Room 061

  As soon as Xia Ting brought Wan Yu into the hall, the two middle-aged men who were originally seated hastily stood up and respectfully bowed, saying "Miss."

  "Never mind the formalities, sit down."

  "Thank you, Miss." The two middle-aged men then sat back down again.

  Xia Ting walked slowly to Shui's side, and Shui hastily pulled over his own daughter's hand, saying in a low voice, "Ning Er, what's going on?"

  Why do these two people both address their daughter as "Miss", it feels like she's their master or something.

  Xia Ting smiled slightly and patted her mother, Shui Shi's hand lightly, comforting her by saying "Mother, we'll talk about it later, why don't you sit aside and listen for now?"

  When he heard his daughter say this, Shui Shi could only nod and sit down beside Xia Zi Yun.

  Xia Ting sat down properly and looked at the other two people in the hall, saying "Is everything ready?"

  Two middle-aged men sitting in the seat looked at each other, and Xu Zhuanggui from Zhenbao Xuan spoke first: "Miss, the jewelry and jade carvings you ordered have been made, and all the antiques and calligraphy paintings have been collected."

  After finishing speaking, he stood up and walked to a pile of large boxes in the hall, opened several of them one after another, and continued: "The jade carvings inside these boxes were made from high-quality raw materials purchased back, please take a look at whether they meet your requirements, miss."

  Xia Ting walked over and looked at the things in the box. Inside, there were many large pieces of jade carvings, including a pair of Qingyu double phoenixes, a peach-shaped jade washer, a Fu Lu Shou jade carving, a twisted lotus patterned double-ear furnace, and a white jade arhat carving. The raw materials for these jade carvings were all high-quality sheep fat white jade, Qingbai jade, Qing jade, and Huang jade. The craftsmanship was exquisite, vivid and lifelike, and it could be seen that each piece of jade was carved from a single block of jade material.

  Among these large ornaments, in addition to the ones in front of you that are carved from soft jade, there are also many dazzling emerald green ornaments. The colors are translucent, radiant and eye-catching, deeply attracting everyone's attention.

  Xia Ting walked past each box one by one, and Xu Zhuang also opened the lid of each box one after another with great care.

  Just these large decorations filled up over ten boxes, and there were also some small decorations that filled up four boxes. The boxes were packed to the brim, and at a glance, you could guess that there was an astonishing number of them.

  After looking at these decorations, Xia Ting nodded in satisfaction and said to Xu Zhanggui, "Well done! Not only is the carving work good, but it's also quite innovative. Give each of those carvers 50 taels of silver as a reward."

  These things are all in line with her requirements, and those few sculptors must have spent a lot of thought.

  Xu Zhanggui's face lit up with joy, and he humbly said, "These are all small things that I should do, as long as the young lady is satisfied, it's fine."

  Fifty taels! This is equivalent to several months of his salary. The young lady is indeed very generous.

  Xia Ting nodded slightly and turned to look at Liu Zhanggui, who was standing beside him. This person was the one Uncle Yu had newly appointed as the manager of Xue Duan Forge.

  Liu Zhuanggui stood up from his seat after Xia Tingjing got up earlier and respectfully waited on the side.

  At this time, Xia Jing saw him and hastily said, "Miss, the fabrics, clothes, cloak and cape you ordered earlier are all ready."

  After speaking, she walked over and opened some other boxes. Xia Tingjing went over to take a closer look and found that the boxes were filled with beautiful fabrics, bright in color, smooth and soft to the touch, reflecting light as they changed angles.

  The clothes were all made according to her own hand-drawn designs, and compared to the clothes of this dynasty, they are truly much more beautiful.

  Xia Ting picked up another water-blue cloak, touched the inside, warm and soft, made of excellent fur.

  Xia Ting nodded slightly "All of you have done a good job, and there will be rewards. Liu Zhuanggui, after you return, start preparing for the opening of the Snow Refining Workshop. You've all worked hard to come here today, so go back now."

  Both of them bowed and said "Yes, miss." Then they both led the people who came with them out of the house with a joyful expression.

