The Lady’s Sickly Husband

Translator: Antonia

Mo Qianxue walked out of Jian Qinghua’s courtyard when a man passed by in the opposite direction.

The man with shifty eyes regarded Mo Qianxue from head to toe. Seeing that he looked alike with Jian Qinghua, Mo Qianxue yelled, “Why look at me like this? Haven’t you ever met a beautiful one?”

Throwing out this question, Mo Qianxue left the courtyard led by Siqin who was in total shock.

The man still eyed her back, face revealing frivolousness, and then slowly strode into Jian Qinghua’s courtyard.

The servant girls bowed to him, “Lord.”

The second young lord Jian, “Where is your lady?”

Cuizhu replied, “Lady is in the room.”

He saw Jian Qinghua sitting in the room and walked towards her.

Seeing the dark face, he asked, “My sister, what happened that made you so mad? Who was it? Tell me.”

The second lord and Jian Qinghua were of the same concubine mother.

“Brother, why are you here again?” Jian Qinghua had pissed off by Mo Qianxue, replying rudely.

The second lord sat right into the chair opposite Jian Qinghua, picking up a piece of snack and throwing into his mouth, “Look at you. Why can’t your brother be here?”

Jian Qinghua sounded impatient, “Be straightforward.”

“Do you have money? Give some to your brother for emergency.”

“Asking for money again! Why do you always ask for money every time you come? No money!”

“The spring festival just ended. You must have received much allowance and rep pockets from seniors. Why don’t you have money? Don’t you want to help your brother?”

“What have you committed again?” Jian Qinghua was a little anxious. Her biological mother wasn’t loved by master anymore, but she did well since old madam liked her a lot.

She had to count on this brother when in need in the future.

“I lost playing cards with Li San yesterday; I promised to give him the money today. My dear sister, just lend me some, or I’ll be punished again if Li San came here and known to father and legal mother.”

“Didn’t I tell you to stop gambling? Why did you go again? How much you lost?”

“Not much, just thirty taels.”

“Thirty taels? And not much? Don’t go again please. Why don’t you learn to read and do something decent like eldest brother?” Jian Qingyou scolded while going inside to take money, “I don’t have much either. Only these. Don’t come again.”

“Thank you dear sister.” The second lord Jian took over the money and smiled, “By the way sister, who is the girl just going out? I’ve never seen her in the mansion.”

“Which girl are you talking about?”

“The one followed by Siqin.” The second lord Jian counted the silver in the purse and said casually, “Siqin is Qingyou’s girl. Why do you approach her again? Last time it was because of her that I was grounded for seven days. My hands cramped from copying our family rules in the ancestral hall…”

While hearing her brother mentioned Mo Qianxue, Jian Qinghua came up with an idea and filtered other words he said, “Brother, help me with one thing. I’ll thank you with more money.”

“What is it?”

*

Mo Qianxue was led by Siqin, and they didn’t go far when a girl flashed out, claiming that the seventh young lady invited her to take a seat for chatting. Yunyao hadn’t been present that day, so she didn’t know the specific situation of what had happened. She only knew that both the two ladies were driven away by Ning Shaoqing.

Thinking of this, Mo Qianxue almost spat out blood. Just getting rid of one stupid lady, she was aimed at by another one? Only by one glance, both the two ladies fell in love with Ning Shaoqing?

Alright. It didn’t matter whether there were one or two of his bad peach blossoms. Therefore, making up her mind, she followed away with the servant girl of Jian Qingzhen the seventh young lady.

Siqin couldn’t stop them, so she stamped and followed too, because her lady had ordered that she would be held responsible if anything happened to Mrs. Ning in the mansion.

They’ve just gone to the fifth lady’s courtyard, but she was blocked outside, not knowing at all what had happened inside except for that at last the fifth lady yelled impatiently.

The fifth lady was famous for her good temper, so Mrs. Ning must be a tricky person if fifth became mad.

Siqin secretly prayed that in a while Mrs. Ning wouldn’t mess up with the seventh lady, because the seventh lady was a crazy one, but she wouldn’t take it out on Mrs. Ning, who was a guest, so the one suffered at last would be Siqin.

When Mo Qianxue arrived at Jian Qingzhen’s courtyard, she ewas playing the chess with herself.

Certainly, Siqin was again blocked out by the servant girls of this courtyard, standing afar, restlessly looking over to the two people chatting in the room and trying to get a glimpse of what they were saying from their expression.

Jian Qingzhen politely asked Mo Qianxue to take a seat, and after the two exchanged greetings, she guided the topic to chess.

