The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

Everyone volunteered themselves, thinking that they could earn wages by working for Zhuang Qingning in the future.

Zhuang Qingning did see quite a few individuals who were diligent and meticulous in their work, and thought they could be of use.

What worried her now was finding someone to manage this tofu skin workshop.

She had many things to keep her busy, and feared she wouldn’t have the time to stay in the tofu skin workshop all day.

Zhuang Yonghe had to handle procurement matters such as bean collection, Zhuang Mingliang had to oversee the tofu factory, and if they were to add the tofu skin workshop on top of that, it would be too exhausting for him. As for Mrs. He, she was tied up with a plethora of house chores. Zhuang Sifu had to focus on deliveries, Mrs. Wen absolutely had the capabilities, but considering her age, Zhuang Qingning didn’t want her to take on such hard labor…

After pondering over it, Zhuang Qingning did not find a suitable candidate.

She could only wait for the tofu skin workshop to start operating, then decide who would be the most suitable manager.

Zhuang Qingning made up her mind and began to shift her focus to the herbal medicine packages.

Some villagers, who were nimble and industrious, had sun-dried the first batch of mugwort leaves and delivered them to Zhuang Qingning’s house. Zhuang Yonghe and Zhuang Jingye helped with the arrangements and collected the mugwort leaves, calamus, and mint.

After combining these three herbs in a one-to-one ratio and mixing in the mosquito repellent powder obtained from the mall in exchange for some secret recipe, they were sealed and packed.

Mrs. He came by in the evening to deliver the completed clothes.

Zhuang Qingning had asked Mrs. He to tailor two outfits from the fabric given by Mrs. Meng and Chai Zhengzhen.

“Miss Ning, have you heard the news these past few days?” Mrs. He asked in a low voice after finishing their casual chatter.

“Heard what?”

Seeing Zhuang Qingning’s puzzled look, Mrs. He realized she probably didn’t know and lowered her voice even more.

“You’ve been so busy with the tofu skin workshop and collecting herbs these past few days that you probably haven’t heard. Lately, Zhuang Ruman has been bragging everywhere, telling everyone that he has arranged an extremely good marriage for Zhuang Qinghe. The groom’s family is extraordinarily wealthy, living in a large two-courtyard house with twenty to thirty servants, all of whom are so well-off they wear satin clothes. They’re incredibly rich.” “He even bragged about Zhuang Qinghe’s good fortune, saying her horoscope is particularly favorable for her future husband, so she will live a life of luxury in the future, and their family will also have a worry-free life with plentiful food and fine clothes.”

“I’m wondering who that family could be. Are they blind, fancying Zhuang Qinghe and ignoring Zhuang Ruman’s family’s true colors, even thinking about forming a marriage alliance with them?”

Mrs. He was angry at Zhuang Ruman’s family’s behavior, especially their treatment of Zhuang Qingning in the past. She believed that such heartless people would certainly not end well. But now they were living carefree lives, which she found very uncomfortable.

Zhuang Qingning knew that Mrs. He was expressing righteous indignation on her behalf, but she just chuckled: “Marriage has always been about the match between social statuses. The family circumstances of both sides are usually similar. Even in marriages where one party marries down, they have to be of a comparable social standing. Considering how wealthy the groom’s family is, there must have been no shortage of families clamoring for a marriage proposal. However, they insist on marrying a girl from a poor family. It seems a little odd.”

That’s true.” Mrs. He’s voice faltered, as she twisted a strand of hair that had fallen onto her lap. “Usually, if the bride’s family gives more in the betrothal gift and the groom’s family gives less dowry, they would be ridiculed and looked down upon by others. The difference between these two families is considerable, and Zhuang Qinghe isn’t particularly outstanding…” Not only not outstanding, but also looked down upon by even average families. Whether in terms of appearance, temperament, or work ethic, she was indeed inferior to even average girls.

The reason some people had previously proposed marriage was purely because of Zhuang Yuanren.

In those days, it was rare to have a family member who could study, especially one who had a seemingly talented one like Zhuang Yuanren. It was thought he might pass the imperial examination and take an official position in the future. Thus, many were eager to ingratiate themselves with him for their further considerations.

Thus, everyone had their ambitions in mind.

As for the wealthy household that Zhuang Ruman spoke of, who were willing to marry into their family and accept Zhuang Qinghe as their bride, who knows what their motivations were.

Could heavens truly turn a blind eye and let Zhuang Ruman’s family live comfortably with such karma?

As Mrs. He pondered on this, she felt considerably relieved and stopped discussing Zhuang Qinghe’s marriage. She shifted the conversation to other topics, discussing the mugwort and calamus needed for the mosquito repellent herbs.

Although Mrs. He’s maternal family was not thriving, the family was just getting by, so she intended to have her maternal relatives harvest some mugwort and calamus when they had spare time to supply Zhuang Qingning. Of course, Zhuang Qingning agreed without hesitation.

For the next two days, Zhuang Qingning was very busy, working to collect the medicinal herbs and prepare the mosquito repellent herbs.

Zhuang Qingsui looked on with a tender heart, helping Zhuang Qingning with tasks she could manage, like weighing the medicinal herbs.

The blazing sun was vigorous, the heat was harsh, and the cicadas were singing on and off in the trees, making the summer day feel even more scorching.

However, it was very cool in Qingzhuyuan, without the slightest sense of the summer heat.

First, it was surrounded by lush bamboo which blocked the sunlight entirely. Second, the stream that was diverted to flow through the garden trickled along, naturally carrying away a lot of heat.

But for the third reason…

“Mr. Fan.” Chu Jinnian’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and he was exuding a chilling aura that made those around him shiver involuntarily.

Especially his gaze fixed upon Fan Wenxuan, like multiple sharp blades, seemingly wanting to pierce several holes in him.

“Eldest Master, it truly isn’t my fault.” Fan Wenxuan rubbed his hanging ear lobes and glanced at the sky indifferently, “it’s Chu Jinzhou’s bad luck. He should accept his loss since he agreed to the bet, right?”

So this is your reason for painting Chu Jinzhou’s face like a colorful cat?

Chu Jinnian looked at the crookedly scrawled “king” character on Chu Jinzhou’s forehead, the black rings around his eyes, and the uneven beard on his cheeks. The chill in him seemed to grow even colder.

Already terrified, Ning Feng had prepared warm water to wash Chu Jinzhou clean.

However, no amount of washing could remove all the ink. From a distance, it was not visibly noticeable, but upon close examination, the original mark still could be seen, and because of the blotchy ink, it looked worse than when it was originally inked.

“It’ll be gone in a few days. It won’t matter, it really won’t make a difference…”

Spotting Chu Jinnian’s clenched fists, Fan Wenxuan quickly added, stepping back a couple of steps, wearing a flattering grin.

“I truly didn’t bully the younger. This was a fair game where both parties had a fifty percent chance of winning. If Jinzhou was just unlucky this time, and lost, it means nothing.. But if you, eldest young master, are trying to beat me now, that means you are purely intending to bully me…”