A short distance from the village entrance, Yan Ji asked to climb down from the ox cart. Ahead lay the populated paths of the village, and if the locals spotted them arriving together, malicious gossip would inevitably spread. Understanding her caution, Lin Zhiyan could only bid her a highly reluctant farewell before driving on.
When Yan Ji stepped through the front door of her home, she found that Yan Liu Shi had already cooked a fresh batch of pork dumplings, anxiously waiting for her return.
“Ji Niang, you’re finally back! How did it go?” The moment Yan Liu Shi saw her daughter, she hurried over to pull her inside. In the same breath, she slammed the door shut, decisively blocking out Wang Xuefeng’s nosy, lingering gaze from across the courtyard.
Wang Xuefeng curled her lips in sheer disdain, turning on her heel to retreat into her own room.
Inside, Yan Ji untied her purse and poured the silver onto the table. “Altogether, I earned sixty taels of silver. I also used a portion to purchase some raw medicinal herbs. I plan to formulate specialized ointments to sell next.”
Yan Liu Shi stared at the glittering pile, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.
Those little boxes of scented balm had actually brought in sixty taels of silver? That was far more than the entire family earned from a grueling year of hard labor in the fields!
“Mother, take these thirty taels and hire some laborers from the village to start building us a new house.” Yan Ji said, sliding half the fortune across the table. “Once it’s ready, we can move out.”
Yan Liu Shi waved her hands frantically in refusal. “No, no, use Mother’s money instead! Save your earnings for yourself. You’ll need every copper of it to line your dowry in the future!”
“Mother, it’s better to use my money.” Yan Ji insisted, gently pressing the silver into Yan Liu Shi’s weathered hands. “If we use your savings, my brothers and sisters-in-law will assume you secretly hoarded family wealth just to build a private house for me. But if we use my earnings, then whenever they try to stir up trouble in the future, you can look them in the eye and tell them your daughter earned it all herself.”
Hearing that, Yan Liu Shi realized her daughter’s foresight was entirely correct. She reluctantly pocketed the silver, though her expression soured as she inwardly cursed Wang Xuefeng and Yan Lao Er to the heavens. It infuriated her to no end that even though she had her own hidden savings, she couldn’t even freely spend them on her precious daughter without greedy eyes watching her!
Once Yan Ji finished eating her dumplings, Yan Liu Shi immediately set off into the village to arrange the logistics for the new house. Meanwhile, Yan Ji organized her newly purchased herbs, packed the jars into her basket, and headed back out toward the tranquility of the back mountain.
……
Naturally, it didn’t take long for the news of Yan Liu Shi’s building plans to echo through the Yan household.
Predictably, Wang Xuefeng had the most explosive reaction. Gritting her teeth, she hissed hatefully at her husband, “I knew it! I knew that your mother hid a massive fortune away for Ji Niang! Look at this— the family split barely settled, and they’re already building a brand-new house!”
Yan Lao Er kept his head lowered, remaining stubbornly silent.
“I’m talking to you! Why are you standing there like a brainless block of wood?” Furious at his apathy, Wang Xuefeng shoved his shoulder hard.
“We have already split the family!” Yan Lao Er’s patience finally snapped as his brows knit into a tight, irritated scowl. “Why do you care so much about what they do? Isn’t it enough for us to just mind our own business and live our own lives?”
Too frustrated to stay in the same room as her, he shoved open the door and stormed out into the cool night air.
Watching his retreating back, Wang Xuefeng’s expression twisted into something truly venomous. How on earth did that lazy brat Yan Ji possess such infuriatingly good fortune?
No. Tomorrow, without fail, she would personally take a matchmaker to Scholar Lin’s house to force a marriage proposal for her own niece. Without the future county magistrate by her side, it wouldn’t matter how much that old hag doted on Yan Ji— the girl would still amount to absolutely nothing.
Having finalized her scheme, Wang Xuefeng lowered her hand to soothingly stroke her belly, her twisted expression melting into a thoroughly pleased, smug smile.
────ρя
This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m
The very next morning, Yan Liu Shi finalized the purchase of a nearby plot of land and hired a crew of local villagers to break ground on the new house. To keep morale high, she went to the market to buy fresh pork and prepared a spread of hearty, delicious dishes to entertain the workers at noon.
Most of the villagers were simple, warmhearted folk. Since Yan Liu Shi was offering both competitive daily wages and generous meals, the workers put in double the effort. In less than two days, the skeletal outline of the new house had already taken shape.
During those two days, Yan Ji remained completely focused, brewing a fresh batch of scented balms alongside her newly formulated medicinal ointments. On the morning of her scheduled meeting with the noblewoman, she set off early with her basket on her back, only to cross paths with Lin Zhiyan on the road once again.
