The two of them sat back down together, waiting for someone to arrive.
But Xi Hongrui seemed restless, frequently lifting the window curtain to watch for the carriage downstairs.
The Chongwen Emperor glanced at her, feeling the tea in his mouth turn sour, and asked nonchalantly, “Is he coming soon?”
Xi Hongrui gazed eagerly out the window—
Who the hell knows.
But what came out of her mouth was—
“Yes! He should be here soon!”
…
After Linglong Pavilion had been open for over a month, it was time to settle the accounts. Hearing the profit figures reported by the accountant, Xi Hongrui jumped up excitedly: “I’m so amazing! Miss will definitely be very happy when she finds out!”
For some reason, whenever Pei San saw her jumping around with that proud expression, he couldn’t resist teasing her: “The scented soap formula was provided by the Crown Princess Consort, the shop was provided by our Prince, and I was the one who contacted the suppliers. What exactly did you do?”
Xi Hongrui glared at him angrily: “Didn’t I sell all the goods!”
Pei San couldn’t help but laugh—this girl really had no shame.
She wasn’t really selling goods every day, just hiding upstairs enjoying her leisure time.
Sometimes playing with this person, sometimes chatting with that one, swaggering around every day, only wearing the best clothes, only eating the finest food, unwilling to do any real work. In less than a month, her complexion had become better than that of noble young ladies.
But if he actually said that, this lazy girl would fly into a rage when exposed, so Pei San casually agreed: “Alright, alright, it’s all your credit, okay~”
Upon hearing this, Xi Hongrui immediately widened her eyes and said angrily: “Listen to me, Pei San, don’t give me that! One is one, two is two—if we’re going to talk, let’s be perfectly clear!”
“You dog, are you trying to say you did all the work and I contributed nothing?”
“Then let’s have this out properly!”
With that, she snatched the account book and flipped directly to the summary page, holding it right in front of Pei San’s face: “Take a good look! In Linglong Pavilion’s profits, the scented soap alone accounts for less than thirty percent. The real bulk comes from all the other items—rouge and powder, cloth and silk, hairpins, bracelets and ornaments!”
“Those things are everywhere in Daliang City, with plenty of established shops selling them. Linglong Pavilion’s sign has just been put up—do you think relying solely on the gimmick of scented soap could lift the entire pavilion? Why do you think those noblewomen and young ladies are willing to spend money, buy membership cards, and become regular customers of Linglong Pavilion?”
“You say I did nothing—how do you think they stayed? Take a good look!”
Staring at the account book nearly shoved in his face, Pei San was speechless.
“I was just joking, why are you taking it so seriously…”
But Xi Hongrui’s eyes instantly reddened, and she looked at him with tear-filled eyes: “Then why did you say I did nothing!”
Pei San said helplessly: “Alright, alright, that was my fault, okay?”
Why are women so nitpicky…
Xi Hongrui stamped her foot in anger: “It was your fault to begin with!”
“Fine, fine, it was my fault!”
Pei San was extremely annoyed and couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. He took the account book from Xi Hongrui’s hands, packed it into a case, and strode downstairs without looking back.
Xi Hongrui quickly chased after him: “Wait!”
Pei San finished loading the carriage and turned back to look at her very irritably: “Now what?”Xi Hongrui chased after him, her cloud-like hair swaying and floral hairpins trembling. Initially a bit angry, she soon deflated and said, “When you report the shop matters to the Crown Princess Consort, be sure to praise me a lot and ask her to bring me back soon.”
Seeing her soften her attitude, Pei San finally deigned to look at her, squinting his eyes as he asked, “Why don’t you tell the Crown Princess Consort yourself?”
Xi Hongrui:…
After a long pause, she lowered her head and kicked a pebble at her feet. “I feel like the Crown Princess Consort might be angry with me. Lately, she hasn’t been paying much attention to me and spends all her time with Ning Meng…”
Pei San, seeing her wilted and pitiful state, finally felt his mood improve. He patted her head comfortingly and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely put in a good word for you.”
