Chapter 17 His money should be spent.
Jiang Shiyao held Fu'er in her arms, looking through the carriage window.
Outside a row of converted residential houses, many wheelbarrows were parked.
These were rickshaw pullers who transported goods from the warehouse to various shops.
Mother He reminded her, "Wife, look, there's an osmanthus tree over there."
Outside the warehouse next to the osmanthus tree, two rickshaw pullers can be seen loading goods into the warehouse.
He Dayou took off the short clothes he wore when he was a gardener and put on a cotton robe, and he even looked somewhat like a manager.
Mrs. He's smile widened. Since her husband had been busy lately, he had stopped going to the casino.
Back in the Duke's mansion, when it wasn't time to cultivate new flowers, he would leisurely visit the casino every day.
If this can help the head of the household quit gambling, it might not be a bad thing.
Jiang Shiyao lowered the carriage curtain. "I remember there was a wonton stall up ahead when we came. Let's go eat there later."
There weren't many people at the wonton stall, and the low table was wiped very clean.
"What would you like to eat, Madam and Miss?"
The stall owners were a husband and wife, their fine lines at the corners of their eyes conveying a sense of everyday life and warmth.
The stall owner's wife had a friendly expression, and then she took out a white cloth from her waist and wiped the table again.
Fu'er had never been to such a place before, and she blinked her big, round eyes, looking around curiously.
"Mother, it smells so good here!"
Jiang Shiyao patted her daughter's head. "One bowl of wontons for each of you."
Fu'er smiled and repeated her mother's words, "One bowl of wontons for each person!"
As she spoke, she patted her little belly, "I want lots and lots!"
The stall owner's wife was amused and said, "Okay, lots and lots."
The wontons are served.
The soup base is clear, the wontons are snow-white and plump, and there is a layer of bright green scallions on top.
Jiang Shiyao took another porcelain bowl, scooped out two wontons, carefully separated them with a spoon, and placed them in front of her daughter.
“Fu’er has grown up and needs to feed herself. Mother He is also hungry and needs to feed herself too.”
Mother He was startled, as serving her daughter was her duty.
"My lady, I won't..."
Jiang Shiyao said, "You can't expect her to eat and drink for you until she gets married."
Once she left the capital, Fu'er was no longer a young lady from a noble family.
She doesn't need her daughter to learn everything, but she wants her to learn to do even the simplest things like dressing and eating by herself.
"Okay!" Fu'er replied crisply, then grabbed the soup spoon and started eating by herself.
Jiang Shiyao looked at her daughter's chubby cheeks, stirred the wontons in the bowl, and pondered the money she had on hand.
The silver in the bamboo forest, plus the silver from Zhou Congxian and the sucker, totaled nearly seven thousand taels, which have gradually been exchanged for grain.
The grain yielded an estimated profit of three to four thousand taels, which, if split equally with He Dayou, would amount to five to six thousand taels.
I still have a pearl worth over three thousand taels, which I will pawn when the time is right.
With nearly ten thousand taels of silver, she and Fu'er could live very comfortably in a peaceful and warm little town.
But since it was just her and Fu'er, for their safety, she had to buy a new household registration, settle down, and hire a martial arts master to protect the house.
These all cost money.
She needs to earn more money!
The image of the owner's wife of Yubaolou flashed through Jiang Shiyao's mind.
When the shopkeeper's wife saw her embroidery, she appreciated it, but more than that, she appreciated the value of a product as a merchant.
Perhaps she can earn a little more from elsewhere.
"Jiang Niangzi".
Jiang Shiyao's thoughts were brought back to reality as a tall figure sat down opposite her.
Shuangjiang at the next table immediately stood up.
She nodded to Shuangjiang, "It's alright, this is a good friend of my elder brother from my hometown."
Liu Minghan got straight to the point, "Brother Jiang will be coming to Beijing in three months."
Jiang Shiyao was taken aback. Three months. If everything had gone smoothly, she and Fu'er would have already left the capital.
But, in my previous life, my brother didn't come to the capital!
"What is he doing in Beijing?"
