Undercurrents are surging
Wang Xiaoyao was driving a donkey cart along a small road in the suburbs.
As the day drew to a close, the lingering glow of the rosy clouds on the horizon faded, and the sky began to shimmer with tiny points of light.
Wang Pan'er lay half-reclined on the donkey cart, her hands crossed behind her head, one leg propped up, enjoying the twilight with a rare moment of leisure.
The donkey cart was already covered with a thick layer of thatch and an old quilt, so it didn't feel as uncomfortable as a flatbed cart.
This is Wang Xiaoyao's masterpiece; the young girl never shortchanges herself.
During the day, the visit of a distinguished person was a major event, and the people in the prefecture were all talking about it, including Wang Xiaoyao. Being very curious, and knowing that the distinguished person favored the medicinal cuisine restaurant, she asked her sister to inquire about it.
The nobleman is indeed a good nobleman, but the prefect and the wealthy man are such lackeys and good-for-nothings, they are not respectable and have caused quite a few scandals.
Wang Xiaoyao laughed so hard he couldn't stand up straight, slapping the cart so hard it made a loud bang: "Hongxiao is right, the prefect and the rich man are really good-for-nothings, their flattery backfired."
Wang Pan'er said without denying: "That's right. This afternoon, Master Su came to the estate and ordered me to accompany the nobleman. He repeatedly told me to serve him well."
"When we met Master Su in Da'an Town, what a grand procession it was! He was surrounded by a retinue of servants. But as soon as a distinguished guest arrived, he immediately changed his tune, becoming obsequious and servile. It was truly despicable." As night fell completely, Wang Xiaoyao finished laughing, lit a lantern, and hung it on the front of the carriage. He continued, "It seems that the reputation of the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce is largely the result of manipulation."
I hadn't thought of it that way, but Wang Xiaoyao's casual remark gave me a new idea.
Previously, they were too narrow-minded, thinking that if the Chamber of Commerce won the hearts of the people and did not mistreat the people, they would be kind and generous. They never thought that the hearts of the people and their reputation were tools for them to siphon fame and fortune.
By cultivating an image of integrity and fairness, they attracted merchants to join, established industry rules that benefited the public, and once the association was associated with the reputation of offering high-quality goods at low prices and honest dealings, it gained immense public trust. This trust, in turn, attracted a continuous stream of merchants to join, like a snowball rolling downhill, leading to the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce we know today.
Wang Pan'er had been through the trials of society and knew that these were bad habits and deep-rooted problems, but countless people still managed to make a name for themselves by exploiting these outdated customs, achieving great success and rising to high positions.
Thinking of this, she felt heavy-hearted and sighed: "To make a change, one needs absolute power and authority. Those in power must be able to recognize people and assess situations. People of the same kind attract each other, and only then can truly outstanding individuals stand out."
Wang Pan'er's words made sense, and she sighed and frowned as she spoke. Fearing that she was overthinking and was wasting her energy, Wang Xiaoyao quickly added, "Sister Pan'er, you told me before that no accumulation, whether money or reputation, can be achieved overnight. Power is probably the same. What we've done, however much or little, has protected the elderly, weak, women, and children of this region, earning their approval and support. Moreover, the governor of Jinzhou is merely a prefect. Brother Mu Chuan said that the current emperor is a wise ruler who loves his people like his own children. If he were to truly oppress the people, he would certainly not turn a blind eye."
After graduating, Wang Pan'er endured several years of hardship, and she couldn't help but view things from a pessimistic perspective, becoming sensitive and internally conflicted. She intentionally avoided this, and together with Mu Chuan, guided her younger sister, Wang Xiaoyao, towards an optimistic and cheerful outlook during the formative years of her values. In the blink of an eye, her sister had grown strong enough to nurture her own inner peace.
After Wang Xiaoyao's words, Wang Pan'er's pent-up anger dissipated considerably. She looked at Wang Xiaoyao, whose eyes, flickering in the candlelight, were full of righteous indignation.
