The Wife of a Loyal Servant - Chapter 28

The next morning, Cheng Shaoan was surprised to see that his elder brother and sister-in-law had reconciled, leaving him puzzled.

Madam Wang, however, didn’t seem to notice anything strange.

What couple didn’t quarrel on the bed and make up by morning? There was nothing worth fussing over. Besides, with her eldest son’s temperament, he couldn’t stay angry for long.

With the adoption settled, Ling Yu felt relieved and devoted herself entirely to Liufang Hall.

Madam Wang was somewhat surprised, and a little disapproving, when she learned that Ling Yu was going into business with someone. But upon hearing that her partners were her own elder brother and the daughter of the former Doctor Yang from Huichun Hall in the county, and with Cheng Shaotang already giving his approval, she didn’t object further.

Cheng Shaoan, on the other hand, was eager to join in. The tea-stall business was getting worse and worse. Thugs collecting protection fees, site fees, and all sorts of nonsense charges were becoming more common. Running at a loss was becoming the new normal. Even though Ling Yu no longer took a portion of his earnings, he still didn’t make much, only a fraction of what he used to.

Ling Yu had anticipated his reaction and was about to speak when Cheng Shaotang shook his head and said, “This isn’t appropriate. If it were just a family business, it wouldn’t matter, but Miss Yang is involved. Besides, the shop’s success is entirely thanks to Brother Dachun. If another member of our family joins, it would seem like we’re taking advantage.”

“Your elder brother is right. Let’s drop the matter. If you want, you can start some other small business after Qiaorong marries. If you don’t have enough money, your mother still has some,” Madam Wang advised her second son.

The business with their in-laws already had their daughter-in-law’s branch involved, and adding their second son’s branch, what would that look like?

Cheng Shaoan was a little disappointed, but since both his brother and mother disagreed, he couldn’t say anything more and could only reply sullenly, “Alright then!”

Ling Yu was somewhat moved. She knew she truly didn’t want Cheng Shaoan involved, but given her position, it wasn’t appropriate to refuse. Having Cheng Shaotang and Madam Wang handle it was the best outcome.

It was also because the mother and son were honest people, unmoved by personal gain.

“Actually, Brother Dachun also took over a batch of fabric left by the shop’s previous owner. I was thinking that my cousin is very skilled at sewing and wanted to ask her to help turn it into ready-made clothes. If they sell well, Shaoan could also use this as a business path in the future. After all, Liufang Hall only deals in rouge, powder, and perfume, and doesn’t plan to get involved in the fabric trade,” Ling Yu explained.

The mother and her two sons thought it over, and all felt it was a good idea. Since the fabric was just sitting there, they might as well use it to test the waters. If the results were good, investing a bit of money to open a small shop specializing in fabric and ready-made clothes wouldn’t be unprofitable.

Cheng Shaoan was immediately overjoyed. “Thank you for the suggestion, sister-in-law!”

Ling Yu smiled slightly.

This was truly a solution that benefited both sides. The batch of fabric had to be dealt with, and Cheng Shaoan’s branch couldn’t be ignored. Their parents had always had a bit of a “help the poor” mentality. Even though the mother-in-law treated both sons fairly now, if the wealth gap between the two branches became too great in the future, conflicts would naturally arise.

It was a helpless, suffocating reality.

Fortunately, at least for now, Cheng Shaoan seems to have improved considerably compared to his previous life. As for his future and how far he and Jin Qiaorong will go, she doesn’t want to think about it too much.

She has done what she can. She tries her best not to dwell on the things of her past life, only wanting to live a good life in this one. But not dwelling on it doesn’t mean accepting it, nor does it mean she really has to act like a mother to them, worrying about whether they will be well.

Everything is gradually getting back on track. Cheng Shaotang has started working at the yamen, the shop has been renovated, and since the old servant Chengbo has returned from his hometown, Yang Suwen has also returned to her home in the county town, focusing entirely on preparing the first batch of Jade Complexion Cream for sale.

Now that Cheng Shaotang is a government official, Ling Yu naturally won’t let this golden opportunity pass her by. She insists on giving him several boxes of Jade Complexion Cream, asking him to find a way to send them to the ladies of Lord Guo’s household.

Cheng Shaotang’s face changed upon hearing this, staring at her incredulously. “Ridiculous! Doesn’t this constitute a secret transaction? Where do you place me?!”

“How can you be so stupid?!” Ling Yu stamped her foot, saying resentfully, “Couldn’t you find an opportunity to hand it over to Lord Guo?”

