Transmigrated as a Cannon Fodder Wife A in Ancient Times - Chapter 50

Chapter 50

“Did you write this in one day?” Lu Zijin asked. She hadn’t finished reading, but she was already somewhat shocked.

Wei Lan nodded. “Less than one day. I started writing after I sold the jade and came back. For this kind of story, I can write many in a month,” she said.

Lu Zijin was stunned by Wei Lan’s words. After all, Chen’s Bookshop had several people who specialized in writing stories. Their storybooks were very popular in Panyang City, especially among the young ladies of wealthy families. Those ladies naturally didn’t go to buy the books themselves, but they often sent maids or servants from their households to purchase them. Therefore, they didn’t think one tael of silver per book was expensive.

But now, Wei Lan could write these stories too. Didn’t that mean their own Lu family bookshop could sell Wei Lan’s storybooks?

“Master, can we take your stories to our Lu family bookshop to sell? I think many people will love them,” Lu Zijin said.

“That’s exactly what I meant. Chen Zhou has tripped us up plenty of times. We need to show him that our Lu Mansion isn’t easy to bully,” Wei Lan said happily. Lu Zijin, as expected of a merchant, had thought the same thing as her right away.

“Good. I’ll arrange for people to copy them tomorrow,” Lu Zijin said with a smile. Actually, earning silver from this was secondary. The main thing was being able to openly steal business from Chen Zhou. She felt that secretly sending people to burn Chen’s cloth warehouse still didn’t satisfy her.

“Wait, Madam. Are all books now copied one by one by hand?” Wei Lan asked.

Lu Zijin didn’t understand Wei Lan’s meaning. “Naturally. Otherwise, the books in the bookshop wouldn’t sell for one tael of silver each. One tael of silver is enough for half a month’s expenses for ordinary people,” she said.

“Then I have a way to lower the cost of making these books and save the copying fees,” Wei Lan said with a smile.

“Save the copying fees? Then who writes the words on them?” Lu Zijin asked.

Wei Lan thought for a moment. “We can print them directly,” she said.

“What is printing?” Lu Zijin asked.

“Printing is carving the words onto wood, arranging them in order, dipping the wood in pigment, and then pressing it onto paper, like a seal. This way, we can print many times without hiring people to copy,” Wei Lan explained.

Lu Zijin’s eyes lit up immediately. She seemed to understand what Wei Lan was saying, but some parts were still unclear. “Is this feasible?” she asked.

Wei Lan nodded. “It’s definitely feasible. Shall we try it now?” she said.

“Hmm.” Lu Zijin nodded with a smile. If this method really worked, the Lu Mansion would seize another business opportunity.

When it came to starting a venture, Wei Lan and Lu Zijin were like they’d been injected with energy. They immediately put aside the step of finishing dinner.

“Alright, let’s go to your study. It’s easier to work there. Also, have someone fetch carving knives for woodworking, some neat pieces of wood, and a wire saw,” Wei Lan said.

As Wei Lan spoke, Qianxue stood nearby, taking notes. When Wei Lan finished, Qianxue immediately went to have people prepare the items. Though she didn’t know what her young lady and the master were planning.

The people in Lu Zijin’s courtyard were well-trained and efficient. So, not long after Wei Lan spoke, everything she needed was ready.

Wei Lan and Lu Zijin had people prepare a basin with ice in the study. Then they closed the study door.

Wei Lan winked at Lu Zijin. “Madam, I’m starting now,” she said.

“Hmm.” Lu Zijin nodded at her.

Wei Lan only needed to make a rough example, so she didn’t have to carve everything. A few would do. She used the wire saw to cut the wood into rectangular strips of similar size. Then she picked up the carving knife and began carving.

She had experience carving jade, so carving wood was easy. She just needed to ensure the words were carved in reverse, so they’d appear correctly when printed on paper.

In no time, Wei Lan carved five or six characters. Without a proper frame, she used cloth strips to tie the molds together, dipped them in ink, and printed a line of words on paper.

