When Gu Jiu returned to the palace, he was faced with a crowd of shocked, admiring, envious, jealous, and scrutinizing gazes.
Xiao Qin'er felt a little depressed.
She looked at Gu Jiu with resentment, "When my sister-in-law asked me if I wanted to invest money, she didn't explain it clearly. If I had known that it was about renovating Yuhua Lane, I would have been able to come up with three thousand or five thousand taels, not to mention one thousand taels."
Gu Jiu chuckled softly, "Fourth sister-in-law is such a joker. From the beginning to the end, you refused to believe me. Even if I told her about Yuhua Alley, would you have paid for it? Second sister-in-law trusted me, and I didn't even ask her for permission. When she found out I was raising funds, she took the initiative to send someone to give me the money. That's the difference."
Ouyang Fu pursed her lips and smiled. "I know what my sister-in-law is capable of. When I heard that she was looking to raise funds for her business, I couldn't fall behind. Of course, I had to give her my full support. It's a pity that I don't have much money on hand, so I can't help her much."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Second brother and sister-in-law, you are so polite. No matter if it's one or one thousand taels, it's all about your trust in me."
Xiao Qin'er was getting more and more upset. "My eldest and second sisters-in-law teamed up to ridicule me. Is that fun? I was wrong before, so I can't blame anyone. Next time my eldest sister-in-law has a chance to make money, she must call me."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "There aren't many opportunities to make money, and I'm worried about it now. After I finish working on Yuhua Alley, I'll have some free time. Let's talk about it next year."
Renovating a house also requires strategy.
The capital city is not short of houses, it is just short of valuable houses.
Only by being reluctant to sell can you sell it at a high price.
If everyone rushes to build houses, the consequences may be serious.
Moreover, this time, Yuhuaxiang was too eye-catching. Anyone with eyes could see that Yuhuaxiang was making money.
If she continued to work on a second high-end real estate project, there would undoubtedly be people from top to bottom looking for trouble. Perhaps even the emperor would get involved.
At any time, what is worrying is not the lack of wealth but the inequality of distribution.
Unless her second real estate project is affordable housing, mainly targeting ordinary income groups with limited profits, then others will not be envious.
Jealousy makes people look hideous, and this is not just in the literal sense.
Why did the Li family open a jewelry shop opposite Zhenbaozhai? It was obvious that they were trying to compete with Zhenbaozhai.
It’s because of jealousy, jealousy of Zhenbaozhai making a fortune every day.
Today, various unidentified people mixed in with the merchants to gather information, partly to find out the truth and partly out of jealousy.
Jealousy distorts a person's face.
Yuhua Lane alone has attracted countless jealous glances for her.
For the time being, she will keep a low profile and focus on developing business in the northwest and south.
The businesses in these two places are not too conspicuous, so you can have fun there.
After listening to the three daughters-in-law's conversation, Mrs. Pei asked Gu Jiu, "Eldest daughter-in-law, people are saying that you earned hundreds of thousands of taels today alone. Is that true?"
Gu Jiu shuddered and automatically entered complaining mode, "My dear mother, those people are spreading rumors. They only saw that my daughter-in-law received hundreds of thousands of yuan, but they didn't see that she owed the Shaofu hundreds of thousands of yuan.
Building houses, roads, docks, and managing relationships, money is spent like water.
My daughter-in-law is broke now, and can't even take out a hundred taels. It's really tough."
The corner of Pei's mouth twitched. "This princess won't ask you for money, and you don't need to cry poor in front of me. No matter how difficult the palace is, it's not so poor that I have to ask my daughter-in-law to use her own money to support the family."
"What mother said is that we must not bring disgrace to the palace."
Pei added, "If you have another opportunity to make money like this in the future, don't forget the palace. You know that the palace's income is always insufficient to cover its expenses."
Gu Jiu bowed slightly, "My daughter-in-law dare not forget the palace."
Pei nodded and changed the subject, "Since you have a way to make money, today this princess will hand over two farms and a grain and oil shop to you to manage.
