Chapter 2 – The Store
After all these inconceivable things have occurred, Yutang thought she would would be unable to sleep; however, as soon as her head touched the pillow and breathed in the familiar incense, she actually managed to sleep until dawn without even dreaming.
But she did not awaken from sleep naturally.
Instead, she was woken up abruptly by Shuang Tao: “Eldest Miss, the Eldest Madam is coming over!”
As Yu Tang had just woken up, she was still a little drowsy and confused.
She slowly sat up and leaned against the bed rest. She opened her clear, dewy-looking big eyes and yawned. It was a while before her mind cleared and she responded with a yawn. “Eldest Aunt? When did Eldest aunt come over?”
However, as she said that, Yu Tang suddenly became fully awake.
In her previous life, before dawn, on the second day after Changxing Street her eldest aunt came over. She said it was because of the hot weather and humidity, she couldn’t sleep, so she dropped by. Eldest aunt also brought along some materials for needlework to pass the time. However, this was only an excuse to keep her mother and Yutang at home for the whole day. It was only until evening time, when her eldest uncle and eldest cousin finished their store business and sent a letter to her father in Suzhou city, did her eldest aunt head back home.
Even so, when she left, her Eldest Aunt instructed the family servants not to reveal any news about the store to her and her mother, and left her personal attendant Old aunty Wang, who taught them how to make snowflake pastries.
Her mother was very pleased that she was interested in learning something about cooking, so she moved a stool to accompany her in the kitchen, and both of them made snowflake pastries until her father returned.
When her Father came back, he also didn’t mention much about the store situation. If it wasn’t for that payment of the “Pine Lake fishing hidden painting”, her mother still wouldn’t have known that their family had no silver. And it was after her parents’ death, did she find out that her family only had 50 acres of good land left.
This Changxing Street Fire was an important turning point in her life.
But she only realized this after she married into the Li family, and coveted by Li Duan(Her eldest brother-in law).
Yu Tang hurriedly got up: “Eldest aunt? Did she come alone? Does my mother know that my aunt came over?”
Shuang Tao assisted her in freshening up and said, “She came over before dawn, saying that it was too hot to sleep. however,she didn’t want to bother you and Madam, so she was accompanied by old Aunty Chen in the courtyard to cool off.”
Yu Tang nodded her head.
It was still the same as what happened in her previous life.
Only, in this life she wouldn’t leave it all to the elders of the family.
Yu Tang hurriedly went to the courtyard.
Eldest aunt, dressed in a beautiful blue summer cloth jacket, was sitting on a bamboo chair under the balsam fir tree. Old Aunty Chen and Old aunty Wang, stood on the left and on the right, as one spoke with her, and the other helped to fan. Eldest aunt’s complexion didn’t look good, with heavy black circles under her eyes; obviously she didn’t sleep well.
How ignorant was she, in her previous life, that she didn’t notice the difference in her eldest aunt at all.
“Eldest aunt!” Yu Tang went up to bow to her Eldest Aunt Wang, but her eyes couldn’t help but well up with tears.
In her previous life, her eldest uncle and eldest cousin both died helping her. As her eldest aunt had no one to rely on, she returned to her own mother’s house as a widow, and relied on her nephews and nieces-in-law to make a living. However, even so, she did not blame her, but at Yutang’s most vulnerable and difficult time, she asked her cousin, who was a nun in a nunnery, to take her in.
“Dear child, why are you crying?” Eldest Aunt (Madam Wang) looked at Yu Tang and sighed. She personally helped her up, and instructed old aunty Wang to bring a chair over for Yu Tang, and said gently, “I heard that you went to Changxing Street yesterday. It is rare that you are so obedient. I won’t say more. The matter of the store, no matter what, it must be hidden from your mother. Your mother’s health is not good, and hearing this news will only make her anxious. Your father is also not at home now. Should your mother’s illness worsen due to this, how can your father bear it?”
Yu Tang nodded repeatedly, and helped her sit down. She offered a cup of chrysanthemum tea to Eldest Aunt, and sat down beside her, and reassured her, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
Madam Wang nodded her head and felt that today’s Yutang was very different from the past, so she couldn’t help but take a second look at Yutang.
A young girl of fifteen or sixteen is beautiful no matter how she dresses up, and what more about Yu Tang, who is a well-known beauty in Qingzhu Lane. The only thing is that as she is usually coddled by everyone so she looks a bit childish. However today, with her straight posture, dark eyebrows and her bright and clear eyes. Her whole person is beautiful and elegant, looking fresh and youthful, the more you look, the more you find her pleasing to the eyes.
