Wife Doting Addiction：My Abducted Tsundere Husband

Chapter 117: The Commercial House’s Grand Opening

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After a moment, the nanny came looking for Su Jiu.

The nanny greeted and said, “The two mistresses from your extended family have come to visit you, Miss!”

It had been a long time since Su Jiu had come to Chengjing. Even during the period when she had first come to Chengjing alone without company, none of her extended relatives had come to visit her. There was no other explanation to it; they must have seen for themselves that Su Jiu had secured her position as the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor. They were enticed to curry favor from her.

Su Jiu had no choice but to receive them. In any case, she was curious about what their motives were visiting her on this day.

Ji Yuxian walked over, and carefully draped a light blue robe embroidered with flowers around her. With a smile, he said, “Go on. If they annoy you, just give your greetings and get one of the servants to see them out.”

“Don’t worry, Young Master,” the nanny reassured. “These two ladies haven’t met the Young Mistress before. With me by her side, nothing will go wrong!”

Su Jiu put on her outer coat and walked out of the study towards the reception pavilion with her nanny.

From afar, she could hear the laughter and chattering that were taking place between the two women. Their voices were shrill, their tones conveying envy. Hearing them immediately made her ill at ease.

One of the women spoke to another unidentified guest, “Look at how well your cousin Yuejiu has been since she got married! Now compare her to yourself! You’re older than Yuejiu by a year, but you’re nowhere close to settling down!”

Another woman spoke up, “Sister-in-law, why are you criticizing Ling’er this way? Not many women can be as lucky as Yuejiu. Considering how pretty Ling’er looks, I’m sure she’ll be able to marry someone wealthy too!”

“Exactly! How on earth did she manage to get so lucky?” That last statement was made in a hushed tone, betraying an imperceptible tinge of envy.

The two women appeared to hear footsteps behind them, paused their conversation, and stood up.

The nanny pushed the door of the reception pavilion open, and Su Jiu saw that there were three women seated inside—two middle-aged women; one skinny and one fat respectively; and another young lady.

Upon seeing Su Jiu enter, the fat woman beamed immediately. “You must be Miss Yuejiu. You look so pretty! One look and I can tell that you’re destined for a fortune!”

The skinny woman hastened to agree with her. “Exactly! We were just talking about how fortunate our dear Yuejiu is to be able to marry into the Ji family!”

Su Jiu stared emotionlessly at the both of them.

The fat woman noticed Su Jiu’s expressionless face, and quickly said, “It’s not your fault that you don’t recognize us. When your family moved to Fuyang City, you weren’t born yet! Eighteen years have passed just like that in the blink of an eye!”

The skinny woman’s face was brimming with sincerity as she said, “When we first heard that Miss Yuejiu had arrived in the city, your aunt and I wanted to come to visit you. Unfortunately, we were too busy with the family business and couldn’t find the time to. When you got married, your uncle came, and as women, it wasn’t appropriate for us to make an appearance. Please do not hold it against us, Yuejiu!”

The nanny spoke up, “Not at all. The wedding was organized in haste, and there wasn’t any time for us to visit both of you either!”

With that, the nanny introduced them to Su Jiu. She pointed at the fat lady, and said, “This is the wife of your Uncle Cheng, Aunt Cheng!”

The fat lady quickly pulled the young lady behind her over, and said with a smile, “Yuejiu, this is your cousin, Su Xiaoling.”

The young lady nodded her head at Su Jiu shyly and greeted, “Hello, Sister Yuejiu!”

“You shouldn’t call her that! You have to address her as Young Mistress!” the fat woman admonished her daughter before turning to the nanny with an ingratiating smile, asking, “Am I right, Nanny?”

The nanny grinned in response. “Anything will do. You’re all family, after all!”

The nanny then introduced the skinny woman to Su Jiu. “This is the wife of your Uncle Xing, Aunt Xing!”

The skinny woman reached out for Su Jiu’s hand and said with a chuckle, “In the past, your family lived in Fuyang, and it was too far for us to keep in touch. Now that you’re in the city, we should interact with each other more often, Yuejiu!”

Su Jiu quietly avoided the skinny woman’s hands and sat on the ornately-carved wooden chair. “Is there a reason for your visit today?” she asked the two women.

