Tanchun’s exclamation made the entire room burst into laughter.

Even Yingchun laughed, her face slightly flushed, but she was far more at ease than when she had first entered.

She turned back toward the doorway. Xiuju was coming in carrying a bundle, followed by an older servant woman also holding items. Xiuju wore a newly made outfit today, her face lightly powdered—neat and presentable in a way she usually wasn’t.

Wang Xifeng was the first to notice, and she laughed. “Oh my, Xiuju’s dressed up quite properly today—is she here to meet someone special?”

Xiuju blushed, but she wasn’t shy. Smiling, she first kowtowed to the Grandma, then greeted the young ladies before placing the bundle on the table and taking items out one by one.

The first were several folded fans, carefully wrapped in plain paper and neatly arranged. Yingchun took them and handed them to Grandmother Jia. “Grandma, these were painted by your grandson-in-law himself. He said they’re a small gift for the sisters.”

Grandmother Jia gave a soft “oh,” and unfolded one of the fans. Everyone leaned in to look.

On it was a little painted figure—big head, small body, but the facial features were drawn delicately. It was clearly a young girl in a dress, holding a book in her hands. Oddly enough, she looked somewhat like Tanchun.

Tanchun paused, then pointed at herself. “This… this is me?”

Xu Ke smiled. “Indeed, Third Miss. Yingchun often speaks of her sisters at home, so I drew them as I imagined them. I wonder if it resembles you at all.”

Tanchun took the fan and turned it over repeatedly, then couldn’t help laughing. “So this is how my brother-in-law sees me? Big head, small body—like a child!” Even so, her eyes were full of delight.

Everyone laughed as well.

Grandmother Jia opened another fan. This one showed a slender young lady standing beneath a flowering tree, with a faint air of melancholy in her features—clearly Lin Daiyu.

Daiyu took it, studied it for a while, and the corners of her lips also curved slightly.

Baoyu had already grown impatient. “Where’s mine? Where’s mine?”

Xu Ke took another fan from Yingchun and handed it to him.

On it was a young nobleman with a large head and small body, a jade pendant around his neck, holding a book in his hand, tilting his head as if pondering something.

Baoyu looked at it and clapped his hands in delight. “This one’s good! This one’s good! It’s me—it’s me!” He even pointed at the jade. “He even drew this!”

Xichun also received hers. It showed her painting with a brush, a scroll beside her. She looked at it, and a rare smile appeared on her face.

The last fan was handed to Wang Xifeng by Yingchun. On it was a woman in married attire, wearing hair ornaments, with phoenix-like eyes and a bold, hands-on-hips posture, laughing confidently.

Wang Xifeng couldn’t help exclaiming, “Oh my—this is me? Why am I so spirited in this drawing?” The whole room laughed again.

After the fans were distributed, Xiuju took more items from the bundle.

This time she produced a small wooden sword, about forearm length, finely carved and tied with a red cord.

Yingchun handed it to Tanchun. “Third Sister, this was specially chosen for you by your brother-in-law. He said you’re capable and should have something fitting.”

Tanchun weighed it in her hand, her eyes bright. “This sword is good! Thank you, brother-in-law.” She even made a couple of playful gestures with it, showing a hint of spirited energy.

Xiuju then brought out a brocade box containing several fine brushes and a stack of high-quality paper, which Yingchun gave to Xichun. “Fourth Sister, this is for your painting. Your brother-in-law heard you liked this, so he prepared it for you.”

Xichun accepted it and examined each item, her smile deepening.

Next came a set of The Classic of Mountains and Seas, along with several miscellaneous books, handed to Baoyu, who immediately began flipping through them, muttering, “This book is interesting…”

Then came a small wood carving of a mischievous child holding a ball. Yingchun looked at it and asked Wang Xifeng, “Second Sister-in-law, where are Huan and Lan? This is for them.”

Wang Xifeng smiled. “Huan’s at school, and little Lan is still young, staying with his mother-in-law. Give it to me—I’ll pass it on to them.”

Yingchun then produced another small inkstone in a box, also intended for Jia Lan, which was likewise handed over to Wang Xifeng.