Xi Hongrui was finally satisfied and smiled happily.
But as soon as she got what she wanted, she immediately became bossy again, swatting his hand away. “Hurry up and go! Come pick me up later!”
Pei San:…
What a fickle and ungrateful brat!
Cheerfully, he hitched up the carriage and headed to the Crown Princess Consort with the account books to report.
However, he hadn’t expected that someone else had already beaten him to the Prince’s Residence.
These days, Xi Hongrui had been working Pei San like a beast of burden, pushing Mother Pei to her limit.
That morning, after being provoked yet again by that wretched girl, Mother Pei suppressed her anger and, with a calculating glint in her eyes, went to the Prince’s Residence to sound out the Crown Princess Consort.
As the wet nurse of the Heir of Rui Wang, she was received by Lin Wan with full courtesy.
Mother Pei entered and cautiously curtsied to Lin Wan. “How has Your Highness the Crown Princess Consort been lately?”
Lin Wan smiled and invited her to sit. “Thank you for your concern, Wet Nurse. All is well. What brings you to me today?”
Mother Pei effusively expressed her gratitude as she took her seat and again thanked Ning Meng for the tea. After exchanging some idle chatter, she tentatively asked, “Your Highness, this old servant has come to speak with you about that Hong girl by your side.”
Hearing the name, Lin Wan immediately frowned. “What about her?”
Seeing Lin Wan’s frown, Mother Pei visibly relaxed.
Just as she thought! With that slutty girl’s behavior, no mistress would like her. And she dared to act high and mighty in front of her—just wait until she stripped her of all her pretenses!
Feeling reassured, Mother Pei poured out her complaints like beans from a bamboo tube. “Your Highness, she originally served you, so this old woman shouldn’t say much. But if I don’t tell you, I’m afraid your reputation will be tarnished by that wretched girl!”
“You have no idea what that little flirt has been up to! Since she came to my place, she spends her days either eating, drinking, or dressing up, flirting shamelessly with men young and old in the pavilion.”
“Her clothes expose her pale neck, and she decks her hair with flowers. Those who know say you’ve opened a goods store, but those who don’t would think you’ve opened a brothel!”
“Your Highness, you are the mistress of the Prince’s Residence! If this gets out, where will you hide your face? I beg you to quickly replace her with a girl from a decent family!”
Lin Wan:…
She had sent Xi Hongrui away to avoid trouble, never expecting that this little minx would cause even bigger scandals wherever she went.
In ancient times, it was already difficult enough for a woman to engage in business, and now she was handing ammunition to her critics.Listening to Mother Pei’s tearful accusations, Lin Wan took a deep breath and glanced at Ning Meng, who had been working with her for over a month and had already adapted quite well. She said calmly, “Why don’t you go and watch over her for a few days? I think you’re the only one who can handle her.”
Ning Meng cast a faint glance downward and immediately understood the old woman’s intentions upon seeing the eager gleam in Mother Pei’s eyes as she stared back. She then turned to look at Lin Wan.
This new mistress, though not particularly difficult to deal with, certainly had a knack for jealousy when it came to the Prince. Having grown up by the Prince’s side and being three years older than him, Ning Meng had inevitably shared some intimate moments with him in their youth.
As the Prince grew older, she had initially hoped that the Crown Princess Consort, after entering the mansion, might be broad-minded enough to allow her long-held aspirations to finally come to fruition. But now, it seemed that had been nothing more than a foolish dream.
Her youth had already been wasted, and she could no longer hope for anything better. Pei San, however, was indeed a decent choice.
With composed dignity, she curtsied and said, “Yes, Your Highness, Crown Princess Consort.”
Mother Pei was overjoyed at this and immediately took Ning Meng’s hand, engaging in cheerful conversation with the Crown Princess Consort for quite some time.