  Xia Ting quietly looked at the dozens of large boxes placed in the hall, since these things have been delivered, it also means that her dowry is all ready.

  Time flies so fast, in the blink of an eye, she is about to marry into the Jing Wang Fu.

  Shui Shi immediately came to his daughter's side as soon as the outsiders left and asked in confusion, "Ning Er, those two people just now...?"

  She really had a lot of questions to ask her daughter now, listening to the conversation between the three people earlier, those two obviously treated her daughter as their master.

  Xia Ting looked at her mother, Shi, and smiled lightly, "Mother, let's go back to our room to talk."

  Although the people in the pear courtyard were all hers, she still didn't want too many outsiders to know about her business.

  She also ordered her servants, "Put all these things away in the backyard, together with those betrothal gifts."

  She finished speaking and took her misty-eyed mother and curious-looking younger brother back to the Shui family's room.

  Shui Shi hastily asked as soon as he entered the room, "Ning Er, what's going on here?"

  Although she was anxious to know the answer in her heart, she also saw that her daughter did not want outsiders to know, so she endured a belly full of doubts and followed her daughter back to the room.

  As soon as she stepped into the house, she couldn't help but ask, what exactly had her daughter hidden from her?

  Xia Ting pulled over the water, walked to the bedside and sat down saying "Mother, don't worry. Those two people are the managers of my shops under my name, the things they brought today were prepared by me as your dowry."

  She's about to get married, and it's time to tell her mother some things. It's not good to keep her in the dark all the time.

  Shui's eyes widened in surprise and he exclaimed, "A famous enterprise? When did you have a shop? Why didn't I know about it?"

  She only knew that her daughter was managing the few farms and fields left by her father, but she didn't know when she had started running a shop.

  Just look at the many boxes sent by the other party, and the things inside are not something that can be bought casually. First of all, the amount of money spent is definitely a staggering figure.

  "Actually, my daughter had already bought several shops in Yixing City and was running a business there. Later, when she came to Kyoto, she also started doing business here. I didn't tell you before because the business wasn't stable yet, so I didn't want to worry you."

  Mrs. Shui nodded slightly after hearing the explanation, and continued, "You child, why didn't you say so earlier? You scared your mother half to death! And those dowries you've prepared must have cost a lot of money, right? Your mother has some savings here, take it to add to it."

  Although she didn't know the value of those dowries, as a merchant's daughter, she knew that so many good things must be worth a lot, and she had no idea how much silver her daughter had put in.

  Xia Ting's heart warmed, shaking her head and saying "Mother, don't worry about these things anymore. Those dowries were all made by our own family's workshops. Xu Zhanggui is in charge of the jewelry store under his daughter's name, and the store is doing very well. As for Liu Zhanggui, he is in charge of the Snow Refining Workshop, which sells fabric and clothing, but it has not opened yet."

  She is now quite wealthy, but her mother still doesn't have this understanding and thinks she's struggling financially.

  Shui's family heard this and asked in doubt, "Really? The shop is making a good profit? But even if it's our own shop's production, wouldn't that still cost a lot of silver?"

  Homemade products also require raw materials and labor costs. The cost of these two things is absolutely not low.

  "Really, this jewelry store has earned 200,000 taels in just half a month. My daughter won't be short of money. Besides, the properties under my name are not just these. Mother doesn't have to worry about money anymore."

  Shui's eyes widened instantly "Twenty... twenty million taels? Jing'er, are you telling the truth?"

  Heaven, 200,000 taels, such a huge sum of silver was actually earned in just half a month.

  Xia Ting nodded helplessly. "Really, apart from this jewelry store 'Zhen Bao Xuan', Nuan Yan Lou and Mei Ren Tang are also my daughter's properties."

  She might as well just say everything and be done with it, rather than having to spend a lot of effort explaining things to her mother later on.

  The Shui family, who had just been shocked by the 200,000 taels, now heard their daughter say that the Mei Ren Tang and Nuan Yan Lou were also her property, and suddenly felt like they were getting a pie from the sky.

  Xia Zi Yun was not as shocked as Shui Shi, after all, he was still young and didn't quite understand what these things meant. He only knew that his sister was very capable and had earned a lot of silver coins, so much that even his mother was frightened.

