Chapter Thirteen: Making Friends

“Concubine, the First Madam has arrived!” Xiao Que’er’s clear voice came from outside.

“Madam, please come in and have a seat; it’s cold outside,” Qin Mingyue stood up to welcome Lady Xing into the room.

“It’s quite strange—whenever I enter your room, I always feel much more at ease. No wonder little Tanchun’s complexion improved so much after just a few days here. Truly, your place is good for nurturing,” Lady Xing praised as she stepped inside.

“Oh, Madam, you flatter me. Tanchun’s health is improving naturally, that’s all. Look, the two little ones are still playing on the bed!” Qin Mingyue smiled and interrupted.

“These two children are truly lovely. Here, Great Aunt has brought you some small toys—let’s see if you like them,” Lady Xing took a box from a maid and opened it, showing the toys to the two children.

Qin Mingyue noticed her thoughtful gesture; the toys were all suitable for Tanchun and Jiahuan’s age. As soon as the box was opened, it immediately caught little Tanchun’s attention, and Jiahuan was equally delighted, babbling excitedly on the bed.

“Thank you, Great Aunt!” After recovering from her illness, Tanchun gradually displayed the sharp intelligence she would be known for, prompting Lady Xing to affectionately pat her little head.

“You were right to bring her back here to recuperate. She certainly looks more lively than when she was with Lady Wang,” Lady Xing said to Qin Mingyue.

It had taken Qin Mingyue several days to grow close to the child. The thought of having to return Tanchun to Lady Wang’s household later filled her with sadness.

“Madam isn’t entirely wrong. Having Tanchun raised by Lady Wang might benefit her future matches. I know it’s hard for you, but visit her often. Don’t let the mother and daughter grow apart,” Lady Xing saw through Qin Mingyue’s reluctance and comforted her.

Qin Mingyue understood well, but knowing that such a clever and capable girl like Tanchun would still be used for a political marriage made her heart heavy. She resolved to do everything possible to change Tanchun’s fate.

“I understand what you’re saying, but the Second Madam and I are now at odds. I fear Tanchun will suffer under her. Besides, Jia Yuanchun hasn’t entered the palace yet, and Tanchun is still young. Grandmother naturally pays little attention to us little concubine daughters. It will be some time before little Tanchun becomes the sharp, capable young lady of the Dream of the Red Chamber,” Qin Mingyue said.

“For now, the best plan is to cultivate Jiahuan well. If little Jiahuan prospers, both you and Tanchun will have support. Unlike me—no children, and my husband’s heart is elsewhere. I never know when I’ll see better days. There’s not a soul in the mansion to confide in. It’s truly stifling,” Lady Xing looked enviously at Qin Mingyue, who had both sons and daughters.

When Lady Xing first married Jia She, she was young, and Jia She was somewhat interested in her. She hoped to have a child to rely on, but her womb remained barren. Jia She grew increasingly weary of her, and she eventually gave up hope.

“Has Madam consulted the doctor outside?” Qin Mingyue asked.

“Of course. The doctor said that with proper care, I shouldn’t have difficulty conceiving. But it seems it wasn’t meant to be. Perhaps it’s fate—forcing it won’t help,” Lady Xing had long since come to terms with it, though Qin Mingyue still saw the regret in her heart.

A woman who spent her prime years confined to the mansion, ignored by her husband, childless, embroiled in conflicts with co-wives and a strained relationship with her mother-in-law—the thought made Qin Mingyue feel suffocated. Lady Xing was the only person in the Jia household who showed her kindness; she felt obligated to help if she could.

“If you like Huan’er and Tanchun, come visit the yard more often. A better mood might even bring surprises!” Qin Mingyue half-joked.

“You have a sweet tongue. I don’t expect much nowadays. Just living a good life is enough,” Lady Xing took Qin Mingyue’s words as comfort and turned to play with little Jiahuan without a care.

Qin Mingyue took the opportunity to examine Lady Xing’s health and found no serious issues—liver qi stagnation was the cause of her infertility. No wonder she couldn’t conceive despite treatment. Anyone in Lady Xing’s position would be deeply troubled.

Lady Xing stayed in Qin Mingyue’s courtyard for two hours before reluctantly leaving. The usual gloom was lifted, and she felt much lighter. She realized she truly needed someone to talk to; otherwise, life was unbearable. She had never realized how dull her past life had been until now.

After seeing Lady Xing off, Qin Mingyue looked at the two little ones, already cuddled up and sound asleep, and felt her heart warm. Somehow, she recalled the social media posts of pregnant mothers showing off their children before the apocalypse. If she had a phone now, she might also record her children’s daily moments.

“Auntie, Uncle has arrived,” Que’er whispered, careful not to wake the children.

“I’ll go out now,” Qin Mingyue tucked the children in and told Que’er to watch over them.

“Greetings, Auntie,” Zhao Guoji bowed to Qin Mingyue.

“No need for formalities, Brother. How’s business during the New Year?” Qin Mingyue cut straight to the point.

“Business is excellent! All the vegetables we grew have been bought up by Yunxiang Pavilion. Here’s the income from this period, take a look!” Zhao Guoji couldn’t hide his excitement.

Qin Mingyue opened the box and saw more than a dozen 100-tael silver notes and some loose silver coins.

“Thank you for taking care of things for so long. You keep half of this,” Qin Mingyue said, taking only half and pushing the rest towards Zhao Guoji.

“No, Father and Mother said we only put in the effort. Without your ideas, we wouldn’t have earned so much,” Zhao Guoji quickly declined.

“Brother, I can’t leave the mansion now. I’ll need you to handle affairs for me in the future. You take the money; it’s of little use to me here. Besides, we need to buy a shop and more land for planting flowers. We’ll hire people to farm, and there are many expenses ahead. Keep the money for now and let me know when you find a suitable shop,” Qin Mingyue advised.

“All right, I’ll look into it and come find you if there’s a good opportunity,” Zhao Guoji agreed.

“Brother, once our batch of flower seedlings grows, besides supplying Yunxiang Pavilion, we can sell them in the shop with hired help. This business will be ongoing, so there may be envious eyes. Why not ask Yunxiang Pavilion’s manager if they’d like to invest?” Qin Mingyue suggested.

“Invest?” Zhao Guoji perked up.

After explaining and discussing various precautions, Qin Mingyue had someone escort Zhao Guoji out of the mansion and planned to draft a contract to send to him.

Everything was going smoothly now. If only she could leave the Jia household soon—being trapped here was truly suffocating. Qin Mingyue sighed and quietly tallied her little treasury back inside.

With the money from selling flowers and vegetables, she had a thousand taels of silver. It seemed like a lot, but in the capital, it didn’t go far. Still, this was just the beginning; she planned to take it slowly.

Qin Mingyue calculated the many things she would need to grow in the future, not only buying land but also preparing seeds after spring. She intended to have Zhao Guoji source more seeds for her, using her special abilities to nurture them for higher survival rates, ensuring no shortage of stock later on.