They had never visited in the past due to the assumption that Su Yuejiu had come to the Ji Manor of her own volition, and was not going to be taken seriously. They had expected her to be sent back to Fuyang within a day or two and didn’t think she was worth visiting. However, Su Yuejiu had indeed become the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor, and rumors were rife in the city that Young Master Ji and his wife were a loving couple. Hence, the two women had realized that Su Yuejiu could be useful in connecting them to the Ji Manor, and had decided to visit her.

They were nowhere to be seen when she had needed them most. Now that she was prospering, here they were trying to curry favor with her. Even if she weren’t Su Jiu, but Su Yuejiu instead, there was no way she’d have a close relationship with them.

The skinny woman pulled her hand back awkwardly with an embarrassed laugh. “What are you saying, Yuejiu? We can’t visit you simply because?”

“Yeah! We’re the closest relatives you have. It’s only natural that we’ll have to look out for each other in the city from now on!” the fat woman added. She pulled Su Ling’er out from behind her, and continued, “Yuejiu, you came to the city alone, and without any close family by your side. Your older cousin, Ling’er, is around your age. In the future, she’ll be delighted to come over often and keep you company!”

Su Jiu’s face remained nonchalant as she stood up. “I’m very busy. If there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave first!”

“Hold on! Young Mistress!” the fat woman suddenly changed her form of address and stood in front of Su Jiu to block her way. With a sycophantic smile, she said, “Please don’t leave! We’ve barely had a proper conversation yet!”

The skinny woman added, “Indeed, we do have something to request from you, Young Mistress!”

Su Jiu sat down when she heard that. ‘What is it?”

“Young Mistress, I’m sure you know that our family is in the textile business. Business has been so bad lately that we’re barely able to make a living. It’ll be great if, as the matriarch of the Ji Manor, you could put in a word for us at Robes Square and allow us to do some odd jobs there. It doesn’t have to be much, just enough for us to make ends meet!”

The skinny woman looked at Su Jiu with a subservient expression.

Robes Square had their workers for everything, ranging from weaving and embroidery to sewing. They ran a full-scale production line. After all, the ladies and their maidservants in the palace purchased all of their clothing from Robes Square. During the New Year’s festival or when the palace distributed new clothes when the Imperial Tailoring Department couldn’t handle the load, it was Robes Square that would aid them. Some of the imperial concubines favored the workmanship of Robes Square so much that they had Robes Square handle their official garbs too.

The wives and daughters of the prestigious families in the city were all regular customers of Robes Square.

In the city, it was a badge of honor for a bride to be able to get married, while wearing the bridal robes sewn by the seamstresses of Robes Square.

Robes Square’s popularity meant that there were occasions when they couldn’t cope with the demand and had to outsource the workload to other textile and clothing merchants, under the supervision of their seamstresses. As a result, many smaller textile merchants in the city were constantly vying for Robes Square’s business.

The fat woman heard the skinny woman speak, and not to be outdone, she made her request. “Young Mistress, my family runs a tea business, and we obtain our supply from the Ji family. The harvest for these two years hasn’t been good; the supply for the tea leaves has declined, and the prices have soared. Since we’re related to the Ji family through marriage, you can’t continue to charge us the same amount!”

Back then, when the family had divided up the property, Su Cheng and Su Xing had obtained a sizable amount. However, over the years, they had lost most of it and were now left with one shop each to eke out a living.

Without waiting for Su Jiu to speak, the nanny said with a smile, “Well, we should take care of our own, indeed. However, your requests put my lady in a difficult position. My mistress is simply a married woman who stays at home. How is she supposed to interfere in the business affairs of the men’s world?”

“Well, our dear Yuejiu isn’t like other women! She and the Young Master are such a loving couple! If she makes a request, the Young Master will heed her! Am I not right?” the fat woman smiled smarmily at Su Jiu.

“Alright. I understand. You may return first.” Su Jiu had gotten the gist of what they wanted. She rose and left.

“Yuejiu!” The smile on the skinny woman’s face dissipated, and said in an embarrassed tone, “Indeed, our visit today may have been motivated by our self-interests. However, we wanted to visit you as well. We are, after all, family. Even if you do not help us, we’ll still be a family. If you need anything in the future, just come to me. As long as I can help you, I definitely will!”

That statement did sound somewhat sincere.

The fat woman added, “Those are my exact sentiments too! Don’t be offended, Young Mistress!”

