time being, but she still has plenty of business matters to do.
She is also short of money at the moment, her family needs subsidies, and she should pay off what she owes Fu Xuechen as soon as possible.
After leaving Fu Xuechen's study, she returned to her room and slept until dawn.
The sky above the distant mountains was filled with morning glow. After Su Qingli finished dressing and washing, she walked out of the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion facing the rising sun and found Xiaoxiang to discuss business among the clouds and water.
"Xiaoxiang, why don't you give me the sachet? I'll take it home and fill it with spices, complete the final process, and then I'll be able to sell it in town in a few days."
Su Qingli stroked the exquisitely crafted embroidery pieces, and her beautiful peach blossom eyes curved into two crescents.
Once these sachets are filled with spices, they can be officially put on sale.
"Miss, this is the part I have embroidered. Please see if there is anything that needs to be modified. I will bring the rest over after all the sachets are embroidered tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
Xiaoxiang brought all the embroidered sachets over and asked Su Qingli to check them one by one. She had been working hard these days to make a basket of sachets, which she covered tightly with a piece of cotton cloth.
Su Qingli was very satisfied with Xiaoxiang's embroidery. The patterns on each sachet were lifelike. "Your embroidery is excellent. There is no need to improve it. It's not easy for you to work hard all day long."
"Young lady has always been considerate of the servants. Now that the Marquis's Mansion has been raided, it is a happy thing that Young lady can find a way to make a living on her own." Xiaoxiang smiled but did not take credit for it. Instead, she was happy for Su Qingli.
Without a noble status, Su Qingli became an ordinary citizen like her, and had to rely on her own hands to survive in the mud. She also knew that Su Qingli was worried about money.
"Xiaoxiang, thanks to your help, without your skillful hands, my ingenuity would not be able to be fully utilized. Your contribution is very great. When the sachets are sold, the profits will be divided equally between us."
Su Qingli never treated her servants badly, even when she was in poverty.
Xiaoxiang waved her hand and declined, "It's enough for me to earn some capital. Miss has to be filial to the mistress and the master. The young master has been pampered since he was a child, I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to adapt to our kind of life."
Su Qingli is a weak woman who has to support three people and hold up a family, which is a heavier burden for her. At least she has a relatively reliable husband who can share her worries.
My parents, both my mother's and my husband's, are hardworking and do not need their support for the time being. I only have a child of a few years old who needs food, clothing and other necessities.
"Xiaoxiang, this is the reward you deserve. Otherwise, I would be embarrassed to ask you for help next time. You must accept it. If the sachet business is prosperous, I will look for your cooperation next time."
Although Su Qingli was in a hurry to use the money, she was still unwilling to treat Xiaoxiang harshly. The dense and familiar stitches required a lot of effort to make each stitch, and it was not an easy task.
"Then I'll listen to you, young lady. If you have any difficulties, don't hide them and try to handle them alone. Perhaps I can help you find a solution."
Xiaoxiang knew that Su Qingli had an aloof personality, especially when she was in such a desperate situation. She would not ask for help from others unless it was absolutely necessary, and she was even more unwilling to ask a maid who could not take care of herself for help.
But Xiaoxiang still wanted to help Su Qingli, any help she could give would be appreciated, even if it was just a small effort.
"Thank you, Xiaoxiang. Your family can only make ends meet, and we're not wealthy. I'm very grateful that you can partner with me to make these sachets. Don't worry, if the sachet business is booming, I'll have a bargaining chip for my livelihood in the future."
Su Qingli was optimistic and squeezed Xiaoxiang's hand gratefully.
She is learning how to be independent. There are some things that Xiaoxiang cannot interfere with, and she has no intention of implicating Xiaoxiang.
"Miss, please wait for me in Yunshuijian. I'll go home and get the spices I bought."
Soon, Xiaoxiang brought a bunch of spices that had been prepared in advance, all of which were purchased according to Su Qingli's instructions.
She was the most famous noble lady in the capital, so how could she not know the uses and types of spices? The nobles mostly used agarwood and camphor, while the daughters of wealthy families and those ladies loved to use floral scents and musk.
It’s just that some spices are expensive, and Xiaoxiang has limited money, so she can’t buy enough.
"These spices should be enough to fill the sachets. If they're not enough, you can buy some fragrant dried flowers. Dried flowers are cheaper than the other three spices. I'll also be picking fresh flowers and making my own dried flowers, which will save you some money."
Su Qingli roughly calculated that their sachets were mainly sold to young ladies and ladies, and the other expensive spices could be used less.
Spring has just arrived this year. When the spring chill fades away, in another month or two, the capital will be filled with flowers in full bloom.
At that time, she could pick some flowers with a fragrance suitable for making sachets, dry them and preserve them for future use.
After bidding farewell to Xiaoxiang under the eaves outside Yunshuijian, Su Qingli brought spices and sachets to the dilapidated house where her family was temporarily staying.
Although the house is dilapidated, it can shelter us from wind and rain.
She looked forward to selling all the sachets in the first batch in a few days, so that her family would not be so tight on money and they would be able to eat meat and eggs instead of just steamed buns, porridge and pickles.
If I make a second and third batch of sachets and sell them, maybe I can buy a house in decent condition.
"Sister, please come in!" Su Zhaoming bit into the chicken leg from Xiankelou and called Su Qingli, who was outside, to come in and have a simple meal together: "This is specially sent by General Xie. Please sit down and have a meal with us."
It was the first time that Mrs. Su saw Su Qingli carrying the farm tools used by servants on her back, and the backpack became particularly conspicuous.
She was curious about what was inside: "Li'er, what good thing are you carrying on your back?"
Looking at the steaming sumptuous lunch on the table, Su Qingli sighed softly.
"Mother, brother, this basket of mine is full of money. Don't accept charity from General Xie anymore. I can support you."
She had no intention of accepting Xie Linyuan's favor, but her family elders were reluctant to do so, and Su Zhaoming was very optimistic about Xie Linyuan as his future brother-in-law.
In the family, she was the only one who was not interested in Xie Linyuan, and she felt that Xie Linyuan was being sentimental.
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