Chapter 7: Preparing to Leave

Chapter 7: Preparing to Leave

Lin Zhijin and her three servant girls sorted through the items they had received, and one thought dominated her mind—she'd hit the jackpot.

Truly rich. Two thousand silver dollars in total, ten small gold bars (a colloquial term for gold ingots), a chest of jewelry, and various fabrics, furs, and ornaments.

Lin Zhijin stroked the snow-white fox fur and asked Xiaohong to summon the tailor from the sewing room. The Chen household's tailors were all highly skilled masters, and since she hadn't left yet, she might as well get some free work out of them while she could.

"Line this fur on the inside—make one long coat, two short ones, and two vests. Use these bolts of cloth for padded jackets and pants, and make a few summer dresses too. Style... here, I want this kind." Lin Zhijin pointed at a sample in the catalog.

"Ninth Concubine, it's about to get hot soon. Are you making heavy coats now?" the master tailor asked, puzzled.

"Make them—I'll need them sooner or later," Lin Zhijin nodded.

"Very well, Ninth Concubine. For the lining, gray squirrel fur would be best. These long-haired furs would work better as collars," the master tailor couldn't help adding.

Lin Zhijin didn't know much about it, so she flipped through the furs Mother Sun had sent over. "Is there any gray squirrel fur here?"

"There's some in the storeroom. The Madam said you just need to ask if you need anything," the master tailor quickly replied.

"Alright then, use your judgment. Don't make the colors too bright—keep them muted," Lin Zhijin said. She didn't want to attract too much attention, though Xiaohong and the master tailor assumed she was avoiding bright colors because she was in mourning.

Dismissing the master tailor with a wave, Lin Zhijin continued sorting through the jewelry and ornaments. Is this a ruby? This is pearl, this is jadeite... whoa, is this imperial green?

Lin Zhijin reluctantly slipped off the jadeite bracelet. There were so many nice things here, but she probably wouldn't be able to take them with her when she left.

Other time-travelers always had some kind of cheat or system, but if only she had one too.

The weather gradually warmed, and after spending two days cooped up inside, Lin Zhijin was so bored she was about to grow mold. Staring at the asparagus ferns in the courtyard, she missed her phone.

"Ninth Concubine, the flowers in the garden are blooming. Would you like to go take a look?" Xiaohong asked, noticing Lin Zhijin's listlessness.

"Will I run into a lot of people if I go to the garden now?" The People's Liberation Army would be arriving within a month at most, and she didn't want anything else to go wrong.

"The sun is nice today, so others will probably be strolling there too. It'd be a good chance for you to chat with someone," Xiaohong said. She had initially thought the Ninth Concubine was faking being timid, but now she suspected she'd been wrong—the Ninth Concubine was genuinely timid, too scared to even visit the garden.

Lin Zhijin shook her head. She wasn't timid—she was cautious.

Based on her years of watching TV dramas and reading novels, gardens were hotspots for drama. She just wanted to keep her head down until liberation. This was the last hurdle, and she couldn't afford any mistakes.

She didn't go out, which drove several concubines who'd been hoping to "bump into" her absolutely crazy. Finally, the Seventh Concubine couldn't take it anymore and came straight to her door with her people.

"Seventh Sister, what brings you here? Please, sit. Xiaohong, bring tea," Lin Zhijin greeted her with a slightly timid air.

The Seventh Concubine looked around Lin Zhijin's room, a flicker of disdain flashing in her eyes. How shabby! Didn't the Old Master give her a bunch of nice stuff on the side?

"Ninth Sister, where are the things the Old Master gave you? Why aren't they on display?" the Seventh Concubine asked directly.

Lin Zhijin blinked in confusion. "What the Old Master gave me was mostly fabric and jewelry."

"Fabric and jewelry?" The Seventh Concubine narrowed her eyes. What she got was mostly ornaments—that old bat Chen Lishi must have pulled some trick. She snorted, then leaned toward Lin Zhijin with a curious smile. "Ninth Sister, I heard the Old Master gave you extra land on the side. How much is it?"

