According to the rules of Yufeng Academy, the exam period lasted six days, during which no one was allowed to leave the premises.

With no other choice, the Chen family had a carriage sent home.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yuanxi suddenly noticed that outside the academy, people had started placing bets on who would achieve the top scores.

She pulled Jiang Yuancheng over.

“Young master, would you like to place a bet?” a casino worker asked when he saw Jiang Yuancheng.

“What nonsense!” Jiang Yuancheng quickly waved his hands in refusal.

He had promised his mother that he would not gamble anymore, and with her standing nearby, how could he dare?

“I’ll bet!” Jiang Yuanxi said in her childlike voice.

The casino worker hesitated upon seeing such a young child.

“Little girl, you’re too young. Go find an adult from your family.”

Jiang Yuanxi took out a fifty-tael banknote and placed it on the table. “I have money!”

The casino worker, Wang Lao’er, couldn’t resist the sight of money. “Alright, young lady, come take a look.”

A row of wooden plaques was suspended in the air, each engraved with a candidate’s name.

Wang Lao’er explained, “Most people are betting on Jiang Yuansheng to score the highest. Who would you like to bet on, young lady?”

“I bet on Jiang Yuanfan,” Jiang Yuanxi declared.

Jiang Yuanfan?

That was Jiang Yuansheng’s younger brother, but it seemed no one had placed a bet on him.

“Very well, young lady, I’ll make a plaque for you.”

“I bet he won’t pass!”

“What?!” Wang Lao’er was stunned.

“I also bet that Jiang Hui won’t pass!”

Hearing Jiang Hui’s name, Jiang Yuancheng perked up.

He pulled out 150 taels from his pocket. “I also bet Jiang Hui won’t pass!”

“What kind of person bets against someone passing?” A passing scholar grumbled.

“Isn’t this just cursing people?”

“Jiang Hui is the top student at Mengshan Academy. How could he possibly fail?”

“And who is Jiang Yuanfan? Wait… who is he, anyway?”

Jiang Yuancheng puffed out his chest with pride and answered loudly, “He’s my third brother!”

For a moment, the passersby were speechless, and then their expressions turned as if they had just eaten something foul.

“He’s betting against his own brother?”

“This guy must be crazy!”

“Which noble family’s troublemaker has run loose?”

Jiang Yuancheng: “…”

“Are you taking the bet or not?” Jiang Yuanxi impatiently asked.

Wang Lao’er quickly recovered and smiled. “Of course, of course.”

These two seemed rather ruthless, but only a fool would refuse money.

Rules could always be bent for the right price.

Jiang Yuanxi, on the other hand, was curious—since when was her fourth brother so generous, placing a bet of 150 taels at once?

The shopkeeper handed Jiang Yuanxi the betting slip. “Once the exam results are out in three days, you can exchange this at the Fortune Casino.”

Just as they left, Jiang Hui arrived with his servant.

Wang Lao’er immediately put on a welcoming smile. “Young master, would you like to place a bet? Most people are betting on Jiang Yuansheng this year. Would you like to place a wager?”

Jiang Hui glanced over and saw that many people had bet on him.

However, he still had fewer bets than Jiang Yuansheng.

But when he saw the last entry, his expression changed.

“Who placed this bet?!” Jiang Hui pointed at the final plaque.

Wang Lao’er smiled awkwardly. “Two guests placed that bet. We don’t know who they were.” Fortune Casino recognized betting slips, not people.

Jiang Hui was furious.

In all of Shengjing, only the Jiang family held a grudge against him.

It had to be Jiang Yuancheng!

“Shopkeeper, I want to place a bet too,” he said, slamming twenty taels onto the table. “I bet Jiang Yuansheng won’t pass!”

Betting against Jiang Yuansheng?

Wasn’t that just free money for the casino?

Wang Lao’er quickly carved another plaque.

As he watched his customers leave, Wang Lao’er sighed and shook his head.

This year, there were more ruthless gamblers than ever.

..

After returning home, Madam Chen took Jiang Yuanxi to the Lan Fang Pavilion.

