From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 730: Chapter 732: Bringing Up the Past

Looking at the houses being built everywhere around her, one could easily imagine that this area would become another bustling new city in the future.

Jin Qianqian only paid the cheap price for the land in Silver, and the Silver needed to build the houses probably wasn’t too expensive either. In exchange, she acquired such a massive estate—how could it not make people envious?

These days, several of the families they were on good terms with had been discussing it privately. Jin Qianqian was a woman of foresight. A casual venture of hers would rake in another massive profit. No wonder she could build up such a large estate and donate such a huge sum of Silver without blinking an eye.

"I took a look when you were buying the land earlier. You were just laying the foundations back then. I didn’t expect you to move so fast. It’s almost finished.

"The plot I bought is rather remote, and I bought it quite late. I haven’t even found any craftsmen yet." Lady Wu stared at the artisans bustling about inside. "I see these craftsmen are very nimble and efficient. I wonder if they’ve already been booked by their next employer?"

Jin Qianqian replied, "I’m really not sure about that. If Lady Wu is interested, you can go ask their foreman."

However, Jin Qianqian felt that Lady Wu’s question was redundant. Almost all the craftsmen in the entire city were gathered here right now. Given the speed at which they were building these houses, countless people already had their eyes on these workers.

Even if their two families were related by marriage, Jin Qianqian wouldn’t take this matter upon herself and risk offending people for no reason.

Knowing that her plan had fallen through again, Lady Wu covered her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled. "I’ll have someone ask around later. With craftsmen this good, even if I have to wait a little longer, it’ll still be worth it."

Jin Qianqian smiled and waved her hand to fan away the dust in the air. "That makes sense. This really isn’t a good place to chat, and I still have matters to attend to at home. Let’s arrange to meet again another day."

Lady Wu said with a smile, "I haven’t thanked Mrs. Gu for your excellent suggestion last time. I’ll play host next time and treat you to some of our local specialties."

Jin Qianqian was speechless. She thought, "I suspect you’re doing this on purpose..."

Her face stiffened for a brief moment. Quickly, her expression softened into a smile again. "It was just a small favor. Lady Wu, you don’t need to keep it in mind.

"If you really want to return the favor, just remember to come and support my restaurant when it opens. I would be immensely grateful for that."

Jin Qianqian pointed at the nearly completed restaurant. "Remember to do me the honor of coming over to join the festivities when the time comes."

"Of course. I’ve long heard that Tianfu Restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes with excellent flavors. Now, thanks to Mrs. Gu, I’ll finally get what I’ve been wishing for."

Jin Qianqian said, "Then I won’t disturb Lady Wu any longer here. I’ll take my leave first. Please, do as you please."

Jin Qianqian nodded at her. The maid beside her quickly lowered the carriage curtains, and the carriage slowly drove away from East City.

Watching the carriage leave, Mrs. Wu sighed and said, "I thought we were relatives, but I didn’t expect her to be so unaccommodating."

The maid beside her didn’t dare to make a sound, standing there quietly.

"So annoying. I don’t have the mood to look at the land today either. Let’s go to the Hou Family."

「Later, at the Gu family residence.」

Jin Qianqian had just entered her mansion when Lady Liang’s invitation arrived.

Glancing at its contents, she let out a cold sneer and tossed the invitation onto the desk.

Sensing their master’s displeasure, Ming Shi and the other maids didn’t dare to make a sound. After all, they hadn’t been by their master’s side for long. They didn’t dare to subtly console her the way Sister Lichun and the older maids could.

Feeling somewhat irritated, Jin Qianqian stood up and walked toward the back garden. She took several laps around the garden until her legs grew weak, only then returning to the study.

"Go and call Lichun over." Lichun was now the Chief Steward of the inner courtyard. Everything in the back yard was managed by her hands.

Relieved, Ming Yuan curtsied and quickly ran off to find her.

