Chapter 93

After the eunuch left, Tian Mi’s grandmother and second aunt smiled and said, “Your in-laws are really considerate, so we can relax now.”

Tian Mi nodded in agreement.

She had explained that her in-laws were from the royal family, and though they knew it, they didn’t quite have a clear understanding. They knew it was a noble and wealthy family, but that was about it.

Tian Mi instructed Chun Yi and Xiao Mama to set up a separate courtyard for the storage of goods.

Bai Mucheng had said everything would be handled by him, and Tian Mi smiled slightly, letting go of all her worries.

“Since we’re here, let’s make the best of it!” she thought.

She then went to play with the two little ones. When Xiao Tian Lin saw her, he immediately called out, “Two, two, two!” in a babyish voice.

Chun Er laughed and said, “Princess, the young master is calling for his mother!”

Tian Mi laughed heartily. She went over, picked him up, and kissed him, asking, “Little treasure, do you miss your mother?”

Seeing Tian Mi, Tian Mei also reached out her arms for a hug. Tian Mi handed Tian Lin to Chun Er and went to pick up Tian Mei. The little girl bounced in her arms, showing two tiny teeth with a big smile!

The children’s innocent smiles were irresistibly contagious, and it made everyone in the room feel incredibly happy.

Jin Wenwen could hardly believe that Tian Mi had become Princess Ding. What shocked her even more was that the two children were actually the legitimate offspring of King Ding. She was now filled with more anxiety than surprise.

It didn’t take long for her to realize that she had fallen into Jia Yuntang’s hands. Who would have thought that King Ding would marry a commoner woman?

She had been hiding at home for two days, and this morning, the door attendant brought her a letter.

She took it and closed her eyes, fearing that what she had been dreading had finally come true. Jia Yuntang had invited her to the tea house.

Reluctantly, she knew she had no choice but to go.

Jin Wenwen brought only her personal maid with her to the designated tea house. Once they arrived at the private room, only Jia Yuntang and her two maids were inside.

Jia Yuntang casually drank his tea. When he saw Jin Wenwen enter, he set down his teacup and slapped her hard across the face.

In an instant, Jin Wenwen’s mouth bled.

She didn’t dare retaliate, not even a sound of protest.

Jia Yuntang, looking disgusted, brushed his hands as if he had touched something dirty.

He sneered and said, “Jin Wenwen, you’re bold, using my Jia family to deal with Princess Ding. Now, she probably holds a grudge against our house. But she doesn’t know why they’ve targeted her, or whether she’s even interested in it. It’s unclear who harmed her.”

Jin Wenwen said, “Miss Jia, do you think I would have told you anything if I had known she was Princess Ding?”

Jia Yuntang sneered again. “Whether you knew or didn’t know, does it matter?”

Jin Wenwen had already analyzed the situation. Coming to see her meant there was still room for negotiation, and she wouldn’t be directly implicated.

She asked, “What do you want?”

Jia Yuntang finally sat down, took a sip of tea, and said, “We’ve been waiting for some time now, but we haven’t seen any reaction from her. That woman’s household is full of people from King Ding’s side. You should check if she’s letting it go, or if there’s something else planned. Jin Wenwen, if you don’t do your job well… haha… well, then you won’t have much of a future.”

After saying that, he placed his teacup down and left.

It was difficult for Jin Wenwen to gather any information from the Princess’s residence. She thought for a moment, and then remembered she hadn’t visited Xu Feiyan in a while. Perhaps she could go find her and have her help gather information from the princess’s residence.

Xu Feiyan was in high spirits today. It was her first day as the shopkeeper with Qiu Yi, and she had a great start with a large sale. In the afternoon, several bookstore owners came by and bought up all the strange tales.

She laughed out loud. She suddenly realized how enjoyable earning money could be!

This was far more satisfying than selling those little snacks!

Now she finally understood what Tian Mi had meant when she said not to underestimate their little store. In the future, all the shops on this street would be working for them—she was right after all!

Jin Wenwen sent a maid to the Princess’s residence with an invitation to visit both the princess and Xu Feiyan.

Tian Mi received the invitation and set it aside. She would wait for Xu Feiyan to come first before deciding what to do. She didn’t have much of a relationship with Jin Wenwen, so it would be up to Feiyan to handle it.

In the evening, Xu Feiyan came, carrying a money pouch over her shoulder as if she were carrying a fortune!

