Mama Lin hesitated for a moment before saying, “It’s not that I suddenly had this idea. It’s the reality. On your wedding day, I heard people asking if you would continue selling flowers and renting out the garden for money. Some things are better left unsaid…” When Mudan was busy building Fang Garden and growing peonies, her future was uncertain, and having some money was better than none. Mama Lin could understand that. But now, was it necessary to endure such troubles and worries?
“Don’t pay attention to them,” Mudan said, patting Mama Lin’s shoulder understandingly. She could guess those words weren’t pleasant, which is why Mama Lin, who had been holding back her anger since Liu and waiting for Mudan to turn things around, couldn’t bear it anymore. Mama Lin wanted Mudan to return to her former life of staying at home properly, occasionally composing poetry, attending gatherings, playing polo, boating on the lake, chatting with her female friends, and making perfumes – the life of an “elegant lady.” But Mudan had grown accustomed to being busy and couldn’t imagine sitting idle at home all day.
Mama Lin’s eyes reddened as she said, “You can ignore them, but I can’t help worrying about you. If there’s another peony festival, will you still go drinking with those awful men? If you don’t care about yourself, at least think of the Young Master.”
Reminded of the previous incident, Mudan looked at the dumplings bobbing in the pot, feeling somewhat dejected. Yes, the world had always been this way. Everyone loved to drink a little, especially in business. When a man drinks for social reasons and gets drunk, people only say he’s working hard and understands. But for a woman, drinking even a little too much is seen as improper, let alone drinking competitively. She wasn’t someone who enjoyed drinking or such occasions, but sometimes there was no choice. However, now that she was married to Jiang Changyang, such situations were unlikely to occur again. She said, “That was before. It’s different now. Those things won’t happen again.”
Mama Lin bluntly replied, “Cao Wanrong certainly wouldn’t dare force you to drink now. But what if some powerful person rents the garden? As the owner, how can you not show up? What if someone with ill intentions tries to force you? What will you do then? Refuse and offend them, or drink and embarrass yourself!”
Mudan frowned silently. This was indeed a problem.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Yuhe quickly called out, “Oh no, the dumplings are about to break!”
Mudan hurried forward to scoop them out. “Let’s see if they’re cooked.”
None of them were accustomed to kitchen work, so they were a bit clumsy. By the time they had fished out the dumplings, Jiang Changyang had already sent Shuai’er to check on them. Mudan quickly washed her hands, took off her apron, tidied her clothes and hair, and personally carried the food box over.
During the meal, no one mentioned the issue again, but Mama Lin was secretly planning. Given the current situation, Mudan wouldn’t easily change her mind, and if she discussed it with Jiang Changyang, he would likely accommodate her. She needed to speak privately with Jiang Changyang, urging him to persuade Mudan not to indulge her. Young people didn’t understand, only caring about immediate happiness, and would regret it when problems arose.
Mudan was also thinking. It was impossible for her to completely give up this business, but she needed to gauge Jiang Changyang and Madam Wang’s opinions. They hadn’t brought it up yet, so she could pretend ignorance for now, but there would come a day when she couldn’t. It was better to ask beforehand. If their views were similar to Mama Lin’s, it would be good to find a suitable solution early.
Both lost in thought, they approached the small building where Madam Wang used to live. From afar, they saw Madam Wang leaning on Yingtao, laughing heartily. Shuaishuai stood proudly on Fang Bohui’s arm, stretching its neck and calling out in its coarse, strange voice, “Yo, yo, yo…”
Mudan approached with a smile and said, “What is it saying? ‘Yo yo yo.’ It sounds strange.”
Fang Bohui just smiled, while Madam Wang laughed even more cheerfully. “You don’t know what it’s calling, do you?”
Jiang Changyang winked at Mudan, who suddenly understood. It must be calling “Youyou,” and who else but Fang Bohui could teach it to call people like that? She smiled, pressing her lips together. Fang Bohui looked a bit embarrassed and let go of Shuaishuai, sniffing the air. “It smells good. What delicious dish is it? I heard from Changyang that you’ve been preparing for a long time?”
Mudan smiled and said, “Not too long. It’s just that I’m not very skilled, so it took a bit longer.”
“Is it something fresh?” Madam Wang couldn’t wait for everyone to set the table and eagerly picked up a dumpling to eat. Mudan watched her nervously, waiting for her evaluation.
Knowing Mudan was anxious, Madam Wang deliberately didn’t say it was good right away. She chewed slowly, eating unhurriedly, and had two dumplings before Fang Bohui glared at her. Only then did she put down her chopsticks and smile, “It’s delicious.”
Mudan let out a small sigh of relief, and Jiang Changyang secretly held her hand under the table to show his approval. Madam Wang picked up a dumpling and put it in Mudan’s bowl, smiling, “Don’t blame me. I only have one chance in my life to act like a stern mother-in-law in front of a new bride, so I couldn’t let it pass.”
