“Hang two more here, it’ll look more festive. Mei’er will be happy to see it.”
The Hou Furen appeared extremely joyful. When she saw Jiang Suihuan, she beckoned her over, “Suihuan, come take a look. Is this lantern hanging straight?”
Jiang Suihuan lowered her eyelashes slightly and said indifferently, “The lantern is straight, but mother’s heart is biased.”
The smile on Hou Furen’s face gradually froze, “What do you mean by that? Why would my heart be biased?”
“I just went through Heli with Chu Jue, and he immediately married Jiang Meier as his Zheng Fei. Instead of blaming them, you’re helping them prepare the wedding. Isn’t this favoritism?” Jiang Suihuan’s voice was soft but cold.
“Suihuan, you were the one who proposed the Heli. As a Prince, how could Chu Jue leave the Zheng Fei position vacant forever? It’s good for all of us that Mei’er became the Zheng Fei!”
Hou Furen seemed somewhat annoyed, “As your sister, Mei’er has always been good to you. Afraid that you’d be lonely in the prince’s residence alone, she reluctantly married Chu Jue as a Ce Fei. Now that she’s finally become the Zheng Fei, you as her elder sister should be happy for her!”
Sensing the tense atmosphere, the servants in the Houfu immediately became cautious, not even daring to breathe loudly.
Jiang Suihuan felt mixed emotions. From the Madame’s reaction when she was injured, it was clear that Hou Furen cared about the original host. But this concern paled in comparison to Hou Furen’s doting on Jiang Meier.
Now that the original host had been killed by Jiang Meier, Hou Furen still spoke up for Jiang Meier everywhere and personally helped Jiang Meier and Chu Jue arrange their wedding.
One must remember that these two were the murderers of the original host!
Jiang Suihuan’s voice was calm as stagnant water, but everyone could hear the turbulence beneath, “Jiang Meier and Chu Jue almost killed me before. Is that what you call being good to me?”
“Mei’er said it was a misunderstanding and has already apologized. Besides, aren’t you recovered now? We’re family! There are no lasting grudges between family members!” Hou Furen grew more agitated as she spoke.
“Heh, mother is truly lenient with Jiang Meier.” Jiang Suihuan sneered, “Don’t forget, between me and Jiang Meier, who is your true flesh and blood!”
Hou Furen’s body trembled violently.
“I almost died without a burial place. If not for my strong fate, I would have been torn apart by wild dogs at Luanzang Gang long ago.” Jiang Suihuan’s voice was hoarse, “Mother clearly knows what Jiang Meier and Chu Jue did to me, yet you forgave them on my behalf.”
Hou Furen’s heart ached slightly. Shock, regret, and guilt surged through her simultaneously. Her lips trembled, unable to speak.
She suddenly realized that she had always subconsciously treated Jiang Meier as her own biological daughter.
Jiang Suihuan was deeply disappointed in Hou Furen. After a moment of silence, she turned to leave. After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped and asked softly, “If I hadn’t survived that day at Luanzang Gang, would mother still be so happy today?”
Hou Furen seemed to have all her strength drained away. She staggered back several steps. Li Momo behind her quickly supported her, “Madame, are you alright?”
Watching Jiang Suihuan’s gradually receding figure, Hou Furen murmured, “Is my heart truly biased?”
The next day, Jiang Suihuan sat by the window, clicking the abacus loudly as she calculated what kind of residence she could buy in Jingcheng with the money she had.
Although five hundred thousand taels seemed like a substantial amount, after deducting expenses for childbirth, renovations, and daily living, only three hundred thousand taels remained.
Jingcheng was a place where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold. With three hundred thousand taels, one couldn’t purchase a particularly large residence. Beyond that, considerations had to be made for whether the location was prosperous, whether there were schools nearby, and whether there was potential for future appreciation, among other factors.
Thinking of this, Jiang Suihuan felt a headache coming on. It seemed that no matter the era, buying property was always a vexing matter.