Wang Pan'er couldn't help but feel proud and exclaimed, "That's right. A good mindset determines one's life. I shouldn't always worry about things that I can't change. Even if the current emperor is not a wise ruler, water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."
Wang Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow: "That's exactly what I'm saying!"
The girl next door, whom they had brought from the mountains, was already able to spread her wings on her own, but the new little mute girl who had come to their house was causing them headaches and worries.
When Wang Xiaoyao was still Sanya, although she was beaten into a state of cowardice by her father who gave birth to her but did not raise her, she still had the courage to draw her knife when facing death. She was kind by nature, but she was not a delicate flower. With the right nourishment, she would grow stronger by her own means.
Unlike the little mute girl, the little mute girl was gentle and always swallowed her anger and made concessions. No matter how Wang Pan'er treated her, she would look at her with red eyes, appearing grateful and ready to repay her kindness with her body, wishing she could be her slave.
She was given a cup of freshly boiled water, which she took and gulped down. Despite the tears streaming down her face from the heat, she still tried to appease Wang Pan'er by handing over the empty cup. When they sat down to eat, the two sisters never dared to touch any of the dishes they hadn't tried. They were picky eaters, but they didn't want anyone to find out. When she developed an allergic reaction, they took her to a medicinal restaurant to have Tao Shuo examine her pulse, only to discover that she was covered in rashes.
There are countless examples like this.
They're so well-behaved it breaks your heart, yet also makes you want to roar at the heavens.
There will always be inherent differences between people, which cannot be changed by education.
The little mute girl's excessive beauty is a winning combination with any other card, but beauty alone is bound to be a disaster. A timid beauty is an even more hellish start.
For the little mute girl to have a smooth life, she must acquire another asset to counterbalance her beauty, such as a clever mind or a skill that doesn't rely on her looks.
Wang Pan'er thought about the little mute girl's clear and innocent eyes and felt that it was hard to associate intelligence with her. It would be more prudent to find a suitable skill for the little mute girl.
The little mute girl had been lying in bed for several days. Her body had recovered somewhat, and she was just able to get out of bed. She carried a basin of flowers and stood at Wang Pan'er's door, waiting for her to get up.
With the little mute girl and her meticulous care, the fast-growing herbs have already begun to sprout.
After washing up, Wang Pan'er came to the dining room, where Wang Xiaoyao was already eating xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) with a lot of vinegar and chili oil, along with millet porridge.
Upon seeing her sister, Wang Xiaoyao swallowed the food in her mouth and hurriedly urged, "Come on, come on, today's breakfast is especially delicious!"
Wang Pan'er also picked up a xiaolongbao (soup dumpling) and dipped it in a vinegar dish. The kitchen usually makes xiaolongbao, but today's were especially oily and fragrant.
The little mute girl stood beside them, blinking her eyes and looking at the two sisters expectantly.
A bad feeling rose in Wang Pan'er's heart. She exchanged a glance with Wang Xiaoyao, and they both choked up and put down their chopsticks.
This setup doesn't look satisfactory.
The little mute girl flinched.
Wang Pan'er pointed to the steamed buns and millet porridge and asked, "Did you make these?"
The little mute girl nodded timidly, feeling wronged and confused. She had put plenty of meat in the buns when she made them, and she had tasted them beforehand, so they should be pretty good.
With a sigh, Wang Pan'er gently pulled apart the little mute girl's fingers, which were clenched together in a twisted manner. "I'm not blaming you. There's no shortage of cooks on the estate. You're so young, taking care of your health is the most important thing. Everything else can wait. Xianying sent you here because she knows we'll all treat you like a younger sister. Just like Sister Xiaoyao, don't worry about your food, clothing, or other needs on the estate."
With such a gentle nature, she could still flee her home without hesitation when faced with the unknown deep mountains and wild animals. One can only imagine that her situation at home would have been even worse. She most likely grew up caught between trying to please others and seeking approval, becoming accustomed to reading people's faces. When she encountered the two sisters who asked for nothing in return, she began to feel out of place.
Wang Pan'er pulled the little mute girl to sit down between them and set out a bowl and chopsticks for her: "Do you know what Sister Xiaoyao does?"