At this point, Xiuju brought out a long, slender case. Yingchun took it and turned toward the girl sitting beside Lin Daiyu—none other than Xue Baochai.

“Bao-mei,” Yingchun said, handing it over, “this is a hairpin for you. Your brother-in-law said you are dignified and suited for something simple.”

Baochai opened the case. Inside lay a flawless white jade hairpin, its only decoration a small carved orchid at the tip. She looked at it and smiled, rising to curtsy. “Thank you, Second Sister. Thank you, brother-in-law.”

Finally, Xiuju brought out two small porcelain bottles—one green, one white—placed side by side on the table.

Yingchun picked them up and turned toward Lin Daiyu, her expression turning slightly more serious.

“Miss Lin,” she said, “these are for you.”

Daiyu paused, momentarily stunned, and took the two small bottles. For a moment she didn’t know what to say.

Xu Ke spoke from the side in a calm, gentle voice. “Miss Lin, may I ask something more?”

Daiyu raised her eyes to him and gave a slight nod.

Xu Ke continued, “Do you often feel short of breath in daily life? Do you sleep poorly at night, sometimes with a tightness in your chest?”

Daiyu looked at him and nodded softly again.

“This is due to a congenital weakness,” Xu Ke said. “Ordinary people can recover with acquired nourishment, but when one is born deficient, it must be slowly regulated over time. These two kinds of medicinal pills—one to replenish vital energy, one to calm the mind—even if they don’t target the condition perfectly, they will still do no harm.”

He paused, then added, “But medicine is secondary. More important are daily habits. Eat warm foods, avoid cold and raw things. Sleep early at night, do not overexert yourself. And do not drink tea immediately after meals.”

As she listened, Daiyu’s eyes reddened slightly. She lowered her head and said softly, “Thank you… thank you, brother-in-law.”

Grandmother Jia, watching from the side, also had reddened eyes, though she smiled. “Good, good! Our son-in-law is thoughtful. At last, someone is looking after our Daiyu’s health.”

Wang Xifeng quickly interjected to lighten the mood. “Grandma , look at this—every single person has received a gift, none left out. Our brother-in-law’s thoughtfulness is worth more than mountains of gold and silver!”

Grandmother Jia laughed and nodded.

Xu Ke, seeing that the gift-giving was complete, rose to take his leave. “Old Matriarch, your grandson-in-law must trouble Master Zheng with some matters as well. I will return later to accompany you in conversation.”

Grandmother Jia was still holding Yingchun’s hand and chatting, and waved him off. “Go on, go on. Now that you’re gone, I’ll have more things to say to Yingchun.”

Xu Ke bowed. “Then this grandson-in-law will be bold and borrow one more person.”

“Oh?” Grandmother Jia looked up. “Who would that be?”

“Wang Xifeng,” Xu Ke said, glancing at her. “I have some business outside and would like to trouble the managing lady to take a look.”

Grandmother Jia hesitated slightly, then said to Wang Xifeng, “Xifeng, take your brother-in-law over to see Zheng’er.”

Xifeng stood up, giving Xu Ke a half-smiling, half-suspicious glance, and led the way out. Ping’er followed quietly behind.

Leaving the warm chamber, they walked through the cross corridor toward the east. Only then did Wang Xifeng speak.

“So, brother-in-law, what sort of business requires me to ‘take a look’?”

Xu Ke lowered his voice. “I’d trouble Second Sister-in-law to send someone to bring the wooden chest I brought into Rongxi Hall.”

Wang Xifeng eyed him skeptically, but still called over a maid and gave a few instructions.

After a short walk, they reached the study beside Rongxi Hall. A servant went in to announce them, and Jia Zheng’s voice came from inside: “Come in.”

Xu Ke adjusted his robe and stepped inside, Wang Xifeng following.

Jia Zheng was seated behind his desk, holding a book. Seeing them enter, he set the book down and gave a slight nod. Xu Ke stepped forward to greet him. Jia Zheng gestured for them to sit and had tea served.

After a brief exchange of courtesies, Xu Ke’s expression turned serious.

“Master Zheng,” he said, “your nephew-in-law has obtained an excellent object that may solve the problem of winter heating for the people of the capital. It is low-cost, produces strong heat, and if widely adopted, would be a benefit to both the state and its people.”

