I bring bad luck to my husband, you bring bad luck to your wife.

Xiang Xi had finally managed to coax the child back to sleep before she decided to turn around and settle accounts with Yang Tongchuan.

However, Yang Tongchuan was shameless and had already hugged Xiangxi from behind.

He rested his chin on Xiangxi's neck and deliberately breathed hot air onto Xiangxi's collarbone.

"Now that the little one is appeased, it's the old one's turn, right? Didn't my husband just intend to verify my true identity? Come on, I've washed up and am ready." After saying this, Yang Tongchuan lay sprawled on the bed with a righteous and awe-inspiring look, waiting for Xiangxi to examine him.

Xiangxi was so angry he laughed.

Yang Tongchuan had been eating well these past few days, so he wasn't as hungry tonight. He deliberately slowed down the pace, keeping Xiangxi on his toes and teasing her.

Xiang Xi was so tired that he was sweating profusely, and a bead of sweat hung precariously from his earlobe, refusing to fall.

Yang Tongchuan kept his word.

She attempted to prove her innocence through repeated attempts and time, letting Xiangxi know that she really hadn't been fooling around outside.

The few remaining small jars were all used up tonight.

"This stuff is good. Go buy a few more bottles tomorrow and stock up." Yang Tongchuan looked at the empty cans, thinking that Duan Ziqiu's understanding of the market was still not thorough enough. It would be great if they could make a larger package.

Xiangxi's face was buried in the pillow, unable to make a sound, but she cursed inwardly.

[It's all gone so quickly, how can I possibly buy more?]

-------------

That day, Yang's mother asked Xiangxi to go out and buy a few pounds of glutinous rice and fragrant bamboo leaves, saying she wanted to make zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) for Mingle.

Mingle always felt down when she had her period, and she would stay in her room for two or three days, unwilling to show her face.

Yang's mother thought she should try to appease her if possible, because apart from the issue of having children, she really couldn't find any fault with her eldest daughter-in-law.

Now that even her son has given up on having children, Yang's mother won't be the bad guy and cause trouble in the family.

Xiangxi put the child in Yang's mother's room, then went out with a basket slung over his shoulder.

After buying glutinous rice and bamboo leaves, Xiangxi turned to the fabric stall, intending to buy two pieces of cloth to make two new pairs of socks for Yang Tongchuan.

Xiangxi has improved her needlework skills a lot and wants to challenge herself.

After visiting two stores, Xiangxi couldn't find anything suitable because they seemed a bit expensive. She thought she might come back another time.

On my way home, I saw a cosmetics shop on the corner: Shuanghua Pavilion.

Duan Ziqiu was busy inside.

Xiangxi was surprised that Duan Ziqiu had opened the shop so quickly.

Today, Yang Tongchuan led the constables from the yamen to conduct training exercises outside the county town, and there were fewer people patrolling the streets than usual.

Xiangxi thought this was a good opportunity, and that she wouldn't run into anyone she knew.

I mustered up my courage and went inside.

"Excuse me, what would you like? We're having a buy-two-get-one-free promotion for our new store opening, are you happy?" Duan Ziqiu was delighted to see that it was Xiangxi and busied herself welcoming them inside.

"Why did you come today?"

"I came here to buy some fabric, and I happened to see you here, so I came in to take a look."

"We just opened yesterday, and there's still a lot of stuff that hasn't been set up yet. I'm thinking of selling as I go, making as much money as I can." Duan Ziqiu put Xiangxi's shopping basket aside.

Duan Ziqiu's earliest plan was to find a large store with a front shop and a back workshop, with at least two floors.

But it was too expensive. Duan Ziqiu was worried that taking out so much money at once would cause problems with her cash flow.

As a second choice, I bought this two-story shop.

The products had to be prepared at home first and then shipped over.

"This is wonderful." Xiangxi looked at the layout of Shuanghua Pavilion.

