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"Of course, the two points mentioned earlier are our demands to the Marquis!" Thinking of this, Kang Ning smiled and continued, "There are also some things our own sisters need to make clear first."
"Firstly, after entering the residence, sisters must never be jealous of each other, and certainly not gang up to bully other concubines in the Marquis's Residence!"
"Secondly, for us five sisters to make a living in the Marquis's Residence from now on, it's a matter of 'one prospers, all prosper; one falls, all fall'! No one can do anything disgraceful and lose face for the Li family!"
"After all, I find the Marquis quite easy to talk to, but often, when such an easy-going person has their 'reverse scale' touched, they become even more ruthless and decisive than ordinary people!"
Kang Ning thought for a moment, then gradually articulated her thoughts. Her words naturally made Lady Li Niang and the other girls nod repeatedly. This was how she had educated her daughters since childhood! For a woman, how could she do anything disgraceful or scandalous? Let alone marrying into the Marquis's Residence in the future; even if one of her daughters married into an ordinary family and did such a thing, she would never forgive them. Of course, thinking of this, she glanced at her second daughter, Fu Hui, and saw the young woman's face flush. Because as a married woman, her entanglement with the Marquis seemed a bit scandalous...
"Second Sister, this doesn't count! After all, she was forced into it by the Fan family's power back then!" Kang Ning, seeing her second sister's somewhat embarrassed expression, quickly interjected, "Besides, the Marquis is Second Sister's true beloved! What is that Fan Lianghan? Even if he were thrown onto the street, our sisters would never even glance at him!"
"That's right!" Shou Hua also took her second sister's hand at this moment and comforted her softly, "Second Sister, there's no need to worry. The Marquis will never look down on you for this; on the contrary, he will only cherish you more! After all, you were helpless before..." Fu Hui's eyes immediately reddened upon hearing her sisters' words, and at the same time, she felt happy to be a daughter of the Li family.
"Then let's do this!" Shou Hua blinked, then looked at Lady Li Niang and said, "Since everything has been laid bare, Mother can find an opportunity later to tell the Marquis all the things we've just discussed! As long as he agrees, then it won't matter if all five of us Li family daughters enter the residence!"
"As for Fourth Sister and Fifth Sister, I'll talk to them individually when they return. I assume they won't have any objections either!" Shou Hua couldn't help but grumble inwardly as she said this. Fourth Sister and Fifth Sister certainly wouldn't have any objections! These two little girls were the most relaxed among the sisters, not even taking this matter to heart! They still couldn't even begin to understand how important marriage was?! Otherwise, they wouldn't have happily run off to other teahouses to inquire about other people's businesses. How carefree can one be?
"Alright!" Lady Li Niang could only nod and say, "Since things have come to this, there's nothing else we can do. I hope the Marquis treats all five of you well in the future!" Finally, this difficult matter concerning the lifelong happiness of the five sisters was temporarily resolved... Lady Li Niang and the others felt relieved, and naturally, their thoughts returned to the shop's business. After all, with five daughters about to be married off, the dowries to be prepared would undoubtedly be astronomical! At this moment, Lady Li Niang had abandoned all distracting thoughts, wholeheartedly preparing to make money!
"Third Daughter! Is there something wrong with this bun?" Lady Li Niang, having cleared her mind, saw Kang Ning who had just broken open a sugar bun but hadn't eaten it, merely staring at it in a daze, and immediately asked.
"You taste it..." However, Kang Ning didn't directly answer her mother's question. Instead, she broke off half and gave it to Qiong Nu who was sitting beside her.
"Sugar meat is so precious! Keep it for sale!" Qiong Nu frowned and said.
"It won't sell!" Kang Ning's brows furrowed even more tightly upon hearing Qiong Nu's words. She shook her head directly and said, "I've seen it today; the people in the capital eat finely!"
"Just the buns sold on the street have everything from chicken, duck, goose, rabbit, river fish, yellow eel, tripe, lung, bamboo shoot, and meat fillings!"
Shou Hua and Fu Hui also frowned upon hearing their third sister's words, their faces filled with worry.
"Crystal buns, Seven Treasures buns, they sound good, and look even better!"
"No matter how well we make our sugar-meat steamed buns, we're still reluctant to add enough filling! How can we compare?"
"Today's customers came only for the Marquis's reputation, to join in the fun and bask in his glory!"
"Just by looking at their expressions as they ate our pastries, I knew they didn't suit their taste."
"If we don't change our ways, no one will come back soon!"
"It's not good to ask the Marquis to eat breakfast here every day, is it? How would the Marquis's wives and concubines view our Li family sisters then?"
After Kang Ning finished speaking, everyone present lowered their heads in silence. Yes, the pressure was even greater now! Especially upon learning that the Marquis's wives and concubines were allowed to have their own businesses, in addition to feeling happy, they were more concerned. Others could become the Marquis's arms, but their own business couldn't thrive, and instead, they needed the Marquis's help?! How embarrassing! Even if the five sisters entered the Marquis's Residence in the future, they wouldn't be able to hold their heads high in front of the other wives and concubines!
