A Good Country Wife

"How about this, I’ll front the silver for you, and once you are more financially stable you can repay me. I won’t even charge you interest, just bring me two extra pounds of fine tea leaves," Jiang Ziqi specifically started with the request for tea leaves because he didn’t want Lin Yue to feel obligated and refuse outright, so he purposefully used this approach.

Lin Yue knew that Jiang Ziqi had good intentions, but Jiang Ziqi had already helped them so much. Moreover, she didn’t know if Zhao Erhu would mind since men like him often have strong pride. Although he seemed to get along with Jiang Ziqi well these days, no one knew when he might become upset; such things had happened before. It was better for her to be cautious. After all, it wasn’t that she couldn’t come up with the silver.

"Brother Jiang, there’s no need, I can figure out the silver on my own. You have already done so much for us."

"If that’s the case, then alright, but if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. For now, I’ll follow you back to get the silver. As for those matters, I’ll just give an order and someone will take care of them. Once everything is settled, they will bring it directly to you."

When Lin Yue returned to the place they were renting, she shut the door of the room. For safety, she had hidden the silver in various places, and now she gathered the silver notes that were placed in different locations, totaling ten thousand taels of silver. She then rifled through a chest and pulled out an old worn jacket, which she carefully dismantled to retrieve an embroidered picture hidden inside.

This embroidered picture was a double-sided work of contrasting colors she had stitched when she felt a surge of inspiration. Naturally, for safety, she dared not sell it. Even Dalang and the others had not seen it; only Zhao Erhu knew about it. She had sewn the picture into the jacket as a precaution for an emergency when she might urgently need silver. With Jiang Ziqi covering for her, it was unlikely that anyone would trace it back to her.

Indeed, as Jiang Ziqi suspected, after Lin Yue gathered the ten thousand taels, there wasn’t much silver left. She and Zhao Erhu also had several servants to support. Not to mention the expenses required for maintaining social relationships even before their own expenditures for food and daily needs; there were also unseen costs to account for. In the Capital City, a place of wealth and luxury, money was needed everywhere. She was unsure if the silver she had would suffice. After some thought, she decided to sell the embroidered picture for money.

This embroidered picture was not as large as the one made for the Empress Dowager, but it was still two-thirds the size of the Longevity Picture. Having practiced with the picture for the Empress Dowager, Lin Yue’s embroidery skills had become even more refined. Apart from the size, this picture was in no way inferior to the one she had made for the Empress Dowager. Even if it didn’t sell for ten thousand taels, she should be able to fetch seven or eight thousand at least, which would be enough to cover their expenses in the Capital City for some time. Plus, the profit share from Jiang Ziqi’s workshop should arrive by the end of the month, further adding to their funds.

However, looking at the way money was rapidly being spent, Lin Yue thought it best to embroider a few more high-quality pictures to sell for silver. It was always better to have some extra money in hand, ensuring that they could afford whatever they fancied without financial strain.

Zhao Erhu and Jiang Ziqi waited for her in the hall. They were curious when they saw Lin Yue emerge after a long time, carrying a box in one hand and the silver notes in the other.