Volume One, Chapter 12: Striking It Rich

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“Of course the mutton goes to the masters. Only what they cannot finish ever reaches us. Surely, Sister Wanxia, you don’t expect the masters to go hungry just so they can save some for you?”

Wanxia was so furious that her head began to ache. She shoved Wanxiang aside.

She had been looking forward to that mutton for ages. Why should there be none for her? Third Madam had said that everyone in the Third Branch was family. Had she already forgotten everything she had said before?

She reached the doorway and finally managed to suppress her anger. Then she walked in with an aggrieved expression.

“Third Madam.”

“Wanxia, there are pastries here.”

When Song Ci had left earlier, she had secretly taken along the unfinished pastries from Qingzhai Pastry House. Whatever they were, she would not leave a single one for those people. She would rather feed them to dogs than to those ungrateful wolves.

Wanxia gazed pitifully at the three remaining pastries. After a moment’s thought, she had just raised her hand to take a milk pastry when a pair of tender white hands flashed past. The pastry vanished in an instant.

Song Ci popped it into her mouth and chewed happily.

Then she beamed sweetly at her father. “Father, it’s delicious.”

Her smile warmed Song Fu’s heart. “If you like it, have some more.”

Wanxia pursed her lips. She had just reached for a peach-blossom pastry when, in the blink of an eye, Song Ci snatched that one too and stuffed it into her mouth.

Wanxia glared at her. “Third Miss, what are you doing?” Those two pastries had been her favorites. Didn’t Song Ci know that? And if she knew, why would she refuse to leave them for her?

Song Ci blinked and patted the crumbs from her hands. “What is it, Sister Wanxia?” She pointed at the last pastry. “Isn’t there still one left?”

Wanxia stamped her foot. “I—I don’t like sesame!”

As she spoke, she looked pitifully toward Qiao Xianglan.

Caught between her daughter and her close maidservant, Qiao Xianglan said helplessly, “All right, all right. Don’t be angry. I’ll buy you some later…”

Only then did Wanxia calm down.

Remembering the mutton, she pursed her lips. “The mutton was especially fragrant today. Third Madam, you always think of me whenever there’s anything delicious. How could you eat it all today? There was such a large piece…”

Qiao Xianglan looked at her daughter. “Did you have Wanxiang cook all of it?”

“Yes. I asked Wanxiang to cook it all. Father is so thin; naturally, he should eat more. Sister Wanxia, you wanted some too? Didn’t Mother give you quite a lot of silver? You can buy some yourself.”

Song Ci smiled with perfect innocence, yet every word pierced Wanxia’s heart.

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What was this little wretch saying? Buy it herself? Why should she have to pay for it herself? She was a maid of the Third Branch. Of course she should eat from the Third Branch and drink from the Third Branch! Why should she spend her own silver?

Qiao Xianglan also remembered that she had given Wanxia plenty of silver and jewelry over the years. That money would have been more than enough to buy some mutton.

Seeing that even Third Madam was no longer speaking up for her, Wanxia was so furious she nearly spat blood. She stamped her foot and stormed out.

Qiao Xianglan was softhearted and wanted to chase after her to soothe her, but someone tugged at her sleeve. When she turned around, she saw that it was her daughter.

“Mother, Sister Wanxia is far too quick-tempered. Lingyu, who serves First Madam, and Sister Xiaguang, who serves Second Madam, aren’t like this. Grandmother is always saying that our branch has no rules and brings shame upon the Song family. If you keep indulging Sister Wanxia, and someone sees her behaving this way, you’ll be scolded again for failing to keep order.”

Qiao Xianglan knitted her brows. The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. Compared with the others… Wanxia’s temper was indeed rather extreme.

Forget it. She would let her cool her heels for a while. It was for her own good. Her mother-in-law had a fierce temper. Wanxia could get away with such behavior within the Third Branch, but if she made a scene in front of others, she would be punished. She was only thinking of Wanxia’s welfare.

Meanwhile, Wanxia ran out in a fury and stood beneath the corridor, waiting for Third Madam to come after her and coax her. Then she could demand an exorbitant sum and take the opportunity to make a handsome profit.

She waited and waited, until so much time had passed that her legs went numb.

Why hadn’t Third Madam come out yet?

Rain suddenly began to fall outside, and the downpour quickly intensified. The corridor of the Third Branch leaked, and before long Wanxia was drenched, looking exactly like a drowned rat.

“Oh my, Sister Wanxia, standing here in the rain? What refined taste.”

Wanxiang had appeared at some point and was leaning against the wall, looking at Wanxia’s miserable state with unconcealed amusement.

“What are you doing here? You came to make fun of me on purpose!” Wanxia glared viciously at her.

“I wouldn’t dare. Sister Wanxia has such a fierce temper that you even dare to show your displeasure before your masters. How could I possibly dare make fun of you?”

Wanxiang continued to regard her with a half-smile.

Wanxia’s face turned pale, then red, and finally she admitted defeat.

She had truly lost all dignity that day. Feeling deeply aggrieved, she retreated to her room.

Wanxiang spat toward her departing figure. “Bah! What a piece of work. We’re all servants, yet she acts as though she were a mistress. Her masters show her a little favor, and she thinks she can run the whole dye shop. She’s only bullying Third Madam because of her gentle nature.”

Still, Third Miss had given her far too many pleasant surprises these past few days.

Wanxiang had often been angry in the past, but when her mistress said nothing, what could she do? Now things were different. Third Miss had finally stood up for herself. As her maidservant, Wanxiang would naturally follow her example. Whoever Third Miss disliked, Wanxiang disliked as well. Whoever Third Miss favored, Wanxiang favored too.

The next day, the weather was bright and clear.

Song Ci slipped out with Wanxiang and found a seat high up in a teahouse. She had the waiter bring them two cups of tea, a dish of peanuts, and a plate of pastries. Then she turned toward the ceaselessly flowing streets below, lowered her eyes in thought, and began observing everything around her with the aid of her memories.

Wanxiang tossed a peanut into her mouth and chewed, propping her chin in her hand as she watched Song Ci.

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“Miss, what exactly are you looking for today?”

“Good girl. Eat your pastry and don’t disturb your mistress while she observes.”

Song Ci forcibly stuffed a piece of pastry into her mouth. Wanxiang chewed with her cheeks puffed out, speaking indistinctly.

“What could be so important? Miss, tell me quickly.”

Wanxiang’s face was full of excitement as she leaned her plump cheeks toward Song Ci.

“To make money.”

Whatever she wanted to do, money was always at the root of it.

If she wanted to leave the Song family, if she wanted to prevent them from attaining the glory that had ruined the Third Branch in her previous life, she needed money.

“Make money? Master is the best at that. Why not ask him for advice?”

Song Ci lifted the teacup before her and took a sip. Her tone remained calm. “Who do you think benefits when my father makes money?”

At those words, Wanxiang froze for several seconds. Her face immediately fell like an eggplant struck by frost.

“Then… what are we to do?”

“Have you forgotten?” Song Ci winked at her. “We still have two thousand eight hundred taels of silver in our hands.”

“But what do you intend to do, Miss? Are you planning to open a shop and start a business?”

“No. That would be too slow.”

She, Song Ci, intended to make a fortune.

Once she had observed enough, she rose abruptly and laughed brightly. “Your young mistress has her own plans. Let’s go.”

She smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt and descended the teahouse stairs with graceful steps.

Wanxiang hurried after her.

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