“The main thing is, I don’t have that skill,” Min Ruolan said.
She knew her own limits. In the past, her hands had only handled needle and thread or ledgers, at most embroidering little pouches for her husband.
Xu Chahua eagerly said, “Sister-in-law, my skills are decent. I can give it a try.”
Min Ruolan: …
“Let me finish first,” Lan Shuang said patiently.
“Sister-in-law, nowadays, everything we do might be reported to His Majesty.
Although I brought some silver with me when I came out, we can’t be sure the emperor won’t punish us again for hoarding wealth.
If we want to live a little better, all sources of income must be legitimate.”
“Shuang’er is right,” Lan Laofuren said, raising both hands in agreement. Min Ruolan spoke awkwardly:
“I understand that, but surely there are other ways we can earn silver.”
“Then tell us your plan, Sister-in-law. If it’s reasonable, Shuang’er will certainly follow your advice.”
Lan Shuang’s encouraging words made Min Ruolan freeze—because, in truth, she had no other ideas.
“I haven’t thought of one yet,” she admitted.
“Then listen to Shuang’er,” Lan Laofuren said sternly, and Min Ruolan could only shut her mouth sheepishly.
“Second, if Sister-in-law feels ashamed, you handle the household’s meals and provisions, and I’ll go earn silver,” Lan Shuang said.
Her words stunned everyone. Min Ruolan was extremely surprised.
“Shuang’er, how are you going to earn silver?”
A young unmarried girl going out like that could easily be taken advantage of.
“I have it all figured out,” Lan Shuang said.
Her plan was to practice medicine, but the income would still need to appear legitimate.
“Shuang’er, I’ll go with you,” Min Ruolan said, worried that Lan Shuang might make mistakes. “Actually, your suggestion just now is reasonable. Selling things to survive is nothing to be ashamed of.”
“It’s excellent that Sister-in-law thinks this way,” Lan Shuang said with a satisfied smile.
“I’ve observed Xu’s Village carefully. It’s not necessary for you and Second Sister-in-law to call out and sell in the streets yourselves.
We can hire people to sell for us. Sister-in-law, you’ve managed many shops before; I trust your ability to run things.”
“Shuang’er is right. Just follow her arrangements,” Lan Laofuren said, increasingly pleased. Her granddaughter had likely been hiding her talent all along.
“Let me think about it a bit more,” Lan Shuang said.
She had plenty of formulas and recipes in her mind, but she still needed to decide which ones were most appropriate to use.
After breakfast, Lan Shuang was organizing the supplies in her space when she heard a knock at the door.
Soon after, Lan Su came running in. “Aunt, Mother says the person you dislike most is here!”
“Ji Yunqian?”
Lan Shuang raised a brow. Lan Su nodded vigorously. “Yes. Mother said if you don’t want to see him, she’ll send him away.”
“I’ll send him away myself,” Lan Shuang said.
If she didn’t go out, a man as arrogant as Ji Yunqian would certainly not give up.
When she stepped outside her room, she saw Ji Yunqian standing there—tall and slender, yet so frail his face was pale as snow.
His body seemed seriously weak, but when he saw Lan Shuang, his eyes brightened slightly.
“Shuang’er,” he said.
Lan Shuang, having shed her ornate clothing, wore a simple yet elegant outfit that carried its own charm.
“Mr. Ji, what do you want with me?”
She kept a cold expression and deliberately kept some distance between them, making her intention to avoid intimacy very clear.
“Shuang’er, are you still angry with me?”
Ji Yunqian had always carried a gentle, refined image. He spoke softly, explaining to Lan Shuang:
“What I said that day wasn’t entirely my own meaning. You know how things are with the Fifth Princess. If we can’t go along with her wishes, I feared she would do something even more outrageous. What I said was only a temporary measure.”
“Stop right there!”
Lan Shuang’s expression grew impatient. “I don’t want to hear this nonsense. Just tell me—what do you want?”
