"Ling-jie, if this is too hard, take a break. There's a long way to go, so we should let the work run for a while."
"Mother, I'm not tired, you go and cook."
Yunling stood up and started rummaging through the wool. Last night, Lu Yinghuai had delivered three full sacks of wool. Even after making the eleven bras the madam wanted, there was still a lot of wool left over, so she could proceed according to her original plan.
She wanted to use the wool to make as many different styles of bras as possible, and then have a group of people wear them in a fashion show to make Zhaoyeqing a household name.
Yunling was full of hope for the future, but when she grabbed a handful of wool, she met her mother's smiling eyes, and for some reason, she felt a little scared.
She always felt that the old lady Yun was about to utter a goldfish-like phrase, "Little sister, uncle will play with you."
"Grandma, what are you laughing at? It's creepy."
"Pah, you little brat, how dare you make fun of your grandma."
Old Lady Yun gave Yun Ling a sharp rebuke, but that was all she said. She quickly returned to her smiling face.
She couldn't believe it; the young master Lu had taken a liking to this silly boy. She had previously thought he was interested in Xia Jie'er.
She was busy all night, standing at the window of her room, constantly looking out. The more she looked, the more satisfied she became with Lu Yinghuai. He was so refined, gentle, and unpretentious. The way he looked at this silly boy was so tender it could melt your heart.
As soon as Chunniang mentioned that Lingjie loved the perilla drink, she chatted away and took the pot away. What else could it be but a fondness for it?
Actually, thinking about it now, she was a little careless. Didn't that young master Lu come to mention Sister Ling before? But she thought the two of them didn't know each other and that nothing would happen between them.
Furthermore, when we went to the two towns to watch the dragon boat races, weren't we also in a hurry to catch up with them and ask if they wanted to see the lanterns for the Lantern Festival? Oh dear, all these things, it's as if "I want to marry Ling'er" is engraved on his forehead.
"Not bad, you little rascal, you've got the style of your grandma back in the day."
Yunling was taken aback by her mother-in-law's words. How could she have the same demeanor as her grandmother back then? Did she mean that she was hardworking and resilient?
But before she could think any further, Old Lady Yun continued her rambling.
"Back in the day, I was the most beautiful girl in the village. Countless young men chased after me, saying they were in love with me. Most of them came from wealthy and harmonious families, and there were even one or two from the city."
"If I had chosen someone to marry back then, my life would probably be much better than it is now. I wouldn't have to deliver babies for others, and I might even have had servants to wait on me. Why would I have to live this kind of life, toiling in the fields like I do now?"
Yunling always enjoyed listening to the older generation recount their stories. She felt that listening to others talk about the past was like experiencing those times herself, a wonderful experience. So she chimed in:
"Grandma, do you regret it?"
"Whether you regret it or not, there's no way to say. Heaven doesn't give you that medicine. It's just that how much a person eats and drinks in their life is predetermined by heaven. Fate has arranged your path this way, and you can't force it. Don't talk about defying heaven and changing fate; that's just something from stories. People are born between heaven and earth, so how can you defy heaven and change your fate?"
Yunling opened her mouth, about to think of something to refute this viewpoint, when Old Lady Yun continued:
“When I first met your grandfather, I wasn’t very happy. Of the three families in this household, I’m most afraid of dealing with the relationship between the sisters-in-law. I have a short temper and a bad personality, so I’m bound to be like a firecracker in the future, ready to explode at any moment.”
"Moreover, your grandfather is the youngest son, and he will always be suppressed by the eldest and second wives. He won't be able to fight properly, for fear that she will say that the eldest sister-in-law is the mother."
"To hell with calling my eldest sister-in-law my mother and my second sister-in-law my second mother! I only have two mothers: one who gave birth to me and the other who gave birth to my husband. Everyone else, get out of my way!"
“But my mother said that our birth dates are compatible and our birth times are auspicious. It’s a destiny preordained in our past lives, and we can’t escape it, so I’ve accepted my fate. Besides, if I didn’t marry your father-in-law, where would your father and you be?”
Yunling dropped the subject; she didn't want to continue the conversation, as it would be too self-centered and make her seem cold-hearted and indifferent to family ties.
If we go along with her, we'll just give her another chance to act tough. If she ever feels unhappy later, she'll put moral shackles on herself, and her usual phrases will sound just like a scumbag's.
"If it weren't for you, I would have done this or that long ago."
Yunling had heard this kind of rhetoric far too many times when she was in the basement.
However, Yunling quickly realized that what her grandmother told her had to do with her making wool felt and being hardworking.
What did she do to give her grandmother this misconception?
It took Yunling five days to pound the three bags of wool. In addition to wool felt, she also suffered from hand cramps that hurt when she lifted them.
Seeing Yunling like this, Bingniang felt sorry for her. This person didn't need to work so hard, but she still worked so hard. She would definitely achieve great things in the future.
"Ling-jie, you must rest, otherwise it will be a loss if you ruin your health."
"Auntie, I understand. I'll rest for a couple of days, and after I've delivered all these to the guests, I'll get on with the rest."
Bingniang also sped up her work, hoping to finish sewing the bra as quickly as possible so that she could hand it over to Yunling to discuss business.
"Auntie, I don't know the price of the bra yet, but I'll settle the wages with you later."
"What's the rush? Our two families are so close, I'll do it for you even if you don't pay me."
"That won't do. Even brothers have to keep clear accounts. How could I take advantage of your aunt? Our two families should stay on good terms and stay on good terms forever."
Bingniang was amused by Yunling's words and quickly nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes, Sister Ling is right."
**
Bingniang acted quickly, and within two days she handed over eleven sets of bras and panties, along with the previous order from Fengyuelou, to Yunling.
Yunling handed over the bill to Zhang, then took the corresponding number of cotton pads, packed them up together, put them on the carriage, and hurried towards Fengyue Tower.
When the madam saw Yunling with all those bags and packages, her eyes practically lit up with a smile. Chun Niao had only worn that thing twice, yet it had already captivated those playboys, who were practically ready to empty their pockets just to have a one-night stand with her.
If one of them can be this powerful, what would happen if all the courtesans in her brothel wore it?
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