Lady Hou is reborn and, by pampering her illegitimate son, reclaims her life of wealth and privilege

“Sir, you flatter me. My name is Wei Fenghui, and I am currently studying at Yueming Academy,” Wei Fenghui replied humbly.

"I see." Mr. Zhang was slightly surprised, but then he understood. Those who could afford high-quality pine soot ink were definitely not ordinary people. He came here to sell his calligraphy, perhaps just to experience a different life.

"In that case, I won't disturb you any longer. I'll take my leave now." Mr. Zhang smiled and turned to leave.

Wei Fenghui watched Mr. Zhang leave, feeling secretly grateful.

With this gentleman's appreciation, the calligraphy scrolls he brought quickly sold out, bringing in a total income of 120 taels of silver.

He carefully put away the silver and was about to tidy up his stall and leave when he suddenly saw several young men with smirking faces walk up to his stall.

One of them put his feet on the table without any politeness, displaying an arrogant attitude.

Wei Fenghui looked up and saw that the person was Liao Yuteng, the second young master of the Jing'an Marquis's mansion and his classmate at Yueming Academy.

Wei Fenghui had little interaction with him and was quite puzzled about his purpose in coming here.

"What kind of act is Young Master Liao putting on?"

Liao Yuteng sneered, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Ha, isn't this the eldest son of the prestigious Jiaxing Marquis's family? What's wrong? Is the Marquis's treasury running low, and you've come here to sell your calligraphy to survive?"

Wei Fenghui remained calm, his tone firm and composed: "The rise and fall of the Jiaxing Marquis's mansion seems to have nothing to do with Young Master Liao."

However, Liao Yuteng's purpose today was to embarrass Wei Fenghui and tarnish the reputation of the Jiaxing Marquis's mansion. After all, Jiang Huaiyu had mocked his father at the Jiaxing Marquis's funeral.

Liao Yuteng raised his voice, his tone sharp and provocative: "Young Master of the Marquis of Jiaxing, I have a good deal for you. Do you dare to take it? As long as you are willing to write for me, I will give you one hundred taels of silver."

Upon hearing about the large sum of money, the onlookers couldn't help but gather around out of curiosity, eager to find out more.

Wei Fenghui was eager to get rid of this awkward entanglement as soon as possible, and waved his hands repeatedly to refuse: "I'm sorry, it's inconvenient for me to receive you all today, I must return to my residence."

As he spoke, he tidied up his writing materials and prepared to leave.

Liao Yuteng suddenly slammed his foot on the table, pressing aggressively: "Hmm? Could it be that the calligraphy and paintings you just sold were not made by you, and you're deliberately impersonating someone else?"

Wei Fenghui frowned slightly and said calmly, "Alright, Brother Liao, I'll write down whatever you want."

Liao Yuteng revealed a sly smile and announced loudly, "Then write a sign for yourself that reads 'Eldest Young Master of the Marquis of Jiaxing's Mansion Sells Calligraphy to Make a Living'."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned to the crowd and asked, "What do you all think?"

Liao Yuteng's men joined in the commotion. The others, on the other hand, wore expressions of smug enjoyment, waiting to join in the fun.

Liao Yuteng pulled out a hundred-tael silver note from his pocket, waved it in front of Wei Fenghui, and said provocatively, "Don't you want money? As long as you're willing to write these words, this hundred-tael silver note will be yours."

Wei Fenghui's expression was as calm as autumn water. If he were to put pen to paper, it would be an admission of the decline of the Jiaxing Marquis's Mansion, and that he would have to make a living by selling his calligraphy, which would invite ridicule from everyone behind his back.

On a deeper level, it implies that the harsh treatment of the Marquis's wife, Jiang Huaiyu, towards her illegitimate son was undoubtedly a heavy blow to her reputation.

Faced with this predicament, a sly glint flashed in Wei Fenghui's eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly as he said loudly, "Since I'm building my own reputation, why should I charge Young Master Liao a fee?"

Before he finished speaking, he had already picked up his brush and started writing. The ink danced like a dragon on the paper, and the onlookers craned their necks, eager to glimpse the secrets of his writing, but all they could see was a blur.

With a pause, Wei Fenghui put down his pen, climbed onto the table, and unfurled the calligraphy scroll for everyone, making a grand display.

The paper read: "The second young master of the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion, making a living by performing arts."

The small print below reads: "One hundred taels of silver, one-time transaction."

Passersby burst into laughter upon seeing this.

At that moment, Liao Yuteng happened to be holding a one-hundred-tael silver note in his hand. Paired with the calligraphy, it was as if he had just received a buyer, and even his servants couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Liao Yuteng turned around and glared at them, his eyes wide with anger. The servants awkwardly suppressed their smiles.

The crowd, who had just been drawn by the laughter, were puzzled. But when they saw the banner Wei Fenghui was holding up and Liao Yuteng angrily clutching the silver notes and glaring at them, they immediately started discussing it amongst themselves.

Liao Yuteng was furious and enraged, his face as cold as ice, and he was about to snatch the calligraphy back from Wei Fenghui's hands.

Wei Fenghui turned around nimbly and easily dodged, shouting loudly, "Liao Yuteng, this signboard 'Second Young Master of the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion Performs for a Living' was requested by you personally. Didn't you just boast that you would pay one hundred taels to buy it?"

Amidst the laughter of the crowd, Liao Yuteng's face flushed red like a boiled shrimp. Overwhelmed by shame and indignation, he nearly lost control. He gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with hatred, and his voice was low and trembling: "I demanded those words. Give them back to me immediately!"

Seeing Liao Yuteng's disgraceful state, the onlookers couldn't help but whisper among themselves, and some even mocked him without restraint: "Look at this second young master, he's really shameless, actually making a living by performing."

Wei Fenghui took the silver note, toying with the newly written characters in his hand, then gently spun it around on the table and said loudly, "I have already written this indenture sign that the Second Young Master wants with the finest pine soot ink. The ink will never fade, and it is waterproof and durable. The Second Young Master can use it for a long time."

Only after the surrounding audience had witnessed the scene did Wei Fenghui leisurely hand the calligraphy to Liao Yuteng. At that moment, Liao Yuteng just wanted to find a secluded corner to hide in. He crumpled the calligraphy into a ball, tucked it tightly into his chest, and then hurriedly blended into the crowd, disappearing without a trace.

Upon seeing this, his henchmen scattered like birds and beasts.

Wei Fenghui watched Liao Yuteng's disheveled retreating figure, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips. "Is this all you've got? You dare to dream of competing with me?"

In a three-story pavilion by the street, a woman dressed in magnificent palace attire stood by the window. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, and her eyes were calm as she quietly witnessed everything that had just happened. She parted her lips slightly, her tone tinged with amusement: "How amusing."

Soon, rumors began to circulate in the streets and alleys of the capital that the second son of the Marquis of Jing'an was actually gay, and that the Marquis of Jing'an's family was so poor that they could only rely on the second son's body to make a living.

Inside the Jing'an Marquis's residence, Liao Yuteng tore the written words to shreds, his eyes blazing with fury. He gritted his teeth and swore, "Wei Fenghui, I will never let you get away with this."

This time, Liao Yuteng really suffered a huge loss, losing both money and dignity.

After returning home, Wei Fenghui handed over the 220 taels of silver he had earned that day to Jiang Huaiyu.

When Jiang Huaiyu heard that Wei Fenghui had earned the money by selling his calligraphy, a complex emotion welled up in her heart. She turned her head away, gently covered her mouth with her handkerchief, and began to sob.