Chapter Twenty-Two: The Floral Banquet (Part I)

"The young mistress is pregnant. She is currently in her third month and must remain careful to avoid any intense emotional fluctuations." The doctor’s words did not bring joy to the masters of the household.

"Zhu’er has only just passed, and now this child arrives—a life naturally destined to bring misfortune to its kin!" This single sentence sealed the fate of the fetus in Li Zhi’s womb.

"Madam! This is, after all, Master Zhu’s own flesh and blood. If this gets out..."

"Zhu’er is gone! How can I worry about all that? Forget it. Let her stay quietly in her courtyard to rest from now on. She should go out as little as possible." Lady Wang immediately regretted her impulsive words. After all, she still cared for her son’s true legacy, but there was a thorn in her heart; she held no fondness for the child Li Zhi carried.

Though Li Zhi was not valued by Lady Wang after becoming pregnant, she finally found a glimmer of hope to go on living. She stroked her belly, which had yet to show, her gaze shifting from numbness to tenderness.

The Li family was a scholarly clan. Her father was conservative and would never agree to her returning home. Her mother had previously hinted that her father wanted her to remain in the Rongguo Mansion to observe mourning rites for her husband, to preserve the Li family’s reputation. Even though she had been raised on the Three Obediences and Four Virtues since childhood, she could not help but feel chilled.

This child was her only solace. Because of this child, she abandoned the thought of following her husband in death and remained in her courtyard, never stepping out.

The Rongguo Mansion was shrouded in sorrow. The death of Jia Zhu had left both Lady Wang and the Matriarch bedridden. Apart from Jia Lian, the other men of the house were incompetent in practical matters. Wang Xifeng was so busy that she could barely manage it all; after the funeral, she was the one who had lost the most weight.

"The second branch doesn’t even have anyone in charge now. Feng-ya-tou is running around taking care of everything; if one didn't know better, they’d think she was the daughter-in-law of the second branch." Lady夫人 (Lady Xing) didn't say it aloud, but she truly couldn't stand seeing Jia Lian and his wife acting as servants for the second branch.

"Everything in the mansion has been vegetarian these past few days. We adults can manage, but the little ones cannot. There isn't even any goat’s milk in the house. Do you think you could have someone buy some?" After venting, Lady Xing thought of her daughter, Nianchun, who had gone without meat for days and looked quite frail.

"That can be done. Lady Wang and the others are too occupied to notice us right now. If we want anything, we can just send someone out to buy it. We should also get extra dairy for the little ones in the mansion." Qin Mingyue realized this as well. Although little Jia Huan was nourished by her special abilities and rarely fell ill, he still needed proper nutrition. She decided to arrange a portion for Tanchun as well and send some to the other children.

"I am grateful to you; otherwise, who would remember the little ones in this house?" Lady Xing had been helped by Qin Mingyue many times over the years and naturally knew she was capable. Even Lady Xing was willing to help her keep secrets, and the matrons she brought over were always those she trusted.

As for the younger ones, Jia Baoyu and Jia Yuanchun were the Matriarch’s treasures, and their biological mother was Lady Wang, so the servants dared not neglect them. However, it was different for the others.

They were all born of concubines. If their masters did not pay them extra attention, the servants in their courtyards would grow lax, and none would stand up for them regarding food. Consequently, they had been forced to eat the same vegetarian diet as the adults for several days, and the snobbish servants of the mansion never bothered to mention it.

The dairy products Qin Mingyue bought from outside were well-received by the children in their respective courtyards. This naturally could not be hidden from the Matriarch and others, but no one had the heart to care about such trifles. Wang Xifeng, however, realized something and ordered the kitchen to purchase dairy products the very next day.

Three months passed, and the gloomy atmosphere in the mansion finally lifted, returning to its former routine, though no one dared mention the late Master Zhu.

