“Husband, you—”
Huo Ci was about to expose Yun Chunfeng’s hypocritical mask to Jiang Xingyan when a sudden, lightning-bolt thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately bit back his words.
Years of experience in military strategy gave him an instinctual sense that there was a trick here.
He refused to believe that the esteemed State Preceptor lacked the means to thoroughly investigate A’yan’s background.
This man was feigning ignorance, casually bringing up childhood matters to win A’yan’s extreme trust and reliance.
The problem was, he himself and A’yan had already reached the point of complete breakdown.
Yun Chunfeng repeatedly playing the weakling was precisely to provoke him, to make him lose his rationality and act out foolishly in front of A’yan.
A’yan would inevitably grow utterly disgusted with him, severing any chance he had to turn over a new leaf.
Huo Ci suddenly saw the light and calmed down.
The more critical the moment, the more important it was not to lose his composure.
If he let Yun Chunfeng lead him by the nose, he would never have a day of redemption in front of A’yan.
Could it be that A’yan likes men who are delicate and incapable of looking after themselves?
Well, I can be that too!
Don’t forget, I am A’yan’s rightful and proper husband!
Whatever childhood playmate or bamboo horse—stay away from her!
Jiang Xingyan paused her steps and turned her head impatiently. “What is it now?”
Huo Ci promptly looped his arm through Jiang Xingyan’s, leaning against her delicately like a little bird, and said in a sweet voice, “Husband, you’re walking too fast. Your wife can’t keep up.”
Jiang Xingyan, looking at her own body acting like this, felt as if ten thousand ants were crawling all over her skin.
But that was, after all, her own body. She couldn’t just push it away harshly, so she had no choice but to let him cling to her arm as they walked together into Ruyi Grocery.
Inside the carriage, Yun Chunfeng gave a helpless, bitter smile, pinched the little girl’s small hair bun, and sighed. “I’ve been discovered, it seems. I was too impatient.”
Xiao Ya, who had been obediently eating her pastry, looked up at the white-haired uncle with childish confusion. She didn’t understand what the adults were doing, as long as they didn’t bully her mother. She needed to eat more and grow up quickly so she could protect her Mama.
…..
The manager of Ruyi Grocery was a portly man in his early forties. When he smiled, his eyes narrowed into slits, giving him a harmless, approachable air that made people feel close to him.
Like the managers of the other shops, he was a loyal servant carefully selected by Old Master Jiang.
Years earlier, Old Master Jiang had brought them to meet Jiang Xingyan.
Thus, the moment the two stepped into the shop, he recognized them and hurried forward to kneel on the ground.
“Young Mistress!”
Jiang Xingyan marveled at her grandfather’s keen eye for talent; every manager he chose was fiercely loyal and righteous.
She hadn’t visited once in all these years, yet he still remembered her and performed such a formal greeting.
That “Young Mistress” was spoken with genuine excitement.
The only person he had misjudged was Huo Ci.
“Manager Qian, there’s no need for such formalities. Please, rise quickly,” Jiang Xingyan said.
Manager Qian acted as if he hadn’t heard, remaining on one knee on the ground, his right hand over his heart.
This was a gesture of allegiance to one’s master.
It was only then that she realized and quickly elbowed Huo Ci, who was standing dumbly beside her.
Huo Ci snapped out of his daze and repeated Jiang Xingyan’s words.
Only then did Manager Qian rise to his feet, his eyes rimmed red.
In the years since the Young Mistress had married into General Huo’s household, it had always been the maid, Dongyang, who came to withdraw silver from the accounts, always accompanied by several burly servants.
He had long been suspicious. Several times he had tried to sound Dongyang out, but he was always interrupted by those servants.
Seeing the helpless look on Dongyang’s face had made him even more apprehensive.
He had been terribly afraid that Old Master Jiang’s lifelong efforts would fail to protect the Young Mistress and instead benefit outsiders.
Now, seeing the Young Mistress standing alive and well before him, his heart settled considerably.
Though, the Young Mistress looked much thinner than she had at her wedding.
He supposed that in the two years General Huo was away from home, she must have been worn down by her mother-in-law, and life in that household couldn’t have been easy.
Those prominent families had endless cumbersome rules and formalities.
Their Young Mistress was born unrestrained by nature perhaps her mother-in-law had found her unacceptable.
