This is Xu Rong's second New Year here, much more leisurely than last year. She is not preparing for marriage, does not care about the household, and Chang Shuyin's impending childbirth has nothing to do with her. She keeps her distance to put others at ease. So apart from sending New Year's gifts to the Marquis of Ji'an's residence and Mr. Su's family once each, she just stays in the small courtyard.
However, she wasn't completely idle. Among the dowry Madam Xu gave her was a shop, which was quite large and in a good location. But before it came into her hands, it had been operating at a loss for many years. Xu Rong asked to see the account books and after looking at them for about half a year, she knew that at least the manager and the accountant were involved.
The accounts weren't bad; they were too good—perfect in a way that's hard to find in real accounts.
Xu Rong didn't say much at the time, and directly dismissed everyone in the shop from top to bottom. There might be some who were wronged, but she didn't have time to distinguish them. She had only been there for a short time and hadn't yet become familiar with the local customs. She didn't plan to continue running that shop, so she didn't need those people.
After clearing out the staff and goods, she rented out the shop. It was some income, better than losing money.
Now, a year has passed, the shop's lease has expired, and she has a plan to take it back and run it herself.
This idea is related to Xiao Xin; in fact, it was inspired by him.
Since he topped the imperial examination, his social circle has more than doubled. Xu Rong generally doesn't participate, and Xiao Xin himself spends most of his time studying. Apart from the necessary literary gatherings with his classmates, he rarely goes out. However, people who want to see him keep coming one after another. Some he can refuse, and some he can't. For example, when the ladies of various noble families come to visit, they ask him to come out and meet them. As a junior, he can't be presumptuous and refuse. If he goes, he will be asked all sorts of questions.
The questions were all quite serious, mostly asking him how he studied.
If he were a child prodigy who was famous since childhood, that would be fine. He was born with a talent for literature, and there was nothing to envy about him. But Xiao Xin was previously unknown. Some people knew him and thought he was just like those spoiled brats. How did he suddenly become so bright?
If he can do it, then what about his own family's—?
Xu Rong thus discovered a business opportunity: the educational supplementary materials market has been thriving for thousands of years and into the future!
Of course, what she could discover, others had already discovered long ago, and it wouldn't be easy for her to squeeze in and get a share of the pie. But she also had an advantage that others couldn't match, namely the halo brought by Xiao Xin's two top positions.
Those who rise to prominence later are more approachable than those born with literary talent; the latter makes people feel subdued, while the former inspires and motivates.
If he can do it, there's no reason why I can't.
As long as you master the same reading methods as him.
As for Xiao Xin's innate talent, which was actually certified by a great Confucian scholar, let's leave that aside from business.
In short, it's always a good thing to bring new warmth and hope to those candidates who have repeatedly failed the exams.
The idea came to us, but we couldn't start working on it right away.
First, she lacks a reliable manager. If Bai Fu's brother Bai Quan were still alive, he would undoubtedly be the best candidate. However, he has lofty ambitions and has long since wandered off somewhere. Her other maids are lacking in experience and ability. It is not an easy task to run a bookstore from scratch. For example, Hong Liu's brother is illiterate. If Xu Rong wants to promote him, she must first teach him to read and write.
Secondly, she needed to wait for Xiao Xin's results in the provincial examination. Having someone inquire about him was not the same as spending real money. His status as a student was still somewhat lacking; at least passing the county-level examination would make him more presentable—in layman's terms, it would be easier to persuade people to spend money.
"Second Young Master, I'll give you a share of the profits later." During a little free time after dinner, Xu Rong described a bright future to him, "If you're on the list, I'll give you 20%, if you're in the top ten, I'll give you 25%, and if you're number one, I'll give you 30%."
Outside, the snow fell silently, while inside, it was warm and cozy. Bai Fu and Xin Cheng, who were clearing away the dishes, chuckled as they listened to her give Xiao Xin a share of the profits.
Xiao Xin leaned back in his chair, sitting comfortably, and lifted his eyelids: "What if I'm not on the list?"
Xu Rong shrugged: "Then my shop can't open either!"
The maids laughed even more heartily, and Xiao Xin himself curled up the corners of his lips.
