From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 711: Chapter 713: Blueprints

Cen Yueqin, instead, admired her a little. "That just shows Mrs. Gu’s capability. To go from a peasant woman to an Imperial Merchant today is something we could never learn to do no matter how hard we try.

"Actually, I’m quite envious of Mrs. Gu. To have her own way of making money and to manage her businesses so well—that’s something even many men cannot achieve."

Mrs. Cen Zhang was a bit displeased to see her daughter praising Jin Qianqian so highly. "So what? We women only need to manage the inner courtyard. Showing off like she does, who knows how many people are just treating her as a laughingstock?

"Being so generous this time and giving away a hundred thousand taels of silver might just be her way of flaunting her wealth to us.

"Anyway, I simply find her an eyesore. You must not learn from her.

"Being so ostentatious—let’s just hope she doesn’t bring disaster upon Mr. Gu."

"Mother..." Cen Yueqin was completely helpless against her mother’s sharp tongue. All she could do was stay by her side every day and remind her from time to time. Otherwise, with a mouth so prone to offending others, who knew how Aunt Lan would plot against her in the estate?

"Alright, Mother knows. I’m just complaining a bit here," Zhang Guihong said, aware that her old habit was acting up again. "I promise I won’t say a word out of line when we’re outside."

"That would be best." Cen Yueqin felt that being a daughter was more exhausting for her than for anyone else. "Father told you before to bring my two younger brothers to your side to raise. Why are you still unwilling?"

"Why should I help raise Mu Xianglan’s sons?" Zhang Guihong gnashed her teeth at the mention of it. "They didn’t come out of my belly. I have no desire to do such a thankless task."

"Didn’t we agree on this before we came? My eldest sister and I will both marry and leave the house. Aunt Lan’s two sons are still young. As long as you raise them well, won’t they become close to you, their legitimate mother?

"Besides, Father was the one who suggested this. Why didn’t you just agree to it?"

"You silly girl, do you really think I don’t know what they are scheming?

"Would that Aunt Lan be so kind-hearted as to hand her two children over to me?

"They are coveting the status of a legitimate son, but I won’t let them have their way.

"I can accept having concubine-born sons registered under my name, but they absolutely cannot be Mu Xianglan’s sons.

"Anyway, this time I’m promoting my two personal maids to be his bedmates. I’ve already told them that as long as they can give birth to a son, I will take the child to raise and register him under my name."

If her own health hadn’t deteriorated over the years, Zhang Guihong wouldn’t even consider raising a concubine-born child.

"But Father has already spoken, and the children are still young. If we teach them well..."

Zhang Guihong directly interrupted her. "I have my own plans for this matter. Don’t bring it up again. If your father wants you to persuade me, just refuse him straight out next time."

Mu Xianglan had acted as the matriarch of the household under the status of a mere concubine for so many years; she completely disregarded Zhang Guihong’s authority. Now that the woman was trying to scheme for the status of a legitimate son, there was no way Zhang Guihong could swallow this insult.

Pushing away thoughts of the backyard concubines, Zhang Guihong turned the topic to Cen Yueqin’s marriage. "We’ve been attending banquets every single day lately. Do you have anyone in mind?"

Several Madams had extended olive branches to her, but Zhang Guihong didn’t dare make the decision on her own. Since the mother and daughter were having a private heart-to-heart today, she took the opportunity to ask.

"Mother, I’m still young. Can’t we talk about this in a few years?"

"You silly girl, we need to settle this early. Otherwise, all the good ones will be picked by others.

"It’s just a pity that Mr. Gu’s two sons are so much younger than you, otherwise they would be excellent candidates.

"Although we privately gossip that the Gu family’s clan rules are somewhat eccentric, who among us isn’t secretly envious?

"If my daughter could marry into a household with such strict rules, you wouldn’t have to face a backyard full of concubines all day long like your mother does.

"Mrs. Gu Jin is truly blessed by fate. Who knows what good deeds she did in her past life?"

Not only did she marry well, but she also had two legitimate sons by her side. No wonder Zhang Guihong felt sour with jealousy every time she saw her.

"Mr. Gu’s several nephews are of the right age, but unfortunately, their background is too low. They are not worthy of my daughter."

At the mention of her own marriage, Cen Yueqin’s face was filled with discomfort. "Mother..."

"It’s just the two of us. There’s no need to be shy. Tell Mother, what are your thoughts?

"I only have you two daughters, and I always hope for you both to live well."

Cen Yueqin lowered her head. "Mother, is family status really that important?"

"Of course it is! We are an official family. If you marry into a commoner’s family, you’d be marrying too far beneath your station and people would look down on you.

"My daughter has grown up with fine clothes and exquisite food. Do you really want to face a life worrying about daily necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt in the future?

"Bringing you out this time was also so we could carefully select from among families of equal standing. Given my daughter’s character, talent, and looks, I actually feel that no one from the families we’ve looked at so far is worthy of you."

"Then there’s no rush. I’m still young anyway. We can talk about it in a few years, it’ll be the same," Cen Yueqin persuaded once more. "Mother, Father will be away for many days again. Shouldn’t we go pack his luggage?"

"Hmph, he won’t leave that kind of work to me. He has his Jieyuhua."

Cen Yueqin thought, "Here we go again..."

「Meanwhile.」

Even without leaving the house, Jin Qianqian still heard some of the sour gossip. As it happened, the newly purchased land had just been measured during this time, so she simply holed up in the estate, drawing up blueprints for the new residence and storefronts.

They didn’t intend to use this new residence to live in themselves; rather, it would be converted into an inn. As for the row of connected storefronts, whether they would be for personal use or leased out could be planned out slowly later.

"Judging by your blueprint, this won’t fit on anything less than several dozen acres of land," Gu Wenheng said, having appeared behind her at some unknown point.

Jin Qianqian stopped her pen and smiled. "This can be considered setting a precedent—making a small-scale planning map for you.

"Look over here. These are the areas I’ve circled for our own use. As for the rest, when you sell the land, I imagine that if you include a copy of this blueprint as a bonus, everyone will be scrambling to buy."

Gu Wenheng reached out to wrap his arms around her waist, resting his head against hers. "How is my wife so considerate? You’ve already thought all this out for your husband.

"I can already imagine that this place will become a bustling market in the future."

Jin Qianqian replied, "Of course. If the business here is truly revitalized, you’ll be able to put the surrounding land to good use. It kills several birds with one stone!"

If things really developed as she envisioned, then all her time hiding in the estate drawing and writing wouldn’t be in vain. Her hand, which hadn’t held a pen for a long time, had even grown calluses now.

Gu Wenheng asked, "Don’t you want to enclose a bit more land for yourself?"

Jin Qianqian shook her head. "There is no end to earning silver. Besides, our family alone won’t be able to revitalize this area so smoothly. Why don’t you see if you should ask the other major aristocratic families if they have any interest?"

Gu Wenheng picked up the draft from the table and said with absolute certainty, "There’s no need to seek out those aristocratic families. My colleagues in the officialdom will be able to divide it all up among themselves."

Gu Wenheng genuinely had no intention of sharing this fat piece of meat with the local aristocratic families. He leaned more towards letting a few of his colleagues follow behind for a taste of the broth, allowing them to have a bit more spare cash on hand.