“Is Young Master Lin heading into town to borrow books again?” Yan Ji asked, tilting her head slightly with a knowing smile.
Lin Zhiyan shook his head. “I am actually returning the previous books, though I plan to borrow two more while I am there. Is Miss Yan heading back to the market to sell your balms? Please, come ride with me again.”
Yan Ji did not stand on ceremony. After climbing into the ox cart, she reached into her basket, retrieved a small, uniquely crafted box, and handed it directly to him. “This is a scented balm I made specially for you. It carries a refreshing, calming blend that is perfect for clearing the mind during long hours of studying. Take it.”
Lin Zhiyan’s eyes widened in sheer surprise. He clearly hadn’t expected her to craft something with him specifically in mind.
He pressed his lips together, his gaze flickering with deep conflict. He was painfully tempted to accept it, yet the rigid moral code he had studied his entire life held him back.
“This…… I cannot casually accept gifts without merit.” Lin Zhiyan managed to stammer out, reluctantly turning his head away from the offering.
Yan Ji had fully anticipated his stubborn propriety, so she wasn’t at all deterred. She simply pressed the small box firmly into his hands, blinked playfully, and said, “Then consider it my proper fare for your ox cart rides, Young Master Lin.”
Lin Zhiyan’s fingers instinctively tightened around the scented balm. Looking at her radiant, flower-like smile, his heart fluttered unbearably. His fingers twitched against the smooth wood of the box as he forcibly suppressed the chaotic emotions stirring inside his chest.
Turning his head to look at the passing scenery, his mind drifted back to the previous afternoon. A matchmaker had abruptly visited his home, sent by a family named Wang to propose a marriage. The girl was said to be incredibly diligent, gentle, and submissive, and even his parents had seemed quite pleased with the match. Had it been the past, he likely would have quietly accepted their arrangement.
Yet yesterday, he had rejected the proposal without a single second of hesitation.
When his bewildered parents pressed him for a reason, Lin Zhiyan had merely claimed that he wished to focus wholeheartedly on his upcoming imperial examinations and had no room in his heart for marriage. But only he knew the true reason keeping him anchored.
When the cart arrived at the town entrance, Yan Ji bid him farewell and calmly made her way toward her previous market spot. To her surprise, before she could even reach the remote corner, she spotted a crowd of elegantly dressed young noble ladies already gathered in a tight circle around her empty patch of ground.
The moment her slender figure came into view, a young lady at the front dressed in a light yellow silk dress brightened instantly. Pointing excitedly, she exclaimed, “It’s her! She’s the one who made the custom scented balms!”
Yan Ji recognized the young lady immediately.
Wasn’t this the very first customer who had bought from her two days ago?
A serene smile playing on her lips, Yan Ji walked over to her makeshift storefront.
“Little Proprietress, are you still selling those scented balms today?” The girl in yellow asked hurriedly, stepping forward. Just yesterday, she had worn one of Yan Ji’s custom balms to a high-society banquet. The unique, intoxicating scent had effortlessly drawn the attention of noble young masters and aristocratic ladies alike, single-handedly granting her entry into the town’s most elite social circles.
Eager to capitalize on her newfound prestige, she had practically dragged this entourage of high-status young ladies to track down the mysterious merchant.
“Of course I am selling them.” Yan Ji replied with an easy smile. “However, my time was limited, so I only managed to brew six boxes of the scented balm for this trip.”
“Only six boxes? Why so few?” The young lady’s face fell with instant dissatisfaction.
Yan Ji remained unhurried, her voice smooth and reassuring, “While the balms are few, I have brought something new— a selection of specialized medicinal ointments formulated to completely eradicate pimples and heal stubborn scars. The results are nothing short of miraculous.”
Upon hearing those words, the eyes of every young lady in the crowd lit up in unison.
An ointment that can remove pimples and scars?
Though they were all in the prime of youth, every single one of them occasionally suffered from unsightly blemishes due to the changing seasons or rich diets— a recurring nightmare for any noble daughter. If this ointment truly worked as advertised, they would never have to lose sleep over a breakout again.
The girl in yellow made a split-second decision. “Take them out and let us see!”
Yan Ji set down her basket and retrieved several beautifully crafted boxes of the new ointment. Prying one open, a clean, herbal aroma laced with a faint, elegant floral undertone drifted into the air.
Fixing her gaze on the leader of the group, Yan Ji asked softly, “Would you care to try it, Miss?”
The girl in yellow hesitated for a fraction of a second. But looking at Yan Ji’s utterly calm demeanor, she found herself believing the claim. Steeling her resolve, she took a deep breath and declared, as if preparing to march onto a battlefield, “Fine! Let’s try it!”
Her overly dramatic expression made it impossible for Yan Ji to suppress a light chuckle.
