How Stingy Can You Get?
Zhou Wanwan snorted coldly and said, "You rotten cucumber, you dare to say you're not worthy?"
Shen Zhiyu smiled faintly and said, "Zhou Wanwan, I will request an imperial decree. At that time, you will have no choice but to marry me."
Zhou Wanwan smiled and said, "Yes, you can ask for an imperial decree. As long as you're still alive by then, I'll definitely marry you."
Shen Zhiyu's face paled as she said, "You? You really think you're so great?"
Zhou Wanwan nodded and said, "Shen Zhiyu, your Earl's Mansion has three estates and two houses in Dongshan Prefecture, right?"
Shen Zhiyu looked at her and asked, "What do you want to do?"
"I'm not doing anything, just asking out of curiosity."
"Wait for my imperial decree." With that, Shen Zhiyu waved his hand dismissively.
But those women were unwilling to leave at all, staring longingly at Zhou Wanwan.
Zhou Wanwan said, "A reward."
Then they saw countless maids carrying 500 taels of silver, and the women's eyes widened when they saw the silver.
They had never seen so much silver in the Earl's mansion.
Zhou Wanwan looked at Shen Zhiyu and said:
"How stingy are you? Look at your concubines, how pitiful they are!"
Now that we've taken them in, we have to take good care of them!
"They can't even afford to support a concubine; they're really stingy."
The Countess of Yongning so angry she felt like she was going to vomit blood; she simply turned and left.
Shen Zhiyu, along with his group of beautiful women, went outside.
That evening, the Countess of Yongning looked at Shen Zhiyu and said, "You unfilial son! If you hadn't been attracting all these women all day long, would you still be unable to find a wife in the capital?"
Shen Zhiyu said calmly, "Mother, please don't criticize me. It's those people who lack judgment; what does it have to do with me?"
Countess of Yongning looked at Shen Zhiyu and said:
"Don't underestimate Zhou Wanwan, she's a little girl. She's studying at the White Deer Academy now, under Dean Zhu's tutelage."
If you could marry her, it would be like marrying a huge asset.
Dean Zhu only has a few disciples, and all of them are at least of the third rank.
Shen Zhiyu's eyes lit up. "Mother, no wonder you insisted that I marry that girl! But that girl is just too disobedient."
Countess of Yongning scoffed coldly:
"She's just a young girl, what can she possibly do to cause trouble?"
Once I marry her, I can train her slowly.
Those ladies don't believe you can marry Zhou Wanwan; they're just waiting to see our family make a fool of themselves!
Shen Zhiyu laughed loudly, "She's just a woman. I can marry her whenever I want. Let others say what they will."
The Countess of Yongning also sneered repeatedly:
"Yes! We are the Yongning Earl's Manor, what kind of woman can't we marry?"
Marrying a girl like her is a huge win for her; she's probably at home right now, secretly thrilled!
Shen Zhiyu nodded and said, "Then I'll go out now and have a drink with my classmates."
"Then come back soon."
Shen Zhiyu gathered a few classmates and sat in a brothel, drinking and boasting, "I'm going to marry Zhou Wanwan soon!"
The classmates stared wide-eyed. "Zhou Wanwan? Shen Zhiyu, you've really made something of yourself! You even dare to want her?"
Cui Hongyuan scoffed coldly:
"I originally wanted her to be my concubine, but she just wouldn't agree. Turns out she was waiting for this all along!"
"That blond-haired girl is incredibly shrewd; she actually wants to become the young mistress of the Earl's mansion."
Shen Zhiyu smiled and said:
"This girl has quite high standards. My mother and I will go to her house to propose marriage tomorrow."
My mother also said that they should give them 88 taels of betrothal gifts.
Cui Hongyuan frowned and said, "Isn't this too much? Your family thinks too highly of her, eighty-eight taels of silver as a betrothal gift?"
Shen Zhiyu laughed loudly and said, "Do you know how rich Zhou Wanwan is?"
Everyone shook their heads.
Shen Zhiyu shook her head and said:
"Do you know how many grain stores are owned by Zhou Wanwan?"
Zhou Wanwan also owns a pharmacy in Bianjing, where the medicines are extremely precious.
All of them are ginseng that are hundreds or even thousands of years old.
The medicines there are all priceless, because they are extremely rare; even the palace has to get them from there.
Someone asked, "Could it be Hundred Herbs Hall?"
"Hey, you guys knew all along?"
Someone said:
"Anyone who's ever been to the Upper Capital knows about the Hundred Herbs Hall, right?"
There are more than a hundred kinds of herbs there. Now, my older sisters all buy cosmetics from the Hundred Herbs Hall. They're cheap and effective.
Someone spoke up:
"The things inside are priceless. Do you know what ambergris is?"
Surprisingly, the prices there are quite cheap.
"And snail-shell eyeshadow, my wife loves buying snail-shell eyeshadow from her. You're saying this Hundred Herbs Hall belongs to Zhou Wanwan?"
Everyone was shocked, because Hundred Herbs Hall's annual net profit was over a million taels of silver!
Shen Zhiyu looked at them and said, "That's right, it's Zhou Wanwan's. My mother has already checked."
Cui Hongyuan jealousy. "Where did she get so much money? I just don't understand!"
Shen Zhiyu was thrilled just thinking about it. If a woman like that married into their family, wouldn't she be a lamb to the slaughter?
Shen Zhiyu knew his mother's methods well; she could easily manipulate Zhou Wanwan.
The Old Scholar Tree had been listening outside for a long time. He angrily exclaimed, "He's utterly shameless! My Wanwan would never marry someone like that! Disgusting!"
Lingbao also popped out of the bag and said:
"Yes, ugly and malicious, what a crazy person to think!"
"Tomorrow they'll still demand eighty-eight loads of betrothal gifts. Who cares about eighty-eight loads of betrothal gifts?"
Zhou Wanwan pinched the Lingbao and said:
"Tsk tsk tsk... Your beard is really getting thicker and thicker."
Why have you been sleeping so much lately?
Lingbao said helplessly, "Grandpa He Shou Wu said I'm cultivating, but I don't understand it. Anyway, I feel so sleepy every day."
That's how plants cultivate themselves: they eat when they're full, and they sleep when they're full.
Sometimes Zhou Wanwan charges it, and it can sleep for a long time.
Zhou Wanwan looked at the Old Scholar Tree and said:
"Since the 88 betrothal gifts are for me, it doesn't matter whether I give them to you today or tomorrow!"
Why don't we move back today? I'd also like to see what the Earl's dowry is like."
The Old Scholar Tree chuckled and said:
"They did indeed request permission from the emperor, and we intercepted their request letter."
Therefore, the letter would never reach the capital.
Zhou Wanwan laughed too, "I wonder what their reaction will be if they wait for months and still don't receive the imperial edict?"
The Old Scholar Tree said calmly, "What if they go back to the capital to request an imperial decree?"
Zhou Wanwan chuckled and said, "Then he won't be able to make it to the capital! I wouldn't even look at a man like Shen Zhiyu; he's a rotten cucumber."
Since the Shen Clan is being so generous, Zhou Wanwan can't let them down.
Not only did they bring back 88 loads of betrothal gifts, but they also brought back all their houses and courtyards in Dongshan Prefecture.
Shen Zhiyu was still boasting:
"Zhou Wanwan's teacher is Dean Zhu."
"When I marry her, I'll become Dean Zhu's prized student."