The Jiang Family's rules had never been just for show.
Neither, naturally, had Jiang Sinian's thirty lashes.
And according to the family rules, the family doctor would not treat him.
Fortunately, they were only superficial wounds, so Wen Jingyan had to fetch the first-aid kit herself and clean them for him.
Jiang Sinian lay facedown on the bed, hurting and furious. "Whose wife are you, anyway? If you hadn't insisted on meddling, I wouldn't have had to take those thirty lashes, let alone give away any shares."
Wen Jingyan applied the medicine gently, but her tone was somewhat cold. "So you do remember I'm your wife? When you were scheming against your sister-in-law, did you care whether I lived or died?"
Jiang Sinian was momentarily lost for words. "I... I was only trying to maximize our gains. So what if you had to suffer a little?"
Wen Jingyan fell silent for a long while. "Haven't I suffered enough?"
Her parents-in-law looked down on her background as a rural exam grinder and had always strongly opposed the marriage.
Only because the old master had made the final decision had she been able to marry into the family.
Yet over all these years, no one except the old master had ever shown her a kind face.
Jiang Sinian fell silent too. Only after a long while did he say sullenly, "Song Yutang's honeyed words and false smiles have pushed our whole family into a corner. I had no choice either. Why can't you be a little more understanding?"
Wen Jingyan sighed. "Sinian, people need to know when to be content. If Father hadn't taken your eldest uncle's place back then, we wouldn't even have been qualified to step through this family's doors. Grandpa favors us in his heart. He's never shortchanged us on anything we were supposed to receive. We've already gotten so much... shouldn't we give back a little of the share that belonged to someone else in the first place?"
Jiang Sinian suddenly grew agitated. "It's been ours all these years. Why should we have to share it now?"
Wen Jingyan put away the first-aid kit. "Why are you taking your anger out on me? If you have the guts, say that to Grandpa."
Jiang Sinian immediately fell silent. After a long while, he curled up with a muffled groan. "...It hurts so much. A-Yan, I want some of your osmanthus tangyuan."
Wen Jingyan walked silently toward the kitchenette.
When she brought the steaming tangyuan to his bedside, Jiang Sinian took the bowl and suddenly said in a low voice, "Those panties... maybe Shiya put them there on purpose. She always feels that no one in this family truly has room for her. You know about my father's status... I know what it's like to live under someone else's roof. That's why I always want to protect her a little more. She and I... there really is nothing between us. Let's both take a step back this time and let this pass, all right?"
Wen Jingyan gazed at the deep darkness outside the window. Only after a long while did she speak. "All right. But from now on, don't use me to hurt your sister-in-law again. Wouldn't it be better to live peacefully and be content?"
"Mm..." Jiang Sinian answered, lowering his eyes, but they were filled with venomous resentment.
By the time Song Yutang received a reply from the top host, it was already the following afternoon.
He had not accepted her red packet and had politely said that it was all part of what their club should do.
It was just that his face was not presentable lately, so dinner would have to wait.
The whole affair could be considered satisfactorily concluded.
Song Yutang had not forgotten the old master's personal promise, either: once she gave birth, he would give her a 2% stake.
Although her ovulation window had already passed, she began preparing even more actively.
First, she went to the hospital for a checkup.
After confirming that there were no problems, she had the doctor draw up a simple fertility-boosting fitness plan.
Her interactions with Wen Jingyan had also helped Song Yutang see more clearly: This era really is wonderful. Women, too, can have a vast world open to them. Rising in status through a child and holding power over the inner household is no longer the only way forward. Even someone with my status can pursue what she truly wants. But before that, I need to learn how to manage the money in my hands.
Lying on the bed, Jiang Muyan heard her thoughts and quietly lifted his head for a look.
He saw her sitting on the balcony bathed in morning sunlight, wearing a pale blue dress, her long hair falling softly over her shoulders.
A halo of light enveloped her, making her look warm and radiant.
Beautiful.
The corners of Jiang Muyan's thin lips lifted slightly.
This was good.
Without sufficient ability, even if Song Yutang really did get a slice of the Jiang Family's pie, she would have a hard time holding on to it.
Women in this era had long since ceased to need to pin all their hopes on their husbands and children.
In a wealthy family like the Jiang Family, where remnants of feudalism still lingered, it was truly good that someone as old-fashioned as her could come to this realization on her own...
From that day onward, besides preparing for pregnancy, Song Yutang began studying modern business, poring over books on finance and economics, and even screening suitable business school courses.
Jiang Muyan was a technically minded engineering man. When he had started his business, he had crammed a great deal of business knowledge to make up for his shortcomings in management.
To spare her a few detours, he simply used his alternate account to recommend relevant books on his Moments feed.
Song Yutang happened upon that post before going to bed: The club's top host actually reads this? Every line of work really is caught up in the rat race these days. Still, to reach the top in a place like that, he must have something exceptional about him... I'll buy it and have a look.
Early the next morning, the brand-new books arrived at the Jiang Family home.
Jiang Muyan was gratified.
A few days later, he shared Understanding Business and Financial Statement Analysis and Decision-Making.
Song Yutang was a little surprised: I just finished the last one, and he's already recommending new ones. How is his timing so precise? Never mind, I'll take a look first.
Sometimes she read in the bedroom, and Jiang Muyan could hear from her thoughts which parts she did not understand.
So when he shared books afterward, he would also share a few videos.
They happened to answer her questions perfectly.
Song Yutang gradually went from initial suspicion to taking it for granted: We're studying the same set of materials, so it's normal to struggle with similar things... It probably really is a coincidence.
But she spent most of her time outside the bedroom, so Jiang Muyan could not always help resolve her confusion promptly.
Many questions could only pile up in her mind.
Then one afternoon, Song Yutang read a complex case study on consolidated financial statements, and no matter how she worked through it, she felt there was a break in the logic.
She searched online for ages, but the answers were either too superficial or divorced from practice.
After much hesitation, she finally opened that chat window.
Song Yutang: [Hello, I learned a great deal from the article on financial statements you shared earlier. I imagine you must have considerable insight into this field.]