When Rong Qiniang married into the Lu family, she completely ignored all of her father’s teachings.
A large portion of the Lu family’s expenses came directly from the money she had brought with her as a dowry.
Whenever anything displeased her, she would immediately bring up the subject of money.
“My Rong family is wealthier than your Lu family could ever dream of being! My money feeds and clothes this entire household, and this is how you treat me?”
At first, Lu Yuanxing had intended to maintain a respectful marriage.
But after years of being constantly manipulated through financial threats and complaints, his affection gradually faded.
Within three years, he passed the imperial examinations and established himself in the capital.
The household needed proper management.
Yet Rong Qiniang could not tolerate even the slightest grievance. She frequently stirred up conflict and unrest within the residence.
It became clear that she was unsuited to the responsibilities of a primary wife.
Before long, Lu Yuanxing took a concubine.
Her surname was Sun, the daughter of a seventh-rank county magistrate.
Rong Qiniang caused endless trouble over the matter.
The more she fought and complained, the colder Lu Yuanxing became.
The only comfort he found was in his eldest daughter, Lu Zhiyao, whose intelligence and maturity constantly impressed him.
For the sake of peace within the household, he eventually settled Rong Qiniang and her daughter in the most secluded section of the rear courtyard.
All household affairs were handed over to Concubine Sun.
Sun had two children of her own:
A daughter, Lu Zhiying.
And a son, Lu Qinyan.
Among his three children, Lu Yuanxing loved Lu Zhiyao most.
He personally supervised her studies, poetry, and education.
As a result, Lu Zhiying often felt unfairly treated and constantly sought opportunities to surpass her elder sister.
As the banquet gradually came to an end, the guests departed one after another.
The Marquis of Zhenyuan also bid farewell to Imperial Noble Consort Xian and returned home.
Soon only the Fifth Prince and his mother remained.
The consort smiled knowingly.
“Xiao Wu, how did things go outside today?”
The Fifth Prince immediately understood what she was really asking.
“Everything was peaceful.”
He paused.
“Though there was one interesting incident.”
“It’s rare to see Cousin suffer a setback.”
“But today I witnessed it firsthand.”
The consort’s eyes lit up.
“Oh?”
“What young lady could possibly leave Yuxuan at a loss for words?”
The Fifth Prince grinned.
“The current owner of your bracelet.”
Imperial Noble Consort Xian had already thought well of the Yun family’s daughter.
Now she discovered the girl had quite a sharp edge as well.
She laughed softly.
“A girl who refuses to suffer losses is a good thing.”
“Someone too soft-hearted wouldn’t suit Yuxuan at all.”
Meanwhile, Yun Qingyi left the banquet with an even stronger desire to accelerate her business plans.
People simply couldn’t be allowed too much free time.
When idle, they inevitably began meddling in other people’s affairs, spreading gossip, and stirring up trouble.
The moment she returned home, she sought out her father.
“Father.”
“After attending today’s gathering, I had a thought.”
“My cooking has always been praised by Father, my brothers, and the elders.”
“But I don’t know whether that’s because you all love me or because my food is genuinely good.”
“The family doesn’t need me to earn money.”
“Still, I would like to open a business and share my cooking with more people.”
Yun Jingxing had long since grown accustomed to his daughter’s surprises.
At this point, almost nothing she suggested could shock him.
The family owned numerous commercial properties.
Giving her one to play with was hardly a problem.
“There are several family-owned shops on Front Street.”
“Ask Steward Shui to take you there.”
“Choose whichever one you like.”
“We’ll convert it into a restaurant.”
“If you need anything else, simply tell Steward Shui.”
To his surprise, Yun Qingyi shook her head.
If she was going to do this, she intended to do it properly.
Not as a pastime.
“Thank you, Father.”
“Your approval is already more than enough.”
“But I don’t need a storefront yet.”
“In business, controlling costs is the first priority.”
“Even if the shop belongs to our family, renting it out still generates income.”
She continued thoughtfully.
“My courtyard is near the rear gate of the residence.”
“The back street is already full of small vendors.”
“I’d like to start there.”
“First, it keeps costs low.”
“Second, it allows me to focus primarily on developing recipes.”
“If the trial succeeds, I can open a proper restaurant later.”
Listening to her reasoning, Yun Jingxing nodded repeatedly in approval.
He had not expected his daughter to possess such a keen business mind.