Fang Bohui glanced at her and said, “So you want to be a wicked mother-in-law.”
Madam Wang just smiled, “You’re right. I’m really hungry, so I have to eat more.” Then she pushed a large plate of dumplings in front of Fang Bohui. “Eat quickly, eat quickly. You talk too much. My daughter-in-law hasn’t said anything, yet you’re the one worrying.”
Jiang Changyang watched them with a smile, then turned to look at Mudan beside him, his heart overflowing with joy. He thought, if in the future there were a few chattering little ones sitting between him and Mudan, how wonderful would that be? Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but look up at Mudan and smile again.
After the meal, Mudan brought up the Princess of Fen’s upcoming banquet: “I don’t plan to charge her. The last time was different because we had just opened. It wouldn’t be right to charge this time.” Moreover, she and Madam Wang were also invited. Should she appear as the owner of Fang Garden to entertain distinguished guests, or as a guest of the Princess of Fen?
Madam Wang said casually, “Fine, forget about renting. Just say you’re lending it.”
Jiang Changyang agreed but added, “I’m only worried about one thing. Someone like the Princess of Fen doesn’t like to take advantage of others. She could host the party anywhere. She has plenty of gardens. This is deliberately to boost your reputation. But if you don’t charge her, she might feel uncomfortable coming next spring when the peonies bloom. It’s like blocking her.”
Mudan took the opportunity to probe, “Then what should I do? Charging feels lacking in goodwill, but not charging first makes me worry about the situation you mentioned, and then I’m concerned that if I don’t charge her but charge others, people will gossip. It’s difficult either way.”
Fang Bohui pondered for a moment, then perceptively asked, “Danniang, do you plan to continue renting out the garden for money in the future?”
Mudan frankly replied, “Mama Lin just said it’s not appropriate for me to charge money anymore. After all, they’re colleagues, and we see each other often. It’s not good. It would bring shame to the family.”
Madam Wang burst out laughing, “What we see often is money!” She then sneered, “Colleagues are also divided into different ranks. There are poor and rich among them. I’d rather people laugh at me for being greedy than look down on me for being poor! I’m not stealing or robbing anyone. My money is earned honestly; no one can say anything about it.”
Mudan felt comforted hearing this. Then Fang Bohui said, “Everyone has close friends and family, with varying degrees of intimacy. Why bother about others? How about this: for the Princess of Fen, just say you’re lending it, but let her bring her food, drinks, and servants. It’s her party, not yours. In the future, handle similarly for those you feel uncomfortable charging. If you want to host them, you can invite them separately later. Over time, it will naturally become the norm. Otherwise, there will always be some inconsiderate people taking advantage, and how long can you endure that?”
Jiang Changyang expressed his agreement.
Their attitudes seemed quite clear; they all supported her continuing to make money, very practically. Mudan glanced happily at Mama Lin, who looked at her helplessly, half joyful and half worried. It was easy to talk about now, but would they still be so relaxed when those situations occurred?
After the meal, Mudan and Jiang Changyang returned to the He family together. Mudan didn’t want him to ride a horse, so she asked him to take the carriage with her. Once in the carriage, Mudan leaned on his shoulder and said softly, “Today, Mama Lin told me that if I continue doing business and making money from Fang Garden, it would bring shame to you. She suggested that in the future, whenever someone wants to rent the garden, I should just say I’m lending it.”
Jiang Changyang smoothed her hair and said, “Didn’t we just discuss how to handle it? But, indeed, you don’t need to work so hard. I can support you and give you a good life. Don’t worry about my spending; I know my limits.”
Mudan looked up at him, “But I enjoy it. Every time I sell a peony I’ve grown myself, I feel especially satisfied.”
Jiang Changyang smiled slightly, “Then continue doing it.”
Mudan frowned, “But Mama Lin is worried that what happened last time when I was forced to drink, might happen again…” She repeated Mama Lin’s words.
The memory of the previous incident was still fresh, and Jiang Changyang’s expression indeed darkened. He remained silent for a while before saying, “It’s alright. Last time, I wasn’t in a position to be with you officially. In the future, I’ll accompany you, and no one will dare bully you.”
Mudan smiled bitterly, “What if you’re not there?”
This time, Jiang Changyang didn’t respond immediately. After all, Mudan’s business was completely different from running a shop. It wouldn’t be appropriate to find a manager to handle the business and social interactions. Everyone knew Fang Garden belonged to Mudan, and renting it out would give more opportunities to those looking for trouble. The best solution would be to stop renting out the garden, only sell peonies, and charge a small entrance fee during the peony bloom season. This would be easier to control. But remembering how enthusiastically Mudan had discussed this with Madam Wang and the others earlier, he couldn’t bear to bring this up on their first day of marriage. After further consideration, he said, “Danniang, I prefer to do things I’m certain about.”
Mudan’s heart tightened, and she looked at him with wide eyes.