A fierce wife enters the house: She helps up a house full of spineless people.

The second room wasn't big; if they argued behind closed doors, the neighbors could faintly hear it.

Chen Shuyan bolted the door and turned to look at his parents and Liu Yiyi.

Liu Yiyi huddled on the edge of the bed, her hands resting on her stomach, trying to minimize her presence.

"Fifty taels. We'll gather them in three days. I only have thirty taels on hand. Father and Mother, you contribute ten taels. Yiyi, you contribute ten taels too." Chen Shuyan said, instantly dividing the fifty taels.

"Where would I get ten taels?" Chen Yang spread his hands. "Your father has never touched money before, you know that."

Chen Xiufen also became anxious: "Last time I was injured, Wang Jinzhu paid me ten taels of silver in compensation, and you still have eight taels. I don't have much money, and the family still needs to eat!"

"What happened to the two ounces I gave you back then?"

"It treated my eyes."

"Treating my eyes will cost two taels of silver, Mother. Take as much as you can, otherwise I'll lose my official title, and you can forget about relying on me for the rest of your life," Chen Shuyan said coldly.

Chen Yang grabbed Chen Xiufen's arm: "Take it! Take it now!"

When Chen Xiufen was pulled by her husband, her eyes immediately reddened. She rummaged through the bottom of the trunk, pulled out a cloth bag, and threw it on the table.

The cloth bag was opened, revealing three taels of silver and a string of copper coins.

That's all, not a penny more.

Chen Shuyan ignored her and turned to look at Liu Yiyi.

Liu Yiyi immediately looked away.

"Yiyi."

"I have no money," Liu Yiyi said in a muffled voice. "I'm just a woman, staying at home all day, where would I get any money?"

Chen Shuyan smiled. The smile was faint, as faint as the winter sun, without any warmth.

"What about the five taels from Jinxiang Pavilion?"

Liu Yiyi's body stiffened.

"You stole five taels of Tianwei's dowry and sold it; surely that money won't grow wings and fly away?"

"Those five taels... I spent them."

"Where did the flowers go?"

"What should I eat, what should I wear, and what kind of nourishing supplements should I take to support my pregnancy?"

"Fine," Chen Shuyan interrupted her, "Then I'll go talk to my father-in-law and let him know that his daughter stole something. Do you think the Liu family will cover for you if they find out, or will they cut ties with you?"

Liu Yiyi's face turned pale instantly.

Although her family wasn't wealthy, they valued their reputation above all else. If her father found out she had been caught stealing, his first reaction wouldn't be to feel sorry for her, but to worry about the shame she would bring upon herself.

"You...you're threatening me?"

"I'm saving you." Chen Shuyan bent down close to her and said in a low voice, "Don't you know Jinzhu? If she says she'll report me to the authorities, she really will. Not only will I lose my official position, but you'll also end up in jail. The choice is yours: will this child be born in prison or at home?"

Liu Yiyi clutched the corner of the blanket, her knuckles turning white. After a while, she returned to her room, took out 10 taels of silver, and handed it to Chen Shuyan.

That's all, really.

Chen Shuyan took the purse, weighed it in his hand, and put it into his sleeve.

Adding his own thirty taels, Chen Xiufen's three taels, and Liu Yiyi's ten taels, he was still seven taels short.

Chen Shuyan arrived at Old Lady Chen's door. He knocked three times, the wooden door creaked, but there was no response from inside.

"Grandma, it's me."

Still no sound.

He knocked twice more, this time with more force: "Grandma, I have something to tell you."

A sound of someone turning over came from inside the room, the bed creaked, followed by even snoring—it was all an act.

Chen Shuyan stood outside the door, his teeth grinding together. He knew very well that Old Madam Chen was a light sleeper; she could be woken up by the crowing of a chicken in the backyard.

He stopped knocking, leaned against the door frame, and started talking.

"Grandma, I'm still short seven taels. If I can't raise the rest, I'll have to report it to the authorities. I've been thinking, if all else fails, we'll sell our one mu of paddy field."

The snoring in the room stopped abruptly, and Chen Shuyan's lips curled into a slight smile.

