58 Little Rich Woman
◎No one told her that getting married would instantly make her rich!◎
The fragrant mugwort leaves and warm hot water dispelled the fatigue of the past few days.
After wringing her hair half dry in the sun, Chu Yufu huddled into the bed, drew the curtains tightly, and fell into a deep, deep sleep almost the moment she closed her eyes.
When she opened her eyes again, the light was dim. She stared blankly at the lotus pattern on the ceiling, her mind blank. She could barely remember where she was, and even her identity was a bit hazy for a moment.
He turned over lazily, stretched his limbs, and then slowly crawled to the bed, lifted the curtain, stretched his legs and hooked his shoes to get some water to drink.
Hearing the noise inside, Lan Zhu knocked twice on the door, then walked in. She pulled the bed curtains aside and hung them on the copper hooks on either side. She smiled and said, "My dear girl, you're finally awake! Those curious ghosts in the yard have been circling the box for eight hundred times, their eyes almost popping out of their heads!"
Chu Yufu gulped down half a glass of cold water, and her chaotic mind finally cleared up. She asked blankly, "What box?"
Lan Zhu didn't hesitate to explain. She took her arm and walked out. "While you were asleep, someone from the Pei family came and delivered a camphorwood box. They said it was a reward from the eldest prince, and specifically for you, young lady!"
"Eh?" Chu Yufu paused, even more confused. "The eldest prince? What's my relationship with the eldest prince?"
Yun Sui, who was sitting in the corridor, heard the voice and turned around and said, "Miss, our master asked the same question. The servants of the Pei family said that the medicine your young lady gave to Master Pei before leaving saved the eldest prince's life, so they specially thanked you!"
Chu Yufu’s eyes widened. There was actually such a thing!
A camphorwood box half a person's height was placed under the corridor, and several maids in the yard crowded around it waiting for her to open the box.
She walked forward, lifted the lid of the box with both hands, and opened it with force -
"Wow!"
"Oh my god, it's a fire fox fur!"
The maids gathered around in an instant, supported their knees with their hands, half-crouched in front of the wooden box and let out low cries of surprise.
The camphorwood box was filled to the brim.
On the top layer was a fire fox skin, bright red with a hint of yellow on each hair tip. In the sunlight, it looked like tempered gold, dazzling and extremely luxurious.
Chu Yufu reached out to touch it, the fur sliding across her fingertips like flowing water, and she couldn't help but praise, "It's so beautiful."
She carefully lifted the layer of red, revealing a large piece of silver-gray arabesque fur with a pearly sheen. The fur was short and dense, warm to the touch, yet extremely light.
At the bottom were a few pieces of snow mink skin. The mink skin was pure white and flawless like new snow, without a trace of other colors, and it was fluffy and fine.
"This is truly a royal handicraft...it's priceless." Yun Sui murmured as she stared at the box of furs shining brightly.
Lan Zhu fondled the fire fox fur and said happily, "Miss, these ermine furs are just enough to make a cloak, and the guinea scalp fur a short coat!" She smacked her lips regretfully, "It's just that there aren't enough fox furs. At most, I can make two ruffs."
Chu Yufu's eyes curved like a crescent moon as she smiled, "Silly girl, fire fox pelts are hard to come by, and a complete and undamaged fire fox pelt like this is even harder to come by. It's a great blessing to have one, and you still think it's too little."
The sharp-eyed Yinsuo suddenly exclaimed, pointed at the gap in the leather, and said, "Girl, there's a box underneath!"
Chu Yufu looked in the direction she pointed, and sure enough, there was an exquisite wooden box pressed on the edge of the sable fur. She reached out and took it out, gently opened the buckle, and the moment the lid was opened, she subconsciously held her breath.
I saw a silver hairpin and a jade pendant lying on the dark red brocade background. The setting sun from outside the corridor shone in and fell on them, making them shine brightly and dazzlingly in an instant.
On the right side of the silver hairpin, a hibiscus flower, delicately carved from a pastel-colored tourmaline, rested atop it. Its petals, as thin as a cicada's wing in the sunlight, were delicate and translucent, the texture of each petal clearly visible. Next to it, a jade pendant, nearly half the size of a thumb, was carved into the shape of a gourd, lush and emerald, its shimmering green hue shimmering with water.
“What a beautiful little gourd!”
"This hibiscus flower is so well carved, it looks like the real thing!"
Chu Yufu couldn't help but lift her fingertips and gently caress the pink lotus. The joy in her heart melted like candy. What young girl doesn't love beautiful clothes and jewelry? The eldest prince's gift truly touched her heart! Especially these two exquisite little things!
I never thought that my gift of medicine would bring me such great blessings! Thinking about the Lantern Festival night rescue, I feel that Pei Yue really has some lucky star temperament!
She smiled, closed the wooden box, and held it in her arms, and instructed, "When you're free tomorrow, take these leathers to the Weaving Gold Pavilion and ask their best craftsman to take your measurements and make a few winter cloaks."
Speaking of Zhijin Pavilion, she recalled Chu Jinhe's proud look when she wore that woolen cloak in winter, and a trace of regret came to her mind: "Alas, it's a pity that it's too hot to wear it now. When it gets colder, I won't be in the mansion anymore."
While others were still pondering, Lan Zhu immediately understood.
When the eldest girl put on the cloak with a wool and rabbit fur collar, she deliberately boasted to her daughter that it was made by Zhijin Pavilion and that there were only three pieces in total. She also said that when the girl got married, she would ask the mistress to buy her one of similar style.
Now that the girl has obtained something even more precious, she cannot immediately wear it in front of the person opposite her to show off. Isn't that a pity!
She rolled her eyes and smiled slyly: "The girl is just getting married, not staying home. Besides, there is no impenetrable wall in our house~"
Chu Yufu was delighted, revealing her six bright white teeth. She blinked and smiled brightly, "That's really... great!"
The heavy camphorwood box was carried into Zhuyu Courtyard, drawing countless stares and naturally inquiring eyes. Lanzhu Yunsui and the others made no secret of the contents, openly discussing the "red fox fur" and "pearl-like sable fur" inside the box, which they said would be delivered to Zhijin Pavilion the next morning to be made into winter clothing.
He also specifically emphasized: It was specifically given to our second daughter.
These words seemed to have wings and spread to Hefeng Courtyard that night. Chu Jinhe was so angry that she took out her woolen cloak from Lingzhou like a madman, threw it on the ground and stomped on it again and again.
She felt her face burning, as if she'd been slapped countless times in public. The Pei family had sent a gift, specifically for the second girl. Didn't she understand the meaning? They must have heard some rumors and were telling the world they weren't interested in her, only in that illegitimate second sister!
These people! These people are really blind!
A mixture of grievance, shame, anger and unwillingness, all kinds of emotions surged up in her, she suddenly threw herself on the table, burst into tears, and an indescribable resentment quietly rose from the depths of her heart.
If… if mother hadn't caused that incident, hadn't forced her to fight for that rubbish General's Wife, how could things have come to this? How could she have suffered such a great humiliation, and how could mother have lost her position as housekeeper?
Ever since her mother lost power and was neglected by her father, she felt that even the way the servants looked at her had changed!
-
In just three days, Wu's accounts were naturally not sorted out, and there were countless mistakes and omissions.
Even though Mr. Chu had known for a long time that the deficit was substantial, he gasped in shock when the accounts were presented to him, speechless. The family had already been struggling financially, the hole so large that they had to sell the South Street shop to fill it.
Wu's business was not going well, and there were huge omissions in the accounts of Zhuangzi. In addition, she herself spent lavishly on gold and silver jewelry and silks and satins, leaving the household funds almost empty.
Master Chu was so angry that he was shaking all over and was about to write a divorce letter. Wu hugged his arms and cried uncontrollably, and the two children pleaded with him. Finally, he stormed out, leaving only the words "reflect on your mistakes in the courtyard and not leave at will."
Faced with this mess, Mr. Chu had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to the old lady and ask his mother for help to sort it out.
Fortunately, Mrs. Wei's initial anger had only been a source of anger, and she would recover after a period of rest. With a sullen face, she went through the accounts one by one, thinking that her granddaughter's wedding was approaching and that it was time for her to learn how to manage the household, so she simply called her granddaughter to her side to teach her.
Ci Shou Hall, in the pavilion in the courtyard.
A cool breeze blew, blowing the gauze curtains and flipping the pages of the album.
Grandmother Wei picked up a silk shop account book, slowly flipped through it, and said slowly, "The key to business is to know the right people and assign them to the right positions. As a leader, don't do everything yourself. It's unbecoming of a lady from an official family."
Chu Yufu knelt obediently on the cotton pad and listened carefully.
"Managing the shop may seem like a business, but it's actually training you to manage household affairs, judge people and things, and weigh the pros and cons." Grandmother Wei glanced in the direction of Yunxi Hall. "If you can't even manage the inner chambers, how can you expect to manage business outside?"
"In business, the key is 'stability.' Don't fall for those get-rich-quick schemes, and avoid those opportunistic, high-risk businesses. The foundation of your shops lies in 'stability.' Don't seek skyrocketing profits, but rather a steady, long-term flow that can withstand the storms."
"I've said before, as a lady from an official family, you don't need to go out and show your face in public. Choosing a good manager is the key. Think about what I just said. Grandmother gave you three candidates. Think about it. If I asked you to choose the manager of the silk shop, which one would you choose?"
Chu Yufu said respectfully, "Grandma, please speak."
Grandmother Wei smiled and said, "First, Zhang San. He's a son born into the family. He's loyal and polite, honest and dutiful, but not very sociable. Second, Li Si. He used to be the shopkeeper of a famous silk and satin shop in Beijing, but he resigned due to a disagreement with his boss. He later opened his own cloth shop, but it failed due to financial difficulties. Third, Wang Wu. He was originally the son of a scholar, but his family fell into poverty and he came to Beijing to live with relatives. He's well-educated, knowledgeable about household affairs, polite, and knows how to act, but he lacks experience as a shopkeeper."
"Fuer, who will you choose?"
Thinking about the word "stable" that her grandmother had emphasized just now, after pondering for a moment, she raised her clear eyes and said firmly: "Granddaughter chooses Wang Wu."
Grandma Wei chuckled and leaned on the low table, her eyes showing interest. "Oh? Can you tell me the reason?"
"The silk shop's customers are not ordinary people. Wang Wu, with his refined manners and his ability to tread carefully, maintains the shop's respectability. This is a matter of honor for both my granddaughter and the family. My grandmother taught me that stability is paramount. Zhang San is too dull, and Li Si, while talented, is prone to taking risks. Only Wang Wu is steady and methodical, truly embodying the word 'stable'."
"Although Wang Wu lacks experience as a shopkeeper, he can ask an experienced second-in-command or a senior employee to help him and train him carefully. He will surely be able to take charge of things on his own in the future."
Upon hearing this, Grandmother Wei clapped her hands and laughed heartily, her eyes gleaming with approval. "Excellent! Fu'er saw through the meaning of 'respectability' and 'security' as vital, and I'm relieved. Remember, selecting a person isn't just a matter of choosing and then leaving it at that. It's like planting a tree; you have to constantly tend to it, prune it, and diligently check the accounts to ensure its success."
After saying that, she raised her hand and picked up a thick, gold-stamped album from the table and handed it over: "The Pei family's betrothal gift list was delivered today, take a look."
Chu Yufu took it and looked down to see two big words on the title page of the booklet: Dowry.
She moved her wrist slightly and slowly pulled open the album. With a rustling sound, it unfolded to a length of one meter. On it were densely written words in small calligraphy with hairpin flowers:
One thousand taels of silver ingots, sixty pieces of colored satin (twenty pieces of gauze, twenty pieces of ling, and twenty pieces of silk), a silk shop on Xiantai Street, twenty acres of paddy fields in the suburbs of Beijing, a pair of gold-plated veils, a pair of gold bracelets... a pair of wild geese, four sheep, twenty pounds of Longtuan Shengxue tea cakes, twelve boxes of candied fruit with carved patterns, and a marriage certificate written on gold-dusted mandarin duck paper.
The more she read, the more frightened she became. Her eyes widened, her mouth slightly opened, and finally she slammed the page shut and looked at her grandmother: "Grandma...this is too much! How can my dowry be enough to double his betrothal gift?"
Didn't Pei Yue say his parents were both deceased? How could he be so rich? Even if he had some inheritance from his parents, he wouldn't give it all to her, right?
Grandma Wei patted her knees, signaling her to be at ease.
"Don't worry. Apart from the things your father and I agreed on, the medicine shop left by your aunt and the jewelry will naturally belong to you. Although your stepmother's teahouse is closed, the promised rosewood top cabinet and rosewood screen will not be missing."
The old lady's eyes flashed, and she calculated clearly: "The Marquis' Mansion and the Duke's Mansion have given you quite a few things these days, all of which are considered as dowry. There is also that box of fine furs. Grandmother has calculated everything for you. Although it is not as much as a ton, the difference is not much."
Chu Yufu counted on her fingers and it seemed to be true.
The head ornaments, porcelain, and silk given by the Marquis's wife and the old lady, not to mention the Duke's Mansion, even the two pieces of soft smoke silk are worth a lot of money. When you count them up, it seems, probably, that it is almost enough!
She suddenly felt like a poor woman who had suddenly become rich!
It seemed like…whether it was this incredibly generous betrothal gift or her own hefty dowry, wouldn't it all be hers in the end?!
Oh my god, no one told her that getting married would instantly make her rich. What a bargain! She was actually going to transform herself into a wealthy woman with land, shops, gold, silver and jewelry!
Thinking of this, she hugged the betrothal gift list tightly, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up.
Looking at her granddaughter's eyes that suddenly brightened, Grandma Wei's eyes flashed with an imperceptible deep meaning, and she suppressed the doubts that had not been expressed in her voice back in her heart.
What exactly does it mean that the Pei family gave such a generous gift that far exceeded the Chu family's expectations?
Is it because he values Fu'er's connections with the Marquis' Mansion and the Duke's Mansion... or is it simply because he values Fu'er as a person?
【Author’s words】
Sorry guys, I'm an hour late.
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