Dong Changyang packed his things simply, carried a small bag, and set off.

The summer camp lasts for fifteen days, with excellent foreign language teachers accompanying them throughout the entire period. They will also organize various art exhibitions, such as painting exhibitions and concerts.

Naturally, the cost of such a summer camp is very high. If Dong Changyang had not been specially admitted as an outstanding student, he would not have gotten such a free spot.

Of course, this kind of summer camp cannot have single rooms.

This is also for the safety of the students.

Dong Changyang arrived early by himself.

The school also mentioned that although she could attend the summer camp, she must not mention that she was attending for free, as it could easily cause dissatisfaction among students and parents.

The person responsible for picking up Dong Changyang was a young English teacher.

The English teacher had just recently started working, with impressive academic credentials and overseas study experience. She had to go through multiple rounds of rigorous selection to join this private high school with good benefits and high salaries. This summer camp was also an important part of her resume.

As for Dong Changyang, she had already reviewed her information beforehand.

As an art student, her professional achievements were outstanding, and as a regular academic student, her grades were also top-notch. Simply put, as long as Dong Changyang continued on this trajectory, all the top universities in the country would welcome her with open arms. If Dong Changyang still planned to apply to the China Academy of Art or the Central Academy of Fine Arts, achieving the highest score in the country wouldn’t be impossible given her academic performance.

For this reason, their high school offered such generous conditions and allowed Dong Changyang to attend the summer camp, worth tens of thousands, for free.

However, when the English teacher finally met Dong Changyang, she found that the girl was different from what she had imagined.

Usually, students with excellent grades but poor family backgrounds tend to have somewhat aloof personalities. This isn’t a character flaw but rather a self-protective mechanism due to an unfavorable external environment.

Yes, the English teacher had also taken psychology as an elective.

The school was concerned that Dong Changyang might have trouble getting along with her classmates, so they specifically assigned the English teacher to guide her and intervene if necessary. After all, when two teachers visited Dong Changyang’s home to persuade her to attend their high school, Dong Changyang displayed a very firm attitude.

Such maturity beyond her years is not actually beneficial for a soon-to-be high school student.

However, upon meeting Dong Changyang, the English teacher found that the girl did not exhibit these characteristics.

On the contrary, she was calm, gentle, and exuded the aura of a youthful girl.

Just by looking at her, you would never imagine that she was a child deprived of parental love and living in poverty.

Had someone changed her?

The thought flashed through the English teacher’s mind, but she couldn’t directly ask. Instead, she simply introduced herself and explained the rules of the summer camp to Dong Changyang.

“By the way, your roommate’s name is Zhu Siyu. She’s also an art student, but she paints with oils. She’s the same age as you. Here’s her photo.” The English teacher handed Dong Changyang Zhu Siyu’s personal information.

Zhu Siyu was a very lively and generous person who didn’t hold grudges, making her an ideal roommate for Dong Changyang.

“Okay, thank you, teacher,” Dong Changyang responded obediently. “Is there anything else I need to prepare?”

“Um, just fill out this personal form.” The English teacher thought for a moment before taking out a form and giving it to Dong Changyang. “You can leave any fields you don’t want to fill out blank. This form is to help me get to know you better and to facilitate our interactions during the summer camp.”

“Alright.”

Dong Changyang glanced at the form, took a pen from her bag, and found a table to start filling it out.

The English teacher noticed that Dong Changyang’s handwriting was very neat.

But then, it seemed that art students generally had good handwriting.

“Teacher, I’m done.” Dong Changyang quickly finished the form and handed it to the teacher.

“Alright, go to room 103. Your clothes are already on the bed. For this summer camp, we have a uniform with the school’s name and phone number marked on it.” This way, it can also prevent students from comparing outfits, and if any student gets lost, they can be identified by the uniform and the phone number on it.

“Okay, goodbye, teacher.”

As soon as Dong Changyang left, the English teacher immediately began looking at the interests and specialties section of her form, hoping to find some common topics to get closer to her.

However, when the English teacher saw the answers Dong Changyang had filled in, she couldn’t help but rub her eyes.

Did I see that wrong? Or did Dong Changyang intentionally fill it out incorrectly?

Why would “playing mahjong” appear in the specialties and interests section?!

In the capital city…

It was already afternoon, but there was still no news from his wife and mother.

The young men handling official duties in the Six Ministries were feeling a bit uneasy.

Although they knew they should keep their personal and professional lives separate, how can one be so rational about such things?

