Zhan Erniang had just sold a batch of Shu brocade at a low price. Upon hearing this, she was so filled with regret that she beat her chest and stamped her feet. She even went to Old Madam to slander the original host as an ill omen, claiming that as soon as she entered the family, she had caused her in-laws’ business to suffer heavy losses.
Cheng Yao’s eyes flickered. If that was the case… this time, she would make Zhan Erniang vomit blood in frustration!
She sauntered into the shop and announced loudly, “I’ll take all the Shu brocade you have.”
Heavens, a big fish has arrived—must seize the opportunity quickly!
The shopkeeper rushed out excitedly, but upon seeing it was Cheng Yao, he inwardly cursed his luck and immediately deflated.
Reluctantly, he bowed to Cheng Yao, his expression far from pleasant. “Princess Consort, what brings you here?”
Cheng Yao raised an eyebrow. “What? Am I not allowed to come?”
The shopkeeper’s heart skipped a beat. It was said that this Princess Consort was a fool, but now, looking at her, she possessed both the grace of a noble lady and the authority of a matriarch. She didn’t seem like one at all.
“Of course, you are welcome,” he softened his expression. “However, I am currently troubled by the poor sales of Shu brocade and have no time to attend to you. Would you mind browsing the shop yourself and selecting the fabrics you like?”
As he spoke, he signaled to a few shop assistants to bring pastries and tea, then politely ushered Cheng Yao inside.
Cheng Yao unceremoniously took a seat on a chair. “Shopkeeper, are you getting old and hard of hearing? I just said I want to buy Shu brocade.”
The shopkeeper looked astonished. “Princess Consort, there is such a large quantity of Shu brocade. Are you sure you want all of it?”
Cheng Yao nodded. “All of it.”
“This…” The shopkeeper suppressed his inner delight, his eyes darting as he pretended to advise her. “Princess Consort, with so much Shu brocade, and the patterns being outdated…”
“My legitimate elder sister married beneath her station. I’m buying some fabric to give her as a dowry gift,” Cheng Yao said leisurely, taking a bite of pastry. “Please consult Old Madam or Erniang and give me the lowest discount.”
It seems this Princess Consort truly is a big, naive fish!
Must seize her—absolutely must!
The shopkeeper feigned a troubled expression. “This is the Prince’s mansion’s business. If you need it, you may take it all without issue—just record it in the accounts. However, I…”
Cheng Yao interrupted him. “No need to worry. Just follow the usual procedures.”
“Yes.” The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment before bowing in agreement. He instructed others to attend to Cheng Yao properly while he personally made a trip to the Prince’s mansion.
Zhan Erniang was speaking with Old Madam when the shopkeeper finished his report. Covering her mouth with a handkerchief, she laughed. “The mindset of the poor truly cannot hide itself. She wants to save face yet also desires cheap goods.”
After a pause, she added, “Haoting is really too much. No matter how much he despises Cheng Yao, he should still give her some monthly allowance. Her shabbiness not only invites ridicule but also disgraces our Zhan family’s reputation.”
Old Madam’s face darkened.
Zhan Haoting did not despise that little wretch; on the contrary, he doted on and protected her immensely.
That wretched creature wasn’t short on money either—she was just stingy and unwilling to spend, which led her to do such disgraceful things. It was truly disgusting.
Seeing Old Madam’s undisguised loathing for Cheng Yao, Zhan Erniang couldn’t help but curl her lips into a slight smile. “Go reply to the Princess Consort. Tell her the Shu brocade cannot be sold to her. If she truly wants it, give her one bolt as a gift.”
The shopkeeper hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. “Second Madam, for some reason, Heavy Brocade, Cloud Brocade, and Hangzhou Satin have become wildly popular in the market over the past two years, while Shu brocade has been ignored. Our Zhan family’s shop has had Shu brocade in stock for over a year. It’s rare for the Princess Consort to be willing to buy it all…”
“She wants all of it?” Zhan Erniang frowned. “How much Shu brocade do we have in the shop?”
