Marrying a royal playboy and becoming a glamorous matriarch

"You'll find out when you get to Qianyu Tower."

Qin Ping'an didn't say it directly, and Wei Qingrou didn't argue with him either, but just looked through Qianyulou's accounts.

The eldest prince was naturally an extremely intelligent person and learned things very quickly. He used the forms made by Wei Qingrou to keep accounts, and every entry was clear and detailed.

Qianyu Tower has been doing very well lately, with 25,000 taels of silver in its accounts alone.

As of yesterday, over a thousand tables had already been booked for the New Year's Eve dinner, Wei Qingrou thought to herself with a sigh of amazement.

You should know that Qianyu Tower's prices are not low; a New Year's Eve dinner will cost at least a hundred or eighty taels of silver.

When they arrived at Qianyu Tower, Wei Qingrou felt that something was wrong.

Wei Lanxin is actually here.

It was noon, and she was sitting at the central table having her meal. The food was not the usual servants' food, but something prepared separately.

Wei Qingrou frowned slightly, feeling that she seemed a little different, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Xia Xi also found it strange, "Miss is really extravagant, eating twelve dishes in one meal."

Wei Qingrou stopped her, "Now that you are the manager of Qianyu Tower, it is perfectly acceptable for you to come to the restaurant for a meal or two."

Xia Xi shook her head. "That's not what I heard from the people below. The young lady eats here every day, probably since that person became the head accountant."

The "that person" Xia Xi was referring to was the eldest prince. They naturally didn't know the eldest prince's true identity, but since the two of them had no betrothal or marriage arrangements, it wasn't appropriate for them to call him "son-in-law," so they could only address him in a more subtle way.

Xia Xi looked troubled. "Moreover, the young lady spends lavishly every day, having the kitchen prepare meals separately, each one quite expensive. If we were to use the head accountant's monthly allowance to offset the cost, it probably wouldn't be enough."

Wei Qingrou listened and was speechless.

But she suddenly realized that something was wrong.

How did Wei Lanxin become so mercenary?

She wasn't like this before; everything she wore had to be exquisite and luxurious, like a little princess.

How could things be like this now, where people are sitting openly in the bustling lobby of Qianyu Tower, eating and drinking, just to take advantage of the place?

Xia Xi was very troubled by this matter.

She was in charge of the accounts, and with Wei Lanxin acting so recklessly, it was difficult for her to keep track of the books.

Wei Qingrou patted Xia Xi's hand and comforted her, "Just keep track of the accounts as you see fit. I'll talk to your older sister about it."

Xia Xi was extremely grateful, feeling as if a huge burden had been lifted from her heart. She smiled and said, "Then I'll trouble you, Madam."

When Wei Qingrou came downstairs, Wei Lanxin was still eating and drinking heartily.

The table was laden with a sumptuous and exquisite meal, twelve dishes in total, each exuding an enticing aroma.

Wei Qingrou sighed inwardly. This meal was equivalent to the First Prince's monthly allowance as a steward, yet Wei Lanxin was still so extravagant. She definitely couldn't finish these twelve dishes; it was just to show off and flaunt her wealth.

Wei Lanxin was still dressed as an unmarried girl, her hair was styled in a simple bun and tied with a plain-colored ribbon, and she wore a light-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a light drooping hem, which made her look fresh and elegant.

As she ate, she complained angrily, "I built Qianyu Tower with my own hands, but Qin Ping'an and his wife reaped the benefits. It makes me furious."

Taking advantage of the meal, she was determined to eat her fill and vent her anger.

When Wei Lanxin saw Wei Qingrou, her eyes were full of wariness.

Today, Wei Qingrou's hair was styled in a high bun, adorned with a pair of exquisite auspicious cloud-shaped gold hairpins. She wore a lake-blue brocade dress with intricate patterns embroidered on the hem, exuding wealth and brilliance, and making her even more imposing.

Wei Lanxin secretly despised her for being vulgar, curled her lip, and said matter-of-factly, "What are you doing here? You don't mean you won't let me eat at Qianyu Tower, do you?"

Wei Qingrou shook her head.

Wei Lanxin straightened her back, raised her chin, and said condescendingly, "My man works for you, and you won't even let him have a decent meal?"

Wei Qingrou smiled faintly and said, "Of course not, whatever you want to eat is fine with me, Eldest Sister. I wonder if these dishes suit your taste? If it's not enough, we can add some more."

Wei Lanxin was relieved to hear that she wasn't there to make things difficult. She snorted and said, "You're smart to know what's good for you."

Wei Qingrou didn't argue with him and remained calm and composed.

"We are sisters, and Qianyu Tower was founded by my elder sister. What's a few meals? You should eat and drink to your heart's content."

Wei Lanxin was very pleased with Wei Qingrou's words. She looked smug and her gaze towards Wei Qingrou became more amiable.

"That's great. Then pack me another serving of crab roe cake for a late-night snack."

Wei Qingrou smiled faintly and instructed, "Okay, go do it."

Xia Xi, who was standing nearby, twisted her handkerchief anxiously and pulled Wei Qingrou aside, saying, "Oh dear, my good wife, didn't you come here to persuade her to leave? Why are you helping the wicked?"

Wei Qingrou's smile remained unchanged: "This is my eldest sister, and as her younger sister, I should treat her to a few meals. It's not right for us sisters to run a restaurant while our own sister goes hungry."

"Besides, Qianyulou makes a fortune every day. What difference would it make if we let her eat as much as she wants?"

Xia Xi looked anxious and said in a low voice, "The young lady doesn't just eat and drink; she also likes to boss people around in Qianyu Tower and act like the master."

Those working below were extremely annoyed by the matter, but upon hearing that she was a relative of the owner, they could not do anything to stop her and had no choice but to swallow their anger.

Wei Qingrou smiled faintly: "Let her be."

No amount of reasoning with someone like Wei Lanxin will help.

You can't learn from a hundred people, but you'll learn from an experience in one go.

A thousand words are not as effective as a harsh lesson from society.

Moreover, Wei Qingrou didn't want to be the villain who wouldn't get any credit; she'd rather let those who needed to discipline her have a headache.

The eldest prince is indeed a headache.

When he got home, he saw the Qianyulou food box on the table and couldn't help but frown.

In the past few days, the eldest prince has been working under Qin Ping'an as the chief accountant, concealing his identity. He is becoming increasingly adept at handling affairs and managing the accounts in an orderly manner.

When I'm busy, I find a sense of peace and tranquility within me.

But this tranquility and peace vanished as soon as I returned home.

For example, right now, he feels extremely annoyed because everything at home is not right.

When he first went out to work, Wei Lanxin did nothing but wait for him to come home every day.

Sometimes I'd rather be so hungry I feel dizzy and have a terrible stomachache than do anything.

After a long day of work, he didn't even have a sip of hot water when he got home. After finally managing to cook a meal, he still had to put up with Wei Lanxin's pickiness.

Finally, the eldest prince, thoroughly annoyed, simply let her go to Qianyu Tower to eat with the cooks in the kitchen.

I thought it would just be a matter of a few meals, but I didn't expect Wei Lanxin to order food separately every day.