The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 3: Don't Get Into Anyone

"Master, what you said hits my elder sister and me right in the heart. When my elder sister and I married into your family, did we ever stop you from taking concubines? Over the years, no woman in our family has had an abortion. Master is often away from home, and we haven't seen any women having affairs with actors or running off with peddlers. I consider myself a good steward of the household, diligent and conscientious. My elder sister sent the father-in-law away, and I sent the mother-in-law away..."

"Okay, okay, it's my fault, it's my fault." Seeing that he had messed up his step-wife's words, Shang Jinliang quickly begged for mercy.

The carriage's front wheels turned and it moved away. Cheng She was holding a pair of gold earrings in his hand. Just then, a doctor treated his wounds. He tossed the earrings to the doctor and said, "A reward for you."

In the carriage, Shang Mingshu pretended to be faint and fell asleep unknowingly while listening to the two people's old arguments.

The morning light quietly climbs the horse-head wall, and the golden light spreads, illuminating the carvings on the door cover.

Shang Mingshu took a light nap for two hours, got up at noon, dressed herself up, and before going out, she stared at the pointed-toe shoes that her maid Hemai brought to her.

Shang Mingshu, fully dressed, sat in front of the dressing mirror. The woman in the mirror had porcelain-white skin, bright eyes, and lips like cherry blossoms. She was not as dignified as her eldest sister, nor as bright as her second sister.

If you don't look into her eyes, you will definitely see her as a quiet and beautiful lady with a clear mind, graceful bones and a gentle and intelligent spirit. Her deep and sharp eyes make the mother combing her hair behind her dare not look at her.

"Madam, shoes." He Mai reminded in a low voice.

The Shang family had just become wealthy and was a merchant. None of the three sisters, Shang Mingshu, had bound feet. The uppers of these shoes were beautifully embroidered with tiny hooks, and were embellished with embroidery, making them bright and delicate.

These shoes were made by an old craftsman in the city. The mother made the shoes and the daughter embroidered them. She lost three strings of cash on this pair of shoes.

One string of money is worth one thousand coins. Nowadays, one tael of silver is worth 700 to 800 coins depending on its quality.

Shang Mingshu got four taels of silver for a pair of shoes.

She was dazed because scenes from her dream appeared in her eyes.

This pair of shoes displeased the newly appointed prefect's family, who believed that she was extravagant. Later, her father invited the prefect to visit and asked the family's respected opera troupe to perform. It was even rumored that the merchant had kept the shoes for her personal use.

From then on, the Shang Mansion had huge mansions, fertile fields, and abandoned houses with stored goods. However, Su Feng's wealth was well-known in the city, which attracted the attention of many villains and wolves, making the situation of the entire Shang Mansion even worse.

"Madam?" Seeing Shang Mingshu remained silent, He Mai began to examine her shoes carefully again.

Shang Mingshu came back to her senses, a gentle smile on her lips: "Change to a pair, change to the pair of shoes inlaid with gold thread and blue stripes, and embellished with gold beads."

"Madam, you are going to attend a banquet at the prefect's house with my wife today. Those shoes..." He Sui reminded her briefly.

Those shoes were extremely luxurious; the pair of gold beads alone were worth a hundred taels of silver.

She knew that someone had carefully laid a trap for her, but she, Shang Mingshu, was born into wealth. Her grandfather and father had worked hard to accumulate wealth for two generations, and they had never gained any ill-gotten gains. Why should she hide it?

Live for the pleasure of others?

Will those who are eyeing her business wealth give up because of her sudden frugality?
"Change." Shang Mingshu opened the treasure box and took out her favorite gold bead hairpin and earrings.

She wore her hair in a bun, only wearing this hairpin. Not only did she accessorize with shoes, she also changed into a yellow stand-up collared gown with gold thread piping, paired with a pleated skirt sprinkled with gold, and finally tied a gorgeously embroidered cloud shoulder.

