Chapter 309: Chapter 126: Wanyue Gets Married
After her mother’s counsel, Chen Wanqing felt her mind settle.
’It’s just a trip to the Prefecture,’ she thought. ’Even Jing and De’an can go, and I’m older than them. What’s there to be afraid of?’
So she decided to act immediately.
First, she went to Moxiang Pavilion to find Mr. Wang.
Mr. Wang was reading a letter delivered by a swift courier from the owner. It said that Moonlight Fragrance had broken into the market in the Prefecture and was now selling like crazy. The letter urged Mr. Wang to hurry and send more Moonlight Fragrance, or they wouldn’t be able to keep up with the demand.
Glancing up unexpectedly, he saw Chen Wanqing approaching under an oil-paper umbrella. Before he could even ask what brought her here, he quickly handed her the letter.
"It’s a letter from the owner. He says demand for Moonlight Fragrance is outstripping supply and is urging me to send more over quickly. Oh my goodness, if it wasn’t raining, I’d have left already. It’s a good rain, but it’s really holding things up."
He rambled on for a good while before finally remembering to ask Chen Wanqing, "Shopkeeper Chen, what brings you here? Is there something urgent? If so, you could have just sent someone to let me know, and I would have come to you myself."
Mr. Wang’s attitude toward Chen Wanqing grew even more enthusiastic.
She truly was a God of Wealth.
Thanks to Moonlight Fragrance, he too was held in higher regard by the owner. All communication with Chen Wanqing was now his sole responsibility. While his official title hadn’t changed, his share of the profits had increased by ten percent. What’s more, the owner had promised that if the business continued to thrive, he’d get another ten percent.
With that twenty-percent share, he could easily earn enough to provide for his two grandsons for the rest of their lives.
Who would ever say no to more money?
No one.
Money was a wonderful thing; even he was fond of it. So when faced with Shopkeeper Chen, his golden goose, he had to be all the more accommodating.
When he heard that Chen Wanqing wanted to go to the Prefecture with them, Mr. Wang burst out laughing.
"Are you worried about Jing and your brother, Shopkeeper Chen? If you don’t mind me saying so, those two are exceptionally capable. They’re sure to pass the exam this time, no doubt about it."
Chen Wanqing didn’t bother to explain. She simply asked again, "Is it convenient for me to travel with your cart?"
"Convenient? Of course, it’s convenient! The rain looks like it’ll last until dusk. So, let’s plan on this: we’ll set out first thing tomorrow morning. You can just meet us at the city gate, Shopkeeper Chen."
Satisfied, Chen Wanqing headed home. After telling Xu Su Ying about the arrangements, she went to find Dashan, preparing to brave the rain for a trip back to the Zhao Village.
Fortunately, the rain had lessened, so they could don their straw raincoats and travel without delay. Still, the air was chilly and the road was muddy. Feeling apologetic for the trouble, Chen Wanqing grabbed two packets of pastries from her home and pressed them on Dashan, much to his embarrassment.
By the time she returned from the Zhao Village, it was already evening.
Chen Wanqing had brought back a large bundle. "There are scallion pancakes my mother-in-law made, and shoes for Jing. It’s all just odds and ends, nothing valuable, but it’s the sentiment from my mother-in-law and Xiang’er, so I brought everything..."
Chen Wanqing continued, "I’ve left the perfume-making in Second Aunt-in-law’s hands, but I’ll still need you, Mom, to help me buy the spices. And those two secret medicinal herbs—I’ll need you to take care of those, too."
She wasn’t worried about the delivery; the next one was scheduled for half a month from now. With her mother and Second Aunt-in-law overseeing things, delivering on time wouldn’t be a problem.
Chen Wanqing also brought up her shop. She definitely wouldn’t have time to run it now, so she decided she would just post a notice and close for a month.
As for her mother-in-law, she’d have to trouble her own mother to check in on her from time to time. She’d also have to ask her mom to bring her mother-in-law’s medicine along on each visit.
Most importantly, there was the matter of Xiang’er’s marriage. This couldn’t be rushed. Once Zhao Jing became a Scholar, Xiang’er’s own prospects would improve. There was no need to rush into arranging matchmaking meetings for her right now.
"Xiang’er is only fourteen, isn’t she? And they’re already starting matchmaking? That’s far too early."
"The matchmaking hasn’t actually started yet, but my mother-in-law heard a bit of gossip and got all worked up. When I was there, she even asked if you and Dad knew any reliable young men. On that point, at least, my mother-in-law is being sensible. At the very least, she isn’t just planning to marry her daughter off to any old farming family; she wants to help Xiang’er marry up. But with no money and no influence, who’s going to give you a second look? On the other hand, once Zhao Jing becomes a Scholar, Xiang’er’s status will be completely different. Just you wait and see how easy it is to find a good match for her then."
Chen Wanqing went over many other miscellaneous details with her mother. Only as the sky grew dark did she remember the most important thing of all—something she still hadn’t said.
