Chapter 45 [VIP]
The couple cleared up the misunderstanding. Mi Yao stopped caring that Zhen Jing had slapped Yu Shaoyang several times in private. Anyway, Yu Shaoyang didn't seem to have any complaints. On the contrary, he liked Zhen Jing's willingness to hit him. He felt that Zhen Jing had changed her behavior because she loved him deeply.
With their business settled, Mi Yao, having nothing else to do, went to take a look at the shops she hadn't visited during the day.
The two shops are in the same market area, not next to each other, but both are in good locations.
It was almost 7 PM, and the market was still bustling with people. Apart from the two empty shops belonging to the Xiao family that were closed, all the other shops had lit lanterns and candles and were still doing business.
“It’s such a waste to leave this shop empty. I asked Wu the accountant and found out that the shop was originally rented out, but the family who rented it out cheated customers by shortchanging them and even used the town magistrate’s name to swindle people. If the town magistrate finds out, he will simply take back the shop and not rent it out again.”
As soon as she arrived at the shop entrance, Shuanghua perked up.
It was funny to see Zhen Jing slap Yu Shaoyang, but that was all. It wasn't like she did it herself, so there was no sense of accomplishment. But helping the master manage the shop and earn money was different.
“I used to think being a steward was good, but I didn’t know exactly what was so good about it. It wasn’t until you trusted me and let me start managing things that I realized what it felt like to have power in my hands.”
Shuanghua sighed and said that she was originally worried that she was not capable enough to do a good job as the manager and disappoint her master. But after taking over, she was initially afraid of making mistakes, but now she is very capable.
After becoming more adept at handling things, she inevitably had some free time. Mi Yao, as the mistress, could enjoy her leisure time, but as soon as she had free time, she couldn't help but find things to do. Yu Xiu thought the same way, so the two of them started to think together about what would be beneficial to their mistress.
They found these two shops in Wu Zhangfang's place.
The shop was a gift from the military governor, and it's impossible to just sell it and be done with it, so it's been sitting here empty.
"The shop wasn't rented out before because there was no one in the household to manage it. I asked the accountant for a long time and found out that renting a shop isn't that complicated. The main thing is to have someone available to check on it regularly. Don't worry, Madam, I'm confident I can do this well."
In her view, managing the shop rentals was just a practice run. The Xiao family was a newly rich family, so they didn't have the same foundation as the Yu family. The public not only had shops for rent and operation, but also several estates in the countryside that were doing well.
But as the young masters of the Xiao family grow up, these things will be acquired sooner or later. In that case, it's better to start practicing now than to rush to learn them later.
Hearing Shuanghua's lofty aspirations, Mi Yao couldn't help but applaud her.
She hadn't thought much of the shop when Shuanghua and Yuxiu mentioned it before, but realizing that just spending money was boring and she needed to have something in hand, she asked Xiao Chuan for a shop.
Who would have thought that she was just using it as an add-on, Shuanghua had already planned from the ground up, how to manage everything from the shop to the estates she might buy in the future.
With such ambition, she would feel she'd be doing herself a disservice if she didn't buy a estate.
She's lying down now, but she can understand that some people become more energetic and find meaning in their existence the more they work.
Not only Shuanghua, but she also noticed that Yu Xiu recently seemed to be more focused on training the servants than on following her and worrying about whether Yu Xiu was treating Xiao Shan and the others better.
Seeing their reaction, she had a better idea for the two shops.
“No matter how good the location of this shop is, it won’t make much money if it’s rented out. Since the money isn’t much, I can’t give you, the supervisor, much more of a monthly salary increase. But since this shop is self-operated, you can manage more things. And since the shop makes more money, I can give you a reward based on how much it makes.”
Upon hearing her master's words, Shuanghua's first reaction was to express her loyalty and say that she wasn't doing it for the extra monthly pay. But after thinking it over, she began to feel tempted.
Compared to the shop that the government office runs, this shop earns more money, and she can learn more from it.
As for rewards, who can refuse the reward for doing the right thing?
"But Madam, what kind of business should we do if we run the shop ourselves?"
"This is what you and Xiu'er should be thinking about. You can take a look at what businesses are around the shop, what makes money and what doesn't, whether the customers are men or women, whether they buy and sell goods or produce and sell their own products, and how they price their goods. Once you figure these things out, you can choose several types of businesses and then come and talk to me."
"I understand, Madam. Please rest assured, Madam. I will discuss this carefully with my concubine and will not let you down."
Mi Yao nodded, thinking that with their enthusiasm, they were bound to make money. Even if they were unlucky and stumbled, the shop, which was originally not making any money, wouldn't lose much.
After agreeing with Shuanghua, Miyao strolled around the bustling city, bought a few interesting foods for a late-night snack, and brought back some bamboo grasshoppers as gifts for Xiaoshan and the others before finally returning home.
Upon arriving at the mansion, they heard that Yu Shaoyang and Zhen Jing had closed the doors as soon as they returned. The servants could hear the two laughing from time to time, indicating that they had made up completely.
They could just ask questions, but she could.
After washing up and changing into her sleeping clothes, Mi knew that something was still wrong with him.
Between ignoring it and facing it bravely, Mi Yao hesitated for a while and decided to learn from Zhen Jing. If the fault wasn't hers, but rather Xiao Chuan had misunderstood something, she might slap him a few times for fun late at night.
"The matter between my brother and sister-in-law did not arouse any suspicion in you, so why don't you just ask me directly instead of giving me the cold shoulder?"
