Recently, the Marquis Residence felt like it was celebrating a festival.
The masters feasted on lavish meals, and even the servants enjoyed rich soups.
Su Mingzhu, newly taking charge, burned with enthusiasm and generously rewarded the steward wives with an extra month’s wages.
The steward wives praised Su Mingzhu endlessly while belittling Su Shuyao to lift Su Mingzhu up. The servants also became more brazen, openly making things difficult for Yilan Residence and looking down on Su Shuyao without restraint.
Su Shuyao kept the maids of Yilan Residence strictly within the courtyard.
The main gate remained shut, and except for daily necessary purchases, everyone stayed inside. After the small kitchen was completed, she hired a Sichuan–Chongqing cook and enjoyed new dishes every day.
“Miss, today we’re eating fish,” said the short, round‑faced cook whose skills were excellent.
“For boiled fish, marinate it with Sichuan peppercorns and ginger to remove the smell. The soup base will have lotus root, tofu, and thinly sliced fresh bamboo shoots. The taste is so fresh it’ll make your tongue fall off.”
Yesterday Su Shuyao had grilled lamb, today it was boiled fish, and tomorrow it would be beef.
Everything was arranged perfectly.
In the previous life, because Madam Wan worshipped Buddha and ate very light meals, Su Shuyao followed along to please her. But in truth, she preferred spicy food. In this life, she was determined to taste every delicious food in the world.
Qiushuang swallowed her saliva and asked, “Miss, what if you get tired of eating spicy food every day?”
“If I get tired of it, I’ll hire another cook who can make different dishes. It’s not like we can’t afford it,” Su Shuyao said with a smile. “After we eat, let’s go to the flower market to look around. I want to buy some lily of the valley and peonies to plant in the courtyard.”
Next year when the peonies bloomed, she wanted to wear one in her hair.
Qiushuang hesitated for a moment and asked, “Eldest Miss, are we really going to do the flower business? Can flowers and plants really make money?”
“Of course,” Su Shuyao smiled. “Last year at the flower market, a single pot of ink orchid was auctioned for an astronomical price. Scholars love to pretend to be elegant, so rare flowers and plants are worth a lot.”
The wives of wealthy families also loved to hold flower banquets. If the flower business was done well, the profits would be extraordinary.
Once she heard that it could make huge money, Qiushuang instantly became ambitious. “Then we should study carefully and grow only the most expensive varieties!”
The shop left to Su Shuyao by the Old Madam could no longer continue running the Spice Shop business, because Madam Wan would definitely find a way to get involved, and since the recipe originally came from the ancestors of the Marquis Residence, the income logically should belong to the Marquis Residence.
In secret, Su Mingzhu kept an eye on Su Shuyao’s situation and soon heard that Su Shuyao spent her days eating and drinking leisurely. She couldn’t help but feel surprised.
In this life, had Su Shuyao become a lazy pig spirit?
Even after she suppressed her so harshly, Su Shuyao remained calm and peaceful, never losing her temper once. Truly boring.
Why wasn’t she as irritable as in the previous life, where she would explode the moment she was provoked? This story is hosted at g.com.
Su Mingzhu went to the Spring Orchid Courtyard. Inside the room, Madam Wan was drinking bird’s nest soup. When she saw Su Mingzhu, a smile appeared on her face. “The taste is richer than before.”
Su Mingzhu smiled and said, “Mother, this is blood bird’s nest. It’s far more nourishing than regular bird’s nest.”
More nourishing also meant far more expensive. One bowl of blood bird’s nest cost three times more than normal bird’s nest.
“You’re still the most thoughtful one.”
When Su Shuyao was in charge of Inner Household Affairs, she had never once bought blood bird’s nest.
“Mother, later the silk store will deliver fabrics. Please choose a few more bolts. I heard this year’s Sichuan brocade patterns are especially beautiful.”
Madam Wan looked at her. “Do you have enough money?”
Su Mingzhu nodded. “Enough.”
All she needed to do was instruct the stewards to get supplies from the shops. Accounts would only be settled every six months. It was extremely easy.
Settlement was usually done in the second and eighth month. Now it was only the seventh month. There was still time before settling the accounts, and the profits from the Spice Shop alone would be enough to cover everything.
Being in charge wasn’t difficult at all. The steward wives were very obedient. She couldn’t understand why when Su Shuyao managed the household before, she acted like it was such a burden.
