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After Madam Lou arrived in Dingzhou Prefecture, she regretted not cooperating with the young lady who made the Chrysanthemum button knots. Later, when she saw the beautiful and unique clothes worn by Little Yan, which were also made by the same young lady, her regret grew even more intense.
If only she had known, she should have collaborated with that young lady. Now, she wanted to leverage it, but she couldn’t. Not only did she sign an agreement with the Ni Shang Embroidery Workshop, but she also became Little Yan’s sewing master.
Manager Luo quickly showed her respect to Madam Lou, saying, “Please, Madam, don’t be angry. We’ve got an unexpected windfall. Please don’t be upset, and let me make it up to you.”
Madam Lou laughed, covering her mouth with a handkerchief.
Chen Feng smiled and bid farewell to Madam Lou, then left with Mrs. Wang. How their two families’ workshops would cooperate and how the profits would be divided was no longer her concern.
Upon returning home, Chen Feng handed a forty-tael silver note to Mrs. Wang, who shook her head and instead took three one-tael silver ingots.
She said, “You designed those pairs of button knots, so the money should be all yours. As for the button knots, most of them were made by me, so I’ll take this payment for the handwork.” She continued, “Clear accounting is essential for family harmony. You are now independent, so you should honor your parents in the future. While they will accept your support, it’s not right to give them a large portion of your earnings every time. Greed can easily develop. You…” She held back the words on the tip of her tongue and added, “Some habits are not good. Remember this, for your own good, for Dabao, and for your parents.”
Chen Feng thought about Mrs. Wang’s words and realized the truth in them. It’s not good to get used to giving, as it might not be beneficial in the long run. There was no need to give them a large sum every time, as it might hinder Chen Lu’s growth. Instead, she could set an example by providing support in the name of filial piety, which would fulfill her duty and set an example for Dabao and Lu.
Chen Feng nodded and said, “I’ll remember, Mother. From now on, I won’t give you money every time I earn, I’ll give it regularly.” Then, she persuaded Mrs. Wang, “However, the money from the cloud brocade sparrow belongs to both of our families, we will equally split the silver, so you should accept your money. You’ll take three hundred taels, I want to use your three hundred taels to buy fifty or sixty acres of land, registered under Father’s name. This way, even without my support, you won’t have to work so hard, and A’Lu can focus on his studies. It’s necessary to procure this land for A’Lu’s sake. Don’t worry about Uncle and Aunt knowing. We can say it’s my filial gift to you, and they will have no say in it. Once the silver is used to buy the land, the Hu family won’t have any claim over it.”
Owning fifty to sixty acres of land would make them like small landowners, ensuring a better future for themselves. Moreover, it was indeed given by Lord Chu in the prefectural city, so it wasn’t a private acquisition. With teary eyes, Mrs. Wang nodded and said, “Alright, let’s consider half of the silver is ours. Your parents and A’Lu appreciate your kindness.”
Chen Lu also added, “Sister, thank you. I will study hard and, in the future, when I pass the imperial examination, I will support you and Dabao, and not let anyone bully you.”
Chen Feng smiled and replied, “Well, I’ll be waiting for that day.”
The group discussed their plans. They had completed their pending tasks and earned a good amount of money. It was time to go to buy land. They had been away from home for eleven days, and at most, they had four more days before they had to return home. They were determined to visit the land store the next day. They didn’t plan to wait for Steward Luo’s assistance, as he might be too busy to spare any time.
As long as they ensured the main household didn’t find out, they didn’t necessarily have to buy land in Zhongning County, Sanqing County was also an option. The substantial sum of silver was earned from selling birds, not from concealing jewelry. Moreover, it was obtained in the prefectural city. This legitimate silver wouldn’t give others any grounds for jealousy, and Chen Ye wouldn’t be able to accuse Chen Ming of concealing assets. Furthermore, now that she was the sewing master for the young miss of Tangyuan, her status was quite influential, and even Hu Laowu would not dare to provoke her.
Before dinner, Chen Feng casually mentioned to the relaxed Chen Shi that they had accidentally obtained a beautiful bird and decided to gift it to Young Miss Chu. Unexpectedly, the bird turned out to be the precious cloud brocade sparrow, for which Lord Chu paid several hundred taels. They had also made some money from the sale of the button knot designs, so they were thinking of buying some land…
Upon hearing this, Chen Shi once again marveled at Chen Feng’s good fortune. Obtaining a bird by chance and making several hundred taels from it. He asked them to wait for one more day, as the next day was when the Chu Mansion would require a large quantity of braised foods, which meant he would be available the day after to accompany them. The people at the land store were mostly unscrupulous, and seeing only two women coming to buy land, they might try to deceive or overcharge them.
Chen Feng and Mrs. Wang agreed.
After dinner, Chen Aman returned to the room and after a few minutes she walks out wearing the newly made clothes to show everyone. It was a light crimson cross-collar jacket and skirt, accompanied by a bright red satin belt and edging. She even adorned her head with the two beautiful flowers Chen Feng had given her.
The young girl was naturally beautiful, but with this attire, she looked even more stunning.
Chen Shi and Mrs. Zhang’s eyes twinkled, and of course, they received praise from everyone, especially from Chen Dabao, who widened his eyes and exclaimed, “Auntie Aman is so beautiful, just like my mother.”
Mrs. Wang chuckled, “Oh my, such a beautiful girl will surely find a talented and handsome young man.”
Mrs. Zhang laughed and responded, “Thank you for your kind words, Sister-in-law. I don’t dare to hope for a perfect match, as long as the young man is intelligent and ensures Aman’s well-being, that’s all that matters.”
Chen Shi joked, “With my beautiful daughter, she definitely needs to find a handsome young man.”
This banter amused everyone, and it made Chen Aman so embarrassed that she stomped her feet and clutched at Chen Shi’s clothes, refusing to let go.
That evening, Chen Feng and Mrs. Wang started working on the several well-cut swallow dolls behind closed doors.
The next morning, Chen Shi returned from the inn with poultry offal in a hurried and flustered manner. He quickly paid the porter and brought back two large buckets to the backyard kitchen. Not finding Mrs. Zhang there, he went to the main hall.
Mrs. Zhang was drinking water at the table. Seeing only her, Chen Shi glanced outside, then lowered his voice and said, “Wife, something big has happened. Chen Shiying has been appointed as the magistrate in Dingzhou Prefecture.”
Without lifting her head, Mrs. Zhang replied, “What does a magistrate have to do with us common folks? We’ll carry on as usual.”
Chen Shi continued, “Oh, this Chen Shiying is the same one from before…”
Realizing who he was referring to, Mrs. Zhang raised her head in surprise, “Heavens, really?”
Speaking softly, Chen Shi added, “It’s true. I wouldn’t lie to you. I saw the notice posted outside and wondered if it might be someone else with the same name. But at the inn, I overheard people discussing that this gentleman is the youngest Jinshi scholar of the current dynasty. I was certain it had to be him…”