They didn’t even need to go inside. Just one look at the yard, filthy and covered everywhere with chicken and duck droppings, made the mother-daughter pair shrink back.

Sun stood at the entrance calling out. While waiting for the owner to appear, he said sheepishly to the two of them, "To be honest, I don’t really recommend this property. It’s an old house, home to three brothers. Now that their mother has passed, the brothers want to split the inheritance. But they’re all looking to squeeze a wealthy buyer, asking for a high price—a firm one hundred and twenty taels."

"One hundred and twenty taels? For this dump? That’s highway robbery!"

Just as Xu Su Ying uttered these words, a man came sauntering into the yard.

The man wasn’t short, but he was gaunt and scrawny. His shiftless demeanor was somewhat reminiscent of Chen Lin, and just looking at him was irritating.

"If you can’t afford it, then don’t buy it, you paupers. The house is worth this price, and we’re not haggling."

Once he got a clear look at the mother and daughter, the man’s eyes lit up and his tone softened. "See that? Over there is the examination hall. If you have a scholar in the family, he won’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to travel for the exams. There’s also a temple to the Sage Confucius over there. With his blessing, your family’s Qilin son is sure to become a Scholar..."

Xu Su Ying grabbed her daughter, turned, and walked away.

"Hey, wait, don’t go! Miss, if you’re truly interested in buying, the price isn’t completely inflexible."

"Flexible? What do you mean, flexible? We agreed on one hundred and twenty taels, so it’s one hundred and twenty taels! That’s forty taels for each of our three families. If you want to be flexible, then whatever you knock off the price can come out of your share..."

The voice of a shrewish woman came from the yard, and she soon began arguing with the man. A moment later, adults were shouting and children were crying; the yard was as noisy as a marketplace.

...

Chen Wanqing returned to the shop, mulling over the matter of the house. She had only been lost in thought for a moment when a familiar carriage stopped at the door.

As soon as she arrived, Third Miss went straight to Chen Wanqing. "Sister, do you have any more Dream Spirit Fragrance? I need thirty pellets. The Dream Spirit Fragrance you gave me yesterday worked wonders. I lit one last night and slept straight through until morning. I don’t think I’ll be able to live without it while I’m in Qingshui County. Please, get me some quickly! My grandmother’s seventieth birthday is the day after tomorrow, and I can’t show up with dark circles under my eyes and be outshone by the other young ladies in the county."

"Why would you have dark circles? Didn’t you go to Mrs. Ying’s shop to have someone design your makeup and style? Can’t the makeup cover them up?"

"It can cover them, of course, but not resting well definitely affects my vitality and spirit. This is my first formal appearance in front of so many people in my ancestral home. I can’t let anyone upstage me."

Chen Wanqing smiled, pressing her lips together. "You’re quite competitive for your age. You’re one of the young ladies of the Wang Family, aren’t you? Since it’s your grandmother’s birthday, you’re one of the hosts. It really wouldn’t do to be upstaged by your guests."

"Oh, Sister, how did you know I was from the Wang Family?"

"Everyone in the county knows Mrs. Wang is celebrating her seventieth birthday. You just said you came to celebrate your grandmother’s birthday. If you’re not a young lady of the Wang Family, then who else would you be?"

Naturally, Third Miss responded with a flurry of compliments, saying Chen Wanqing’s foresight was god-like, that she could see the whole leopard from just one of its spots. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Chen Wanqing quickly demurred.

’I hardly have such abilities,’ she thought. ’Third Miss just revealed far too much information.’

’For example, she came from the Prefecture to celebrate her grandmother’s seventieth birthday, and she was draped in jewels far beyond what a merchant’s family in the county could afford.’

’And by coincidence, everywhere I’ve gone these past few days, I’ve heard people talking about the Wang Family. Their youngest son is an academic official in the Prefecture, and he’s said to have married the daughter of a wealthy merchant, whose dowry included over a hundred trousseau chests...’

Chen Wanqing exchanged a few more pleasantries with Third Miss before the girl hurried away.

As the matriarch’s birthday drew nearer, friends and family were arriving to pay their respects. Third Miss had to help entertain the young ladies accompanying them, and she was so busy she was run off her feet.

After Third Miss left, no one else came into the shop. Even the number of people next door inquiring about "umbrella-making apprentices" had dwindled significantly.

Chen Wanqing listened to Mrs. Zhu’s cheerful cackling and thought she heard her mention the number "eighteen."

’She must have taken on eighteen apprentices today alone.’

’That’s a lot.’

’But I’m afraid the momentum won’t last, and it won’t earn Mrs. Zhu the dozens of acres of fertile fields she wants. I just hope she doesn’t end up screaming and shouting and getting into another fight with Mr. Zhu.’

These random thoughts flashed through Chen Wanqing’s mind, but her eyes remained fixed on the book spread open on the table.

It was a "textbook" her mother had personally compiled for her—a very thick volume. More than half of it was already filled, while the rest was still blank pages.

These pages were left for her mother to add to later, or for Chen Wanqing to fill with her own new or adjusted incense formulas.

’I wonder if I’ll be able to fill this book in my lifetime.’