At first, no one in the capital paid attention to the “mahjong” craze that was only stirring within the circles of noblewomen.

The first to notice that something was amiss were the young women in their households.

“Our mother-in-law is quite strange. Normally, she calls us daughters-in-law together to lecture us, urging us to have children or pushing our husbands to strive for more. It’s like she can’t stand a day without giving us something to do,” remarked the younger daughter-in-law, casting a glance towards the elder sister-in-law. Although they often bickered, they relied on the elder sister-in-law when their mother-in-law wasn’t around.

“Lately, though, she’s been going out every day to visit friends, and Father-in-law hasn’t been able to catch up with her for days. She’s even been dining with old Aunt. It’s really quite strange,” she continued.

“Sister-in-law, do you think Mother-in-law has some issue with us?” the younger daughter-in-law couldn’t help but ask. Normally, they might argue fiercely, but in the absence of their mother-in-law, they relied on the elder sister-in-law for guidance.

“I don’t think so,” the elder sister-in-law replied, feeling puzzled herself. “Every time she goes out, it’s to visit respectable families. She must have struck up a conversation she’s really into.”

“But it’s been several days now. She disappears right after breakfast each morning and only returns late at night after everyone’s gone to bed… Could it be that Mother-in-law has been deceived by some fortune teller?”

Similar incidents had occurred in the capital in the past. There was a fortune teller who claimed to perform rituals to ensure prosperity and fertility, requiring the lady of the house to devoutly pray and recite scriptures for half a month. It turned out to be a complete scam after several people fainted.

The situation with our mother-in-law is really suspicious!

“Yeah, it’s really unsettling.”

“I think I’ll ask my husband about this.”

“Please do that for us, elder sister-in-law.”

At night, when the wife saw her husband return after finishing his work, she was about to ask him about what had happened with her mother-in-law recently. Unexpectedly, her husband spoke first.

“My dear, Brother Zhang from the Zhang family asked me about something today. He mentioned that his mother and you disappear early every morning and return very late at night. Do you know what’s going on?”

“You ask me, but who should I ask?”

The wife was momentarily stunned, but quickly regained her composure and recounted the strange occurrences involving her mother-in-law lately.

“When did this start happening?”

“It… It seems to have started after we last returned from Jinjiang Pavilion.”

Following that, the merchants selling jewelry, cosmetics, and powders in the capital noticed something amiss.

A day or two of slow business was common. If there were no social gatherings in the city, the noble ladies rarely entrusted them with purchasing jewelry and similar items. However, once a gathering occurred, they could count on steady profits.

Therefore, a couple of days of poor business didn’t bother them much.

But soon enough, when this slump persisted for nearly half a month, these jewelry merchants couldn’t sit still any longer.

What was going on?

Business in the capital has always been good. This time, they stocked up on a lot of South Sea pearls, and mentioned it to their old customers last time. Judging by the time, it should be when these old customers come to buy pearls from them. So why have they only been getting visits from young ladies recently?

Although young ladies aren’t stingy, they can’t compare to when they were unmarried. Even if they want to buy something, they can’t afford to spend lavishly. It’s the older ladies of the household who are the real spenders; their casual purchases equal the buying power of more than a dozen young ladies.

“I don’t know, shopkeeper. Recently, the older ladies haven’t been holding flower-viewing parties or poetry gatherings, and some people have even come here asking about them.”

“Do you know where they’ve gone?”

“It seems they’ve all gone to the Jinjiang Pavilion. But the Jinjiang Pavilion is a teahouse; they don’t sell jewelry or accessories at all!”

Princess’ Mansion.

“What’s so fun about this?” The Second Princess looked down on these boudoir games. “Sister, come with me quickly. I’ll teach you a fun game. It’s really enjoyable. I’ve already booked the best private room. We just need one more person, and we’re waiting for you.”

“Jinjiang Pavilion?” The Eldest Princess was surprised to hear this name from her sister, wondering why she suddenly sought her out.

The Second Princess wasn’t her full sister, and their relationship was only so-so. When Jinjiang Pavilion opened last time, she invited the Second Princess, but was declined.

She usually stayed out of matters involving the princes’ business competitions.

But unexpectedly, now her sister brought it up on her own.

“Ah, sister, if you had told me back then that Jinjiang Pavilion had such fun things, I would’ve rushed back to accompany you even if I was soaking in a hot spring!” The Second Princess felt her elder sister was being a bit unfair. “If it weren’t for my good friends dragging me to play, I’d still be bored looking for fun. Ah, now if I don’t play mahjong for a while, my hands itch.”

Mahjong quickly became popular among the older generation of noblewomen through word of mouth.

These elder ladies, highly respected and without much to do, were often showered with compliments wherever they went, making them feel as if they were truly old and out of touch. However, when playing mahjong, they could clearly see that their arithmetic skills, honed from managing estates, were still quite sharp. Once they fell into the “deep pit” of mahjong, it was hard for them to climb out.