Madam Wang secretly approved of her new look and said, “I heard you hit your head and fell yesterday afternoon, are you feeling better now?”
Yu Tang said reassuringly, “I am fine! It happened suddenly, and gave me a fright but I have recovered. “
However, her eldest aunt didn’t believe her and said, “Just now old Aunty Chen said that you were unconscious for four hours, and after you woke up, you said some incomprehensible words. Without even informing your mother, you took Shuangtao with you to the crowded Changxin Street. Shuangtao tried to stop you from going, but couldn’t. If it wasn’t for old Aunty Chen, who helped you to keep it secret from your mother, I’m afraid your mother would have ran out into the street to look for you.”
Feeling guilty, Yu Tang admitted her mistake, “It’s my fault. I won’t do it again.”
When Eldest Aunt saw her snow-white face turn pale with remorse, she looked so pitiful, that she couldn’t help but felt sorry for scolding her and said consolingly: “Well, I didn’t mean to blame you either. It’s just that you are their only child and as such they cherish you most dearly. It is inevitable that they will hold a lot of worries for you, so you need to be more understanding of your father and mother. What other children can do, you may not be able to do.”
“I understand.” Yu Tang obediently agreed and accepted the lesson.
Perhaps Eldest aunt was still worried about her husband and son, as she said in hushed tones about yesterday’s fire. “Your eldest uncle and eldest cousin were busy all night. They sent a report back saying that not only our shop, but even the Pei family’s shop, was burnt to the ground leaving only some debris. With such a major incident, yet no one stepped up to take charge of the situation. Even the Tang governor is troubling over this incident and how to report this matter to court.
The Pei family is a large, prominent family in Lin’an city.
A truly prestigious household.
No matter who became the governor in Lin’an City, before they can officially take office, they have to visit the Pei family first.
Previously, until her death, the Pei family was the most prominent household in Lin’an City.
In the entire Lin’an City, the most prosperous place was Changxing Street. In addition to the seven or eight stores like their Yu family, which had operated for generations, the rest all belonged to the Pei family. Even outside the city, the nearby mountains and forests, good land, tea estates, mulberry gardens were also owned by the Pei family. Many people relied on the Pei family to get by.
In her previous life, the hundred acres of good land of their Yu family were also sold to the Pei family.
The Pei family had been wealthy throughout several generations.
From the previous dynasty to the present one, more than twenty were scholars, and around seven or eight were first-class court officials.
In this generation, out of the Pei family’s three masters, two were descended from scholars. After a few more years, the Pei family will have another two young masters becoming scholars as well.
The Pei family’s grand elder, seem to have passed away of illness right about this time.
Yu Tang lamented sadly: “Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the Pei’s family grand elder passed away at this time. Life is so fragile.”
However, upon hearing this, Eldest Aunt Wang was shocked and asked “The Pei family’s grand elder? Who told you that he had passed away? It was the Pei family’s old eldest master, who served as a minister of works in the capital who passed away. I heard he died of a severe illness in the capital a few days ago. The news only just reached Lin’an. After hearing this, the Pei family’s grand elder felt ill. Several of the Pei family’s young masters rushed to Qiantang last night to receive the body. The family servants and stewards were busy with the mourning of the old eldest master, therefore they didn’t have the time to care about the matter of the Changxing Street fire.”
Yu Tong was taken aback, but didn’t think much of it.
Whether in a previous life or in this life, the Pei family’s business was none of her concern. Her knowledge of the Pei family’s affairs only came from hearsay, and is not reliable.
Eldest Aunt Wang signed resignedly. “The fire on Changxing Street was so strong that it burnt everything up all at once. Your eldest uncle said that the fire burned strangely – it seemed to have spread from one specific place and then to the other places. Your eldest uncle suspected arson, and wanted to go to the governor to investigate. Unfortunately, due to the Pei family’s incident, the Tang governor was certainly not in the mood to take care of the matter ……”
Yu Tang listened intently, heart beating rapidly.
In her previous life, the Li family came at this time to propose marriage. At that time, she was unwilling, as she felt that she was still in the mourning period for her parents. It was not an appropriate time to discuss such matters. But eldest uncle and aunt thought that after the mourning period had passed, she would already be eighteen years old. At that age, it would be difficult to find a good family to marry into. So they discussed with her to first arrange and settle the engagement. After the mourning period was over, they could then discuss the marriage date.
She was still a little hesitant. However, the Li family sent someone to talk to her privately, saying that if she agreed to the engagement first, the Li family would be willing to lend 5,000 taels of silver to her eldest uncle, without interest, so that her family could rebuild their business.
