Chapter 2: A Marriage Of Calculation

Lu Zijin’s brows knit together slightly.

The reason she had chosen Wei Lan, someone with no power or influence, was simple—Wei Lan’s family background was clean, and they were utterly destitute.

By marrying into the Lu family, Wei Lan would ensure that the Lu family’s estate would not fall into outsiders’ hands.

Originally, Lu Zijin and her distant cousin Chen Zhou had grown up knowing each other, and their families had once entertained thoughts of marriage.

However, half a year ago, Lu Zijin’s elder brother died of illness, and her parents had already passed away early on.

The Lu family’s main household was left with only Lu Zijin.

If she were to marry out, then the Lu family’s estate would no longer bear the Lu surname.

To preserve this inheritance, Lu Zijin had no choice but to find, within Panyang City, a Qianyuan with a spotless background who would also be easy to control, and have her marry into the family.

Only then would the Lu family avoid ending with her, and only then could the collateral branches be prevented from seizing control.

Yet finding a Qianyuan willing to voluntarily marry into a Kunze household was extremely difficult.

Even families of modest means were unwilling to let their Qianyuan do so.

It was only by chance that Lu Zijin heard of the Wei family’s decline, and of Wei Wenyuan’s mounting debts, that she came up with the idea of bringing Wei Wenyuan’s daughter into the Lu household.

Still, this Wei Lan didn’t seem as honest as Lu Zijin had imagined.

She had sent people to keep an eye on her.

A few days ago, those watchers reported back, saying that two days earlier Wei Lan had gone drinking with a group of playboys at Mingyue Tower, gotten thoroughly drunk, and returned home only to fall gravely ill.

So now that she was better, she was already wandering around again?

Lu Zijin had originally considered looking for other candidates, but several collateral branches of the Lu family had recently begun to stir, and there were outsiders eager to marry her and seize the Lu family’s assets.

Lu Zijin felt she could no longer afford to wait.

If she delayed any longer, something was bound to go wrong.

“I’ll go over and say a few words to her.

You three come with me, that’s enough,” Lu Zijin instructed the servants beside her.

Yunxiang shot a glare at Wei Lan across the street and sneered, “She’s just a Qianyuan marrying in.

What right does she have to make you, Miss, go speak to her in person?”

Lu Zijin glanced at Yunxiang and said coolly, “Yunxiang, mind your words.

After tomorrow, Wei Lan will be the master of the household.”

“Yes, Miss,” Yunxiang replied, though her tone was full of unwillingness.

Lu Zijin didn’t say anything further.

She led the three of them across the street.

“Qianjun, please wait.”

Wei Lan froze for a moment before realizing the person was addressing her.

Qianjun?

That was… her?

She looked at the woman opposite her.

Her gaze was cool, her skin snow-white.

Though a thin veil covered her face, it was still easy to tell that the features beneath were beautiful.

Almost instantly, Wei Lan guessed who she was.

About the same age as this body, strikingly good-looking, clearly wealthy, and familiar with her identity.

There was no doubt—the woman before her was Lu Zijin.

Keeping her expression neutral, Wei Lan replied, “Is there something you need?”

“It’s nothing important,” Lu Zijin said.

“I only heard that Qianjun drank heavily a few days ago and fell seriously ill.

Is your health fully recovered now?”

Her tone held no warmth at all.

Cold and distant, as though she were speaking to a stranger.

Wei Lan, on the other hand, quietly let out a breath of relief.

It seemed Lu Zijin truly only wanted a placeholder Qianyuan to marry in.

She wasn’t familiar with the original owner at all.

That meant the risk of exposure was very low.

“Yes.

I’m fine now,” Wei Lan replied.

“I just came out for a walk and will be heading back shortly.

I won’t delay tomorrow’s wedding.”

As she spoke, her gaze met Lu Zijin’s eyes directly.

“That’s good to hear.

Then we’ll be returning to the residence,” Lu Zijin said, giving Wei Lan a small nod before turning to leave.

Yunxiang, however, shot Wei Lan a sharp glare before following after her.

Wei Lan found the reaction baffling.

She withdrew her gaze and continued strolling along the street.

After boarding the carriage, Lu Zijin couldn’t help but feel that the Wei Lan she had seen today was slightly different from the one she remembered.

The last time they met, Wei Lan’s eyes carried an intrusive look that made her uncomfortable.

Back then, whenever Wei Lan met her gaze, she would avert her eyes and act evasively—nothing like the open, straightforward manner she’d just displayed.

Lu Zijin didn’t dwell on it.

In any case, the marriage was already settled.

Once Wei Lan married in, if she behaved and knew her place, Lu Zijin would naturally see that she was well fed and well clothed.

If, however, she dared to covet the Lu family’s assets, Lu Zijin could keep a close watch on her—or even place her under house arrest.

Either way, once Wei Lan entered the Lu residence, everything would be under her control.

Wei Lan, of course, had no idea Lu Zijin had thought so far ahead.

