The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

Zhuang Yuanzhong rushed from the root of the window to the middle of the courtyard, beating his chest and panting heavily.

What did he just hear? His own father was gleefully trying to push his sister into… to be precise, onto the path of death?

Most importantly, if Zhuang Qinghe could be discarded for money today, wouldn’t he also be disposable for money in the future?

What did they count for then?

A shudder ran through Zhuang Yuanzhong, draining all the color from his face. He entered the kitchen in a daze, seeing Mrs. Song washing dishes. His lips moved, but no words came out.

“What’s the matter with you? You look so pale.” Mrs. Song noticed Zhuang Yuanzhong’s paper-white face. She hastily wiped off her hands and reached to touch Zhuang Yuanzhong’s forehead, “You don’t seem to have a fever, what’s wrong with you?”

“No, nothing.” Zhuang Yuanzhong shook his head like a rattle drum. After steadying his emotions, he sat on a small bench and asked, “Mother, might there be something wrong with my sister’s marriage?”

“Child, what nonsense are you spouting? Your sister’s marriage couldn’t be better, there is nothing wrong with it.” Mrs. Song cut Zhuang Yuanzhong off.

“What if, I mean if, the Kong family doesn’t have good intentions?”

“How could they not have good intentions?” Mrs. Song looked lost, “Your father has already said that this is a perfect match, there cannot possibly be any mistake.”

“Further, the Kong family is so well-off, a single hair from their body is thicker than our waists. What would they want from us? It’s simply that our family is fortunate to be related by marriage to such a good family.”

“Let me tell you, don’t utter such bad luck words. It’s our ancestral fortune that got us this blessing. Countless people envy us, their eyes green with jealousy just like rabbits. Let those who used to look down upon us all regret it now!”

Zhuang Yuanzhong bit his lower lip.

As expected, this matter couldn’t be discussed with Mrs. Song.

Mrs. Song had less sense than even this child. Talking about it with her was pointless.

At this point, he needed to find someone else.

Zhuang Yuanzhong hung his head, almost snapping half of his fingernail off.

The weather was hot, and mosquitoes rampant. The mosquito repellent herbal bags were hugely popular, as were the mosquito repellent sachets and pillows.

“Miss Qingning, I’m afraid we need to increase our production by 20%, and stock up on inventory in advance.”

Zhuang Yutian laughed, “In these past days, the demand in the city has been increasing. It seems selling herbal bags might become the main business of our cloth shop. People are even joking that our cloth shop should change its name.”

“However, because of our successful herbal bag business, there have been several herbal shops looking to make deals with us. One of them is the Cheng family’s herbal shop. They want to sell us calamus and mugwort leaves. I haven’t agreed yet, but I also haven’t completely rejected their offer, only mentioning we’d discuss it if we needed it.”

“Miss Qingning, do we have enough supply of the herbs?”

“For the moment, it’s just about enough.” Zhuang Qingning smiled at the corners of her mouth.

In recent times, most of the ingredients needed for the mosquito repellent herbs were collected from the villagers.

Because they could earn silver, the villagers were quite diligent. Almost every household was selling mugwort leaves to Zhuang Qingning, who, wanting them to earn more silver, was buying a lot.

However, despite the abundance of mugwort, a visible decrease could now be seen by the river. Such was the high demand and sales volume of the herbal bags.

Furthermore, many people had begun to clear a part of their vegetable field to cultivate mugwort and other such plants.

“Let’s wait a bit longer, Uncle Yutian. Don’t reject these people yet. If the village supply can’t meet the demand, we might need to buy some from outside.”

Zhuang Qingning continued, “Are any of those looking to sell mosquito repellent herbal bags doing business in the south?”

“I’ve been thinking that the northern regions cool quickly in autumn, so we get fewer mosquitoes early on. But in the south, mosquitoes most likely persist until October, and swarms return earlier in the spring due to warmer weather. If we expand our mosquito repellent herbal bag business there, we’d be able to sell for a longer time, and in larger quantities.”

For a highly seasonal product like this, it was crucial to extend its selling period while expanding sales during the peak season.

“Don’t worry about the herbs. I’ve already talked to the herbal shops. As for selling in the south, your suggestion is worth considering. I’ll have to think carefully about it.” Zhuang Yutian nodded.

“Just now, I mentioned that the Cheng family’s herbal shop wanted to supply us with herbs. I’m thinking about trying to connect with the Cheng family.”

Zhuang Yutian chuckled, then explained, “I’m not sure if you know this, Qingning. The Cheng family is one of the most prestigious merchants in the city, known to have ties with the imperial family. The Cheng business is quite large, with operations extending into Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Lingnan. If the Cheng family sees potential in our business, we won’t have to worry about selling our products in the south.”

“If we sell well, we might even be able to gift our products to the imperial court in the future.”

Zhuang Yutian was in high spirits, and his face reddened with excitement.

“I hadn’t thought that far ahead…” Zhuang Qingning laughed, “As for the dealings with the Cheng family, you should take things slowly, Uncle Yutian. If we hurriedly seek them out, it might look like our product isn’t top tier.”

“Rest assured, rest assured, I understand,” said Zhuang Yutian, nodding hastily. “I know that haste makes waste. When I spoke to the herbal shop, I didn’t explicitly discuss it. We are all in business, and we can smell where the money is. We all know what to do.”

Indeed, the rumored Cheng family could have never expanded their business without their sharp business instincts. The shopkeepers under them must be very capable too, understanding the intricacies of the market.

As for Zhuang Yutian, years of experience had taught him how to grasp the pulse of the market and maintain balance.

Communicating with professionals often saves time and effort.

Zhuang Qingning chuckled.

After talking about the mosquito repellent herbs for a while, Zhuang Yutian paused, then said to Zhuang Qingning, “Miss Qingning, there’s something I’m not sure whether I should tell you. But after considering it, I think it’s best if you know.”

“What is it?” Realizing Zhuang Yutian’s serious expression, Zhuang Qingning sat up straight.

“It’s about Wencheng…” Zhuang Yutian sighed, “A while ago, Wencheng quit his apprenticeship at the pharmacy…”