Stepping closer, Yan Ji took a small amount of ointment onto her fingertip and gently dabbed it over a small pimple on the young lady’s porcelain cheek.
“Now, we only need to wait a short while.” Yan Ji explained, stepping back to give her room. “For a smaller blemish like this one, it will vanish entirely after a mere quarter of an hour. If the breakout is larger or deeper, it requires about an hour to dissolve.”
The other young ladies instantly swarmed around the girl in yellow, their voices overlapping in a flurry of excited chatter.
“How does it feel?”
“Is it burning?”
The girl in yellow closed her eyes, savoring the sensation before replying, “It feels wonderfully cool and refreshing. In fact, it’s incredibly soothing. And…… there is a clean medicinal fragrance to it. It’s not unpleasant at all.”
A quarter of an hour ticked away in anxious anticipation. When the time was up, Yan Ji produced a clean, soft silk handkerchief and gently wiped away the dried ointment from the young lady’s cheek.
The entire crowd leaned in closer, their eyes widening in absolute shock before a collective gasp erupted.
“It’s really gone!”
“Good heavens, that is incredible!”
“I absolutely must buy several boxes!”
“How much for one box? I want two!”
“Didn’t you say there were scar-removal ointments as well? Give me one of each!”
Before she knew it, Yan Ji was completely swarmed by a flurry of enthusiastic, silk-clad noble ladies jostling for a spot at her stall.
Her beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons as she raised her hands in a soothing gesture, smiling warmly. “Please, do not rush, young ladies. I only brought ten boxes total of the pimple and scar-removal ointments today, so I am afraid there isn’t enough for everyone to purchase in bulk. However, I will return to this exact spot in two days to set up my stall again. If you find the effects to your liking, you are more than welcome to return and purchase more then.”
Formulating the medicinal ointments was actually a much faster process than brewing the complex scented balms. A single heated jar could easily yield four individual boxes. Recognizing the immense value humans placed on flaws, Yan Ji boldly priced the ointments at a staggering twelve taels of silver per box. Yet, not a single young lady batted an eye or complained that it was too expensive. After all, these were premium products meant for the face. If they were priced too cheaply, these wealthy clients would have felt uneasy about the quality instead.
In the blink of an eye, the miracle ointments were entirely cleaned out, and the six boxes of scented balm vanished right along with them. The fortunate young ladies who had managed to secure a box departed with triumphant, radiant smiles.
Yan Ji remained at her stall a little while longer until the middle-aged noblewoman from her previous trip finally arrived for their appointment. Yan Ji repeated the demonstration, applying a dab of the fresh ointment to her skin. Witnessing the stubborn blemish dissolve before her very eyes, the noblewoman eagerly handed over her silver without a moment’s hesitation, even promising to recommend the miracle ointment to her entire circle of wealthy friends.
Yan Ji thanked her gracefully, her mind already calculating the next phase of her business.
With her purse practically bursting, she swept through the market, purchasing fine white flour, tender cuts of beef and pork, an assortment of sweet snacks and pastries, and several bolts of high-quality cloth. She stuffed her basket until it was filled to the brim before making her way back to the town entrance.
Following another quiet, pleasant journey back to the village with Lin Zhiyan, Yan Ji climbed down and walked toward her home. Before she could even reach the old courtyard, she saw Yan Liu Shi hurrying down the path toward her with a massive, glowing smile on her face.
“Ji Niang, hurry! Come look! The house is almost finished!” Without even glancing inside the heavy basket, the old woman lovingly hefted it off Yan Ji’s back to lighten her load, eagerly pulling her daughter forward. A few paces later, the pristine wooden framework of the brand-new house rose into view.
Yan Ji inspected the structure. Having lived as a Nine-Tailed Fox, a simple mortal house didn’t particularly move her, but seeing the pure, unadulterated joy radiating from Yan Liu Shi, she offered a bright, warm smile. “It looks absolutely wonderful, Mother.”
“Of course it does! Your mother personally supervised the workers every step of the way.” Yan Liu Shi boasted happily. “Aside from the main kitchen, I even had them construct a separate, sunlit workshop specially reserved for you to blend those scented balms of yours! But look at you— you’ve been running around all morning and must be exhausted. Let’s head back. Mother will steam a fresh bowl of silky egg custard for you right away!”
“I bought some fresh pork and beef on the way back.” Yan Ji said, her smile beaming with genuine affection. “Take them, Mother, and let’s cook a grand feast so we can celebrate together. This time, your daughter earned over two hundred taels of silver altogether, so please, do not skimp on our food!”
Upon hearing that staggering figure, Yan Liu Shi’s knees buckled, and she nearly collapsed right there on the dirt path.
Two hundred taels of silver?!
Good heavens! Those little boxes of balms weren’t just a hobby; they were a literal gold mine!