Chapter 119 A remarried old man with a child? ...
"Three wild boars, weighing 792 catties; two muntjacs, weighing 316 catties; three deer..."
"Seven Ganoderma lucidum mushrooms, two ten-year-old ginseng roots, Codonopsis pilosula, Rehmannia glutinosa..."
Song Jin slumped on the small couch, wearing a white rabbit fur winter coat. A rabbit fur trim wrapped around her long neck swayed with each yawn, making her look even more like a young girl.
Yang Yanjun was holding an account book and reading a bunch of things aloud. Seeing her like this, she slammed the account book shut in annoyance and tapped it: "Were you even listening?"
She hasn't slept well these past two days because of all this work, but this person is so easy—she just shakes off the task and runs away, acting like nothing happened.
Seeing her displeasure, Song Jin yawned again and casually replied, "I'm listening."
Yang Yanjun chuckled: "Then tell me, how many kilograms were there in total?"
Song Jin chuckled and said, "It'll weigh three to five thousand jin, thank you for your hard work."
It's really not putting any effort into it.
Yang Yanjun was filled with regret. Regardless of good or bad, whether it was a waste or not, why had she gotten involved in this mess? She didn't realize it until she calculated it; this batch of goods was worth a thousand taels of silver. Sending it away like this, she needed to at least make sure things were settled properly.
She picked up the ledger again, skipping the details and getting to the point: "Let's not talk about the meat, it's all been cooked and used for relief. We've started making soup and sending it out every day for the past two days, cooking it every three days, enough to last until the New Year."
The three wild boars were large, with excellent stomachs. The Ran family patriarch had been buying good stuff at high prices for years; three of them would cost three hundred taels. The medicinal parts of the deer and muntjac were also valuable, worth two hundred and thirty-seven taels. The lingzhi mushrooms and ginseng were relatively young, worth three hundred and twenty-one taels. The pelts, if sold separately, would cost one hundred and sixty-five taels each. Adding it all up, it would be one thousand and twenty-three taels. Subtracting the head, let's say one thousand taels. What are your plans for this money?”
One thousand taels is no small sum. Even if Yang Yanjun had been in charge of the household in the past, after deducting the necessary expenses for social interactions, the Marquis's mansion's annual daily expenses would only be three thousand taels. Even with miscellaneous items included, it would only amount to five to seven thousand taels.
Aside from large-scale events like the Autumn Welcome Banquet, her previous porridge distributions only involved a thousand catties of grain at a time, amounting to a maximum of twenty or thirty taels each time. Even the more expensive cotton-padded coats and medicines she distributed were far less than that.
This money was really a hot potato for her to handle.
Song Jin didn't listen carefully, only catching the mention of one thousand taels. She yawned and said, "What? How is it calculated? Just take it all and use it. You decide what to do with it. I don't need the money."
That's really annoying to hear.
However, it is impossible to refute.
Yang Yanjun was sitting in Song Jin's room. To the naked eye, in front of the dressing table were several sandalwood cabinets carved and gilded, filled with various jewelry. Otherwise, there wouldn't be several boxes on the table as well.
Gilded agate and turquoise inlaid jewelry box, ivory and white jade box, enamel and gold wire box, shimmering pearl and mother-of-pearl carved box...
Any one of these items could be considered her most treasured dowry jewelry; her entire wall of shelves couldn't hold them all.
Yang Yanjun clutched her chest: "That's enough, stop showing off in front of a poor person like me."
Her original dowry was quite substantial, but now it's reduced by half. Of the remaining items, the antiques and paintings are off-limits, and the only profitable businesses are a few shops, earning two to three thousand taels a year. It sounds like a lot, but she has to cover her own expenses, support numerous servants, horses and mules, and manage daily social obligations and banquets.
This money is still tight.
Looking at her like this, Song Jin asked in bewilderment, "You don't have money? If you don't have money, why donate it?"
Looking at her genuinely puzzled expression, Yang Yanjun felt both envious and helpless: "You don't understand. In the adult world, people always care about saving face."
Especially since she just got divorced, if she can't even meet the previous standards, let alone surpass them, how embarrassing would that be?
