Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

In the flower hall of the Shen family mansion, there were not many people at the ebony round table, and there were no servants in the room.

Master Shen, dressed in an indigo brocade robe, sat in the center, with Madam Shen to his right. To his left sat a young man in his twenties, wearing a moon-white brocade robe embroidered with silver thread and subtle ginkgo flower patterns. His hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, and his eyes, beneath his sword-like eyebrows, were like pools of dark ink. At this moment, his gaze was fixed on a little boy of about two years old opposite him, who wore a red Suzhou brocade robe and a red-gold auspicious longevity lock necklace. The boy, who had been squirming like a nail stuck in a chair, quieted down under the stern gaze of the man in white.

"Luo'er, how does your father usually teach you? Eat your food properly," the man in white said sternly to the little boy.

"Daddy, I want to eat watermelon. I heard it was delicious in the carriage just now." The little boy's voice was full of grievance.

"Grandma has already sent someone to buy it. Eat first, and don't be picky," Madam Shen quickly comforted her child, unable to bear seeing his aggrieved expression. Then she looked at her son:

"Alright, stop arguing with him. He's already pitiful enough being away from us since he was little. Can't you speak to the child gently now that he's just back? Come on, Luo'er, listen to your grandmother. Let's have a crystal dumpling first, okay?" Madam Shen coaxed the little child sitting next to her in a soft voice.

Mrs. Shen had always thought her son would live a quiet, solitary life, but today he suddenly brought home a little boy, claiming he was his son with someone else. She said the child's mother had suddenly passed away, and he couldn't care for the child alone, so he sent him back to them for them to raise. This was very sudden, but her son hadn't been home for two or three years, and she didn't want to argue with him about it. In her mind, her son wasn't stupid; he would eventually claim someone else's child as his own.

"Mother, don't spoil him. He might be my only son in this life..." She didn't say the rest of the words, but her parents understood what she meant.

Just as Master Shen was about to say something, he saw Steward Ding leading an old woman over from outside the hall. So the father and son tacitly shut up and stopped talking.

"Master, Madam, Eldest Master, Young Master," Steward Ding called out to everyone seated in the hall, then pointed to the tray behind him and said, "This is the watermelon the young master ordered."

"Manager Ding, you've only been gone for less than fifteen minutes, and you've already bought the watermelons?" Madam Shen asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Reporting to Madam, this is quite a coincidence. I happened to run into this watermelon seller, led by the pork butcher, as I stepped out of the side gate. He was just about to ask if we wanted this fresh fruit." Steward Ding didn't try to take credit for himself and simply reported the whole story. After speaking, he bowed and stood aside, awaiting his master's instructions.

Madam Shen picked up a slice of watermelon and looked at it. "My lord, this does look quite delicious, and it smells wonderful." She then took a bite. As soon as the juice entered her mouth, Madam Shen quickly pressed a handkerchief to her lips to prevent it from spilling.

"Master, Heng'er, you should try some too. This watermelon is very juicy and sweet." As she spoke, she took another piece from the plate and placed it in Luo'er's hand, saying gently, "Luo'er, try it quickly. This is the watermelon you mentioned. Grandmother has already tasted it, and it's very sweet."

The little boy had almost reached for it, but with his father sitting opposite him, he didn't dare to reach out and take it. Only when Madam Shen handed him the watermelon did he dare to take it and eat it, politely saying to Madam Shen, "Luo'er thanks Grandmother."

The sweet, obedient "Grandmother!" brought a smile to Madam Shen's fair face, wrinkles appearing on her cheeks. Seeing the satisfied expressions on the faces of Mr. Shen and his son as they looked at the watermelon on the table, Madam Shen was very pleased.

After helping Luo'er eat another slice of watermelon, Madam Shen looked up at Steward Ding and said, "Steward Ding handled this matter efficiently. Go to the accounting office and collect a reward of five taels of silver. Pork Dragon deserves a reward of one tael of silver each for his recommendation, as well as the watermelon seller. Ask the watermelon seller how many of these watermelons they have left to sell; we'll take them all. Go!"

"Thank you for your kindness, Madam. I will do as you have instructed." With that, he bowed and retreated.

"Manager Ding, wait a moment." Shen Jingheng called out to the person who was about to leave.

"Yes, sir. Is there anything else you require?"

"Can this watermelon be stored for a long time?" Shen Jingheng asked.

"Well... sir, I was in such a hurry to bring the watermelon up that I didn't have time to ask about these things." Steward Ding's forehead was starting to bead with sweat.

"Is the farmer who grew the watermelons still alive?"

"Yes, these watermelons haven't been paid for yet. I've told them to wait outside the side gate."

"Go and summon him to the outer hall. I have something to ask him," Shen Jingheng instructed Steward Ding.

"Yes," Steward Ding bowed and withdrew.

"Heng'er, are you going to bring watermelons to the capital?" Master Shen had already guessed what his son was going to do when he asked Steward Ding how long they could be preserved.

"Yes, Father. The Imperial Concubine is currently six months pregnant and has a poor appetite. The Emperor is very worried, and as his subject, I should share his burdens."

"Sigh," Old Master Shen sighed, wanting to say something but ultimately not uttering it. The words circled on the tip of his tongue before he asked...

"Heng'er, who exactly is Luo'er's mother?" Master Shen looked somewhat worried. He was just an ordinary merchant, but after his eldest son entered officialdom, he felt both honored and apprehensive.

"Mother, why don't you take Luo'er back to his room first? I need to talk to Father about something." Shen Jingheng looked at his mother.

Madam Shen looked at the father and son without saying a word, then bent down and picked up Shen Luo herself, saying gently, "Luo'er, come with your grandmother to your room and see if you like it." The wet nurse waiting outside saw Madam Shen pick up the child herself and, afraid of tiring him out, reached out to take him, but Madam Shen dodged her. The wet nurse awkwardly put her hand down and could only follow behind Madam Shen, carefully protecting them.

Madam Shen's two head maids, Pearl and Amber, were very observant. One followed Madam Shen, while the other went to the kitchen and brought out another plate of watermelon.

Inside the flower hall, Master Shen looked at his eldest son, waiting for him to continue.

“Father, Luo’er is really my son. You and Mother should raise him well. His mother is a woman given to me by the Imperial Concubine, but none of that matters. Just remember that he is your grandson.”

"What about the Imperial Concubine..."

"Father, the Imperial Concubine is compassionate and resourceful. Moreover, she is now pregnant with the Emperor's child and deeply favored by him. She has shown me great kindness and understanding. A wise bird chooses its tree, and I know what is best for our family." She then made a gesture to her father, Mr. Shen, that only the two of them could understand. She continued...

"Father, our family has received the Emperor's favor, so the family business must be conducted in an orderly manner. You must also restrain the clansmen and never let them take advantage of my power to act recklessly and harm the village."

"Father knows, Father knows everything. Don't worry, I will definitely keep the clansmen in check. You should serve the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine well in the capital and must not let them down." Master Shen's voice was full of awe and gratitude for the Emperor's favor.

After speaking, Shen Jingheng got up and took his leave from his father, then went to the small hall where he was to meet the person. At this time, Zhang Youtie was already kneeling on the ground with his legs twisting. Just now, Steward Ding told him that the person who wanted to see him was the master of the Shen family, who was now a close minister of the emperor in the capital. He was to give a good answer, and there would naturally be a reward if he answered well.

In truth, Zhang Youtie didn't care whether he received a reward or not. However, he had never dealt with officials before, let alone high-ranking officials in the capital who were close to the emperor. He was very nervous and a little scared, afraid that he might say the wrong thing and implicate his family.