"It's a loss no matter how you calculate it!" Lady Li Niang became even more dejected, gnashing her back teeth and saying, "If I hadn't already paid half a year's rent, I would have packed up and returned to the Eastern Capital long ago!" Of course, as soon as Lady Li Niang said this, her three daughters all shook their heads helplessly, as it was impossible for them to leave now. Moreover, the Marquis had given his golden word to marry them; Lady Li Niang would at most complain verbally. If she were truly asked to give up this wealthy son-in-law and return to the Eastern Capital, she would definitely be reluctant!
"And that Steward Chai too! What grudge or enmity do our two families have? Why does he have to harm us like this?" Of course, the thought of that fellow Chai An made Lady Li Niang's teeth itch with anger again; she couldn't alleviate the hatred in her heart without complaining a bit! Originally, Pan Lou did business with officials and nobles, while her small teahouse did business with vendors and porters; both sides had their own ways of making money. But Pan Lou insisted on competing with her for these ordinary customers, and after the Marquis arrived, he brought many of Pan Lou's officials and nobles to her side. Now, the customers of both establishments were somewhat dissatisfied, as ordinary people couldn't afford Pan Lou's proper food and drink, and officials and nobles weren't used to eating in this teahouse. This situation for both families was completely a lose-lose!
"Eldest Daughter!" After complaining, Lady Li Niang looked at her serene eldest daughter, Shou Hua, and said, "Do you think we can ask the Marquis to talk to that Steward Chai and tell them to stop fighting over these small gains! They won't starve, will they?"
"Mother! We absolutely cannot ask the Marquis to step forward for this matter!" However, as soon as Lady Li Niang said this, Eldest Daughter Shou Hua quickly shook her head and said.
"Eldest Sister is right! It would be easy to resolve if we asked the Marquis to intervene in everything, but then we would definitely be looked down upon by the other wives and concubines in the Marquis's Residence!" Fu Hui also nodded repeatedly.
"That's also true..." Lady Li Niang was startled upon hearing this, then nodded, sighing in resignation. After all, the Li family already owed the Marquis of Jining's Residence too many favors. If they continued to incur such debts, even sending all five daughters into the Marquis's Residence wouldn't be enough to repay them. What would they do then?!
"But what other options do we have now?" Although she understood this reasoning, Lady Li Niang was at her wit's end.
"Mother! No need to worry!" At this moment, Third Daughter Kang Ning slowly rose and walked to Lady Li Niang's side, gently taking her arm and smiling, "Right now, we must hold onto the Marquis with one hand and stabilize Si Fu Cha Shi with the other!" Lady Li Niang was startled, thinking to herself that this reasoning was indeed correct, but how could it be done?
However, before she could ask, she saw Kang Ning turn to her eldest daughter, Shou Hua, and say, "Eldest Sister! Let's follow what we discussed before and close the shop for two days!"
"What, what, what? What do you mean close for two days?" However, Lady Li Niang immediately grew anxious: "Are we closing the shop already?"
"We must close!" However, Shou Hua nodded slightly, agreeing with her third sister, and said, "We were too rushed earlier! This business needs a different approach!"
"Mother!" Kang Ning's eyes darted around, then she asked again, "Do you still have any silver on hand?" Lady Li Niang was startled, then showed a difficult expression and said, "Silver? I don't have a single wen right now!" However, her acting was a bit clumsy, making Shou Hua and Fu Hui on the side unable to help but laugh.
"You do!" Kang Ning also smiled, shaking Lady Li Niang's arm and saying.
"I don't!" Lady Li Niang's heart was aching right now; she quickly shook her head again.
"You do!" Kang Ning had her eldest sister Shou Hua as an insider, so she naturally knew that Lady Li Niang still had a surplus. She continued to speak to her mother with a smile.
"...Hehe... hehe..." Lady Li Niang, upon hearing that Kang Ning was unwilling to give up, could only helplessly chuckle a few times. Looking at this situation, the little capital she had left wouldn't be saved either!
"Second Sister, what's wrong?" However, at this moment, Eldest Daughter Shou Hua noticed that her second sister, Fu Hui, was sitting next to them, her eyes slightly dazed as if something was on her mind, so she asked. Earlier, she had felt that Fu Hui's state seemed off, but she hadn't found an opportunity to ask. Now, she couldn't ignore it any longer! And as she spoke, the several women present all looked at Fu Hui simultaneously; even Lady Li Niang and Kang Ning, who were just playfully bickering, stopped their teasing in unison.
"The Fan family sent someone to notify me just now!" Fu Hui curled her lips into a disdainful smile and said, "They said that tomorrow they want to take a concubine for Fan Lianghan, and they want me to return and see her with my own eyes..."
"They also said that if I don't agree, they'll have Fan Lianghan divorce me!"
As Fu Hui said this, she even laughed out loud in exasperation; after all, the Fan family's actions now seemed incredibly ridiculous to her. Wasn't it just taking a concubine for that fellow Fan Lianghan? What was there for her to be reluctant about? The only thing that annoyed her about this matter was that the Fan family was clearly trying to disgust her!
