A night of indulgence, a night of passion.
Against Zhao Mingyan’s protests, the two candlesticks with six candles burned down completely.
Ninety coins wasted, and Nan Yan never bothered to extinguish them. Or rather, by the time he was finally done and might have put them out, they had already burned themselves away.
Zhao Mingyan resented this old man’s terrifying stamina, but even more regretted that ninety coins had been squandered!
What difference did it make—doing such things with the lights on or off? Wasn’t it just a waste of money?
Because of this grievance, she couldn’t help but throw a tiny tantrum afterward, secretly pinching Nan Yan.
“What is it?” His voice came from above, warm and indulgent, tinged with laughter.
“My lord, you don’t cherish things.”
Nan Yan: “…… My mistake. I’ll be gentler next time.”
Zhao Mingyan: “???”
Realizing what he meant, she scolded, “That’s not what I meant!”
“Then what? I’ll pay attention next time.”
“It’s the candles, the candles, the candles!” Zhao Mingyan huffed, turning to pinch him again.
The delicate little concubine had grown bold. In just a few days, the good atmosphere of the household and the gentle temperament of its master had nurtured her courage.
Nan Yan, pinched into silence, could only bow his head and admit, “All right, all right, it’s my fault.”
“Hmph!” Zhao Mingyan released him. “My lord, you don’t manage the household, so you don’t know how costly daily expenses are. Today, Sister Shuang and I bought just a few bolts of cloth, and it cost thirty taels of silver. And you just lit all those candles—fifteen coins each, six candles, ninety coins—that’s enough for a day’s worth of food!”
Listening to her scolding, Nan Yan muttered guiltily, “Your lord can still afford it.”
Zhao Mingyan’s face hardened. “My lord, forgive me for speaking plainly. Though your salary is not small, grain in the capital is expensive, and every expense costs money. At home, there are also two young ladies—the eldest is thirteen, the second ten. In just a few years, they will be of marriageable age. In the capital, any respectable family marries off their daughters with grand dowries, and the betrothal gifts are doubled in return. Without a proper dowry, how could the girls establish themselves in their husbands’ households?”
These past two days, Zhao Mingyan had spent her time with Wang Shuang, hearing all about the household’s affairs. She had already figured out the Nan residence inside and out.
First, regarding money: Nan Yan was a newly risen official in the capital, with no foundation at the start. Only in the past two years had he been promoted to high office. He remained upright and refused all bribes, so in these years he earned only a little over 2,000 taels in salary.
Two thousand taels sounded like a lot—ordinary people might never earn that in a lifetime. But Nan Yan had to buy a residence, which cost a thousand taels. He had a carriage worth over a hundred taels. He had to maintain three servants, plus his wife and two daughters’ schooling. And tuition for the girls was not cheap—thirty taels per month each.
That alone consumed most of his monthly salary.
After Wang Shuang explained all the household expenses, Zhao Mingyan understood: Nan Yan had little savings. At least for now, while his foundation was still shallow, most of his income was swallowed by these major costs.
That was why Wang Shuang and Nan Yan had no fine jewelry or luxurious clothing—there simply wasn’t spare money for such things.
Newly risen officials were always like this. Without developing their own industries, relying only on fixed salaries or imperial rewards, it was difficult to become truly wealthy. They lacked heritage; they lacked accumulation.
Sure enough, after Zhao Mingyan finished scolding him, the old man fell silent.
Seeing his silence, Zhao Mingyan huffed. “My lord, our household is at its starting stage. We must save where we should, spend where we must, plan reasonably, and slowly accumulate. Only then can we rise to the level of the great families.”
After she finished, the man who had been holding her suddenly released his arms. He turned and stepped down from the bed. In the darkness, Zhao Mingyan could only see his shadow.
Suddenly, her heart panicked. It was over—she had overstepped. A pampered concubine had grown bold, speaking recklessly and angering her master.
Just as her heart was in turmoil, Nan Yan returned to her side. At the same time, something cold and metallic was pressed into her palm.
A key?
“This is the key to my storeroom. From now on, you’ll keep it.” Nan Yan’s voice came again.
Zhao Mingyan: “!!!”
In the darkness, her eyes widened.
“I think you’re right. And from the way you speak, I can tell you know how to manage a household and build wealth. From now on, all the family’s finances will be under your care.”
Nan Yan lay back down beside her.
Hearing this, Zhao Mingyan felt as if the sky above her had collapsed with a thunderous crash. This old man was going to kill her, wasn’t he!
“How can I hold the household key and manage the accounts? That’s Sister Shuang’s responsibility!” she protested quickly.
“She can’t read. She doesn’t understand accounts.” Nan Yan’s voice drifted lightly through the night.
Zhao Mingyan: “……”
“That still isn’t right!”
Her head was suddenly rubbed hard, pulled into his embrace. Nan Yan’s drowsy voice sounded above her. “Sleep. If you keep talking, I’ll think you’re not tired at all—and just trying to seduce me again.”
Zhao Mingyan: “……”
This hateful old man! She wasn’t seducing him at all!
But she didn’t dare speak further, or even move, knowing that if she stirred again, he’d accuse her of seduction. She clenched the key in her palm, planning to hand it over to Wang Shuang tomorrow. No more thinking about it.
She slept soundly through the night. When she opened her eyes, daylight was already streaming in—Nan Yan had gone out.
Outside, Wang Shuang was calling for breakfast; she had already cooked early in the morning.
Zhao Mingyan was growing more and more accustomed to this life. Waking up, she even felt happy. She quickly rose and tidied herself. Once she was ready, she looked at the key still clenched in her palm and carried it out.
In the main hall, Wang Shuang had prepared a meal: several dishes and a soup, waiting for Zhao Mingyan. There was meat, eggs, vegetables, and even a fish.
The meat was cured pork the household had bought in bulk, the eggs came daily from the chickens Wang Shuang raised, the vegetables were grown in a small patch of soil behind the servants’ quarters, fertilized with composted waste.
As for the fish, it was caught unexpectedly yesterday by Old Chen while running errands outside the city and has been kept alive in a tank until now.
Looking at the table, Zhao Mingyan thought Wang Shuang was actually quite good at managing the household. Though a bit rough, and the house somewhat messy, it was practical and resourceful.
So Zhao Mingyan placed the key in front of Wang Shuang.
“What’s this?” Wang Shuang asked, looking at it.
“Sister Shuang, this is my lord’s storeroom key. It should rightfully be managed by you.”