“Mrs. Ning, do you play the chess?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Oh? That day when I visited you, there seemed to be people playing the chess in the yard, right?”

“That’s my husband and a friend.”

“A friend? Your husband is really an exceptional man to have an elegant friend like that. Does that friend often visit you? When would that be usually?” Jian Qingzhen tried to sound casual, but the trace of curiosity and excitement in her eyes didn’t escape Mo Qianxue’s regard.

It turned out that this lady’s target wasn’t Ning Shaoqing but the playful Su Qi. Mo Qianxue was relaxed.

Taking a closer look at Jian Qingzhen, Mo Qianxue discovered unconcealable admiration from her bashful face.

She thought of Su Qi, a flaring man who always held a fan and decided to help the lady. What harm could it bring to be matcher? Probably, Su Qi was exactly waiting for the seducing of girls.

Therefore, Mo Qianxue began to praise Su Qi with exaggeration, as if he was the only noble exalted dignified handsome man ever in the world… She used up every good words she could think of.

The seventh young lady liked Su Qi already and knew his great family background, so now she was overjoyed hearing the compliments from Mo Qianxue.

She remembered that Su Qi loved Mo Qianxue’s peach cake very much, so before Mo Qianxue left, Jian Qingzhen gave her many gifts, only on the pretext that she loved the cake and asked her to make more so that she would fetched back in a few days.

Without pretention, Mo Qianxue readily accept the gifts, letting Siqin take them, agreed on the cakes, thanked her and left.

Su Qi, your peach blossom was coming. Don’t thank her too much.

When back at Jian Qingyou’s place, Mo Qianxue was exhausted. Wasn’t it exhausting to walk so long a road and fight with others?

Jian Qingyou’s room was most austere and comfortable. Mo Qianxue made herself at home and lay on the couch, eating refreshments. She could be very leisurely here, and the nannies and servant girls treated her as their lady.

Seeing Mo Qianxue in a good mood and the gifts Siqin was holding, Jian Qingyou believed that the gifts must be her younger sister’s apology for the unruly behavior the other day and didn’t ask too much.

Mo Qianxue didn’t talk. She was worrying about her own relationship, so quickly she was immersed in the story of LiangZhu again and after a while of silence, she asked, “Did Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai really turn into butterflies and fly away?”

As a person who had received years of modern education, Mo Qianxue answered without thinking, “That’s only a good wish. People can’t turn into butterflies.”

Jian Qingyou sighed, either because of LiangZhu or herself.

Mo Qianxue was curious why she still cared about LiangZhu and comforted, “Don’t sigh. Those are fictional characters. Grandma Jian has compromised on your marriage. Now it’s up to what Xin Yiming will do.”

“He…” Jian Qingyou muttered. Although she was sure that Xin Yiming had feelings for her, Jian family had turned him down many times.

Although Xin family wasn’t a century-old noble family, it was a significant one. She was afraid that Xin family was irritated by the consecutive refusals.

“Do you have a way to inform him?”

“After that encounter, he did send over a girl as a message. But Qianxue you know it, I’m strictly disciplined by grandma. And such a secret relationship would sound so indecent, let alone for me to actually do it…so on an impulse, I drove the girl away…”

“I even don’t know what to say. You dare to like him, but don’t dare you accept him or confess to him.”

“Qianxue, I…” Jian Qingyou lowered her head, twisting her handkerchief between her fingers.

“Alright, stop it. It’s going to break.” Mo Qianxue felt pitiful towards her at the sight of the tears in her eyes, “Qingyou, don’t worry. I’ll make it for you.”

“Thank you Qianxue. I feel so lucky to have a sister like you.” Jian Qingyou looked up, tearful, got off the coach and gave Mo Qianxue a formal courtesy.

Her voice was touching and sincere, and every movement of her body carried outstandingly elegance, making her beautiful face less aggressive but amiable.

Mo Qianxue had to got off the coach to held her up.

Regarding the appointment on the 8th, Mo Qianxue had had an idea, but she didn’t plan to tell Jian Qingyou right now in case that by then the conventional women’s virtues took her brain again and daunted her, which would only make things worse.

“Qingyou, don’t be so sad. My restaurant at dock will start business on the 8th. By then, you go there to learn to cook the cake. Later, you can make the cake for your grandma. The sweet in the mouth will make her remember your sweetness. Then, your marriage with Xin Yiming will be much smoother.”

Nanny Yuan poured tea for them on the side. The eldest lady’s personal affairs were never hidden from her. Of course she knew the relationship. Since old madam had conceded, she would also be happy to witness it coming true.