This matter has already been discussed with the prince. It should have been arranged last month, but it was delayed until today due to the month-end and the need to settle accounts at the shops and farms.
After you take on this assignment, I hope you can put in more effort to develop the palace's business, so that you can at least cover some of the expenses."
After these words were spoken, Gu Jiu didn't react in any way, but Ouyang Fu and Xiao Qin'er were already jealous beyond recognition.
Xiao Qin'er was indignant and asked secretly, "My mother asked my eldest sister-in-law to manage the public property, so shouldn't I, the daughter-in-law, also share some of the burden?"
Pei glanced at Xiao Qin'er with contempt, "The reason why this princess arranged for the eldest daughter-in-law to help manage the public property is because she used Yuhua Lane to prove that she has a way to make money.
Fourth daughter-in-law, if you have the ability of the eldest daughter-in-law, I will give you a few shops to manage. If not, don’t be dissatisfied. "
Xiao Qin'er felt wronged and refused to accept it.
She quietly defended herself, "But wouldn't it be unfair to let only my eldest sister-in-law help manage the public property?"
Pei sneered, "Who dares to accuse me of being unfair? Gu Jiu is the eldest daughter-in-law. Is there a problem with her coming forward to help manage the public property?"
Xiao Qin'er's heart trembled and tears were about to fall.
Pei was in a bad mood today and shouted, "Put away your cat urine. You can't even take care of the housework, and you want to manage the property outside. With your current condition, can I trust you to hand over the property to you?"
Xiao Qin'er wanted to cry but didn't dare to, so she had to act aggrieved and remained silent.
Pei snorted and looked at Ouyang Fu, "Second wife, are you dissatisfied with this princess's arrangement?"
Ouyang Fu waved her hands repeatedly, "My eldest sister-in-law is very capable, so it's only natural to ask her to help manage the public assets. I have no objection."
"That's great. Take good care of your baby. This one is hard-earned, so be careful. Don't be like last time, where you accidentally..."
The rest of the words were not auspicious, so Pei didn't say anything.
Ouyang Fu was pregnant three years ago, but she miscarried a few months into her pregnancy and lost the child. Since then, she has been unable to conceive and has been constantly trying to regulate her health.
It was not until the beginning of this year that I followed Gu Jiu's advice, quit my job and lived in the villa with the second young master for a few months, and finally I got the good news.
When it comes to being nervous about the baby in her belly, no one is more nervous than her.
Even without Pei's reminder, she would take good care of the baby.
Pei reminded Gu Jiu again, "My eldest daughter-in-law, I have high hopes for you. I hope you will not disappoint the prince and me."
Gu Jiu looked terrified, "Mother, you are so kind to me. I'm afraid I can't bear this responsibility."
Pei waved her hand. "No need to be so modest. As long as you work hard, even if the farm and shop don't make much progress, this princess won't blame you."
"With mother's words, your daughter-in-law is relieved."
"You will go to the meeting hall later and the family leader will tell you the specific arrangements."
"As ordered by my daughter-in-law."
Everyone stood up and said goodbye, leaving Chunhe Hall together.
Xiao Qin'er looked at Gu Jiu with resentment, "Sister-in-law is so successful today. First she was in Yuhua Lane, and now she is in charge of the mansion's property. She is really the envy of others. I am far from being able to compare with her."
"Your words are so sour, Fourth Sister-in-law." Gu Jiu looked at her with a half-smile. "If possible, I will let Fourth Sister-in-law take care of both the farms and the shop. I am not willing to take over. It is a thankless task."
"Sister-in-law's words clearly show that she is taking advantage of you and is really not worthy of you. It makes people unhappy." Xiao Qin'er snorted.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "I'm sorry. I can't please Fourth Sister-in-law. Please forgive me."
Xiao Qin'er's blood boiled and she simply waved her sleeves and left.
Ouyang Fu said afterwards, "Sister-in-law, there's no need to argue with Fourth Brother's wife. She's just like that, always arguing with others."