However, she wasn't just about showing off. Compared to before, she had reduced her spending by more than half and was more practical. She would spend ten taels of silver to make it look like twenty taels.
Song Jin pouted: "You talk like you're so much older than me, you're only a few years older."
Yang Yanjun emphasized: "Nine years old, do you know what nine years old means?"
Song Jin rolled her eyes: "I was already killing thieves and shooting boars and deer when I was nine years old."
Yang Yanjun, who was about to say that she was already able to tailor clothes and manage a shop at the age of nine, swallowed her words and changed the subject: "So, that one thousand taels..."
Song Jin waved her hand: "You decide. Half is yours, and you take care of the other half."
Getting the money was the small problem; the real issue was the stress involved, not to mention the items themselves. The fact that they were able to get them for this price was thanks to Yang Yanjun. If it were Song Jin, she'd either throw them away or give them away, getting at most five or six hundred.
Yang Yanjun scoffed at her generosity: "I haven't fallen that low yet, so I'll include everything in that. I'm thinking of just finding a place to build a simple bungalow, something basic enough to rest in, and putting some thick quilts inside. It doesn't need to be fancy, just enough to get through the winter. When the weather gets better, we can rebuild a Tzu Chi Hospital, hire some skilled workers, and have them help with the rest. It won't cost much..."
The simplest solution would be to send those items to various Tzu Chi orphanages and childcare centers. This would save time and effort, but those institutions already receive donations, so food and clothing are not a problem. Sending them there would only be adding to their already good situation; it's not as effective as providing timely help in times of need.
Yang Yanjun used to only have a simple idea, but now that she has more money, she feels she can refine it further.
Thus, it started with a pile of prey, then moved to real gold and silver, then to a simple shed, then to a Tzu Chi Hall, and finally to a workshop...
Song Jin was simply in a good mood, going into the mountains to hunt and donate some supplies to cheer herself up. She had no interest in urban development. As she listened, her eyelids drooped, and she leaned against the cushions, about to fall asleep.
Yang Yanjun said helplessly, "No, why are you so sleepy? Didn't you sleep last night?"
She hasn't had a good rest these past two days because of this, but she doesn't seem this tired.
Song Jin, with her eyes closed, said in a voice tinged with despair, "I didn't sleep well. My mother made me recite texts and practice calligraphy as punishment."
Yang Yanjun's lips twitched: "...That's it?"
Song Jin opened her eyes, her expression melancholy: "And embroidery."
There's no time to learn it now, but she has to learn it by heart—the patterns, the embroidery techniques, the types of embroidery. It's all so complicated and difficult, even harder than her going into the mountains to hunt two cartloads of game.
Although it was only two days, it felt like an eternity to her. She felt dizzy and all she wanted to do now was stay home and lie down; she had no desire to go out at all.
I'm so tired, so incredibly tired.
Her mother was so cruel.
As she spoke, Song Jin yawned again.
Yang Yanjun sighed, closed the ledger, and said, "Alright, then get up quickly. I still need to visit Miss Teng. You can sleep after you're done."
Song Jin thought she was being told to go to sleep first, but upon hearing this, she pursed her lips speechlessly and reluctantly got up: "You really don't stand on ceremony."
Yang Yanjun laughed: "Likewise."
Song Jin rolled her eyes, got up and stretched lazily before taking her out.
It didn't snow today. The snow on the rooftops and roads had been swept clean, but the treetops and flowers were still covered in snow, creating a silvery, pristine scene. Every inch of the ground looked like it had been deliberately plowed out, which was very pleasing to the eye.
Song Jin walked ahead with her arms crossed. She had been feeling sleepy inside, but had become fully alert after coming out. As the hostess, she introduced the Song residence to Yang Yanjun, explaining this and that. Suddenly, she remembered...
"You should know better than I do, right?"
This person was previously engaged to Song Xingzhi, so he must have visited the Song residence.
Sensing the implication, Yang Yanjun rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue twice: "I've only been here twice before. I was young then. If only I'd known..."
