Xu Lingning was busy arranging the transfer of rice from the Xu family’s granary in Tongzhou. Meanwhile, Eleventh Miss was listening to Jiang Binzheng’s report: “…Throughout all of Yanjing, there are only two fragrant dew shops. The one on East Main Street sells exclusively to women who apply it to their bodies, while the one on West Main Street sells exclusively to fruit shops for making fruit-flavored dews.” His expression was animated as he spoke. “The East Main Street shop uses tiny glass bottles — the expensive ones can fetch three taels of silver, while the cheaper ones still sell for eight fen of silver. As for the West Main Street shop, three or four taels of silver can buy one ceramic jar — quite affordable. Madam must be thinking of opening a fragrant dew shop, yes? I think this idea could work.” As he said this, his smile became extremely self-satisfied. “You definitely won’t be able to guess who owns the East Main Street shop.” Without waiting for Eleventh Miss to answer, he smiled slyly, “It’s the Fifth Madam of our own household.”

Eleventh Miss was startled.

She hadn’t expected things to work out so conveniently.

“When the time comes, we’ll speak with Fifth Madam, and she’ll certainly take the shop back. Then we can offer a good price to keep the shop workers, servants, and craftsmen who make the floral dews, change the name, and it’ll be our own business!” Jiang Binzheng looked at Eleventh Miss with a self-satisfied air. “No effort needed at all.”

No wonder Steward Tao had kicked him out — he was full of scheming tricks.

“Then have you properly investigated how many bottles of their most expensive floral dew they sell per day? How many bottles of their cheapest floral dew per day? How many bottles total per day? What kind of people buy the most expensive floral dew? What kind of people buy the cheapest? Have you investigated all of this thoroughly?”

Eleventh Miss fired question after question, departing from her usual gentle manner and pressing him relentlessly. The questions left Jiang Binzheng’s face flushed red, and he stammered, “This, this — these are trade secrets of every establishment. How would they just reveal such things to anyone?”

“Very well. Allow me to tell you.” Eleventh Miss smiled. “Go plant yourself in front of the fragrant dew shop from morning to night and watch. See what kinds of people come and go, and what they’re buying. Isn’t that how it’s done?”

Jiang Binzheng stared wide-eyed.

What Eleventh Miss said was entirely the language of an expert. But who had told her this? Nanny Tao? No, Nanny Tao shouldn’t know these things. Could it have been Yang Huizu who told her? That didn’t seem right either — though Yang Huizu was shrewd, he’d never run a shop before… For a moment, Jiang Binzheng murmured to himself, at a loss.

Though she had never done business herself, Eleventh Miss’s mother in her previous life had been a businesswoman, and through years of constant exposure she had absorbed quite a bit of knowledge. There had even been a period when her mother had wanted her to carry on the family trade.

Looking at Jiang Binzheng’s expression, she could tell it wasn’t that he didn’t know such basic preparation work needed to be done before starting a business — he had simply taken advantage of her appearing to be a young girl who didn’t understand such things, and had been too lazy to do it.

“Since you haven’t finished your inquiries, come back and report to me once you have!” Eleventh Miss said, lifting her teacup.

Jiang Binzheng retreated somewhat awkwardly.

Eleventh Miss watched his retreating figure and instructed Hupo: “Go send a message to Yang Huizu and have him keep an eye on this Jiang Binzheng. Otherwise, he might use the Marquis Yongping household’s name to engage in deception and fraud.”

“Surely not!” Hupo said softly. “Does he have that sort of boldness?”

“I know this type of person best.” Eleventh Miss gave a cold laugh. “He came to Yanjing fully prepared to make a profit off us. You just go ahead and have Yang Huizu watch him. It’ll be a good opportunity to see what kind of person Yang Huizu really is!”

Hupo acknowledged this and left, but was called back by Eleventh Miss: “Go find Wan Yizong and bring him to me!”

“Yes!” Hupo hurriedly arranged for someone to summon Wan Yizong.

Wan Yizong arrived with several sheets of paper tucked against his chest, which he produced to report to Eleventh Miss: “Honeydew melons can sell for four wen each when they first come to market, but once the peak season arrives, they can only sell for two wen each. Apples are eight fen of silver per jin, plums five fen of silver per jin, pears two wen each, walnuts nine fen of silver per jin…”

“All right, all right — just hand them over and let me look.” Eleventh Miss saw how much effort it was costing him to recite all of this haltingly.

