Вut what cоuld Madаm Yuаn dо еvеn if shе was unwilling?
Chеng Jing's words had been made vеrу clеar: hеr mоthеr-in-lаw was unwilling tо givе hеr mоrе silver, nоt becausе thе mothеr-in-law was biasеd, but becаuse she hеrsеlf lасkеd thе аbility to рlеasе hеr mоther-in-lаw.
She wаs sо angry thаt hеr chеst heaved uр and down.
Hеr mоthеr-in-law's рrivate savings соuld bе given tо whоmеvеr shе wishеd, and in whаtеver аmounts shе desired. Аlthough Маdаm Yuan fеlt sоmеwhаt envious, she did nоt think there was anything wrоng with her mother-in-lаw's actiоns. What shе сarеd about was her mother-in-law's approach. Among the three daughters-in-law, she was both the eldest and the wife of the clan head. Yet when it came to dividing the family assets, her mother-in-law did not consult her first but instead discussed it with the second daughter-in-law, Madam Qiu. Even Zhou Shaojin, who was barely grown, had been called in for questioning. By the time her mother-in-law formally proposed the division, both Madam Qiu and Zhou Shaojin would have gotten what they wanted and would certainly not say a word. With two against one, the division would ultimately proceed according to her mother-in-law's wishes.
And to think her husband kept insisting that his mother had a strong and upright temperament, not the kind to scheme in secret—wasn't this exactly scheming?
If there was anyone to blame, it could only be that her mother-in-law was too good at pretending. Her so-called image of integrity and impartiality was deeply ingrained, so much so that even her own son believed it wholeheartedly!
Madam Yuan remained silent for a long time.
Cheng Jing did not continue the topic—if they did, they would only end up arguing.
He sighed softly in his heart and said, "Today is Si Lang and the others' return visit. Did you go to see them off?"
Madam Yuan had completely forgotten about the matter.
In her mind, Zhou Shaojin was nothing more than a pitiful little thing living under the Cheng family's roof. Usually, she would just indulge in sentimental musings to attract naive young men, dreaming unrealistic daydreams. Even if she had married Cheng Chi by chance, she was still someone who couldn't hold her own in proper society. How could Madam Yuan possibly regard her with any importance or keep her affairs in mind?
With one look, Cheng Jing knew she had completely forgotten about it.
His expression immediately darkened. "A single tree does not make a forest. In the past, no matter how much you stirred things up, it was for the sake of the eldest branch and for Jiashan. I was very grateful for that. But now that we have separated from the second branch, the Cheng family in the capital is one household. Some matters, you must think clearly. Without the Cheng family, whether it's the Yuan family or the Fang family, they likely wouldn't treat us with such courtesy. You should have a clear sense of who is close and who is distant, who is near and who is far."
Madam Yuan's expression changed drastically. "What do you mean by that?" she asked sharply.
Cheng Jing frowned. "You're so clever; you must know what I'm talking about."
From a very young age, his father had taught him that eggs must be placed in different baskets to remain secure.
Whether Cheng Jing liked it or not, Cheng Chi was getting close to Song Jingran. But if Cheng Chi truly gained Song Jingran's favor, Cheng Jing would have more leverage against the Yuan family. For him, this might not be a bad thing.
Madam Yuan sometimes simply couldn't control her temper!
He sighed deeply, stood up, and said, "Tomorrow, go to Chaoyang Gate and explain to Mother, so she doesn't think you slighted Third Sister-in-law. In a couple of days, the eldest son of the Vice Minister of Personnel, Wang Jian, is getting married. A few of us have discussed going to congratulate him, so I won't be back for dinner tonight."
Pursing her lips, Madam Yuan saw Cheng Jing out.On the way back, Madam Yuan's wet nurse advised her: "The master hasn't had it easy these years. He doesn't even have anyone to attend to him by his side. Sometimes, madam, you should soften when it's time to soften. Once the daughter-in-law enters the household, the master will respect you, and you'll have dignity too. Think back to how much the old master respected the old madam!"
