Chapter 22 Stirring Up Trouble
Old Madam Zhou rubbed her forehead, lamenting how such a wonderful birthday gift had been wasted.
"Alright, take this girl away and let the slave trader sell her. She'll cause trouble when she gets to the estate."
"Jiang Shi failed to properly discipline her and is now confined to her quarters to reflect on her actions. Yun'er, you should also go back and prepare for your marriage properly, and stop running around."
Song Jiyun was somewhat unwilling; even this couldn't put Jiang Shiyao to death.
It will probably be even harder in the future.
Jiang Shiyao watched as she was led away, still shouting that she was the one who ordered it, and her heart turned ice-cold.
If this succeeds, she will face certain death if convicted.
Her gaze fell on Song Jiyun.
The person who orchestrated all of this remained unscathed.
As Jiang Shiyao walked back, the afterglow of the setting sun cast a long shadow behind her.
She walked very slowly.
Despite the warm sunshine, she felt extremely cold.
Today they are looking for Mingyu and He Dayou.
If she had been more meticulous, would she have died here today?
Zhou Congxian and Madam Zhou were Song Jiyun's supporters, but she was all alone in front of and behind her.
Her fingers curled involuntarily; there were still more than two months before she could leave.
As I approached the door, a small figure rushed up.
The little girl hugged her leg sweetly, "Mother, you're finally back! Fu'er missed you so much!"
The gloom in Jiang Shiyao's heart was temporarily dispelled.
She bent down and picked up her daughter. "What is Fu'er doing?"
Fu'er hugged her mother's neck, "Fu'er wrote a lot of words!"
"Mother said that if Fu'er writes well, Father will like Fu'er."
Jiang Shiyao looked at Fu'er's smiling face, her eyes flashing.
Then, freeing his hand, he tapped his daughter's little nose and said, "Yes, Fu'er is absolutely right!"
Whether in the past life or this life, Zhou Congxian never mistreated his daughter Song Jiyun before she entered the family.
Jiang Shiyao kissed her little face, "Fu'er will protect her mother now."
Once outside, it's Mother's turn to protect Fu'er.
She didn't say the second half of the sentence.
Shuangjiang and Mother He came to greet them, and both of them breathed a sigh of relief.
Shuangjiang took a handful of wet willow branches and swept them around her, muttering incantations as she did so.
"Dispel the darkness, dispel the darkness, and what remains is blessing and wisdom."
Jiang Shiyao laughed, "You make it sound like I just got out of jail."
"My lady, I'm terrified! If the White Horse Temple burns the statue because of your offerings, you'll be in jail!"
Shuangjiang patted his chest, "Thank goodness I'm alright, thank goodness I'm alright."
Jiang Shiyao said, "Let's not go out for the next few days. It's safer in our little courtyard."
In the days that followed, Jiang Shiyao rushed to prepare birthday gifts for Zhao.
Perhaps because Old Madam Zhou's birthday gifts were burned, Zhao Shi was no longer in the mood to urge Jiang Shiyao to prepare birthday gifts.
It seems that her only source of enjoyment is winning or losing battles with her mother-in-law.
She doesn't have enough money right now; she needs to get Zhao to willingly give money for more birthday gifts.
Jiang Shiyao was embroidering by the window.
Frost's Descent: We moved the small table to the courtyard. Today, it was neither too sunny nor too cloudy, and the sunlight was just right for Xiao Fu'er to write.
Mother He returned, carrying a small basket in her hand.
Fu'er stared with her two round eyes.
With a smile, Mrs. He took a bag of pastries out of the basket. "Chestnut cake."
“Mother He is the best!” Fu’er almost jumped up.
When Jiang Shiyao saw that Mother He had returned, she turned around and went back to the inner room.
After Mrs. He entered the room, she looked outside and then closed the door.
"My lady, you were absolutely right. The head of the household says he's stockpiling grain at every grain store!"
While excitedly talking, Mrs. He turned the empty basket over, pulled out the bottom layer, and took out the account book.
The head of the household said that, according to Madam Jiang's promise, they would receive at least three or four thousand taels!
They went back to their hometown, bought a hundred acres of land, and two maids, and went back to be the wives of local gentry!
Jiang Shiyao took the ledger. "The grain price is relatively stable now, so we can go to a slightly more distant place to buy some more."
"Somewhere farther away? Should we send the head of the household to run caravans?"
"We shouldn't run caravans; it's too conspicuous. There aren't many people in the granary right now, so it's better to be careful."
Jiang Shiyao pondered for a moment, "Don't go to places that are no more than three hours away. Don't go any further than that."
Mrs. He nodded in agreement, "Yes, this amount of money is enough for us!"
*
The next day, Jiang Shiyao brought the embroidery she had finally finished to show Zhao Shi.
Zhao glanced at it twice, paused for a moment, then waved her hand, "Put it there."
Just as Jiang Shiyao was about to say something more, she paused upon hearing this, put down her embroidery, and prepared to take her leave.
Just then, the Duke returned.
Madam Zhao stood up. "Lord Duke."
Jiang Shiyao immediately stepped aside.
The British Duke was drawn to a flash of white light and turned his head to see a white patch on the table.
What is this?
Zhao said, "This is a Guanyin image embroidered by Jiang, which is a birthday gift for the Empress Dowager. However, Mother has already had red coral prepared."
The British duke picked it up and glanced at it, his eyes lighting up. "It's actually a double-sided image."
"As far as I know, several of them are selling coral, which is much better than coral!"
Jiang Shiyao spoke up at the right moment, "My skills are not good, and the Guanyin statue is not quite perfect."