  Shui's voice was still shaking as he said, "No wonder the last time we went out together, the owners of Nuan Yan Lou and Mei Ren Tang were extremely polite to you. I thought it was just their good service, but it turns out that they are your shops and restaurants."

  At that time, she felt a bit strange, but she had never been one to think too much. She couldn't have imagined that the two prosperous shops and wine houses were actually run by her daughter. After hearing this news, she still feels like she's in a dream.

  "Last time I told a small lie and deceived Mother, Mother, don't be angry."

  Last time, I took my mother and younger brother to Warm Smoke Building for a meal. It was discovered that several dishes in the restaurant were made by her before at home. At that time, she didn't want to reveal that Warm Smoke Building was her own business, so she lied to her mother and younger brother, saying that she had sold the recipes to the owner of the restaurant. Her mother and younger brother did not suspect anything at that time.

  Mrs. Shui pretended to be angry and lightly patted her daughter's small hand, saying "You still dare to say that, your nerve is not small, you even dare to deceive your mother."

  She was still a bit dizzy, but now her daughter had made such a fuss that she suddenly came to.

  "Sighing, she said, 'Jiang Er, although these shops bring in a lot of money and can give you so much silver, you must be careful not to go out and show your face. After all, you are a girl from a good family, and now that you're going to marry into the Qing Wang Fu as the Crown Prince's consort, you need to be even more cautious, do you understand?'"

  Large families have always been bound by many rules, and most of them look down on merchants. Not to mention the prominent family like Jing Wang Fu, she doesn't want her daughter to be looked down upon by others.

  "Mother, I know. Don't worry so much, daughter has her own measure. You just eat well and sleep well, enjoy every day."

  She also knew the humble status of merchants in this dynasty, but that was not absolute. If her business spanned the country or grasped the economic lifeline of the nation, even the emperor would have to show her three points of courtesy.

  Mrs. Shui smiled gently at her daughter and suddenly said, "You and Yun'er wait here for a while." After finishing speaking, she stood up and walked towards the cabinet in the room.

  Xia Ting looked at her mother with some confusion as she took out the key and opened the cabinet, then picked up a small box from inside.

  Mrs. Shui hugged the trunk and brought it back, handing it to her daughter and saying, "These are all the dowry your grandfather left for your mother, although some were pawned before, but still many are left. Soon you will be getting married, these are the dowry from your mother."

  Since her husband returned to Kyoto, she and her children's life became increasingly strained. She had no choice but to exchange some of her dowry jewelry for silver to make ends meet.

  Later, Ning'er grew up and took over the management of the household from her. She also managed the remaining few villas and some fields, and their lives gradually improved. These accessories were able to be kept as well.

  Nowadays, my daughter is about to get married, and according to custom, these pieces of jewelry will be given to her as dowry.

  Xia Ting lightly opened the box and saw that it was filled with many precious jewels and ornaments, each one a masterpiece. These things together were also worth a lot of silver.

  Shui looked at the jewelry in the box and said with some emotion, "These jewels and ornaments were all bought by your grandfather. Although they are not the best, they are also not bad."

  Her father was originally a businessman, and before the decline of the family fortune, they still had some savings, which could be used as her dowry. Unfortunately, after her father fell ill, the family's fortunes declined, and she was just a daughter who didn't know how to do business.

  Her father sold several rooms in the house and left her with a silver ticket. After her father's death, she was alone in charge of the family's property and fields, although there were loyal slaves to help with the chores, but still felt a little anxious. It was then that she met Cong'er's father and became his concubine. With a man to rely on at home, she no longer felt so restless.

  Xia Ting handed the box back to her mother, Shi, saying "Mother, you'd better keep these yourself. I'm not lacking anything now, and in the future, these jewels can be left for my younger brother."

  She now lacks nothing, these jewels and ornaments might as well be left for Yun'er.

  Shui shook his head and handed the box back to Xia Ting's arms. "You take these accessories, your brother must have left a share for him. Besides, he is a man, what does he need these accessories for."