“Madam,” Chun Zhi approached with a stack of account books. “These are our earnings for this month.”

“After deducting labor costs, we made a total profit of 3,000 taels.”

“3,000 taels?!”

And that was just for one month!

Jiang Fengyuan’s jaw dropped in shock.

Silently, Jiang Yuancheng reached out and lifted his father’s chin back up.

Madam Chen smiled. “That’s just from selling lip products. Now that the perfumes are on the shelves, they were completely sold out within half a day, bought up by the noblewomen of Shengjing.”

【My mother is amazing!】 Jiang Yuanxi thought proudly.

【She knows how to make money and run a household. No one in Shengjing can compare!】

Madam Chen, delighted by the praise, took out fifty taels and handed them to Jiang Yuanxi.

“Our Yuanxi also contributed.”

Jiang Yuanxi’s eyes widened, and she quickly stuffed the money into her pocket before her mother could change her mind.

Jiang Fengyuan and Jiang Yuancheng stared longingly, but Madam Chen pretended not to notice.

Yuanxi was the real contributor, after all.

“Madam,” Chun Tao suddenly remembered something and pulled out a small porcelain bottle. “Not far from us, another shop has opened selling cosmetics at the same price as ours. This is one of their products.”

Madam Chen opened it and examined the texture.

The cream looked very similar to theirs, but the floral scent was weaker.

【It must be the heroine’s shop,】 Jiang Yuanxi thought with certainty.

Madam Chen and Jiang Fengyuan exchanged serious looks.

“Have you found out who owns it?” Madam Chen asked.

“We couldn’t. The owner is very secretive. However, many customers who couldn’t buy from us have gone there instead.”

Chun Tao huffed. “They’re just making money off our reputation. Shameless!”

Lan Fang Pavilion’s products were limited in quantity each day, leaving many customers unable to buy them. Since the new shop’s products were similar, people naturally turned there instead.

Jiang Yuanxi peeked at her mother’s hand, then smirked.

【The heroine is selling inferior products. This won’t last long.】

【Besides, she probably wouldn’t come up with such a dirty trick.】

In the novel, the heroine became rich selling these products. If they were actually harmful, why had no one spoken up in the past life?

They needed an expert opinion.

“Chun Zhi, call the master craftsman from the back courtyard.”

Chun Zhi hurried off and returned with the expert.

Master Zhao sniffed the product and immediately turned pale. “Madam, this product is unsafe!”

“Why?” Jiang Fengyuan asked, confused.

Master Zhao explained, “This lip balm looks similar to ours, but it contains toxic ingredients. If used, the user’s lips will start peeling within five days, and their complexion will turn pale.”

“Then we don’t need to intervene,” Madam Chen said.

Chun Zhi was shocked. “They dare sell something like this? That’s just digging their own grave!”

Who could be that foolish?

But after this incident, Madam Chen realized they couldn’t limit daily sales anymore—people would exploit that.

“Chun Zhi, instruct the workers to produce more. Also, give them a raise.”

“Yes, madam, I’ll handle it right away.”

Meanwhile, in the An Guo Duke’s residence, Wu Cuirou beamed as she counted her earnings.

“Mother, look! In just three days, we’ve made 1,000 taels!”

The old lady nearly dropped her teacup in shock.

“So much?!”

After covering debts for the second branch, their household had been struggling.

This was the first time they had seen such a large profit.

Jiang Ruowei smirked. “Lan Fang Pavilion limits their sales, but we don’t. Since our products are the same, customers who can’t buy from them come to us instead.”

Wu Cuirou forced a smile.

The old lady laughed. “So Chen Xinwan shot herself in the foot!”

Karma had finally come.

After some pleasantries, Wu Cuirou handed 500 taels to the old lady.

Then she turned to Jiang Ruowei. “You’re still young, so I’ll save your share for your dowry.”

Jiang Ruowei’s smile stiffened.

They had agreed to split the profits 30-70, but now Wu Cuirou wanted to keep everything for herself?!