Song Jiyun had just come out from Yinyu Hall when she was blocked at the gate of her courtyard by Madam Li.
"Song Jiyun, you who were born to a mother but raised without one," she started scolding with her hands on her hips, "for what reason are you blocking our family’s way..."
Song Jiyun felt that talking to her was a waste of time.
She bypassed Madam Li, walked forward expressionlessly, and instructed Nanny Zheng who was accompanying her: "Find some strong women to gag her mouth and take her to the old lady. Tell the old lady, considering she is my aunt, I’ll let it go this time. If she dares to insult again, I will tie her up and gag her just like today, and send her back to her mother’s house with gongs and drums."
Nanny Zheng hurriedly went to call people.
Song Jiyun then called over Steward Wu to discuss the feast for the Store Manager and the master craftsmen the next day.
Steward Wu had followed Song Youliang for many years and was very familiar with these Store Managers and master craftsmen; he quickly finalized the numbers and the list as if it were second nature.
Song Jiyun instructed him to send out the invitations, then she went back to her room to catch up on sleep.
When she woke up in the evening, Xiang Zhan, who served her, chattered excitedly: "The roads on both sides are blocked; the Great Master only mentioned opening a side gate, while the Third Old Master has said nothing. But Miss, sending the Third Madam to the old lady has really upset her. I heard that Nanny Zeng got her forehead broken by a tea cup and came out covering her forehead with a handkerchief!"
Song Jiyun dismissed it after hearing it.
She still had many things to do. As long as Song Sanliang and his wife didn’t bother her again, she didn’t want to waste time dealing with them.
*
The next day, Song Jiyun hosted the guests.
It started raining in the morning.
Fortunately, when she and her mother left the house, the rain had stopped, and there was a rainbow in the sky.
Madam Qian, recalling Madam Li’s trouble with Song Jiyun the previous day, worriedly said, "Your grandmother knows we are hosting guests. She won’t come to cause trouble, will she?"
"It doesn’t matter!" Song Jiyun and her mother stopped to watch the rainbow for a while, then continued arm in arm to the Water Pavilion where they were hosting the feast, "I’ve arranged everything. The more they make trouble, the easier it is for us to catch them in the act. I’m actually hoping they come to make a scene!"
Outside the Water Pavilion, the lake shone and the mountains loomed.
Madam Qian complained, "Initially, it was your grand-uncle who squandered the family fortune. Creditors came to our house every day to press for debts. Seeing that we could no longer get by, your grandmother decided to split up the family."
"Your grand-uncle took the ancestral mansion; your third uncle took the side residence along with two shop fronts; your father, however, got a rundown courtyard and debts of two thousand taels of silver."
"Your father was too proud to use my dowry silver.
He simply rented a shopfront, hired four shop assistants, a master craftsman to work the potter’s wheel, invited your maternal grandfather to serve as our family’s painter, and partnered with others to rent a kiln, inheriting the family business and establishing an independent household to start the porcelain business.
"The first year resulted in a loss of three hundred taels of silver.
By the time of the year-end feast, we didn’t even have the silver to treat the people in the workshop to a meal at a restaurant."
The more she spoke, the more agitated she became: "At that time, your grandmother was living with your third uncle.
"Your father secretly went to borrow silver from your third uncle.
"He took a cartful of New Year’s gifts there but came back empty-handed."
"That year’s year-end feast was held at our house.
"The meal was prepared by Nanny Zheng with my help in firing the stove. Afterwards, your father cried on my knees like a child, constantly saying he was sorry to me."
As Madam Qian spoke, her eyes reddened and tears fell: "For so many years, your father has borne the kindness of his parents and the love of his siblings, but who has considered his difficulties!"
Song Jiyun had heard adults mention it when she was younger, but it was the first time she heard Madam Qian complain in front of her. She hurriedly comforted her mother, saying, "Don’t worry! Whether it’s the stores or the Kiln Factory that father left behind, I won’t hand them over to them."
