novelSusiti Chapter 56 Yu's Worries
Chapter 56 Yu's Worries
After seeing Zhou Rui's wife off, Madam You did not return to her own courtyard, but went to her daughter-in-law Qin Keqing's place.
Lady You was Jia Zhen's second wife, but she did not have any children, so she could only rely on her husband for the rest of her life.
Because of this, she always turned a blind eye to many of the dirty deeds in the mansion, pretending to be ignorant even when she knew the truth, and thus made do for more than ten years.
But ever since Qin Keqing married into the family, You Shi noticed that Jia Zhen's attitude towards this daughter-in-law was not right. At first, she just thought it was an elder being affectionate towards a younger generation and didn't think too much about it. As time went on, the strangeness became more and more obvious, and she became more and more flustered, fearing that a shocking scandal would be caused.
Therefore, Lady You tried her best to keep Qin Keqing by her side or go to her courtyard to keep an eye on her, so as to cut off Jia Zhen's thoughts of getting close to Qin Keqing in private.
"Keep an eye on them, don't let them fight."
Qin Keqing instructed the maid to keep an eye on the cats and dogs, then picked up a bowl of cool tea and presented it to Madam You with both hands, saying, "Mother, please have some tea."
Madam You took the cup, sipped it, and looked up at Qin Keqing in front of her. From the bottom of her heart, she was completely satisfied with this daughter-in-law. She was gentle, proper in her actions, and outstanding in appearance. The only drawback was that she came from an ordinary family and had a humble background.
She had always wondered why Jia Zhen, from a family of such high social standing, had chosen a girl from the Qin family as his daughter-in-law.
Qin Keqing smiled faintly, picked up the palace fan from the tea table, and gently fanned You Shi.
Lady You's gaze fell on Qin Keqing's flat stomach, and a ridiculous yet heartbreaking thought suddenly arose in her mind: if Qin Keqing could conceive Jia Rong's child, perhaps Jia Zhen would not have any designs on her.
Thinking it over, Madam You put down her teacup and said, "You two have been married for quite some time now, and it's only right that you start having children for the family."
Upon hearing this, Qin Keqing's cheeks instantly turned bright red, and she stammered, "Grandpa... he said we're still young, so there's no rush..."
"Did Rong'er say that?"
Madam You paused slightly, put down her teacup, turned to the door and loudly ordered, "Go, call your master here!"
A short while later, Jia Rong strode in from outside, bowed, and asked, "Mother called for me?"
After Lady You explained the matter of having offspring, Jia Rong hesitated for a moment, first sending Qin Keqing away, before lowering his voice: "Your son naturally knows that carrying on the family line and continuing the lineage is of paramount importance. But this is something Father specifically instructed me to do..."
Ms. You was stunned.
Jia Rong glanced quickly at the door, "Father also said that if Qin Shi is pregnant, then...then..."
"What?" Madam You pressed.
"Break my legs!" Jia Rong gritted her teeth, clearly dissatisfied.
Yu suddenly stood up, then her body went limp and she slumped back into her chair, her face ashen.
"Mother!" Jia Rong exclaimed in surprise.
Yu slowly closed her eyes, and two lines of tears slid down her cheeks.
Just then, Qin Keqing's voice came from outside the door: "Mother, Second Aunt is here."
Madam You hurriedly wiped away her tears, suppressing the bitterness and sorrow in her heart, and forced a smile as she went out to greet them: "What wind blew you, you rascal and down-on-your-luck, here today?"
Normally, Wang Xifeng would never have let You Shi off so easily and would have retorted on the spot. But today, she had something to ask You Shi, so she had no choice but to suppress her temper and make a few jokes, and personally hand over the musk and borneol that Jia Yun had just sent to You Shi.
She then attributed all the flattering words Jia Yun had just spoken to her to You Shi.
Ping'er, who was standing to the side, almost burst out laughing, but when these words reached Madam You's ears, they took on a different meaning.
Others may not know the situation in the East Mansion, but surely you, Feng girl, know it? Are you deliberately trying to disgust me?!
But Madam You showed no sign of it, only smiling and exchanging a few polite words before accepting the gifts. She even teased, "You're known for being incredibly stingy, so why are you being so generous today? You must have something to ask of me, right?"
Wang Xifeng smiled and explained her purpose. As a woman of the inner quarters, she was not allowed to go to the front courtyard to see Liu Feng alone, according to the rules. She had to be led by You Shi, the mistress of Ningguo Mansion, and then Jia Zhen had to introduce her.
Madam You was taken aback: "Why did you want to see him?"
Wang Xifeng dared not tell the truth, and only laughed it off: "I rarely ask you for a favor, and you're making excuses. Do you expect me to kneel down and beg you?"
Lady You really wanted to retort, "Then kneel down!" to vent her frustration at being manipulated by Wang Xifeng. But she had no powerful backing and dared not offend Wang Xifeng, so she could only laugh awkwardly and joke, "Forget it, I'm not like you, shameless."
