You expect me to serve your mistress? The mistress is driving this scumbag and his entire family cra

Chapter 21: Being clever but being misled by cleverness

Seeing Liang Jiang's demeanor and elegant, noble air despite her simple attire, the man thought she might be the master of this mansion, and a glimmer of hope rose in his heart.

"It's all my fault for not thinking things through. My old lady has been taking this heart-saving pill all along, and Madam Liang only symbolically took a small amount of the principal."

I never imagined that now that Madam Liang is gone, the heart-saving pills would cost a thousand taels of silver. I came in a hurry and didn't find out the details. I didn't bring enough money to buy the medicine. If anything happens to the old lady, it will be my responsibility.”

As he spoke, he punched his own head twice in frustration.

Liang Jiang thought to herself, since the other party has been taking her mother's medicine, they must have some connection with the Duke's mansion.

He generously said, "I have medicine here; take it back and save the person."

Upon hearing this, the visitor was overjoyed: "Really?"

He frantically pulled out silver notes from his pocket: "I have three hundred taels here, and I'll definitely send the rest tomorrow."

"No need, I brought this medicine myself." There were many people at the door, so Liang Jiang quickly whispered to stop them: "Don't make a fuss about this. If others know, just take the medicine and leave."

The visitor was stunned and stammered, "No money? This medicine is very expensive."

Liang Jiang simply smiled and said, "It won't be expensive tomorrow."

"Huh?" The visitor was completely bewildered, finding the question rather strange: "Then, how can I thank you?"

"It's just a pill. If the old lady needs it in the future, she can just go to Renhetang in the capital to get it. They will sell it there, and just like before, they will only accept the principal."

After saying that, he instructed Aunt Yu: "Bring a nitroglycerin pill and give it to this young man."

Yu Ma agreed, and the two returned to the mansion. Liang Jiang went directly to Old Madam Fang's courtyard, while Yu Ma took the pills and handed them to the messenger.

The visitor expressed his deepest gratitude, accepted the pills, and immediately mounted his horse and rode away without lingering.

Just outside Fucheng and onto the official road, a chestnut horse galloped towards them like lightning. When it reached them, they reined in their horses.

"Watch the game!"

The man had already recognized the chestnut horse. He dismounted and knelt on one knee: "Your Highness, why have you come in person?"

The man on horseback was none other than Prince Pingxi, Gu Xizhi.

He looked down at her, raised his whip, and gestured for her to rise: "My grandmother is feeling terribly tight in her chest. I think you left the city last night with your token and came to the Fang family in Fucheng, but you haven't returned for a long time. Something must have gone wrong."

I was worried, so I came to check. After all, I've met Fang Chengxu once, and I think he might be willing to help me by asking him for medicine.

Guanqi took out a pill from his pocket and briefly explained how he had sought the medicine.

"If it weren't for that lady's generous gift of medicine, I would have rushed into the mansion and used the name of the Marquis of Huaiyuan's mansion to pressure the Fang family in a moment of panic."

Gu Xizhi narrowed her eyes slightly: "A pill that costs a thousand taels of silver is sold for free. Do you know who this person is?"

Guanqi said regretfully, "I was so excited at the time that I forgot to ask. Oh, right, that lady also said that if the old lady needs to use nitroglycerin pills in the future, they can be bought at Renhetang, and they will only charge us the principal."

Gu Xizhi was even more puzzled. From Guan Qi's previous description, this person did resemble Fang Chengxu's first wife somewhat. But hadn't she already divorced Fang Chengxu? She should have left the Fang family long ago.

Driven by an urgent desire to save lives, he didn't think twice and returned to the capital with Guanqi. (Fang residence)

Liang Jiang took the initiative to find Old Madam Fang: "Madam, I have been looking for you several times, but the servants all say that you are not at home."

The soon-to-be-rich old lady Fang immediately became arrogant and spoke with confidence: "What do you want from me?"

"Regarding the matter you asked me to inquire about the other day, I did. The shopkeeper said that this medicine is a rare commodity and cannot be sold for even a penny. It costs five hundred taels of silver per pill. I've ordered two pills for you in advance."

"No, I can't afford this medicine," Old Mrs. Fang said coldly. "I still need to save money to repay your dowry."

Liang Jiang looked troubled: "But I've already made an agreement with them, it wouldn't be good to break my promise, would it?"

"Tell me who you ordered the medicine from, and I'll go talk to him myself. Isn't this a scam? Do you think our money grows on trees?"

Liang Jiang could only concede: "I'll go and say it myself. I wouldn't dare trouble you, Madam."

"Oh, are you feeling guilty?" Old Mrs. Fang raised her voice: "Afraid that I'll find out you're making money off this?"

Liang Jiang said, feeling wronged, "What do you mean by that, Madam? I don't understand."

"Don't you understand?" Old Madam Fang deliberately made sure everyone could hear her: "The medicine shopkeeper only asked for four hundred taels of silver, but you're trying to make five hundred taels from me! You're even trying to profit from money meant to save a life, do you have any conscience at all?"

"Impossible, the shopkeeper clearly said five hundred taels." Liang Jiang retorted, "Whose slander have you believed?"

Grandma Fang proudly waved the medicine box in her hand: "I've bought all the medicine, thirteen pills, how could it be fake? Four hundred taels per pill!"

"It depends on the market price; perhaps the medicine has been discounted. Otherwise, why would the shopkeeper be willing to sell so many at once? I pleaded and begged, but he only agreed to give me two pills."

"Keep pretending!" Old Mrs. Fang said mercilessly, "You really won't do anything without a profit, you'll pluck feathers from a passing goose, you've got a black heart."

Liang Jiang, after being scolded, tried to persuade the shopkeeper: "The shopkeeper has lowered the price for no reason. There must be some reason behind it. You should find out more about it, Madam."

The old lady chuckled smugly: "Look at all the heart pills I bought, are you envious? You didn't expect that, did you? I'll cut you off from the deal, so you won't make any money from it."

He walked straight past the galangal, his feet barely touching the ground, and went back to his room.

The servants, who were watching the spectacle, began to whisper and comment: "She's even trying to make money off someone's life. What she's done this time is definitely a bit too much."

"That's right, thirteen pills, just running errands and she made over a thousand taels of silver. Old ginger is spicier, how can she compete with an old lady who has lived most of her life?"

"However, the fact that the old lady spent more than five thousand taels of silver to buy medicine shows that she still has money."

"Yes, to be fair, it's not right to have money in hand but refuse to return a good girl's dowry."

"The old lady has always been ruthless, snatching mud from a swallow's mouth and peeling gold from a Buddha statue. Can she really spit out the silver she's swallowed? Miss Liang and her daughter are an orphan and a widow. There's no way they can get those several thousand taels of silver back."

The servants gossiped openly in front of Liang Jiang. Since Liang Jiang was no longer the mistress of the house, there was nothing for her to be afraid of.

Liang Jiang's eyes sparkled with barely suppressed excitement; the real show was about to begin!
The more smug you are now, the more heartbroken you will be tomorrow, and you will learn what it means to be too clever for your own good.

The Fang family is about to have a lively time.

(End of this chapter)