The mistress has no feelings, why do you provoke her?

Zhou's boastful words sounded impressive, but in Song Wenjun's eyes, they were nothing but a joke.

Without her personal seal, no one in the Gu family could withdraw money from the shop.

So whether Zhou was trying to appeal to emotions or feigning poverty, Song Wenjun simply smiled and remained silent.

All of Zhou's moves were like hitting cotton, making her so angry that she was panting heavily.

Seeing that the time was right, Song Wenjun spoke softly: "Mother, there is no need to be angry. In fact, the Marquis's mansion has not yet reached the end of its rope."

Hearing that her words contained a method to bring the dead back to life, Zhou Shi couldn't help but prick up her ears: "What do you mean?"

"The harvest at the estate is good this year. We received over a thousand dan of grain, and the shops together bring in several hundred taels of silver every month. We can manage to get by for now."

Song Wenjun's words reassured Zhou a little, but a few hundred taels of silver was still too meager.

In previous years, she always wore gold and silver, and the ladies and young women she hosted were very envious.

I haven't even had a new outfit made this year, let alone any new jewelry.

Song Wenjun's refusal to hand over the silver dashed Zhou's hopes, and she sighed helplessly, unable to do anything about it.

I just hope that I can get back some of the gifts I gave out this year, and also save her from spending too much money.

"There's one more thing you need to do as soon as possible."

"Mother, you say."

Zhou said to her arrogantly, "I think Qingwan is a good girl. Let's make her a concubine."

"A concubine?" Song Wenjun looked troubled. "That's not a good idea. She's just a concubine's daughter. It would be against the rules to make her a concubine right away."

Unlike other concubines, a noble concubine is entitled to raise her own children and also has a share in the inheritance rights of the household.

Xue Qingwan demanded the title of concubine as soon as she arrived, which shows that she had great ambitions.

Although Song Wenjun made her her concubine, she could not possibly give her the power to eventually rise above her.

Zhou was surprised that Song Wenjun refused. She said with dissatisfaction, "Didn't you agree to let her be a concubine? It's just that her rank is a little higher. What's wrong with that? She's just a concubine and she can't shake your position as the mistress of the house. Why do you care so much?"

“I may not care, but we cannot disregard the Marquis’s reputation. If we elevate her to such a high rank so quickly, what will outsiders think?”

Song Wenjun paused for a moment, then said, "Back then, when she followed the Marquis into public, the rumors in the city had already spread like wildfire. Now that she has become a concubine, doesn't that confirm the rumors that the Marquis and my cousin are having an affair?"

"This..." Zhou was somewhat troubled: "It can't be that serious, can it?"

"Mother, don't forget, the Marquis has just been punished. Is it worth it to cause trouble for a concubine?"

A look of panic crossed Zhou's face. She slowly shook her head and sighed, "It's really not worth it."

Nothing is more important than her son's future, so it's okay if Xue Qingwan suffers some grievances.

“That’s it then. In my opinion, we can quietly elevate his rank. If the Marquis wants to make amends, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Why bother now and give others something to gossip about?”

Zhou was completely speechless, because Song Wenjun's words were all reasonable, and she had no room for rebuttal.

"Mother, you rest. I'll go see the Marquis." Song Wenjun stopped arguing with her and made an excuse to turn around and leave.

To expect her to give you money is a pipe dream.

Today, Song Wenjun needs to take inventory, restock the shop, and has a lot of other things to do.

Through the carriage, she glanced out and unexpectedly saw Lady Xue.

She looked much thinner than she had been a few days ago, and her brows were full of fatigue.

"Stop!" Song Wenjun shouted to the driver.

The carriage stopped, and Song Wenjun hurriedly called out, "Sister Xue."

Xue looked toward the source of the sound in a daze, and was slightly taken aback when she saw that it was Song Wenjun.

Song Wenjun got off the carriage, walked up to her, and asked, "What's wrong? Why haven't you contacted me for so many days?"

Xue was very depressed, and when she saw Song Wenjun's eyes redden, she almost burst into tears.

Seeing her like this, Song Wenjun knew something was wrong.

She found a teahouse, and the two sat down.

"What happened?" Song Wenjun asked.

Madam Xue, her eyes red-rimmed, sniffed, "Something has indeed happened at home recently. A few days ago, I took my cousin to Huguo Temple to offer incense, and we were attacked by bandits. My cousin..."

At this point, Xue was already sobbing uncontrollably.

Song Wenjun felt a chill in her heart; rumors had circulated that a young lady from an official family had met with misfortune.

Could she be Xue's cousin?

“My cousin was only sixteen years old. If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t have died.” Xue’s face was full of regret, showing how much she cared for her cousin.

Song Wenjun was also feeling very sad. She held Xue's hand and comforted her, "The dead cannot be brought back to life. Please accept my condolences, Sister Xue."

Xue's tears fell even faster: "I was also very saddened by my cousin's death, and I felt more guilty than anyone else, but I never expected my husband to be so heartless..."

"What does this have to do with your husband?" Song Wenjun asked, puzzled.

“My cousin is the daughter of the Duke’s family and is engaged to Prince Huai. After this incident, both the Duke’s and Prince Huai’s families are furious. My husband is afraid of being implicated, so he takes his anger out on me. He said that if I hadn’t taken my cousin out to offer incense, this wouldn’t have happened. He also said that my cousin was a chaste and virtuous woman who jumped off a cliff to preserve her innocence, and that I should follow her example and die to save the Qin family’s reputation.”

As she spoke, Lady Xue was already sobbing uncontrollably, which infuriated Song Wenjun.

It's already incredibly difficult for a person to be alive, so how could Qin Zhao utter such vile and inhuman words?

"Sister Xue, you must not listen to your husband's words. Nothing is more important than being alive. Once a person dies, everything is gone," Song Wenjun comforted her.

Xue nodded with tears in her eyes; she was clearly heartbroken.

Song Wenjun was afraid that she might do something foolish, so she said, "It's not easy for a woman to survive. Having money gives you confidence. Now that you run your own shop, you must hold onto your money tightly. Even if things get to the point of no return, you will still have the ability to support yourself and won't need to depend on others anymore."

What she really wanted to tell Xue was to never be blinded by love.

With money, everyone will look at her with more respect.

Even her husband wouldn't dare to treat her with contempt, but it's unclear whether Lady Xue understood what she meant.

Xue wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and said, "The rouge shop has been profitable this month. Although it's not much, it still brings in about a hundred taels a month. I'm very content."

She didn't have Song Wenjun's business acumen and only made a little money by relying on Hua Rong's fame.

After thinking for a moment, Song Wenjun said to her, "With the end of the year approaching, sister, why don't you have the merchants bring back some rare teas from the south? You're sure to make a fortune again."

Tea is an essential item for families visiting relatives and friends, and the Dragon Sparrow Tongue tea from the south is a rare delicacy.

Moreover, there is a significant price difference between the north and the south; if you bring it back from the south, the price can triple.

Xue's eyes lit up slightly, and her face showed more joy: "Your idea is excellent. Besides tea, there is also porcelain from Qingquan Town, which is also top-notch."

Seeing that she was getting creative, Song Wenjun breathed a sigh of relief: "Remember, never use money to please your husband's family. You have to make them please you in return. Only in this way can you gain a foothold in the household."

"Understood," Xue replied with a smile.