“Tian Mi, we’ve made a fortune! Hehehe!” Xu Feiyan said, her excitement clear.

Tian Mi chuckled at her. Even if they sold the whole little shop, it wouldn’t make much money, but it was clear how happy Feiyan was.

“Really? Feiyan, you’re amazing! What all did we sell?” Tian Mi asked, a playful smile on her face.

“We sold ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones. All the strange tales are gone! We need to restock soon. Tian Mi, making money is so much fun!” Xu Feiyan began enthusiastically recounting her day.

Finally, she added, “Tian Mi, I feel like making money is more rewarding than finding a husband. From now on, I’ll just follow you and make money, no need for a husband.”

Tian Mi secretly smiled. Indeed, nothing warmed the heart like money, especially when it was earned by oneself.

Tian Mi said, “Feiyan, now that we have a lot of silver, people, and products, we need a shop. What do you think I’m missing the most right now?”

Feiyan thought for a moment and replied, “Tian Mi, I feel like you’re not missing anything. You have everything!”

Tian Mi said, “Wrong. What I’m lacking are literate people. If Qiu Yi manages a shop, the other shops will be run by illiterate people. While Qiu Yi can teach management, reading isn’t something that can be learned overnight. Most people in the village are poor and illiterate, and those who can read are few.”

Xu Feiyan said, “We could go buy some literate people to help.”

Tian Mi smiled and added, “There’s also the future to consider. We need to think long-term. To make more money, we need a prosperous era. Only in such times can we truly profit.”

Feiyan didn’t fully understand, but she nodded and said, “Tian Mi, whatever you say, I’ll do it!”

Tian Mi smiled slightly and asked, “Have you found a place for the school?”

“Qiu Yi just went, so it should be fine.”

Tian Mi handed her a letter from Jin Wenwen, saying, “Miss Jin wants to see you.”

Xu Feiyan’s eyes lit up as she took the letter. It had been a while since she’d seen her, and now that she was earning money and running the bookstore, she was eager to show off her new business.

“Hehehe! Now I’m someone who can make money too!” Xu Feiyan thought, leaving with the letter and some silver.

Soon after, her second uncle arrived, telling her that the pharmacy had been renovated, the herbs were all in, and they were ready to start producing medicine. Tian Mi gave him a list of herbs to take to the Princess’s residence. They weren’t just making medicine; she also wanted a skincare cream and shampoo.

The opening date for the pharmacy would be decided by her second uncle and cousins.

After a quick visit to the music house, where the performers’ music was deeply moving, Tian Mi marveled at the power of music to touch the heart.

She then visited the printing house, where they had already printed 1,000 copies of the “Records of Divorce,” though only about 300 were bound. Chun Jiu said they would work overtime and should be able to finish 800 copies by tomorrow.

Tian Mi praised their efficiency and immediately promised everyone a five-tael silver bonus at the end of the month.

The workers were thrilled!

Tian Mi felt in great spirits, as she had been able to pull off her plans. She had stored some lemon-flavored chicken feet in her space, and once Xiao Mama brought her meal, she asked Xia Mei to bring her a plate.

When Tian Mi arrived in the capital, she had brought various seasonings with her, so her meals weren’t overly delicate, but for a wealthy lady, she couldn’t let herself go without good food.

Just as she was about to eat, Bai Mucheng arrived, and Tian Mi felt delighted. It was the perfect time to share her upcoming plans with him.

She stood up, proud and eager to boast. “Bai Mucheng, let me tell you! Tomorrow, we’ll have 800 copies of ‘Records of Divorce’ printed, and we also have nine musicians who can perform across the city!”

When Bai Mucheng saw how pleased she was, all his weariness from a busy day melted away, and he couldn’t help but smile.

He asked, “Oh? How did you manage that? That’s impressive!”

Tian Mi raised her chin and said, “It’s my secret weapon, and it’s really powerful!”

Bai Mucheng smiled and asked, “Can you tell me about it?”

Tian Mi replied, “It’s printing. If we want to talk about books, it takes too long, and it’s difficult! But when I stir things up, it has to be grand!”

As they sat down to eat, Tian Mi said, “Let’s eat first. Another day, I’ll let you see my secret weapon!”

He had his guards watching over the Princess’s residence, so these things would eventually come to light, but Tian Mi had no intention of hiding them from him.