"It was just delivered by Chengxi Bookstore." Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows slightly, and his eyes instantly lit up like stars as he looked at her. A smile unconsciously curled up at the corners of his mouth. "Your poetry collection has been reprinted three times, and this time we received a total of 3,257 taels of silver."
"Three thousand taels?!" Shen Weiwan couldn't help but exclaimed in surprise, snatching the account book away. Her fingertips quickly swept across the densely packed numbers on the account book, her eyes flashing with excitement, as if it was not an account book, but a map leading to a treasure trove of wealth. "This is enough to buy Quanjude roast duck all the way from the capital to Tongzhou! But--" She suddenly slammed the account book back into Xiao Yu's palm, tapping it lightly with the folding fan in her hand, a sly smile on her face, "This is far from enough! This president not only wants to open a branch of the Crooked Poetry Society and publish a special edition of "Thirty-Six Strategies to Trick Your Aunt", but also..."
"And we need to dig out all the private money Liu has hidden in the secret compartment of her dresser?" Xiao Yu continued, his eyes filled with indulgence and a smile. "In her past life, she plundered the general's mansion by sheer cunning and plunder, swallowing up countless land deeds and shops. In this life, she should be made to return it all, with interest."
Shen Weiwan clenched her fists tightly. The miserable scene of the empty warehouse in her previous life flashed before her eyes like a picture scroll that she couldn't bear to look back on. A cold light flashed in her eyes, and she said in a firm tone: "She used my mother's hairpin to exchange for a mere three hundred taels of silver. In this life, I will make her cough up three thousand taels!"
Xiao Yu couldn't help but laugh at her adorable puffed cheeks. He reached out and gently pinched her cheek, saying lovingly, "Okay, I'll help you check the accounts. But—" He gently shook the jade peach pendant hanging from his waist. The mutton-fat jade shone softly in the moonlight, like a pool of autumn water. "I wonder how much royalties Miss Shen will have to pay for acquiring this prince?"
"I'll owe you the money!" Quick-witted, Shen Weiwan snatched the jade peach and draped it around her waist. The jade pendant clashed with her gilded abacus pendant, creating a crisp, melodious tinkling sound, as if playing a joyful melody. "Wait until I've swindled all of Liu's money, and then I'll assess your true worth as a prince!"
The moonlight gently cast long shadows on the bluestone slabs. Their overlapping outlines, stained by the night dew, gradually became blurred, like a hazy ink painting. Chun Tao cautiously peeked out from behind the rockery and saw her daughter smiling so hard that her back teeth were exposed. The old butler stroked his beard, shook his head, and muttered to himself at the general's portrait, "General, your daughter is now taking the prince to rob money..."
Three days later, the Wenbaozhai Bookstore, the capital's largest, was bustling with activity. The throng, surging like a tide, completely encircled the place. Chen Weiwan, clad in a crimson jacket, stood on a makeshift platform, radiant and dazzling like a blooming peony. She swung open her folding fan, revealing the four large characters "Auntie's Special Topic" (a scam) strikingly in the air.
"Fellow villagers!" Shen Weiwan shouted, her clear and resounding voice, like a bell, instantly drowning out the clamor of the surrounding crowd. "The sequel to 'Three Hundred Perverse Poems,' 'Thirty-Six Strategies to Trick Your Aunt,' is launching today! Not only does the book contain eighteen doggerel poems to counteract the 'Girl's Love,' but it also includes a complete collection of 'Death Witch' jingles!"
"Miss!" Grandpa Wang, the candied haws seller, held his target high and pushed forward with all his might. The strings of candied haws swayed like shooting stars under his movements. "Is there a 'Prince Chasing His Wife' episode? My granddaughter is waiting to learn it!"
Shen Weiwan raised an eyebrow slightly and looked in the direction of the voice. She saw Xiao Yu riding a snow-white horse outside the crowd. The Seventh Prince was wearing a crimson python robe today, which complemented her attire perfectly. Hearing Master Wang's words, Xiao Yu declared, "This prince has it all! All royalties from the 'Prince' chapter will be charged to this prince!"
"Good!" The crowd erupted in laughter, the sound rising and falling like waves. The bookshop owner's face was wrinkled with laughter, like a blooming chrysanthemum. The shop assistants, carrying piles of books, ran quickly through the crowd, busy and happy. The old housekeeper stood behind the account counter, carefully counting the silver while muttering to himself, "The general's daughter is selling poems... How shameful..." However, the corners of his eyes were filled with gratified smiles. Obviously, although he was muttering, he was happy for Shen Weiwan in his heart.
Dusk, like a vast piece of gray silk, slowly and quietly covered the sky and earth. In her boudoir, Shen Weiwan spread her account book on the table. The white silver, reflecting a dazzling gleam under the lamplight, covered almost half the table. At that moment, Chuntao hurried in, clutching a lacquer box. The lid, emblazoned with the Seventh Prince's Palace's distinctive crest, gave it a particularly solemn appearance.
"Miss! It's from His Highness!" Chun Tao said as she opened the box. Inside lay a piece of plain paper, the ink writing on it clear and powerful, as if carrying the warmth of the writer: "Is the money enough? If not, I have it."
Chen Weiwan couldn't help but burst out laughing as she read the words. She casually picked up a pen and wrote at the end of the note, "Enough to buy Quanjude roast duck. Your Highness, would you like to eat for free?" She had just sent the servant away with the reply when, in the blink of an eye, she received another reply. The ink on the note was still damp, and it read, "The kind that I'll eat for life."
Suddenly, a child's clear singing voice came from outside the window. The familiar tune was exactly the new jingle she had taught the Crooked Poetry Society:
"The mud and rock flow, crashing,
The lady makes a lot of money.
After cheating on his aunt, he cheated on the prince.
She is the future princess!"
Shen Weiwan gently touched the jade peach on her waist, and then looked at the delightful figures in the account book, her eyes flashing with determination and excitement. She suddenly stood up and poured the silver on the table into her purse with a quick and decisive movement.
"Chun Tao!" Her eyes shone like the brightest stars in the night sky, like a little fox that had discovered treasure, full of energy and vigor. "Pack your bags! In the next volume, I'm going to be the richest woman in Beijing!"
"Come on, Miss!" Chun Tao clenched her fists excitedly, her eyes full of support and encouragement for Shen Weiwan. "I'll tell Uncle Wang right now and ask him to quickly make up a jingle about 'making money'!"
Moonlight streamed through the cracks in the window lattice, gently shimmering on Shen Weiwan's body and illuminating her sparkling eyes. She knew full well that in the next volume, not only would countless silver await her, but the Seventh Prince, who always loved to silently follow her, would accompany her as she turned the capital upside down. In this life, from avenging a blood feud to stirring up trouble in the poetry world, to embarking on her impending financial career, Shen Weiwan was determined to live a life more exciting than doggerel, more prosperous and lively than stir-fried pork and cabbage!
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