When the fire broke out on Changxing Street, the family’s store was burned, and her uncle’s store was also burned. When the Li family came to mention this matter, the Pei family was already rebuilding Changxing Street. Although the plot of land on the street was ready, but the funds to rebuild their family’s store were paid by each family respectively. If someone did not have sufficient funds to rebuild the store, it can be sold to the Pei family for a price.
Most of the people sold their land to the Pei family.
However, her eldest uncle was unwilling to sell as it was their old ancestral property left by the Yu family.
Not only was he unwilling to sell, but he even wanted to build the two storefronts left by her father as well.
Initially, when her grandfather died, her eldest uncle, because he was concerned that her father did not know how to make a living outside of their inheritance, gave the better portion to her father. The four stores were divided equally and two hundred mu of land, one hundred mu of good land was given to her father while fifty mu of medium land and fifty mu of mountain forest belonged to her Eldest Uncle.
The cost of the four stores was 4,000 taels of silver. Even if her eldest uncle’s land were all sold, it was only just a drop in the bucket in comparison – it wouldn’t have even been enough to purchase a store pillar.
So after hearing the words of the Li family, Yutang felt that her marriage could at least get her uncle’s family out of trouble. She agreed to marry the Li family’s second young master, Li Jun, without even informing her uncle.
Afterwards, the eldest uncle felt guilty towards her and wanted to pay her back. He heard that selling grain and salt was a highly profitable business, so he proceeded to take the Li family’s 5,000 taels of silver to go to Hubei.
Although uncle and cousin made a lot of money, but it also created trouble. In order to earn enough to afford her dowry, they constantly worked hard. First to rebuild the two stores left by her father and then later to buy back the land they had previously sold. Because of differences in their management of selling grain and salt, Eldest Uncle and cousin had many disagreements and their relationship worsen. During one of their travels, they encountered bandits, and lost their lives – even their bodies couldn’t be found.
In her previous life, she was sheltered and didn’t know the outside world. Even if she knew about the Changxing Fire, and how suspicious it was, she wouldn’t have any good suggestions to solve it. However, Yu Tang, as she suffered in the hands of the Li family, saw many of their nasty tactics and ruthless strategies. Just by listening once, she knew that the Pei’s family’s methods and the past Li family were the same.
As long as there is an opportunity, they will bully the small and weak.
The same ruthlessness, the same vileness and viciousness!
Chapter 2 – The Store
After all these inconceivable things have occurred, Yutang thought she would would be unable to sleep; however, as soon as her head touched the pillow and breathed in the familiar incense, she actually managed to sleep until dawn without even dreaming.
But she did not awaken from sleep naturally.
Instead, she was woken up abruptly by Shuang Tao: “Eldest Miss, the Eldest Madam is coming over!”
As Yu Tang had just woken up, she was still a little drowsy and confused.
She slowly sat up and leaned against the bed rest. She opened her clear, dewy-looking big eyes and yawned. It was a while before her mind cleared and she responded with a yawn. “Eldest Aunt? When did Eldest aunt come over?”
However, as she said that, Yu Tang suddenly became fully awake.
In her previous life, before dawn, on the second day after Changxing Street her eldest aunt came over. She said it was because of the hot weather and humidity, she couldn’t sleep, so she dropped by. Eldest aunt also brought along some materials for needlework to pass the time. However, this was only an excuse to keep her mother and Yutang at home for the whole day. It was only until evening time, when her eldest uncle and eldest cousin finished their store business and sent a letter to her father in Suzhou city, did her eldest aunt head back home.
Even so, when she left, her Eldest Aunt instructed the family servants not to reveal any news about the store to her and her mother, and left her personal attendant Old aunty Wang, who taught them how to make snowflake pastries.
Her mother was very pleased that she was interested in learning something about cooking, so she moved a stool to accompany her in the kitchen, and both of them made snowflake pastries until her father returned.
When her Father came back, he also didn’t mention much about the store situation. If it wasn’t for that payment of the “Pine Lake fishing hidden painting”, her mother still wouldn’t have known that their family had no silver. And it was after her parents’ death, did she find out that her family only had 50 acres of good land left.
This Changxing Street Fire was an important turning point in her life.
But she only realized this after she married into the Li family, and coveted by Li Duan(Her eldest brother-in law).
Yu Tang hurriedly got up: “Eldest aunt? Did she come alone? Does my mother know that my aunt came over?”
Shuang Tao assisted her in freshening up and said, “She came over before dawn, saying that it was too hot to sleep. however,she didn’t want to bother you and Madam, so she was accompanied by old Aunty Chen in the courtyard to cool off.”
Yu Tang nodded her head.
It was still the same as what happened in her previous life.
