Having received these words from the Old Ancestress, Wang Xifeng had no choice but to go find her aunt. Second Madam Wang supported her forehead and pushed outward: “You’re the one managing the household. Our family has great wealth and property—how could we not even come up with one gift? My head is still aching. If the accounts aren’t convenient at the moment, you think of a solution first.”

As she said this, Zhou Rui’s wife sensibly stepped forward to massage Second Madam Wang: “Aiya, Madam, how is your head aching again? Second Mistress, look at the Madam here. She’s invited physicians and taken medicine but hasn’t gotten better. She’s just worrying about too many things. The physician said she needs quiet rest. These trivial household matters should just be decided by you. Our Second Mistress’s capability is famous…”

Wang Xifeng, feeling stifled in her chest: “…”

Could she conjure money from the sky?

Wang Xifeng returned to her own courtyard in anger. Ping’er saw her eyes were red and also felt wronged on her behalf: “Second Mistress, what do we do now…” She became anxious. “The rent from the estates won’t come that quickly, and the shops already collected their share earlier.”

Wang Xifeng: “You’re asking me? If I had a solution, I wouldn’t have gone to ask.”

Ping’er sighed, then persuaded: “Second Mistress, let’s slowly think of a way. We absolutely cannot take out the dowry again.” She was deeply worried. Although the things Second Mistress had advanced before were all recovered later, and there was even surplus, she intuitively felt they couldn’t continue like this. If this became a habit, what if the silver in the accounts wasn’t enough to subsidize again?

Wang Xifeng hesitated: “Then what do you suggest—not add the thirty percent?”

Could the Old Ancestress be placated?

Ping’er also couldn’t think of a solution: “How about asking Second Master?”

Wang Xifeng sneered: “What solution could he have? He still comes to me for money. Where could he conjure money from?”

After a moment of silence, Wang Xifeng lowered her voice eerily: “What do you think about us taking those bulky things from the old storehouse and pawning them?”

Ping’er was startled: “How could that work?”

Which wealthy household would do such a thing? Those who would do this were invariably families whose coffers were depleted and could only eat away at ancestral property. How could the Jia family have reached that point?

Wang Xifeng said bitterly: “Why wouldn’t it work? How could my dowry be enough to fill the gaps?” Once or twice she could still advance her dowry first, but if it happened too many times, her dowry definitely wouldn’t be enough to fill them.

“Have people be careful and not let anyone discover it. Find those things stored inside that no one will turn over, then no one will know.”

The household had several storehouses, but some keys were with the Old Ancestress, some keys were with the Madam, and she also had keys in her hands, but inside were stored old furniture and old furnishings. To say they were worthless—they were all good materials, but the styles were outdated and basically couldn’t be taken out for use anymore.

Otherwise there were keys to some places storing miscellaneous items—bottles and jars, not worth much money.

She only got these keys after giving birth to Elder Sister.

Thinking of this, Wang Xifeng couldn’t help but touch her own lower abdomen: “Why has there been no news since I gave birth to Elder Sister?”

Ping’er couldn’t help but frown: “Second Mistress, why are you anxious? Elder Sister was born less than a year ago.”

Then she stamped her foot, truly worried, and persuaded: “Second Mistress, this won’t work. If people discover it, that would be terrible.”

Wang Xifeng: “Afraid of being discovered? Then find people to make similar ones with different materials. Later when I go in to inspect, I’ll say they were eaten by insects and directly report them as damaged, then no one will discover it.” The more she spoke, the more she felt this idea was good.

She put down her hand, having made up her mind: “All right, listen to me in this matter. Have trustworthy people change their clothes and pick a day to go to the storehouse. Let’s get through this time first.” As for what came after, they’d discuss it later.

After Lin Ruhai returned to the capital, he specifically instructed people to pay attention to the situation at the Jia residence.

This time, he had achieved merit, but he had also offended many people.

Salt concerned not just salt merchants, but also the backers behind the salt merchants. Every year, the filial offerings the salt merchants gave out were astronomical figures.

The Emperor had cleaned out a wave of people who dared to cause trouble, but many still remained.

They didn’t dare have opinions about the Emperor’s decision, but toward him, this “chief culprit,” their opinions were not small.

So the Emperor transferring him back also meant to preserve him.

Now the value of coastal salt mines would decrease greatly, while inland, some good open-pit salt mines wouldn’t change in value.

The greater impact was on the coast.

But what this involved was already very broad, which was why the Emperor was so furious after learning the matter had leaked, and why he transferred soldiers there to forcibly suppress it—he was worried about chaos arising.

Sometimes, Lin Ruhai would also feel fortunate, fortunate that his judgment hadn’t been wrong.

The Emperor still wanted to clean up the chaotic state of Jiangnan salt administration.

If a few more years passed and the Emperor grew older, his mindset changed, and he didn’t want major upheavals, it would be too late.

He had taken a clever approach, using the new salt-drying method to disrupt the previous arrangements.

He had visited the salt fields and seen those divided salt pans—just open a breach in front to introduce seawater, let it flow through the divided salt pans in each section, and what came out at the end was salt.

Medium-grade salt at that.

Everyone in the world needed to eat salt. As long as you were near the sea and mastered this method, it was equivalent to controlling a gold mine.

A gold mine that could continuously produce wealth.

How many regions near the sea were there in the world?

Besides Jiangnan, there were the northern and southern sea regions.

The coastline was vast; there would always be suitable places to dry salt.

Some great clans previously couldn’t get involved in the enormous profit of salt, but now with the opportunity, how could they let it pass?

They swarmed in. While he was in Yangzhou, he knew how frequently coastal county magistrates were appointed. Combined with the Emperor’s determination, only afterward did things stabilize for him.