Lady Wang spent more and more time chanting Buddhist sutras, and the management of the household was handed over entirely to Wang Xifeng. In the few times Qin Mingyue encountered Lady Wang, she noticed the woman had become increasingly composed, her words and actions so flawless that she became all the more formidable.

In the blink of an eye, a new year arrived, and the mansion finally regained some vitality.

"Granddaughter-in-law wishes to ask the Old Matriarch how we should handle the New Year gifts this year?" Wang Xifeng now managed the mansion's affairs; she walked with vigor, her aura had changed, though she remained overwhelmed.

"There is no need to make it too lavish this year. Just scale it back compared to previous years. You have worked hard these days, Feng-ya-tou." The Matriarch observed Wang Xifeng’s management skills with great satisfaction; Lady Wang’s niece was far more capable than she was.

"It is nothing at all. Thanks to the Old Matriarch’s trust, I must perform well; otherwise, how could I live up to that trust?" Wang Xifeng coaxed the Matriarch for a while longer before departing.

Before she took over, she hadn't realized that many of the accounts during Lady Wang's management did not balance, requiring her, as the niece, to cover the deficits. Fortunately, Wang Xifeng was a strong-willed person. Aside from a few inquiries about things she didn't understand, she handled everything else on her own, winning the respect of the mansion's stewards.

Before the New Year, Qin Mingyue audited the year's income and found nothing amiss. Zhao Guoji was now capable of handling things independently, so she did not need to worry much.

Zhao Guoji’s visit during the New Year was primarily to discuss how to sell the batch of peonies they had grafted two years ago.

These peonies had been kept at a villa provided by the manager of Yunxiang Pavilion, ensuring strict confidentiality. This was all for the flower banquet at the beginning of the year. Since opening her flower shop, Qin Mingyue had planned to hold a grand banquet every year. However, time had been short, and it wasn't easy to grow large quantities of high-quality flowers. Thus, she had spent these two years training novices and borrowing many gardeners from Yunxiang Pavilion to finally attempt grafting the peonies.

"This time, it won't just be a banquet. We will select the best peonies, have the guests vote for a 'Peony King,' and then auction off the top three winners on the spot." Qin Mingyue explained the plan to Zhao Guoji in detail.

Zhao Guoji’s eyes brightened as he listened. This banquet was different from any they had held before; it was the culmination of long-term efforts. He believed that after this, the reputation of their Zhao Flower Shop would extend far beyond the capital.

"We need to borrow the grounds of Yunxiang Pavilion for this. As for the layout, the manager there has experience; if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask him." Qin Mingyue placed great importance on this event. Although their shop was famous in the capital, it had only been two years, and their foundation was shallow; they needed this opportunity to reach a new level.

"Rest assured, I will handle this perfectly!" Over the past two years, Zhao Guoji had gained much experience. With the occasional guidance from the manager of Yunxiang Pavilion, he was a far cry from the man he once was. Only the Jia family, blinded by their prejudices, continued to view him as a mere servant.

"I naturally trust your ability, Big Brother. If it weren't for you, the shop could never have achieved such high profits in just two years. Therefore, we are recalculating the shares. I will only take thirty percent, and you and our parents will take fifty percent." The remaining twenty percent belonged to the person behind the scenes at Yunxiang Pavilion.

"That won't do! If it weren't for you, we would still be servants in the mansion! How could we have the life we have now?" Zhao Guoji immediately protested with excitement. They were already taking advantage of her; how could he accept such a large share?

"Big Brother, listen to me. You are the one busy with every detail of the shop, and I cannot manage much while stuck in this mansion. The villa in the suburbs also requires a lot of silver for renovations. I am giving you these two shares." Qin Mingyue lived comfortably in the mansion, and aside from buying off servants, she had little use for the money; it was better put to good use.

"You... you will need this money to support yourself in the future!" Zhao Guoji tried to persuade her, but eventually, he had no choice but to agree.

"The most important thing now is the Peony Banquet. If we hold this well, do you think we will ever be short of money?"

"Fine! You just wait in the mansion for the good news!"