Li Ying looked at the master of the house. He was sipping a pot of green tea calmly. Hearing this, he just nodded slightly.
"Lady Lian, you've always been particular about your appearance. After this accident, the doctor advised you to take good care of yourself and not overwork. Besides, with your damaged appearance, it's really not suitable for you to show yourself in public..."
"Here's what I'll do. You can temporarily hand over the management of the several shops you're in charge of to others. I'll return the power of managing the household to you when you recover."
As soon as these words were spoken, Li Ying couldn't help raising her eyebrows.
With just a few casual words, the master of the house had easily stripped Lady Lian of her power, which earned Li Ying's approval.
This old man didn't seem to be as indulged in beauty as others said.
Perhaps he deliberately let her and Lady Lian fight each other?
Lady Lian's face turned deathly pale. Her voice trembling, she said, "My husband, I'm fine. I can still share your burdens..."
Before she could finish, Mrs. Lin, who had been sitting quietly on one side, said in a soft voice, "Lady Lian, a woman's appearance is of utmost importance. Don't be so stubborn."
"You and the master of the house have a deep affection for each other, but you've never had a child over the years. Maybe it's because you've been overworking and hurting your body. You might as well take this opportunity to recuperate well and give birth to a son to relieve the master's pain of losing his son."
Hearing this, Li Ying frowned slightly again.
Even though Mrs. Lin and Lady Lian were as close as sisters, she shouldn't have said such intimate words publicly.
Everyone's inquisitive gazes were quietly cast on the calm master of the house. Recalling the snippets of information she had heard from Du Zhong and others in recent days, Li Ying had a vague guess in her mind.
The master of the house had a son with his late wife, but unfortunately, the son died accidentally. Lady Lian, as the second wife, was in her prime, but she had never had a child of her own. It seemed that the master of the house wasn't completely defenseless against her.
Li Ying didn't know what the relationship between the Lin couple and Lady Lian was yet, but she keenly sensed that they came with ill intentions. They were probably not on the same side as her or the master of the house.
The master of the house remained calm, as if he was completely unaware of the undercurrents. Lady Lian nodded submissively and replied obediently.
"Thank you for your advice, Mrs. Lin. I understand."
She obediently handed over the power of managing the household and then presented a delicate small box, politely placing it in front of Mrs. Lin.
"I've long heard that you're devout in Buddhism and very kind - hearted. I don't have much to offer. This string of pearl Buddhist beads was collected from various sources. Please accept it."
Li Ying glanced at the brocade box in her hand. Sure enough, she saw that each bead on the bracelet was perfectly round and shiny, definitely a rare item.
Mrs. Lin's eyes lit up. She took the Buddhist beads and played with them lovingly.
Then she heard Lady Lian say, "I heard that Boss Li and my husband are discussing the business of pearl farming. I'm afraid this little string of mine will be outshone soon. Please don't dislike it, Mrs. Lin."
As soon as these words were spoken, Li Ying raised her eyebrows slightly.
Oh, so this was a feast with hidden motives. So, this was where they were waiting for her!
The swiftlet house was already taking shape. All that was left to do was to gradually induce the swiftlets to move in. Given time, they could achieve their goal step by step.
Since she had the master's token, she should manage the pearl farm as soon as possible.
Seeing that she couldn't steal the swiftlet house business and had lost the power of managing the household, Lady Lian had come up with a scheme against the pearl farm.
Sure enough, the Lin couple became interested and asked curiously, "Pearls can be farmed artificially?"
Li Ying smiled and nodded calmly.
"Yes. Pearl farming can be divided into freshwater and seawater types. Seawater pearl farming is more complex. One mother - of - pearl shell can only produce two or three pearls, while a freshwater clam shell can yield dozens of pearls. They are of good quality and low price. However, the luster of freshwater pearls is slightly inferior to that of seawater pearls."
The royal family appreciates the flawless Dongzhu pearls. Therefore, the noble officials in the court and the wealthy merchants in the market follow suit and think it elegant to wear pearl jewelry.
If, as Li Ying said, the pearl farm could be successfully operated, it would bring unimaginable wealth!
Seeing the greed gradually emerging in the Lin couple's eyes, Lady Lian said softly, "Boss Li is really resourceful. I can't match her. A few months ago, she attracted my husband here with a formula for 'Nine - Dynasty Tribute Glue'. Now, there's the swiftlet house and the pearl farm. Her brilliant ideas are beyond ordinary people's reach."
"In a few years, if the swiftlet house and the pearl farm really succeed, Boss Li's influence will be unimaginable!"
Her words were rather sour and not very pleasant to hear. She deliberately emphasized the words "in a few years", obviously hinting at something.
Before Li Ying could defend herself, she saw that Magistrate Lin immediately frowned and looked at her suspiciously.
"According to Lady Lian, does it mean that none of these businesses Boss Li mentioned have been realized yet?"
He had already been a bit suspicious. Li Ying was just a village woman who had divorced and was alone with a child. She had drifted here and had a prosperous life in just a few months. It was really strange!
He had never heard of swiftlet nest and pearl farming. Whether it could be as miraculous as she said was really unknown.
If she was just a swindler relying on her eloquence and good looks...
An alarm bell rang in Magistrate Lin's mind.
Li Ying saw the suspicion in his eyes, but she just smiled calmly.
"Your Honor, I know your concerns. I also know that deceiving a magistrate is equivalent to deceiving the emperor."
"I've already prepared everything in the 'experimental field'. However, when opening the clams, there will be a strong odor. Please have your meal first, and then I'll show it to you!"
Her tone was very calm. Even the usually calm master of the house showed a hint of surprise on his face.
Lady Lian had thought that her sudden attack would catch Li Ying off guard. But she didn't expect that this girl was well - prepared. She was even more annoyed. Her willow - leaf eyebrows were raised in anger, which pulled the scratches on her cheek, making her grimace in pain.
Li Ying secretly thanked herself for being cautious.
Fortunately, she had a backup plan.
At first, when she discovered that her portable space had a constant temperature and humidity, an idea came to her mind.
Wasn't this an absolutely safe and sterile laboratory?
It was a waste to just store coconuts in it!
At that time, she had the idea of secretly raising a few pearl clams in the space and trying to implant small pieces of clam shells as pearl nuclei.
After a few months of cultivation, seeing that the nacre secreted by the clams had firmly wrapped the small pearl nuclei, she felt relieved and boldly discussed the establishment of a pearl farm with the master of the house.
During this meal, everyone had their own ulterior motives, calculating in their minds. Only Li Ying was confident and ate heartily without any worries.