"Extra? Didn't everyone get some?" Lin Zhijin thought back carefully. The First Madam had never mentioned that. No wonder it was so generous—it was extra from Old Master Chen.

The Seventh Concubine was also taken aback for a moment. "The land and property were already mostly divided before the eldest young master went abroad. The Old Master's private assets are all jewelry, fabrics, and ornaments. The Old Master always had a soft spot for the ladies, and since you have no children, he gave you some extra assets. So? How much exactly?"

Lin Zhijin played dumb, looking at the Seventh Concubine with a clueless expression. "I think it was a hundred mu of land and a mountain. I'm not sure of the details. The First Madam was worried I was too young, so she's holding onto it for me."

"What? The First Madam took it?" The Seventh Concubine shot up in shock, staring at Lin Zhijin like she was a fool. "I knew it! Since when was she ever that kind, fussing over a country bumpkin like you? She had her eye on it from the very start. And you're a fool—once something lands in the First Madam's hands, it's hers for good. You think she'll ever give it back?"

Lin Zhijin blinked innocently. "That can't be. The First Madam comes from a wealthy family. How could she possibly covet my little things?"

The Seventh Concubine let out a derisive laugh. "I said you were naive and you won't believe me. Have you even asked around? The First Madam's family is wealthy? Ha! Not when she's got a family that's on its last legs and constantly hitting her up for money. You didn't know? Her eldest brother is an opium addict, and her younger brother is a gambler and a ladies' man."

Then, as if a thought struck her, the Seventh Concubine gave Lin Zhijin a once-over. No wonder the Old Master had been so generous—she really was a looker. So that was why the First Madam had her eye on her too?

Lin Zhijin felt her skin crawl under that gaze. "Seventh Sister, what is it?"

"Tsk tsk. The First Madam's already eaten the meat, and now she wants to strip the bones and suck out the marrow. Ninth Sister, I'll do a good deed today and give you a piece of advice—if the First Madam ever tries to marry you off, make sure you find out exactly who the family is before you say yes." With that, the Seventh Concubine left immediately. She needed to share what she'd learned with the others.

Lin Zhijin mulled over what the Seventh Concubine had just said, and suddenly it all clicked.

Chen Lishi wanted to marry her off to her own brother?

That was it. That way, Chen Lishi could legitimately keep managing her land, and her brother would get a pretty young wife into the bargain.

No wonder she was being so generous—she was planning to move things from her left pocket to her right pocket.

The Seventh Concubine was right. Chen Lishi didn't just want to eat the meat—she wanted to strip the bones and suck out the marrow too.

At least Old Master Chen hadn't been dead a hundred days yet. No matter how eager Chen Lishi was, she'd have to wait until Lin Zhijin's mourning period for her husband was over. A whole year. No problem.

There was no immediate danger, but Chen Lishi's intentions were truly vicious. The original owner of this body was pitiful too—even if she hadn't died in childbirth, she would have walked straight into another den of wolves.

After mulling over all sorts of messy thoughts, she was about to go lie down when the Third Concubine came calling.

She too was after what Old Master Chen had given Lin Zhijin. Lin Zhijin didn't hide anything and repeated what she'd told the Seventh Concubine.

Within an hour, every concubine and anyone with good information in the household knew that Lin Zhijin's assets had already fallen into the First Madam's hands.

The schemes that had just started to surface were quickly suppressed. The First Madam's natal family might be in decline, but a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Besides, the First Madam herself had deep roots—she was nothing like a little girl like Lin Zhijin. Nobody dared to scheme over anything that had landed in her hands.

"Ninth Concubine, the Madam invites you to the main courtyard for dinner," Old Lady Zhang announced from outside the door.

"The First Madam is inviting me to dinner?" Lin Zhijin tidied herself up a bit and headed to the main courtyard with Xiaohong.