“Like this. I’m just giving an example, so I didn’t carve many words. Later, we can make a wooden frame about the size of a book page to hold the molds. Then we print. When one book’s content is nearly done, the words can be removed, rearranged, and used to print other books,” Wei Lan said, cutting the cloth strip and rearranging the characters.

Lu Zijin looked at the items on the table, then at Wei Lan, her eyes full of disbelief. “You thought of this?” she asked.

As she spoke, Lu Zijin leaned closer and lightly kissed Wei Lan’s lips. She grabbed the dog tag around Wei Lan’s neck and smiled. “My master is truly amazing,” she said.

Wei Lan wasn’t annoyed at her wife grabbing her dog tag. Instead, she happily hugged Lu Zijin. “Madam, this method should work, right? We’ll just need to find skilled woodcarvers and literate workers for typesetting,” she said.

“It works. This is a great way to make a fortune,” Lu Zijin said, glancing at the puppy on the dog tag, then at Wei Lan.

Wei Lan snuggled closer to Lu Zijin, wrapping her arms around her. She kissed the corner of Lu Zijin’s lips, playfully shaking her. “Madam, I came up with such a great idea. Is there a reward?” she asked.

Lu Zijin leaned on Wei Lan’s shoulder, playing with the dog tag. She raised an eyebrow at Wei Lan. “Of course. You’ll find out later when we go to bed,” she said.

Wei Lan pursed her lips, hugging Lu Zijin tighter. If she had a tail, it would probably be wagging like a propeller by now.

Lu Zijin looked at her with a smile. “Alright, I’ll arrange the rest tomorrow. Let’s go eat first,” she said.

“Hmm, hmm.” Wei Lan hugged Lu Zijin for a while, then nuzzled her, burying herself in Lu Zijin’s shoulder.

Lu Zijin looked at the little Qianyuan acting coy, her lips curving slightly. Only her master was such a delicate little Qianyuan.

But after nuzzling a bit, Wei Lan suddenly remembered something important. “Madam, don’t forget to have someone watch the study. Don’t let Yun Xiang sneak in,” she reminded.

Lu Zijin kissed Wei Lan’s lips. “Alright, I’ll have someone guard it. Yun Xiang can only do rough work in the courtyard now. I stopped letting her serve closely long ago,” she said.

“Hmm, good.” Wei Lan pinched Lu Zijin’s skirt hem, swaying it, looking boneless as she leaned on Lu Zijin’s shoulder. “I’m hungry,” she said.

“Alright, let’s go eat first,” Lu Zijin said, adjusting Wei Lan’s dog tag. The dog tag suited her little puppy quite well.

Lu Zijin had Qing Zhi arrange for maids to guard the study. No one but her was allowed near it.

After this, Lu Zijin took Wei Lan back to the bedroom. They ate dinner and went to bed early.

Wei Lan quickly shed her outer dress and was the first to rush to bed, waiting obediently for Lu Zijin.

Lu Zijin saw Wei Lan eagerly waiting, her eyes curving slightly.

Wei Lan noticed Lu Zijin looking at her. Kneeling on the bed, she urged, “Madam, hurry up!”

“Alright, I’m coming.” Seeing the little Qianyuan couldn’t wait, Lu Zijin quickly put away her dress and got into bed.

Lu Zijin touched Wei Lan’s cheek. Wei Lan nuzzled against it, then lay down obediently.

Lu Zijin was amused. Wei Lan was used to being on the bottom. Such a soft little Qianyuan—could she even manage otherwise?

But since Wei Lan was so eager, Lu Zijin didn’t hold back. As usual, she straddled Wei Lan’s waist. A little puppy should be ridden by its master.

Wei Lan looked at Lu Zijin expectantly. “Madam, where’s my reward?” she asked.

“Here it is.” Lu Zijin smiled lightly, stroking Wei Lan’s cheek, then leaned down to kiss her.

Wei Lan enjoyed it, feeling comfortable being kissed. She instinctively grabbed Lu Zijin’s hem.

When Wei Lan’s eyes teared up from the kissing, Lu Zijin pulled back slightly. She poked Wei Lan’s cheek with her fingertip, smiling. “Is the master satisfied with this reward?” she asked.

Wei Lan hugged Lu Zijin’s waist, acting coy. “More. I came up with such a great idea, and you only kiss me once? Madam, you’re stingy,” she said.

Lu Zijin pressed her thumb on Wei Lan’s lips, amused by her words. “Alright, you can have as many kisses as you want,” she said.

Lu Zijin kissed the corner of Wei Lan’s lips, thinking that when business wasn’t so busy, they might try for a cute little baby.

Looking at the soft little Qianyuan beneath her, Lu Zijin worried Wei Lan might only know how to lie there. She teased, “Don’t you want another reward?”

Wei Lan looked at Lu Zijin, confused. She’d recently grown fond of kissing Lu Zijin, who always made it feel so good. As for other rewards, she hadn’t thought about them.

“What else is there?” Wei Lan asked, her eyes bright.

Lu Zijin leaned in Wei Lan’s arms, playing with the dog tag on her chest. She looked up at Wei Lan, raising an eyebrow with a smile. “How about letting you be on top today?” she said.

“Huh? I don’t know how to be on top,” Wei Lan said instinctively.

Lu Zijin thought Wei Lan should try. She couldn’t always lie there. What if they wanted a baby later? Would she have to take the lead?

“It’s simple. Come on, get up,” Lu Zijin coaxed softly, helping Wei Lan up.

Wei Lan hugged Lu Zijin’s waist, burying herself in her arms and acting coy. “I don’t know how to be on top. Can I not?” she asked.

She was used to being on the bottom and didn’t really want to be on top. Lying down felt pretty comfortable.

Lu Zijin kissed Wei Lan for a while, then coaxed softly, “Be good. You’ll like it.”

“Hmph.” Wei Lan huffed, showing she wanted to stay on the bottom, but Lu Zijin pretended not to hear. She made Wei Lan move, then lay down herself.

Wei Lan saw her spot taken by Lu Zijin. She felt confused and unsure. She really didn’t know how to be on top.

Lu Zijin lay on the bed, watching Wei Lan’s flustered look. She was amused, nearly tearing up from laughter before stopping.

Wei Lan looked at Lu Zijin aggrievedly, not understanding why Madam was laughing or why she wouldn’t let her lie down.

Lu Zijin beckoned her with a finger, smiling with a raised eyebrow. “Come here. I’ll teach you,” she said.

Wei Lan wasn’t used to it but obediently moved closer. Afraid of crushing Lu Zijin, she propped herself up with her arms, keeping some distance between their faces.

Lu Zijin hooked her finger around Wei Lan’s dog tag, pulling the cord to draw her closer.

Wei Lan was pulled nearer, their noses almost touching. Lu Zijin smiled at her, then removed the plaster from her bonding gland and pointed to it. “This is for you to play with. Consider it your reward,” she said.

Wei Lan nuzzled Lu Zijin’s nose, grumbling that lying down was more comfortable. But since Madam insisted, she’d reluctantly stay on top this once.

With that, Wei Lan mimicked Lu Zijin, leaning down to kiss the bonding gland carefully. Not wanting to bite, she only gently sucked.

Lu Zijin trembled at Wei Lan’s touch. The sensation was strange. After a few sucks, Lu Zijin’s body went soft.

But Lu Zijin wasn’t worry. She had Wei Lan in her heart, and Wei Lan liked her. Even if things went further, it was fine. Besides, this innocent little Qianyuan’s limit was kissing. She wouldn’t know anything else.

As Lu Zijin expected, Wei Lan only kissed and sucked at her bonding gland, not leaving a single tooth mark even after a long time. Lu Zijin was amused.

