Recalling these past events would only make one’s mood sink.
Yu Tang never wanted to have anything to do with the Li family again in this life, let alone deal with the Pei family.
She took this opportunity to whisper suggestions to First Aunt: “Even the Pei family’s shops were burned, so ours certainly couldn’t be spared. Fortunately, the foundations are still there, and if we have the opportunity, we can always make a comeback. As for the goods in the shop, if we have to compensate with money, it will definitely be double. But if we can find the merchant who ordered the goods and have a good discussion with them, perhaps they’d be willing to grant us some time, and we could make them a new batch of goods, or maybe compensate them less money. The fire on Changxing Street was something no one expected or wanted!”
“That’s true. But delaying delivery probably won’t work.” Wang Shi smiled bitterly upon hearing this and said, “You’re just a child, and normally no one in the family talks to you about these things. In recent years, people from southern Fujian have made a fortune going out to sea, and people in Hangzhou City have been tempted. Those with capital and ability have each family contribute one ship, loading it with silk, tea, porcelain, and the like to form a fleet for overseas trade. Those without that much money take tea, silk, and other goods as investment shares for the voyage. The ones who ordered lacquerware from us are planning to do overseas business. The fleet has already set a date to depart. If they can’t produce the invested goods by the deadline, the business deal will fall through. They’ll certainly demand double compensation from us.”
The Yu Tang of her previous life truly hadn’t known about this matter, but the Yu Tang of this life did know.
The Li family was considered new nobility in Lin’an City.
Their family had been wealthy before, but with the Pei family above them, their family seemed somewhat inadequate. It was said that counting back three generations, the Li family had to pay New Year’s calls to the Pei family every first day of the new year. It wasn’t until the Li family’s old master—that is, Li Duan and Li Jun’s grandfather—passed the provincial examination, and their father passed the imperial examination and became a classmate of the Pei family’s second master, that they gradually straightened their backs. When they went to pay New Year’s calls to the Pei family on the first day of each year, the Li family members could sit in the Pei family’s main hall and drink a cup of tea.
Because of this, although the Li family had become distinguished, they had no way to use their power to expand their family business—whether it was the mountains and waters of Lin’an City or the streets and shops, most belonged to the Pei family. There were few properties left outside their control, and which family would sell their ancestral property for no reason? Even if they did sell their ancestral property, everyone was accustomed to selling to the Pei family.
How would the Li family dare compete with the Pei family?
But to go far in officialdom, one couldn’t be greedy and had to curry favor with superiors. Both required money. If the Li family wanted more money, they could only look outward.
Over time, the Li family began doing overseas trade business.
Of course, going to sea was risky. Encountering a storm at sea often meant losing everything. Many families in Hangzhou City went bankrupt because of this. The Li family’s luck was quite good, though. Nine out of ten times, the fleets they invested in would return safely. After she married over carrying Li Jun’s memorial tablet, the Li family began to prosper greatly. Li Jun’s mother praised her for having a fate that brought prosperity to her husband, and Li Duan became even more entangled with her because of this.
How ridiculous that when Li Jun fell from his horse and died, Li Jun’s mother pointed at her nose and cursed her as a “fox spirit,” saying she was a femme fatale…
Every memory of the past was full of bitterness.
Yu Tang hurriedly suppressed all these past events in her heart and continued talking with First Aunt about the shop: “Then could we discuss with that merchant about our family stepping in to help them purchase a batch of goods that meets quality standards?”
Wang Shi’s eyes lit up upon hearing this: “You’re thinking exactly what I’m thinking.”
As if she had found a kindred spirit, she began to complain about her husband: “Your uncle won’t agree. He says the Yu family is a century-old establishment, and not just in Lin’an—in all of Hangzhou City, no one’s craftsmanship can compare to the Yu family’s. Using inferior goods to pass off as quality goods is something he can’t bring himself to do.
“Your eldest cousin said that there are several century-old lacquerware establishments in Jiangxi, and their products aren’t inferior to ours. If your uncle is worried about the merchant suffering a loss, he could personally make a trip there and supervise the other establishment’s production. But your uncle feels that the goods from Jiangxi sell for less than ours, and if others found out about this matter, the Yu family’s century-old reputation would be ruined in an instant. Those merchants, for the sake of petty profits, would rather go the extra distance to Jiangxi to order goods. By then, not only would our family lose its reputation, but we’d also be finding buyers for the Jiangxi lacquerware shops for nothing.”
Yu Tang knew her uncle was somewhat stubborn in business, otherwise in her previous life he wouldn’t have had disagreements with her eldest cousin over business matters. But she hadn’t expected her uncle to be this stubborn.
She said: “Then why don’t you have Uncle take a trip to Hangzhou City? I’ve heard that those doing overseas trade prefer tea, porcelain, and silk most—they order less lacquerware and tinware. Some people know that the shops in Jiangxi have craftsmanship no worse than ours and prices lower than ours, but making a trip there involves considerable risk, and if there are problems with the goods, it’s not easy to return or exchange them. So what’s the harm in yielding to them?”
Wang Shi nodded repeatedly, though the abacus in her mind was clicking loudly.
Her son had also said these words before, but her husband was too stubborn to listen. But if these words came from Second Uncle, it would certainly be different.
Wang Shi then eagerly looked forward to Yu Tang’s father, Yu Wen, returning home soon.
Yu Tang, having returned from ten years in the future, had the age and experience to naturally be calmer and more composed than a fifteen-year-old girl when encountering situations. Moreover, what was meant to happen had already happened—being anxious and upset wouldn’t help, so her mindset was even better.
As First Aunt wished, she stayed home for a day, then followed Wang Pozi to learn how to make snowflake pastries.