The shopkeeper cautiously stole a glance at her expression. “T-two thousand bolts, more or less.”
What?
Even Old Madam was shocked. “How could so much have piled up?”
Trembling with fear, the shopkeeper bent at a ninety-degree angle. “Shu brocade has been selling poorly since last year. I thought the patterns and styles were outdated, so I ordered some new ones, hoping they would help sell the old stock. Who knew nothing would move at all…”
“Fool!” Before the shopkeeper could finish, Zhan Erniang kicked him to the ground. “If it wasn’t selling, why did you order more? Is your head filled with water?”
The shopkeeper curled up on the floor, shivering. “I am incompetent and deserve punishment.”
“Will punishing you recover the losses?” Zhan Erniang’s face turned pale with anger. If it weren’t for the fact that this man had been recommended by her daughter-in-law Xianxian, she would have kicked him to death.
“The mistake is already made; there’s no use saying more.” Old Madam remained relatively calm. “Cheng Yao buying so much Shu brocade—who knows what she’s scheming? We can’t sell the Shu brocade to her, lest we get dragged into trouble.”
Zhan Erniang hurriedly said, “Mother, this large batch of Shu brocade is worth twenty to thirty thousand. Not selling it to her would be such a waste.”
Old Madam raised her eyes slightly. “Are you saying it can’t be sold without her?”
The shopkeeper mustered his courage. “Old Madam, right now, no one really wants Shu brocade…”
Old Madam’s voice suddenly rose, sharp and stern. “If you can’t sell all this cloth, what use are you?”
The shopkeeper flushed red, stammering and unable to speak.
By the time he returned to the shop, Cheng Yao had already left.
He regretted it deeply—he should have sold the Shu brocade to the Princess Consort first and reported it afterward!
The thought of this batch of Shu brocade ending up in his hands sent chills down his spine.
…
“Three hundred bolts of Shu brocade, fifty bolts of Cloud Brocade, and three hundred bolts of cotton and linen cloth have been arranged and will be delivered immediately to the address you provided.”
“Madam Cheng, all the cloth has been loaded onto the carts.”
“You have become a supreme honored guest of our Yipintang. All goods in the shop will be given a twenty percent discount.”
Cheng Yao purchased large quantities of cloth, ready-made clothes, and some daily necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt, having them delivered to a dilapidated house she owned outside the capital.
She spent stacks of bills without a hint of heartache.
These goods, if sold in Liufangzhidi, could fetch at least three times the price. What was there to worry about? She was overjoyed.
Earlier, when she waited at the Zhan family shop for the shopkeeper without success, she knew something had gone wrong.
Perhaps Zhan Erniang was deliberately opposing her, or maybe they were preventing her from causing trouble by refusing to sell to her.
Hah, if they don’t sell now, they’ll come begging her within two days.
If they don’t, she’ll just take it herself—and without spending a single coin.
Cheng Yao went to collect everything into her Space, leaving only ten carts of Shu brocade. She then took some gold, silver, and valuables from her Space and sent them to Cheng Ling.
Cheng Ling was the original host’s biological elder sister, quiet and reserved, with little presence in the household.
Their mother had passed away early, and her situation was also quite difficult.
But she understood that her fate would be controlled by her stepmother, Wang Qiuniang. At just fourteen, she found a scholar from a humble background and begged her grandmother to arrange the marriage.
After marriage, she lived in poverty and hardship. Aside from returning home after her wedding and attending her grandparents’ funerals, she never visited her maiden home during holidays.
In the book, she was also a minor character, mentioned only twice: once when her husband passed the imperial examinations and she wept for joy;
The second was the invasion by foreign tribes. When the city gates were breached, her husband charged forward with his own flesh and blood to block the spears, dying a heroic death. Yet his body was trampled into mud by the tribesmen, leaving not a trace of his remains. Upon hearing the tragic news, she vomited blood and died, leaving behind two wailing infants whose fate could easily be foreseen.
Cheng Yao sighed with sorrow. Before leaving, she had to make proper arrangements for Cheng Ling.