Moreover, it wasn’t just happening to their own families.

Among their friends, several had experienced similar situations.

During their break, a few close friends gathered together.

“What kind of magic does this Jinjiang Pavilion have? My mother stays there every day and almost refuses to leave, practically living there.”

“Don’t mention it. Isn’t my eldest sister a widow at home? She used to look at the men in the capital, but now, who knows what’s gotten into her? She doesn’t look at any of them and runs to Jinjiang Pavilion every day. The worst part is, my mother doesn’t say anything about it and even goes out with her!”

“In the past, every time I came home, my wife would prepare the soups I liked. This time, there wasn’t even a hot meal, let alone any soup—there wasn’t even a single bun.”

“Sigh.”

“Sigh—”

Everyone began to sigh in unison.

Before, they had always taken for granted the kindness of their wives and mothers. After all, weren’t their efforts outside all for the glory of these women at home? But now, as soon as their attention waned, they realized how helpless they were without the care of these women in their lives.

Jokingly, could maids and servants compare to their wives or mothers?

Finally, as the sun set, they could return home from the yamen, still without any news.

“Master, Madam is home.”

“Young Master, the old Madam has returned.”

…

Servants eagerly delivered the news.

Oh?

Today they returned much earlier than usual, it seems the strategy really worked, they had a change of heart!

These scholar-officials immediately boarded their carriages and hurried home.

They needed to have a serious discussion about recent events and provide some explanations. If this Jinjiang Pavilion had indeed harbored some sorceress or used mystical arts, even if it belonged to His Royal Highness, they would have to investigate thoroughly.

“My dear, you’re finally back. What exactly happened with Mother? Do you have any ideas?” A young man went straight to his wife as soon as he got home, immediately expressing his concerns.

“Oh, nothing much. It’s just that Mother and a few friends were playing games there.” His wife casually replied, “I think it’s quite nice. I might join Mother and play a few rounds myself in the future. You know, my luck was actually quite good earlier. I won two rounds for Mother, and she was so happy she even gave me this bracelet.”

The man saw the bracelet on his wife’s hand and was surprised. “Isn’t this the one Father gave Mother for her birthday? She cherishes it so much. I never expected she’d give it to you.”

That’s great! It proves Mother is really pleased with his wife.

“Please, don’t let my sister-in-law see,” the man said excitedly, then cautiously added, “My sister-in-law won’t say a word, so don’t worry.”

The wife chuckled. “She saw my luck and insisted on playing a round with Mother. She was terrible, played cards all afternoon, and lost terribly in that one round. Ha ha, my sister-in-law won’t have to worry about being asked to play cards anymore.”

This was simply sending money to the god of wealth. He wondered if his sister-in-law’s usual showy dowry was enough to cover her losses.

The husband was completely confused.How could his wife’s words not mean much to him?

Play cards?

Lose?

“Are you implying we were gambling in there?” the man couldn’t help but ask, “Isn’t Jinjiang Pavilion just a teahouse? How did gambling come into the picture?”

“This isn’t gambling; it’s a game we women play among ourselves,” his wife rolled her eyes at him, “Stop worrying about it and go do your work. Weren’t you fond of Xia Hong, that maid? Just go to her. Don’t come to me and Mother for trivial matters.”

The man felt the deep disdain from his wife.

“But what you were doing clearly…”

“Do you even know why we came back early today?” the wife interrupted her husband’s words and asked.

Wasn’t it the wife persuading her mother to merit?

“Today, the Empress and the Dowager Empress also came over.”

“What… What?!

”Let’s rewind the timeline to noon.

Chen Huanzhi was reviewing the recent account books of Jinjiang Pavilion and collecting snippets of information from parents.

Halfway through, the manager Wang sent someone to say that his mother had arrived.

Upon hearing that his mother had arrived, Chen Huanzhi had no choice but to quickly set aside the account books and go out to meet her mother.

Strange, could something have happened at home for Mother to specifically come here to see him?

Madam Chen dressed relatively simply, and had someone carry a box of jewelry and accessories that she usually didn’t care much for.

“Mother, why have you come?” Chen Huanzhi hurriedly approached her, “If there’s anything, just tell me directly.”

Chen Huanzhi was usually the most favored by his mother, so his casual manner of speaking with her was different from that with his brothers.It was Madam Chen, who usually saw her son happy, who was a bit embarrassed to see her son’s face this time.

“Oh, Ah Heng, so you’re here at Jinjiang Pavilion today.” Madam Chen seemed a bit embarrassed, completely surprised to find her son here.