"I know!" Third Daughter Kang Ning, upon hearing this, her eyes darted around, and she immediately said, "It must be that Chai An told the Fan family's head about us dining with the Marquis in the private room on the second floor this afternoon!"
"They want to use this to 'point' at Second Sister, to make her remember her identity as a Fan family daughter-in-law, and not to get too close to other men!"
"Right! It must be like this!" Eldest Daughter Shou Hua also nodded after hearing this. She felt that her third sister's analysis was very reasonable! And this personality of secretly causing trouble also perfectly matched her understanding of Chai An!
"Whether he takes a concubine or not has nothing to do with me! I just want to quickly leave this disgusting Fan family!" Fu Hui directly rolled her eyes at this point and said, "And now, before I've even left, they're going to disgust me again! They even want me to help Fan Lianghan choose a concubine..."
"Second Sister, don't be angry!" Third Daughter Kang Ning's eyes darted around, and she immediately thought of a good idea and said, "I'll go ask the Marquis about this first and see if he has any plan? If arranged well, it might just provide an opportunity to help Second Sister divorce the Fan family..."
"No! Didn't you just say not to trouble the Marquis with everything?" Lady Li Niang immediately widened her eyes.
"Of course, we shouldn't always trouble the Marquis with our Li family's business! But the Marquis cannot ignore Second Sister's matter right now!" Kang Ning showed a triumphant smile and said, "Unless he doesn't want Second Sister to enter his household? Otherwise, logically and emotionally, the Marquis must step forward..." After saying this, Fu Hui's small face flushed, and her heart immediately felt much more at ease. That's right! She had long considered herself the Marquis's woman! Encountering such a thing now, she should of course report it to the Marquis and see what he decides! With the Marquis backing her up, why should she trouble herself with this?
"They are both girls from good families!"
"Only their families are poor and hard to sustain!"
The next day, in the main hall of the Fan family residence, the matchmaker, leading three girls standing in a row, respectfully stood in front. Fu Hui, at this moment, fully assumed the air of the Fan family's young madam, sitting in the main seat. As for Fan Lianghan and Chai An, they sat in the side hall, watching the events unfolding in the main hall from afar.
"She is willing to be a concubine!" The matchmaker pointed to the first girl and said, "Her parents don't ask for much money, only that she can go to a good family and enjoy good fortune, one shi of high-grade polished rice per month, for two years!"
"Only one condition, she said she needs a written document first. Her daughter will not be a maidservant, nor handle water or fire!"
"If you ask me! Who would bear to let such a beautiful girl do rough work? Don't you agree?"
The matchmaker spoke with eloquence, praising the girl, but Fu Hui just cold-smiled while fanning herself with a round fan. Even without speaking, it was clear that she was not satisfied with the first prospective concubine. The matchmaker was startled, immediately understanding, and quickly pointed to the second and third girls, saying, "As for these two, their looks are slightly inferior, but their price is only one hundred guan!"
Since Fu Hui was acting now, she naturally had to play the part fully. After listening to the matchmaker's words, she instead gently beckoned the first girl. After the girl stepped forward, she took her small hand and asked, "How old are you? Can you sing songs? Play the zither?"
"Look at what you're saying!" The matchmaker immediately grew anxious and quickly interjected, "If they could all play music, they wouldn't be this price." After speaking, the matchmaker turned to the other two girls and said, "You two also step forward and let the madam have a good look!"
"Then pour me a cup of tea!" However, Fu Hui didn't even lift an eyelid and directly said.
"Is this what you called a matter of life and death?" In the side hall, Chai An looked at the scene before him with a speechless expression, then turned to glare at his cousin, Fan Lianghan, and asked.
"Oh, cousin..." Fan Lianghan's effeminate demeanor immediately resurfaced, and he whined to Chai An, shaking his head. However, before he finished speaking, Chai An stood up, wanting to leave. He had originally wanted to see the spectacle of Fu Hui and the Li family's "tigresses" causing a ruckus in the Fan family residence. Who would have thought that they were completely nonchalant, even more unconcerned than himself. Although he liked to show off, there was no need to do so in front of his cousin and Fu Hui now. He found it dull here and wanted to leave quickly.
However, before he could take a step forward, he was grabbed by the sleeve by Fan Lianghan again.
"Brother! Brother! Listen to me..." Fan Lianghan, with a voice that gave one goosebumps, called out to Chai An while holding onto him.
"Father said! Everything must be asked of cousin first before doing it! You can't leave me alone!"
This demeanor, even more thoroughly emasculated than a palace eunuch, made Fu Hui herself unable to help but roll her eyes. Good heavens! Is this really a man? She had indeed been patient enough before, actually living in the same compound as such a fellow for two years. Although they had never shared a bed, the thought of her nominal husband being like this made Fu Hui feel that the past two years of her life had truly been utterly wasted. However, Fan Lianghan didn't notice Fu Hui's abnormality and continued to cling to Chai An, whining.