That's why none of them, whether sons or daughters-in-law, dared to neglect Old Madam Guo.
Madam Yuan sighed and said with a bitter smile, "How could I not know? But I just can't swallow the anger in my heart." As she spoke, she paused thoughtfully and said, "Come, let's go visit my second sister-in-law."
Madam Yuan's wet nurse wanted to persuade her further, but Madam Yuan had already headed toward the inner courtyard, so she had no choice but to swallow her words of comfort.
However, the maid on duty in Madam Qiu's room said, "The second madam has gone to the Chaoyang Gate area, saying that Fourth Master and Fourth Madam are returning today."
Madam Yuan asked, "Has she not returned yet?"
The young maid shook her head.
In the evening, Madam Yuan sent someone to inquire again. The person who returned reported, "The second madam sent a message back, saying that Fourth Master and Fourth Madam are not at home. Fearing that the old madam might have no one to attend to her, the second madam has decided to stay there with Second Young Master for a few days. She will return home once Fourth Master and Fourth Madam are back."
A hint of mockery couldn't help but appear in Madam Yuan's eyes.
Who knows what the old madam promised her—she’s clinging so tightly!
She disdainfully ordered the servants to light the lamps and had the kitchen prepare a late-night snack to wait for Cheng Jing's return.
※
Zhou Shaojin used to dread traveling the most—the jolting of the carriage felt like it would shake her bones apart.
This time, however, the carriage ride was exceptionally smooth.
She couldn't help but let out a soft "hmm" and quietly lifted the curtain to look outside.
Cheng Chi was resting with his eyes closed, but it was as if he had an eye on his forehead—the moment she moved, he knew. He slightly opened his eyes, reached out, and pulled her into his arms, laughing, "No need to look. Huaishan is driving the carriage. He’s from the northern frontier—he learned to ride a horse before he even learned to walk."
Zhou Shaojin felt as if she had rolled into a pile of cotton—soft, warm, and carrying Cheng Chi's clean scent.
She nestled greedily in his arms and said with a smile, "Even so, he must still be one of the most skilled people."
Cheng Chi laughed heartily and said, "You’re not wrong about that."
Huaishan, driving the carriage, revealed a faint smile.
Cheng Chi then took out magnetic chess pieces that could stick to the board and asked her, "Do you want to play a few rounds of Gomoku with me?"
"No!" Zhou Shaojin shook her head and refused. "I’m feeling a bit dizzy."
Some people get seasick, others get carriage-sick, and some even get sick from riding in sedan chairs.
Cheng Chi chuckled and closed her eyes, saying, "Close your eyes and rest. I’ll wake you when we reach the post station."
They stayed at post stations along the way, which was more convenient.
Hearing this, Zhou Shaojin obediently closed her eyes and ended up swaying into sleep.
Cheng Chi smiled helplessly and kissed her forehead.
That day, she had insisted that he take her, enduring the pain with a pale face and drenched in sweat without uttering a word. Naturally, he understood her intention, which was why he had been teasing her like this—hoping she wouldn’t dwell on the painful memories of her past life, but instead let the marks he left on her be etched into her mind. However, he had also seen how exhausted and weary she had been these past few days, so he took advantage of the journey to let her rest properly. He hoped that by the time they returned to the capital, she would have forgotten all the suffering from her past life.Thinking of this, Cheng Chi couldn't help but kiss Zhou Shaojin's forehead again.
Zhou Shaojin felt she had slept extremely well. When she opened her eyes and saw the simple yet clean white bed curtains of the post station, it took her quite a while to fully come to her senses.
"Where has Fourth Master gone?" she asked Chunwan, who was sitting by her bedside knotting cords.
Only then did Chunwan notice that Zhou Shaojin was awake.
She quickly set down the cords in her hands, smiled, and went to fetch a cup of hot tea, handing it to her, saying, "Fourth Master met a gentleman he knew from his time in Huai'an, and the two are talking in the courtyard." Then she added gently, "Madam, are you hungry? Fourth Master had someone stew an old hen for you. Mama Fan is watching the stove in the kitchen. I'll go bring it to you right away."
