Chapter 44 - Where are the silvers?

His Transmigrated Cannon Fodder Fiancee

Translated by: Oinkoink

Chapter 44 – Where are the silvers?

The Pan’s was a major merchant in Tong Yue, which was situated on the waterfront and was the only maritime trading port for the Great Zhou Dynasty. There were twenty four establishments in Tong Yue that were commonly known as the middlemen/broker houses where each was responsible for the tax-paying on the exportation of the inland commercial trades and also importation of overseas commercial trades into the country for business transactions. As these middlemen/broker houses were run by the government, most of these merchants were able to acquire great profits.

Tong Yue practically bore the weight of the economic lifeline for the entire Great Zhou Dynasty. The Pan’s was one of the traders out of these twenty four. Although they could not match the He’s in terms of wealth and influences, they were also not to be looked down upon as their broker house was ranked second in Tong Yue.

The He’s were ranked first and were also the wealthiest family in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Pan Shi was the only daughter of the Pan’s. Their head of the family, Pan Shichang had deemed this daughter as the pearl in his palm* . That year when Pan Shi got married, her dowries were truly abundant where innumerable chestfuls of valuables were carried in rows that stretched for miles.

This was also the reason why Old Madam Shen who disliked Pan Shi continuously being courteous and not making any trouble for Pan Shi in the years after Pan Shi married into the Shen’s.

Dowry was the strength of a woman.

After Pan Shi died from illness, one third of the dowry was given to her eldest son, Shen Zikai while the rest regardless of rare treasures, lands and properties were all set aside as Shen Ziqiao’s dowry.

The lands and shops were now managed by Old Madam Shen while the other valuables such as jewelleries, paintings and calligraphy were stored in the storehouse. Though the Shen’s was the descendent of a great general and was not lacking in funding of the household expenditure, one would still want to covet over the yearly income from all of Pan Shi’s landed properties.

Old Madam Shen had already regarded all these dowries as part of Shen’s properties, thus for her to give all these to Shen Ziqiao for nothing, wouldn’t it be no difference to cutting her own flesh off?

Shen Ziqiao still did not know how much dowry she owns.

Pan Shi was already married into the Shen family, thus her stuff would naturally belong to the Shen’s and how much dowry to give Shen Ziqiao would also naturally be determined by the elders.

With such thought, Old Madam Shen finally felt a little comfortable.

“Master is about to return home and to avoid any of her petty tricks, the third girl should not remain in the Capital.” Old Madam Shen told Mama Li softly before she took her rest.

“En.” Mama Li briskly answered.

As a transmigrator, Shen Ziqiao certainly did not know how much dowry she had and was actually unclear about Pan Shi’s background, not to mention other matters too.

Shen Ziqiao had been into practicing writing chinese characters recently, thus the calligraphy set was used up rather quickly. When she asked Hong Yu to get more from the steward, she was told that her allocation for the month had been used up and could only get one the following month.

However there was still more than half a month to go before the next.

“There is a monthly limitation for these?” Shen Ziqiao was quite baffled with this information, as no matter what she was still the dignified legal-born young miss of the manor and the servant were deliberately giving her a hard time when she only requested for some paper, what was this supposed to mean?

Hong Yu felt very guilty for not being able to fetch the things that Third Miss required, she lowered her head and said, “There is indeed a monthly allocation, but Third Miss has not taken any for half a year already, so you ought to be able to retrieve those back.”

“Who is the one in charge?” Shen Ziqiao now understood the reason and felt that she was being taken as a softie by another servant again.

“It’s Mama Feng.” Hong Yu answered back, “It’s Old Madam’s maidservant.”

Shen Ziqiao did not actually go to look for Mama Feng immediately but rather inquired about the network and connections in the Shen Family carefully, “So, all the important duties are being taken charge by Old Madam’s people, so it’s rather not unusual for them to make things difficult for me.”

“Then again, I usually have no place to spend any money and my daily expenses are provided from the common funds, so where are the silvers?” Shen Ziqiao asked.

Hong Yu was dumbfounded by this question, “Don’t you know where you placed your silvers, Third Miss?”

“Nubi was only here serving you recently, so we don’t know where the silvers were hidden. Sister Cui Ping ought to know.” Hong Ying responded.

