"Why bother shopping in our own store? Wouldn’t it be more convenient if the shopkeeper brought the rchandise directly to our door? How about—"
"I’m tired of everything we have at ho, and I really want to check out other places! Are you saying you don’t want to accompany ?" Shi Yui said, sounding a bit annoyed.
"Miss Wan, do accompany your elder sister for a stroll!" Mrs. Wang also wanted the sisters-in-law to bond more and thus smiled, "After all, you have been married into our family for almost a year and haven’t really gone out much!"
"See, mother really cares about you!" Shi Yui said with a half-smile.
Sang Wan, having nothing to say, could only smile in agreent, and then added, "Mother, why don’t we ask your third daughter to join us as well? It would be livelier with more people!"
Sang Wan truly didn’t want to go out alone with just Shi Yui; having soone else could at least provide a buffer.
"That’s a good idea, see if she’s available and take her with you!" Mrs. Wang smiled indifferently.
"Then let’s go now! Sister-in-law!" Shi Yui added.
"Please wait a mont, elder sister, I will have soone prepare the carriage and send for you once it’s ready," Sang Wan smiled and said.
"Okay," Shi Yui nodded, "Just make it quick, I am not a patient person!"
"Yui!" Mrs. Wang chided her.
"Mother! I’m just straightforward, haven’t you gotten used to it over all these years?" Shi Yui cooed playfully.
"Elder sister is outspoken and straightforward, truly a forthright person!" Sang Wan said with a smile.
"Hmph, yes, I hate those who are sneaky and cunning. If they ss with , they can’t bla for being rude!"
Sang Wan smiled and did not engage further, she excused herself to go prepare. Her relationship with Shi Yui never really hit it off, and she had long stopped expecting it would.
While instructing Xingzhi to call for the carriage, Sang Wan went back to Ningyuan to change into a peach-red silk fur-trimd jacket, re-did her hair in a style called ’sunrise coiffure,’ changed into two colorful and bright hairpins, adorned herself with a set of exquisite head ornants, and took a cloud brocade cloak embroidered with red plum blossoms.
"Check how much silver we have," Sang Wan instructed Liu Ya. This was crucial.
Liu Ya brought in the casket with a rather embarrassed smile, "My lady, it’s all here, less than four hundred taels!"
Sang Wan imdiately felt a headache coming on.
From seeing the Shi family’s wealth and grandeur, even Liu Ya casually used the word "rely" for four hundred taels, not to ntion Shi Yui, this amount would likely not satisfy her expectations!
However, Sang Wan really didn’t have much cash on hand. With a monthly allowance of twenty taels and habitual rewards for servants averaging about eleven to twelve taels, she could only save about seven or eight taels. None of the stewardesses or in-charge midwives offered silver as a form of respect, for after all, how could their money compare to the Shi family’s? It seed almost embarrassing to present just ten or twenty taels—the dark thought being it wouldn’t be enough to make an impression. It was better to offer tangible gifts instead.
Most commonly, they gave newer fruits, sweets, novel dishes, famous fragrances, costics, embroidered items, or handmade socks and shoes. How could Sang Wan use these to trade for money? To even suggest it would be hilariously absurd!
Thus, Sang Wan, the main lady of the Shi family, was ironically one of the poorest in the entire household. Fortunately, Shi Fengju occasionally gave her so pocket money, and these few hundred taels were saved from that.
What to do?
Going shopping, it was certain that Shi Yui wouldn’t be paying—and even if she were willing, Sang Wan couldn’t dare let her, or else her mother-in-law would surely be displeased!
The mistress and servant fretted together.
"Oh, what’s troubling my lady?" Mrs. Li entered and was surprised to see this scene, asking with a laugh.
"The elder Mrs. Shi wants my lady to go shopping with her, and my lady is worried about not having enough silver," Liu Ya quickly explained with a laugh.
Sang Wan couldn’t stop her in ti, and could only laugh a bit sheepishly, saying, "I didn’t expect to be this poor; what if I can’t even buy a decent present for elder sister? She will surely laugh at !"
She might even think she’s being stingy.
"That’s nothing to worry about!" Mrs. Li laughed, "You worry too much! You are the head lady of our Shi family; which store would dare to accept your money? Just pick whatever you like and put it on the bill, the clerks will take the bill to the young master themselves!"
Mrs. Li continued laughing, "If I may say so, my lady, you are too honest! Why don’t you just ask the young master for money if you need it? Spending his money is completely justified!"
"..." Sang Wan skipped over that suggestion, smiling, "Hearing you say that, I feel relieved!"
Liu Ya also breathed a sigh of relief, and then said as she closed the casket, "I’ll take this back and put it away, there’s no need to bring it along!"
"It’s better to bring it," Sang Wan quickly said, "just in case we need it!"
"Well, let’s bring half then," Liu Ya, who was very conscientious about her mistress’s money, said reluctantly, "This is all of your savings, my lady. We can’t afford to spend it all in one go! Not to ntion, we still need to give out big red envelopes for New Year!"
Mrs. Li and Sang Wan both laughed at that comnt.
Once the carriage was ready, it was departure ti. Shi Yui couldn’t help but complain a few tis about "Why is it taking so long!" and "I’ve been waiting for almost half an hour!" but Sang Wan let it in one ear and out the other, not caring in the slightest. Being around her obviously incompatible elder sister-in-law, Sang Wan realized she really couldn’t bring herself to be angry.
Shi Lian was also good-natured, smiling gently the whole ti without showing any signs of annoyance.
After grumbling a bit, Shi Yui found it pointless and stopped talking, slouching heavily against the carriage wall, regretting that Gu Fangzi hadn’t co.
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