Unlike her previous life, in which she had spent two days learning to make this pastry, in this life, thanks to her previous life’s experience, not only did she get the hang of it quickly, but she also made two extra batches of snowflake pastries for Chen Pozi to give to the neighbors—in her previous life, when her family encountered trouble, the neighbors had helped considerably. She had always remembered this and felt grateful.
By the time her father, Yu Wen, returned home, it was already four days later.
Yu Tang had just helped her mother wash her hair and was sitting in the courtyard combing her mother’s hair.
While fanning Chen Shi, Chen Pozi praised Yu Tang: “Look at Eldest Miss—how sensible, how filial! In the future, you just wait to enjoy the blessings of Eldest Miss and your son-in-law!”
Chen Shi laughed softly.
Her thin, pale face revealed a hint of guilt.
Yu Tang’s marriage prospects weren’t smooth because their family wanted to take in a son-in-law.
The Yu Tang of her previous life had no particular thoughts about her own marriage and left everything to her parents’ discretion. But after experiencing those events in her previous life, she realized that if she could marry in a man and stay by her parents’ side, it would be her greatest fortune and blessing.
Seeing her mother’s guilt, she acted coquettishly and leaned on her mother’s shoulder, saying: “I want to find a handsome one. I don’t want to be like Sister next door who married a short, squat man!”
This was the first time Yu Tang had expressed her thoughts about marriage in front of her mother.
Chen Shi couldn’t help but be overjoyed and asked carefully: “Then, then are you willing to marry in a son-in-law?”
“Of course I am!” Yu Tang participated actively and voluntarily: “If we marry in a son-in-law at home, I can stay with Mother and Father for my whole life, and I’ll be the one making decisions about family matters. Why wouldn’t I be willing to marry in a son-in-law?”
Seeing that she spoke sincerely, Chen Shi immediately became happy. She pulled Yu Tang in front of her and said earnestly: “Rest assured, Mother and Father will definitely keep a close watch for you. We won’t let our A’Tang suffer any loss or be wronged.”
Yu Tang nodded emphatically.
Seeing the good atmosphere, Chen Pozi joined in the fun: “Madam, don’t forget to pick a handsome one. Our Eldest Miss likes handsome men.”
Since they weren’t counting on the husband to have great prospects anyway, of course they should pick one who was pleasing to the eye.
Yu Tang nodded again: “Mother must remember! And he should be tall and obedient.”
Seeing her fearless and innocent appearance, Chen Shi laughed aloud.
It was amid this laughter that Yu Wen, dressed in scholar’s robes, walked in: “What are you mother and daughter talking about? So happy! Tell me too!”
“Husband!” Chen Shi’s eyes lit up.
Yu Wen’s gaze also fell directly on Chen Shi.
“After not seeing you for a few days, how have you gotten even thinner?” He asked Chen Shi with concern and some heartache, “Is it because A’Tang has been causing trouble at home again? Or is it because these days are too hot and you can’t eat? Why don’t I have someone go to the street to buy some ice, and have Chen Pozi cook you some mung bean soup?”
“No need, no need!” Chen Shi said with a smile, looking Yu Wen up and down, as if afraid he had suffered hardships while away. “Didn’t Doctor Liu from Jimin Hall say that my illness can’t tolerate cold? How can you still encourage me to eat ice?”
Yu Wen chuckled and said: “I just thought if I could make you comfortable for even a moment, it would be worth it.”
This was her father’s character.
He was a very good person—sincere, optimistic, generous, kind, humorous… He was casual about everything, showing a bit of indifference and going with the flow. When he was young, he devoted himself entirely to studying. When he grew up, he relied on his elder brother to help manage business affairs. After finally passing the scholar examination, he felt studying was too hard and stopped.
When nothing went wrong, it was fine. But when something happened, he might not be able to withstand it.
Yu Tang sighed inwardly and stepped forward to pay her respects to her father.
Only then did Yu Wen notice his daughter, and he said somewhat guiltily: “A’Tang, Father wasn’t home these past days. Have you been naughty? Have you listened to your mother?”
Having lived through two lifetimes, Yu Tang very much appreciated how well her father treated her mother.
She said reproachfully: “Where’s the poria powder you promised me? I’m still waiting to make poria paste!”
Having heard that the family’s shop had been burned, Yu Wen had nearly gone mad with anxiety—how could he remember poria powder?
He was at a loss for words.
Yu Tang sighed again in her heart.
To avoid worrying her mother, hadn’t her father always come home looking fresh and presentable after every trip? That’s why they hadn’t noticed Father’s anxiety.
Over the years, all the shop’s profits had gone toward her mother’s medicine. Father knew about the fire on Changxing Street and must have been tormented inside—forgetting her gift was perfectly understandable.
In her previous life, she had had a big argument with Father. Later, Father took her to Shanwaishan for a good meal before she let it go. In this life, she only wanted to figure out how to help her parents escape their predicament.
“Father doesn’t keep his word,” Yu Tang joked, pushing Father toward the study. “I want that piece of Qingtian jade seed material Father has hidden away.”
Yu Wen felt as pained as if his flesh were being cut. While being pushed along by his daughter, he bargained with her: “How about I give you that inkstone with the lotus leaf and dripping water? Or that box of wolf-hair brushes you liked last time?”
“Hmph!” Yu Tang said dissatisfied, “I won’t be fooled! I want that piece of Qingtian jade. I want to carve a seal and hang it at my waist like Father does.”
Yu Wen said: “Men hang seals at their waists. You’re a girl—you should hang a three-piece set. How about I have a gold three-piece set made for you?”
The family barely had money to buy medicine for Mother, yet Father was still planning to make her a gold three-piece set.
Yu Tang snorted coldly.
Chen Shi laughed so hard she couldn’t straighten up.
The father and daughter pushed and shoved their way into the study.