The atmosphere was relaxed when Hongliu ran in, rubbing her hands together. She was breathing out hot air and stamping her feet because of the cold, but she was very excited: "Second Young Master, Second Madam, the First Madam has started the process!"
Xu Rong chuckled: "If it's started, it's started. It's snowing outside. You can ask about it after you give birth."
Hongliu chuckled, "It's not just me, everyone's concerned."
Chang Shuyin's pregnancy had shown signs of starting in late January, with her complaining of abdominal pain several times, but then there was no further news. Hong Liu made several wasted trips because of this, but she was not disappointed and insisted on joining in the fun.
Today is the first day of the second lunar month, so this time it must be true.
“Don’t rush,” Xu Rong said. “From the onset of symptoms to birth, it will take at least one or two hours.”
This is considered a very smooth outcome; if things don't go smoothly, it's hard to say. However, she doesn't intend to curse Chang Shuyin; it's just a matter of fate.
"Alright, go and rest. We'll talk about it tomorrow."
According to Xu Rong, there's nothing interesting to see tomorrow, as Chang Shuyin has already spoiled it: it's going to be a boy.
The maids cleared away the remaining mats, and she took a bath as usual. After bathing, she lay on the bed and thought about the shop for a while. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she felt some movement by the door.
She asked groggily, "Who? What is it?"
"Grandma, are you still awake? It's me." Bai Fu held a lamp in her hand and walked over quietly. The dim candlelight illuminated her slightly strange expression. "Grandma, Great-Grandma has given birth."
Xu Rong regained some of his senses and reached out to lift the curtain: "Hmm? What time is it now?"
"Hai has passed."
That would take about two hours.
It seems Chang Shuyin had good luck with childbirth. After Xu Rong finished her calculations, Bai Fu approached. By the candlelight, Xu Rong finally noticed something was wrong with her expression: "What's wrong? Is Madam in danger? Or is the baby not doing well?"
Childbirth has always been considered a perilous ordeal, and even in modern times, women still suffer greatly because of it; anything can happen.
"Neither." Bai Fu gently shook her head, her voice soft but with an inexplicable tension. "Mother and daughter are safe."
Xu Rong: "Oh... um?!"
Her eyes snapped open, and she sat bolt upright, completely enveloped in the blankets: "Mother and daughter?!"
Bai Fu nodded: "Yes, as soon as the baby was brought out, the midwife was stunned and the eldest madam fainted, but she was not in danger. The imperial physician took her pulse through the curtain and said that it was just a momentary shock that affected her heart, not something that happened during childbirth."
Xu Rong was stunned, a little dumbfounded: "Didn't Grandma keep saying it was a male heir?"
She was still there then, so she thought there wasn't much to see tonight.
"The lady was furious and interrogated the imperial physician. The physician protested that he had not dared to say so with certainty. He said that the sex of a child is mostly determined by fate, and no human can be 100% accurate. Even if the imperial physicians were here in person, they would not dare to give the master such a guarantee."
Bai Fu added, "The delivery room is in complete chaos right now. Hong Liu, that little girl, didn't sleep and went to listen in. She heard all this. I was afraid she might disturb Grandma if she was asleep, so I didn't call her in."
Xu Rong gradually came to his senses, pondered the imperial physician's words, and realized he was right.
She didn't know anything about medicine, but she had seen news reports before about pregnant women in small towns who secretly went to unlicensed clinics to find out the sex of their fetuses. The test showed it was a girl, but the pregnant woman's family, who preferred boys, wanted to have a son, so they had an abortion. But when the baby was born, it turned out to be a boy, and the pregnant woman's family caused a huge scene at the unlicensed clinic...
The news mentioned that the clinic was not legitimate, and the equipment was indeed an ultrasound machine, but that slow fetal development or improper positioning during the scan could lead to misdiagnosis, etc. This has been the case for generations to come, let alone the almost mystical pulse diagnosis.
Of course, Xu Rong trusted traditional Chinese medicine. This imperial physician was actually quite good, though he said he wouldn't give any guarantees. Chang Shuyin listened to him but only half of what he said, and as a result, things went wrong. Who could she blame?
"Second Madam?" Bai Fu called to her, "What should we do now?"