Zhou Shaojin hummed in agreement, feeling too lazy to get up. She draped her clothes over herself and leaned against the headboard.
Chunwan went to the kitchen.
Hearing the commotion, Cheng Chi dismissed the other person with a few words and walked in.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Why didn't you wake me when we arrived at the post station? Have you had dinner yet? The weather is so cold, have some chicken soup to warm your stomach?"
Cheng Chi smiled and replied, "I've already had dinner, but I'll have a bowl of soup with you!"
Zhou Shaojin happily agreed, but noticed that Cheng Chi seemed somewhat distracted.
She asked him softly, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"It's nothing major!" Cheng Chi took off his shoes and settled beside Zhou Shaojin, pondering as he said, "The person I just met was originally the deputy prefect of Huai'an Prefecture. He's now been transferred to serve as the prefect of Wuchang Prefecture and is returning to the capital to handle some matters. According to him, Cheng Shi had his wet nurse's brother appointed as the chief steward of Nine Prosperities Lane to help manage the household affairs. A few days ago, Cheng Shi's wet nurse's brother went to Huai'an, spent a lot of money, and tried to get involved in the Nine Borders trade..."
The Nine Borders referred to nine strategically important military towns such as Datong, Jizhou, Xuanfu, and Taiyuan. To solve the grain supply for the soldiers, the court encouraged merchants from the south to transport grain there in exchange for salt vouchers, which could then be used to obtain salt from various saltworks for sale—an extremely profitable business.
Zhou Shaojin was astonished: "Didn't we give them 1.2 million taels of silver? And there's Yutai Bank... Why do they still want to get involved in the salt voucher trade?"
Cheng Chi smiled faintly, a hint of coldness at the corner of his mouth: "Is the banking business that easy to run? Back then, even with the reputation of Nine Prosperities Lane, I still had to rely on the Li family's 'Wei' bank in She County to establish Yutai Bank. Without Yutai Bank and without me, those redeeming banknotes alone would be enough to give the second branch a hard time. Did he think I would be so easy to scheme against?"
Hearing this, Zhou Shaojin's eyes lit up, and she said, "Does that mean because you are no longer the major shareholder of Yutai Bank, and the Li family of She County has withdrawn their shares, those who did business with Yutai Bank no longer trust the second branch that took over the bank and no longer patronize Yutai Bank's business?""Exactly!" Cheng Chi said lazily. "Originally, Yutai Bank's vault had two hundred thousand taels of silver, but the actual account showed five hundred thousand taels. Three hundred thousand taels were deposited in other banks to cover Yutai Bank's silver notes. The reason the main branch managed to negotiate a subsidy of 1.2 million taels with the second branch was partly because Yutai Bank offset four hundred thousand taels for them. But now, those who deposited silver in Yutai Bank are taking their deposit receipts to cash them out. However, the silver used to cover Yutai Bank's notes at other banks cannot be retrieved—those banks won’t use their own silver to cash Yutai’s notes. Yet Yutai can’t possibly open branches everywhere. Once Yutai’s notes can’t be cashed, Yutai’s business will collapse."
"So, to keep Yutai Bank running," Zhou Shaojin said, her eyes sparkling, "the second branch would have to come up with three hundred thousand taels to cash out these people’s deposits first. The second branch panicked as soon as they saw that the 1.2 million taels they had just received hadn’t even warmed their hands before they had to spend three hundred thousand to settle the accounts. They thought if they kept eating into their capital like this, even 1.2 million taels wouldn’t last long..." Then, since Seven Stars Hall started by smuggling salt, they turned their attention to salt certificates. She shook Cheng Chi excitedly and asked, "Were those people who went to demand silver yours?"
※
Dear readers, this is an extra update for Zixiao12!
PS: Today, we had both a power outage and a water outage. I wrote this using my laptop’s battery and uploaded it using my phone’s Wi-Fi data. I still don’t know when the power will come back... (>_<) Tomorrow’s update is tentatively scheduled for around noon...
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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