The warm breeze was gentle, and the spring scenery was bright.
In the blink of an eye, it was already April.
During this month, the lives of the Cheng family members had been... truly extraordinary.
On the first day, Princess Ning only managed to complete one - tenth of her walking task.
After wandering aimlessly around the small courtyard of Qinghui Hall, she kept complaining about being tired and then went back to lie down, looking weak and feeble.
Prince Ning fared a bit better. He practiced a set of boxing in the yard and then claimed that his waist injury hadn't fully healed and that he needed to rest quietly.
As for Caiwei, Qinglan, and Zifu... during the 500 - meter long - distance running training, two of them fainted. Only Caiwei managed to hold on until the 600 - meter mark.
In response to this situation, Li Wanming quickly adjusted the training plan. Adhering to the principle of never giving up on anyone, she stood in front of everyone's doors before dawn the next day!
"Those who failed to complete the previous day's tasks should get up half an hour earlier the next day!"
"Those who completed the previous day's tasks can have one task removed the next day!"
"Those who complete the tasks for three consecutive days will get a day off!"
"Those who fail to complete the tasks for three consecutive days can only eat plain rice without any dishes!"
Back then, her second sister had trained her and her elder sister in this way.
After she and her elder sister were woken up in the middle of the night for cross - country runs for five consecutive days, no one dared to be lazy anymore.
It was extremely effective.
The members of the Cheng family were far less tough than they were. They all gave in on the third day.
From then on, everyone honestly exercised.
Every morning, in the Cheng family's mansion, some were practicing boxing, some were running, and some were doing frog jumps... It was very lively and prosperous.
There was only one thing. The rice at home was consumed very quickly.
It was understandable. With such a large amount of exercise, how could people not be hungry?
When they were hungry, they naturally had to eat!
When Sister Liu mentioned to her again that the rice jar was almost empty, Li Wanming felt that this couldn't go on like this.
She had to understand the financial situation of the Cheng family.
Otherwise, one day, this family would surely exhaust all the savings she had brought from the Li family!
However, as the daughter - in - law of a distant cousin's family, it was not appropriate for her to directly ask Granny Yu.
She could only approach Princess Ning first and try to get the information indirectly.
"Are you asking how much money we brought from Langya?"
There was a flicker in Princess Ning's beautiful eyes. "Not... not much... Why do you ask?"
Originally, they had planned to "return to Langya" after the Flower - Worshiping Festival.
But Li Wanming had moved in!
If they returned to the prince's mansion at this time, Uncle Zhong, Granny Yu, and the others couldn't stay here. They would have to go back with them, and Li Wanming would surely notice something was wrong.
After some discussion, they all thought that since they had already planted the fields and run every day... they had endured all the hardships they should. So they might as well just stay here!
More importantly, Princess Ning saw that everyone's physical condition had improved under Li Wanming's training.
Especially Xiao Jingnan. There was a healthy blush on his face, and he was no longer as pale as before. She was very happy about this and thought that living in Pingkangfang was not so bad.
At this moment, when Princess Ning heard Li Wanming suddenly ask about Langya, she felt uneasy, and her words became a bit evasive.
Li Wanming replied, "To do the accounts."
"Our big family of more than a dozen people spends thirty wen on food every day! This doesn't even include firewood, clothes, toiletries, and daily necessities..."
"My husband doesn't earn any money now, and my in - laws are idle. I guess you guys might feel embarrassed to eat for free at Uncle's place... So you must be relying on the savings from Langya to get by."
"So I need to know how much money we have left so that I can make plans for the future."
Princess Ning gently bit her lips, looking a bit embarrassed.
It wasn't that she didn't want to say, but she didn't know how much was appropriate to say.
She never managed the accounts in the prince's mansion. She had no concept of money and didn't know how much money an ordinary peasant family should have left.
After pondering for a while, Princess Ning said one word, "One..."
Li Wanming jumped up. "One tael?!"
"Do we only have one tael left? That can only last for at most one more month!"
"No, no. I have to find a way to make money right away."
"It's too late to start brewing wine. The ingredients haven't been adjusted properly yet..."
"It's also my grandmother's birthday in the middle of this month. I need to buy gifts to go back and celebrate for her... I have to find a place to make a big fortune!"
After anxiously muttering for a while, Li Wanming curtsied to Princess Ning and then went out.
Princess Ning stood there stunned for a while and then said, "Actually, I wanted to say one hundred taels..."
——————————
For Li Wanming, there were actually many ways to make money.
It's just that they were not very "normal".
When they were in Min region, Li Rusong and Yuan Jinqiu were very busy and didn't pay much attention to their sisters.
She was the youngest daughter in the family, and her two elder sisters doted on her. So she was spoiled and knew nothing about the four arts of the Chinese literati (qin, qi, shu, hua) or needlework.
She only liked to wander around the streets every day and learned all kinds of worldly skills.
She was proficient in brewing wine, fortune - telling, playing dice, Pai Gow... She was well - versed in all kinds of trades, and she could even sing a few lines of the beggars' Lianhualu.
But after coming to the capital, she couldn't be so reckless anymore.
Under the feet of the Son of Heaven, there were so many pairs of eyes watching.
She was now the daughter of a general. She couldn't make any mistakes, or it would implicate her father and bring disaster to the whole family.
So Li Wanming had been very well - behaved in the past two years and had never shown off her extraordinary skills.
But now the situation was different!
She was now the daughter - in - law of the Cheng family. Strictly speaking, she was a member of the Cheng family!
What's the big deal if a peasant's daughter - in - law goes to the gambling house to play a few rounds?
Let's go!
Resume the old business!
For an entire afternoon, Li Wanming sat in front of the table in the Xiaoyao Gambling House and won enough money for the whole family's expenses for a year.
She felt the bulging purse around her waist and walked out of the gambling house happily. Then she heard a cold snort from behind.
"Li Wanming, as the daughter of a general, coming to such a filthy place. Aren't you being a bit too irresponsible to yourself?"
Pei Yanqi stood behind her, glaring at her in disappointment.
"Do... you want to go in and play a few rounds?"
Li Wanming greeted him generously.
Pei Yanqi's face was full of indignation, and he firmly refused. "I never set foot in such a smoky and dirty place!"
"Really? Then your life must be so boring..."
Li Wanming turned around and was about to leave when Pei Yanqi called her. "Wait, don't you want your thing?"
He took out a small ebony plaque from his sleeve. There was a character "jiu" (wine) written on it in bright red ink.
"The wine plaque! You got it?"
Li Wanming happily took it.
"Remember, one - tenth of the profit..."
"Don't worry. I always keep my word."
"Oh? Then who abandoned me the month before last?"
Pei Yanqi snorted from his nose and gave her a contemptuous look.
After a while, he asked again, "Is your grandmother's birthday on the sixteenth of this month?"
"Yes. How do you know?"
Pei Yanqi stammered for a while. "I was recently appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. I have a good colleague named Han Lize. His father, Han He, is the Minister of War, and he happens to be your father's superior."
"He's going to your place for a banquet with Minister Han on April sixteenth and invited me to go with him..."
Li Wanming suddenly looked up. "You agreed?"
"I'm still considering..."
"Don't go."
Li Wanming said immediately.
Her expression made it seem as if he was some sordid and shameful ex - boyfriend. It made him feel insulted in an instant.
"I will go!"
A thin layer of anger appeared on Pei Yanqi's face, and even his ears turned slightly red.
"Don't go."
"I will go."
"Don't go!"
"I will go!"
...