Gu Jiu said, "Second sister-in-law is really generous. It's important for her to take care of the baby, so she shouldn't stand for a long time."
"Thank you for the reminder, sister-in-law."
…
Xiao Qin'er returned to her room angrily, feeling extremely unhappy.
The child was crying, and she roared, "Are you all dead? Can't you hear your eldest brother crying? What's the point of raising you? You can't even take care of a child."
"Madam, please calm down. My boy is hungry and the wet nurse is taking him to feed him." The maid hurriedly advised.
Xiao Qin'er took a deep breath, the child's crying subsided, and her mood gradually calmed down.
She asked, "Where is the young master?"
"Madam, the young master is on errands and has not returned home yet."
Xiao Qin'er laughed sarcastically, "It's already this late, why is he still doing his job? I think he's out fooling around again. Send two people out to look for him, and make sure he doesn't fall into the river while drinking."
"As you command!"
Liu Yi did not return home until night when the lights were almost turned off.
He reeked of alcohol and yet he still messed with the children.
Xiao Qin'er was particularly disgusted, "Be careful not to fumigate the child. At least wash it first."
Liu Yi was unhappy, "You still care about me holding my own son."
"I gave birth to your son. Why should I not care about him?" Xiao Qin'er looked at him coldly, without a trace of weakness.
Liu Yi frowned, obviously angry.
He coaxed the child, then handed the child to the nanny and went to wash up.
After washing up, he didn't go into the house, but went to sleep in the small study.
Xiao Qin'er waited and waited, but no one showed up for a long time, so she simply got up and went to the study to catch the person herself.
"Liu Yi, what do you mean? Not only did you come back so late, but you didn't even come into my room?"
Liu Yi turned over, his back facing Xiao Qin'er, "I'm afraid of disturbing you. Also, I don't want to argue with you. It's getting late, go to bed early."
Xiao Qin'er was so angry that she rushed to Liu Yi and twisted his body to make him talk to her face to face.
Liu Yi was annoyed and pushed her away. "If you have something to say, just say it. Don't touch me."
Xiao Qin'er was stunned for a moment and wanted to explode on the spot.
She gritted her teeth and finally swallowed her anger.
"You know what happened in Yuhua Lane, right? My sister-in-law earned hundreds of thousands of taels a day. I had the chance to invest in it, but I missed it."
Liu Yi laughed sarcastically, "You didn't seize the opportunity at the beginning. There's no point complaining now."
"It's my sister-in-law's fault for not explaining it clearly. If I knew it was such a profitable business, would I not invest money?"
"Even if my sister-in-law had praised this business to the skies and told you how profitable it was, you wouldn't have invested money."
Xiao Qin'er was embarrassed, "Am I that short-sighted?"
Liu Yi snorted, "You are not short-sighted, you look down on your sister-in-law."
Xiao Qin'er was deeply touched by this and was filled with indignation. "You said I looked down on my sister-in-law, but what about you? You told me before that Yuhuaxiang would never make money. And today you got slapped in the face just like that."
Liu Yi's face turned grim. "Yes, yes, I have no taste. Are you done?"
"It's not over yet. Today, Mother asked my eldest sister-in-law to help manage the public property, but she didn't mention me or my second sister-in-law. I just said it was unfair, and Mother scolded me without giving me any face.
I gave birth to the eldest grandson of the royal family, but my mother treated me like this. I felt so bad all day. I wanted to talk to you, but you never came back.
Xiao Qin'er felt very aggrieved, and tears started to fall as she spoke.
Seeing her crying, Liu Yi sighed inwardly and hugged her, "I told you a long time ago not to contradict your mother, why don't you listen?"
Xiao Qin'er defended herself, "I didn't contradict Mother. I simply asked why my second sister-in-law and I didn't get the same assignment, and Mother just looked down on me. She showed no mercy in front of my eldest and second sisters-in-law."
Cousin, what did we do wrong? Father didn't give you the mission to go to the south of the Yangtze River this year, but instead gave it to the Second Young Master. Also, since last month, Mother hasn't been looking at me in the eye.
