Farmer girl swaps husbands: buys a sickly villain and pampers him

Chapter 229 Trial
With only half a month left before the imperial examination, Wang Huanzhi and his wife finally arrived in the capital and quickly found the renowned Taoyaofang.

Wang Huanzhi and his wife traveled through mountains and rivers, visiting many famous scholars and literati, and arrived in the capital to participate in the imperial examination.

Wang Huanzhi is no longer as anxious as before; his mindset has improved a lot, and he is in good spirits.

Two weeks later, Wang Huanzhi, Zhou Wangshu, and others entered the examination hall. As before, Su Yaoguang led the group to see them off.

While the men were striving for their futures, the women weren't idle either. Jiang Jing's medical skills were becoming increasingly excellent, and Jia Chunni had also begun seeing patients. Su Yaoguang had built a strong reputation for Taoyaofang, attracting more and more wealthy women and young ladies; making a fortune was no longer a dream, but a reality.

“Ugh…” Zhang Yingdi lay down and dry heaved.

Zhang Pandi, who was gnawing on a pig's trotter nearby, paused for a moment, put down her trotter, and asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Zhaodi poured a glass of water and handed it to Zhang Yingdi, saying, "I've noticed you haven't been eating much since yesterday. Did you get an upset stomach?"

"I..." Zhang Yingdi blushed. "I am pregnant."

"What did you say?" Zhang Zhaodi and Zhang Pandi stared at her in shock. "When did this happen? Does your brother-in-law know?"

Zhang Yingdi shook her head: "I was afraid he would be distracted, so I didn't dare tell him."

“Jing’er, Jing’er…” Zhang Zhaodi called out loudly.

Jiang Jing ran out from inside and asked, "Mom, I'm here, what's wrong?"

"Come quickly and examine your aunt," Zhang Zhaodi said anxiously. "Hurry!"

Jiang Jing, puzzled, took Zhang Yingdi's pulse, her expression changing. She then switched to the other wrist to confirm the diagnosis, saying, "She's pregnant, about two months along."

"That's great!" Zhang Zhaodi said. "Is there anything you'd like to eat? I'll make it for you."

“Let me do it. I know how to take care of pregnant women,” Zhang Pandi said. “Little sister, you’re still in your early stages of pregnancy, and you’ve had this child for so many years. It’s bound to be harder for you than for those young girls. If you feel unwell, just tell us. We have a doctor at home, and someone will cook for you. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable.”

“I’m not that delicate,” Zhang Yingdi said. “I’m so happy with my life now.”

"Luckily we've arrived in the capital. Otherwise, you'd be so tired from traveling around while pregnant! You're always so considerate of others, never taking care of yourself. That man probably didn't even notice you were unwell, otherwise he wouldn't have left without saying a word."

“He’s very good to me,” Zhang Yingdi said. “Of course, my sisters are the best.”

“Isn’t my niece good enough?” Su Yaoguang said from the side. “Jing’er, Chunni and I will be heartbroken.”

"Okay, everything is fine."

Everyone looked at each other and smiled.

Zhang Yingdi became pregnant, and it was her first child after so many years of marriage, so she immediately became the focus of the whole family's protection.

There were too many customers in the front hall, so in order to prevent her from being bumped by them, she was made to collect money at the counter and was not allowed to do anything else.

Bang! The sound of a bottle falling came from the lobby.

"What happened?" Zhang Zhaodi rushed over upon hearing the news.

A middle-aged woman arrogantly said, "Your stuff is so rotten, I don't like it. I wanted to leave, but she stopped me, and that's why it fell down. It has nothing to do with me."

The female shop assistant next to her explained, feeling wronged, "No, boss, she just picked at it, and half the bottle was gone, and she still doesn't want to pay."

"How can I know if your products are good or not if I don't try them? After trying them, I found that these products are not good at all, so of course I won't buy them."

“We have individual trial packs; these are finished products and cannot be used for trial. Also, you just took several bottles of our trial packs with you. Our boss is generous and never argues over such a small matter, but this is not how you take advantage.”

Zhang Zhaodi waved her hand, summoning several waiters.

"Xia, Cui," Zhang Zhaodi called over two female shop assistants.

Two female shop assistants came over: "Boss."

"Hold her down and search her," Zhang Zhaodi said calmly.

"Yes."

"How dare you! Do you know who I am?" the middle-aged woman shouted. "I am from the General's Mansion."