And when he first went south of the Yangtze, he had utilized some of the Jia family’s influence. As long as he hadn’t severed ties with the Jia family, in the eyes of the world, he was the Jia family’s son-in-law, had marital ties with the Jia family, and the two families helped each other—this was also the original intention when the two families formed the marriage alliance.

And in that region, the Jia family, or rather the four families Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue united, still had quite a bit of face.

After all, in outsiders’ eyes, the Jia family was still a ducal residence, the Shi family was also a marquis house, the Wang family had previously managed maritime transport, and the Xue family were imperial merchants. United together, they were not to be underestimated.

Some people, even if they found him disagreeable, could have an extra measure of forbearance for the sake of this connection. That one measure could help him争取 gain a bit more time.

At critical moments, it could save lives.

Of course, later he touched so many people’s core interests that, let alone the Jia family, even if the Heavenly King himself went, they would dare to make a move.

But for some families who had gotten involved, they might also transfer their anger to the Jia family.

Just like the Zhen family.

In their view, the Lin family was the Jia family’s son-in-law, so the Jia family would definitely stand on his side. Later, Lin Ruhai didn’t give the Zhen family face or show mercy to the Bai family, so the Zhen family held it against the Lin family, and their affection for the Jia family also faded.

If the Jia family remembered their mutual affection, wouldn’t they have spoken to Lin Ruhai?

So many people—would it matter if they were slightly lenient?

However, Grandmother Jia and the others didn’t know about these matters.

Having no one in official circles and insufficient information was one aspect. Another reason was that they also didn’t know the Zhen family had gotten involved in salt. They always thought Lin Ruhai was stirring up storms and winds there, making a big commotion and offending many people, but never thought it would affect themselves.

Lin Ruhai worried the Jia family would do something, or have something done to them, so he had people pay attention. With this attention, he discovered a situation where someone had carried things to a pawnshop to exchange for money.

Upon careful inquiry, it was even a dead pawn.

Lin Ruhai: “…”

The once mighty and prestigious ducal residence had already reached such a state? How many years had it been?

He recalled the previous situation at Rongguo Residence—it didn’t show that their silver was already so inconvenient.

He found it incredible. When the Old Madam learned of it, she sneered: “It’s just superficial glamour, plus marrying an unworthy wife.”

She believed that the Jia family definitely still had a foundation now, but this foundation wasn’t in the public treasury—it was in the women’s private coffers.

Mixing public and private was itself a great taboo. That the Jia family would decline didn’t surprise her at all.

“If you have people watch, then watch. But are you worried about the Jia family? Or do you want to do something?”

The Old Madam frowned: “Is it because you previously used the Jia family’s banner and want to compensate? Do you think the Jia family hasn’t used your name? The Jia family has already rotted.”

Whether from Daiyu’s experiences in the dream world or from the situation with her young grandson, the Old Madam felt she already had a conscience by not pushing them further.

And in the end, whatever fate they would receive—who among them was innocent? Weren’t those things done by them?

Only the children who understood nothing and those few girls who could do nothing could be called innocent. If that day still came and she was still alive, she wouldn’t mind extending a helping hand. But as for the others, every single one of them—the Old Madam had no favorable impression whatsoever.

Lin Ruhai shook his head: “I’m worried about implicating the innocent.”

He had strictly guarded his household in Yangzhou, and arriving in the capital he still had to strictly guard it, because most of the backers of those salt merchants whose interests were damaged were also in the capital. On the surface they didn’t dare do anything, but in private?

The Lin household had strict entry and exit controls, but if they came through another household, it would be much easier.

He looked around in a circle and without much thought fixed his target on the Jia family.

The Jia family was like a broken net—anything could enter and anything could exit. If someone really thought this way, none other than the Jia family would do. He wanted to prevent problems before they arose.

“This won’t work—one thing is one thing.” The Old Madam nodded. “Don’t interfere in internal Jia family matters. If we interfere, people will say our hands reach too far. In the future, when necessary, just extend a helping hand.” Then she added: “Now that you’re in court, how is it?”

Lin Ruhai smiled slightly: “Manageable.”

There were those who tried to trip him up and dig pits for him, and also those who wanted to get involved in sea salt and hoped he would facilitate things. Maneuvering wasn’t difficult yet.

——

The day before Lin Ruhai’s rest day, Da Chun stayed up all night until the rooster crowed and finally finished writing the coursework his father-in-law had given him.

His hand could no longer hold the brush steadily. Looking at the several brushes he had worn down to stubs, he nearly wept with joy.

It wasn’t in vain that he had worked so hard—he had finally written it out.

He had nearly torn the books apart from flipping through them.

Many questions weren’t things that could be answered just by reading books.

He had to ask people, and after asking he had to carefully read through it several times himself, become confident in his heart, before he could put brush to paper.

Da Chun felt his gains this period were enormous.

If he went to take the prefectural examination now, the probability of passing had increased greatly.

He placed a stack of papers into a box, looked at the slightly brightening sky, stood up and walked toward the inner chamber.

Ying Yu heard the movement and woke up. As soon as she opened her eyes, what she saw was her husband crouching down, sporting two panda eyes yet with eyes shining brightly as he looked at her: “I’ve finished writing the coursework! Let’s have someone send it to Father-in-law now. See if you have anything you want to send over together!”

They would meet tomorrow, and if he didn’t submit it a bit early, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to enter the Lin family’s main gate tomorrow.

Ying Yu turned her face and looked at the sky that hadn’t fully brightened yet: “…”

There was really no need to be this anxious.

“Husband, you’re tired. Sleep quickly.” She was truly afraid he had exhausted his brain.