Bride Swap Backfire: My Cousin's Rebirth Made Us a Power Couple-Chapter 75 - 48: The Qian Family (Part 2)

Furthermore, Mrs. Wang’s youngest son was an academic official in the Prefecture. Although he was only a subordinate eighth-rank official—not as high-ranking as a County Magistrate—he regularly interacted with scholars and Advanced Scholars. During the annual Provincial Examination, he might even be selected to grade the exams.

This was a supreme honor, and his respectable and upright position was more than enough to earn him widespread reverence.

Never mind the Wang Family’s status in the Prefecture; simply because of their scholarly reputation, even the County Magistrate of Qingshui County held them in high regard.

For Mrs. Wang’s birthday, not only would the County Magistrate’s wife be in attendance, but the families of the other local gentry and respected elders would certainly go to offer their congratulations as well.

And since the Wang Family had two grandsons of marriageable age this year, all the womenfolk in the county were abuzz with excitement.

They rushed to buy fine clothes and jewelry for their daughters and nieces, hoping to catch the family’s eye and secure a desirable match.

Mrs. Ying looked at Chen Wanqing with a hint of regret. "If you weren’t already engaged, their family would be an excellent prospect."

A few days ago, Xu Su Ying had come to the county seat to purchase items for the engagement banquet and had run into Mrs. Ying. The two were close, so there was no reason to hide Chen Wanqing’s engagement from her.

However, Xu Su Ying had been discreet enough not to mention that her daughter was the other girl involved in the marriage swap affair. Whether Mrs. Ying had guessed the truth was not Chen Wanqing’s concern.

"Please don’t tease me, Mrs. Ying. I’m afraid a scholarly family like that wouldn’t approve of a daughter-in-law like me."

"Why wouldn’t they approve? There’s nothing shameful about your family’s standing. Your father is a constable at the county government, your mother has her own craft, your two younger brothers are diligent students, and you’re as beautiful as a fairy from the celestial palace. If you ask me, you’d be a perfect fit for them."

"Mrs. Ying, you’ve already had the sweets from my engagement celebration."

"That’s right. And those sweets were delicious—sweet but not too rich, with bits of peanut, sesame, and pine nuts. And she even mixed in a good amount of milk... Tsk, tsk. Your mother is really one of a kind. She’s not just creative, she goes the extra mile. By the way, Wanqing, I’ve got a big business opportunity coming my way. Don’t forget to tell your mother to come into the county seat for the next few days. My hands are clumsy—I can only make clothes. I’m nowhere near as talented as your mother when it comes to makeup and hair. My dresses only sell well when she’s here to help. Same arrangement as always: I’ll give your mother a twenty-percent commission. On top of that, if any of the young ladies want your mother to do their hair and makeup on the day of the banquet, all the silver she earns is hers to keep."

"Alright, I’ll tell her as soon as I get home. Mrs. Ying, you should get back to it. If you delay any longer, you won’t get any business done today." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"I’m going, I’m going... Oh, I forgot! One last thing, Wanqing. Don’t give away any more of those incense pills you have. Keep them all for me. And if you have a spare moment, it would be even better if you could make me a few more. I have a feeling these things are going to sell like hotcakes."

With that said, Mrs. Ying walked off with a wide smile, her eyes crinkling as she mentally tallied up her potential profits.

After Mrs. Ying left, Chen Wanqing made a careful mental note of everything, planning to tell her mother as soon as she returned.

Come to think of it, helping others with their hair and makeup was her mother’s real money-making talent.

Her mother had stumbled into this line of work by a twist of fate.

Her mother loved beautiful things, but she was all thumbs with a needle and thread. If she wanted new clothes, she had to buy them ready-made. Over time, she became a regular customer and grew familiar with Mrs. Ying.

Later, when her mother revealed her unparalleled talent for style and coordination, Mrs. Ying was impressed. After a bit of discussion, the two of them hit it off and decided to work together.

After that, whenever there was a major event, Mrs. Ying would invite her mother to the shop. Mrs. Ying would sell the clothes, and her mother would help customers with makeup and styling.

They gradually built a reputation, and Mrs. Ying even began to book private styling appointments for her mother. Her mother wasn’t shy about her prices, either; she charged a handsome sum every time. But the young ladies, whether they were preparing for a matchmaking interview, their wedding day, or just wanted to outshine a rival, couldn’t resist paying. It just went to show how incredible her mother’s skills were. The young ladies always got the results they wanted, so her mother’s fame grew, and she earned a tidy sum of silver.

Chen Wanqing thought to herself, ’A single job earns Mom more than Dad’s entire monthly salary.’

’If being a constable wasn’t such a respectable job that conferred high social status, Mom would probably have Dad stay home to manage the household chores so she could live like the Empress Dowager and enjoy a peaceful, leisurely life.’

"Qing’er, what are you thinking about? I’ve called your name twice and you didn’t even hear me."

Chen Wanqing snapped out of her thoughts and saw a lively, cheerful young girl standing before her.

The girl was dressed in a peach-pink jacket and skirt, her hair styled in two buns and adorned with dangling pearl tassels that made her fair, delicate face seem all the more charming and spirited. Who else could it be but Yuzhu, her second uncle’s daughter?

Her second uncle, Chen Bai, had married into the Qian Family, who sold rice and grain in the county seat. He had a daughter and a son. Then, on the very day of Chen Wanqing’s engagement, her aunt had given birth to another little boy and was now in her month of postpartum confinement.