Zhang Zhaodi scoffed: "So people from the General's Mansion can steal things? Then I'll have to go to the Jingzhao Prefecture and ask if the law only applies to ordinary people and not to officials?"

Two female employees were holding the woman down. The woman struggled, but the female employees were strong, and no matter how hard she struggled, she could not break free.

A dozen or so small bottles were found in the woman's arms. The bottles and jars were exquisitely made and were clearly the store's trial packs.

“We have a sign in our store that clearly states that you can only take one sample. Even if you can’t read, we have someone to explain it to you. Who is this thief who is trying to steal everything from our store? I’ll give you two choices: either pay for the bottle of face cream on the ground, or I’ll take you directly to the authorities.”

"You dare, I am the general..."

"Someone, go to the General's Mansion right now and ask if the people in their household are allowed to swagger around outside!" Zhang Zhaodi shouted.

The surrounding guests were amazed by Zhang Zhaodi's boldness.

"Is the owner of Peach Blossom Inn a bit reckless, daring to provoke the General's Mansion? Does their shop have an even bigger backer?"

"That's how I see it. Otherwise, would she be so assertive?"

Hearing what the people around her were saying, and seeing Zhang Zhaodi's defiant demeanor, the woman began to suspect that Taoyaofang might have some powerful backing.

"How much?" The woman was unwilling, but had no choice but to accept it.

The capital is full of influential people. With Taoyaofang's business growing so large, no one would believe it if it didn't have powerful backers.

"Ten taels of silver," Zhang Zhaodi said calmly.

"Why don't you just rob it?" the woman retorted angrily. "Isn't this face cream worth five taels of silver?"

"It was supposed to cost only five taels of silver, but you broke our things and made a mess of the floor. Shouldn't someone clean it up? Your noise scared away so many customers. Shouldn't you give us some compensation? Don't worry, I'm not a stingy person. You can pay ten taels of silver and take these samples with you."

"You...I didn't..." "Considering that ten taels of silver is indeed a bit much, and judging from your attire, you're probably not the wife of a general, but rather an old maid or something similar. We don't necessarily need you to pay in cash. The hairpin in your hair, the bracelet on your wrist, and the earrings you're wearing—we'll charge you five taels of silver! On top of that, you'll need to pay another five taels in cash. If you don't even have five taels in cash, then this outfit..."

"Don't pull my clothes! I have five taels of silver, I'll give it to you now." The woman blushed and angrily took off all her jewelry.

"This way, please, sir." Zhang Zhaodi smiled brightly and led the woman to the counter to pay.

The woman angrily paid the money, picked up the broken bottle and the half-eaten face cream from the broken bottle, wrapped them in a handkerchief, glared resentfully at Zhang Zhaodi, and left.

"Take care, guests. Come again next time," Zhang Zhaodi said, waving her handkerchief.

“Master, those are people from the General’s Mansion. Aren’t you afraid of offending them?” said the woman beside him.

“There are so many high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital, and countless generals. If the servants of this general or that official can come here to freeload, then I might as well give this shop away,” Zhang Zhaodi said. “Let alone generals, even imperial relatives have to abide by the law, right?”

“This general is different.”

"Why is it different?"

"This general has performed a great service, reclaiming the five cities that had been ceded. The emperor was overjoyed and appointed him as the Grand General Protector of the Nation. This is the first Grand General Protector of the Nation since the founding of the dynasty."

"He can let his servants bully ordinary people?" Zhang Zhaodi scoffed. "I won't fall for that."

"Everyone, I apologize for disturbing you earlier." Su Yaoguang came out carrying a basket filled with various sachets. "These are our shop's newest sachets. Different scents have different effects. This one helps with sleep, this one calms the mind, and this one refreshes the spirit... To make up for it, they're five coins each."

Jia Chunni said, "This prescription was prepared by our Dr. Jiang. Our Dr. Jiang has also cured epidemics and saved the lives of people in two cities. He's really amazing."

Jiang Jing was in the treatment room, listening to the sounds outside, too embarrassed to go out.

A man rode past Taoyao Lane, followed by a dozen or so guards. He stopped at the entrance of Taoyao Lane, his eyes full of doubt.

"General, what's wrong?"

"I don't know why, but I always feel a sense of familiarity here."

"The Emperor is looking for you. There's no time to lose. You must hurry to the palace."

"understood."