She heard that Mo Qianxue had invited lady to learn to cook the cake without any reluctance or pretention and felt that this kind of temperament and bearing were rarely seen from a woman.

Most women had their own plans and always wanted to get a little benefit from a wealthy family.

Nanny Yuan sighed that such a great woman must have a promising future if she was born in a noble family. What a pity that she married a sickly village teacher!

After having lunch with Jian Qingyou, Mo Qianxue said goodbye and left.

When she got out of Jian mansion, it was already two o’clock in the afternoon, so she order Awu to drive to Yipinxuan.

Meeting the manager, Mo Qianxue showed him the token that Xin Yiming had given her last time.

Last time, they had made an agreement that after the spring festival, she would deliver the first batch of root sculptures. By then, she would bring the token to Yipinxuan for further negotiation.

The manager checked the token, and it was indeed a thing from his lord, so the manager was very polite to Mo Qianxue and invited her to take a seat in the vip room.

But this time she wasn’t coming for business negotiation, so she thanked the kindness and let the manager pass a word to let Xin Yiming go to her restaurant at dock to inspect the goods at noon on the 8th.

When she went back to the Wang village, sister Fang and Guihua and Chunyan were waiting for her in the front yard for a long time.

Most restaurants in the city would be open on the 6th, so tomorrow, the tofu workshop must start to run too.

The tofu workshop must finish the first batch of tofu before ten o’clock in the morning and upload it onto the carriage of Baiyunju. Then, they would begin to make the second batch of tofu as well as other by-products of beans.

If the delivery time was ten o’clock, they must start to work at six o’clock. Certainly, by then, there wouldn’t be time for an admonitory talk.

Currently, as the output of tofu increased, there were a dozen workers at the tofu workshop, with sister Fang as the manger and sister Guihua her assistant.

This year, the tofu workshop also had a series of tasks to be busy with soon after the contract with Baiyunju expired. Then she could sell tofu to whoever and wherever she’d like to.

If she really wanted to make it big, she must sell tofu to every corner of Tianqi instead of one or two restaurants.

Then, she would have to build a big stall in downtown for both retailing and wholesales, in order to make the business bigger.

After assigning tasks for sister Fang and Guihua, Mo Qianxue was a little troubled.

Because she wanted to sell tofu to everywhere in Tianqi, but at the same time, tofu wasn’t easy to store. If it depended on transportation, she could only learn Su Qi’s method to wait until winter for the products to freeze up.

However, the transportation would constitute a huge cost, which would in turn raise the price of tofu and reduce its sales volume. At least, there would be fewer consumers.

Mo Qianxue was so bothered and only told the half when Ning Shaoqing laughed.

“The money in the world is inexhaustible. Now you’ve had most of the beans across the country. Try harder and collect all the beans.”

Mo Qianxue held her forehead and questioned him, “Why do I need that much beans? Now there are already million of jins of beans in the warehouses. They’re enough to make soy sauce.”

Now what she was pondering was how to sell tofu, but he suggested her to collect more beans. Were they relative?

Ning Shaoqing shock his head and smiled, “You don’t get it. Think about this. What are the two most important things to make tofu?”

Mo Qianxue answered without thinking, “Beans and the brine.” Last time when Ning Shaoqing proposed to aissit her, she had told him this secret recipe.

Ning Shaoqing walked over and sat opposite her, also leaning against the desk to look at her. The eyes were full of love but the mouth made out logical reasoning, “Therefore, now what you need are beans and the brine. The secret recipe can be sold out.”

Mo Qianxue sprang up, questioning him, “Sell it? The recipe of tofu? Last time you promised to help me make the tofu business prosper, but now you let me sell it?”

Ning Shaoqing sat straight, reaching out to stroke her brows, “That’s because I didn’t know the recipe was so simple.”

Mo Qianxue patted off his hand, frustrated and a little embarrassed, “Yes, it’s quite simple.”

Ning Shaoqing grabbed her hand and put it near his lips, “Therefore, with time, the tofu recipe won’t remain a secret. As more people eat it, there must be some who know chemistry or with sensitive tongues. By then, the recipe can’t be sold at a good price.”

Mo Qianxue’s felt itchy in her hand by Ning Shaoqing’s breath, so she took it back.

Ning Shaoqing ignored her action and grabbed the other of her hand, “So why not sell the recipe to every corner in Tianqi and at the same time collect more beans.”

He fiddled her fingers as if they were interesting toys.

Mo Qianxue finally got it, “When I sell the recipe and have all the beans, anyone who wants to make tofu must buy beans from me. It means that I can earn money from all the tofu being made.”