Seeing the maid’s reaction, Jin Qianqian’s mood actually softened a bit. She scolded with a laugh, "You little girls were frightened, weren’t you? This Madam isn’t a man-eating tiger. You don’t need to be so terrified."

She had always been objective, focusing on the issue rather than the person. Even if she was truly angry, she wouldn’t take it out on her subordinates.

Lichun arrived very quickly. With her hair now pinned up in a neat bun, she looked even more mature and composed than before.

"Madam," Lichun greeted with a bow.

Jin Qianqian pointed at the invitation on the desk. "Go to the storeroom, pick out a gift, and send it to the Liang Mansion.

"Tell them that my eldest son has a mischievous and stubborn personality. Say that we are afraid he might be a bad influence on Young Master Liang, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to attend the school in their mansion and hold Young Master Liang back."

She had thought that since so much time had passed, Lady Liang would have let this matter go. She had already disparaged her own son so much, yet to her surprise, Lady Liang had explicitly brought it up this time. Did she really think Jin Qianqian wouldn’t refuse outright?

If Lady Liang had actually hired a renowned teacher, Jin Qianqian truly would have been endlessly grateful for Luo Luo to tag along and benefit from it. However, she had always kept people looking out for news from the Liang Mansion. They had merely hired a Scholar to provide early education for Liang Feiling.

It wasn’t that Jin Qianqian looked down on the Scholar’s knowledge, but rather that Liang Feiling was thoroughly spoiled by Mrs. Liang He and would frequently play pranks on the teacher. In order to curry favor with Governor Liang and his wife, the teacher kept many things hidden and only reported the good aspects to them.

Given the current situation in their mansion, Jin Qianqian would have to be stupid to let her own child step into that mess.

"I’m afraid Lady Liang won’t believe those words." Lichun was also infuriated when she saw the contents of the letter. Madam had already politely declined before, yet this woman still had the audacity to write an invitation like this.

"So what if she doesn’t believe it? From what I see, Lady Liang is getting a bit full of herself nowadays.

"Although she wasn’t the one who poisoned me before, we suffered the consequences while she reaped the greatest benefits from it.

"Now she is the sole power in the entire Liang Mansion, and she’s started making moves against the families of lower-ranking officials like us."

During the past few banquets, Jin Qianqian had faintly sensed that several madams had already been tormented by this Lady Liang. However, she didn’t expect her to reach out her hand toward them this time.

Talking about sending their children over to study together was nothing more than an excuse to control them.

Jin Qianqian didn’t know whether this was Governor Liang’s idea or her own personal whim, but either way, she had no intention of playing along. Even though Governor Liang was one rank higher than Gu Wenheng, he couldn’t actually do much to them. At most, he could make things slightly difficult for them in future official matters.

She waited for Lichun to leave and handle the errand before picking up her brush to write a family letter to Gu Wenheng.

Ever since Gu Wenheng left home, a family letter would be delivered every time he reached a new place, and she frequently wrote back from her end as well.

「Meanwhile, in the back courtyard of the Liang Mansion.」

Mrs. Liang He was sitting in the garden with her niece, He Xiaoyu, basking in the sun and drinking tea.

"Aunt, Nanny Luo has already been sent back to the farm estate by Uncle. From now on, there won’t be anyone in this back courtyard who can make things difficult for you."

Seeing that her aunt was in a good mood, He Xiaoyu sweetly said things she knew her aunt would like to hear.

"So what if she was sent to the estate? After making such a huge mistake, if you ask me, all of them should have been sold off.

"Your uncle is still hung up on his previous wife, so he is exceptionally protective of the servants who used to serve her.

"This time, I had already been waiting to catch them slipping up for a long time.

"Fortunately, they didn’t disappoint me and I caught them all red-handed.

"Don’t call your aunt ruthless. In this inner courtyard, if I didn’t harden my heart, your cousin and I would have lost our foothold here long ago."