The fool has become a spirit, and she can speak

"My second brother took it again. He confiscated the face cream under the pretext of my private meeting with you. Actually, he just wanted to use it. He applies the face cream you bought for me every day, and he smells so good whenever he walks past you."

After Chen Qingsheng received the face cream from He Ye, he applied it to his face. He Ye said, "You're applying it while looking in the bronze mirror. You're even putting it on your hair."

Looking at the gleaming bronze mirror, Chen Qingsheng said, "This mirror is the dowry that Brother Feng bought for you from Boss Ding, right?"

He Ye lovingly touched the patterns on the frame of the bronze mirror. "I heard from people in the Prince's Mansion that my uncle spent two hundred taels on this bronze mirror. The mirror polisher said that the value of this mirror far exceeds two hundred taels."

"So expensive!"

He Ye suddenly got up, went to the cabinet and took out the kite picture book. "My younger brother You Ning said that this kite picture book is for you. You can use it when you sell kites in the future."

When Chen Qingsheng saw the kite picture book again, he felt no joy. Without the kite picture book interfering, He Ye wouldn't have had the chance to approach him. Although he had accepted He Ye after a night of conversation, he had now lost confidence in selling kites. Chen Qingsheng was very confused about his future. He stared blankly at the kite picture book, "Will I still sell kites in the future?"

Seeing Chen Qingsheng about to give up, He Ye encouraged him, "You have to sell, right? I'll sell with you. We'll set up the stall in the morning and come back in the afternoon."

Should I continue setting up a stall?

"if not?"

"Brother Feng said that I can do business with that shop in Gaotou Alley."

"What did your uncle say?"

"Yes, it was Brother Feng who said it. Although he didn't say it explicitly, it was very direct. He said that the shop is suitable for selling colorful little trinkets, and he also said that the shop will be taken back and no longer rented out, so that I can do business there."

He Ye told the truth, "But that shop has already been rented out. It was handed over to me after the New Year, and I've already collected the rent."

"I didn't mean... Hey, never mind! Lotus Leaf, I'm not after your shop, it's just that when you carried the kite, I remembered what Brother Fengzi said to me! Fengzi has been making empty promises to me, it turns out he was just fooling me. He even said that if I married you, I would be destined to live a life of luxury, not having to do anything, just listening to music and watching plays all day long, it was all a lie."

He Ye knew nothing of what her uncle had said or done to Chen Qingsheng. Seeing that Chen Qingsheng wanted to use the shop, she couldn't refuse. She had run a stall with Chen Qingsheng before, and she didn't see any businessman's spirit in him. But she didn't want to discourage him. She spoke softly, "Qingsheng, you can use the shop, but taking it back now will cost you some money. Renting out the shop is the easiest way—no work or effort required, and you still get rent! Do you know? That shop's monthly rent is forty-two taels. Can you earn forty-two taels by running a stall?"

He knew, of course, that the rent for that shop was forty-two taels a month. At first, he was surprised and envious, but upon hearing it again, he felt dejected and discouraged. "Of course not! I've never seen a lot of money while I was running my stall!"

"So let's set up a stall. It's not hard work. The monthly rent for our two shops is seventy-seven taels of silver. I think that's enough to supplement our household expenses."

"Lotus Leaf, this is your dowry. Should this money be given to my sister-in-law?"

"Of course we should. It's hard to say whether setting up a stall will make money or not. If we expect to hand over the money we earn from setting up a stall to our family, it's like letting our older brother and sister-in-law support us."

"I was thinking of sending this money to Boss Ding to make more money?"

He Ye certainly wanted to, she had already tasted the benefits, but things were different now, and she could no longer spend her money as she pleased. "Aunt Yu Hua doesn't agree with putting the money outside."

Chen Qingsheng nodded knowingly: "I won't mention this in front of her!"

When He Ye entered the kitchen, Yu Hua, Jin Feng, and a servant were busy at work.

Jin Feng chopped vegetables, Yu Hua cooked, and the helpers tended the fire. "Aunt Yu Hua, Second Sister-in-law, what can I do?"

Yu Hua said, "Bring the dishes out; the meal will be ready soon."

Under Yu Hua's direction, the group worked efficiently to prepare a sumptuous breakfast.

Looking at the table full of food, Chen Qingsheng's eyes lit up. "Why did you make all this delicious food?"

"Isn't this a lotus leaf doorway? Breakfast isn't like this every day, but I make sure you all have a good and filling meal every time." Yu Hua handed out eggs to everyone, one for each person.

Chen Qingguang said, "Lotus Leaf, we are really benefiting from your help today."

He Ye was still a little shy in front of these people, and kept her head down, not knowing what to say.

Chen Qingliao, the eldest son of the Chen family, said, "Heye, just tell your sister-in-law what you like to eat. Our family's conditions are not as good as the Prince's Mansion, but we don't have to worry about food and drink."

During her years at the Prince's residence, He Ye had long since shed her former self, and her every move now revealed proper etiquette and manners. "Thank you, brother and sister-in-law! I'm not picky about food; I'll eat whatever everyone else is eating!"

At this moment, Yu Hua said, "We're not eating for free. We're a big family. Your older brother and I are in charge, and I'm in charge of the money."

He Ye immediately understood. She took out the silver notes she had prepared beforehand and said, "Sister-in-law, I collected the rent for the two shops that my uncle and aunt gave me as part of my dowry. It totaled seventy-seven taels."

Chen Qingliao immediately said, "Heye, your dowry is your private property. You can keep it to supplement your and Qingsheng's small family. In the future, when you have children, you can leave the money to your children. You don't need to give this money to the family. It's not too late to give the money to the family after Qingsheng has a proper business."

He Ye said, "Qing Sheng and I plan to continue setting up a stall on the street. It's hard to say whether we'll make money or not. We can't rely on that money. We can't just stay at home eating and drinking for free."

Not to mention that no one can count on Chen Qingsheng to make money, no one can count on Chen Qingsheng as a person either.

Chen Qingliao said, "So what if you're eating and drinking for free? You have two older brothers and sisters-in-law above you, do you think you'd be short of food and drink?"

He Ye said, "Brother, Qing Sheng is not in good health and needs a lot of medicine and tonics, all of which require money."

Chen Qingliao said, "Since Qingsheng came to beg for alms, all the medicine he drinks has been prepared by your uncle. Your uncle's family is a benefactor to our Chen family..."

Before she could finish expressing her gratitude, Yu Hua reached out to the lotus leaf and said, "Give half of it to your family."

Lotus Leaf quickly handed the silver note to Yu Hua.

Chen Qingliao stopped Yu Hua, saying, "Yu Hua, this is He Ye's private property; you can't accept it."

Yu Hua said, "This silver can't be left in the hands of that young couple. If they have too much money, they'll just spend it recklessly. This money is safer in my hands than anywhere else. He Ye, I remember you have some money earning interest outside, right? I think it's a little over nine taels of silver a month!"

He Ye nodded quickly, "Yes, I get more than nine taels of silver every month. I've spent all of that silver. I'll give the next month's silver to my sister-in-law as soon as I get it back."