Chapter 28 She Doesn’t Understand Calligraphy and Painting

Words : 1455 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 28: Chapter 28 She Doesn’t Understand Calligraphy and PaintingLu Ying’s token was quite effective. Not only was she able to withdraw a considerable sum of money from the Money Shop, but she also successfully purchased all the cherries from fruit shops both inside and outside the Capital. Basket after basket of cherries streamed into Shen Yinning’s small courtyard, gradually piling up into a mountain. Shen Yinning couldn’t possibly eat so many herself, so Haitang distributed some to the servants in the residence. Yet even after that, there were still over a hundred baskets left. Wei Yu was puzzled and asked, "Madam, why buy so many cherries? In such scorching weather, they’ll spoil if left uneaten—what a waste!" Shen Yinning was lounging on the Imperial Concubine Couch, holding a large bowl of crimson cherry pudding. She lowered her head, stirring it gently with a silver spoon. Somehow, she could never quite taste the flavor she’d once enjoyed at Mantang Chun with her mother. She said indifferently, "I just like them." A Beauty’s capriciousness and willfulness often seem more charming than others. Wei Yu thought this and smiled, "They say a smile from a Beauty is priceless. Since you like them, wasting a little doesn’t matter—it’s all the Crown Prince’s money anyway." Setting the bowl of cherry pudding aside on a small table, Shen Yinning leaned on one hand lazily and said, "When night falls, take all the cherries outside the city and throw them onto the mountains to feed the birds." Wei Yu agreed with a quick "Yes, Madam." But as fate would have it, she ran into Yin Shanshan at the back courtyard gate while disposing of the cherries. Yin Shanshan, who had been grounded previously, had somehow been released again. According to an informed maid, it was because Yin Shanshan came up with a new money-making idea that Gao Zheng greatly appreciated, so her punishment was revoked. "Where did all these cherries come from?" Yin Shanshan asked curiously, sizing up the baskets. "Where are they being sent?" Wei Yu replied, "Madam couldn’t finish them, so she asked they be thrown away." "Thrown away?!" Yin Shanshan’s eyes widened in disbelief. "So many cherries! What a waste—is Shen Yinning mad?! If she can’t eat them all, she could at least come up with other uses. I knew it! A backward, old-fashioned, feudal inner-courtyard woman like her wouldn’t understand what it means to reuse resources efficiently!" She paused, then suggested, "How about giving all these cherries to my courtyard instead?" Wei Yu reminded her, "But you wouldn’t be able to finish them either." Yin Shanshan, brimming with smugness, countered, "Does that concern you? I have my own plans!" She had discussed with Gao Zheng the previous night: since opening a brothel or gambling den was out of the question, why not open a cold drinks shop in the Capital, especially since summer was at its peak? She wasn’t entirely clueless after all; at least she had gleaned some knowledge from transmigration novels, such as the method for using saltpeter to make ice. Generally, medical halls sell saltpeter. Once dissolved in water, it makes the water very cool. If containers such as bowls are placed in the water and filled with clean water, the water inside will slowly freeze. Truth be told, her grasp of chemistry was poor, and she didn’t understand the science behind it. Fortunately, this method was simple enough for her to remember. With her ice-making skills, she was confident she could rake in profits! And the cherries could be juiced and chilled—they’d certainly sell for a high price! Most crucially, these hundreds of baskets of fresh cherries didn’t cost her a single copper coin—a huge reduction in cost! It was practically a gift from nature! Grinning brightly, and brimming with confidence, she ordered, "Send all these cherries to my courtyard right away. I’ll move them to my shop once Gao Zheng and I secure the premises in the city tomorrow." Wei Yu wasn’t particularly bothered. Since they were to be discarded anyway, letting Lady Yin claim them was all the same. Returning to Shen Yinning to report, she mentioned Yin Shanshan wanted to take the cherries. Shen Yinning asked curiously, "Securing a shop? Is she planning on opening a business?" "This servant isn’t sure, but judging from Lady Yin’s zealous demeanor, she seems intent on accomplishing something grand." Shen Yinning shook her white gauze fan dismissively, thinking it wasn’t that she underestimated Yin Shanshan, but rather that Yin Shanshan didn’t strike her as someone capable of doing anything grand. Just avoiding trouble would be an accomplishment. Not bothering herself further with Yin Shanshan’s schemes, she put down the fan and idly peeled a lychee. Sёarch* The Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The lychee flesh gleamed translucent, pure snow-white, exuding an alluring sweetness. As she placed it into her mouth, she contemplated Shen Yunxi’s cherry feast. Having bought out all the cherries in the city, Shen Yunxi’s cherry feast was likely doomed. The breeze of a summer evening drifted through the window, carrying the chirps of crickets and frogs. Shen Yinning’s mood suddenly lifted. ... Shen Yunxi had planned the cherry feast as a chance to reclaim her reputation, so she attached great importance to the event. She had even sent out invitations to nobles and elites two days in advance. The day before the feast, Lianxin rushed in nervously with urgent news: "Your Highness, the cherries from the Imperial Kitchen are all used up, and the royal merchants haven’t delivered a new batch yet. What are we to do?!" "You come to me about every little issue like it’s a calamity?" Shen Yunxi, engrossed in a novel, looked up with visible irritation. Though all the scandalous romance novels concerning her had been destroyed in the city, she had secretly kept a few as mementos. She felt the scholars who wrote these stories portrayed her wonderfully—the tales of intimate bedchamber escapades were sizzling and empowering. Flipping a page, without raising her head, she instructed, "If the Imperial Kitchen is out, then simply buy more cherries from fruit shops outside the palace. It’s cherry season right now—just throw some silver at it and the problem’s solved! Honestly, how stupid can you be?" Lianxin explained further, "The fruit shops outside the palace don’t have stock either; they claim someone already bought up all the cherries, including those from farmers in the outskirts." This made Shen Yunxi pause and note something amiss: "Bought up? Who bought them all?" "The servants said it seemed the Crown Prince urgently needed cherries, so he sent a maid with his token to secure every available batch inside and outside the city." Shen Yunxi chuckled—"I was wondering who it might be; turns out it’s the Crown Prince. Lianxin, are you foolish? If the Crown Prince went to such lengths to procure cherries, it’s obviously for my cherry feast. By tomorrow morning, the Crown Prince will surely present me with the freshest, sweetest cherries, ensuring those noble ladies indulge and see my magnificence. Now leave, there’s nothing to worry about." Lianxin was still apprehensive. Yet seeing Shen Yunxi’s unwavering confidence, she didn’t dare press further and quietly left. The next day, half of the Capital’s most prominent aristocratic ladies and socialites gathered at the Eastern Palace. Shen Yunxi welcomed them warmly, showcasing her talents at writing, tea-making, and hosting discussions on antique calligraphy and paintings—all desperate attempts to wipe away the disgrace brought by the novels, and to project an image of refinement and intelligence. But she was clueless about art. As a child, Shen Family’s elders had invited a Great Scholar to teach her, but her mother, Mrs. Qin, had said, "A woman’s virtue lies in her lack of talent." While Shen Yinning studied diligently, Shen Yunxi merely hid behind the classroom and practiced her makeup, leaving even the Thousand Character Classic unfamiliar to her. Now, pointing at the wall scroll displaying the words "Guan Guan Ju Jiu, Zai He Zhi Zhou, Yao Tiao Shu Nü, Jun Zi Hao Qiu," she praised: "What beautiful characters—’Guan Guan Qie Zhu Jiu Niao, Zai He Zhi Zhou,’ it’s about nine birds living on a riverbank named Guan Guan. It symbolizes elegant women like me attracting noble suitors like the Crown Prince." The expressions among the guests turned subtly awkward. While Shen Yinning might’ve been aggressive and arrogant in the past, at least she knew how to read. But Shen Yunxi, this Crown Princess Consort... Duchess Qin’s face burned with embarrassment as she quickly changed the topic: "Your Highness mentioned a cherry feast—is it not time for lunch? It’s already noon!"

Chapter 28 She Doesn’t Understand Calligraphy and Painting

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