Born to Be Either Rich or Noble - Chapter 56

Qian Tong had just arrived from Yangzhou. The chill of travel still clung to her; she hadn’t even changed out of her dusty clothes before hurrying straight here. She entered the room and respectfully saluted the two women seated inside. “Madam, Third Madam.”

A maid guided her to a seat. Once settled, Qian Tong lifted her gaze toward the elder woman and said evenly, “It has been two years since Madam came to Haizhou, and I have not had the honor of seeing you since. You look even more radiant than before—clearly the air and water here suit you well. I hope my unexpected visit today has not disturbed you.”

The First Madam and the Third Madam could not have been more different. The Third Madam was all sharp edges—bold, forceful, her every word carrying a sting. The First Madam, by contrast, was the picture of composure: her anger never reached her face, her expression dignified and her tone perpetually gentle, as though nothing in the world could ever provoke her.

Had Qian Tong not once witnessed the woman’s true temper two years ago, she might have believed Madam Park was nothing more than a kind and amiable elder.

Perhaps the older woman knew there was no longer a need to hide her real self. She didn’t bother with false smiles this time and said lightly, “Since Miss Qian has come, the Park family’s doors are open to you.”

Qian Tong inclined her head in thanks.

A maid served tea. Qian Tong accepted the cup but set it aside untouched.

The Third Madam gave her a cold, derisive glance. “What’s this? You’ve come all the way here, yet you still think we’d poison you?”

“You jest, Third Madam,” Qian Tong replied with composure. “I’m simply not thirsty.”

Whether she was thirsty or not was irrelevant. The Third Madam had no patience for such small talk and cut straight to the point. “What brings you here in such a rush tonight?”

At that, Qian Tong rose and bowed deeply. “It was my fault for being reckless before. I beg the Third Madam to show mercy.”

Park’s second son had been raised under the Third Madam’s name—every action he took was subject to her control.

First, he had gone after Qian Er; later, he’d slaughtered the entire Lu family. Such bold moves could not have happened without her knowledge.

Why had she allowed it?

It was a warning.

As long as the Qian family remained in Yangzhou, they would never escape the Parks’ grasp.

The Third Madam had long expected that Qian Tong would one day come knocking. She had deliberately left Yangzhou to lure her here, wanting the First Madam to see for herself how the once naïve little merchant girl had grown teeth sharp enough to draw blood.

“Miss Qian, what is it you think I’ve done that requires mercy?” the Third Madam asked with a mocking laugh. “Last time, you cornered the Cui family until they had nowhere left to run and took their business for yourself. My nephew even personally agreed to let you handle our tea trade. Now that your fleet sails the Yellow Sea, that single venture alone could sell enough salt to last you years. I would have thought Miss Qian should be satisfied—but clearly, your appetite knows no limits. It seems the Park family has failed to feed you enough.”

Her voice carried a note of dry amusement. “They say, ‘When the tiger leaves the mountain, the monkey becomes king.’ We looked away for a moment, and you took full advantage. Not content with swallowing the Cui family’s tea trade, you’ve gone and seized the Lu family’s textile business as well.”

Then, smiling thinly, she asked, “Would Miss Qian care to tell us how exactly you obtained those trade certificates?”

Her eyes fixed on Qian Tong’s face, eager to catch a flicker of guilt or hesitation.

But the young woman remained calm. Straightening, she met that gaze squarely. “I sold the account book to Wang Zhao and used the proceeds to acquire the salt permit and textile papers.”

The Third Madam blinked, then gave a sharp, mocking laugh. “So you sold one account book twice? Miss Qian truly knows how to do business.” She turned to the First Madam. “Well, Sister, what do you think? Now that you’ve seen her yourself, would you agree she’s not the same timid girl from before? I once believed she meant to serve the Park family in good faith when she took that book and managed our tea trade—but look at her now. Two hands, two deals—she sold the same book to the court as well! Even Lu Daozhong would blush to see such cunning.”

The First Madam lifted her eyes at that and studied the young woman before her, her expression thoughtful, weighing the Third Madam’s words.

“You misunderstand me, Third Madam,” Qian Tong said evenly, unhurried. “Yes, I took over the Cui family’s tea trade—but you also know perfectly well that this year, the shipments from Shuzhou ran dry. There was no stock to sell.”

Her tone remained polite but firm. “In ordinary years, the Cui family’s tea exports would bring in at least ten thousand taels of silver a month. If the ships sit idle now, not only does the Third Madam lose profit, I too earn nothing. Wouldn’t that be a waste?”

The Third Madam watched her closely, waiting to hear what she would say next.

Qian Tong calmly resumed her seat and continued, “Lu Daozhong’s ambitions were large, but his vision was small. He led the textile guild in rejecting foreign imports, shutting their doors to outside trade. It looked as though he held all of Yangzhou’s market in his hands—but in truth, he was picking up sesame seeds and letting the melon roll away. There are thirty-eight provinces in Dayu, and Yangzhou is only one of them. If you keep rejecting what is new and refuse to adapt, your road only narrows further.”

Her voice was calm, unhurried—so composed that both the Third Madam and the First Madam turned to look at her, surprised, and listened in silence.

“I took the trade permit from Wang Zhao,” Qian Tong said evenly, “because I couldn’t stand watching Lu Daozhong sit on what the Park family built for him and do nothing with it. The silk and brocade of Yangzhou are among the finest in all of Dayu. Why should we fear competing with cheap hemp cloth? The reason his goods wouldn’t sell wasn’t the product—it was the market he chose.”