“What difference does it make? Besides, how can a man like me, sending gifts to someone’s wife through her husband, be considered proper?” Cheng Shaotang’s expression remained dark.

What kind of man casually gives gifts to women outside his household? It was utterly absurd.

“Just say it’s from me, alright? Consider it thanks to Lord Guo saving my life last time.” Ling Yu was nearly driven mad by his thickheadedness.

Cheng Shaotang’s brows drew together, about to voice another objection, but Ling Yu had already shoved the items into his hands and threatened, “If you don’t help me deliver them, you can sleep in the woodshed from now on!”

“You—!” Cheng Shaotang choked with anger, unable to believe she would threaten him like this, but he had to admit that the threat worked.

“Only this once!” he said sternly.

The moment Ling Yu saw this, she knew he had agreed. Her face lit up as she nodded again and again. “Of course, of course.”

But inwardly she thought, Does he really think I’m running a charity? Giving away so much pains me too. This is the only free batch. Once Liufang Hall opens, anyone who wants more will have to bring real silver.

The boxes of Jade Complexion Cream she’d gotten from Yang Suwen earlier had already been lost during her escape from her kidnappers. These new ones were given to her at her parents’ home. She kept four boxes, one for herself, one for Madam Wang, one to give to her sister Ling Bi in a few days, and the last, naturally, for her future sister-in-law, Jin Qiaorong.

She also wanted to discuss the matter of sewing clothes with Jin Qiaorong, so she brought the cream along to the Jin household.

Madam Sun answered the door, and upon seeing her, welcomed her in with a smile.

“Auntie, what have you been busy with lately? You look like you’ve slimmed down quite a bit,” Ling Yu said as she stepped inside.

“I’ve just been doing some needlework in my free time to earn a little money. Here, try my jujube tea. See if the taste suits you?”

Ling Yu took a sip. It carried the sweetness of jujube mixed with the mellow richness of tea. Together, they made a uniquely pleasant flavor.

She praised it generously, which made Madam Sun grin from ear to ear.

Ling Yu remembered her mother-in-law mentioning that this cousin had once worked as a maid in a wealthy family. Because of that, even though her household wasn’t well-off now, she was still particular about her daily life, able to make even the simplest things look pleasing.

Ling Yu truly admired people like her—no matter their circumstances, they never let themselves live miserably.

In her previous life, this cousin from the Jin family passed away two years after Jin Qiaorong’s marriage and never saw the chaos of war; perhaps that could be considered a small blessing.

“Where’s Cousin Qiaorong? Why don’t I see her?”

“She’s in the east room. Go ahead. I’ll tidy up and then come chat with you,” Madam Sun said with a smile.

Jin Qiaorong was in the room embroidering her dowry. Although she wasn’t entirely satisfied with the marriage, she appreciated Cheng Shaoan’s sincerity. And since it concerned her whole life, she put great care into preparing her dowry.

When Ling Yu entered, Jin Qiaorong was embroidering a wedding dress. Seeing the lifelike peonies, Ling Yu couldn’t help exclaiming, “Cousin, your craftsmanship is truly superb. Not just in the village—even in the whole county, no one could match you.”

She meant every word. With Jin Qiaorong’s fair complexion and delicate beauty, willow-like brows, bright eyes like autumn water, a fine nose, and rosy lips. Ling Yu could easily believe she was the daughter of a wealthy family.

No wonder Cheng Shaoan had fallen for her at first sight and worked himself to the bone earning money for her. What Ling Yu couldn’t understand was why he had abandoned her so ruthlessly in her previous life.

Unable to make sense of it, she let the thought go.

“Sister-in-law, you flatter me. Please sit,” Jin Qiaorong said politely, though inwardly quite pleased.

She had always been confident in her embroidery.

Ling Yu praised her a few more times, chatted for a bit, and then finally explained her reason for coming.

She didn’t hide anything from her, truthfully explaining that the fabric was something she had jointly acquired with others, and that asking her to make the clothes would only cost about twenty percent more than the market price.

Ling Dachun had only intended to raise it by 10%, but Ling Yu knew Jin Qiaorong’s skills and felt they could increase it to 20%. Seeing how confident she was, Ling Dachun agreed.

Jin Qiaorong’s smile faded slightly upon hearing this. She lowered her eyes for a moment, about to speak, when Madam Sun, who had entered without their noticing, greeted them warmly.

“That’s wonderful. The dowry is almost finished anyway, so we might as well take this opportunity to earn a little more,” Madam Sun said happily.