Before marriage, she didn't really have a strong sense of wealth and luxury. But after marriage, she realized how important the daily grind is – whether you have money or not, life really is different.
But it's too late to think about these things now.
She said earnestly, "You must be careful about who you marry in the future. Those families that are all show and no substance are no good at all. When it comes to marriage, besides the person, family background is also very important. I have a friend who abandoned the man her family had chosen for her and married a seemingly decent scholar. In the end, the whole family looked after the couple. The in-laws were unreasonable, and the younger brother and sister-in-law were difficult to deal with. Their life was..."
Song Jin's drowsiness completely vanished, and she listened with great interest. Afterwards, she exclaimed, "No wonder you guys get along so well!"
Yang Yanjun: ...
That's going too far!
Song Jin looked this love-struck girl up and down, then clicked her tongue and said, "So how did you and Cheng Siyi become friends?"
Yang Yanjun rolled her eyes, patted her arm impatiently, and said, "Don't try to sow discord. A-Yi and I have known each other since we were born. She's been smart since she was little, spends most of her time in school, and is childhood sweethearts with her husband, so it's naturally different."
Song Jin: "Don't you have a childhood sweetheart?"
Yang Yanjun: "She had a bunch of childhood sweethearts at school, but I spend most of my time at home, so I don't have any childhood sweethearts. Boys and girls shouldn't be too close. So, do you have any childhood sweethearts?"
As she spoke, she curiously looked Song Jin up and down.
She had heard before that Song Jin grew up in the countryside. There must be many people from the same village who grew up together, and at her age, it was possible she was already engaged.
Song Jin raised an eyebrow: "Yes."
Speaking of this, she also remembered...
The imperial examination has ended, but the results will be released in a while. Yan Sheng and Shu Chenghao should be in the city, but as for where, Song Jin thought about it and gave up. With her great reputation, they would find her if they wanted to; they would come when they wanted to.
It's understandable that they didn't come; for them, getting involved with the Song family is definitely not a good thing.
Seeing Yang Yanjun's curious look, she smiled and said, "I know him, he's the top student in our area, he should pass the exam this time. Do you want me to introduce you?"
Yang Yanjun's curiosity vanished, and she said speechlessly, "Have you forgotten what I just said? My friend is still staying in another county. She wrote in her last letter saying that although small places can't compare to Yong'an City, they're much quieter, and she wants to stay for a few more years."
She described it vividly, and Song Jin chuckled, "Then you're right, that kid's family is quite troublesome."
Yang Yanjun sighed, "That's normal. When a child from an ordinary family finally succeeds, the parents are naturally proud and elated. If the woman's circumstances are poor, they might look down on her; if her circumstances are good, they might want to be superior. Even among wealthy and powerful families, it's the same. In any case, it's always the woman who suffers. So, you must carefully examine a husband before making a decision."
Song Jin agreed, saying with a hint of pride, "My eyesight is pretty good."
Given Qi Zheng's conditions, there's absolutely no need to worry about that.
In terms of money, he's a man who owns a gold mine.
In terms of power, he is truly second only to the emperor.
As for the man himself, he was a man of exceptional talent, handsome and resolute, righteous and honest.
It might be a bit old-fashioned, but it's not a big problem. These days, being too glib and smooth-talking isn't a good thing at all.
Thinking about it, Song Jin's eyes sparkled, and she couldn't suppress the smugness in her smile. Her expression was undeniably smug.
That's not right.
Yang Yanjun, being an experienced woman herself, immediately understood the situation upon seeing her appearance. She exclaimed in surprise, "Really? You've only been gone a short time! Listen to me, those wild boys out there won't do. A young lady shouldn't marry far away!"
The distance is short; for those who care, even if they suffer a loss in the morning, they'll arrive by noon.
Even if one's own family doesn't care about them, one shouldn't allow others to humiliate them excessively for the sake of face.
Yang Yanjun said earnestly, "There are so many outstanding young people in the capital, which one isn't better than those outside?"
Although she had previously suspected that Song Jin and Qi Zheng had something going on, it was still just a guess.