Liu Minghan's gaze was inquisitive. "Madam Jiang, you don't even know what your brother is doing in the capital?"
Unbeknownst to Jiang Shiyao, she had not received a letter from her brother for a long time.
Liu Minghan's eyes turned slightly cold. "Brother Jiang missed the imperial examination four years ago because he was saving money."
"This time, he went to Beijing for the autumn imperial examination."
A horse-drawn carriage passed by.
Song Jiyun, sitting in the carriage, looked extremely unpleasant, while Zisu, pale-faced, knelt at her feet.
Suddenly, the carriage curtain was blown up.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure.
Song Jiyun immediately lifted the carriage curtain.
A man was sitting opposite Jiang Shiyao!
As the carriage passed by, she saw the man's profile and recognized him immediately.
A few months ago, the censor Liu Minghan led a group of people to search her home!
Startled, Song Jiyun sat back down in her original seat, and a moment later a smile appeared on her lips.
"Hurry back to the manor!"
Jiang Shiyao's fingertips, which were gripping the soup spoon, turned white.
Four years ago, she received a letter from her brother, who said that a caravan was willing to take him to the north to pan for gold, and that he would save enough money to redeem himself in just one year!
But at that time, she was six months pregnant.
She didn't know how to tell her brother.
Is she doing well? It seems not.
Is it bad? It seems alright, at least we don't have to worry about food and clothing.
She gradually became indifferent to correspondence, and eventually she only accepted letters but stopped replying.
Let's just consider her an ungrateful wretch; only then can her brother concentrate on his studies without any distractions.
Jiang Shiyao lowered her eyes, took out a purse from her sleeve, and pushed it in front of Liu Minghan.
"I would be grateful if Lord Liu could help me out."
Liu Minghan weighed the money pouch in his hand. "As expected of the Duke of Ying's mansion, Madam Jiang's generosity is equivalent to half a year's salary for me!"
He threw the money bag back on the table. "Brother Jiang is my brother, Liu Minghan's brother. As long as I have something to eat, I won't let him go hungry."
"Madam Jiang should take this money back herself."
He stood up. "Since Lady Jiang is unwilling to see me, I will pretend I have never met her."
The final self-reference became "this official".
Jiang Shiyao raised her eyes, her lips twitching slightly. "This concubine wishes Lord Liu a bright future."
"I also wish my elder brother success in the imperial examination."
Liu Minghan also wished Lady Jiang all her wishes come true.
Liu Minghan is gone.
The bowl of wontons in front of Jiang Shiyao had been left to cool down, but she hadn't taken a single bite.
During our difficult childhood, my older brother would also copy books for others to earn money and supplement the family income.
The older brother would have a copper coin left and take her to eat half a bowl of wontons.
Over time, the stall owners all got to know him, and from then on, whenever they saw his elder brother, they would call him Jiang Banwan (Half Bowl of Ginger).
Now she has a bowl of wontons, but she can't tell her brother the truth.
"Mother."
Fu'er is perceptive and becomes uneasy whenever Jiang Shiyao reveals any emotion.
Jiang Shiyao touched her daughter's face. "Mother is fine. I just feel that we can't eat so many wontons. What if we waste them?"
Fu'er held her mother's hand and pointed to a pair of beggar brothers across the street.
“If Mother gives them food, then it won’t go to waste.”
Jiang Shiyao's gaze fell on the two beggar children. The older one looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, while the younger one looked to be only five or six years old.
"Frost's Descent".
Jiang Shiyao took out two pieces of silver from her purse. "Exchange this silver for copper coins, and ask the stall owner to cook a bowl of wontons, and cook more."
"Go and give it to those two young brothers, and tell them to hide the money carefully so no one can rob it."
The silver was too tempting; the two brothers couldn't guard it and might even lose their lives because of it.
As soon as Jiang Shiyao and the others returned to the carriage, the beggars who had been lying around by the roadside saw that the important people had left, they immediately rushed forward and snatched the wontons from the two brothers.
"Hey!"
Jiang Shiyao wanted to get off the bus, but was stopped by He's mother.