Su Jiu hadn’t thought much of the two women, but their words now began to move her a little. As she wasn’t Su Yuejiu, she didn’t feel any sense of kinship towards these women. However, if the real Su Yuejiu were here, would she have been equally cold and unfeeling towards them?

Since she had taken possession of Su Yuejiu’s identity, perhaps it was time for her to provide some help towards the Su Family in return.

“I’ll keep this matter in mind, and notify both of you if there’s any headway!” Su Jiu’s tone grew gentler.

The two women smiled immediately upon hearing Su Jiu’s words. “Hearing you say that is enough for us, Yuejiu!”

“We’ll be at home waiting for any update from you!”

The women bid Su Jiu farewell joyfully, and a servant saw them out of the manor.

Su Jiu stood at the entrance for a while, before taking her time to head back into the study.

When Ji Yuxian saw her coming back, he smiled at her. “I thought you’d chase them off immediately after meeting them. I wasn’t expecting you to entertain them for so long!”

Su Jiu leaned forward and rested her upper body on Ji Yuxian’s desk, tilting her head up to face him. “Ji Yuxian, do you think the real Su Yuejiu would help them?”

Upon descending the mountain, she had learned to read and write, the interactions between a husband and wife, how to do business, and how to become the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor. Was she required to learn the code of conduct between people too?

Ji Yuxian’s lips curled into a smile as he asked, “How would I know what the real Su Yuejiu was like, or what she would have done?”

“But what do you think?” Su Jiu asked.

“She probably would. Most women are easily swayed. Their hearts will soften after hearing a good word or two from someone else!” Ji Yuxian tapped the tip of her nose and chuckled indulgently.

“I am not easily swayed!” Su Jiu blinked her eyes at him. She got up and leaned on the console table with her back facing Ji Yuxian, and replied plainly, “I just feel like I should do a little something for the Su family since I’m assuming Su Yuejiu’s identity. I’ll feel a little more at ease that way!”

Ji Yuxian walked over and leaned on the console table beside her. With his brows raised, he said, “Of the two Su families, one is in the textile and garment business, while the other is in the tea business. Let me guess. One asked for Robes Square’s business to be outsourced to them, and the other requested for the Ji family’s enterprise to lower the costs of the tea!”

Su Jiu looked at him with astonishment. She leaned over, and rested her chin on his shoulder, tilting her head up to face him. “Eldest Young Master Ji, what on earth is your brain made of so that you’re able to guess everything correctly?”

What was even more impressive was the fact that Ji Yuxian knew what businesses the two Su brothers were involved in, despite them not being prominent individuals in the city.

Ji Yuxian pinched her cheeks and replied with a smile, “Well, tell me how you intend to help them, by begging me?”

Su Jiu cast a sidelong glance at him. “Why should I beg you when I can beg myself?”

Ji Yuxian raised his eyebrows. “What?”

“I’ve thought about it. When the commercial house starts its business, there will be plenty of spare booths available. I originally intended to rent these booths out, but since these two families have requested some help, I can simply give them each a booth for free. That would count as a favor too!”

If the business at the commercial house took off, the value of a booth there would be priceless!

“…But the offer will have to be made in your name!” Su Jiu suddenly added.

Ji Yuxian nodded his head. “That’s a good idea, but you have to ensure that the merchandise from both families passes the quality standards. Otherwise, it may harm our reputation!”

“Definitely. Don’t worry! I’ll get someone to keep an eye on them!”

“That’ll be even better!”

With that agreed upon, the couple didn’t discuss that topic any further and changed the subject.

A few days later, Ji Yuxian sent a messenger to the Su Cheng’s and Su Xing’s households and notified them that he would be willing to provide them with a booth at his commercial house, rent-free for a year.

The two Su brothers were unhappy with the offer. They had no idea what the commercial house was trying to achieve and assumed that the Ji family was simply trying to palm them off with two random booths.

Considering that their shops were barely making enough for them to get by, of what use were two additional booths going to be?

However, they couldn’t afford to offend the Ji family by turning the offer down and grudgingly accepted it, sending the messenger out the door immediately after.

After engaging in a discussion with Qiao An, Su Jiu named the place Qingyu Commercial House.

The commercial house was renovated according to the plans that Su Jiu had drafted out, and slowly began to take shape. The first floor was lined with counters and containers, filled with various specialties, fruits, foodstuffs, and other knick-knacks.

The second floor sold fabric, tea, porcelain, art and calligraphy, stationery, and various other more premium merchandise.

