Full House Spring

Chapter 93: Getting Married to Prevent Disaster
Rong put down the rose perfume, picked up another bottle and opened it to smell it. She smiled and said, "This is gardenia, with a strong fragrance. This fragrance is not only fresh, but also has a sweet taste. It is suitable for young ladies who have not yet married."

Sun Fuya held up the bottle in her hand and said briskly:

"Mom, smell this bottle of mine. Although the fragrance is strong, it is not pungent at all. It gives you a very comfortable feeling. It is somewhat similar to the scent of orchids. I can't remember what flower it is at the moment."

Rong reached out and poured a drop onto the back of her hand, sniffed it gently, and smiled confidently, "This is the scent of freesia. The flower is gorgeous, and I didn't expect it to smell so good when made into perfume."

Instantly, the smell of perfume filled the air. Shuo Ge'er sniffed unconsciously, and then wanted to reach out to take it. Xia Li hurriedly held Shuo Ge'er's hand and said softly, "This perfume has a strong smell and is not suitable for Shuo Ge'er. When Shuo Ge'er is older, auntie will make you one that is suitable for you, okay?"

Fang Qizheng's eyes lit up immediately, and he asked in a low voice: "Sister, can you also make perfume for men?"

Xia Li turned her head and looked at him and said, "Of course. For example, a woody perfume with a top note of fresh white lemon, a middle note of white peony to add a soft floral scent, and a base note of amber to make the scent more mature and steady when it stays on the skin. This one is very suitable for Big Brother."

Fang Qizheng curled his lips slightly and said flatteringly, "This perfume sounds so pleasant. When can I help you make it? I won't let you do it for nothing. If you need something, I'll get it for you, okay?"

Xia Li smiled and said, "Of course you can. I plan to run the perfume business well so that I can have a stable and profitable livelihood in the future and not live off my savings. What I made today is just for you to try out the scent first. I will mix more complex scents later."

Sun Fuya leaned forward slightly, her eyes showing admiration as she said, "Sister is really amazing. There are so many scents to choose from. I'm afraid it's not easy to make a perfume like this, right?"

Xia Li straightened her waist and said softly, "It's not difficult for me. It just takes time to mix, so the amount of perfume won't be too much."

Rong turned his head and looked at Xia Li, chuckling:
"Scarcity makes things valuable. This perfume is hard to make, so the price should be higher. The rarer something is, the more popular it will be."

Xia Li also planned to do so. She smiled, showing her neat teeth, and said in a brisk voice: "When I make the first batch of perfume for sale, mother and sister-in-law, remember to help me promote it."

Sun Fuya chuckled, "There's no need to advertise it. As long as others smell the perfume on us, they will definitely ask about it."

Rong's eyes sparkled as she said slowly, "Since you have made up your mind to make perfume, I will give you a farm and two hundred acres of land to plant flowers."

Fang Qizheng cleared his throat and said, "Brother will help you find a flower farmer who is good at growing flowers. If you need anything else, please list it and I will help you solve it."

Sun Fuya followed closely and said, "I happen to have a glass workshop, and I will provide the glass bottles you need for your perfume."

Xia Li's face softened, and her eyes revealed a deep feeling of being touched. She said softly, "Thank you, mother, and big brother and big sister-in-law. When new products are released in the future, I will let you pick them first, and then sell the rest."

Sun Fuya picked up Shuo Ge'er and said with a smile: "This is a great relationship. Who knows how many people will envy me in the future."

The atmosphere in the house was cozy, and Xia Li felt warm in her heart as well. She had experienced the hardships in the early stages of starting a business, had fallen into countless traps, and had suffered countless losses. This was the first time she enjoyed the unremitting support of her family, and she was determined to make a name for herself.

After dinner, Xia Li returned to Cuihua Court and began to write a detailed plan. Although she could mix perfume, it was impossible for her to do everything by herself, so she had to recruit people.

She told Bai Ying to take out the account book and see how much money she had before deciding what to do. The farm and 200 acres of land given to her by her mother were at the junction of Laizhou and Jiaozhou. The farm was very large and could be used as a perfume factory.

She also had to recruit a lot of people and buy a group of slaves to teach them how to make perfume. As long as she held their indentures, she would not have to worry about the secret being leaked.

She also needs a capable manager. After all, she lives in the boudoir and is bound by rules and etiquette. She cannot do many things herself. The selection of this person is a bit difficult and she needs to choose one or two carefully.

Xia Li is essentially a workaholic. She enjoys the sense of accomplishment that comes from work, which is even better than holding money in her hands.

