Chapter 165: Vigilance
Li Xiaonan sat inside the entrance of Yueyang Cloth Shop, propping her chin on her hand and watching Yu Family Cloth Shop across the street.
Inside Yu Family Cloth Shop, Sister-in-law Yin would occasionally clap her hands, talking and laughing with Yu Family First Madam.
Yu Family First Madam maintained a dignified expression, mostly smiling without speaking.
Sister-in-law Yin, while speaking, turned and waved towards Yueyang Cloth Shop. Li Xiaonan watched the waving Sister-in-law Yin with curiosity. Sister-in-law Yin waved a few more times, then turned back to continue talking and laughing with Yu Family First Madam. Yu Family First Madam glanced sideways at Li Xiaonan, and Sister-in-law Yin turned back again, waving once more before turning back. Yu Family First Madam’s expression then soured.
Li Xiaonan propped her chin on her hand, smiling as she watched. Sister-in-law Yin’s waves were not at all sincere; she didn’t know what she meant by them.
After saying a few more words, Sister-in-law Yin left Yu Family Cloth Shop and returned.
“You were waving like that, were you calling someone over?” Li Xiaonan asked with a smile.
Sister-in-law Yin pulled Li Xiaonan up and dragged her into the shop. Leaning against the corner of the counter, she chuckled, “Who else but you? I was calling you over.
“On the day she got married, we left right after the banquet, didn’t we? I told that young lady it wasn’t that I wanted to leave, but that you insisted on leaving.”
Li Xiaonan raised her eyebrows.
On that day, it was clearly Sister-in-law Yin who found that family’s pretentious behavior disgusting and said she couldn’t stand it anymore, pulling her away.
“I told her, your family originally didn’t plan to go at all. It was only after I pleaded and persuaded that your Eldest Sister reluctantly agreed to let you go to make an appearance. Because of this, you even threw a tantrum at your Eldest Sister,” Sister-in-law Yin said with a smile.
“Are you implying that our family looks down on your Wu Family?” Li Xiaonan interjected.
“Clever girl!” Sister-in-law Yin tapped Li Xiaonan’s forehead and whispered in her ear, “I told her: it’s not that your sisters look down on your Wu Family. You country folk love to watch plays, and in those plays, matchmakers are always bad. So you think all matchmakers are bad.
“When you first moved here, you thought your Wu Family and Matchmaker Miao were related. I told her, this can’t be blamed on your family. The neighbors all say your Wu Family and Matchmaker Miao must be sisters, or at least cousins, extremely close.
“She said your Eldest Sister was very polite to her mother, so I laughed and said, why don’t I call Fourth Sister and see if she’s willing to come over.”
Sister-in-law Yin started laughing as she spoke.
“Alas!” Li Xiaonan held up a finger. “First, gossip should only be heard as gossip. Second, even people with good character will twist things and talk nonsense.”
Sister-in-law Yin glanced sideways at Li Xiaonan, then after a moment, she laughed, “Clever girl! Sister-in-law tells you, you can’t believe everything anyone says, not even your own parents! You have to listen and think for yourself.”
Across the street at Yu Family Cloth Shop, Da Lang Yu saw Sister-in-law Yin leave and came out from inside. He looked at Sister-in-law Yin’s retreating back and asked, “What did she come for?”
“She said your Yueyang Cloth Shop deals with scholarly matters, while our Yu Family Cloth Shop focuses on business,” Yu Family First Madam said in a sweet voice.
“They’re both cloth shops, both businesses!” Da Lang Yu’s expression soured, and he snorted.
The Li Family’s disdain had always been a thorn in his heart, causing him discomfort whenever he thought of it.
“That’s what I said. Alas, but saying it is one thing, and being assertive is another. Who can we blame when our Yu Family has no scholars?” Yu Family First Madam glanced sideways at the opposite shop.
“Let our son study hard in the future,” Da Lang Yu added. “You watch the shop, and I’ll go to the guild.”
He wanted to earn a lot of money, hire the best teacher for his son in the future, and his son would surely be able to pass the Xiucai exam by the age of ten. Life stretched out long before them!
………………………………
Linhai Town, Silk General Store.
President Zhu, with dark circles under his eyes, listened to Steward Han’s report, his expression growing increasingly grim as he listened.
“…Those men from Jiangbei are getting more and more brazen. More and more of our silk is being handled by them. If this continues… alas, President, you must think of a solution,” Steward Han said with a worried frown.
Foreman Zou of Cheng Zi Gang had died, and Second Foreman Wei was still in the hands of that Young Lord. From the Third Leader to the Seventh Leader of Cheng Zi Gang, they were fighting amongst themselves to become the Boss, throwing everything into chaos.
“Have those people from Cheng Zi Gang settled their fight yet?” President Zhu asked, knitting his brows.
“Not yet. Foreman Zou was cunning and was determined to have his son take over. The people he used were either simple-minded, unable to command respect, or both simple-minded and unable to command respect,” Steward Han said with a wry smile.