The third floor catered solely to the female clientele and consisted of clothing, cosmetics, and accessories.

With the original plans in execution, many assistants were needed. It was fortunate that the Ji family’s enterprise was vast, and they were able to pick out the required hands easily. Additional assistants were hired as well, and the Ji family placed older employees in charge of their training.

The goods that Su Jiu had instructed the bodyguard to bring back from the various regions slowly arrived one after the other. They were all brought to the warehouse in the backyard of the commercial house. The goods were then sorted out accordingly and stored separately.

Additionally, she had a cellar dug in the backyard to store perishable goods like fruits, among other things.

The variety of goods sold in the commercial house grew. Su Jiu and her bodyguards were responsible for a portion of the merchandise, while the rest was left to Ji Yuxian.

Lastly, two booths were allotted to the two Su brothers.

Su Jiu had put a lot of effort into the commercial house. She and Chang Huan had run all the errands and made all the decisions, ranging from regulating the prices of the merchandise, and comparing the prices with their competitors, to personally assessing the quality of the goods. They even went as far as to determine which merchandise complemented each other and positioned them together to market them to the consumers.

Ji Yuxian barely saw Su Jiu anymore. He eventually sent a managing assistant to aid Chang Huan in his errands and inquiries and provided Su Jiu with a nightly report of their findings.

Su Jiu’s workload lessened considerably. However, she felt uneasy not being able to personally oversee everything. As a result, she waited for Ji Yuxian to leave the house before sneaking off on her own after that.

The residents in the city witnessed the vast number of people entering and leaving the building every day, piquing their curiosity. They were all curious about what this building was intended for.

This sense of curiosity was contagious, and before Qingyu Commercial House even started the business, half the city was already awaiting its opening!

The grand opening was fast approaching, and Su Jiu’s hands were full. She was busy directing people to run the shop, arrange the shelves, and take inventory. Even with the managers from the Ji enterprises helping out, Su Jiu and Chang Huan were still awfully busy.

Night fell. Ji Yuxian waited till late at night. When Su Jiu still hadn’t returned, he got into the carriage and set out to look for her.

The commercial house was a huge building. At every interval hung a crystal lantern, and on each lantern was a luminous pearl. At night, the entire place was bathed in the rays of the moonlight, making it look clear and clean.

At this hour, all the assistants and errand boys had already returned home, and the whole building was silent. Ji Yuxian frowned as he made his way up. Even as he made his way up to the third floor, Su Jiu was still nowhere to be found.

The crease between Ji Yuxian’s brows deepened, and Jin Feng asked, “Should we search for her at the tavern?”

Ji Yuxian shook his head and walked towards the cargo hold. As he turned in, he found Su Jiu snuggled inside, asleep.

Chang Huan was asleep on the floor as well, with his head resting on Su Jiu’s thighs. Both of them were fast asleep.

When Ji Yuxian witnessed the intimate posture between the both of them, an expression of displeasure appeared on his face. With a helpless look in his eyes, he walked over to pick Su Jiu up in his arms and turned back towards Jin Feng to instruct him, “Wake Chang Huan up. Tell him to return to the tavern.”

“Right away!”

Jin Feng replied respectfully. He waited for Ji Yuxian to disappear down the stairs before he woke Chang Huan up. “Chang Huan,” he called out, “Wake up!”

“Hey! Wake up!”

“Boss!” Chang Huan suddenly exclaimed as he jerked himself into an upright position. He wiped the drool off his chin and looked at the person in front of him in a daze. “Jin Feng?”

Jin Feng smiled. “It is I!”

Chang Huan looked around at his surroundings. “Where’s my Boss?”

“The Young Mistress has returned home. You should head back to Qingxin Tavern too!” Jin Feng said.

“Alright!” Chang Huan mumbled in reply and got up to leave.

“Chang Huan!” Jin Feng suddenly called out from behind, and said plainly, “The Young Mistress is my Young Master’s wife. Although you and the Young Mistress grew up together since you were children, a man and woman should still keep their distance. Please take note of that in the future.”

Chang Huan suddenly froze in his tracks. Under the candlelight, Chang Huan’s lone figure appeared gaunt, but it remained straight like a bamboo.

He laughed casually. “Boss is the closest person to me in this world, even closer than my parents and siblings. She’s as important to me as life itself. Guard Jin, would you keep a distance from your own family?”