“Mother is right,” Jin Qiaorong replied softly.

Seeing her agree, Ling Yu said, “In that case, I’ll bring you the fabric and design another day.”

“Thank you for your trouble, sister-in-law.”

The three chatted for a while longer, and Ling Yu gave Jin Qiaorong the jade cream she had brought before leaving.

After she left, Jin Qiaorong’s smile vanished completely, and she irritably tossed aside the unfinished wedding dress.

“What’s gotten into you? Why are you angry all of a sudden? Who upset you?” Madam Sun, still pleased that Ling Yu had brought timely help to enrich her daughter’s dowry, was puzzled by her daughter’s annoyance.

“Who else besides the one who just left?” Jin Qiaorong pouted.

“How did she upset you? Didn’t she bring you a good business deal?” Madam Sun asked in confusion.

“She has a share in the shop and in the fabric. If she truly cared, why didn’t she let Cheng Shaoan join too? Instead, she asks me to work for her.” Jin Qiaorong had already heard from Cheng Shaoan about Ling Yu’s business partnership, and she’d been feeling unhappy about it for some time.

Madam Sun shook her head and gently advised, “Even brothers have their own lives to live. They can’t always stick together. It’s better to keep things clear, so there’s less friction in the future, and harmony between brothers and sisters-in-law.”

Jin Qiaorong still felt a little wronged.

Madam Sun sighed and gently stroked her daughter’s long hair. “Don’t overthink it. Once you’re married, just live a good life with Shaoan. There’s no need to concern yourself with anything else. Your aunt has a very good temper and won’t make things difficult for you. And that Madam Ling seems like a straightforward person as well, I’m sure she won’t be hard to get along with.”

Jin Qiaorong knew that things had already reached this point, and no matter how wronged she felt, she had no choice but to marry. Fortunately, Cheng Shaoan treated her well, and the Cheng family lived far better than most households in the village.

Meanwhile, ever since Cheng Shaotang entered the county office, he had devoted himself to capturing Liang Fang. Through this, he witnessed the arrogance of Du Batian, the local tyrant who wasn’t even afraid of the authorities.

Although they knew Liang Fang was hiding in the Du residence, Du Batian blocked their way, surrounded by a large group of lackeys, looking very much as if he intended to fight the officials.

“Lord Guo,” Du Batian said with a sinister tone, “if I remember correctly, the Ministry of Personnel’s assessment is about to begin. You’d best be careful lest you fail to keep your official hat. If that happens, even going home to grow sweet potatoes won’t be safe. You might encounter a bandit on the road. Losing your possessions is a small matter, but you may not even be able to protect your family’s lives.”

Guo Qi sneered. “My assessment is no concern of yours, Master Du. You’d better recognize the situation and hand over Liang Fang.”

“No one has ever taken anyone from my hands,” Du Batian replied. “And you’re no exception.”

As soon as he finished, his henchmen rolled up their sleeves, while another group rushed over with weapons, quickly surrounding Guo Qi and the officials.

Cheng Shaotang frowned. If a fight broke out, casualties would be inevitable, and they still might not be able to arrest the man.

With that in mind, he whispered to Guo Qi, “Sir, perhaps we should return to the yamen and discuss this further.”

Though furious, Guo Qi knew this was not the time to fight head-on.

Back at the county office, his anger still hadn’t subsided. Constable Cui’s face was dark with rage as well. “Sir, why don’t we teach that wretch a lesson and see whose fist is harder!”

“To capture Liang Fang, we must first take down Du Batian. Over the years, my lord has surely gathered no small amount of evidence against him, but we still lack the right opportunity to wipe him out in one sweep. If I remember correctly, Du Batian has long been secretly colluding with the bandits of Changfeng Stronghold. Last year, a wealthy traveler in Hengchang County was robbed and murdered. It was the work of Changfeng Stronghold, another powerful support behind him,” Cheng Shaotang said slowly.

“I’ve heard some of this. If such dog bandits aren’t removed, it will truly be hard to quell my hatred!” Constable Cui clenched his fist.

“In my opinion, if we want to take down Du Batian, we can use a plan of sowing discord.”

Guo Qi’s attention sharpened. “How do we sow discord?”

Cheng Shaotang whispered in his ear.

“This plan is excellent. In that case, you and Constable Cui must act with care!”

Both men acknowledged the order.

Before bowing and leaving, Cheng Shaotang suddenly remembered the instructions Ling Yu had given him. He hesitated for a moment, then turned back.