Shen Ziqiao had already rummaged through all the chests and cupboards trying to find it, “I don’t normally care about the silvers. Both of you help me to find it, who knows perhaps it’s hidden inside some sort of mechanism.”

Hong Ying was stunned and speechless looking at Shen Ziqiao leaning against the wall and groping every surface of the wall.

“Look, Third Miss, is this it?” Hong Yu pointed at the small lacquer box that was not even locked on the three-legged mahogany dressing table which consisted of several silver ingots and some coins.

This was totally irrational, how could the silver just simply be placed around!

Shen Ziqiao was actually thinking of randomly rotating the flower vase or other stuff, as she thought there might be a small mechanism appearing within the wall. Embarrassedly she hugged the small box over and asked, “How much silver is there?”

“We will know after we weigh it.” Hong Ying smilingly stated.

Shen Ziqiao looked at the amount of silver and reckoned that this little amount of silver was indeed not enough for anything. If she was driven out by the Old Madam Shen someday, what would she rely on to support herself then?

She had better start thinking about the future.

“Put the silver away safely. Let’s go look for that Mama Feng.” Shen Ziqiao said.

She was going to get all those unclaimed allocations back.

Mama Feng was about to nibble some melon seeds on the steps of the storehouse when she saw Shen Ziqiao. She then tossed the shells she was grasping in her hand on the floor, stood up indolently and patted her clothes, “You are here, Third Miss. What can I do for you.”

Shen Ziqiao casted her sidelong glance; dressed in a long blue-green vest over a dark blue cotton clothing and with a ferocious look. With just a glance, one could already perceive that this old woman was someone who would bully the virtuous and fear the vicious.

“I was told that you are not giving me the calligraphy set?” Shen Ziqiao looked up at Mama Feng, with an imposing manner that did not lose to Mama Feng, even though she was petite in size.

Mama Feng laughingly said, “Third Miss had just fetched some a few days ago and there are allocation limits for all these……”

“Then, how come you have never sent over those that were not claimed before?” Shen Ziqiao’s voice was resoundingly clear without a shred of submissiveness, “Since I do not have any more allocation for this month then just send over all those that I have not received previously.”

“Why does Third Miss need so much paper and ink for?” Mama Feng asked.

Shen Ziqiao smilingly retorted, “Do I need to report what I am doing to you?”

Mama Feng smiled with resentment, “No. Nubi dare not, merely afraid that if Old Madam was to ask about it, nubi cannot give a good explanation.”

“What is there to explain? Do I need to ask for Old Madam’s permission for just taking my own things? Shen Ziqiao reprimanded coldly. The previous owner of this body was too brainless, hence was trampled and was never treated as the master by these groups of servants in the Shen family.

She would definitely not want to live such an oppressive livelihood but should enjoy whatever enjoyment she desired!

Mama Feng’s complexion changed and responded in an affected manner, “Third Miss’ things are not with nubi.”

A woman was then seen opening and walking out from the storeroom’s door. She looked towards Shen Ziqiao in astonishment after hearing Mama Feng’s words. Sensing that Shen Ziqiao had noticed her, she immediately lowered her head and left hastily.

Shen Ziqiao did not care about that woman but diverted her attention back to Mama Feng and remarked with a smile on her face, “Mama Feng, I wouldn’t need to bring out the master’s approach for these little things like papers and ink.”

How could it be called little things when a calligraphy set was actually more valuable than the silvers and also wasn’t she bringing out the master’s approach when she was interrogating her this way? Mama Feng silently criticized, but when she somewhat recalled the distinctive changes in Third Miss these days, who was she, as even that Mama Li had her face daringly slapped by Third Miss?

“Do wait for a while, Third Miss.” Mama Feng replied.

Originally she was not convinced that Third Miss had a personality transformation, however, now it did unexpectedly seem to be true.

Even when there were shortages of her things before, she would have never directly come forward to ask. Wasn’t she supposed to have certain misgivings towards the Old Madam’s maidservant?

As Shen Ziqiao was not a person from this world, she would certainly not aware that paper and ink were actually regarded as the extremely precious things which the common people could not even afford to use any paper.

*Pearl in his palm 掌上明珠 (zhǎng shàng míng zhū)- beloved daughter