He slowly turned around, his eyes as dark as the night sky. With a raised eyebrow, he said, “Besides, it isn’t even guaranteed whether or not my Boss will continue being the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor in the end!”

Jin Feng narrowed his eyes and stared at him darkly.

Chang Huan’s lips stretched into a meaningful smile, and he turned to make his way down the stairs leisurely.

Jin Feng stared at the disappearing silhouette of the man’s back and suddenly felt that he was a completely different person from the maidservant that had followed Su Jiu everywhere. Their personalities and temperaments were completely different.

This individual was destined to be exceptional in the future!

A hint of worry was hidden in Jin Feng’s brows as he followed behind.

Ji Yuxian carried Su Jiu in his arms and stepped out of the door. The night wind was cold, and Su Jiu stirred. With her eyes still closed, she snuggled in the man’s embrace and mumbled, “Ji Yuxian…”

“Yeah?” the man replied, quickening his steps towards the carriage. His voice was gentle as he said, “Go back to sleep. I’m taking you home!”

Su Jiu nodded her head absentmindedly and fell back asleep in reassurance.

After the merchandise had been arranged and displayed, an auspicious date was picked, and Qingyu Commercial House was officially opened for business.

On the day of its grand opening, the sound of firecrackers filled the air, as the gongs and drums roared. Su Jiu hired a troupe of jugglers to perform in front of the Qingyu Commercial House, successfully attracting almost half the city to come and watch.

The Qingyu Commercial House was three stories high, with green tiles and a crimson roof, and cornices adorning every level. It was eight times as wide as a typical room, and its area four times as big as an ordinary shop. The main entrance had been added right in the middle, and all the windows had been changed to wood.

Above the attic stood a white jade carving of a dragon and a phoenix, making the building look grand and magnificent, even from afar.

The people were long brimming with curiosity towards this commercial house. Now that its doors had finally opened, the crowds rushed in to see for themselves just what was inside.

Upon entry, all of them gaped at its grandiosity with awe.

Not only was the place decked out with hanging lanterns of crystal and redwood carvings that were exceptionally elegant, but the merchandise sold inside was also dazzling. The crowd couldn’t help but be overwhelmed.

Almost everything that was sold on the streets could be found here, arranged neatly on shelves. The place looked clean, and it was pleasing to simply look around.

Behind the counters stood the shop assistants wearing uniforms, and they smiled welcomingly at the customers.

Most of the goods sold on the first floor were of the miscellaneous variety. Someone inquired about the price of oil and rice and found it to be even lower than the prices out of the streets.

The scholarly gentlemen were led to the second floor and the women to the third floor. Squeals of delight could be heard as the women laid eyes on the fabric and accessories. Their eyes sparkled with wonder.

After all, in any shop, the variety of clothing and accessories would be limited. However, over here, there was a wide selection of exquisite looks, and customers were allowed to try on the clothing and jewelry at the same time.

The number of people entering the building grew, and the crowd became dense.

Ah Shu and Qiao An had both come today and were standing together with Chang Huan to welcome the guests. Chang Huan was the shopkeeper in charge of Qingyu Commercial House. He stood in the middle, with his posture straight. He exuded a sense of steadiness, and his previous inexperience was no longer evident.

His experiences over the recent period had enabled the young man to grow up and mature quickly.

A few women noticed the handsome-looking Chang Huan, and their cheeks flushed bright pink as they pointed at him among themselves. News soon spread among the crowd that Qingyu Commercial House had a very handsome shopkeeper.

Many merchants came forward to offer their congratulations. The business model of the commercial house was still very fresh and foreign to them.

Su Jiu stood on the top floor of the building as she looked down at the teeming crowd below her. Excitement surged through her veins

She had shown her face at the Ji Manor, and many of the merchants had seen her before and knew her as the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor. Therefore, she could only be Master Su Jiu from the shadows.

In the pavilion opposite, Ji Yuxian stood in front of the wooden railing and stared unabashedly at the young woman in silk robes. As he saw the grin form on her beautiful face, he felt happiness radiating from within.

Jin Feng stood behind him and was equally happy for Su Jiu. “This commercial house just opened, and business is already booming! Young Mistress, you have indeed succeeded!”

Ji Yuxian’s almond-shaped eyes narrowed as he looked down at the many men and women entering the building. His smile ebbed off a little as he muttered to himself, “I’m afraid it isn’t that easy!”

