Steward Wu of Qingzhu Courtyard brought twenty maids and elderly servants to see Jiang Nian, along with two additional maids whom Jiang Nian had specifically requested him to find.
After Jiang Nian finished identifying everyone, she instructed Steward Wu to take them away for registration, keeping only two thin and frail maids in the room. These two maids had been sold by their parents during their escape from famine, and in her previous life, Jiang Nian had also bought them back.
The two maids knelt down. "This servant Qingmei, this servant Shanzhu, pay respects to the Second Young Mistress."
"Rise."
"Thank you, Second Young Mistress." The two maids stood nervously, wearing coarse cloth garments, their shoes so worn that their toes were exposed.
Jiang Nian pretended not to notice and took out clothes and shoes from the cabinet.
"I've prepared two sets of clothes and shoes for you. You two don't need to handle courtyard duties; just serve inside the room."
"Yes, thank you, Second Young Mistress."
Qingmei and Shanzhu took the clothes and shoes, moved to tears. Since fleeing the famine, they had been displaced, never having enough to eat or wear. Heaven had taken pity on them, allowing them to meet a kind person.
After settling the maids, Jiang Nian discussed with Qi Heng about buying land to grow grain. Qi Heng naturally agreed and took out a small box from the cabinet containing three property deeds and a stack of banknotes.
"This is my private savings. I also have three shops under my name. From now on, I'll entrust all these to you to manage."
Jiang Nian smiled. "You trust me so much? Aren't you afraid I'll lose everything of yours?"
"If it's gone, I'll earn it back." Qi Heng pulled her into an embrace. "What's mine is yours. You can do whatever you want with it."
Jiang Nian counted the banknotes Qi Heng gave her. Combined with the 2,000 taels from her dowry and the Hong Feng from her parents-in-law, she now had over 50,000 taels.
"Husband, with the world in such chaos, we must stockpile enough grain and medicine. It's better to be prepared."
"Mm, I'll listen to whatever my wife says." Qi Heng replied. "If we don't have enough silver, we could sell one of the shops."
"No." Jiang Nian stopped him. "Don't sell the shops yet. We should take our time with the grain matter; there's no need to rush."
"Alright, I'll listen to you."
Jiang Nian laughed at him. "Why do you listen to me in everything?"
Qi Heng gently kissed her cheek. "Shouldn't I listen to my wife?"
"Aren't you afraid people will say you're henpecked?" Jiang Nian glanced at him teasingly.
Qi Heng raised an eyebrow. "Let people say what they want. What does it matter to me?"
"Husband, give me a kiss." Jiang Nian cupped his face and rewarded him with a kiss. As long as she kept Qi Heng happy, she could do whatever she wanted in the mansion.
She had come here determined to live well, and wouldn't foolishly push Qi Heng away. If the man valued her five parts, she would pretend to love him ten parts, making him increasingly unable to leave her.
In her previous life, she had been foolish. Despite having such powerful backing, she still let others bully her. This time, she would become a master at tattling – whoever dared provoke her, she would report them, letting her husband and father-in-law deal with them.
"Just one kiss?"
Qi Heng flipped over, pinning her beneath him with a long, lingering kiss. Jiang Nian nearly suffocated from the kiss, pushing him away while gasping for breath, complaining breathlessly:
"If I die from your kissing, I'd be so embarrassed."
"You won't." Qi Heng's eyes smiled as his large hand gently caressed her cheek. "I couldn't bear to."
Qi Heng was very clingy with her, pressing against her cheek while occasionally stealing kisses and pinches. Jiang Nian laughed at him.
"What's wrong with you? You seem strange."
Qi Heng curled his lips into a smile, shallow laughter rippling in his eyes.
Jiang Nian reached out and traced his picturesque brows and eyes with her fingers. Qi Heng gazed intently at her, his Adam's apple unconsciously bobbing as he wrapped his large hand around her waist. Resting his head against her slender shoulder, he nuzzled her affectionately.
Jiang Nian chuckled softly, her fingers stroking his fuzzy head. In their previous life, even during their most loving moments, he had never been this clingy. Why had he changed so much in this lifetime?
Qi Heng took out a thousand taels in silver notes and placed them in her hand. "I'll accompany you to the street to shop and have some new clothes tailored for you."