After finishing the bird’s nest, the steward from the silk shop brought in the newest Sichuan brocade fabrics for Madam Wan to choose from. The mother and daughter together selected more than ten bolts. According to normal allowances, Madam Wan was entitled to three bolts per quarter and the young ladies two bolts each, and one bolt of cloth could usually make two dresses. With what they just selected, they had already taken more than half a year’s share in advance.
Madam Wan felt incredibly satisfied for the first time in years. “Mingzhu truly knows how to manage the household.”
Just as they finished selecting fabric, a servant came to report, “Eldest Miss has arrived.”
Su Mingzhu pursed her lips. “Mother, why did you call elder sister?”
Madam Wan replied, “I heard she plans to do a flower business, so I want to ask what she’s planning.”
Su Shuyao wore a light gauze blouse with a bright red fitted garment underneath. As she walked gracefully, she looked elegant and stunning. Her features were beautifully refined, though still slightly youthful, with three parts innocence and three parts charm, blending maturity and youthful liveliness.
When Madam Wan and Su Mingzhu saw her, they subconsciously frowned.
Madam Wan asked coldly, “Dressed up so flamboyantly, who are you trying to seduce?”
The words were full of malice and heavy insult.
In the previous life, Madam Wan often said such things, forcing Su Shuyao to believe that dressing up was shameful and wrong, making her think she existed only to please others. But in truth, Madam Wan was simply jealous because she looked too beautiful when she dressed up.
Su Shuyao smiled and glanced calmly at Su Mingzhu. “Whoever Mingzhu is trying to seduce, I’m seducing the same person.”
Su Mingzhu dressed even more extravagantly than her, with more hair ornaments, brighter clothing, and thinner outerwear. But unfortunately, both she and Madam Wan had plain looks. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t compare to even one‑ten‑thousandth of Su Shuyao’s beauty. Visit novelping.com for the full chapter.
Madam Wan snapped, “How can you compare yourself to Mingzhu?”
Mingzhu was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Marquis Residence, while Su Shuyao was merely an adopted daughter.
But Su Shuyao pretended not to understand and asked innocently, “Why can’t I compare? Aren’t we both your daughters?”
Madam Wan always preached kindness, always claiming she loved all children equally. Now confronted directly, she was stunned and could not respond. Instead, she quickly changed the topic. “Why did you suddenly think of doing the flower business?”
Su Shuyao smiled lightly and did not answer. Instead, she asked, “Madam, do we have any ancestral secret methods for cultivating flowers?”
The hidden meaning was clear. If there was no ancestral heritage involved, then she would not need to hand over any profit.
Madam Wan replied faintly, “No.”
“That’s good then,” Su Shuyao answered calmly.
Madam Wan continued, “Flowers won’t earn much money. It would be better to hand your shop to Mingzhu and let her manage everything together. She will give you dividends later.”
After learning how profitable the Spice Shop was, Madam Wan deeply regretted returning the Old Madam’s shop to Su Shuyao. A single shop could earn tens of thousands of silver a year, equal to two full years of household income for the Marquis Residence. Who knew how much money Su Shuyao already had in her hands?
“Mingzhu manages things better than you. She already manages several shops, one more won’t make a difference. You’re unfamiliar with this trade. If you lose money, it would be a pity.”
Su Shuyao smiled. She could already see Madam Wan’s old suppression tricks returning again.
In her previous life, whenever she heard such belittlement, she would worry day and night, desperately working harder, desperately trying to please them to prove her worth. But prejudice in people’s hearts was like a towering mountain. It could not be moved so easily. Since Madam Wan had already decided she was worthless, even if she ripped out her heart and placed it in her hands, Madam Wan would not feel a shred of pity.
Now, hearing such words only felt amusing. Madam Wan sounded like one of those storytellers in teahouses. Truly entertaining.
Seeing Madam Wan becoming angrier yet unable to find a reason to explode was even funnier.
Su Shuyao asked calmly, “How much would you give me as dividends?”
Madam Wan replied, “The incense cake recipe is an ancestral heritage, so I’ll give you thirty… two tenths.”
Even two tenths would already be several thousand silver taels. That was too much. A few hundred would have been more suitable.
“I’ll give you 500 silver taels a year. Even an average grain shop doesn’t earn that much. Giving you 500 taels is already out of sentiment.”
Su Shuyao laughed again. Madam Wan’s greed was truly ugly.
She was no longer the foolish girl who would risk her life just for one approving sentence from Madam Wan.
“Such ‘sentiment’ is far too precious. I can’t afford it,” she said calmly. “I’ll just stick with doing my flower business.”