Chapter 10: Be a Little Kinder to Yourself

Page 1/3

Just now, Jiang Yi single-handedly defeated the guards of the Marquis of Hanyang’s residence with ease—truly impressive. Had the Marquis of Hanyang, Cao Zhi, not arrived in time, the other guards would likely have ended up sprawled on the ground as well. Shen Rong was eager to ask how Jiang Yi knew Cao Zhi, as their relationship seemed fairly close.

“Cao Zhi is the current Prime Minister’s nephew. I didn’t expect him to come to Hanyang,” Jiang Yi anticipated his wife’s curiosity and shared this without hesitation.

Qian Muyun’s respect for Jiang Yi grew; seeing a man stand up for his wife when she was being bullied was rare. Most men would probably have kept quiet if their wives were mistreated.

“You must be the owner of the Qian Silk and Satin Shop. My wife and I aren’t here to cause trouble. As you can see, we want to buy high-quality sheepskin coats, wool quilts, and cloth,” Jiang Yi said.

Qian Muyun smiled charmingly. “Your wife looks very virtuous. You’re truly blessed.”

She instructed her shop assistants to bring out the sheepskin coats and wool quilts, offering the couple a small discount. The total cost for the coats, quilts, and cloth came to eighteen strings of cash.

“Can we leave these items here for now? We’ll buy other things and come back for them later,” Jiang Yi asked.

“Of course,” Qian Muyun replied, ordering her assistants to pack the goods carefully for when the couple returned.

“Thank you for the trouble,” Jiang Yi expressed his gratitude.

“No need to be so polite. Next time you come to buy clothes or cloth, I’ll give you a discount,” Qian Muyun said, impressed by Jiang Yi and eager to build a business relationship with him. Her intuition told her that cooperating with Jiang Yi could lead to greater profits in the future.

The couple took their purchases to the Fusheng Bathhouse, hoping to enjoy a relaxing hot bath. At the counter, many wooden plaques with clearly marked prices hung on the wall.

Jiang Yi pointed to one. “I want the plaque for a shared bath for two.”

The price was sixty wen—not too expensive, though Shen Rong thought it a bit steep. They could each bathe separately in the large public bath for just ten wen apiece. But since her husband chose the shared bath, she said nothing.

“How much is the soap bean?” Jiang Yi noticed small black soap beans on a wooden shelf, a bathing essential.

“The small ones are two wen each, the large ones five wen,” the attendant answered.

“I’ll take one for five wen,” Jiang Yi said, thinking the smaller ones too little for the two of them.

The soap bean was black and emitted a pungent, spicy scent. Despite its small size, the price seemed somewhat high.

Page 2/3

Holding the soap bean, Jiang Yi saw a potential business opportunity.

The couple ascended to a private room on the second floor, where towels and scrubbing cloths were provided free of charge.

“I know you have something to tell me. Spending this money on a bath is worth it. This soap bean is not only black but also has a strong smell and is somewhat pricey,” Jiang Yi remarked.

“I know how to make soap—white soap that can emit a pleasant fragrance,” he continued.

“The soap beans for ordinary couples are relatively cheap. The wealthy use fragrant soaps, which are much more expensive,” the attendant added.

Jiang Yi nodded thoughtfully. “I can make soap too. Before we leave, I’ll buy some ingredients.”

He walked over to the bath and tested the water temperature—it wasn’t too hot.

“You plan to make soap to earn money. The main ingredient for soap is soap pods, which are hard to find now,” Shen Rong observed.

Jiang Yi shook his head slightly. “It doesn’t have to be soap pods. Before leaving Hanyang, I’ll buy plenty of lard. I’ll explain more when we get back.”

Handmade soap can’t be produced in large quantities quickly. They could make some first and stockpile it, waiting for the right moment to sell it in Hanyang City. For now, hunting remained the main source of income, and they needed to deal with the tigers around Niutou Mountain as soon as possible.

“Let’s undress and bathe together,” Jiang Yi said.

Shen Rong, lost in thought, snapped back when he mentioned bathing together. Without hesitation, she loosened her belt, preparing to scrub her husband’s back. They were married, after all—there was no need for embarrassment.

During the bath, the couple took turns scrubbing each other’s backs, savoring the private moments together.

After half an hour, they finished bathing, washed their hair, and dressed, feeling thoroughly refreshed. The money spent was well worth it.

Jiang Yi combed his wife’s hair; their locks were still damp. A hairdryer would be nice to dry their hair quickly.

“Bathing and washing my hair feels wonderful,” Shen Rong said, thoroughly enjoying the experience. In the past, she only went to the bathhouse once a month during winter.

This time felt different—this was true enjoyment.

“Bathing in winter is good for the body. We should bathe once every two weeks,” Jiang Yi suggested.

Shen Rong hesitated. “Though bathing is great, it costs over sixty wen each time. Our finances are just enough. We need to be thrifty.”

Bathing was truly pleasurable, but spending money so freely felt like water flowing away.

“Enjoying life moderately is fine. As long as we’re not extravagant, spending a little for comfort is worth it. Remember, be kind to yourself,” Jiang Yi reassured her.

He wasn’t wasteful, nor would he let himself or his wife suffer hardship.

“But making money isn’t easy. What you say makes sense,” Shen Rong replied.

It wasn’t that she lacked her own opinions—she simply trusted Jiang Yi’s judgment.

Page 3/3

“You’ve endured so many hard years and are reluctant to spend money—I understand. I was once the Thirteenth Prince, and I never had an easy life either,” Jiang Yi said.

He had sworn silently to himself to ensure his wife’s future would be better.

They had temporarily solved their food and clothing needs, but housing was still a problem.

“I probably ate slightly better than you in Haojing, but I never tasted delicacies. We’re both unfortunate souls, and it’s fate that brought us together as husband and wife,” he continued.

Shen Rong had heard Jiang Yi mention his painful past before and felt sorrow whenever she recalled it.

“It truly is fate that brought us together,” she agreed.

“I’m not telling you this for your pity, but so you understand—we must support and trust each other as husband and wife,” Jiang Yi said earnestly.

Indeed, after so many years of hardship, the couple shared similar values.

They earned money with different ideas but never quarreled over small matters, always speaking openly.

Shen Rong wanted to save money carefully since life was long.

Jiang Yi believed that money wasn’t always easy to come by, and they must first ensure their basic needs were met.

Yet, he felt it was right to enjoy life moderately.

He had known hardship and understood that it was easy to slip from frugality into extravagance, but hard to return.

“Now that we have more money, I won’t squander it. My next goal is to buy land and build a house with blue bricks and tiles, hiring some able-bodied men to guard it,” Jiang Yi shared his ambitious plans to gradually realize his ultimate revenge.

Shen Rong thought of an important question. “Husband, when will you let me bear your children?”

“In about two years. Right now, the priority is making money to support the family. Once we’re well-off, then you can have children. I won’t let them suffer,” Jiang Yi replied.

He had long considered this—he could not allow children to be born into hardship.

Education was crucial, but that could wait.

The main goal now was to establish their business and accumulate wealth.

They were only eighteen, and having children too soon would be premature.

“Other couples our age already have children. If we wait too long, people might gossip,” Shen Rong worried.

She didn’t mind rumors about herself but cared deeply about Jiang Yi’s feelings.

“Don’t care about what others say. What matters most is being good to ourselves,” he said firmly.

If Jiang Yi still held his royal status, they wouldn’t need to delay having children. But their current circumstances didn’t allow it, and there was a high risk of infant mortality.

“We’re not wealthy yet. Raising a child under such conditions might not be a good thing,” Jiang Yi explained, confident his wife would understand.