At night, Su Yaoguang came out of the workshop and saw Zhang Zhaodi drinking in the courtyard, so she sat down next to her.

"Mom, why are you drinking here all by yourself? Why don't you come drink with me?"

"Can't I even have some peace and quiet? You're married now, you have a husband, why are you still bothering your mother?" Zhang Zhaodi said.

"My husband is taking an exam!" Su Yaoguang said. "He's not here, so can't I go to my mother?"

Zhang Zhaodi said irritably, "After Wang Shu finishes the imperial examination, whether he passes or not, you and he have to live a good life together and have a child as soon as possible."

"Mother is still young, have you ever thought about finding me a father?" Su Yaoguang asked with a smile.

“I’m almost forty, am I still young?” Zhang Zhaodi said irritably. “At my age, men are just accessories; only money is truly valuable. Why would I want to find a man to make myself miserable?”

Su Yaoguang hugged Zhang Zhaodi's arm: "Did you hear those people talking about that great general today, and it reminded you of your father?"

“What’s there to think about? Can your father compare to that great general? Your father was just a farmer, all he had was brute strength, nothing else. Even if he went to the battlefield, he would just be there to make up the numbers. I just feel that he was unlucky to have the chance to see such a good daughter as Yaoguang and such a good son-in-law as Wangshu.”

"Mother, don't be sad." Su Yao leaned on her shoulder. "We have money now, you can live whatever life you want. If you want to find a partner, we can find one too. Look how beautiful you are now, people would believe you're only twenty, why can't you find a second spring?"

"A second spring... haha... I don't know where he learned that weird phrase." Zhang Zhaodi laughed non-stop.

Su Yaoguang recalled Zhang Zhaodi from her past life. Back then, she worked day and night and looked like a woman in her fifties or sixties even though she was only thirty. Now, Zhang Zhaodi is well-fed, well-housed, well-dressed, and well-groomed. Jiang Jing also takes care of her health and uses their specially made skincare cream every day. It's no exaggeration to say that she looks like a woman in her twenties.

If she hadn't been given a second chance at life and chosen a different path, she would never have known that she and her daughter could become so beautiful.

"Mom, I'm serious. If you meet someone you like, please consider it carefully."

“Okay, I’ll try my best!” Zhang Zhaodi said with a smile.

Su Yaoguang knew Zhang Zhaodi wasn't taking it seriously. However, if Zhang Zhaodi wasn't taking it seriously, she couldn't afford to be. She would observe carefully and see if there was anyone suitable.

The gender must be male, and the age doesn't need to be strictly limited. As long as her mother likes him, it doesn't matter if he's over 18 or under 50.

Zhang Zhaodi was initially a little sad, but that sadness disappeared as soon as her daughter arrived.

"Stop drinking. After Wangshu finishes her exams, you two have to give me a grandson. Drinking is bad for getting pregnant."

Su Yaoguang: "..."

The next day, an old nanny came to Taoyao Lane and requested a door-to-door service.

Su Yaoguang arranged for one of her beauticians to come to her home.

At noon, the man who had been sent out returned, his face red and swollen from being slapped.

"Who did this?" Zhang Zhaodi asked angrily.

"It's alright, boss," Cui Hongxiu said, crying. "Those are people from the Protectorate General's Mansion. We can't afford to offend them."

“The Protector General’s Mansion?” Zhang Zhaodi repeated the name, recalling the middle-aged woman from yesterday, and said angrily, “So they came here on purpose to cause trouble today.”

“Hongxiu, tell me who you met today, what you did, and why you were beaten afterward,” Su Yaoguang said.

Cui Hongxiu described, "I went to the door as the person said, and was then led inside to meet a beautiful woman. The woman asked me to do a full skincare routine for her. After all the treatments were done, she said that I had injured her and pulled her scalp, which hurt a lot. She then had the old woman next to her slap me twenty times. That old woman was the one who came to our shop to cause trouble yesterday."

"Did she pay?" Su Yaoguang asked.

“I gave it to you,” Cui Hongxiu said.

"They asked us for door-to-door service, caused trouble, and ended up paying us money. To put it bluntly, they just wanted to vent their anger. Now that they've paid us, we have no grounds to sue them. If we cause them trouble because of Hongxiu being beaten and take it to the authorities, they can just turn the tables on us, just like they said."

"That's shameless!" Zhang Zhaodi said. "What do we do now? We, Hongxiu, can't just let this go unpunished!"