"Get lost!" Wang Xifeng laughed and pushed her away, then said seriously, "I'm not joking with you anymore, I really have something important to do."
Seeing that she didn't seem to be lying, Madam You stopped teasing her and, laughing and talking, led Wang Xifeng and her maid to the front courtyard.
......................
In the front yard living room, Liu Feng was having tea and chatting with Jia Zhen.
He originally planned to go straight home, but unfortunately he bumped into Jia Zhen who was returning home on the way.
At Tianxiang Tower last time, I not only ate and drank and watched a play, but also got to know Feng Ziying, Wei Ruolan and other noble sons who were on good terms with the Jia family. I also took the opportunity to clear up the misunderstanding between myself and Liu Xianglian.
Since he felt obligated to accept gifts and favors, Liu Feng couldn't refuse and came over to sit down.
Jia Zhen put down his teacup, crossed his legs, and sighed, "These past two years, the war outside the Great Wall has been intense. The imperial defenses have been withdrawn again and again, and the property accumulated by our ancestors has been lost one after another. Now, we only have eight or nine estates left. If we continue to lose them like this, we won't be able to make a living in the future!"
Liu Feng chuckled and stirred the tea foam in his teacup. "It can't be that bad, can it?"
Jia Zhen shook his head slightly: "You're honest by nature, only seeing the outward appearance, not knowing the inside story. It's like using a mallet made of cypress wood—respectable on the outside, but miserable on the inside!"
Liu Feng smiled and said, "I really don't know who in your household is having an affair or keeping a younger brother-in-law."
He set down his teacup and said, "Since you're in such dire straits, why not acquire some property in the capital?"
Jia Zhen smiled inwardly, thinking, "That's exactly what I've been waiting for!"
Liu Feng glanced at him with a smile, thinking to himself, "If you don't tell me, how can I agree to go along with it? How can I use you as a tool?"
Jia Zhen coughed lightly: "You are in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and have good information, so I won't hide it from you. The Jia family's foundation is in the military, and its disciples and former subordinates are all over the capital garrison and the nine border towns. In previous years, the tribute money sent from all sides was enough for the mansion to live comfortably for a year or two, so we did not acquire any more land or property."
But as the saying goes, "a new emperor brings a new court," and the Jia family's power in the army is far less than before. The tributes from their subordinates have also decreased year by year. This is truly a case of the fickle nature of human relationships and the coldness of relationships once the person leaves.
Liu Feng looked at him but didn't say anything.
"The most profitable businesses in the capital are pawnshops, money exchange houses, salt and grain businesses, as well as jewelry, silk and leather goods, and precious medicinal materials."
Previously, the salt and grain businesses were entirely controlled by the gentry. After the New Year, the salt business fell into the hands of the imperial family and relatives. Outsiders could not even think of getting a piece of the pie.
As for jewelry, silk, leather goods, and medicinal herbs, not only do they require a large initial investment, but also a reliable and stable source of goods...
Liu Feng interrupted him: "A pawnshop?"
With his thoughts exposed, Jia Zhen showed no embarrassment, nodding with a smile: "That's right. This is the most stable and profitable business in the world. 3% monthly interest, nine out of thirteen returns... Especially for fixed-term loans, they are always bought at half the market price, and then resold at a higher price, making a pure profit on the difference, very stable."
Liu Feng understood his thoughts. When the Embroidered Uniform Guard raided his home, most of the items they secretly seized would be sent to pawnshops to be sold.
Many high-ranking officials in the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Embroidered Uniform Guard secretly ran pawnshops, which was their core way of making money.
Just then, a soft cough came from the back room.
Jia Zhen frowned, then coughed again, and had no choice but to apologize to Liu Feng before getting up and going to the back room.
A short while later, Jia Zhen and You Shi walked in together.
After Liu Feng met Madam You, he quickly stood up to greet her, and then his gaze fell on Wang Xifeng and the servant Ping'er behind him.
His eyes lit up immediately. He wasn't very educated, so he could only say "Holy crap!" to describe it. He was really good-looking!
Jia Zhen greeted her with a smile: "This is Second Mistress Lian of the West Mansion, the wife of Brother Lian, and the niece of Prince Teng, the military governor of the capital."
Ping'er wasn't introduced, but Liu Feng had already guessed who she was. He thought to himself, "Such a neat and well-mannered appearance. It really confirms what Jia Lian said about Xue Pan—that making her Jia Lian's concubine is a disgrace to her."
Seeing Liu Feng staring at her, Ping'er felt embarrassed and lowered her head, hiding behind Wang Xifeng.
Wang Xifeng saw this, blinked, and wondered what she was planning.
A meaningful smile appeared on Jia Zhen's face.
Madam You pretended not to see anything, and turned to instruct the maids and servants to bring up fresh tea, as well as some fruits and snacks.