As Minister of Revenue, he understood better than most that money was the lifeblood of a nation and the foundation of a household.
Unlike many scholars, he had no romantic notions about poverty being virtuous.
If his daughter enjoyed business, he was more than willing to guide her.
“Then do it.”
“If you need anything, come to me.”
“Just don’t push yourself too hard.”
And so her venture officially began.
Yun Qingyi decided to start with two products:
Crispy Fried Fish.
And Fried Tofu Skin Rolls.
The Yun family kitchen had already made both dishes countless times.
Aunt Shui and the others had mastered the techniques.
The next challenge was mass production.
She assigned tasks immediately.
Yun Zhong would purchase one hundred jin of grass carp every day.
Aunt Shui and Xiao Yu would handle preparation and cooking.
Shui Ling would be responsible for sales.
Yun Qingyi herself would keep the accounts.
She even sent word to Master Zhang and Master Yu, the craftsmen who had sampled her food earlier, informing them that her little business had opened.
Shui Ling, however, was struggling.
For over ten years she had served as Yun Qingyi’s personal maid.
Her mistress had always been kind.
As the steward’s daughter, she had lived quite comfortably.
Now she had suddenly been transformed into a street vendor selling fish.
She couldn’t bring herself to shout for customers.
“Miss…”
“How exactly am I supposed to do this?”
She had been worrying about it ever since receiving the assignment.
Yun Qingyi laughed.
“When we go shopping, haven’t you watched how all those aunties and shopkeepers attract customers?”
“Think about it.”
Seeing Shui Ling completely frozen, Yun Qingyi took matters into her own hands.
Drawing a deep breath, she shouted:
“Fresh crispy fish!”
“Try before you buy!”
“If it doesn’t taste good, you don’t pay!”
The call echoed down the street.
Seeing even her noble young mistress personally advertising the food gave Shui Ling tremendous courage.
If Miss could do it, she certainly had no excuse not to.
“Miss, what are we charging?”
“Crispy fish: three hundred copper coins per jin.”
“Fried tofu rolls: two hundred copper coins per jin.”
“Today is our trial opening, so everything is twenty percent off.”
Before long, Master Zhang’s apprentice arrived.
“So Lady Yun really opened for business!”
“Give me a jin of crispy fish.”
“My wife hasn’t stopped talking about the fish you sent home last time.”
Pointing at the tofu rolls, he added,
“I’ve never seen these before.”
“Give me a jin of those too.”
“I trust Lady Yun’s cooking.”
Shui Ling quickly wrapped up the order.
One package of crispy fish.
One package of tofu rolls.
“Four hundred copper coins.”
“If you enjoy them, come back tomorrow.”
Soon after, Master Yu’s assistant appeared.
“Lady Yun, two packages please.”
“My mother’s appetite hasn’t been very good lately.”
“This should help.”
At nearly the same moment, a steward arrived from the Grand Tutor’s residence.
It was Steward Yin.
“Miss.”
“The Grand Tutor has instructed me to purchase all of the crispy fish.”
Yun Qingyi immediately sensed a problem.
Her goal was to let more people discover and enjoy her food.
If Grandfather bought out the entire stock, opening the business would become meaningless.
“Steward Yin.”
“Please inform Grandfather that my crispy fish is sold in limited quantities.”
“Each household may purchase only one package per day.”
“Half a jin per package.”
Steward Yin’s face instantly fell.
Half a jin?
How was he supposed to explain that when he returned?
The Grand Tutor would surely scold him.
Yun Qingyi quickly pulled him aside and lowered her voice.
“Don’t worry.”
“If Grandfather wants more, I’ll personally send some to the residence later.”
“There’s no need to come queue up.”
Only then did Steward Yin leave.
After sending him off, Yun Qingyi suddenly realized another problem.
More influential relatives might attempt to do the same thing.
She immediately turned toward Shui Ling.
“Starting now, strict purchase limits.”
“One package per customer.”
“Half a jin each.”
Shui Ling blinked in confusion.
“But Miss…”
“Wouldn’t it be better if we sold everything quickly?”
Yun Qingyi smiled.
“No.”
“Because I genuinely intend to build a business.”
“This isn’t a children’s game.”
Her grandparents adored her.
To them, this was simply another hobby to support and encourage.
But to Yun Qingyi, it was something entirely different.
This wasn’t a pastime.
It was the beginning of her career.