She wandered past five or six street stalls in succession, forming a rough impression of the low-grade jade carvings available here.

To be honest, those items were worse than even her failed practice pieces from her previous life.

They were inferior by several levels.

Wei Lan decided it would be better to find a higher-end jade shop to browse.

She stepped into a store called Yuya Pavilion.

The shelves inside were filled with jade carvings.

The quality of the jade here was noticeably better than that of the street stalls, and the craftsmanship was also slightly superior.

Seeing that Wei Lan’s clothes were washed to a pale white and that she clearly didn’t look wealthy, the shop assistant couldn’t be bothered to approach her.

He only called out from afar, “You can look, but don’t touch anything casually.

These jade pieces aren’t something you can afford.”

Wei Lan didn’t get angry.

Instead, she casually asked, “How much is that jade qilin?”

The assistant glanced at her.

“Even if I told you, you couldn’t afford it.

Three hundred taels of silver.”

Wei Lan looked toward the jade qilin.

In the Great Zhou dynasty, one tael of silver was roughly equivalent to a thousand in modern currency.

Three hundred taels meant three hundred thousand.

She examined the carving carefully.

By her standards, this piece was worth at most thirty thousand.

It was nowhere near worth three hundred thousand.

A faint smile curved Wei Lan’s lips.

With workmanship like this, they dare to charge that price?

If so, her own carvings would surely sell for even more.

At that moment, the shopkeeper also noticed Wei Lan.

Unlike the assistant, he approached her with a smile.

“Miss, are you interested in this qilin ornament?”

“I’m just browsing,” Wei Lan replied.

“Shopkeeper, do you purchase jade carvings here?”

“Of course,” the shopkeeper said.

“Our Yuya Pavilion is the largest jade shop in Panyang City, and we also have branches in nearby towns.

Our owner values skilled carvers above all else.

Does someone in your family do this kind of work?”

Wei Lan nodded.

“I understand.

If I have something to sell in the future, I’ll come back.”

“Very well,” the shopkeeper said, not pressing further when she didn’t buy anything.

Only after Wei Lan left did the assistant mutter, “Shopkeeper, why were you so polite to her?

She’s just a poor Qianyuan.

If her family really had a carver, would she be dressed so shabbily?”

“Never judge by appearances,” the shopkeeper snapped.

“In the future, don’t speak sarcastically to customers.

Otherwise, don’t blame me for docking your wages.”

“Understood,” the assistant replied quietly.

Wei Lan wandered a bit longer before deciding to head home.

After all, she didn’t have a single coin on her.

She was completely broke.

When she returned, she saw a young girl sweeping the courtyard.

The girl looked up upon seeing her.

“Older sister, you’re back?”

Wei Lan nodded.

“Mm.”

Wei Qing’s relationship with Wei Lan had always been average.

In this world, Qianyuan generally held higher status than Kunze, and the former Wei Lan had never liked dealing with her younger sister, never taking her seriously.

“It’s almost time to eat,” Wei Qing reminded her from behind.

Wei Lan nodded again.

“Alright.

Thank you.”

She returned to her room, washed her hands briefly, and then went to the side room for the meal.

Wei Lan glanced at Wei Wenyuan, Zhao Xinlan, and Wei Qing.

None of them looked particularly well.

They clearly had little appetite.

“It’s all my fault,” Wei Wenyuan said, his eyes reddening.

“A perfectly good Qianyuan, reduced to marrying into someone else’s household.

I’m useless.”

Wei Lan felt no emotional stir.

She wasn’t the original owner, and she’d only been here for two days.

She truly had no attachment to these people.

Still, hearing his words, she couldn’t help but speak up.

“If you know you’re not cut out for business, then don’t do business anymore.

The family doesn’t have endless people for you to use to repay debts.”

After saying that, Wei Lan began eating, ignoring Wei Wenyuan’s tearful expression.

In her view, a mature person should at least know when to cut their losses.

Failing in business again and again, yet persisting stubbornly—any rational person would have stopped long ago.

In her previous life, Wei Lan had been an orphan.

She had no real concept of familial affection.

To most people, she was little more than a jade-carving machine, indifferent to everything except jade.

The only people who ever stirred her emotions were her master and a few senior and junior apprentices.

Beyond that, she had no interest in others’ affairs.

Now that she had arrived in this unfamiliar place, that feeling only intensified.

Looking at Wei Wenyuan still crying across from her, Wei Lan felt nothing but irritation.

“I’m done eating.

Please take your time.”

With that, she stood and left.

Wei Wenyuan sobbed as he looked at Zhao Xinlan and Wei Qing.

“It’s my fault.

In the end, I still made Xiao Lan despise me.

It’s my fault…”

Wei Lan heard his crying even after stepping outside.

Yet her heart remained unmoved.

When people make mistakes, they pay the price.

Crying doesn’t solve anything.

Tears are nothing more than an emotional release.

They are useless.