"My lady, don't go. You can only protect her for a while, not forever."
“If we leave, they will not only be beaten, but people may also find out the money that Shuangjiang secretly slipped to them.”
Jiang Shiyao looked out the window. The two beggars had their wontons stolen. Although the older brother was cursing, he secretly touched his stomach, which must be where he hid his money.
He keenly sensed the gaze from inside the carriage, and seeing that it was the benefactor who had given him money, he quietly nodded, then took his younger brother's hand and left.
"Let's go back to the manor."
Jiang Shiyao's thoughts were racing. She was doing her best, but she could barely support herself and Fu'er.
The old lady has already earned enough money from birthday gifts.
There are still members of the Zhao family today.
The Empress Dowager's birthday is still more than half a month away, so she needs to hurry.
In a couple of days, she will also make time to visit Yubaolou.
When they returned to the manor, Fu'er was already asleep.
The little girl had a great time today and slept like a little pig; she didn't even wake up when the car bumped around.
As the sun set, it cast long shadows of the mother and daughter.
As soon as I reached the entrance of the small courtyard, I saw a person with their hands behind their back in the corner of the courtyard wall, looking at the withered pear tree by the wall.
After glancing at Zhou Congxian's retreating figure, Madam He took Fu'er from Madam Jiang's arms.
As they left, they even gave them a little push.
Once Madam Jiang recovers, the servants who are with her will also recover.
Zhou Congxian turned around, and the kite in Shuangjiang's hand, which she was holding as she hurriedly left, hit him in the heart like a heavy hammer.
"Flying kites?"
Jiang Shiyao curtsied, "Yes, Fu'er has been asking for this for a long time. Today the weather is nice, so I took her there."
Zhou Congxian looked at the submissive woman in front of him and tightened his grip on the hand behind his back.
"I believe I made myself clear before paying my respects to my grandmother."
Jiang Shiyao looked up at him.
I just found him somewhat amusing.
He flirted with his fiancée while also having his concubine serve him diligently.
Jiang Shiyao's expression remained unchanged, only her brows furrowed slightly.
"Today at the old lady's place, I acted impulsively and made a scene. I am ashamed before the young master and have no face to see him."
"I thought that Your Highness should go and accompany Miss Song... But I dared not presume to do so, so I took Fu'er with me instead."
When Zhou Congxian saw her bowed head and on the verge of tears, the anger in his heart vanished without a trace.
He sighed softly, "Let bygones be bygones, just don't be so impulsive next time."
"If I hadn't been there, would Grandmother have protected you if Miss Song had made a move?"
Jiang Shiyao recalled that night when Zhou Congxian said that Song Jiyun was a kind person and would treat her and Fu'er well.
She wanted to ask him again if he still thought that way.
On second thought, what difference would asking make?
Meaningless things are not something she can think about right now.
First priority: Make money!
Thinking of this, Jiang Shiyao pretended to lower her eyes and feel sad, and then let out a short sigh.
“Your Highness is right, I know I was wrong.”
"Only today do I realize the difference is like heaven and earth."
Zhou Congxian didn't understand.
Jiang Shiyao raised her eyes, "Miss Song slandered and misunderstood me because of a pearl, because I came from a poor background."
“And Fu’er was born from a concubine’s womb; she was an illegitimate daughter, and everything was destined.”
"I may make her happy with a kite today, but I may not be able to make her smile with a kite in the future."
Zhou Congxian's gaze fell on Jiang Shiyao's clothes and appearance.
She was always very simple and unadorned, as was Fu'er.
He assumed it was all personal preference and never considered that it was because there wasn't one.
He thought of the little girl, two years older than Fu'er, who was dressed up so charmingly and cutely at a colleague's house last month.
Fu'er always had a red ribbon wrapped around her head.
He pondered for a moment, "It was my oversight. Tomorrow I will have the manager's wife from Yubaolou bring some ornaments for you to choose from."
Jiang Shiyao immediately smiled and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
He should be the one to pay for it!
Here comes the opportunity to make money.
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