Having said this, she couldn’t help but sneer a few times, "I originally thought that producing porcelain was a tough job, and if they were willing to take over, we could just take the dividends.
"Who would have thought that they are all ungrateful wolves.
"Who knows if we handed over the stores and Kiln Factory to them, they might even think we are weak and can be easily manipulated like soft persimmons!"
She calmly said, "Breaking the basin is just the beginning. After father’s mourning period ends, they will surely come under the banner of ’discussion’ to push for someone to manage our family’s stores and Kiln Factory. That is the golden goose that lays eggs, their ultimate goal."
"But you are just a young girl, can you do it?" Madam Qian worriedly said, "The stores and Kiln Factory have always forbidden women from entering, especially the Kiln Factory, where even the cleaners are only men. Can those Store Managers and master craftsmen respect you? Even with father’s remaining influence and kindness, it won’t work just by meeting once and having a drink."
"I know," Song Jiyun hugged her mother and said, "I wasn’t expecting them to support me immediately this time. It’s mainly for laying the groundwork for the future, to meet people, talk, and see their reactions."
Seeing that her daughter had arranged everything thoroughly, Madam Qian couldn’t help saying, "Who have you invited for that part?"
The Song Family alone had six master craftsmen.
Song Jiyun said, "Luo Zixing."
Madam Qian mused, "I remember him. He fled from Anhui. If it weren’t for your father’s shelter, he would have died long ago."
Song Jiyun smiled and said, "This time I have also invited their family members."
Madam Qian was somewhat surprised.
Song Jiyun smiled and said, "Since it’s a family banquet, it should look like a family banquet. There are things women can say that those Store Managers and master craftsmen might hesitate to mention."
Madam Qian nodded again and again.
Yuan Yunzhong came over.
He wore a precious blue robe woven with dark purple and bats design, or perhaps it was from walking all the way here, his cheeks were slightly flushed, against his fair skin and autumn-like eyes, he looked extraordinarily handsome and stately, giving off a completely different vibe from his usual reserved self, as if he were a different person.
Song Jiyun looked him up and down, speechless for a long time.
Instead, it was Madam Qian who, upon seeing him, was very pleased, quickly stood up, and with a beaming smile said, "You’ve arrived," praising his outfit, "If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t this one of the pieces Nanny Zheng brought back from the tailor’s shop yesterday?"
Yuan Yunzhong nodded with a smile and flattered, "You have really good taste!"
Madam Qian laughed even more joyously, asking him if he had breakfast yet, what he ate, and whether it suited his taste.
In front of Song Jiyun, Yuan Yunzhong changed his usually haughty demeanor to a gentle and slow-speaking one, appearing endearing to all middle-aged women.
Song Jiyun barely suppressed a laugh.
If Yuan Yunzhong knew that Madam Qian’s affection for him was conditional, who knows what he would look like?
Luckily, before they spoke much, several Store Managers and master craftsmen who had received invitations arrived one after another, and Madam Qian led them to greet the guests at the entrance of the Water Pavilion.
When Song Jiyun was young, Song Youliang often carried her on his shoulders to check the accounts in the stores or took her to play in the Kiln Factory. After she turned ten, although it was less frequent, they were not strangers who had never seen each other.
Especially Luo Zixing, who had even held her when she was little. Seeing her now, he was teary-eyed and praised Madam Qian enthusiastically, "The young miss is truly capable, just like the master."
Madam Qian was so pleased she couldn’t stop smiling, but she was taken aback when she saw the people Luo Zixing brought along, pointing at the young woman next to Madam Luo hesitantly and asking, "Who is this?"
Luo Zixing and his wife were average-looking, but the girl was strikingly beautiful, delicate and naive like a blooming luxurious flower, clearly not someone the Luo family could have raised.
Luo Zixing laughed and said, "My dear wife doesn’t recognize her—this is Silly Girl!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