Song Jin's trip was to find her relatives, and they weren't sure how long she had been gone. At first, she had guessed that they had gone together, but now that she was back while the rest of the group was still out there, she stopped thinking about it.
However, thinking about finding relatives
She widened her eyes: "You've found your mother's relatives? It's not some cousin from your side, is it? Let me tell you, you should always be careful. You've been together for so many years..."
You're really good at guessing.
Song Jin rolled her eyes, picked at her ear, grabbed the person and dragged them away, complaining as she went, "Just like my mother, all of you married people talk so much?"
Yang Yanjun: "...This is based on experience. You're too young to understand."
Song Jin clicked her tongue: "Forget about your experience, mind your own business. Hey, I heard that someone has been coming to propose marriage recently?"
Yang Yanjun finally shut up.
Even with a wealth of experience, reality is unpredictable.
Song Jin raised her eyebrows. She didn't know how to be considerate of people's vulnerability and continued gloatingly, "I heard he's an old man who's been married before and has a child?"
Yang Yanjun retorted, "At thirty, what's with all this talk about being an old man?"
It makes her seem so pitiful.
Song Jinyou: "Three years younger than thirty? Older than my mother!"
Yang Yanjun couldn't help but pinch him: "You're really something, aren't you? Didn't you just get back? How do you know everything?"
Song Jin said smugly, "Don't you even know who I am?"
She naturally couldn't find out these things, but who could blame her when there were several well-informed people in the Song family, especially Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi, who were practically the source of all the gossip? The two brothers had no other skills to impress Qu Maoze, so they sided with Song Jin, sharing gossip with her whenever they had a spare moment.
There's no point in talking about people she doesn't know or who are far away, so she'll stick to people who are nearby.
She hadn't met many people since arriving in the capital, but Yang Yanjun was definitely the most 'lively' one among them.
Yang Yanjun felt irritated just thinking about it. It hadn't even been three months since her divorce, and she didn't want to be a stepmother. Was it really that easy? Doing it well was your duty; doing it poorly made you a bad person.
As for her biological children, she has already damaged her health with her three previous children, and it's uncertain whether she will be able to have more in the future.
Yang Yanjun: "It's so annoying, there's never a moment of peace and quiet."
This is just the beginning. She's only twenty-four this year, and in the next ten years, there will be no shortage of suitors coming to propose marriage.
Song Jin crossed her arms and said leisurely, "If you don't like it, just disappear. It's no big deal."
Yang Yanjun sighed: "It's not that simple."
Those who helped with the marriage proposals were all highly respected and influential people; she couldn't very well turn them away, could she? Besides, the people proposing marriage weren't ordinary individuals; she had to deal with them whether she wanted to or not.
Song Jin didn't understand. If it was her word, she'd just leave. If she wouldn't listen once or twice, then she wouldn't blame her for letting the tiger out of the room.
Yang Yanjun looked at her carefree and unrestrained demeanor with envy, but she couldn't do it herself. She needed to cultivate connections, which meant interacting with people, and that inevitably involved these kinds of miscellaneous tasks.
She sighed, "You're doing quite well, which makes it even more important for you to find a husband with good prospects."
They'd come full circle again. Song Jin was utterly exasperated. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed her and strode away, saying, "Do you even remember why you came out here? Weren't you looking for my future sister-in-law? Hurry up!"
...
Teng Qianxuan's family owns a house in the capital, although it's not big, it still has a small courtyard.
However, all her family members had passed away, and her personal maidservant from childhood had been released to marry and move away. The maidservant she hired later had been bribed by her maternal uncle's family. Feeling unsafe living alone, she temporarily stayed at the Song family's residence.
Although it would inevitably lead to gossip, after what happened at her uncle's house, Teng Qianxuan no longer cares about it.
The Song family are all good people, so there's no need for her to argue about these things.
She had been well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood, and was skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Having grown accustomed to staying at home these past few years, she spent her time in the courtyard of the Song family home, reading, practicing calligraphy, and painting every day – a truly poetic and picturesque scene. Song Jin could only stay for an hour before having to leave, while Xiao Er and Xiao Mei visited more often.
