At first, Elder Madam Song was a bit nervous. When playing mahjong at her maiden home, she lost nine out of ten games.
She even secretly speculated whether Qi Huan didn't have enough money and was using this as an excuse to ask them for some.
However, since Huan had gotten tuberculosis medicine for Che Er and given him amazing masks, it was only fair for her to contribute some money.
Elder Madam Song reluctantly took out her purse, mentally preparing herself to bleed money.
Sitting at the head of the table, Old Lady Song also instructed Nanny Wu to bring a hundred taels.
Having heard that Huan had opened a mahjong parlor in Mo County, Old Lady Song thought: Huan must be an expert at this.
Losing some money to her dear granddaughter wasn't really losing; it was a willing gift.
Young Madam Song glanced at her mother-in-law on the left and her grandmother-in-law on the right, then dutifully took out her own purse.
Her husband had said that his orphaned cousin needed extra care. Young Madam Song secretly weighed her purse, wondering: Is this care too little?
But she really didn't have any more...
Seemingly noticing her predicament, Song You'an, who was watching from the side, silently untied her purse and put her monthly allowance together with her sister-in-law's.
She really liked the Yaoguang Brocade that Cousin Huan had given her.
Hearing that the brocade was very valuable, she didn't want her cousin to lose out.
Song You'an withdrew her hand and sat obediently behind Young Madam Song, trying to minimize her presence as much as possible.
After shuffling the mahjong tiles, Qi Huan was busy rolling the dice and calculating where to start dealing, completely oblivious to the rich inner thoughts of those around her.
Her deft movements and calm smile further convinced everyone in the room that she was here to win money!
True to her reputation as the owner of a mahjong parlor, she dealt and played at lightning speed.
While Young Madam Song marveled at this, she fumbled with her own tiles. When she heard Qi Huan say "Three of Characters," her hand moved faster than her mind, pushing down the tiles in front of her as joy spread across her brow: "I've won!"
"Well done, sister-in-law."
Qi Huan smiled sweetly as she handed over ten taels of silver.
"...We're playing for such high stakes?" Young Madam Song was completely stunned.
Ten taels per game...
Surely her cousin didn't intend to give them a taste of sweetness before fleecing them?
Young Madam Song hesitantly accepted the silver.
Soon she relaxed, remembering that her original intention was to be the big loser anyway. She only had this much silver, so whether she lost it sooner or later didn't make much difference.
Let's go again!
In the second round, Qi Huan let Old Lady Song win on her discard.
Old Lady Song's smile brought out all her wrinkles as she thought to herself: I've still got it! Age hasn't slowed me down one bit!
Seeing her so happy, Qi Huan felt joyful too.
She was playing mahjong with her grandmother not only to give her money but also to make her happy and keep her mind active, preventing senile dementia.
The love in Old Lady Song's eyes was undisguisable. Under her attentive care, Qi Huan had come to see her as a true grandmother and sincerely wanted to show her filial piety.
So, she kept letting others win on her discards.
By dusk, both Old Lady Song and Young Madam Song had reaped quite a harvest.
Only Elder Madam Song still couldn't shake her fate of losing nine out of ten games. Even with Qi Huan deliberately throwing the game, she still only managed to win one out of every ten rounds.
Qi Huan lost all the loose silver in her purse, plus the banknotes in her sleeve, totaling five hundred taels.
She even let others win multiple times on her discards.
Very good, very satisfying.
One hundred taels of gold equaled a thousand taels of silver.
She had already given away half of the gold ingot "Song Jingche" had returned, as he had requested. Another session tomorrow would fulfill his instructions.
Seeing her radiant smile, the Song family members assumed she was putting on a brave face.
Old Lady Song thought: Huan is so considerate! Even though she lost so much money, she's still forcing a smile to put us at ease.
How did I end up with such a sweet, lovely, and understanding granddaughter who looks just like I did when I was young?
Young Madam Song, on the other hand, was fretting: I couldn't give care but ended up receiving it instead. What should I do? Will my husband be upset?
Elder Madam Song suspected: Wasn't Huan supposed to be the owner of a mahjong parlor? Her skills are even worse than mine.
At least I can win one game out of ten; she couldn't win a single one. Losing so much money and still grinning like an idiot, she's not very bright. I'll have to look after her more in the future.
The three women unanimously tried to return the money to her.
"Huan, we play mahjong just to pass the time, not to actually win money from family. Quick, take the money back. A young girl should keep it to buy some rouge and powder."
"That's right, your aunt is correct. Huan, take the money back quickly. None of us are short on cash."
"Yes, cousin, please take it back."
Qi Huan was stunned.
She had worked so hard to lose money, and now they wanted her to take it back?
She began to imitate Song Zhibai's tone: "My mother always said that in gambling, one must accept the consequences. We can't be sore losers. So, I can't take back the money I've lost."
The Song women fell silent. Had the little white one really said that?
But since she invoked Song Zhibai, Old Lady Song compromised: "Huan is such a good child."
Hearing this, Madam Song and Young Madam Song had no choice but to keep the money.
Qi Huan's good mood lasted until the next day.
Just after lunch the following day, maids from Old Lady Song's, Madam Song's, and Young Madam Song's courtyards came one after another to bring her jewelry and fabrics.
They had taken Qi Huan's silver and spent it all on her.
Qi Huan finally understood why "Song Jingche" didn't personally deliver the money...
However, losing money at mahjong had been a spur-of-the-moment idea. She refocused her attention on her original plan.
Undeterred, she went to Qingsong Court again.
"Grandmother, I want to open a restaurant in the capital, but I don't have enough money. I was hoping to borrow some from you, and we could split the profits fifty-fifty once it starts making money."
Old Lady Song took her hand, seated her by her side, and said with a kind expression: "Huan, whatever you're short on, grandmother will make up for it privately. Consider it part of your future dowry. There's no need for formalities between us. How could I take a share of profits from a young girl like you?"
Seeing her constant consideration, Qi Huan's eyes moistened. She nestled against Old Lady Song and said softly:
"I know grandmother dotes on me, but I also want to show my filial piety. If grandmother doesn't agree, I'll be very upset..."
"You silly child." Old Lady Song chuckled, having no choice but to agree on the surface: "Alright, grandmother will take half, and Huan keeps half."
Qi Huan's tears turned to smiles as she coyly said: "Grandmother must keep her word. You can't spend the money you earn on me again."
"Elder Brother Cheng is still studying and will need financial support for his future official career. Elder Brother Che is still taking medicine and needs careful nurturing. Younger Sister An will need a dowry when she gets married in the future. The Song family has many more expenses to cover..."
As she listened to the girl's continuous chatter, Old Lady Song was amused. She whispered to Nanny Wu beside her, "Look at our Huan, she's even more concerned than this old woman."
"Grandmother, why are you teasing me?" Qi Huan protested.
"Hahaha..." Old Lady Song simply laughed out loud.
The atmosphere between grandmother and granddaughter was warm and joyful.
After accompanying Old Lady Song for dinner, Qi Huan returned to Qinghuan Court with the borrowed five hundred taels of silver, and began planning for the food business.
She had milk powder, hot pot base, and sesame paste, so she could sell spicy hot pot.
After taking out the ingredients from her spatial storage, she planned to borrow the stove in the kitchen first to make a pot and test the taste.
At this moment, a maid rushed in to report anxiously, "Young Miss, an imperial edict has arrived. The eunuch delivering the edict specifically asked for you to receive it."