Wei Lan inhaled the scent of sandalwood, feeling like she was floating on clouds, so very comfortable. She heard Lu Zijin’s laugh and raised her head slightly. “Madam, what are you laughing at?” she asked.

Lu Zijin, weak from the sucking, barely managed to pinch Wei Lan’s face. “I’m not laughing at you. Wei Lan, why are you so silly?” she said.

Hearing this, Wei Lan immediately buried her face in Lu Zijin’s neck and nuzzled. “I like you,” she said.

Seeing the little Qianyuan so soft and delicate again, Lu Zijin patted her back. “Not continuing?” she asked.

“Continuing.” Wei Lan noticed Lu Zijin seemed to enjoy her sucking the bonding gland, so she kissed it again. Madam was sweet and fragrant, and she liked it too.

But after kissing a while, Wei Lan got a bit dizzy, like a cat high on catnip. She leaned softly in Lu Zijin’s arms, nuzzling her to rest.

Lu Zijin looked at the dazed Wei Lan with a smile, tugging her dog tag.

Her little puppy didn’t seem up to much. But no rush. She wasn’t planning for a baby yet, so There was time to train Wei Lan. If it really didn’t work, she’d just have to put in the effort herself.

Lu Zijin looked at Wei Lan, who was still rubbing against her, and shook her head with a smile. Fine, she’d hold Wei Lan to sleep tonight.

Wei Lan had inhaled too much sandalwood scent and felt light and floaty, like on a cloud. She soon fell asleep after a while.

The next morning, Lu Zijin woke first, as usual. She needed to handle the movable type today. She had to hire skilled woodcarvers in the city. Of course, the bookshop needed to prepare preparations a lot too.

Looking at the sweetly sleeping little Qianyuan in her arms, she couldn’t bear to didn’t want to disturb Wei Lan. She tried to carefully move her, but she still woke Wei Lan.

Wei Lan opened her eyes sleepily and smiled sweetly at Lu. “Madam, good morning,” she said.

“Morning. Did I wake you?” Lu Zijin asked softly.

“No,” Wei Lan said, nuzzling Lu Zijin. “Are you leaving?” she asked, her eyes still half-closed.

“Yes. Things might get busy, so I may not have much time to spend with you. Once this is done, I’ll make it up for it to you, okay?” Lu Zijin said, cooing softly.

“Okay, fine,” Wei Lan said. “I’ll keep writing stories when I have nothing to do.” she says.

“Hmm. It’s still early. early, so Sleep a bit more. It’s fine if you get up later,” Lu Zijin said, kissing kissing Wei Lan’s forehead softly. forehead.

“Madam, you’re so nice,” Wei Lan said, hugging Lu Zijin tightly, not wanting to let her go.

Lu Zijin patted Wei Lan’s lower back. “Be good. I really need to get up,” she said.

Wei Lan reluctantly climbed off her, watching her dress pitifully.

Lu Zijin smiled at Wei Lan while dressing. “Be good and stay here. Eat breakfast here when you wake up before leaving,” she said.

Wei Lan hugged the quilt, looking like a pitiful little puppy abandoned by its owner. “I know,” she said.

Her look softened Lu Zijin’s heart. She leaned in to kiss Wei Lan’s cheek, then washed up, ate breakfast, and had a carriage prepared to go to the Lu family bookshop.

Wei Lan hugged the sandalwood-scented quilt, inhaling deeply. deeply, then She rolled around on the bed a few times. times, thinking lying that down, having a too-career-driven wife wasn’t great. great; She didn’t have time to cuddle for a lazy morning.

Still sleepy, Wei Lan went back to sleep again. She had no choice. Her wife was out, so way. Her wife was so impressive that her soft meal bowl had turned into a golden one. Even if she didn’t earn silver, her wife could support her.