Thinking of this, Manager Qian bowed again to “Huo Ci,” palms overlapping and forehead pressed to them, speaking with neither arrogance nor deference, “Now that you have returned home, General Huo, you must take good care of our Young Mistress. Please do not let her suffer any grievances.”
Tears welled up in Jiang Xingyan’s eyes instantly. She quickly turned away to compose herself.
How worried must her grandfather have been about her? Even the managers he chose had their concern for her etched into their very bones.
She personally helped Manager Qian to his feet, her tone sincere, “Manager Qian, set your mind at ease. No one will ever be able to bully her again.”
The wording was strange. Manager Qian glanced back at “Jiang Xingyan” and saw “her” hanging her head, clinging tightly to “Huo Ci’s” arm. They looked very intimate, which reassured him somewhat.
As long as General Huo had the Young Mistress in his heart, that was good.
His greatest fear had been that the whole family would gang up to bully her.
Huo Ci understood the deeper meaning in Jiang Xingyan’s words.
She wanted a divorce from him—wasn’t that precisely how “no one would ever be able to bully her again”?
Huo Ci’s heart was filled with a bitterness he couldn’t express.
Something even a shop manager could see, he had failed to notice.
How could this not make A’yan resent him even more?
He was as stupid as a pig!
Manager Qian led the two into an inner room. Jiang Xingyan explained the plan to purchase grain.
Even though half the income would be used to supply the imperial court, Manager Qian’s eyes lit up.
Although their shop was sizable, they were, in the end, merchants at the very bottom of the social hierarchy.
If the country faced turmoil, they would be the first to suffer.
Couldn’t their entire family assets be confiscated at a moment’s notice?
If they could gain the Emperor’s favor and secure a connection to military supplies, they could weather any storm in the future.
It might not even be difficult to expand their shops throughout the entire Western Zhou dynasty.
Seeing the light in Manager Qian’s eyes, Jiang Xingyan knew he understood her well-intentioned plan.
She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly; it was so much easier dealing with your own people.
Manager Qian stroked his beard silently, observing Jiang Xingyan and Huo Ci.
Why was his Young Mistress hanging her head, looking ashamed?
Was she unwilling to hand over Old Master Jiang’s assets?
But given the Young Mistress’s innate talent for business, she shouldn’t fail to see the advantages and disadvantages here.
Manager Qian dealt with people coming and going every day; he had met countless individuals. Reading expressions and nuances was a most basic skill.
Since he had doubts, he paid close attention, not letting even the slightest detail escape him.
He noticed a layer of detachment, a sense of distance, between the Young Mistress and himself.
In contrast, General Huo seemed strangely familiar and warm in his speech.
He narrowed his eyes. Something seemed off.
“Manager Qian, do you still have some concerns?” Jiang Xingyan asked casually, seeing him sip his tea but remain silent.
Although it was a deal with a hundred benefits and no harm, merchants were most wary of showing their delight. They always had to adopt the posture of suffering a great loss to avoid arousing suspicion.
If the Young Mistress had come alone, he certainly wouldn’t have put on airs.
But with General Huo also present, he couldn’t help but be more cautious.
Watching Manager Qian furrow his brows and speak in a troubled tone, “Tsk, half the grain for military supplies—General Huo, it’s not that this humble servant makes excuses or is unwilling to serve the court. In theory, since you and the Young Mistress have come together, I should simply and promptly sign and seal the agreement. However, our Ruyi Grocery still supports a great number of people. Scaling back needs time, doesn’t it?”
Hearing this, far from being angered, Jiang Xingyan looked at Manager Qian with great appreciation.
Truly worthy of someone her grandfather had chosen—completely impeccable.
She resolved that once she had visited and gathered all the shops under her control, if all the managers were as loyal as Manager Qian, she would send Dongyang to inform them of the truth, to facilitate future arrangements.
Just as she was about to speak, a faint, subtle sound came from near the door.
Others might not have heard it, but Huo Ci’s body was capable of observing all directions and hearing everything. It instantly pinpointed the location of the person.
Jiang Xingyan, without batting an eye, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then threw it forcefully in that direction.
With a loud thud, someone cried out in pain, “Aiyo!” and fell to the ground.
Manager Qian was stunned, frozen in place. Even Huo Ci hadn’t reacted in time.
Jiang Xingyan had already shot forward, demanding sharply, “Who’s there!”