"Are you one of Xian'er's maids?" The Duke of England glanced at her.
"Yes." Jiang Shiyao lowered her eyes obediently.
The Duke of England nodded. "The craftsmanship is excellent. I'll have the accountant reward you with one hundred taels later."
Zhao snorted, "If you want to use Jiang's embroidery, the Duke would better talk to his mother himself."
The British Duke dismissed it, saying, "I'll go and tell them!"
Jiang Shiyao left the incomplete embroidery behind and went back.
She specifically went to find Lady Zhao when the Duke returned to his residence.
The auspicious beast offering peaches has already been burned, so the old lady certainly won't use anything she embroidered again.
But it would be different if the British Duke were to speak.
Now, all she has to do is wait to collect the money.
After noon, Zhao's maid, Xiang Mama, came over and asked her to go out with Zhao.
Jiang Shiyao smiled and agreed.
Zhao didn't believe her, but that didn't matter.
It's time to collect the money today.
At Yu Bao Lou, Lady Wen took out all the rubies in her inventory.
"Madam Duchess, these are all the rubies in our shop."
Zhao said, "Take a look, which bead looks best on this Guanyin image?"
When Lady Wen last saw this Guanyin painting, it only showed the crown on her head.
Now that the embroidery is finished, Guanyin's face is kind and benevolent, and the lotus flower beneath her seat is lifelike, just like a real red lotus in full bloom.
She couldn't help but sigh, "This embroidery is unmatched."
A smile appeared in Zhao's eyes, "If I could smile even a little bit at the Empress Dowager's eyes, it would be worth it."
Lady Wen glanced at the doorway and couldn't help but approach, saying, "Madam, to be honest, the Empress Dowager once asked the Prince to find a Guanyin statue with a fine appearance."
"We have searched for many, but none of them are satisfactory. Perhaps this Guanyin painting can catch the Empress Dowager's eye."
Only then did Lady Zhao remember that the Jade Treasure Pavilion was owned by Prince Cheng.
As the manager of Yubaolou, Madam Wen said that the Guanyin painting had a beautiful appearance, so it might really catch the eye of the Empress Dowager.
"If she can truly catch the Empress Dowager's eye, then please invite the shopkeeper's wife to our residence for tea."
Madam Wen said, "You're too kind, Madam. I didn't do any work or effort. I've shamelessly drunk the tea, but I can't accept your kind words."
"This is the Dharma image; it cannot be made with rubies."
Zhao asked, puzzled, "Why?"
Lady Wen shook her head, "I don't know, but I heard that the Prince smashed the several Guanyin statues with red dots on their foreheads that he found."
Zhao was taken aback, then sighed softly, "Thank you for your advice, madam."
"Then what should be used for this forehead area?"
Lady Wen then had all her treasured gems brought out.
But after comparing them one by one, none of them were satisfactory.
After a long pause, she shook her head. "The most suitable one is still that pearl."
"That one?"
"It's already been embroidered on the auspicious beast offering peaches that Lady Jiang made before."
As Wen Niangzi spoke, she glanced at Jiang Shiyao inadvertently.
If she wasn't mistaken, the pearl should now be in Lady Jiang's hands.
I wonder how Lady Jiang plans to bring this pearl back to life and sell it to the Duchess.
Just then, a maid's voice came from the doorway, "Manager, a young man says he has a family heirloom he wants to sell to our establishment."
Lady Wen: "A family heirloom? Why didn't he pawn it?"
The maid said, "The young master said the pawnshop doesn't know its value and offered too low a price."
Lady Wen said, "Send him somewhere else."
The maid hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't bear to let such a good thing slip away.
"Shopkeeper, it's a pearl of excellent quality."
"Pearls?" Wen Niangzi glanced at Jiang Shiyao subconsciously.
But she remained unchanged, her expression showing no sign of wavering.
Zhao's eyes lit up. "Let me see it. If it's suitable, I'll take it!"
When the maid came up again, she was carrying a simple cloth bag, and there was no one behind her.
"The guy said he had to rush back to his shift, so he left the items here. He'd collect the money if they sold, and keep the items if they didn't."
Zhao had never seen anyone do business this way before, so she poured the pearl into her palm and examined it carefully.
"It's definitely a good product. How much does he want?"
The maid said, "He wants five thousand."
"Five thousand?" Zhao's eyes widened. "Go and chase him back. Will you buy him for four thousand?"
The maid didn't move. "Sell it. The young master said he'd sell it even if someone bargained down to four thousand."
Lady Wen almost burst out laughing. Three thousand five hundred beads went out and were resold for four thousand.
Zhao felt she had lost out because she had agreed too quickly.
With the Empress Dowager's birthday approaching, if this painting truly catches her eye, she will ask the Empress Dowager to grant Xian'er and Ruoshuang a marriage!
Then these beads are worth four thousand!
Zhao paid the money readily, and Jiang Shiyao immediately embroidered the pearls onto the fabric.
Wen Niangzi immediately ordered the craftsman to frame the double-sided portrait.
Last time, the auspicious beast offering peaches was burned, but this time Zhao personally oversaw the entire process.
Jiang Shiyao retreated to the window. Xiaoman, who was diagonally opposite her outside the window, gestured to her before turning around and disappearing into the crowd.
A single bead, inside and out.
four thousand.
Her heart remained unmoved; the four thousand were merely to please the Empress Dowager.
Back then, she only sold it for ten taels.
When Jiang Shiyao turned around again, she saw Wen Niangzi looking at her.
She nodded slightly with a faint smile on her face, and Lady Wen returned the smile.
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