“Come back with me to the Marquis’s residence!”
Ji Yunqian’s eyes, which normally looked tender enough to melt a dog’s heart, were fixed on Lan Shuang. “Shuang’er, bear with me for now.
Once you’ve given birth, I’ll make every effort to have you become my equal wife.”
“Oh, an equal wife, huh?”
Min Ruolan’s tone was sharp and mocking. “Ji Yunqian, who do you think you’re looking down on?
Our Lan family girls will never become concubines! Shuang’er, a fine horse doesn’t go back to old pastures—you’d better not be foolish!”
“Don’t worry, Sister-in-law. My mind is perfectly clear,” Lan Shuang said, her face icy. “Ji Yunqian, since you’ve already made your choice, don’t regret it!”
Ji Yunqian’s pride and anger flared. “Lan Shuang, you abandoned me! Who else would want you besides me?!
If you come back with me, you’ll still have the luxurious life you once had. Isn’t that better than wasting away in the countryside?”
“I’m willing to waste away. You can leave from wherever you came!”
Lan Shuang slammed the outer door shut with a loud bang, and shouted at Ji Yunqian outside:
“If you stay here, aren’t you afraid of angering Her Highness the Princess?”
Her words were full of ridicule. Ji Yunqian was furious.
“Lan Shuang, don’t regret this! If you don’t go back with me today, I won’t ever let you enter my residence again, even if you beg me!”
“Get lost!”
Lan Shuang yelled, not even glancing back at Ji Yunqian. Min Ruolan followed behind her.
“Shuang’er, I thought with your childhood bond, you’d hesitate,” Min Ruolan said.
“He was the first to betray our friendship. I, Lan Shuang, love boldly and hate decisively. I will never linger in ties that are already cut!”
With Ji Yunqian’s weak, feeble appearance, Lan Shuang didn’t even think highly of him.
She had no idea what the original owner had liked about him.
“Well done, Shuang’er!”
Lan Laofuren, who had witnessed the whole exchange, gave Lan Shuang a thumbs-up. “I don’t know how that Marquis raised him.
Let’s just watch coldly. The Ji family will collapse sooner or later.”
“Something’s wrong!”
Suddenly, a sharp scream came from inside the house. Lan Shuang and the others were startled.
They saw Xu Chahua running out of the kitchen, clutching her stomach in terror.
“Su’er has fainted! Shuang’er, go check on him!”
“What?!!”
Min Ruolan’s smile froze. She sprinted toward the kitchen, but her legs went weak and she fell to the ground.
Yet she seemed not to feel any pain as she scrambled to her feet. “Su’er!”
When Lan Shuang and the others entered the kitchen, they saw Su’er lying on the floor, his face pale, his body twitching.
“Su’er!”
Min Ruolan held Lan Su in her arms, tears welling up, completely panicked.
“How could this happen… how…”
Lan Shuang was already carefully taking Lan Su’s pulse, even examining his tongue and eyes.
“Shuang’er, what’s wrong with Su’er?”
Lan Laofuren was anxious as well—he was her only great-grandson. If anything happened to him, how could she explain to her sons, daughters-in-law, and eldest grandson?
“He’s been poisoned!”
Lan Shuang’s face was serious. “Sister-in-law, don’t move him. Bring him to your bed. I’ll get the silver needles!”
She hurried back to her room, retrieved a detoxifying pill from her space, then grabbed the silver needles and returned to Su’er’s room.
Min Ruolan was panicked but obeyed, her hands trembling slightly.
“It hurts…”
Lan Su, still unconscious, curled up on the bed, murmuring softly. Min Ruolan’s heart ached.
“Who… who would harm my son?!”
“Su’er, be good. Once we take the medicine, it won’t hurt anymore,” Lan Shuang said.
She pried open his mouth and fed him a pill, then picked up the silver needles, ready to apply them.
“Sister-in-law, stay calm and watch from the side,” she instructed.