How will you be compensated?
This kiss made Jiang Jiaojiao fall for the man in front of her.
Thinking about the promising future of the Su family, Jiang Jiaojiao wanted to live a good life with Su Peng.
"If you give me a virgin bride, I'll consummate our marriage tonight." Su Peng went straight to the point, directly expressing his intentions.
Jiang Jiaojiao swayed slightly, staggered back two steps, and fell to the edge of the bed.
She looked up at Su Peng, a tear sliding down her cheek. "You've taken a liking to that girl Caiyan? Is that it?"
Having said all that, Su Peng admitted frankly, "That's right, your aunt personally promised my mother that your dowry maid would become my concubine, and I would not take any more concubines."
Jiang Jiaojiao sneered inwardly. The Su family was dirt poor; they would have to be capable to take a concubine.
Seeing that Jiang Jiaojiao remained silent, Su Peng coaxed her gently, "Caiyan is someone by your side, she's on your side, at least she won't compete with you for favor, so she's more reliable than others, isn't she?"
Jiang Jiaojiao had thought that her husband would eventually take a concubine, but she didn't expect it to happen so soon.
She had expected that her husband would mind since her body was no longer clean.
As long as he treats me well, it wouldn't be a bad thing to encourage him to ask Jiang Shuyue for money to spend, or to make Caiyan his concubine.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, but you have to promise me that you'll hand over any money you have to me to manage."
Su Peng refused without even thinking, "That won't do. My mother is the head of the household, and the management of the household should be left to her."
“Give the large sums of money to Mother, and give me the little treasury you have.” Jiang Jiaojiao refused to budge.
No matter how good a man is, he's not as important as money; she has to keep the money in her hands.
Su Peng frowned and hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Alright, after I get the money from my cousin, I'll give you my monthly allowance to manage, but you can't let Mother know."
Jiang Jiaojiao pulled a handkerchief from under her arm and wiped away her tears, saying in a muffled voice, "I'm not stupid, of course I won't tell."
"Jiao'er, you rest. I'll have Caiyan bring your lunch to your room in a bit, and then I'll go tell your parents the good news."
In the east courtyard, Qin Shi and Su Zhengxing, the eldest son of the Su family, stared wide-eyed after hearing Su Peng's words.
"Son, are you telling the truth? That girl Yue'er really struck it rich?"
Seeing his father so excited that his beard was trembling, Su Peng nodded heavily. "If Father doesn't believe me, then surely he believes Uncle. She's his own daughter. Would he lie?"
“Old man, we’ve finally overcome our hardships. Go change into a new set of clothes and go see Yue’er. After all these years apart, Yue’er must be longing for you, her uncle.”
As she spoke, Qin walked toward the wardrobe.
She was short of money, but fortunately her family's business dealt in fabric, and they would occasionally give her some fabric that wasn't dyed evenly enough, so the family never lacked clothes.
"Mom, don't worry, this family reunion isn't as simple as you think. My cousin has already seen me, but she doesn't recognize me."
"I don't recognize you! She has amnesia?" The Qin couple exclaimed in unison.
"I don't know, but she's like a completely different person. Her temperament and eyes are all wrong. She said I mistook her for someone else."
Qin Shi panicked and turned around to grab Grandpa Su, "Old man, what if Yue'er doesn't recognize us?"
Grandpa Su was even more anxious. He saw mountains of gold and silver right in front of him but couldn't get his hands on them. He felt like a cat was scratching at his heart.
He thought for a moment and said, "I won't go today. I'll go and find out more about her tomorrow before I go see her."
Grandpa Su paced back and forth in the house several times, his mind filled with the scene of Jiang Shu showing him filial piety, and he was so excited that he could not calm down for a long time.
"No, I'll go out and ask around right now. Peng'er's mother, go and get me a string of cash. I'm going to Juxian Pavilion Restaurant to find out something."
"A string of cash! Are you trying to eat a whole cow?" Qin's voice cracked as she shouted.
"There are no cheap dishes or drinks at Juxian Pavilion. If I don't go to a restaurant, where am I supposed to find out information?" Old Master Su spread his hands, looking helpless.
Su Peng chimed in, "Mother, Father is right. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. As long as Cousin acknowledges us, we won't have to pay for meals at Juxian Pavilion anymore."
Qin glared at her husband, then turned and opened the wardrobe. She picked at a corner of the wardrobe for a while before she heard the sound of copper coins clashing together.
“Here you go, that’s one hundred coins. If you gamble again after you get your salary next month, you can forget about buying charcoal for heating this winter.” Madam Qin said, slapping the copper coins into her husband’s hand.
Su Zhengxing looked at the copper coins in his hand and his lips twitched. "Madam, I'm afraid this is really not enough. If she really wasn't Yue'er, this little bit of silver would only be enough for her to drink a bowl of soup there."
Su Peng didn't know his father was exaggerating. He said, "Dad, it's not just a bowl of soup, there are at least two dishes. But you have to check the menu prices first. I heard there are dishes that cost 200 coins each, so don't order the wrong thing."
"Did you hear what your son said? Look carefully, no, you'd better not order any food. Go to the restaurant and ask the waiter where she lives."
Upon hearing that a dish cost two hundred coins, Qin's heart leaped into her throat.
If that person really wasn't Jiang Shuyue, she was afraid her husband's eyes were clouded by sleep and he'd mistaken her for someone else, leaving her to pay to retrieve the person.
I wonder what kind of dishes they serve at Juxian Pavilion. They're so ridiculously expensive. Do they think eating them will make you an immortal?
Feeling anxious when you don't have much money, the old man of the Su family looked at Su Peng and said, "Your wife has some silver, go and get some."
Thinking that it wouldn't be honorable to use his daughter-in-law's dowry money, Su Zhengxing added, "Consider it a loan. I'll pay her back as soon as I have the money."
"Father, wait here, I'll be right back."
Thinking about the future when he could live a life of extravagance, Su Peng walked with a brisk pace.
"What! Your dad wants to borrow money from me?" Jiang Jiaojiao thought she had misheard.
“Father does all this for our own good. Jiao’er, you don’t know, but in the past, my father never failed to get money from Aunt. As long as my cousin saw Father, she would never let him suffer any loss.”
Jiang Jiaojiao was extremely displeased, "But it's still not acceptable for a father-in-law to ask his daughter-in-law for money."
Su Peng took Jiang Jiaojiao's hand and squeezed it, saying earnestly, "Jiaojiao, you need to think long-term. Isn't all the money your father gets meant for us to spend? Besides, your father has made it clear that it's a loan from our family to you."
"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub," Jiang Jiaojiao gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, I'll lend you one or two taels of silver. I've been staying at the inn for so many days, and I've almost spent all the money my aunt gave me."
Jiang Jiaojiao stayed in the cheapest room near the stairwell in the inn.
During those days, although she stayed at Juxian Pavilion, she ate at roadside stalls on the street.
Sometimes the master and servant would each eat two steamed buns, and other times they would just buy two bowls of porridge to make do with a meal.
"One tael is fine, my dear wife. I'll return two taels to you once I get the silver."
Su Peng's eyes lit up with excitement. He thought to himself that marrying this slut wasn't so bad. With money, he could always take a few more virgins as concubines later.
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