"Madam, news has come from the front courtyard. The eldest and second ladies have caused a disturbance in the main courtyard because Madam brought only you to the banquet. They have had an argument with the master. The master was furious and said that the official family pays more attention to legitimate and illegitimate children..."

Shang Mingshu had just finished dressing up when Xiao Yu from the main courtyard sent someone to report the news.

Upon hearing this, Shang Mingshu's face turned a little cold. Her father just liked to make trouble for her!

"He Sui, bring the clothes and jewelry I prepared for my eldest and second sisters."

Merchants did not care much about the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. Most of the wealthy people in Huizhou Prefecture had farmed and studied since childhood, and Shang Jinliang was no exception. He paid special attention to the education of his daughters, and did his best to teach them according to the teachings of officials' wives, and they even had more freedom.

With her constant encouragement, the eldest sister became proficient in arithmetic and could calculate simple accounts faster and more accurately than many accountants using an abacus. No one could cook the books under her nose.

Under her constant flattery, her second sister became obsessed with the tea ceremony. She was proficient in everything related to tea, from selecting tea trees, planting, picking, refining and finally brewing. No one could pass off inferior products as good ones for her.

Both of her elder sisters were her right-hand men and left-hand men whom she had carefully cultivated. She could not allow them to feel alienated from her.

"Oh, our younger sister is here. Let's pay our respects to her." Second Lady Shang Zishu acted weird when she saw Shang Mingshu, and saluted Shang Mingshu in a formal manner.

Shang Mingshu didn't want to be accustomed to her, so she didn't help her. She sat down in front of them and let He Sui bring up the headwear and clothes she had prepared. "I had prepared hairpins and skirts for you, but my aunt told my father to let me go. It's just that the third son of the magistrate's illegitimate son is of the right age. I don't think I know what you two sisters are thinking. I just don't want to fight over these things and hurt the harmony between the sisters, so I gave up the idea."

Holding the handle of a kesi round fan made of delicate tortoise shell, Shang Mingshu loved it so much. Glancing at her two sisters, she continued quietly, "Since you two sisters don't appreciate my kindness, let's go together. This will save me from being the vicious stepmother who oppresses you, and my aunt from being the unkind stepmother who mistreats her daughter."

Shang Wenshu and Shang Zishu's thoughts were exposed. They were both determined to marry into the family and they competed openly and secretly with each other. They also knew that Shang Mingshu was lazy and liked luxury, and did not want to work hard. In accordance with her father's expectations, she practiced music, chess, calligraphy, painting, riding, shooting and women's work.

Her father wanted to marry Shang Mingshu into an official family to help the family prosper. No matter which of them finally got what they wanted, they would need the help of the third sister.

The third sister treated them with sincerity since they were young, and was always willing to share with them any good things she had.

When they were young, their father treated them differently. Thanks to their two mothers' persuasion, they were finally taken seriously and invited to a famous master to teach them arithmetic and tea making...

"Third sister, I'm wrong. I apologize to you." The more Shang Wenshu thought about it, the more guilty she felt. She always had the demeanor of an elder sister, so since she was wrong, she would admit it openly.

Shang Mingshu snorted twice: "My love for my elder sister is as bright as the moon, clearly visible..."

"I just collected two gold star dragon tail inkstones. I will send someone to deliver them to my third and second sisters now. Third sister is magnanimous and will forgive me this time and not do it again." Shang Wenshu could only coax her.

"Okay, after all, I'm the eldest sister's caring third sister." Shang Mingshu turned her bright eyes to Shang Zishu, "Second sister?"

Shang Zishu also thought of how good her sister was in the past, and how unhappy her sisters in the boudoir were. She thought she had become a little too greedy and even coveted the family business. Her mother and sister never mocked her, but instead tried their best to help her by collecting ancient and modern tea classics for her.

But she was strong-willed and not as frank as Shang Wenshu. Even though she felt she was wrong, she couldn't bring herself to apologize.

(End of this chapter)