Chapter 16 Earning Money from the Zhou Family Mansion
"A few days ago, Madam Jiang did indeed buy a pearl for three thousand five taels at my shop."
Then the shopkeeper's wife looked at Jiang Shiyao and said, "Madam Jiang, can we take this bead off first? I don't want to misunderstand you, and I don't want Yubaolou to suffer infamy for no reason."
Jiang Shiyao nodded, "Of course, shopkeeper, just go ahead and unpack it."
The shopkeeper's wife held the scissors for a long time, but couldn't figure out where to start.
There wasn't a single thread left to hide the embroidery.
“My lady, this embroidery is truly exquisite. I cannot bear to damage it. Perhaps you may remove it.”
"Of course I can."
Jiang Shiyao did not use scissors, but took out an embroidery needle from the pouch at her waist and began picking out threads from the back of the embroidery.
After carefully unraveling a wire that was more than a meter long, the bead was finally removed.
The shopkeeper couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "No wonder we couldn't find it! It turns out that Madam Jiang left the bead on the last thread, making it a perfect, natural piece! Instead of sewing it separately at the end."
When Song Jiyun saw them chatting as if they were kindred spirits, he was immediately displeased.
"The important thing now is to determine what's true and what's false. Do you still have time for your idle chatter?!"
The shopkeeper's wife glanced at Song Jiyun before raising the beads towards the sunlight streaming through the doorway.
The pearl is perfectly round and full, with a flawless white luster, like moonlight.
It is a rare and exquisite pearl!
The shopkeeper's wife now understood. "Reporting to the old lady, these pearls are from Yu Bao Lou, and we are honest and reliable!"
Madam Zhou nodded, but Song Jiyun cut her off before she could finish speaking.
"Yu Bao Lou is willing to wager the entire shop to accept this fake pearl!"
Although the shopkeeper was humble, she was not weak. "Miss Song's words are strange. Everything from my Jade Treasure Pavilion is genuine. How can you say it's fake?"
Song Jiyun turned around and glanced at Zisu.
Zisu walked out with her head down. "I grew up by the sea and worked as a pearl diver with my mother for many years."
"The maids dare not speak nonsense about other jewels, but when it comes to pearls, the maids are confident that they can distinguish between real and fake."
The shopkeeper's wife smiled, "Young lady, you say you are a pearl diver, so you should know the characteristics of a real pearl."
As she spoke, she placed the pearl in front of Zisu's eyes, "The real thing cannot be faked, and the fake thing cannot be made real. Take a close look, young lady."
The lustrous pearls exude a warm glow.
Zisu's eyes widened immediately.
This one is real!
How could this be...?
She definitely didn't see wrong.
She turned to look at her mistress, "Miss, this...this is real..."
Song Jiyun's expression immediately changed.
Madam Zhou glanced at Song Jiyun and his servant with some displeasure.
"Having worked as a pearl seller for a few years, you presumptuously judged the authenticity of pearls. Luckily, this was done in front of our own people. If this happened outside, wouldn't we be making a laughing stock of ourselves!"
Song Jiyun's face flushed red and then turned pale, before he glared fiercely at Zisu.
“Grandmother, this is a birthday gift for the Empress Dowager. It’s better to make a mistake than to accept something substandard. Yun’er is just worried that something might go wrong.”
Madam Zhou said, "You meant well, but you were too trusting of others."
He then turned to his head and said, "Thank you for making this trip, Miss Showcase."
"That's only right." The shopkeeper's wife bowed slightly.
She then handed the beads to Jiang Shiyao, saying, "My wife's embroidery is superb; I've truly been amazed today!"
Jiang Shiyao smiled and said, "You flatter me, madam."
As Song Jiyun watched the shopkeeper's wife leave, he almost gritted his teeth.
Hidden beneath her wide sleeves, she pinched the soft flesh around Zisu's waist and spun her around hard.
"I'll settle this score with you when we get back!"
Zisu's face turned even paler.
Madam Zhou resumed her kind and gentle demeanor.
"Alright, it's all a misunderstanding. This auspicious beast holding a pearl is already excellent. As for the peach, there's no need to embroider it. Just add the eyes, and I'll personally deliver it to the White Horse Temple to receive the incense offerings of the people."
Jiang Shiyao deliberately looked up at Song Jiyun.
"Yes, it can be embroidered today."
She knew that Song Jiyun couldn't stand being bullied.
One glance was enough to set her on a wild daydream.
Song Jiyun felt as if he had been slapped hard across the face by Jiang Shiyao's gaze!
That one glance seemed to say that although Miss Song had cheated, the embroidery was already perfect and did not need Miss Song's peaches.
"Great-aunt, how can a birthday gift be without longevity peaches!"
"Yun'er has been waiting for Lady Jiang's embroidery for a long time!"
Song Jiyun had been completely blinded by greed.
Originally, she only wanted to damage the embroidery by embroidering peaches, so that Jiang Shiyao would be embarrassed in front of the Zhou family.
Now, she has changed her mind!
So she's going to rely on incense offerings? Well then, she'll make sure Jiang Shiyao's embroidery causes a huge mess throughout the entire capital!
Madam Zhou frowned. Although this girl wasn't particularly shrewd, she would never argue with a concubine. Why was she acting so irrationally today?
Madam Zhou flatly refused, "The wedding is only two months away, which is already quite rushed. You should focus on preparing for the wedding!"
Song Jiyun stepped forward and took the embroidery from Gao's mother.
"Grandmother, it's just a longevity peach, no trouble at all. Yun'er can deliver it tomorrow, so it won't interfere with her going to the White Horse Temple to receive incense offerings."
Jiang Shiyao opened her palm. "Miss Song, would you like me to embroider the pearls on first?"