Su Jiu stood opposite and looked right back at Ju Yuxian.

A street and a huge crowd separated them, but Su Jiu felt as if Ji Yuxian was right within her reach.

In the past, she had been used to acting alone, making decisions without considering the consequences. Now, she had become steadier and more thoughtful. However, because he was by her side, she could remain just as fearless and courageous as before.

Whether as a mentor or as a friend, Ji Yuxian had become indispensable to her!

She could only hope that this moment would last for a long time.

A carriage stopped by the roadside behind the crowd, and the coachman craned his neck to gaze into the multitude.

Very soon, an inconspicuously dressed man came over, and quietly entered the carriage.

The interiors of the carriage were very luxurious. Seated inside was Zhu Hecheng, dressed in a silver robe and sipping his tea.

The man who entered sat beside him, and said respectfully, “Master, I am back!”

“How was it?” Although Zhu Hecheng’s voice was soft, and his tone betrayed the urgency he was feeling.

“I went inside and took a look at all three levels. They are selling goods!” the man replied.

“Selling goods? What sort of goods?” Zhu Hecheng asked.

The man relayed everything that he had seen in Qingyu Commercial House to him.

Zhu Hecheng frowned slightly and placed his teacup down. With a sudden laugh, he said, “This method of doing business is pretty strange. They’re selling everything together in one place?”

“It is pretty novel. That’s how they were able to attract so much attention!” When he had first entered, he had been awestruck.

“So, this place isn’t run by the Ji family? Who was the person standing at the entrance?” Zhu Hecheng asked.

“The person standing in front was a man called Chang Huan; it was he who opened Qingyu Commercial House. I heard that he spent a fortune to purchase this building from the Ji family, but I also heard that the true owner behind this commercial house is Master Su Jiu!”

“Master Su Jiu? That name sounds familiar.” Zhu Hecheng looked like he was in deep thought.

“Indeed. Qingyuan Tavern on Yong’an Street belongs to him, and so does Qingxin Tavern on this street. Oh, right! I heard that he’s also the owner of the Qinglong Bodyguard Agency!”

That description was enough to jolt Zhu Hecheng’s memory.

The shopkeeper of Wanfu Tavern had come to him to air his grievances previously. The business of his tavern had suffered terribly as a result of the newly opened Qingyuan Tavern. When he had sent some of his underlings over to learn more about them, Master Su Jiu had walloped them out of the place.

If his memory served him correctly, this was the same Master Su Jiu who had gotten into a conflict with the Zhengyuan Bodyguard Agency.

He had accepted ten thousand taels of silver from Feng Yuntian and had offered it to Magistrate Lin on his behalf, never expecting that the magistrate would suddenly change his tune and rat them out in public. Zhengyuan Bodyguard Agency had even been shut down as a result of that!

To this day, the Feng family occasionally sent troublemakers to harass him.

From the looks of it, he did have a grudge to settle with Master Su Jiu after all!

“What is Master Su Jiu’s background?’ He had never been heard of her before, and yet his sudden appearance had been with much aplomb. Within a year, he had opened taverns, a bodyguard agency, and at present, had started a trading company!

What an ambitious person!

The man beside him shook his head. “I have no idea,” he replied, “I’ll need to investigate that!”

Zhu Hecheng closed his eyes in deep thought. He had heard that Ji Yuxian had been present at the opening of Qinglong Bodyguard Agency, and had given all his freight-escorting business to them. Was it possible that the Ji Manor was the one backing Master Su Jiu?

But the Ji family’s enterprises were so vast. They covered everything including textiles, tea, banking, and shipping. These were all huge industries. Why would they bother opening a commercial house?

That was something Zhu Hecheng couldn’t comprehend. After a moment, a sneer escaped his lips. “Regardless of who Master Su Jiu is, he’s too naive if he thinks having a successful tavern is all the experience he needs to start a trading company!”

“Exactly! In my humble opinion, this commercial house doesn’t look like it will last for long. It has too many things, and their investment capital is too high. If they are unable to recoup their capital, they’ll probably have to close in a month! They’re not worth your time!” the man said obsequiously.

Zhu Hecheng chuckled and said in a low voice, “Alright. We’ve seen enough. Let’s go back!”

“Yes!”

The man concurred and instructed the coachman to move off.

Qingyu Commercial House had had a busy day, and the inventory taking and account-tabulations lasted from evening till late into the night.