As soon as she entered, she saw Chen Lishi sitting with a grim face, saying nothing. Lin Zhijin knew the First Madam was angry that she'd told the Seventh Concubine and the others about the land.

Chen Lishi deliberately made Lin Zhijin wait for a good while before acting as if she'd just noticed her. "Xiaojiu? When did you get here? Why didn't you say anything?"

Lin Zhijin kept her head down and spoke in a small voice. "I've been here for a bit. I saw you were busy and didn't want to disturb you."

"You silly child, why so formal? No need to be so stiff around me. Come, sit. Chunlan, serve the food." Chen Lishi used the serving chopsticks to pick two pieces of food for Lin Zhijin. "Eat up. You're young—you can't afford to fall behind on nourishment."

Midway through the meal, Chen Lishi asked casually, "I heard the Seventh Concubine and the Third Concubine came to see you?"

Lin Zhijin nodded honestly. "Yes, Madam. Was the land something the Old Master gave me extra?"

A sharp glint flashed through the First Madam's eyes. "That's right. The Old Master pitied you for becoming a widow so soon after entering the household, so he gave you some extra things. But Xiaojiu, you need to understand something—wealth should not be shown off. What the Old Master gave you shouldn't be shared with others. Isn't that just inviting trouble? Let me give you a hint: the things you all received may be equal in value, but they're actually completely different."

Seeing Lin Zhijin's bewildered look, the First Madam took a deep breath. "The other concubines mostly got ornaments and antiques. Do you understand now?"

She got it. It was like two antique vases—one from the Ming dynasty, one from the Qing dynasty, one modern. They all looked like vases, but the actual value was worlds apart.

"I've picked out each piece for you—every one is top-notch. Hold onto them tight; they'll be your safety net down the road," Chen Lishi said earnestly.

Lin Zhijin laughed to herself at that. Safety net? More like she was supposed to haul these over to the Li family as her dowry.

"I understand. I won't tell anyone," Lin Zhijin nodded repeatedly.

Once back in her room, Lin Zhijin felt it was time to prepare for her departure.

First, she needed a place to live. The three-courtyard estate left by Master Chen was too large—wouldn't it scream "capitalist's mistress"?

Then there were the jewels and valuables in the house. Leave them and she'd hate to lose them; take them and they'd draw the wrong kind of eyes.

After a sleepless night of tossing and turning, Lin Zhijin decided to get her housing sorted first.

The next day, she went to see the matriarch. "Madam, the estate Master Chen left me is too big. Could I trade it for a smaller one? That way, when my parents come to the city, they'll have a place to stay."

"You'd trade a three-courtyard place for a smaller one?" Chen Lishi looked at her suspiciously, but seeing Lin Zhijin was serious, and thinking these assets would eventually go to her brother anyway, she smiled and said, "What's given is yours. If you truly prefer a smaller residence, I'll arrange another one for you. There's a single-courtyard house near East Gate—go take a look, and if you like it, it's yours."

"Can I go see it today? I also need to stop by the department store—my custom clothes still aren't ready." She had ordered two turtleneck sweaters, two cardigans, and two Lenin suits.

"Have Xiaohong and Old Lady Zhang accompany you. Go ahead," the matriarch waved her off.

They lived in the West District, while East Gate was in the East District—quite a distance—so the matriarch had the driver take them in the car.

"Driver, how long will it take?" When she heard it'd take over twenty minutes, Lin Zhijin was pleased. That would be her future home, and the farther from the Chen family, the better.

The house the Chen family had chosen was naturally excellent. Though it was a single-courtyard residence, it spanned over three hundred square meters, complete with rockeries, a pond, and a small garden—exquisitely designed in every corner. It was so nice, in fact, that Lin Zhijin had to reluctantly pass on it, even though she loved it.

But then she reconsidered—she didn't have to give it up. She was a bride bought to ward off misfortune, and even without consummation, her reputation was already ruined. She could rightfully keep what Master Chen had left her. And with the country still at war, she decided to donate these things to the army—every little bit helped.

Author's note:

None.