Only, in this life she wouldn’t leave it all to the elders of the family.
Yu Tang hurriedly went to the courtyard.
Eldest aunt, dressed in a beautiful blue summer cloth jacket, was sitting on a bamboo chair under the balsam fir tree. Old Aunty Chen and Old aunty Wang, stood on the left and on the right, as one spoke with her, and the other helped to fan. Eldest aunt’s complexion didn’t look good, with heavy black circles under her eyes; obviously she didn’t sleep well.
How ignorant was she, in her previous life, that she didn’t notice the difference in her eldest aunt at all.
“Eldest aunt!” Yu Tang went up to bow to her Eldest Aunt Wang, but her eyes couldn’t help but well up with tears.
In her previous life, her eldest uncle and eldest cousin both died helping her. As her eldest aunt had no one to rely on, she returned to her own mother’s house as a widow, and relied on her nephews and nieces-in-law to make a living. However, even so, she did not blame her, but at Yutang’s most vulnerable and difficult time, she asked her cousin, who was a nun in a nunnery, to take her in.
“Dear child, why are you crying?” Eldest Aunt (Madam Wang) looked at Yu Tang and sighed. She personally helped her up, and instructed old aunty Wang to bring a chair over for Yu Tang, and said gently, “I heard that you went to Changxing Street yesterday. It is rare that you are so obedient. I won’t say more. The matter of the store, no matter what, it must be hidden from your mother. Your mother’s health is not good, and hearing this news will only make her anxious. Your father is also not at home now. Should your mother’s illness worsen due to this, how can your father bear it?”
Yu Tang nodded repeatedly, and helped her sit down. She offered a cup of chrysanthemum tea to Eldest Aunt, and sat down beside her, and reassured her, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
Madam Wang nodded her head and felt that today’s Yutang was very different from the past, so she couldn’t help but take a second look at Yutang.
A young girl of fifteen or sixteen is beautiful no matter how she dresses up, and what more about Yu Tang, who is a well-known beauty in Qingzhu Lane. The only thing is that as she is usually coddled by everyone so she looks a bit childish. However today, with her straight posture, dark eyebrows and her bright and clear eyes. Her whole person is beautiful and elegant, looking fresh and youthful, the more you look, the more you find her pleasing to the eyes.
Madam Wang secretly approved of her new look and said, “I heard you hit your head and fell yesterday afternoon, are you feeling better now?”
Yu Tang said reassuringly, “I am fine! It happened suddenly, and gave me a fright but I have recovered. “
However, her eldest aunt didn’t believe her and said, “Just now old Aunty Chen said that you were unconscious for four hours, and after you woke up, you said some incomprehensible words. Without even informing your mother, you took Shuangtao with you to the crowded Changxin Street. Shuangtao tried to stop you from going, but couldn’t. If it wasn’t for old Aunty Chen, who helped you to keep it secret from your mother, I’m afraid your mother would have ran out into the street to look for you.”
Feeling guilty, Yu Tang admitted her mistake, “It’s my fault. I won’t do it again.”
When Eldest Aunt saw her snow-white face turn pale with remorse, she looked so pitiful, that she couldn’t help but felt sorry for scolding her and said consolingly: “Well, I didn’t mean to blame you either. It’s just that you are their only child and as such they cherish you most dearly. It is inevitable that they will hold a lot of worries for you, so you need to be more understanding of your father and mother. What other children can do, you may not be able to do.”
“I understand.” Yu Tang obediently agreed and accepted the lesson.
Perhaps Eldest aunt was still worried about her husband and son, as she said in hushed tones about yesterday’s fire. “Your eldest uncle and eldest cousin were busy all night. They sent a report back saying that not only our shop, but even the Pei family’s shop, was burnt to the ground leaving only some debris. With such a major incident, yet no one stepped up to take charge of the situation. Even the Tang governor is troubling over this incident and how to report this matter to court.
The Pei family is a large, prominent family in Lin’an city.
A truly prestigious household.
No matter who became the governor in Lin’an City, before they can officially take office, they have to visit the Pei family first.
Previously, until her death, the Pei family was the most prominent household in Lin’an City.
In the entire Lin’an City, the most prosperous place was Changxing Street. In addition to the seven or eight stores like their Yu family, which had operated for generations, the rest all belonged to the Pei family. Even outside the city, the nearby mountains and forests, good land, tea estates, mulberry gardens were also owned by the Pei family. Many people relied on the Pei family to get by.
In her previous life, the hundred acres of good land of their Yu family were also sold to the Pei family.
The Pei family had been wealthy throughout several generations.
