My Sister Insisted on Swapping Marriages, and I Became a Marchioness Instead

Qin Yuan said, "My companion is really capable. I’m not boasting; even my sixth brother says so. The poetry collection he printed is said by my sixth brother to be better than those bought outside."

Old Madam Gu hurriedly said, "Does printing a poetry collection cost silver? If it’s hard to cover with public accounts, your mother can supplement it for him. Our mansion is not short of silver; even Hui’er’s private treasury is a mystery to us. You need not economize on his behalf."

Qin Yuan couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Mother, I understand. If the Marquis finds out about this, I wonder what he would think?"

"What is there for him to think? Ultimately, all of his father’s private treasury goes to him. Naturally, his wealth is meant for his wife and children to spend. Hoarding gold and silver is meaningless; they are just lifeless objects. No matter how much silver there is, if it’s not spent, it has nothing to do with you; it’s just for show. You can’t take it with you when you die, and you don’t know whose it will become in the future."

This open-mindedness is truly admirable.

Qin Yuan thought with amazement that in this life, she has been blessed to marry into the Marquis Mansion and have such a wonderful mother-in-law.

She asked, "Mother, how are you finding the incense?"

Old Madam Gu laughed heartily and said, "With the incense you prepared, I’ve been sleeping much better. Before, with big matters happening in this mansion, I would overthink and have difficulty sleeping and eating. But with this incense, or perhaps with such a good daughter-in-law like you managing things, I sleep soundly. These days, I’ve been staying in the courtyard, looking after the two children, but it gets quite dull. However, since you’ve come, I assume you’ll soon open the mansion."

Qin Yuan admired, "Mother, your foresight is truly as sharp as Zhuge’s. In a few days, if no new patients appear, this mansion will be trouble-free."

Brother Cheng overheard and immediately leaned over, "Grandmother, Foster Mother, does opening the mansion mean I can get a tutor?"

Old Madam Gu gently patted Brother Cheng’s hair and said to Qin Yuan, "Brother Cheng has been diligently studying and learning characters recently."

However, she didn’t say if they should hire a tutor.

Obviously, she wanted Qin Yuan and Gu Jinghui to decide for themselves.

Qin Yuan said with a smile, "Good child, reading more and understanding more is a good thing. Hiring a tutor needs to be discussed with the Marquis. He’s been busy with many things lately, let’s decide after the mansion opens, okay?"

Brother Cheng nodded immediately, "I will listen to Foster Mother and Foster Father."

Such obedience.

Hong Ye made a face at Cui Ming, but Cui Ming pretended not to notice.

Sister Yu, in a soft voice, also said, "Foster Mother, I don’t need a female tutor. I can study with Aunt Treasure Bead’s female tutor."

Qin Yuan nodded to her and added, "Treasure Bead has been staying in the courtyard lately and hasn’t caused much trouble, which is quite unexpected. I was worried she would misbehave due to her young age."

Old Madam Gu said, "My dear, I’ve confined her as punishment. Her temperament is a bit spoiled, and her mouth runs, but she knows the gravity of situations in her heart. With Zhenzhen missing and the current troubles in the mansion, she’s also fearful of causing too much commotion and displeasing her brothers, so naturally, she behaves."

Qin Yuan laughed, nodded, and said, "Since Mother says this incense is good, I’m thinking about discussing with Manager Leng about including this incense recipe in the shares of Ranxiang Inn, and letting Ranxiang Inn sell it externally in the future."

Hearing this, Old Madam Gu laughed and said to Nanny Rong, "Look, you all thought of it together."

"What?"

Qin Yuan asked curiously.

Nanny Rong laughed, "This old servant shamelessly asked Madam for incense pills, shared some with the old sisters, and they all found it good and want more but are too embarrassed to trouble the Madam again. This old servant said, if Madam were willing to sell these incense pills, it would be wonderful."

"So that’s the reason. No wonder Manager Leng sent a message mentioning this matter; it turns out he heard it from the mother-in-law."

Nanny Rong couldn’t stop laughing, "Old Madam, listen to what Madam said, it’s like I can make decisions for Ranxiang Inn."

Old Madam Gu also laughed, "Yuan’er was just joking, yet it hit the mark by chance. Manager Leng has achieved today’s success thanks to this old servant. Nanny Rong, with her keen eye, chose a talented husband for her daughter and helped him establish himself and learn incense making in the Capital City. Manager Leng vowed before the Bodhisattva to treat Nanny Rong as his own mother."

Qin Yuan looked admiringly at Nanny Rong, saying, "Nanny Rong is capable and discerning; Mother truly is blessed. Those around Mother are all remarkable, which shows Mother’s ability in guiding people. If I had just a fraction of Mother’s skills, I wouldn’t have to worry in this life and could be a cheerful old feudal lord in the future."

These words made both women happy.

Nanny Rong laughed and said, "Madam really knows how to praise people. Not to mention anything else, with Madam’s skill in blending incense, whoever marries will think themselves blessed. Only our Old Madam and the Marquis have such good fortune."

Old Madam Gu laughed heartily.

"It takes a group to carry the bridal sedan. You lift me, I lift you, but ultimately, this old lady is the luckiest with such good people around her and such a good daughter-in-law."

Having finished joking, it was time to discuss matters seriously.

Nanny Rong asked, "What does Madam intend to do?"

Qin Yuan said, "I am young with little experience, so I came to ask Mother and Nanny Rong for advice, to help make a decision."

Nanny Rong gave Qin Yuan a glance without exposing her modesty and said, "If Madam is in urgent need of money, you can set a price. Although Ranxiang Inn is a store of the Marquis Mansion, Manager Leng runs it. If he finds it worthwhile, he could decide to agree. When setting a price, Madam should not hesitate, and there’s no need to set it too low just because it’s a store of the Marquis Mansion."

Old Madam Gu nodded.

Nanny Rong continued, "Though Madam’s incense recipe is excellent, how much it will actually sell is unpredictable. Manager Leng, when setting the price, won’t dare set it too high. He’ll also fear being criticized at accounting time. Madam might as well convert the incense recipe into shares; this is easier to discuss. The more it sells, the more shares you get. If in the future, these incense pills sell well, Madam will steadily earn more, and she could buy more shops and properties. As they accumulate, they could snowball into a significant estate."

Qin Yuan realized that Nanny Rong was thoughtfully considering her interests.

If she took a sum of money, later during accounting sessions, someone might suggest she used the Marquis Mansion’s money to build her own dowry.

By converting the incense recipe into shares, Manager Leng would have more leeway, and the more and longer the incense pills sell, the more she would gain. This truly was a good idea.

Old Madam Gu said, "This old servant really knows her stuff in these matters, Yuan’er, you should listen to her."

Qin Yuan laughed and said, "Nanny Rong is thorough. With her advice, I know what to choose. However, when it comes to varieties of incense recipes, I do have many. There’s even ancestral ones in my hands. I also own stores; if my stores also sell incense pills, would it conflict with Ranxiang Inn?"

Nanny Rong looked surprised, "Madam knows how to make many incense recipes?"

Old Madam Gu, sitting to one side, also looked full of surprise.