The next day.
Arriving at Lu's Residence.
Lu Yueming was seen standing on a wooden ladder placed in front of the main gate, with her two handmaids Huixin and Lanxin supporting her from each side. She climbed up and took down the plaque above the gate, flinging it onto the open ground.
Thud——
The plaque hit the ground with a loud sound.
A nearby servant immediately raised a new plaque towards her.
At this moment, Qi Huan also saw the two gilded characters on the new plaque - Du's Mansion.
She walked over briskly and helped Lu Yueming down from the ladder when she descended.
"Ah Huan, you're here!"
Seeing her, Lu Yueming's tense expression finally relaxed into a radiant smile like the rising morning sun.
After Lu Yueming settled herself, Qi Huan linked her arm through hers and they walked inside, smiling as she said, "I have some good news to tell you."
"What a coincidence," Lu Yueming said with a proud smile, "I have two pieces of good news to share with you too."
"Then you go first."
Recalling the scene she had just witnessed in front of Lu's Residence, Qi Huan had a rough guess.
Sure enough, Lu Yueming excitedly explained the reason for changing the plaque: "My mother has divorced Lu Baiian."
"Oh? Lu Baiian agreed to it so easily?"
"Not at first. But then my mother said, either divorce or widowhood, and he was so scared that he immediately agreed.
My mother had someone help write the divorce deed, and since his wrist was broken and he couldn't write, he gripped his hand to make a handprint. This residence was built with money my mother paid to have it renovated, so naturally it should be renamed Du's Mansion.
However, while the mansion's name may change, the emotional hurt is not so easily erased. My mother seems fine on the surface, but in private she often stares off into the distance, lost in thought."
Understanding her concern, Qi Huan pondered for a moment before suggesting, "The worst thing is to lose one's spiritual anchor. After your aunt recovers her health a bit, you could take her to the Worry-Free Mahjong Parlor to play a few rounds of mahjong. Once she's busy again and her life is filled with activity, she won't have as much time to dwell on these upsetting matters..."
"Good idea, I'll try that later."
Changing the subject, Qi Huan inquired curiously, "What's the other piece of good news?"
"Xiu Wen and I have set our wedding date for the ninth day of the ninth month."
"So soon?"
"It was my mother who decided. She said when she was in prison, she saw Lu Baiian's condition wasn't very good and she's worried he might not make it through the winter. If I observe the three-year mourning period, it would delay my marriage, so she chose the soonest auspicious date."
"Makes sense."
Although Lu Baiian had done despicable deeds, the ancients held the belief that the dead should be respected. If he died and Lu Yueming didn't observe mourning, she would certainly be criticized.
So Qi Huan sincerely hoped that Lu Baiian would be sensible enough, at the very least, to stay alive until after the ninth day of the ninth month before dying.
As they chatted, they arrived at Lu Yueming's courtyard. The sun was shining brightly, so Lu Yueming had servants set up a tea table and rosewood chairs under the green trees in the courtyard and brew a pot of hot tea.
While the maids were pouring the tea, Qi Huan untied the enlarged and widened pouch from her waist and pulled out a stack of silver notes.
"Yueming, the starch we shipped out has been sold, and this is your share."
"So much!... Since it's so profitable, why don't we buy some more servants and make more starch to sell!"
"No need for now," Qi Huan shook her head and shared her next plan.
"The transportation to and from distant counties is too troublesome, so I plan to open starch workshops locally once the sales channels are established, to save on costs and time.
However, the demand in the nearby counties isn't that high, and the distances aren't too far either, so it's not worth renting a shop. We'll continue processing the starch here and shipping it over."
After listening to her explanation, Lu Yueming pushed the silver notes back to her.
"Ah Huan, the previous starch batches came from Du's Mansion, plus the labor and capital costs, so my thirty percent share was reasonable. Now that you plan to set up starch workshops in other counties, choosing locations and hiring labor will require more expenditure. Naturally, I'll need to invest more to continue receiving a share."
"Keep these, and I'll also have Lanxin give you another five thousand taels of silver."
Seeing her sincerity and resolve, Qi Huan didn't refuse.
She could barely afford the costs of opening branches elsewhere.
But Lu Yueming's investment wasn't a bad idea - they could share the risks together and become prosperous.
After Qi Huan accepted, she rolled up the silver notes into a ball and tried to stuff them into her pouch.
But as she stuffed, the pouch stretched open and the stitches tore.
Qi Huan was dumbfounded.
This must be the troubles of a wealthy lady!
Seeing this, Lu Yueming burst out laughing, "Ah Huan, this is the first time I've seen such a large pouch, and yet it's still not enough to hold everything. Next time, will you have to carry a hemp sack tied around your body?"
"You've reminded me, I can make a canvas bag to carry around. Thank you, Yueming."
"What's a canvas bag?" Lu Yueming's large eyes were filled with curiosity.
Qi Huan asked for paper and a brush, and casually sketched out the design of a canvas bag, as well as a smaller and more exquisite sling bag.
She didn't avoid the maids in Lu Yueming's courtyard, not because she was being careless, but mainly because she hadn't obtained any special materials yet and could only use the most common fabrics of the era.
The processes for making the canvas bag and sling bag weren't complicated either, so they could easily be replicated. Wanxian County wasn't very prosperous, and few women were willing to spend silver on buying bags. With no market demand, even the best ideas would be wasted.
So for now, Qi Huan didn't plan to open a bag shop here.
After putting down her brush, she blew on the drawing and then said to Lu Yueming, "There's no time to make one now, but lend me a cloth bundle later, and I'll carry the silver notes back in that. Next time, I can use a bag to carry the silver notes."
"No need to wait until next time. This design doesn't look too difficult. Let's pick out some fabric, and I'll have Lanxin and Huixin make one for you right away."
With that, Lu Yueming pulled her along to the storeroom and selected a bolt of white cotton cloth and a piece of yellow fabric. The white cotton would be used for the canvas bag, and the yellow fabric for the sling bag.
Huixin fetched needles and thread, while Lanxin was in charge of cutting. Soon, the first canvas bag was completed.
Not only did the style match modern designs, but Lanxin and Huixin also embroidered the words "arichwoman" that Qi Huan had casually written on the sketch using red silk thread.
The white canvas bag with the red arched English text looked simple yet stylish.
Qi Huan couldn't wait to try it on.
Admiring herself in the bronze mirror in Lu Yueming's boudoir, she grew more and more satisfied with it. Look at these plain letters, how charming they were!
The advantage of living in ancient times was that even if she shouted "Iamafool", no one would make fun of her.
So even though her canvas bag was blatantly labeled as belonging to a wealthy lady, she didn't need to worry about being robbed.
Tossing the silver coins from her worn-out pouch into the canvas bag, Qi Huan felt that she could fit even more!
Since it lacked a zipper, she had Huixin sew on clasps at the opening. After putting the silver coins inside, she fastened the clasps and clutched the canvas bag under her arm, making it hard for anyone to imagine she was parading through the market with a sack full of silver banknotes.
Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, Qi Huan decided that once she was out of Lu Yueming's sight and away from Du's Mansion, she would find a secluded spot to store the banknotes in her spatial storage.
After finishing lunch, she took a nap in the side room for a while.
When she woke up again, Huixin and Lanxin had also crafted the satchels from the designs.