Just as she was fretting, Ying Tao came running in, overjoyed. “Miss, the Hou Furen has sent over a great many accessories and clothes—three large chests full! Come and see!”
Jiang Suihuan, however, showed little reaction. The Hou Furen had always favored Jiang Meier, and from her words the day before, it was clear that Jiang Meier held a far more important place in the Hou Furen’s heart than the original host. The gifts of clothes and accessories today were likely just a momentary pang of guilt; before long, things would revert to the way they had always been.
Still, for Jiang Suihuan, there was no reason to turn down what was offered freely.
She stood and went outside, where three large chests were arranged in the courtyard. One contained clothing, while the other two were filled with all sorts of gold and silver accessories, which appeared to be worth a considerable sum.
“Ying Tao, what is the largest pawnshop in Jingcheng called?”
“The largest pawnshop in Jingcheng is the Zhenbao Pavilion,” Ying Tao replied, only then realizing Jiang Suihuan’s intention. “Miss, are you planning to pawn all of these? This is the first time the Hou Furen has given you so many accessories!”
“Exactly, but these are all in styles that Jiang Meier likes. I don’t care for them,” Jiang Suihuan said, patting the chests filled with accessories. “Go and arrange for a carriage. I’ll go to the Zhenbao Pavilion myself to pawn them.”
Half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the Zhenbao Pavilion.
As soon as Jiang Suihuan stepped inside, her eyes widened in astonishment. The Zhenbao Pavilion was several stories high, with rows of shelves lining every wall, each filled with all manner of rare and exotic treasures.
In comparison, the two chests of accessories she had brought seemed rather unimpressive.
The Shopkeeper of the Zhenbao Pavilion was a middle-aged man who greeted her with a cheerful smile as she entered. “Young lady, what would you like to pawn?”
“Uh…” Jiang Suihuan was still lost in her amazement.
Sensing her distraction, the Shopkeeper cleverly changed his approach. “Are you looking for something special? We have all kinds of treasures here. What sort are you interested in?”
Feeling somewhat awkward, Jiang Suihuan rubbed her nose and pointed to the two chests behind her. “I’d like to pawn some accessories.”
“What kind of accessories? May I take a look?”
The servant behind her opened the chests. The Shopkeeper glanced at the contents and shook his head in disappointment. “Young lady, you’d be better off taking these to another pawnshop. We don’t accept such items here.”
“Why not?” Jiang Suihuan was puzzled. Although these accessories weren’t extraordinary rarities, they were still quite valuable—the kind not easily found in ordinary accessory shops. It was surprising that this pawnshop wouldn’t take them.
The Shopkeeper gestured to the shelves around them. “Look, miss, we only accept treasures that aren’t commonly seen on the market. Your items are of good quality, but they aren’t particularly rare.”
“Alright then,” Jiang Suihuan said with a disappointed shrug, preparing to take her business elsewhere.
“Wait a moment, sister. I’ll take these off your hands. Will thirty thousand taels be enough?”
A bright-eyed young man in blue robes emerged from behind a shelf, blocking Jiang Suihuan’s path with a folding fan in his hand.
Jiang Suihuan was taken aback. Before coming, she had estimated these items wouldn’t exceed fifteen thousand taels. She had thought getting thirteen thousand would be quite satisfactory, never expecting this youth to open with an offer of thirty thousand taels.
The Shopkeeper nearby drew a sharp breath. “Young master, these things aren’t worth…”
The youth cut off the Shopkeeper. “Shopkeeper Zhang, attend to your duties. I’ll handle matters here.”
Shopkeeper Zhang walked away reluctantly, muttering under his breath: “Such extravagance, such waste! How could these few items be worth thirty thousand taels?”
Pretending not to hear, the youth cheerfully opened his folding fan and said, “I’m Gongsun Xu. May I ask your name, sister?”
“My surname is Jiang.”
Pointing at the chest, Jiang Suihuan asked curiously, “Shopkeeper Zhang said these things aren’t worth thirty thousand taels. Why are you offering so much to buy them?”