Fortunately, Ji Yuxian had predicted that the first day would be messy and had dispatched some of his accountants over to help Su Jiu organize her ledgers, saving her a lot of trouble.

After a rough calculation, their profits for the day were pretty impressive indeed!

Su Jiu was elated, and rewarded all the managers and accountants with a huge red packet of money each!

Qian An helped them out till late in the night. Out of consideration that he still had to get up early the next morning to enter the palace, Su Jiu had Ah Shu send him back first, and return to the bodyguard agency straight away, instead of coming back.

Chang Huan stayed the night at the commercial house, while Su Jiu returned to the Ji Manor.

It was already midnight when Su Jiu exited the building. The night breeze was comforting, and the stars twinkled overhead.

Su Jiu stretched her back. Although she was exhausted, she felt extremely thrilled at the same time. She looked around for the carriage and found the black carriage parked a stone’s throw away.

Su Jiu walked over. In the coachman’s seat, Jin Feng was falling asleep. When he heard Su Jiu’s footsteps, he jerked awake and jumped down as he greeted her respectfully, “Young Mistress!”

“It’s been difficult for you!” Su Jiu empathized with a smile.

“Not at all! Hurry in, the Young Master is waiting for you inside the carriage!” Jin Feng stepped to the side.

Su Jiu nodded her head and stepped on the stool to enter the carriage.

Ji Yuxian was lounging against an embroidered pillow, reading a book under the candlelight. His hair was dark and thick, and his eyes were gorgeous. His thin and red lips carried a hint of elegance and mischief at the same time. He was indeed a feast for the eyes.

Su Jiu leaned over and nestled herself tiredly in the crook of his arm. With her eyes closed, she said lazily, “You don’t have to wait for me if I’m working late. I have a carriage that can send me back.”

Ji Yuxian put his book down and pulled her close in an embrace. He slowly massaged her temples with his long fingers, and lowered his voice as he replied, “Since I can’t fall asleep anyway, I feel more reassured waiting for you here.”

“Thank you, Ji Yuxian!” Su Jiu suddenly said.

She no longer knew what she was thanking him for because he had done so much for her. She knew deep down in her heart that without Ji Yuxian, the Dragon Conqueror Gang and Master Su Jiu wouldn’t be where she was today.

Ji Yuxian’s eyes sparkled as he gazed at her. With a chuckle, he replied, “We’re already a married couple. What’s there to say thank you for?”

Su Jiu raised her brows but didn’t say another word. She leaned back in his arms and as she sniffed the familiar scent of a water lotus, exhaustion rushed over her. All she wanted to do at that moment was fall into a deep slumber.

The carriage meandered through the streets towards the Ji Manor in the dark. As the wheels rumbled along, the carriage swayed. In her slumberous stupor, Su Jiu realized that this was the most pleasant moment she had ever experienced in her whole life. She could only hope that the rest of her life would continue to be as tranquil as this night was.

Late in the night, within the walls of Robes Square, it was Qin Xiang’s third time entering the room to trim the candlewick. When she saw that Lan Zhihui was still painting, she couldn’t help stepping forward and saying, “My lady, it’s late. You should go to bed!”

“You may go to bed. You don’t have to bother about me!” Lan Zhihui was looking down, and the candlelight cast a shadow on her face.

“If you aren’t going to sleep, I’ll keep you company, my lady!” Qin Xiang said with a smile.

Lan Zhihui turned her attention back to her bamboo painting, and her expression darkened.

Qin Xiang realized that ever since Lan Zhihui had returned to Robes Square, she had smiled a lot less. Her whole demeanor had become cold and somber, and she rarely stepped out. Other than tending to her embroideries, she spent the rest of her time in the room painting.

In the past, Lan Zhihui had always delivered the ledgers personally to the Ji Manor. In recent days, she had relegated that task to one of the shop assistants instead.

Qin Xiang wanted to cheer her up with the exciting news in the streets, and spoke up breezily, “My lady, did you hear that a commercial house opened on Zhuque Street today? I heard that they sell everything and anything. Anything that is sold on the streets or in a shop can be found there as well.”

Lan Zhihui’s expression didn’t change, but she asked in interest, “Is that so?”

“Our seamstress, Madame Hong, went there today. When she came back, she said that they even sell fabric and accessories and that there was a huge variety of designs to choose from,” