Transmigrated Genius: Fragile Heiress Reigns Supreme-Chapter 508 - 512: Family (1)

Xiqiu did not invite Teng Qiuniang to the Warm Pavilion, but only served tea in the main hall.

Teng Qiuniang sat on half a chair below Xiqiu, leaning slightly. Today, she wore a bamboo-green overcoat with silver brocade on the edges, and a maroon Lan Border Skirt underneath. On her head were a pair of gold begonia pearl hairpins, a jade and gold-inlaid hair clasp on the right, an old pit dark green jade bracelet on her left hand, and a pair of gold bracelets on her right hand...

Her face was adorned with cosmetics, her eyebrows drawn, and her eye makeup was exquisite, giving her the delicate appearance reminiscent of the days before she became a concubine.

However, there were faint blood streaks in her eyes, suggesting she hadn’t slept well the previous night.

Xiqiu held up her tea and smiled at Teng Qiuniang. Teng Qiuniang took a look around the furnishings in the main hall and said with a smile, "...I wonder if my sudden visit disturbed you, Fourth Madam!"

"How could it?" Xiqiu also spoke in a light tone: "Is this the first time Madam Teng has come to visit?"

Teng Qiuniang nodded earnestly upon hearing the words, and after pondering, said, "It’s been some time since Madam entered the household. When I think carefully, it truly is the first time I’ve come to the Madam’s courtyard." She paused and continued, "I usually have free time and often want to pay respects to the Madam, but I feared interrupting your busy affairs and ended up staying in my room instead."

Xiqiu’s face was full of smiles, shaking her head: "Madam Teng is too polite. You are a guest as soon as you come; there’s no trouble at all."

"Madam speaks rightly." Teng Qiuniang said with a smile: "Since we were acquainted in the boudoir, years have passed, and fate has brought us together again." After speaking, a faint melancholy appeared on her face: "I still remember when the Second Madam was here, we lived together, chatting and drinking tea, and you even taught me embroidery."

Xiqiu replied with a smile: "I can’t quite recall past events."

"Madam may not recall," Teng Qiuniang chuckled, "But I dare not forget. Such beautiful times are gone, and in a blink, many years seem to have passed, and my mindset isn’t as it used to be, as if I’ve suddenly aged several years." She sighed deeply: "I often think that sometimes aging isn’t a bad thing, at least it tempers one’s spirit. In youth, everything seemed worth disputing, but looking back, it all seems so trivial."

Is she just here to reminisce? Xiqiu listened silently.

"I apologize for my indiscretion." Teng Qiuniang suddenly seemed to realize, showing a face full of apologies: "I ended up talking about these dull old matters with you."

Xiqiu faintly smiled and shook her head, saying, "No problem, there are not so many formalities here." She did not echo her words.

Disappointment flashed in Teng Qiuniang’s eyes.

The hand in her sleeve tightly twisted a handkerchief, then suddenly released it. She said with a smile: "It’s more comfortable here with Madam." After a pause, she continued: "The arrangements here remind me of my parent’s home, all made of redwood. I feel especially comfortable here with Madam."

Xiqiu nodded with a smile: "Then come over more often when you have no matters to attend to."

Teng Qiuniang laughed in response: "Certainly, certainly!" After speaking, she continued, "Now I can’t return home often, my elder brother’s family has moved to the capital, and perhaps there will be even fewer chances to visit." Then she looked at Xiqiu: "You are fortunate, Madam, with your family nearby; it takes just half an hour by carriage to visit." Without waiting for Xiqiu to speak, she continued: "Nevertheless, there are advantages to distance. Being far away means family matters can’t trouble you, giving you peace. When close, any matter requires your attention and support."

After speaking, her expression turned somewhat melancholy, looking at Xiqiu: "You must be laughing at me, Madam; when it comes to family matters, there’s no way to completely detach oneself. Of course, one has to support them. I think so too, but sometimes the desire to help exceeds my capabilities, frustrating me because of my lack of influence, wishing for more strength and versatility."

"Madam Teng is too humble." Xiqiu said, then turned to let Chunliu come in to refill the water. Teng Qiuniang knitted her brow and continued from before: "I wish I could be modest, but unfortunately, it’s all true. Unlike you, Madam, with Fourth Master looking out for you from the outside and the Grand Dowager cherishing you inside, being the main wife of the Great Governor, a mere request can resolve matters. You surely don’t have the worries I do."

Xiqiu took a sip of tea. She had spoken so much, and only now did she gradually get to the main point. It seemed the Teng family’s affairs were indeed troublesome, and she and the Fifth Madam were anxious, seeking help from the household—but since the Fifth Madam couldn’t enter, only Teng Qiuniang could come.

What puzzled her was why Teng Qiuniang sought her help instead of the Second Madam?

"Everyone has worries; it depends on how they view them," Xiqiu passed her the words: "You don’t look well. Has something happened?"

It would have been fine not to mention it, but as soon as Xiqiu did, tears welled in Teng Qiuniang’s eyes, and she spoke softly: "I’m not afraid to be laughed at by you, Madam; it’s about family. My eldest brother was once in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and business was indeed prospering. But this year, as you may have heard, the Ministry of Internal Affairs had merchants approved directly by the Emperor, and we’ve been disadvantaged by some underhanded trickery, thus failing to be selected. My brother is now in a panic."

"Disqualified?" Xiqiu seemed very surprised: "If you were originally an Imperial Merchant, you would logically have an advantage over other businesses during re-evaluation. How could you be rejected without reason? Is there some misunderstanding here?"

Teng Qiuniang was taken aback, not expecting Xiqiu to know this only now. She explained: "You see, Madam, the goods for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, although said to have high-quality standards, are not always so. Some items are for outdoor use or in servant quarters; as long as the appearance is passable, it’s sufficient. After all, servants with rough hands often break a few. During this tender, the Emperor asked for different quality porcelain bowls for examination. Who knew our submitted items were secretly reordered..."

Xiqiu understood what she meant, fearing that it wasn’t just the items that were scrambled, but the prices must have been tampered with as well.

If the quality is graded, naturally, the price also varies. The palace has different evaluation standards for different grades of items, and the prices correspondingly vary.

Teng Qiuniang implied that someone intentionally scrambled the sequence of the items sent by the Teng family, sending lower-quality ones for testing while claiming high prices, making it seem like an attempt to cheat with inferior goods. Conversely, sending higher-quality ones as inferior for a price adjustment makes their quote less competitive.

The main competitive factor in bidding is price, with quality secondary.

Once the order is disrupted, the Teng family’s advantage is lost.