Mi Yao cupped her face in her hands,
"Did you learn from Xiao Shan, or did she learn from you?"
Seeing her expression, Xiao Chuan recalled seeing Xiao Shan in the same pose these past two days, cupping her face in her hands, her clean and clear eyes looking aggrieved, as if she had tears in them, but upon closer inspection, her eyes were too big and too bright, with light shining in them, making them appear shimmering.
Mi Yao blinked: "No matter who copied whom, as long as it softens Xiao Lang's heart and makes him calm down, that's fine."
As Xiao Chuan approached, Mi Yao, who was sitting on the couch, stretched forward and hugged Xiao Chuan's arm.
But because the distance was still a bit far, and her body was dangling in the air for too long, if Xiao Chuan stepped back, she would definitely fall off the bed.
To steady herself, she clung tightly to Xiao Chuan, looking up at him. "Xiao Lang, if you don't pull me into your arms soon, I'm going to fall."
"What does it have to do with me if you fall?"
Despite saying that, Xiao Chuan did not step back, but instead stepped forward, grabbed her waist with both hands, and put her back on the couch.
"Why use musk to avoid pregnancy? Is it because you feel your innocence cannot be preserved, so you would rather die young than give birth to an offspring with my bloodline?"
Xiao Chuan's tone was indifferent. Compared to his previous coldness, his emotions seemed to have softened considerably, but his words failed to ease the atmosphere.
Mi Yao paused for a moment, finally understanding the reason for his gloomy demeanor that had been brewing all day.
She didn't speak immediately. Xiao Chuan looked down at her innocent and feigned ignorance, then continued with a smirk, "Your brother and sister-in-law misunderstood each other's noble character, so neither of them spoke up about their thoughts. Yu Shi, what kind of story are you going to make up to make us think the same way as them?"
“Before I even said anything, my husband already thought I was making it up, so what else can I say?”
Hearing Mi Yao say this, Xiao Chuan did not get angry, and turned his gaze away to wash up.
As soon as Xiao Chuan left, Mi Yao frowned. She had thought about Doctor Jiang taking her pulse because of Xiao Chuan's change in mood, but she didn't expect that she was right.
She did indeed use a large amount of musk on herself. This musk wasn't something she used after marrying Xiao Chua, but rather something she started adding to her daily incense while she was at the Yu family, after learning that the original owner of this body was engaged to Xiao Chua, in order to avoid future trouble.
She didn't want to have children not because of Xiao Chuan, but because she was on vacation. Why would she want to have a child?
Not to mention that childbirth in ancient times was prone to accidents, besides, once a child is born, you can't just ignore her, but if you do, you'll have a weakness.
She gets along well with Xiao Shan and the others when she's in a good mood; she has feelings for them but can control the depth of those feelings. But with her own child, she's unsure if she can remain rational, or if she'll give the child everything she never had before.
She had thought it through, but she hadn't expected that Doctor Jiang would figure out the use of musk.
Every month, a doctor from the Yu family would check her pulse to ensure her well-being, and the doctor's assessment was always positive, saying that her pulse had become much more stable after she started eating normally.
She made a special inquiry and found that because musk requires a very large amount to affect pregnant women, the claim that it hinders fertility is not widespread. There are many ladies who love the smell of musk and use it as incense.
So she didn't think her actions would be discovered, but who would have thought they would be discovered, and Xiao Chuan was convinced that she did it on purpose.
Lying on the couch, Mi Yao felt somewhat irritable.
She would rather die than admit it, claiming she didn't know, hoping to get away with it for now.
But when she stopped using the incense and recalled the white sweat that Xiao Chua had produced, the amount made her feel like she could give birth to eight babies at once.
Her attitude towards Xiao Chuan determined whether or not she would have a child, rather than simply getting by for the time being.
When Xiao Chuan lifted the bed curtains and got into bed, Mi Yao had already closed her eyes. Upon seeing this, Xiao Chuan knew that she had chosen to remain mute.
He wouldn't speak, so she reasoned with him, gave him examples, and made him understand that couples should talk things out and not keep things to themselves. Now that he had spoken, she was pretending to be dead.
Standing by the bed, Xiao Chuan's gaze lingered on Mi Yao's small, delicate face.
Compared to her reaction, he was actually more confused about his own thoughts.
Having just learned from Doctor Jiang that the scent on her that had captivated him was musk, which would prevent her from conceiving his child, he felt embarrassed and angry, and wanted to tear her apart.
But upon seeing her and hearing her deliberately friendly expression and words, that anger strangely subsided.
I don't think this is a big deal for her.
If he were to hit or kill her because of this, she would only look at him with a strange gaze and ask him why he was so angry over such a trivial matter.
Indeed, why was he so furious? His initial requirement for her was simply that she be obedient and act as a decorative object that wouldn't cause him any trouble.
At first, she kept him hanging on, letting him look but not allowing him to enter, which caused some twists and turns in their relationship. Now, it's just that she can't have children, but it's her body that's suffering, so why is he angry?
He originally disliked children.
Her approach actually saved him trouble.
Lifting the covers and lying down, Xiao Chuan slept for a moment before coldly saying, "Tomorrow, you will move back to your room."
"……Um."
Mi Yao, who had kept her eyes closed for a while, responded with a sound without moving her mouth.
Feeling that issuing orders wasn't enough to vent his anger, Xiao Chuan added, "I find the smell on you disgusting."
Mi Yao: ...
What's so smelly? Didn't he just ask her if she was wearing aphrodisiac? Is he some kind of vulture that feeds on carrion, equating the scent that attracts him with a foul smell?
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