Qu Maoze has now gained considerable influence, and Niu Tielan has no place for them anymore. The shop is now on track, and they only need to visit occasionally.
When Song Jin and the others arrived, the two women were already in the courtyard, and the three of them were each sitting at a table, painting with calligraphy brushes.
Xiao Er was just there to make up the numbers, Xiao Mei studied hard, and Teng Qianxuan was at a master level.
The mountains, the water, and the figures were so lifelike that even Song Jin, who knew nothing about calligraphy and painting, could tell that she was highly skilled.
Yang Yanjun stepped forward with delight: "It's been years since we last met, and Xuan's painting skills have improved even more!"
Teng Qianxuan was stunned for a moment, then put down her pen and walked forward happily: "Is that Sister Jun? It's been years since I last saw you, and you're even more charming than before!"
Yang Yanjun chuckled and pinched her cheek: "You're so good with words. It's been years since I last saw you. Look at your face, so fair and delicate. The water and soil of Jiangnan really do nourish people. Are you doing well over there?"
Teng Qianxuan smiled shyly and said, "It's quite nice. Jiangnan has beautiful scenery, fertile land, and a wide variety of food, which is very nourishing. It's just that the plum rain season is humid, with rain and waterlogging all day long. If you're not careful, you can easily get rheumatism."
She didn't even blink; if Song Jin hadn't known her past, she would have really thought she was doing quite well.
However, this is for the best. The Song family has many enemies, and if she is too fragile and weak, she will inevitably suffer grievances in the future.
Looking at the two people who kept calling each other "good sister" and "good younger sister," Song Jin crossed her arms and asked, "You two knew each other before?"
Yang Yanjun, arm in arm with Teng Qianxuan, smiled and said, "We used to attend poetry gatherings together. Sister Xuan is incredibly talented; she writes beautiful poems and often helps write invitations. She's amazing!"
Song Jin seemed thoughtful: "Oh, I see. Then you can take her with you when you go to work. She's always staying at home, look how pale and sickly she is, tsk tsk."
Yang Yanjun's lips twitched, and she subconsciously glanced at Teng Qianxuan. Seeing that Teng Qianxuan was smiling and didn't seem unhappy at all, she felt relieved and said speechlessly, "You really know how to talk, but you have a point. I'm going to be setting up a Ciji Hall soon, and you'll have to help me, Sister Xuan. After the imperial examination, A-Yi is very busy and hasn't had time for me."
Teng Qianxuan hesitated for a moment: "Me? I haven't been involved in these things for a long time."
Yang Yanjun smiled and said, "You're too modest. Besides, I'm just a little rusty. Can't I get better with practice? Please help me out..."
Teng Qianxuan had rarely been involved in household affairs in recent years and was somewhat unfamiliar with these matters, but after much hesitation, she finally agreed.
Although the Song family mansion was nice, she couldn't stay in the courtyard every day and rely on them for everything.
After her parents passed away, all their property and dowry were in her hands. She hadn't had the opportunity before, but now she had to plan ahead and acquire some more for herself, lest she run out of money.
The two hit it off immediately, and as they chatted, they started talking about Yong'an City.
Yang Yanjun mainly said that Teng Qianxuan listened most of the time, occasionally replying with a word or two, which was always spot on.
They chatted happily, going back and forth, and talked about all sorts of trivial things.
What kind of fabric is used for clothes, poetry, books, and rouge?
Song Jin was not in the mood. After sitting for a while, she yawned and promptly slipped away.
Yang Yanjun was unsurprised, and Teng Qianxuan was also used to it.
Compared to the five Song brothers, they were already being treated like VIPs by Song Jin.
Yang Yanjun couldn't help but say, "You have no idea how unreliable she is. The other day she went out and hunted a whole bunch of prey, then just threw them aside, closed her eyes, and ran off."
Teng Qianxuan smiled, pursing her lips: "That's just my little sister's personality."
...
The two looked at each other and burst out laughing. They chatted back and forth, as if they had returned to the happy days they spent together in Yong'an City.
Fourteen or fifteen years old is truly the most carefree, joyful, and happy age.
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