  Her sons and daughters are all her flesh and blood, she will not be partial to this or that. Jewelry is given to her daughter as dowry, while antiques and calligraphy are kept for her son.

  Xia Ting smiled and looked at her mother, Shui Shi, "Brother will get married eventually, when he does, you'll have to give his bride a meeting gift. These can be kept for her."

  "Wait a few more years until your younger brother gets married, and Mother will naturally have a gift for her then. These things are left to you, so they're yours. No need to say any more, just take them."

  Xia Ting's lips moved slightly, but in the end she didn't refuse again. She knew her mother loved her, and if she continued to say more, she was afraid of displeasing her mother.

  After putting away the trunk, Xia Ting continued, "Mother, I have something to tell you."

  Looking at her daughter's serious face, Mrs. Shui also solemnly asked, "What's the matter?" Her daughter's serious expression made her dare not to be slightly negligent.

  "Mother, I have something to tell you. I've acquired some property outside, and I hope you won't mention it to Father."

  If that cheap father knew she was making so much money every month, heaven knows what ideas he would come up with. To put it bluntly, she just didn't trust him. Now that her mother and brother were both at the Xia residence, if he wanted to come up with some crooked idea and use her mother and brother to coerce her into submission, she would be in a desperate situation. In short, one thing was for sure: that cheap father was absolutely untrustworthy.

  Shui heard Xia Ting's words and was stunned for a moment, but still nodded in agreement, "Mother knows, this matter will not be told to your father."

  After her daughter almost entered the Wang Fu as a concubine, she understood many things. She knew that her husband was not reliable, and now that it concerned Nian'er, she didn't want to risk her daughter, so she had to keep this matter from her husband.

  Xia Ting's smile condensed and leaned onto Shui Shi's body "Mother, you're the best."

  Since the last time, she clearly felt that her mother's attitude towards that cheap father had cooled down a bit. Although it hasn't reached the point of thoroughness, at least she won't unconditionally believe in him again. In this way, she can also be relieved a lot.

  Xia Ting Cong again leaned in and instructed her younger brother Xia Zi Yun, "You must also keep this a secret, understood?"

  Xia Zi Yun nodded vigorously and leaned against Xia Ting's body. He no longer takes the initiative to get close to Old Man Xia, appearing extremely cold to others.

  Xia Ting Cong accompanied Shui Shi and Xia Zi Yun for lunch, and only returned to her own room for a nap after finishing the meal.

  Qinglan Garden, Baili Rongjin was quietly leaning on the bed at this time, holding a book and looking at it silently.

  Long and slender white hands turned page after page of books, and the room seemed peaceful and serene.

  Qing Yu gently pushed open the door and slowed down her pace as she walked in, saying "Young Master, Li Nanny has arrived."

  Baili Rongjin heard this and shifted his gaze from the book, looking at Qingyu and saying "Is she coming over for something?"

  Qing Yu shook her head and said, "I don't know, but Li Niang brought many maidservants." It's also unknown what they want to do.

  Taking a maid? What is this for? Baili Yongjin put down the book, put on her shoes and got out of bed, saying "Let's go take a look."

  Opening the door and coming out to the courtyard, Li Niang had already been waiting there, with several neatly dressed maids standing behind her. Looking at them, each one was not bad.

  Baili Rongjin slightly furrowed her brow and calmly asked, "Nanny has come over; is there something going on?"

  "Please convey this to the young master," Li said respectfully, "I am acting on the orders of Her Highness the Princess, and have brought these maidservants to Qinglan Garden to attend to the young master."

  These maids were personally selected by the princess, and they didn't look bad at all. Their temperament was also good. It's probably to place them beside the crown prince, if any of them caught his eye, it would be good for him to take as a concubine.

  After hearing what Li said, Bai Rongyun's eyes narrowed slightly.

  Digression

  Everyone, 5,000 words are presented to you, but I'm still short of 3,000 words. Today, I really didn't have any inspiration and got stuck there. Let me take a break and organize my thoughts properly, or else it would be too forced if I continued writing. Give me a hug, I need to hurry up and go eat now, haven't had dinner yet until now tonight.