Wan Yizong’s face flushed red as he extended the sheets of paper.

Lvyun took them and passed them to Eleventh Miss, which left Eleventh Miss utterly dumbfounded.

What was scrawled on them looked like the scribbling of a ghost — a jumble of crosses and dots, not unlike some alien script.

Wan Yizong muttered, “I, I can’t read…”

Eleventh Miss handed the papers back to him and asked: “In your view, could these fruit trees be cultivated here?”

Wan Yizong nodded repeatedly and said: “I asked a family nearby who grows fruit trees — they only have twelve mu of land, all planted with pears and plums, yet they earn sixteen taels of silver in a year.”

Eleventh Miss made a sound of acknowledgment. “And how did you find this out?”

Wan Yizong said: “I crouched outside their gate for several days — they almost mistook me for a beggar — counting how many baskets of pears and plums they sent out each day. The method was slow, but it worked well.”

Eleventh Miss couldn’t help but privately nod in approval.

This Wan Yizong was a man who got things done!

She reflected briefly, then said: “Yesterday, Steward Bai brought over the lease and the payment for the five hundred mu of hillside land. You must have heard about this. If I were to send you to Administrator Chen’s place to manage the hillside land, are you confident you could take it fully under your control within ten years?”

Wan Yizong was taken aback. “Madam, did I do something wrong somewhere…” The words came out in a tone of considerable alarm.

Eleventh Miss quickly said: “Precisely because you are so capable, I want to send you to manage the hillside land. You should know that cultivating fruit trees is a skilled trade. Though you are a bit older now, you still have three sons. If you learn Administrator Chen’s techniques, the benefits will be boundless for years to come. Though ten years may seem long, impatience can’t get you a hot sweet rice ball.”

Wan Yizong immediately understood. He knelt on the ground and said: “Madam, rest assured. If I can’t manage even this small matter, then I will have made the journey from Jiangnan for nothing.”

Eleventh Miss nodded with satisfaction and said: “I have made inquiries — for a long-term hired hand like yourself, the monthly wage is no more than seven fen of silver. Da’xian’s might be slightly higher, at five fen, and adding Er’xian and San’xian, it comes to just three or two fen of silver. Over a year that amounts to only fifteen or sixteen taels of silver. With a wife at home to support, the life is far too hard. When you go there, you needn’t negotiate about this with Administrator Chen. I will supplement your income by ten taels of silver each year.”

Wan Yizong was overjoyed beyond all expectation, kowtowing to Eleventh Miss repeatedly.

Eleventh Miss had Lvyun help him to his feet, and asked about his three sons: “…Have marriage arrangements been made for them?”

Wan Yizong’s eyes dimmed. “Life at home has been hard — there’s been no thought for such things yet!”

Eleventh Miss gave a slight nod. “Steward Bai and Administrator Chen have agreed that the land will be handed over on the sixteenth of the eleventh month, so you will need to go then. However, I still have some matters here that need someone to assist with, so leave Da’xian behind to help me. He can follow you to the hillside land on the twentieth of the twelfth month.”

Wan Yizong naturally nodded his agreement. Eleventh Miss exchanged a few more words with him before dismissing him and summoning Chang Jiuhe.

Chang Jiuhe had been left to idle away at the house on Jinyu Lane all this time and had long been unsettled in his heart. Now that Eleventh Miss had summoned him, he appeared quite anxious and uneasy. After paying his respects to Eleventh Miss, he stood timidly by the door of the room.

Eleventh Miss asked him directly: “I have a residence and a farm estate here in Yanjing. Would you prefer to go to the farm estate, or would you prefer to help me look after the residence?”

Chang Jiuhe was aware that Wan Yizong had been helping Eleventh Miss all along. Since the hillside land had been leased out, there was only the sandy-soil farmland remaining in hand. It was certain that Eleventh Miss intended to have Wan Yizong manage the sandy-soil farmland — after all, that was their own property, while the hillside land was being rented to someone else. He had long since abandoned any hope in that direction, and answered with complete compliance: “Either is fine, either is fine. Madam need only give the word.”

“Then help me manage that sandy-soil farmland!” Eleventh Miss smiled. “You can plant some peanuts and honeydew melons there — with two sons to help you, it shouldn’t be much trouble at all.”

Chang Jiuhe stared at Eleventh Miss in astonishment.