"That mu (unit of land measurement) by the river, which yields four shi (unit of dry measure) of rice every year. Old Zhao, the owner of the grain shop in town, has been wanting to buy it; he should be able to afford seven taels (unit of weight)."

After speaking, Chen Shuyan waited a moment, but the door didn't open, nor did he hear a single word. He put his hands behind his back, turned around, and left.

That night, Old Mrs. Chen tossed and turned seven or eight times before finally drifting off to sleep around dawn.

As soon as it was light, she went towards the main house with her hands tucked in.

Chen Tianfang was chopping firewood, while Old Man Chen was stacking it.

Old Mrs. Chen moved closer to Old Mr. Chen and whispered, "Old man, Shuyan said he wants to sell the paddy fields."

"I won't sell it." Old Chen didn't even look up, and picked up another piece of wood.

"But he said it himself last night."

"Would Chen Yang agree? Without that land, he's completely hopeless. Do you think he's as stupid as you, still relying on your scholar grandson?" Old Chen slammed the axe into the stake, straightened his back, and continued, "Besides, that kid has money. He's just unwilling to part with his own money, so he's trying to find ways to take your funeral money."

"You're the stupid one! Isn't that our grandson?"

"If you give it to him, he'll know that he only needs to threaten you with land to get money. Once that door is opened, your meager retirement savings won't last until next year."

Grandma Chen stood there, her expression changing repeatedly, but in the end she didn't say anything and turned to walk back.

Chen Shuyan saw his grandmother returning from the direction of the main house in the distance and quickly went to greet her.

"Milk--"

Old Mrs. Chen lowered her head, her pace suddenly quickened, and she ran faster than the old hen in the house. With a "snap," the door closed, the latch clicking crisply.

Chen Shuyan stood in the courtyard, his expression freezing inch by inch.

That old codger.

He cursed Old Man Chen in his heart. He used to be so self-righteous in favoring the second wife, but now that the family has separated, he's acting all sensible. Where was he before?

After standing there for half an incense stick's time, Chen Shuyan returned to his room.

Unable to get the money, Chen Shuyan had no choice but to add another seven taels himself.

On the third day, Chen Shuyan delivered the silver to the main house.

Fifty taels, not a penny less. He put down the silver, didn't say a word more, and turned to leave.

Wang Jinzhu weighed the item in front of Chen Defu; it was exactly fifty taels.

"Uncle Village Chief, the transaction is complete. I'll keep one copy of the receipt, and you keep one."

Chen Defu took the document, sighed, put it in his pocket, and left.

That's the end of that.

On July 12th, Liu Mingyuan arrived.

Wang Jinzhu greeted the people in the front yard of the workshop. There was iced tea and fruit on the stone table, and Chen Tianfang brought out a few chairs.

Liu Mingyuan wore a moon-white long robe, with his folding fan tucked into his waistband. He looked less like a young master and more serious than before.

"Madam Wang, that batch of goods from last month sold out in three days."

Wang Jinzhu poured him tea without stopping her hands: "Three days? The amount I gave you is enough to sell for half a month."

"Back in the prefectural city, the ladies and young women used to use the old-fashioned cosmetics from the shops. As soon as your lip rouge came out, everyone who tried it bought a second one the same day. Especially the bean paste color; someone bought six at once, saying they wanted to give them as gifts."

Wang Jinzhu refilled his tea, but didn't reply.

Selling out in three days means the product is good. Good product, no worries about selling.

Seeing that she wasn't in a hurry to respond, Liu Mingyuan continued, "I've come this time to discuss a long-term deal with Madam Wang. Orders are pouring in from the prefectural city; many people are waiting for the new products to hit the shelves."

"I did the math, and if we sell them in sets of four, we'd need at least three hundred sets a month."

"Three hundred sets?" Wang Jinzhu frowned.

"Yes, three hundred sets, a stable supply every month. Once the volume increases, I can establish distribution channels in the prefectural city. You just focus on production; leave the sales to me."

Liu Mingyuan spoke sincerely, his tone conveying a sense of concern for her.

Wang Jinzhu picked up the teacup, took a sip, and put it down.

"Young Master Liu, I cannot supply three hundred sets."

Liu Mingyuan was taken aback: "Can't supply it?"