Foreman Zou’s eldest son was only nine years old this year. Foreman Zou had died too early and too suddenly.
“What about Foreman Zou’s wife?” President Zhu asked after a moment of silence.
“There’s been no movement,” Steward Han said, momentarily stunned, then added, “Of Foreman Zou’s nine concubines, only Qing Jin is held by Master Huang. The others are said to have been sent away. One married a bodyguard from a security escort agency in town, and was given a generous dowry.”
“Go and find out how the others were dealt with, and also, find out if anyone has gone to see Qing Jin,” President Zhu ordered after a moment of silence.
“You mean, President?” Steward Han asked in surprise.
“Cheng Zi Gang needs to be quickly consolidated. Perhaps she can do it,” President Zhu said in a low voice.
“A mere woman… Alright, I’ll go and find out right away.” Steward Han swallowed his words before he could finish, stood up, and walked out.
President Zhu watched Steward Han leave, knitted his brows, and thought for a while. Just as he was about to stand up, a middle-aged attendant rushed in from outside.
President Zhu stood up with a whoosh.
This attendant had only one task recently: to find Old Wan.
“Any news?” Before the attendant could steady himself, President Zhu asked directly.
The attendant nodded repeatedly. “Yes, a floating corpse was found near Old River Pass. It was badly decomposed. On its hand was a black iron ring, which was Master Wan’s. Judging by the height and build, it matches Master Wan.”
“Is that all?” President Zhu’s face turned ashen.
“His reproductive organs were cut off, and a dagger was stabbed into his chest. It was Master Wan’s dagger,” the attendant said, lowering his head.
Going to Flower Street every few days was Master Wan’s only hobby.
“Withdraw the men,” President Zhu paused. “It might not be Old Wan. Withdraw the men, but still keep an eye out.”
“Yes,” the attendant replied, lowering his hands.
After the attendant withdrew, President Zhu sat there blankly, feeling a chill creep up his back.
Old Wan only liked women from Flower Street; he didn’t provoke or like respectable women. He wasn’t picky about the women from Flower Street, nor was he particularly attached to any one of them. He always paid generously for his visits and never lost his temper or caused trouble.
If someone had cut off his reproductive organs and then killed him, it certainly wouldn’t have been because of a woman or an argument.
This floating corpse might not be Old Wan. A corpse that was so decomposed and then floated to the surface was likely meant to confuse the issue.
But whether it was Old Wan or not, it was an ominous sign.
“Please invite Mr. Ding here,” President Zhu said, standing at the doorway and calling out to a servant.
Mr. Ding, the chief accountant of the Silk Guild, arrived quickly.
President Zhu gestured for Mr. Ding to sit down, picked up the pot, poured a cup of tea, and pushed it towards Mr. Ding.
“Old Ding, have you heard about recent events?” President Zhu sat down next to Mr. Ding.
“The matter with the porters? I’ve heard. This is no small matter,” Mr. Ding said in a low voice.
“Old Wan took on a task and didn’t return,” President Zhu said in a very low voice.
Mr. Ding was startled. “Old Wan is such a cautious person! Did he fall into someone’s hands? Whose? Who?”
“We don’t know yet. Perhaps he’s dead.”
“If he’s dead, that’s better,” Mr. Ding said in a low voice, looking at President Zhu. “I’m afraid…”
“Yes, we need to make some preparations,” President Zhu leaned towards Mr. Ding. “Regarding the internal accounts, the fewer people the better. Keep a few, and send the rest away. They should leave immediately in the next couple of days and go to Nanyang separately to audit accounts.”
“Alright. There’s one person. If we let him manage the internal accounts, with him and me, that’s enough for the internal accounts,” Mr. Ding said, his head close to President Zhu’s.
“Who? Can he be trusted?”
“He’s a newcomer, only been here for half a year. This person claims his surname is Qian and his name is Qian Weixi. His real name is Niu Cheqian. He’s from Changxing County, Huzhou, and is a Xiucai scholar. Ten years ago, he failed the Autumn Imperial Examination and suspected fraud. He caused a disturbance at the Imperial Examination Hall with a group of people and was apprehended by the government, fleeing that very night.
“Before coming here, he said he had been working as an accountant in several large gambling houses in Yangzhou. Later, he missed his mother and wife and children terribly, so he secretly went back, sent some silver to his home, and after returning from Changxing, he didn’t dare go back to Yangzhou, so he came to our Linhai Town.
“This person has an extraordinary talent for arithmetic. No matter how many numbers, he can recite them instantly and never makes a mistake.”
“What about his temperament?” President Zhu asked in a low voice.
“He’s very timid and has a weak personality,” Mr. Ding said with a chuckle. “Someone living under a false name like this, when not needed, is very convenient to dispose of.”
“Hmm, I’ll have someone inquire in Yangzhou and Changxing. In a couple of days, you can transfer him over to use. To the outside, say he resigned and left. I’ll pick two people to assist him and keep a close eye on him. You watch him too,” President Zhu said coldly.
After this matter is settled, find him a good burial plot. That would be treating him right.