Meanwhile, Lu Zijin had already arranged for artisans. From today, today they’d start carving molds for printing. Not just Wei Lan’s stories—stories; the Four Books and Five Classics sold well too. If Once they could mass-produce, costs would drop, and they’d take this business from Chen Zhou.

But this could attract attention. Once printing started, many workers would be involved, and word would leak. They’d profit heavily for a month, but others would soon follow. That was fine. fine; A big enough profit would keep Chen Zhou sleepless.

To avoid too much attention, Lu Zijin had a plan. After selling printed books and earning silver, she’d visit Lu Feng and report this as his achievement. This would keep the Lu family from standing out too much while and giving gain Lu a Feng big favor. favor—why not?

With the capital so chaotic, the Lu family being too prominent wasn’t good.

In the workshop, artisans worked busily. Lu Zijin hired many workers to finish in days. few She days. told urged the bookshop manager to supervise closely and keep workers quiet.

After this, Lu Zijin went to the cloth shop. The most important thing now was the imperial cloth order. Next month, month they’d submit it, so no mistakes could happen.

~~

Near the Lu Mansion warehouse, Yun Xiang hid sneakily behind a large rock. She seemed to go closer, but seeing seven or eight guards nearby, nearby guards, she chickened out.

She recalled Tian Da and Cao Diushuang, beaten to death, beaten to death, and Her legs shook like a sieve.

Lu Zijin had stopped letting her serve closely. She didn’t even qualify to pour tea. tea for Lu Zijin. The courtyard maids and servants were all snobbish now, and none respected her like before.

Yun Xiang could only endure. Days ago, ago she’d sneaked out of Lu Mansion and took a long detour to find Chen Zhou.

Her cousin gave her cousin another gold bracelet, promising promising that if she succeeded, he’d take her as his wife concubine, freeing so her she’d never suffer in Lu Mansion again.

Thinking this, Yun Xiang psyched herself up. If Once she succeeded, she’d be a Chen family lady. Even as a concubine, concubine it was fine—since fine; cousin Chen hadn’t married, married a main wife yet, her status would be nearly the same, right? same.

Touching her gold bracelet, she Yun gritted her teeth, observing teeth and continued observing the warehouse secretly.

She’d been watching for days. days, knowing If it was the old her, she’d have strutted past, but now everyone knew she was punished. Her past favor was gone, gone. and nobody respected her. She could only wait for a chance.

Thinking, Yun Xiang returned to the courtyard. She couldn’t stay out too long, fearing to avoid suspicion. Lately, she’d sneaked out to buy wine, wine, storing plenty in her room.

Guards changed shifts. At night, night they’d be tired, tired, and she didn’t have night duties. Yun Xiang planned to bring wine to the night guards, guards. and Once, when drunk, she’d burn the warehouse.

If she succeeded, riches and glory awaited. awaited her. She’d live like the young lady, with maids around her, her and get anything she wanted easily.

Imagining this, Yun Xiang got excited. She remembered cousin Chen’s affectionate gaze, gaze as he put on her bracelet. bracelet on her, feeling so sweet.

With that, she headed to Jingchen Courtyard.

“Hey, Sister Yun Xiang’s back! Where’d you go? Why’re you always out lately?” a little maid taunted. When Yun Xiang was a big maid, she’d bullied these little maids plenty.

“Oh, just finished a task and wandered the yard,” yard Yun Xiang said, enduring gritting her teeth.

“Sister Yun Xiang’s different from us. We’re loyal to the young lady. Even when she’s not here, the master’s in the courtyard. We don’t slack off, off. unlike Unlike sister, who acts like she’s the master herself,” she sneered.

Her words made other maids giggle. Qing Zhi saw but didn’t stop them.

Yun Xiang clenched her teeth, veins bulging on her forehead, forehead, but she turned and rushed back to her room.

“Tch! The mistress doesn’t even like her anymore,” one maid said.

“Yeah, she’ll get kicked out sooner or later,” another said.

“I think so too.”