The lights in Cuihua Court were on. In the main courtyard, Rong was reading a book while waiting for Fang Zongru to come back. The couple had a harmonious relationship and had spent decades together. They had long been inseparable from each other. Just when Rong was drowsy, Fang Zongru finally returned to his room.

His hair was still dripping with water, and he had obviously washed up outside. Seeing his wife still waiting for him, he said in a steady voice:

"If you're tired, go to sleep first. You don't have to wait for me. I smell like alcohol. Even after taking a shower, I still smell like alcohol. I'll keep you company."

Rong sat on the bed and said angrily, "It's not like I haven't heard about it. What did Magistrate Zhang talk about with you? Why did he come back so late?"

Fang Zongru blew out the candle and walked towards the bed while explaining: "Zhang Zhizhou talked about the affairs of the court. The emperor has been very active recently. He has purged a large number of people since he ascended the throne. These have little to do with us. There is news from the palace that the emperor wants to select concubines to fill the harem."

Rong sat up in shock, and said solemnly, "Could it be that our good girl is also going to enter the palace for selection? You have already resigned from your post, so it shouldn't be possible..."

Fang Zongru gently stroked his wife's back and said in a low voice, "Although I have resigned, my second son is still in the Imperial Academy. Although a noble family like ours disdains to interfere in government affairs, it has great influence among the civil officials. As long as a good girl enters the palace to participate in the election, the emperor will not let her fail."

Rong's heart was beating fast, her eyes were flashing with anger, and she said solemnly:

"The life of a concubine is not a human life. Any family that truly loves their daughter would not send her to the palace. No, I have to find a husband for my daughter as soon as possible. Even if it is a hasty marriage, it is better than entering the palace to participate in the selection."

Fang Zongru thought so too. He said in a steady voice, "There will be a flower banquet at the Zhang Zhizhou residence in three days. You can take your daughter there. Zhang Zhizhou intends to let his third son marry into our family. You can see what kind of person he is."

Rong frowned and said in a slightly cold tone, "I have seen the third son of the Zhang family. He looks gentle and handsome. There is nothing special about him except that he is too weak. I am afraid that my daughter may not like him."

Fang Zongru sighed lightly and said helplessly: "I don't know when the order for the selection will be issued. We can only prepare for this as soon as possible, otherwise things will change." Rong said indignantly: "Then you can't just marry my good girl off to someone else. The candidate can't be worse than the boy from the Kuang family, otherwise it will be troublesome."

Fang Zongru smiled bitterly and said, "Kuang Chengrui sent someone to deliver a letter to me. He has now been promoted to the rank of Commander-in-Chief of the Fourth Rank. He is really not comparable to an ordinary boy."

Rong's face looked ugly, with a hint of hesitation in her eyes. She was reluctant to let her daughter marry someone far away from her, but she also didn't want her daughter to marry a idiot. But how could she find a perfect person in such a short time?

Fang Zongru seemed to know his wife's thoughts. He patted her on the back and said, "Take your daughter to see the third son of the Zhang family first. If there is no big problem, choose him to marry into the family. It would be best if he can make your daughter happy. If not, then divorce her and find another one. Anyway, your daughter doesn't have to suffer in Laizhou."

Mrs. Rong felt relieved when she thought that her daughter was as capable as a man. She said calmly, "Then do as you say. I hope the third son of the Zhang family can please our good girl."

Xia Li's mind was all on her entrepreneurial venture. She didn't care about Kuang Chengrui or Mr. Zhang San. Every day she was either busy selecting people or mixing perfumes. At night she had to make summer clothes for her second brother. She was very busy and had a lot of fun.

Rong couldn't bear to see her daughter working so hard, so she picked out a group of people from her own sons and sent them to the farm to work. She also handed over their deeds to her, saving her a lot of trouble. However, Xia Li still couldn't pick out a manager that she liked. Just when she was at a loss, someone came to her door.

Xia Li looked at Chan Yi and Hu Wan You standing in front of her, and thought she was seeing things. She asked incredulously, "Why did you two come to Laizhou? Are you here to help the Second Master with his business?"

Hu Wanyou looked a little vicissitudes of life, and didn't know how to start for a moment. Chan Yi, on the other hand, had no scruples. She sneered and said:

"Miss, you don't know that my husband and I have been working diligently to run the business for the Second Master, but he made us take the blame when something went wrong. If I hadn't used my savings accumulated over the years to help him, I'm afraid my husband would have even died in jail."

Xia Li was stunned and said in a deep voice, "How could this be? Shopkeeper Hu's ability is obvious to all. Even if he loses some money temporarily, it won't be a big deal. He can always earn it back after he recovers. Why does the Second Master want to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?"

