Feng Jinyao looked at her shy demeanor and remembered that the shopkeeper Wang mentioned by Yunxu seemed to be Xiuqiu's cousin.
He was the shopkeeper of the Feng family's Yiyuan pawnshop at a young age, and his eyes were the most discerning. The pawnshop's profit this time was the highest among many shops, and most of it was his credit.
It was a good thing that they could find their own归宿 (guīsù - destination/belonging).
Thinking of this, Feng Jinyao was also happy to fulfill their wishes.
"Don't worry, I'll prepare your dowry, and shopkeeper Wang will definitely not dare to underestimate you."
"Miss..." Xiuqiu called out coquettishly, looking very charming. Yunxu, seeing that she was about to be so shy she wanted to burrow into the ground, smiled and changed the subject.
"The snow this year is really late. It's only starting to fall in the twelfth lunar month, and I'm afraid it will rain constantly in the spring of next year."
This reminded Feng Jinyao. Yunxu was right, the twelfth year of Tianqi indeed had continuous rainfall throughout the year, which not only affected the harvest but also caused grain prices to skyrocket.
Since this was the case, they had to prepare early.
She narrowed her eyes and pondered for a moment, then gave instructions.
"Go and tell Uncle Fu to set aside ten percent of this year's shop profits to hoard grain, and store it on the manor that Mother brought as dowry. Let Mama Bai's son keep an eye on it."
"Ten percent? Isn't that too much?"
Yunxu had been calculating accounts with Feng Jinyao for these days and naturally knew how much ten percent was.
The current grain price was only seven or eight wen, and it would probably take half the manor to store enough.
"It's fine, do as I say. Also, ask the steward to find a few skilled farmers and divide the existing farmland into two. Use half of it to plant lotus roots, so even if it rains heavily, there's no fear of no harvest."
Lotus roots?
Yunxu remembered seeing villagers farming when she was young. They were indeed not afraid of flooding, so she immediately nodded and made a note to arrange it later.
After a busy morning, all matters were finally arranged.
Choosing an afternoon when the sun was warmer, Feng Jinyao took the prepared New Year's gifts and went to visit the Bai family.
At this time in previous years, it was Madam Feng who took gifts back to her maiden home, and sometimes she would accompany her. This year was different. Madam Feng was bedridden, and the management of the household had been handed over to her, so the responsibility of visiting relatives and friends naturally fell on her.
The young servant at the entrance of the Bai mansion saw the Feng family's carriage and immediately stepped forward to greet them, his words full of excitement.
"Third Miss has finally arrived. Madam has been waiting for me here since early this morning, just waiting for you."
"My eldest aunt is too kind. Please lead the way."
Returning to the familiar Bai family again, the matter of her maternal grandmother's birthday banquet seemed like yesterday. Thinking of her cousin's lovely smiling face made her unable to help but feel happy.
She wondered how she had been doing for the past half a month?
Was she still bickering with her cousin Bai Sihan?
While thinking, she saw that they had already arrived in front of her eldest aunt's courtyard.
Her capable Mama Lin had been waiting at the courtyard entrance to welcome her. Seeing them, the wrinkles on her face seemed to deepen with smiles.
"Miss has finally arrived. Everyone has been waiting for you for a long time."
"Oh? Are my aunts free today?"
"The County Princess is talking with Madam. She heard you were coming and stayed to wait. The eldest young lady also sent word earlier, asking you to wait for her a little longer. She will come over after she finishes her needlework."
Embroidery?
Feng Jinyao couldn't help but picture her pouting angrily, and felt a pang of sympathy for the silk she had "ruined."
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw a pond under the corridor. It was fed by hot spring water, so a few koi were swimming freely in it even in the cold winter.
"Niece pays her respects to Eldest Aunt and Fourth Aunt."
"You're here!" Eldest Aunt Madam Lin looked at her and was as happy as could be, busy beckoning her to sit beside her.
The winter was cold, so both aunts were nestled on a rosewood lotus-patterned couch by the bright window, covered with lambskin blankets, which was the warmest.
Eldest Aunt was dressed plainly today, her goose-yellow hat was both warm and flattering. If an uninformed person saw her, they might even think she was a young lady who had just gotten married.
Fourth Aunt, on the other hand, was festive, wearing a palace red jacket of brocade with floral patterns. Her hairpins and ring settings were inlaid with lustrous pearls, and she wore a pair of excellent mutton-fat jade bracelets on her wrists. Her eyes sparkled, and it was evident she was in a very good mood.
Even her gaze towards Feng Jinyao was filled with affection.
"It's still snowing outside. Were you cold on the way?"
After speaking, she handed over the gilded hand warmer with entwined peonies she was holding.
Warmth spread from her palms, and soon her whole body felt warm.
"Mother is not well enough to go out, so I've come to deliver the New Year's gifts today. Nothing else, I've got some new good skins, I brought them over for Grandmother and my aunts to make padded jackets, they're the most comfortable."
"You girl, you really care about us. Just right, my sister-in-law sent a few baskets of snow pears and green dates from Jiangnan, which are very good for the lungs. Take some back for Eldest Sister to try, perhaps it will help with her cough."
Feng Jinyao smiled and said yes.
"Eldest Sister-in-law, are there any happy events to be held in the capital recently? I saw you preparing some gifts the other day, which family were they for?"
Fourth Aunt, Princess Wenyi, suddenly asked. Her mind was active, though not as much as Madam Bai, but she was skilled at interjecting topics seamlessly.
Feng Jinyao would come of age next year, and then she would start preparing for marriage. In the future, she would naturally integrate into the circle of prominent families in the capital.
So, the two aunts of the Bai family talked about recent happy events in the capital, which also helped her sort out the circles she would associate with in the future.
"The Liang family is sending a betrothal gift."
"Oh, is it the granddaughter of Elder Scholar Xu? Siyou is good friends with her, and I've met her a few times. She's a well-behaved, sensible, and good girl, and she's also generous and beautiful."
Madam Bai Si said admiringly. She had only one daughter, whom she loved dearly. If she had a son, bringing her into the family as a daughter-in-law would surely make her a model of a matriarch.
"Who would say otherwise? I heard that the Liang family spent a fortune on this betrothal gift, and the gifts were brought into the Xu family like a flowing stream. My sister-in-law was invited to witness the ceremony, and she said that there were twenty-eight pairs of pure gold bracelets alone, not to mention several large chests full of silk and satin, high-quality seafood, and seasonal candies and fruits. She was very envious."
Madam Bai, from the prestigious Lin family, was also very influential in the circle of noble ladies in the capital, so she had more information than anyone else about any stir in the Bai family.
"The Liang family's son is only a Dali Temple Minister, and he usually doesn't get much lucrative position. It looks like they've emptied more than half of the Liang family's mansion."
"Yes, but he's their only son. If they don't show him face, who else can they show face to?"
The sisters-in-law laughed heartily. Feng Jinyao listened to their casual banter, but her mind was already on other plans.
Princess Wenyi, unaware of her thoughts, was talking about another happy event.