From the previous dynasty to the present one, more than twenty were scholars, and around seven or eight were first-class court officials.
In this generation, out of the Pei family’s three masters, two were descended from scholars. After a few more years, the Pei family will have another two young masters becoming scholars as well.
The Pei family’s grand elder, seem to have passed away of illness right about this time.
Yu Tang lamented sadly: “Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the Pei’s family grand elder passed away at this time. Life is so fragile.”
However, upon hearing this, Eldest Aunt Wang was shocked and asked “The Pei family’s grand elder? Who told you that he had passed away? It was the Pei family’s old eldest master, who served as a minister of works in the capital who passed away. I heard he died of a severe illness in the capital a few days ago. The news only just reached Lin’an. After hearing this, the Pei family’s grand elder felt ill. Several of the Pei family’s young masters rushed to Qiantang last night to receive the body. The family servants and stewards were busy with the mourning of the old eldest master, therefore they didn’t have the time to care about the matter of the Changxing Street fire.”
Yu Tong was taken aback, but didn’t think much of it.
Whether in a previous life or in this life, the Pei family’s business was none of her concern. Her knowledge of the Pei family’s affairs only came from hearsay, and is not reliable.
Eldest Aunt Wang signed resignedly. “The fire on Changxing Street was so strong that it burnt everything up all at once. Your eldest uncle said that the fire burned strangely – it seemed to have spread from one specific place and then to the other places. Your eldest uncle suspected arson, and wanted to go to the governor to investigate. Unfortunately, due to the Pei family’s incident, the Tang governor was certainly not in the mood to take care of the matter ……”
Yu Tang listened intently, heart beating rapidly.
In her previous life, the Li family came at this time to propose marriage. At that time, she was unwilling, as she felt that she was still in the mourning period for her parents. It was not an appropriate time to discuss such matters. But eldest uncle and aunt thought that after the mourning period had passed, she would already be eighteen years old. At that age, it would be difficult to find a good family to marry into. So they discussed with her to first arrange and settle the engagement. After the mourning period was over, they could then discuss the marriage date.
She was still a little hesitant. However, the Li family sent someone to talk to her privately, saying that if she agreed to the engagement first, the Li family would be willing to lend 5,000 taels of silver to her eldest uncle, without interest, so that her family could rebuild their business.
When the fire broke out on Changxing Street, the family’s store was burned, and her uncle’s store was also burned. When the Li family came to mention this matter, the Pei family was already rebuilding Changxing Street. Although the plot of land on the street was ready, but the funds to rebuild their family’s store were paid by each family respectively. If someone did not have sufficient funds to rebuild the store, it can be sold to the Pei family for a price.
Most of the people sold their land to the Pei family.
However, her eldest uncle was unwilling to sell as it was their old ancestral property left by the Yu family.
Not only was he unwilling to sell, but he even wanted to build the two storefronts left by her father as well.
Initially, when her grandfather died, her eldest uncle, because he was concerned that her father did not know how to make a living outside of their inheritance, gave the better portion to her father. The four stores were divided equally and two hundred mu of land, one hundred mu of good land was given to her father while fifty mu of medium land and fifty mu of mountain forest belonged to her Eldest Uncle.
The cost of the four stores was 4,000 taels of silver. Even if her eldest uncle’s land were all sold, it was only just a drop in the bucket in comparison – it wouldn’t have even been enough to purchase a store pillar.
So after hearing the words of the Li family, Yutang felt that her marriage could at least get her uncle’s family out of trouble. She agreed to marry the Li family’s second young master, Li Jun, without even informing her uncle.
Afterwards, the eldest uncle felt guilty towards her and wanted to pay her back. He heard that selling grain and salt was a highly profitable business, so he proceeded to take the Li family’s 5,000 taels of silver to go to Hubei.
Although uncle and cousin made a lot of money, but it also created trouble. In order to earn enough to afford her dowry, they constantly worked hard. First to rebuild the two stores left by her father and then later to buy back the land they had previously sold. Because of differences in their management of selling grain and salt, Eldest Uncle and cousin had many disagreements and their relationship worsen. During one of their travels, they encountered bandits, and lost their lives – even their bodies couldn’t be found.
In her previous life, she was sheltered and didn’t know the outside world. Even if she knew about the Changxing Fire, and how suspicious it was, she wouldn’t have any good suggestions to solve it. However, Yu Tang, as she suffered in the hands of the Li family, saw many of their nasty tactics and ruthless strategies. Just by listening once, she knew that the Pei’s family’s methods and the past Li family were the same.
As long as there is an opportunity, they will bully the small and weak.
The same ruthlessness, the same vileness and viciousness!