I thought about it over and over again. I didn't do anything wrong last month, and the accounts are correct. After thinking about it, I can only think that Mother is taking her anger out on me. It must be because you did something wrong that Mother is taking her anger out on me.
"Don't talk nonsense. I didn't do anything wrong." Liu Yi quickly retorted, "I've been very honest this year. I go home every day and never do anything wrong. How could I have done anything wrong?"
Xiao Qin'er snorted twice and disagreed.
She did not mention the fact that Liu Yi had a concubine, for fear that Liu Yi would turn against her.
She asked, "Then why do you think Mother dislikes me? I gave birth to the eldest grandson of the palace, and I am a hero to the palace. It's impossible that Mother dislikes me just because Second Sister-in-law is pregnant. Second Young Master is a concubine's son."
Liu Yi thought about it. "Maybe it's because of my sister-in-law."
"What do you mean?"
Liu Yi laughed at himself, "It's because my sister-in-law is so capable that you and I look like two idiots. How can my mother be happy?
My mother has been suppressing my sister-in-law intentionally or unintentionally, but in the end, she still made such a big name for herself. Even my father has ordered my mother not to make things difficult for her.
Do you think your mother can be happy? But you are still trying to sabotage her today. It would be strange if your mother would look at you with a good face."
"According to what you said, it was Father who asked Sister-in-law to manage the royal property, not Mother?"
"Of course it couldn't be Mother. How could Mother take the initiative to let Sister-in-law interfere with the royal family's property? It must be Father who gave the order, and Mother had to obey."
Xiao Qin'er bit her lip, "Father is really partial."
Liu Yi said nonchalantly, "Father has always been like this. He prioritizes whoever has the ability."
Xiao Qin'er said disdainfully, "Then why don't you practice your skills?"
Liu Yi was unhappy. "It takes opportunity to hone your skills. I did well last year when I went to the south of the Yangtze River, but my father was still dissatisfied with me and refused to give me a chance this year. What can I do? If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have sent you the banknote."
Xiao Qin'er gnashed her teeth and said, "Who told you not to be careful enough? You were so eager to make money right after arriving in Jiangnan. You really think my father is a fool."
Liu Yi was so angry that he jumped up and down, "Who am I making money for? It's for you."
Xiao Qin'er wanted to say, you are making money to support your mistress, it has nothing to do with me.
But when the words came to her lips, she still couldn't say them.
This is a taboo topic, and she won't bring it up unless things get badly rifty.
She took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in her heart, "Seeing the first and second wives making trouble, what should we do?"
Liu Yi looked lazy and said, "What else can I do? If my sister-in-law has a profitable business, you can make some money with her. Be kind to her on a daily basis. As for the second brother, don't worry, I have bribed two people.
"If the second brother dares to make money in Jiangnan, I will never forgive him. He stole my opportunity, and if I don't have a good life, he won't have a good life either."
Xiao Qin'er breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Liu Yi had at least done something serious.
She hugged him and said, "Cousin, let's get along well from now on, okay? I don't want to argue with you. Arguing is so tiring and painful. I think about you every day and I can't eat or drink, and I can't even take care of the children. In this case, the one who suffers the most is my eldest brother."
The heartfelt confession moved Liu Yi.
He patted the back of Xiao Qin'er's hand and said, "Control your temper and at least give me some face in front of the servants."
Xiao Qin'er's tears fell. "I often speak without thinking, and I don't mean to contradict you. You are my cousin, you should be magnanimous and don't bother with me."
Seeing her crying, Liu Yi couldn't bear it.
After all, the two were childhood sweethearts and had been in love for many years.
He hugged her and said, "Don't cry. We are all mothers. It's really ugly to cry."
"You're disgusting, you're ugly."
"Yes, yes, I am ugly. You will marry me only if you don't dislike me."
Xiao Qin'er snorted and bit his arm.
"Ouch, be gentle, be gentle, you're almost biting off my flesh."
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