Xu Rong shook her head: "Nothing to do, just go to sleep."
She turned back, and Bai Fu asked blankly, "Huh?"
Xu Rong smiled slightly: "Whatever she gives birth to is none of our business. It's not us who should be asking what to do."
Under her meaningful gaze, Bai Fu reacted a step slower: "Grandma means, Zhi Tao?"
Xu Rong nodded.
The peach is quite old now.
She had always been under Madam Xiao's control. Madam Xiao must have had the imperial physician examine her to determine if she was male or female, but the results were never mentioned to outsiders.
It's good if it's a daughter, but if it's a boy...
It's been eight months, and they can't even conceive now. Given the current medical conditions, there's a high probability that both mother and child will die.
Madam Xiao wouldn't be willing to hit her; if she had made that decision, Zhi Tao wouldn't have been able to enter the manor in the first place.
But being born as the eldest son and grandson of a concubine would cause far more problems than having a lower birth order like Xiao Xin or Xiao Yi.
When Xu Rong decided to bring Zhi Tao back, he never expected it would lead to this situation.
**
Xiao Xin learned of this news the next day. He was a little surprised, but at the same time, he remained indifferent, nodded to indicate that he knew, and then buried himself in his books.
One impact of this incident on them was that Madam Xiao was busy with anger, disappointment, cleaning up, and dealing with the Zheng Guogong Mansion, and had no time to deal with unimportant personnel matters in the mansion, so she dismissed them from the Ministry of Security.
After listening to gossip for a few days, Xu Rong learned that the main courtyard had become even more vigilant in its surveillance of Zhi Tao. People outside the main courtyard could no longer contact her, and those inside the courtyard were also silenced and forbidden from speaking out.
Around the tenth day of the month, another influence began to spread.
It wasn't a peach, but a butterfly, and she pleaded with them again, crying.
Since asking for help last time, she has become more cheerful. She works and talks with the maids on Xu Rong's side every day. Although she doesn't talk much, she gets along well with everyone because she is willing to work.
Her second request for help was also for Xiao Yue.
"Waaah... Brother Yue was afraid of losing his position by the prince's side, so he went back before his injuries were fully healed. But he was bedridden for more than a month, and someone else had already taken his place. He is not as popular with the prince as before."
Xu Rong listened patiently and said, "You want me to help him regain his position?"
Cai Die quickly shook her head: "No, this servant wouldn't dare. It's the young master. He's been in a bad mood these past few days. He's been taking Brother Yue out with him, but somehow, the young master got annoyed with him and kicked him. Brother Yue's injury flared up again. He spent a lot of money on medical treatment and medicine last time. After returning home, because his position was taken, he hasn't had much income, only a small monthly salary. His family can't help him much either—"
How can one withstand the bottomless pit of injuries?
Xu Rong understood; it was about borrowing money.
This request was not unreasonable in her opinion. The news about Zhi Tao came from Xiao Yue through various channels. She didn't have her purse with her at home, so she asked Bai Fu to go inside and get it.
Cai Die was extremely grateful and kowtowed repeatedly, wiping away her tears as she said, "When Brother Yue gets better, I will ask him to come and kowtow to Grandma to express his gratitude."
Xu Rong sensed something in his voice: "What, you're not afraid anymore—?"
Cai Die's tears fell again: "The doctor said that because of his stubbornness, it will be difficult for Brother Yue's leg to recover. Moreover, even if it does recover, he has offended the young master, and the young master will not want him anymore, which is why his family is in such a state."
Xu Rong understood. If Xiao Yue's family really wanted to spend money, they could still squeeze some out. However, they felt that their son was useless and it wasn't worth wasting their family's wealth on him, which forced Cai Die to seek help from her.
She seemed thoughtful, then asked her a question: "Can Xiao Yue read?"
Cai Die was puzzled, but quickly said, "Brother Xiao Yue knows some people and can read accounts. It is because of this ability that he can stay by the young master's side."
But Xiao Lun didn't really need someone like him, so once he missed his chance, he could never climb any higher.
Xu Rong nodded slowly. Bai Fu then brought out the money, which Cai Die accepted. Seeing that she didn't ask any more questions, Fang Gongjing hurriedly withdrew.
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