At her core, Hua Zhi was a businesswoman. Upon learning of the situation, she immediately decided to implement a scarcity marketing strategy—limiting daily supply, closing shop once sold out, and keeping the market perpetually undersupplied. Since the product was consumable, demand not only remained steady but actually increased day by day.
The canned goods business, which had seemed on the verge of failure, was now thriving.
Nian Qiu clicked away on the abacus, let out a soft sigh, and briskly carried the account book to her young mistress. "Miss, the calculations are done."
Hua Zhi glanced at the figure and allowed a faint smile to touch her lips. She had known partnering with Yunlai Restaurant was the right move—if nothing else, the pricing was impressive. Who would have thought something sold for twelve taels per jar cost less than three taels to produce? And that was only because she had opted for higher-quality ceramic jars to elevate the product's prestige. Had she settled for less, the cost could have been as low as two taels.
Liu Xiang announced from the doorway, "Miss, Fourth Aunt is here."
"Please, invite her in." Hua Zhi rose to greet her at the entrance. Wu Shi stepped inside, bringing a chill with her. "Stay back—don’t catch the cold."
Hua Zhi had no choice but to return to her seat, watching as Fourth Aunt brushed off the cold and warmed her hands and face before sitting opposite her. "It looks like it might snow again—it’s bitterly dry and cold."
"Isn’t that what deep winter is for—snow?" Hua Zhi pushed a teacup toward her. "Drink this and warm your stomach."
Wu Shi didn’t stand on ceremony and drank half the cup in one go. "What did you call me here for?"
Ying Chun placed three thousand-tael banknotes in front of Fourth Aunt. Meeting her surprised gaze, Hua Zhi smiled. "These aren’t for you. I need you to deliver them to the other three households. Let them know I’ll have significant uses for funds after the New Year, so this is all I can spare for now. Tell them to buy what they need to get through the festivities."
Wu Shi frowned slightly. "Everyone tends to keep some savings hidden away. If we managed to stash some, they might have too."
"Theirs is theirs. What we give is separate. If our branch completely neglects them, it could create rifts in the family."
Wu Shi nodded. "Alright, I understand. I’ll deliver these shortly."
Once Wu Shi had safely tucked away the banknotes, Hua Zhi remarked, "The inner household seems quite stable lately."
"How could it not be? You’ve brought in silver, and the young ladies from each family have started managing affairs—benefits are being shared fairly." Wu Shi chuckled. "But once this silver is handed out, some might voice objections. After all, the workshop was funded collectively, so technically every household has a stake."
"I haven’t touched the earnings from the canned goods. These three thousand taels come from the profits of Green Moss Alley. The income from the cans won’t be distributed for now either—I need to reinvest it to generate more."
"I’ll pass that along."
Hua Zhi smiled. "That’s precisely why I wanted you to be the one to tell them. Fourth Aunt, I need you to help manage the inner household affairs. You know how unreliable my mother can be. It’s up to you to maintain balance among the sisters-in-law. After the New Year, I’ll be occupied with another venture and won’t be able to divide my attention."
"The inner household should be fine. Even your Third Aunt respects you now, and you’ve been fair—treating the second branch’s daughters as if they were legitimate heirs. They won’t stir up trouble at a time like this."
"That’s good to hear." Hua Zhi nodded. "There’s one more thing, Fourth Aunt. I need you to discreetly sound out Second Aunt for me."
Wu Shi looked surprised. "Do you want her to return to the Yang family?""On the contrary, I want to know if Second Aunt has considered divorce."
Wu Shi's expression was complicated. This niece's actions were truly astonishingly decisive—not everyone possessed her kind of courage. After a moment's thought, she tactfully replied, "Whether there's a divorce or not doesn't really matter. What's important is not letting her return to that pit of fire that is the Yang family."
"It does matter. As long as Yang Qi remains the Hua family's son-in-law, he can continue using the Hua family's name to contact those with past connections to us."
Unlike Madam Zhu, Wu Shi understood perfectly well the Hua family's influence among scholars. With just a little thought, she grasped what Zhi Er meant. Recalling how her sister-in-law had suddenly been beaten, her heart sank. She nodded and said, "I'll go sound out the situation later."
"Also, hint to Third Aunt that whatever the other branches have, Second Aunt will have in the future. Whatever the Hua family descendants receive, Sui'an will never be left out."
Wu Shi tightened her grip on Hua Zhi's hand and nodded firmly. This was what she admired most about Zhi Er—her magnanimity, which was so convincing that people unconsciously followed her decisions.
Thinking that she hadn't properly spoken with her mother since Grandmother passed away, Hua Zhi went to her mother's courtyard while she had some free time.
Madam Zhu took a warm towel from Nanny Lin and wrapped her daughter's hands, murmuring softly, "Why come over in such cold weather? You could have sent a maid if there was something."
"How could I send a maid to keep you company in my place?" Hua Zhi helped her mother sit by the fireplace. Seeing how much thinner her mother's cheeks had become, she sighed inwardly but showed no sign of it on her face. She touched the light blue fabric in the nearby basket and asked, "Is this for Father?"
"He has no use for such material where he is now. It's for you." Madam Zhu stood up and held it against Hua Zhi. "You haven't grown any taller, so the measurements should be fine."
"...Mother, I know you're saying I'm short."
Madam Zhu burst out laughing and shot her a mock-stern look. "As if I'd complain about your height."
"Sounded like it to me."
Madam Zhu lightly patted her arm in feigned annoyance and put the fabric back. "It's strange, really. Neither family has short people, yet you just won't grow taller. Berlin is already as tall as you."
"Mother, you don't understand—the best things come in small packages." As the shortest among the Zhu and Hua families, excluding the still-growing younger generation, Hua Zhi had once been frustrated. She wondered if her soul was too powerful, affecting even her height. In her previous life, she'd only been 156 cm tall, always relying on high heels to compensate, with photos online showing her surrounded by taller friends.
In this life, she was slightly taller than before, but since geographically the capital was in the north, even her younger cousins had outgrown her. Thus, she remained the shortest among her peers and elders.
"You do have a point—that's why my Zhi Er is so capable." Madam Zhu could barely contain her laughter. She had thought Zhi Er didn't care about this, but it turned out she did mind.
Hua Zhi decided to play along to amuse her mother. Seeing her mother laugh, she too smiled, her eyes crinkling. Laughter, absent for many days, finally filled the room.
"I know you don't enjoy managing affairs, so I've asked Fourth Aunt to handle the household matters. Please visit Second Aunt more often. With Second Uncle exiled, she has no support in the mansion and must feel adrift and uneasy."Madam Zhu nodded, "You're right. She used to have Third Concubine for company, but now that the young lady has returned, Third Concubine is probably completely focused on her daughter. I'll make more visits in the future. While I can't help with other matters, this is something I can do."
PS: What's with always misspelling surnames? I always catch quite a few during revisions, but there are still some that slip through.
OpenNovel