"We don't need this much silver just for clothes." Jiang Nian took only two notes and returned the rest to the chest. "This is enough. We shouldn't spend recklessly. When we have children in the future, we'll need to provide for them. Money doesn't last long."
At the mention of children, Jiang Nian's expression turned solemn. If that child came to her again in this life, she would protect him properly.
After organizing the private treasury, Qi Heng took her out. Liu Shi was supporting her mother-in-law on their way to the temple, and the four met at the gate. Liu Shi felt a pang of bitterness.
"Sister-in-law, you're truly fortunate. I've never seen Second Brother be so considerate to anyone before."
Madam Qi also felt somewhat displeased. Her son had never accompanied her shopping, yet he was willingly accompanying his newlywed wife.
"Return early." Madam Qi suppressed her discontent but couldn't resist adding, "Don't spend extravagantly. A-Heng's monthly salary is forty-five taels—it can't withstand careless spending."
"Mother is right. Your daughter-in-law will keep it in mind." Jiang Nian replied indifferently with a slight bow.
Qi Heng stepped forward, about to speak, but Jiang Nian tugged at him. "Husband, let's hurry. We should listen to Mother and return early."
Qi Heng nodded and took her horseback riding to the street.
Having barely touched horses in both lifetimes, Jiang Nian was lifted onto the horse by Qi Heng. With a nimble leap, he mounted behind her, wrapping his long arm around her as they galloped away.
From the carriage, Liu Shi lifted the curtain and watched the embracing couple on horseback with envy. When had her husband ever been so attentive? He was always cold and distant toward her. Qi Ji showed little interest in anything, even rarely sharing intimate moments as husband and wife.
Qi Heng brought her to the busiest street, left the horse at a post station, paid a servant ten coppers to feed it, and took Jiang Nian shopping.
The long street was bustling and far more prosperous than those in the countryside or towns, with a greater variety of goods. At every stall they passed, Qi Heng asked if she wanted this or that.
"Husband, let's buy fabric. I want to tailor a garment for you."
Jiang Nian led him straight toward a cloth shop when several ragged, emaciated beggars blocked their path.
"Kind souls, please spare a steamed bun. We haven't eaten for days."
Just as Jiang Nian was about to take out some coins, Qi Heng stopped her. "You can't give them any."
He pointed toward a group of beggars by the roadside. "Once you give to one, they'll all swarm and snatch from you."
Qi Heng tried to lead her away when a thin, small child bumped into him. The child was no more than three years old, with dirty cheeks, skin stretched taut over bones, and deeply sunken eye sockets.
"Brother, sister, could you give me something to eat?"
While she could harden her heart against adults, facing a child stirred her compassion. Jiang Nian pressed her lips together and looked pleadingly at Qi Heng.
"Husband, let me take this child ahead to buy a steamed bun."
"Alright."
Qi Heng looked toward the group of beggars—more accurately, refugees. These days, the streets were increasingly crowded with refugees. It was said that Lingzhou had suffered a flood, leaving no harvest and corpses of the starved everywhere. The relief grain sent by the court had been entirely embezzled by officials, leaving almost nothing for the common people. To survive, the residents of Lingzhou had fled all the way to Ruyang Commandery.
Jiang Nian brought a child to a vendor and bought two steamed buns. Not far away, several refugees stared greedily in their direction, waiting for Jiang Nian and Qi Heng to leave so they could snatch the buns. Jiang Nian crouched down and held a bun to the child’s mouth.
"Eat this. We’ll leave after you finish."
The child devoured the bun ravenously but hesitated to eat the remaining half.
"Sister, can I save the rest for my mother?"
"Well…" It wasn’t that Jiang Nian begrudged the bun, but if the child took it away, it would likely be snatched by others.
"No." Qi Heng held the bun to the child’s mouth. "Eat it. Leave once you’re full, but don’t take it with you."
A defenseless child carrying a bun into a crowd of refugees would be asking for trouble.
The child finished the remaining bun, thanked them, and ran off.
"Let’s go." Qi Heng took her hand, and they continued walking. Jiang Nian said,
"In a little while, there will be even more refugees. Has Father-in-law mentioned how to settle these people?"
Qi Heng replied, "A few days ago, we had people distributing porridge, but the refugees fought over extra bowls, so the distribution was temporarily suspended."