At this, Jia Zheng showed a hint of interest. “Oh? Where is this object?”

Xu Ke replied, “It has already been brought here and is waiting outside.”

At that moment, a voice came from outside announcing the arrival: “Second Lady Lian has sent the items in.”

Wang Xifeng followed his reasoning, and gradually her eyes began to light up.

Xu Ke did not rush her, simply standing to the side and waiting.

Sunlight filtered through the lattice windows, falling directly across Wang Xifeng. Today she wore a peach-red embroidered jacket, with a dark blue brocade cloak trimmed in gray squirrel fur. Her gold-inlaid kingfisher ornaments gleamed brightly. Standing so close, Xu Ke couldn’t help but inwardly admire her—just as the books described her: “a face like spring blossoms concealing hidden authority, red lips not yet opened but laughter already heard.” Truly, she had the bearing of a celestial beauty.

After thinking for a long while, Wang Xifeng finally spoke, her voice now tinged with eagerness. “Brother-in-law, you understand the outside world better than I do. Just tell me plainly—how exactly is this business to be done?”

Xu Ke did not beat around the bush. “Production will be handled on my side. I will recruit workers in the county and set up workshops. As for the Western Hills coal mines, I will need the Jia family to step in and help secure the loose coal.”

“Loose coal?” Wang Xifeng was startled. “What can that be used for?”

Xu Ke briefly explained.

In this era, coal was only affordable for the nobility, and they used only smokeless coal—mostly large, carefully selected chunks from the mines. The inferior smoky coal and fragmented pieces were simply discarded and left unused.

Yet what Xu Ke needed for honeycomb coal was precisely those discarded fragments.

Wang Xifeng’s eyes lit up again.

Xu Ke continued, “As for why we must involve Master Zheng, please don’t take offense, Second Sister-in-law—I am simply preparing for contingencies. Master Zheng serves in the Ministry of Works. Once this business grows, it will naturally need official recognition and endorsement. With Master Zheng’s merit acknowledged, we too will gain stability.”

Wang Xifeng smiled as she calculated inwardly, though outwardly she said, “With the Jia family backing us, who would dare snatch anything from us?”

Xu Ke thought to himself that she simply did not yet understand how large this business could become. On the surface, he only smiled. “Of course.”

He then casually introduced a few marketing ideas from his previous life—things like “give samples first, sell later,” and “once enough people use it, word of mouth will spread naturally.” The more Wang Xifeng listened, the more excited she became, even tightening her grip on her handkerchief.

Seeing that the timing was right, Xu Ke concluded, “Second Sister-in-law, if this business is to scale, we must prepare on both ends. I will recruit labor and set up workshops in the county. You, on your side in the capital, should select storefronts and make contact with the coal suppliers. Once everything is ready, we can begin operations at once.”

Wang Xifeng nodded and asked a few more detailed questions before finally letting the matter rest.

After finishing the arrangements, Xu Ke returned once more to Rongqing Hall, picked up Yingchun, and prepared to head back to the county as daylight faded.

Leaving the gates of the Rongguo Mansion, Xu Ke mounted his horse and let out a long breath.

Yingchun’s sedan chair moved slowly ahead. He paused for a moment, reining in his horse, and looked back at the towering gate.

Bringing the Jia family into this venture had been part of his plan from the beginning—borrowing their influence to gain a foothold, and their name to deter those with ill intent. But under the shade of a great tree, one must also beware of when it might fall and crush everything beneath it.

He gazed at the layered courtyards within, where lantern light flickered and figures moved about. Even from outside, one could sense the mingling scents of powder, wine, and rich food. It was truly a scene of “burning oil and boiling brocade”—splendor upon splendor—but beneath that surface, what lay hidden was already written plainly in the book of fate.

No rush.

When the day came that this towering edifice could no longer sustain itself, he would naturally find the right moment to sever ties cleanly.

A faint smile appeared on his lips as he turned his horse and followed after the sedan chair.

Hoofbeats echoed softly, gradually fading into the distance. The gate of the Rongguo Mansion grew smaller and smaller behind him, until it was swallowed by the night.

Next—he only needed to wait for the winds of Shenjing County to begin to rise.