He was naturally willing to go to the farm estate. Setting aside everything else, they could raise a couple of chickens, collect some eggs, and the children would occasionally have something decent to eat — unlike looking after a residence, which was easier work but offered no income beyond the wages.

Chang Jiuhe was terrified the assignment would slip away if he hesitated even a moment, and quickly knelt to kowtow to Eleventh Miss.

Eleventh Miss sent him to find Steward Bai and ask about the best way to cultivate the sandy-soil farmland — Chang Jiuhe was skilled with paddy fields but not well-versed in this type of land.

With a face full of smiles, he withdrew respectfully.

Eleventh Miss then summoned Liu Yuanrui: “Would you look after the residence on Jinyu Lane?”

Undisguised delight overflowed from the corners of his eyes and the tips of his eyebrows.

Before coming, his wife had charged him to be sure to secure the job of looking after the residence. A prime minister’s doorkeeper outranks an eighth-rank official, they say — which speaks to the advantages of serving close to power. If he went to the farm estate instead, it would be out in the hills far from the mistress’s sight, and she might not even recognize his face. Besides, the previous Marchioness had left many people in service inside the inner quarters. If one of them caught Madam’s eye and wanted to take his position, it was entirely possible. Looking after the residence might not be as free as living at the farm estate, but this was Yanjing — his wife went out often, and even a plain embroidered shoe sole could sell for a wen here. They could open up a small plot behind the residence to grow vegetables, do some embroidery to sell, supplement the household income, and if they got to know the neighbors well enough, they could even help with weddings and funerals. Over the course of a year, the earnings would be considerable indeed…

He agreed repeatedly.

Eleventh Miss smiled. “Then pass this message on to your wife: if she agrees, you’ll start tomorrow alongside Wan Da’xian getting the residence in order. If she doesn’t agree, I’ll give you a different assignment.”

Liu Yuanrui was stunned.

What mistress would give an assignment and still ask about such a thing?

But he dared not say anything, only lowered his head and said: “Madam, please give your orders — my wife is certain to agree.”

A woman that sharp couldn’t be without her own quiet calculations.

Eleventh Miss smiled. “She can plant vegetables in my residence if she likes, or fruit trees if she prefers — she just can’t ruin the existing scenery, pulling up all the flowers and plants I have growing there so that the place smells of manure the moment you walk in. As for going out to assist with weddings and funerals, she must not do so under the name of the Marquis Yongping household.”

Liu Yuanrui broke into a cold sweat. He felt as though Eleventh Miss had somehow overheard his private conversation with his wife… and yet every word she said was true. He was by nature an honest man, and now he felt all the more flustered and unnerved, capable only of murmuring “Yes.”

Eleventh Miss gave a gentle smile and dismissed him.

A couple of days later, she summoned the several men before her and explained each person’s duties in turn.

The other three had long since received word and had discussed matters with their families. All had gotten what they wished for. Not only did they have no objections, they were afraid Eleventh Miss might change her mind. Only Jiang Bingshan had been assigned to another residence of Eleventh Miss’s, one that was even more desolate, and he was quite displeased. He didn’t dare say anything in front of Eleventh Miss, but privately urged the other three to go to her and ask for a reassignment. Not a single one of them listened to him. Following Eleventh Miss’s instructions, each moved to their respective places. Those tasked with putting the residence in order began that work; those tasked with putting the farm estate in order started on that. Jiang Bingshan alone was unable to stir up any waves, and for the time being quieted down. He set his mind entirely on plotting about the fragrant dew shop, circling around it every day.

Eleventh Miss was not at all afraid that these people would be unwilling to follow her direction. Being able to give everyone a satisfying outcome meant they had more motivation to get things done well than if they had been forced into it.

Hupo couldn’t help but worry: “…Surely we aren’t actually going to approach Fifth Madam and ask her for that shop of hers?”

“We certainly can’t approach her directly about it.” Eleventh Miss frowned. “I dislike bullying people with power and connections — how could I use such methods to drive someone out? Besides, even setting aside such methods, just think — Yanjing is full of hidden talents and concealed strengths, yet there are only two fragrant dew shops. There’s probably something more behind this than meets the eye. Why should we cause a major stir over a few taels of silver? This matter should wait until Second Madam returns, and then we can see if there’s some other way to handle it.”

In truth, Eleventh Miss suspected that the fragrant dew shop was connected to Second Madam.

Making fragrant dew was not exactly a highly technical endeavor, but achieving mass production while solving the difficulty of shelf life — that was not something an ordinary person could manage…

—