The little mute girl shook her head.
Wang Pan'er added a bowl of porridge to her bowl: "Sister Xiaoyao has a very large attic where all the registered ladies live. Anyone who needs a job can post a task in the attic, and a lady who meets the requirements can accept it. From small tasks like weaving cloth to large tasks like shop management, they have everything. Once you've recovered, you can go visit Sister Xiaoyao. You can also go to school if you want, or find a skill that interests you to learn. There's nothing you can't do."
Speaking of being registered, they didn't even know what the little mute girl's name was. They kept calling her "little mute girl" all day long, which didn't sound very pleasant.
"May I have your name?"
The little mute girl made a seven-pointed hand gesture.
"Xiao Qi?"
She nodded.
The seventh child in the family was clearly not valued; not even a name was carefully chosen for her.
However, in feudal society, it was not uncommon for women to be in such a situation, especially in rural areas. They either hoped for sons or casually referred to their birth order, such as Wang Pan'er and San Ya.
Wang Pan'er felt sorry for the little mute girl and asked, "How about we give you a new name?"
The little mute girl's eyes lit up.
Wang Pan'er propped her head up and thought for a long time: "Peach and plum trees do not speak, yet a path is formed beneath them. Let's call it 'Chengxi' (meaning 'formed path')."
Wang Xiaoyao swallowed the steamed bun with millet porridge and added, "Cheng, meaning clear, and Xi, meaning spring sunshine, would be more meaningful. She's beautiful, but she attracts a bunch of low-class scumbags, how awful that must be."
Excellent!
Wang Pan'er nodded. The little mute girl couldn't understand their stilted words, but she knew that both of her older sisters had chosen good names, and she happily swung her toes along with them.
"So what's your last name?"
The little mute girl pointed at Wang Pan'er, then at Wang Xiaoyao.
"Your surname is also Wang?"
She shook her head and pointed to the two sisters again.
"They're going to take our surname?"
She excitedly got up, hugged Wang Pan'er, then hugged Wang Xiaoyao, and nodded seriously.
Since Wang Chengxi has taken both of their surnames, she will be their younger sister from now on.
Wang Xiaoyao was in a great mood after becoming an older sister. She imitated how Wang Pan'er treated her and stroked Wang Chengxi's hair, saying, "From now on, our little sister must be a good girl and take good care of her health!"
After breakfast, Wang Pan'er took Wang Chengxi and went out with Wang Xiaoyao.
Since the nobleman hadn't left Jinzhou Prefecture, Wang Pan'er had to go to the medicinal cuisine restaurant to wait for him every day. Leaving Wang Chengxi alone on the estate might make her start doing things on her own, so it was better to bring her along, and also so that Tao Shuo could take her pulse.
Fortunately, Wang Chengxi is young and recovered quickly; she is mostly recovered. However, due to years of lack of food and clothing, her internal organs are deficient, and she cannot be rushed; she needs to recuperate slowly.
Just past noon, after arranging Wang Chengxi's meal, Wang Pan'er was about to go to the kitchen to help when the nobleman, accompanied by two maids, gracefully stepped into the shop.
Green Ripple and Red Silk each carried a rather large package. Upon seeing Wang Pan'er, they warmly handed over the packages: "Yesterday, we went to the cherry blossom grove with Madam. We heard from the teahouse waiter that the owner's cherry blossom fruit is exceptional. Madam was curious, so she sent the two of us to pick some branches, thinking that the owner could show off his skills."
Last time, she didn't pick many cherry blossoms, but Wang Pan'er was thinking of going to the cherry blossom grove again before the cherry blossoms fell. These two big bags of cherry blossoms would save her the trouble of walking.
She accepted it with a smile: "There's no room in the restaurant. If you don't mind, how about coming to my estate on the outskirts of the city? Although I'm not good at managing things and the estate is a bit messy, there is a hot spring there. Right now, it's cold in early spring, and it just so happens that you're experiencing blood stasis. A soak in the hot spring will help you improve your health."
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