“Yes, I’m here today to check the accounts at Jinjiang Pavilion. Mother, didn’t I tell you about it yesterday?” Chen Huanzhi was puzzled.

“I was still thinking about that card game from before and didn’t hear clearly.” Madam Chen, realizing her son had found out, decided not to hide it anymore.

“Alright, alright, go and place my things in the ‘Xing’ private room.” Madam Chen instructed the maids.

“Yes.” The maids quickly excused themselves.

They didn’t want to overhear any more of Madam and the young master’s private conversation!

“Mother, were you here to play mahjong too?” Chen Huanzhi finally snapped out of it. Once he removed the filter he usually used with his mother, he could immediately see through what she was up to.

“I was just helping a friend gather some tiles and sets,” Madam Chen said, unsure why she felt a bit embarrassed in front of her son.

Ahem, back when her son had someone carve mahjong tiles, she thought he had developed a neurosis and was being ostracized.

Later, she heard that mahjong was quite popular, so she tried playing a hand or two with her friends.

Once she got into mahjong, there was no turning back.

Madam Chen felt the allure of mahjong for the first time.

She used to be a renowned female financial goddess in the capital city. Although she had stepped back to care for her children, her exceptional mental arithmetic skills had not diminished. They came in handy perfectly while playing mahjong, where she dominated the game.

Madam Chen seemed to have rediscovered her youthful self!

Since then, she would sneak in when her son wasn’t at Jinjiang Pavilion. To avoid detection, she only played for an hour or two around noon each day.

Little did she expect that her disastrous performance yesterday would lead her son to catch her in the act today!

“Mother, you…” Chen Huanzhi chuckled awkwardly, finding himself at a loss for words about his mother’s actions.

Like father, like son; the same applied to his mother.

Besides, with so many noble ladies coming to Jinjiang Pavilion, adding his mother into the mix wasn’t a big deal.

“A-Heng, if you don’t like me coming…”

“How could that be?” Chen Huanzhi wasn’t the kind of person who would forbid others from doing what he himself enjoyed, “Mother, you work hard taking care of us at home. It’s a good thing to come and play a few rounds of mahjong. I’m happy about it, how could I stop you?”

“Don’t worry, son. Your mother wins nine out of ten times. Give it some more time, and I’ll earn back even the dowry money for your future wife,” Mrs. Chen said with particular joy, patting her son’s shoulder to show how much she appreciated his words.

“Mother, your money, use it as you please.” Previously, Changyang used to say, playing mahjong more often can even prevent senile dementia.

Mother has been trapped at home, and as her son, he didn’t want to see her like that.

“However, since you like mahjong so much, it seems that my Jinjiang Pavilion’s business will only get better and better in the future,” Chen Huanzhi couldn’t help but remark.

“That’s right,” Mrs. Chen’s eyes brightened, and when she spoke of mahjong, she seemed to radiate youthful vigor. “As far as I know, several princesses come over to play a few rounds whenever they have free time. It’s all about elegance and refinement. However, lately, two of the princesses haven’t been coming as often, probably because they’re busy with other matters. But I heard a rumor that these two princesses might be teaching their mother consort how to play cards in the palace.”

If you talk about where there’s the most money to spend in the capital, it’s undoubtedly the palace.

The consorts in the palace are all wealthy, and most of their personal fortunes are accumulated for their children. But those young ones who’ve just entered the palace and the older consorts without children can only keep everything they have with them.

Once they lose favor, they age exceptionally fast.In the palace, there are many things that are forbidden. The consorts can only day after day gaze upon these familiar scenes, without much hope for life.

In such circumstances, who would still have the mood to dress up? Counting them, there are quite a few consorts who end their years in melancholy.

How much entertainment can there be in the palace?

No, basically none.

Although the princesses reside outside the palace, they still think of their own mother consorts.

After learning how to play mahjong, they return to the palace to teach their mother consorts how to play.

One thing the palace definitely doesn’t lack is playing cards.

Chen Huanzhi was genuinely surprised to hear his mother’s words.

He had initially thought that mahjong could bring him information and money, but he hadn’t realized that this game seemed to be even more useful than he had imagined.

Chen Huanzhi was momentarily puzzled.

“Mother, is mahjong really that fun?”

After all, it’s just a gambling game.

However, in recent days, the noblewomen in the capital seemed to have responded to it far more passionately than to any other popular trend.