When Pei San entered, he happened to witness this scene and couldn’t help but ask in confusion, “Mother, why are you here too?”
Mother Pei shot him a glare. “You’re always preoccupied with that little hussy—do you even care about your own mother anymore?”
“Mother!”
Snorting, Mother Pei stubbornly turned her head away, refusing to look at him.
Lin Wan calmly sipped her tea. Seeing this situation, she recognized it as a classic case of “mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict.” But even in modern times, a girl like Xi Hongrui would be hard for conservative mothers-in-law to tolerate, let alone in ancient society.
Not wanting to linger and watch their bickering, she set down her teacup and said calmly, “Have you come to deliver the account books?”
Pei San immediately stopped talking and respectfully handed over all the ledgers. “Yes, please review them, Crown Princess Consort.”
Ning Meng retrieved the account books from the box and presented them to Lin Wan.
This was the true skill of managing a household that well-bred young ladies in ancient times had to learn. Things like music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and the art of captivating men were merely tricks concubines relied on to serve through charm.
As a modern woman with a higher education, Lin Wan was confident in her mathematical abilities, which far surpassed those of people in ancient times. Reviewing account books posed no problem for her.
As expected, the profits in just one month were considerable. It seemed that other chain stores could be opened as well. However, what surprised her was that scented soap was not the main contributor to the profits. Why was that? After all, Linglong Pavilion had built its reputation on scented soap.
She looked up and asked Pei San, who was startled. He hadn’t expected that little girl to be right! Instantly, he felt a deep discomfort, as if he had been publicly shamed and made to feel inferior in front of her.
But what could that lazy, vain little girl possibly know? It must have been a lucky guess!
Driven by this strange thought, Pei San glanced up at the Crown Princess Consort but ultimately just clasped his hands and said, “The scented soap Your Highness formulated is so exceptional that it’s known throughout the city. It’s only natural that it has boosted sales of other items as well.”
Lin Wan thought it over and agreed. Although she had priced the scented soap at one silver piece per bar, traditional local products were bound to be more profitable. She didn’t press further and instead turned her gaze to Pei San.”You’ve been working hard these days, and I thought you might be overburdened alone, so I’ve decided to assign Ning Meng to assist you for a while.”
Pei San was slightly taken aback, but Mother Pei beamed with delight and repeatedly expressed her gratitude.
Just as Pei San was about to speak, Ning Meng approached, curtsying gracefully. “I’ll do my best to help,” she said.
After the courtesy, she lifted her head and gave him a gentle smile. Though not strikingly beautiful, she carried an air of warmth and charm.
Pei San immediately held his tongue.
It wasn’t that he had any particular thoughts about her, but he suddenly recalled how Xi Hongrui always seemed so fierce and unrestrained.
While her spirited nature occasionally amused him, her constant commotion could also be tiresome. Why couldn’t she be as gentle and well-mannered as Ning Meng?
Observing Ning Meng’s dignified composure and comparing it to Xi Hongrui’s behavior, it was no wonder the Crown Princess Consort was gradually growing weary of her.
It occurred to him that having Ning Meng—someone Xi Hongrui didn’t get along with—around might exert some pressure on her, perhaps even help her correct her flaws.
He meant it for her own good; otherwise, she would never mature and would remain perpetually unaware of propriety.
Having reasoned this through, Pei San no longer objected to Ning Meng’s arrival.
…
Time passed slowly, yet there was no sign of the person Xi Hongrui had claimed would come for her.
The Chongwen Emperor’s mood brightened a little at this.
He leaned closer and remarked casually, “It’s so late now, and that person still hasn’t come. Could it be they don’t care about you at all?”
Upon hearing this, Xi Hongrui looked up, her eyes filled with the helplessness and sorrow of a pitiful little creature.
Yes, why hadn’t they come? She didn’t know either~
In any case, she was just so pitiful~