The Third Madam raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite herself. “Then, according to Miss Qian, where should Yangzhou’s silk be sold? Jinling? The taxes there are enough to scare a man to death. Other than the yearly quota, who would travel so far only to waste their efforts…”

Qian Tong didn’t answer directly. “Lu Daozhong lacked courage, and without ships, his hands were tied. Thanks to the Third Madam’s generosity, I already have a fleet. Since we can’t trade tea this year, we’ll simply shift to another business. Money spends the same, doesn’t it?” She smiled faintly and added, “And since I hold the official trade permit, everything we do is legitimate. How much we ship, how much we sell—that’s up to us, isn’t it?”

The Third Madam studied her bright, confident eyes—the ambition there was impossible to miss. She gave a low sigh. “Miss Qian, your courage truly knows no bounds.”

“I’m not afraid to shoulder the risk,” Qian Tong assured her. “Whatever happens, it has nothing to do with you, Third Madam. You need only count the silver.”

The Third Madam didn’t press further. Instead, she turned to the First Madam. “Sister, what do you think?”

The First Madam took a slow sip of tea, then gently set her cup down on the wooden stand beside her. Meeting her sister-in-law’s gaze, she smiled faintly. “You’re right. Tong’er isn’t the same girl she was.”

Her eyes softened as she turned toward Qian Tong. “Perhaps I was the one who misjudged you back then and said things I shouldn’t have. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”

Qian Tong blinked, genuinely taken aback. “What words, Madam? My memory is poor—I’ve long forgotten.”

For the first time that evening, the First Madam’s expression shifted ever so slightly; she was, in truth, beginning to see the young woman in a new light.

The Third Madam leaned in and said quietly, “Since Miss Qian has chosen to move forward alongside the Park family, we can’t let her suffer losses.” Then, even lower: “The First Madam has agreed.”

“Agreed to what?” Qian Tong asked.

The Third Madam smiled meaningfully. “Your marriage to the eldest son.”

Her tone had suddenly turned warm—almost friendly. She glanced at the First Madam, then gave Qian Tong a look filled with implication. “For the past two years, the eldest son would rather drift at sea than return home to show filial respect. Why? Because of you. You came between mother and son, and the rift grew so deep they barely exchanged two words a year. That can’t go on forever. Fortunately, my sister-in-law has finally come around. Not long ago, she sent me a letter asking me to think of a way to bring you here, so you could meet face to face and clear the air. Young people who like each other—that’s fate. She won’t stand in the way anymore.”

At last, the Third Madam saw what she’d been waiting for—a flicker of emotion breaking through the girl’s calm mask.

She smirked inwardly and went on, “After all, it was my sister-in-law who broke you apart back then. I worried you’d be too proud to come, but look at that—Miss Qian shows up of her own accord tonight.”

Her smile widened as Qian Tong’s expression slowly turned rigid—just as it had two years ago, when she’d stood outside the Park family’s gates, soaked to the bone in the pouring rain, begging for a single word from the eldest son, only to be struck silent by the First Madam’s cold rebuke.

The same shock, the same hollow disbelief—nothing had changed.

“You see?” the Third Madam continued lightly. “Even after all these years apart, the feelings haven’t truly faded. My sister-in-law has met you now and seems quite satisfied. Compared to two years ago, you’ve grown—more composed, more shrewd. And the eldest isn’t that lovesick boy anymore. Even if you were to marry, it wouldn’t hurt the family’s business. So why should she object, right, Sister?”

Qian Tong had been sitting upright the whole time, hands clasped tightly in her lap. Before the First Madam could respond, she said softly, “I’m deeply honored by Madam’s kindness. In my youth, I was ignorant and foolish, blind to my station, daring to covet what was far beyond my reach. My family had no foundation, no power; we’ve survived only under the Park family’s shadow. How could I presume again to entertain such improper thoughts?”

The Third Madam gave her a sidelong glance, dissatisfied. “That doesn’t sound like the Miss Qian I know.”

The First Madam’s voice was gentle but firm. “Mingyi’s taste has never been poor. If he favors you, there’s no need to belittle yourself.”

Mingyi—the eldest son’s given name.

Two years ago, this same woman had gone to great lengths to sever every tie between them, afraid that Qian Tong would taint her son’s reputation. And now—now she spoke as though she no longer minded, as though rank and worth no longer mattered.

The Third Madam gave a short laugh. “Ah, I almost forgot—Miss Qian, wasn’t there another gentleman in your household? I heard there was even an engagement banquet not long ago?”

Before Qian Tong could answer, she went on smoothly, “A poor affair, that one—simple to the point of shame. Your father beaten, you yourself thrown into prison—such ill fortune could hardly count as a proper betrothal.”

Her smile sharpened. “The Park family isn’t bound by outdated rules. We’re open-minded in both business and marriage. And with your current abilities, Miss Qian, I doubt it would be difficult for you to make a man with no roots or backing simply… disappear from Yangzhou.”

Qian Tong’s lashes flickered, and in that instant she understood.

They wanted her to kill him.

To kill the heir of the Song family.

She lowered her head, staring at her clasped hands. The warmth in them was long gone, drained away by the coldness of the night and the weight of what she’d walked through to get here. And yet—the moment something is truly yours, the harder it is to let go.

The Third Madam smiled. “Once you’ve dealt with your little… complication, the Park family will visit your home to formally propose. Three letters and six gifts, as tradition demands—nothing will be lacking.” (t/n: The “three letters and six gifts” refers to the formal stages of a traditional Chinese betrothal process.)

Qian Tong didn’t refuse this time. Instead, she lifted her gaze and asked quietly, “Does the eldest son know?”

“He’ll be back by morning,” the First Madam replied gently. “I’ve already had a room prepared for you. It’s late, and you’ve traveled far—rest here for the night. When he returns, you can speak properly. I’m too old to meddle further. Once you’ve agreed on your future together, simply let me know.”