Chen Huanzhi was visiting Jinjiang Pavilion today to check its income.

The accounts sent up in the past few days showed numbers that were a bit beyond his expectations.

Shopkeeper Wang’s hands were trembling as he held the account book, unable to imagine that a teahouse could earn so much money.They were merely making a bit from private room fees, with the fruits and snacks inside almost given away for free. Most of the revenue came from a commission on the private rooms.

They didn’t care about the stakes the noblewomen played for.

They took a commission of one-twentieth of the winner’s earnings, meaning if someone won 20 taels, they would get 1 tael.

Compared to gambling houses that take a commission of one in fifteen or one in ten, their rates were considered quite reasonable, and the noblewomen accepted it without any protest.

As a result, even such a small commission brought an enormous amount of revenue to Jinjiang Pavilion.

My goodness, how high were the stakes those noblewomen were playing?

The monthly earnings of the antique and jewelry stores Shopkeeper Wang used to manage were about the same.

But Jinjiang Pavilion had only been open for a few days?

With hardly any capital invested.

Could such a business really be sustainable?

No wonder the princes fought tooth and nail every year for a share in running the gambling houses—it really is profitable!

Currently, not many people have come yet, and only a few of the younger ladies have joined in on this game. If they also start coming…

Shopkeeper Wang secretly swallowed, unable to imagine how much more attention this huge profit would attract if others found out.

“Is the young master ready yet?” Shopkeeper Wang quietly asked the attendant.

“Still needs another quarter of an hour,” the attendant whispered back. “The young master’s old ailment has flared up.”

Shopkeeper Wang wisely chose to remain silent.

He wasn’t boasting, but their young master was truly remarkable. Not only was he excellent in both academics and martial arts, but he also invented mahjong the first time he managed a business, something you couldn’t find even with a lantern. However, this young master had developed a peculiar habit of talking to himself when alone in his room.

Fortunately, the Chen family had adapted well to this oddity.

After all, there was a famous scholar who treated a “stone” as his wife, confessing his feelings to it every day. Compared to that, their young master’s little quirk was nothing.

To err is human, and even with this minor habit, their young master was still exceptionally outstanding.

In the room, Chen Huanzhi was talking to Dong Changyang.

“That private art high school sent me an acceptance letter. It seems they found out through some channel that I scored full marks in three subjects, so they admitted me right away.” Dong Changyang boasted about his acceptance letter to Chen Huanzhi. “They also agreed to all the conditions I previously mentioned.”

“Congratulations,” Chen Huanzhi genuinely felt happy for Dong Changyang.

This meant that Changyang wouldn’t have to worry about living expenses for the next three years. If he could get into a top university, the country seemed to offer corresponding scholarships and subsidies. In other words, Changyang could leave his previous life behind and enjoy his life more like a young girl should.

“Hehe, you helped me a lot.” Changyang scratched his head shyly. “Actually, I was really stressed before the top exams. If I hadn’t met you, I definitely wouldn’t have performed so well.”

The situation with Dong Changyang’s family was not something that could be easily hidden.

In her class, although Dong Changyang had several classmates with whom she had good relationships, they always carefully avoided topics related to parents. During gatherings and activities, they also tried their best to prevent Changyang from spending money.

While being cared for in this way was certainly nice, Changyang couldn’t help but feel that she was being looked down upon by others.

Yet she didn’t feel she needed anyone’s pity.

Compared to many others, she already considered herself very fortunate.

Dong Changyang was a staunch Marxist and never believed in gods or Buddhas. However, before the top exams, she couldn’t help but feel anxious, which led her to visit temples and pray. It was there that she unexpectedly met Chen Huanzhi.

It could be said that Chen Huanzhi was Changyang’s true friend in the true sense.

He wouldn’t pity her, nor would he spoil her.

For Dong Changyang, who lacked parental guidance and siblings, Chen Huanzhi’s presence was extraordinary. Not only did he quickly soothe her inner unrest, but he also brought a sense of ease and calmness.

I’m really not alone.

Changyang often found herself thinking like this.

“I really can’t understand your scriptures,” Chen Huanzhi said somewhat awkwardly under Changyang’s direct gaze. “Thanks to you, the mahjong promotion has been very successful, bringing Jinjiang Pavilion immense profit and publicity.”

“High school courses will be even more challenging,” Changyang chuckled, looking a bit embarrassed.

“What’s wrong?” Chen Huanzhi sensed something amiss. “You can tell me directly.”

“Along with the acceptance letter, there’s also an invitation to a summer camp,” Dong Changyang was quite conflicted. “It’s a collaboration between my high school and a foreign school, very expensive, but because I was one of the students accepted ahead of schedule this time, they gave me a free spot.”

“That sounds like a good thing, doesn’t it?” Chen Huanzhi didn’t understand why Dong Changyang was conflicted.

“Of course, because if I go, I won’t be able to see you these days,” Dong Changyang blurted out.