Hu Wanyou bowed to Xia Li and said with a wry smile:

"Miss, you don't know that the mansion is not as good as before. The business of the Second Master has long been coveted by others. The Earl is too young to protect so many for the time being. The Queen in the palace is about to give birth and has no time to take care of herself. In the end, we will have to bear the blame."

Xia Li had thought that the Cheng En Marquis's residence would have a difficult time before leaving, but she didn't expect that it would affect the people below so quickly. There were some things that she couldn't ask in detail, so she could only whisper, "Then why did you go to Laizhou?"

Chan Yi was straightforward and said, "My husband and I have no connection with the government there now. Our family assets have been emptied out, and we still have to make ends meet, so we want to come to you and sell ourselves as slaves to live with you."

Xia Li was delighted when she said this, but then he thought for a moment and said calmly, "Although you have lost all your wealth, at least you are free. Manager Hu is capable and can make a living by doing some small business. Selling yourself as a slave is inferior to others, so why do you have to do this?"

Before the couple came, they had already found out about the status of the Fang family. They knew that they would definitely be reused if they followed Xia Li because of their past relationship, which was much better than fighting alone outside. Hu Wanyou said seriously, "It's not that easy to make a living outside. We don't have any power to rely on. No matter how much we earn, we dare not show it to the public. You also know the situation of my husband and me. When we get old, we will have no children to take care of us. Others will bully us even more unscrupulously. It's better for us to follow you and ask for protection. I hope you can help us."

After that, the couple knelt down. Shi Mi couldn't bear it, so she pleaded with Xia Li, "Miss, you are in need of a trustworthy manager, with Manager Hu and Chan Yi here, you can rest assured. It doesn't matter who you buy from, it's better to use someone you know well."

Xia Li signaled the maid to help them up. She said in a cold voice without any emotion, "Since you have made up your mind, you must sign the contract and assist me wholeheartedly in the future without any second thoughts."

Hu Wanyou and Chan Yi showed their delight and said without hesitation: "We will never have second thoughts and will do our best to serve you in the future."

Xia Li nodded slightly and said bluntly: "Friendship is friendship, rules are rules, you must not take advantage of your friendship with me to do evil, if I know, I will not let you off easily."

Chan Yi's eyes and eyebrows were all smiling, and she said solemnly: "Don't worry, young lady, I will not let you down."

Xia Li said no more and arranged for Shi Mi to welcome them and then send them to the farm to settle down. Now there is a difference between master and servant. If she still treats them without distinguishing between superiors and subordinates as before, it will only cause more unnecessary trouble. It is important for people to find their own position.

After Hu Wanyou and the others left, Xia Li went to the main courtyard to look for her mother. Rong was choosing clothes for the flower banquet tomorrow. When she saw her daughter coming, she smiled and said,

"My dear, you came just in time. Try these clothes on. They are all made according to your size. You must dress up to look stunning for the flower banquet tomorrow."

Xia Li didn't take it to heart at all. She said nonchalantly, "Mom, just pick one for me. There's no need to go through so much trouble."

Rong's smile faded slightly. She raised her hand to signal the servant to leave, then took Xia Li's hand and said:

"My dear, I didn't tell you clearly before. There is news from Kyoto that the emperor will issue an order to select a concubine soon. With our family's status, if you don't get married soon, I'm afraid you will also have to participate in the selection."

Upon hearing the news, Xia Li's face darkened. He asked in confusion, "Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and the Empress is about to give birth. Why is he choosing a concubine at this critical moment?"

Rong shook her head and said with a complicated expression, "Your Majesty is young and energetic, and he has no children. It is only a matter of time before he chooses a concubine. The flower banquet at the prefect's mansion is a disguised matchmaking. I will not hide it from you. The third son of the prefect Zhang is willing to marry into our family. You can go and take a good look. If you like her, we can get married as soon as possible. If not, I will find someone else for you, okay?"

Rong values her daughter very much and would rather have her get married hastily than see her suffer in the palace. Xia Li is already sixteen years old, so it is not too early for her to get married.

If there was no such thing as a selection of ladies, Xia Li would definitely not agree, but she could clearly see the anxiety in Rong's eyes. This matter was more serious than she thought. If she disobeyed the order, her family would be killed. If she entered the palace, she would never be free in her life, and no matter which choice she made, there would be no good ending.

Xia Li hesitated for a moment and nodded, "I'll listen to my mother. I'll pick someone to marry first to ward off disaster. If they don't give birth to children within two or three years after the marriage, I'll divorce them if they don't suit my taste."

(End of this chapter)