“A-Heng, you don’t understand the hardships women face,” Mrs. Chen quietly glanced at Chen Huanzhi, revealing her years of bitterness for the first time. “We cannot enjoy horseback riding and leisure outings like you do. We cannot freely visit gambling dens or brothels, nor can we occasionally stay out late at night. You can go anywhere freely, but we can only socialize outside our homes after marrying and with our husband’s permission. Our circle is already confined to a small courtyard.”

Would they willingly compete with those lowly women for their husband’s affection? Could they really be happy with their parental homes and dowries?

No, because once they marry, their world is reduced to just household chores and family responsibilities, leaving behind only their husband and children.

Before becoming a wife, accomplishments in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting could bring a woman renown. However, after marriage, these pursuits are often set aside. If a woman continues to indulge in these arts as the mistress of the household, it might be said she doesn’t manage her household well, which would bring shame upon her family.

Mrs. Chen couldn’t even remember the last time she had quietly enjoyed reading or painting.

She felt trapped in her own home.

She was trapped by her parents, her husband, and her children.

Therefore, if anyone attempted to take away the little she had left, they would naturally provoke her jealousy and resentment, and she would fight to keep it.

Outsiders might envy her having both children and a husband who greatly respected her, but she knew her life wasn’t as good as it seemed.

Mahjong, for us, is not just a game. There are too few games suitable for women, and we mostly play what you men have left us, with various restrictions on top. You wouldn’t know, when I was young, just playing with a skipping rope could occupy me for a whole day, but your uncles could be out on the racetrack playing polo.

So the appearance of mahjong can be seen as a chance for liberation for women.

A game that liberates them from household chores.

When playing mahjong, all they need to consider is what tiles to draw and discard, putting all their lifetime learning onto this small table. They don’t have to worry about whether their husband has taken a liking to another woman again, or whether their son’s studies are regressing.

This feeling, of course, is incredibly captivating.

Even if their natural pursuit of happiness and freedom is suppressed by those traditional moral principles, human instinct towards joy and liberty remains unchanged.

No matter what this virtual happiness and freedom may be brought by, even if it’s just a little bit, it can intoxicate them.

Women of this era are creatures who can be delighted by just a bit of happiness.

Regardless of their status or whether their family life is blissful, it’s all the same.

Chen Huanzhi listened quietly to his mother’s words, unable to utter a single word.

He thought he was a filial child, believed his mother would be proud of him, thought he was different from others. But in the end, fundamentally, they were all the same.

He naturally enjoyed his mother’s efforts, but he never considered that even someone as strong as his mother might want to rest sometimes. He thought he was offering just a game called Mahjong, unaware that for the women of this era, it was the first top-notch gambling game designed specifically for women to play without boredom in their Inner chambers.

This era was indeed different from the one where Changyang lived.

“Mother, it’s getting late. You should probably go now, don’t keep your friends waiting.” Chen Huanzhi seemed to have only this sentence left to say. If his mother could be happy, then perhaps this game had given him an unexpected surprise.

Chen Huanzhi was very pleased.

“Look at me, why am I telling you all this, Aheng, don’t mind.” Mrs. Chen smiled and brushed off her previous words. “I’m off to play now. When you’re ready to leave, send someone to let me know, and we’ll go back together.”

“Alright.” Chen Huanzhi nodded, watching his mother happily head towards the Apricot Suite, hand in hand with her friends, laughing and joking.

His mother was truly happy.

Seeing her off, Chen Huanzhi refocused and began to re-examine the account books sent by Jinjiang Pavilion.

By the time he finished reviewing the accounts, more than an hour had passed.

Chen Huanzhi sighed, feeling quite tired.

Just then, Manager Wang rushed in anxiously.

“Young Master, you need to come out quickly.”

Rarely had Wang, the manager, appeared so hurried. Normally, having seen so many dignitaries at Jinjiang Pavilion, he should have been as steady as Mount Tai.

“What’s the matter?” Chen Huanzhi couldn’t help but ask. “Take your time to explain. No need to be so flustered.”

“Young Master, Empress Dowager and Empress are here, accompanied by the Crown Princess!” Manager Wang seemed to be experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the highest-ranking women in the capital all appearing together here.

Heavens above.

What kind of auspiciousness had brought them to Jinjiang Pavilion? To have the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and the Crown Princess all here at once?

Any one of them appearing alone would be a significant event, let alone all three together.

Regardless of Jinjiang Pavilion’s reputation in the past, from today onward, it might become an unparalleled establishment, unmatched in history.