“Is there anything else?” Guo Qi asked curiously when he saw him return.

Cheng Shaotang handed him the boxes of Jade Complexion Cream he had been hiding in his robes. “My lord, this is a gift from my wife to thank you for helping us escape from those criminals last time.”

“Isn’t this a balm for women?” Guo Qi asked with a wry smile as he took a look.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Cheng Shaotang cleared his throat. “My wife means that as a local official, you surely lack nothing. This balm, called Jade Complexion Cream and produced by Liufang Hall, is said to have remarkable effects on rejuvenating the skin…”

He couldn’t bring himself to finish and could only look at Guo Qi, hoping he would understand.

Guo Qi laughed heartily. “I understand. I lack nothing, but beauty in the boudoir is something one never complains about. Your young wife is quite interesting. The Jade Complexion Cream from Liufang Hall, is it? I’ll remember it and have my wife try it.”

Seeing that he understood her meaning at once, Cheng Shaotang let out a relieved breath, though a bit embarrassed, and stammered, “She’s just… just a bit strong-willed, but she wouldn’t deceive anyone. This ointment was made by Doctor Yang’s daughter from Huichun Hall. My wife tested it herself and found it truly effective, which is why I dared present it to Madam.”

Guo Qi burst into hearty laughter again.

Ling Yu was gradually finding more free time. Preparations for the opening of Liufang Hall were nearly complete. A few days earlier, through Ling Dachun’s connections, she had signed an agreement with a workshop in town to specially produce the boxes for the Jade Complexion Cream. The box designs were decided jointly by her and Yang Suwen.

The first batch of Jade Complexion Cream prepared by Yang Suwen had also been completed.

Meanwhile, on Jin Qiaorong’s side, she had begun sewing garments according to the style Ling Yu requested.

With everything running smoothly, Ling Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, now simply waiting for Liufang Hall’s opening day.

“What has Shaotang been busy with these days? He hasn’t come home for so long,” Madam Wang complained during a casual daytime chat.

“He’s probably swamped at the county office and can’t get away right now. Give it a few days, and he should be fine,” Ling Yu explained.

Because Cheng Shaotang had taken a completely different path in this life compared to the last, Ling Yu no longer had any certainty about what his future would hold.

She had another plan as well: if Cheng Shaotang earned greater favor from Guo Qi, then when Guo Qi was transferred the following year, she intended for Cheng Shaotang to follow him. That way, she could have a reason to persuade her family to move, find a way to relocate Liufang Hall’s business, and avoid the war that would erupt four years later.

As an ordinary commoner, she naturally had no clear idea of how the war had truly begun. She had only heard while fleeing that Prince Lu, resentful that Prince Qi had been named crown prince, rebelled, but she had no way of knowing what was real.

Either way, it was imperial brothers fighting, and the common people paying the price.

Cheng Shaotang had been away from home for nearly a month. Ling Yu had gone to the county office several times to deliver clothes and food, but she had never seen him. Other constables always handed the things over for her. She tried to learn his whereabouts, both openly and discreetly, but the constables always dodged her questions.

She found it strange, but she also understood that people working in official offices had their own ways of keeping matters secret, so she didn’t dare to ask further and simply endured her impatience as she waited for him to return.

The next month, Liufang Hall officially opened for business. In less than half an hour, dozens of boxes of Jade Complexion Cream were completely sold out, leaving Ling Dachun and Yang Suwen utterly stunned.

Even Ling Yu herself couldn’t react for quite a while.

“Sister Yu… Sister Yu… all sold out?” Yang Suwen’s eyes sparkled, her voice trembling with excitement.

Five taels of silver for a single box of Jade Complexion Cream, sold out in an instant? It was the first time she realized there were so many wealthy people in the county town!

No wonder she was so shocked—she hadn’t been able to sell even one box before.

“It seems so.” Ling Yu looked at the neat ingots of silver in the cash box, unable to suppress her smile.

Over there, Ling Dachun had already picked up his abacus and begun tapping rapidly, clicking his tongue in amazement moments later.

Good heavens, within less than half an hour, they had already earned back their initial investment.

The power of word of mouth was remarkable. The earliest customers today were the girls from Yixiang Courtyard, and they had practically swept away more than half of the Jade Complexion Cream.

He had to concede to Ling Yu! As expected, no one spent more, nor more willingly, on their faces than the women of Yixiang Courtyard.

“Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, come with me to the county office! My brother is injured!” Cheng Shaoan rushed in, shouting toward Ling Yu.

Ling Yu’s smile froze before it had time to fade.