Song Jiyun didn't even glance at it, snatching the pearl away with one hand, "I don't need it!"
Jiang Shiyao touched the three thousand five taels of pearls in her sleeve, a genuine smile blooming on her face.
The embroidery she made was fake; Zisu was not mistaken.
The shopkeeper's wife wasn't mistaken, so she felt something was wrong and wanted to take it apart to take a closer look.
However, when she was unpacking the pearls, she replaced them with real ones.
Just now, she openly and brazenly gave Song Jiyun a fake one.
This time.
Is it true or false?
Everything was no longer her concern.
Jiang Shiyao smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Miss Song, I have no need for your generous apology. I only hope that this embroidery will have a good outcome."
"you!--"
Just as Song Jiyun turned around, Zhou Congxian, who hadn't moved at all, blocked the way between the two.
Song Jiyun stared at the man blocking the way, her eyes bloodshot.
"Brother Xian, you...you just stare at her like that..."
Zhou Congxian looked up at his grandmother and said, "Grandmother, I'll take my leave now."
He pulled Song Jiyun and went outside.
Only Jiang Shiyao remained.
Looking at the stunned Jiang Shiyao, Old Madam Zhou first had a cold face, then sighed.
"I didn't touch any chestnut cake today, so you can take them all home."
“Yun’er is simple-minded and can be seen through at a glance. You are a smart person and should know what you should choose.”
"Not just for yourself, but also for Fu'er, and for the children to come."
Jiang Shiyao's lips trembled slightly.
After a moment, she gently raised the corners of her lips and said, "The old lady's reprimand is correct, I understand."
Ah, for himself? For Fu'er?
That sounds nice.
They are all ungrateful and heartless people. Why should her and Fu'er's lives be in the hands of such a wicked woman!
Jiang Shiyao was carrying two heavy bags of pastries.
At the intersection, three roads branched off, and a clump of bamboo blocked the view of people.
The sound of voices could be faintly heard.
"She's just a concubine who's practically irrelevant. As the mistress of the house in the future, do you really not even have this much tolerance?"
Zhou Congxian gently coaxed her.
Song Jiyun said with dissatisfaction, "It's not that I can't tolerate people, but she provoked me like that. As the legitimate daughter of the Song family, what face do I have left to speak of?"
"They say husband and wife are one, so what's the difference between this slap on my face and it hitting yours?"
Jiang Shiyao didn't want to hear anything more.
The tears welling up in her eyes were forcefully held back.
She clenched her fist in her sleeve, then turned and left.
She was reborn.
Why be saddened by such a trivial matter?
After noon.
Zhou Congxian brought over the rabbit kite.
He has already promised to take them to Jinming Lake to fly kites, so he won't break his promise.
Zhou Congxian stood in the courtyard with one hand behind his back and the other holding a kite.
Wei Xun searched through all the houses and found that the only two people in the entire courtyard who could breathe were him and the prince.
"Your Highness, no one is here."
"Nobody's here?" Zhou Congxian was taken aback. "I clearly said so, how could they not be here?"
Zhou Congxian frowned as he looked at the empty courtyard.
At this time.
A small horse-drawn carriage with a green canopy had already crossed the Fengshui Bridge and was heading towards the South Gate.
There is a hill in the southern suburbs, with flat terrain, which is perfect for flying kites.
Shuangjiang led Fu'er to fly kites.
Jiang Shiyao stood beside the carriage, and Mama He pointed to a spot on the city wall, saying, "The master found a warehouse here."
"The South Gate is close to the official road of Jinzhou, and many merchants have their warehouses here."
Jiang Shiyao nodded, "Hidden in the merchant's warehouse, it won't easily attract attention."
Fu'er ran over, covered in sweat, "Mother, Mother! Sister Shuangjiang has flown the kite!"
Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled.
Little Bone chased after it, barking loudly, its tail wagging so hard it seemed to be flying to the sky.
Since returning from Baima Temple, it has stayed obediently in the courtyard with them and hasn't gone anywhere.
Only today did he finally find a place where he could run wild.
Jiang Shiyao took a water bag from the carriage and fed her water. The little girl then ran off again.
Mrs. He continued, "The man asked me to ask how long the warehouse would be rented."
Jiang Shiyao was calculating the time until Zhou Congxian's wedding, which was about two and a half months away.
The household ingredients, such as rice and flour, can be purchased about half a month in advance.
"Rent for two months."
"Two months?" Mrs. He was a little doubtful. "Can so much grain be sold out in two months?"
Jiang Shiyao smiled and said, "There won't be enough to go around."
Jinzhou produces grain and is close to Beijing.
Most of the grain in the capital came from Jinzhou, and the rest came from the farmland around the capital.
It's been raining in Jinzhou for over a month now, and some people in Beijing are starting to feel uneasy.
If Jinzhou falls, then the capital will face a famine.
However, if the rain stops in Jinzhou this month, it will be able to catch the final spring planting.
If this continues, grain prices in the entire capital will skyrocket.
In her previous life, Jiang Shiyao's only feeling while living in the deep mansion was that the family had started eating stale rice, and the only new rice was reserved for Old Madam Zhou.
Zhou Congxian's wedding was hampered by a shortage of food and rice, which they eventually had to buy at a high price.
Jiang Shiyao had no intention of making money off the hard-earned money of ordinary people.
She just wanted to earn money from the Zhou family, which she would use to raise Fu'er and as her dowry when she grew up and got married!
"By the way, wife, the master asked if you need the grain collection team."
"A grain collection team?"
"Yes, they are the grain merchants' caravans."
Jiang Shiyao recalled that day when the servant from the carriage shop said that they could also contact merchant caravans leaving the city...
If she had her own caravan.
Even if her escape is discovered, she can still use the caravan to create false evidence.
She immediately looked back at Mother He.
"want!"
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