Back in the dining hall, a lively conversation was in progress. Upon spotting Feng Jin, Lin Yuwei hurried forward, exclaiming, "Sister Feng Jin, you're back."
Immediately, all eyes turned to Feng Jin. In that moment, she forced a smile, doing her best to ease the awkwardness.
"Young Madam, where did you go? You've been gone for so long. I was about to send a maid to look for you."
"It's nothing, I just got a little turned around and it took some time."
Feng Jin replied with a smile, deliberately avoiding Liu Meng Han's scrutinizing gaze as she returned to her seat.
"It was my oversight not to have a palace maid accompany you."
Liu Meng Han, a true social butterfly, diffused the situation with just a few words.
Feng Jin watched Liu Meng Han with a forced smile, recognizing the woman's profound skill and ability to endure. No matter how distressed she might be internally, her outward composure was impeccable.
If Liu Meng Han were less calculating, Feng Jin would genuinely consider her a friend. Unfortunately, Liu Meng Han's methods were questionable, her thoughts dark, and such a person was not to be deeply acquainted with, lest one be unaware of their own demise.
After a short while longer, Feng Jin found an excuse and left with Lin Yuwei.
Once they were outside the Third Prince's mansion, Lin Yuwei visibly relaxed, shedding her earlier restraint.
"It was so stifling inside, having to think carefully about every word. Living like this must be exhausting. I wonder how they manage to keep it up."
She felt miserable after just a few short hours. If she had to pretend for longer, she would either be exhausted to death or driven mad.
She wondered if Liu Meng Han ever felt tired of maintaining such a façade.
"Thank you for accompanying me on this trip. Let me treat you to something good."
Feng Jin patted Lin Yuwei's shoulder. She had noticed that Lin Yuwei hadn't eaten properly, even her sips of tea were accompanied by glances around, as if worried about making another mistake.
"That sounds wonderful. I really wasn't full earlier. I heard from the maids at the manor that the new cherry pastries on East Street taste great. Let's go try them, and then we can pick out a couple of items from Yu Yan Fang. It wouldn't be a complete outing if we returned empty-handed."
With that, they first went to East Street to buy some food, and then headed to Yu Yan Fang to shop.
As soon as the two entered Yu Yan Fang, they were met with a dense crowd. They opted to go directly to the second floor, requesting that all the latest styles be brought up for their selection.
"The color of this lip rouge is lovely. Sister Feng Jin, you should try it; it would really suit you."
"You pick first. I still have plenty of samples at home."
After all products from Yu Yan Fang were developed, Feng Jin always kept one for herself. Therefore, she had one of everything at home.
She had no need to shop, so she let Lin Yuwei choose to her heart's content.
"Then I won't be polite."
She had been looking forward to a good shopping spree for a long time but had been tied up with琐碎 matters at the manor. Now that she had the opportunity, she intended to seize it.
She was looking at everything she liked, wishing she could buy it all. Unfortunately, her purse was not as ample. After much deliberation, she painstakingly selected three or four favorite items.
"Why only choose so few? Don't you like them?"
Seeing that Lin Yuwei had finished choosing, Feng Jin put down her teacup. Noticing she had only picked a few items, she wondered if they were not to her liking and asked with curiosity.
If she truly disliked them, Feng Jin felt she would need to seriously reflect on whether a particular design was flawed and required improvement.
"It's not that..."
Lin Yuwei put down the powder box she was holding and sighed softly. "It's just that my purse is empty; I truly have no money..."
If it weren't for the dividends from Yu Yan Fang these days, her dowry chest would have been depleted long ago.
"Haven't the dividends from Yu Yan Fang been given to you? Are they not enough?"
The monthly dividends from Yu Yan Fang were considerable. Were they not enough to maintain a livelihood?
She began to doubt the daily expenses of the Prince of Jing's mansion, to have caused Lin Yuwei such distress.
"Don't even mention it. No matter how much money I bring back to the manor, Chu Chen Yi can spend it all."
Speaking of this, she was filled with anger. It was all Chu Chen Yi's doing, using money every day to support the soldiers.
Chu Chen Yi's salary alone was not enough to support the large household of the manor, and he still used it to help others.
When she first arrived at the manor, the expenses exceeded income every month, and the entire manor relied on her dowry to subsist.
Now, with some dividends from Yu Yan Fang to maintain their living expenses, her dowry chest would not have been depleted. At least now she didn't have to ask her parents' manor for money.
"More than half of Chu Chen Yi's monthly salary goes to support the soldiers. It's not even enough for the manor's basic expenses, so I've used half of my dowry to make up the difference."
"If not for the support of the Yu Yan Fang dividends, I might have to go back to my parents' home for money again. You see, the gap is truly enormous. We both married into a royal family, but look at the life Liu Meng Han lives, and then look at mine. It's like day and night. Comparing people truly makes one angry; there's no comparison whatsoever."
Lin Yuwei felt her own life was too tragic. Compared to Liu Meng Han, there was simply no comparison. One was noble and esteemed, while she felt like she had fallen into the mud.
"Prince Jing is also a kind and righteous person. Supporting the soldiers is a righteous act. Don't get angry with him over these matters. If, after some time, Yu Yan Fang opens a few more branches in other towns, the dividends will increase, and life will become easier."
Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him to fish. If she were to directly give Lin Yuwei money, she would surely not accept it, and it would greatly hurt her pride. It was better to increase Lin Yuwei's dividends by opening more branches of Yu Yan Fang.
"Sister Feng Jin, you are too kind to me."
Lin Yuwei was deeply moved. She sniffled and grasped Feng Jin's hand, almost shedding tears.
"Alright, don't get so emotional and start crying. Who are you trying to put on a show for?"
She disliked overly sentimental scenes the most and directly interrupted Lin Yuwei's next words.
If this continued, Qi Lin Yuwei might shed a few more pearls of tears, and that would be another troublesome affair. She really wasn't good at coaxing girls.
"Oh... Sister Feng Jin, I'm naturally moved. My emotions were just building up, and you managed to quell them with just a few words."