Shuanghua Pavilion has a spacious storefront, with a wider entrance and larger windows than the fabric shop next door, allowing you to see what it sells from the outside.

In the center of the store, there are shelves displaying various rouges, face powders, and lipsticks, while along the walls are matching products such as bronze mirrors and dressing cases.

When Xiangxi came in, Duan Ziqiu was directing the maid to hang racks on the wall, intending to hang some small items like purses and tassels to sell.

"It's just the beginning, it will get better and better. Let's go upstairs and take a look, it's different from the first floor." Duan Ziqiu led Xiangxi to the second floor.

He left two of his maids on the first floor to look after the shop.

The second floor was divided into small rooms.

Duan Ziqiu led Xiangxi into the nearest room.

The room wasn't big; besides a large shelving unit, there was a daybed with a tea table.

The incense burning in the room made people feel much more relaxed.

Duan Ziqiu personally poured tea for Xiangxi.

"Did you use the things I gave you last time? How did you like them? Give me some feedback so I can improve them."

"That's good, no need to improve." Xiangxi's face turned red again.

"You're both parents, and you still blush when it comes to this. By the way, Xiangxi, I was just about to ask you if you'd be interested in finding a job. We're short-staffed right now." Duan Ziqiu had calculated it well. If she could bring Xiangxi in, having someone like Constable Yang's husband sitting in the shop would be better than having a door god. She'd see who dared to cause trouble.

"I can't do it, I don't understand these things."

"Xiangxi, you've done business before, so you should know that when it comes to making money, there's nothing you can't learn as long as you can actually earn real cash. To be honest, I really need a young man to help me manage this second floor. If you're willing to take a look, I'll pay you two taels of silver a month."

Xiangxi was shocked by the amount of money he was paid.

This price is definitely for middle-to-high income earners.

You should know that when Yang Tongchuan was a constable, he didn't even earn two taels of silver a month.

Duan Ziqiu could tell that Xiang Xi was satisfied with the salary.

Continue to persuade

"There are only two of us in the shop now, including me, and we're both women. If a young man comes upstairs, I really don't have anyone to serve him. Your arrival has been a huge help to me."

"I can't make that decision. Xuebao is still young and needs someone to take care of her. My husband also can't agree to it."

"Talk to Officer Yang properly. If it works out, come and let me know. If it doesn't, we're still relatives, so come visit more often."

With things said like this, Xiangxi was too embarrassed to admit that she was actually there to buy that.

When Duan Ziqiu said goodbye and left, Duan Ziqiu had her maid hand her a small package.

"Take this. Since you say it works well, don't complain about it."

Xiangxi instantly understood what was inside.

When I returned to the Yang family home and opened the package, I found two small jars inside, exactly the same as the one I had used before.

When Yang Tongchuan returned in the evening, he was covered in dust from exhaustion.

Xiangxi filled the bathtub with water and helped Yang Tongchuan scrub his back and wash his hair.

Yang Tongchuan is exhausted today.

He felt perfectly justified in being served by Xiangxi.

After taking a shower and changing his clothes, Yang Tongchuan looked at Xiangxi, who was unusually quiet tonight.

"What's wrong? You seem preoccupied. Is there something you can't decide about?" Xiangxi was the type to wear her heart on her sleeve, so Yang Tongchuan guessed it right away.

"I went out to buy glutinous rice today and saw my cousin's cosmetics shop, so I went in and took a look."

"Did you buy it?" Yang Tongchuan knew how to get to the point.

"They gave me two cans."

"Oh. Since you're already going, you should have bought more at once so you wouldn't have to make so many trips."

"Um, my cousin asked me if I wanted to work at her shop. She'll pay me two taels of silver a month." Xiangxi had been thinking all night about how to tell her husband about this.

"Two taels of silver." Yang Tongchuan chewed on these words repeatedly.

A waiter in a restaurant earns only a few hundred coins a month, but Duan Ziqiu gave Xiangxi two taels of silver. This money was clearly intended for Yang Tongchuan.