When Yang Mei Shi heard this, she became anxious. Yang Su's dowry was not a small sum of money. She had been jealous a long time ago. Now, taking advantage of the opportunity of Yang Ruo's impending marriage, she was preparing to change the basis of Yang Su's dowry. If she handed it over at this time, wasn't so much of her plans in vain?
She said aggrievedly. "My darling husband, do you not trust my family? Yiting's dowry should be prepared by me as her stepmother. How can I leave it to Ling to let her prepare it herself? How do you want her to arrange everything, including the warehouses?"
Yang Yiting didn't bother to watch her acting, and said directly: "Aunt, we all see that the doctor often comes in and out of your chamber these few days, it seems your health is not as good as before. Is something wrong your body, aunt?"
"Mhm, true." Yang Jiang also looked at Yang Mei Shi and asked. "Are you sick, Mei Shi?"
Yang Mei Shi gave a dry smile and said, "My husband, don't worry about it. It's not a big deal. I just felt a little pain in my chest, so I asked the doctor to come over and see me. The doctor said I was just tired..."
"Aunt, that's called stress. You must be tired preparing for Ruo's marriage. How can I bother you with this little trivial matter of mine? Besides, you have to take care of sister Ruo's body before she gets married. Isn't it? Miss Xu, who happened to be beside me, is also an experienced person to do the errands for me which is probably not a bad thing. So aunt, what do you think?" Yang Yiting interrupted her, and said with a faint expression.
Yang Yiting already knew that Yang Ruo was really pregnant, and also knew the truth about the fire that day.
Wang Yun had always disliked Yang Yiting. After getting intimate with Yang Ruo, Yang Ruo always talked to him about how stupid her sister was, which made Wang Yun even more determine to do everything possible to give up his marriage.
Yang Ruo then came up with an idea and asked Wang Yun to arrange for Ma San to enter the Yang mansion as a chef to find a chance to harm Yang Yiting. However, Wang Yun never thought about killing Yang Yiting, nor did he expected Yang Ruo to be so cruel that she actually wanted to set her sister on fire.
For this, he also reprimanded Yang Ruo who later concealed it under the pretence of being innocent and pitiful. Yang Ruo was very angry that day because Wang Yun reprimanded her for Yang Yiting. So she complained to Yang Mei Shi, and happened to let the personal maid of her mother, Rulan, heard every word. Rulan and Lu Zhu were good sisters, and they often inform each other of any news. This time was no exception.
However, without evidence, she decided to stand by and watch.
Yang Mei Shi looked at Yang Yiting's unwavering eyes, feeling a little flustered. For some reason, under such eyes, she felt invisible. Did she know about Ruo? She was shocked, and now there was no need to fight hard with her. It would only slow-down her plan.
She thought for a while and said, "Yiting, you're so compassionate and thoughtful. But don't worry about me. It takes only a few days for me to sort out the dowry list and then we will go to the warehouse to count the goods together, will that be alright with you?"
"That would be so troublesome. Don't you trust me to handle these things, aunt?" Yang Yiting asked smiling faintly. "You only needs to give me the warehouse key. I already have a copy of the dowry list here. I just need to check with the actual items in the warehouse. That's all."
"Just give her the keys, Mei Shi. You have kept it for so many years and you have worked really hard. From today on, give it to Yiting, and you can prepare for Ruo's marriage with peace of mind. No need to be entangled in Yiting's dowry too."
While Yang Yiting was sorting out her dowry, Yang Mei Shi was bedridden, distressed, in the room. The prepared fakes were intended to replace the original calligraphy and paintings in the dowry container. She began asking herself "What should I do now? Is all my efforts going to be a waste? It costs money to make fakes, nowadays. So why wouldn't she get frustrated?
Seeing that Yang Mei Shi was unwilling to accept those things, the old personal maid to Yang Mei Shi suggested. "Why don't you put those things in the expensive arts shop, Madam. If you run into those who don't really know the difference, you will sell the items to them. I can't even recognize them myself."
Yang Mei Shi was originally from a small family, short-sighted and coveted for small profits. Listening to the personal maids suggestion, although it felt risky, she really agreed with her. So she followed the maid's suggestion.
Who was Yang Yiting? She had a master's degree in psychology. She had first-class observation and reasoning skills. Hearing the news that the owner of The Expensive Arts shop had met Yang Mei Shi, she guessed Yang Mei Shi's plan.
Since she wanted to die so much, she would by all means help her. Yang Yiting said to Miss Xu. "Miss Xu, I heard that a distant nephew from your natal family came to the capital to seek refuge with you, isn't it?"
Miss Xu replied: "Yes, miss. Speaking of which, my nephew is also a scholar, but unfortunately there was a disaster in his hometown, and life is not going on well for him. So he wanted to come here to try his luck."
Yang Yiting nodded, and instructed Miss Xu. "Let your nephew do what I'll tell him tomorrow. If it is done exactly as I instructed, he will benefit from it."
On the second day, a foreigner came to Fu Bao's Expensive Arts shop and asked if there was a masterpiece painting called "Dragon Lilly" by the famous painter Lu Luchang in the store. Seeing that it was a high-profile guest from outside of town, the Fu Bao invited him into the inner room and sold him the fake "Dragon Lilly" picture.
Unexpectedly, a few days later, the foreigner reported Fu Bao to the authorities, saying that it was Fu Bao who sold fake products to the market. After receiving the case, the officers to Fu Bao's shop. They searched and found a number of fake items. Fu Bao was apprehended and fined 50,000 taels of silver.
Upon hearing the news, Yang Mei Shi became angry and fainted.
After their plan succeeded, Lu Zhu and Miss Xu really admire their young lady more and more.
Yang Yiting looked thoughtfully at Miss Xu and said. "Miss Xu, your nephew is doing a good job. Recently, Ling Long Pavilion should sell a batch of jewellery, let him buy it at a low price as much as possible. If things go well, I'll let him be the treasurer of Beautiful Dreams."
Exquisite Pavilion was under the name of Yang Mei Shi family, while Beautiful Dreams and Luxurious Sets were the warehouses left by Yang Su for her daughter. And it had always been taken care of by Yang Mei Shi family.
Over the years, Yang Mei Shi took the opportunity to carry out many things. Secretly, she had privately transferred many things from Beautiful Dreams to Exquisite Pavilion.
Now was the time to get them back.
Miss Xu's nephew was also a sensible person, and naturally did a good job on this matter. A few days later, he bought a batch of jewellery from Exquisite Pavilion at a price forty percent lower than the appraised price.
Seeing that Miss Xu's nephew had some business acumen, Yang Yiting hired him as the shopkeeper of Beautiful Dreams warehouse. The original shopkeeper had long been under the control of Yang Mei Shi family, and Yang Yiting naturally couldn't keep him around anymore.
On the grounds of his advanced age, she gave him a severance pay and sent him away.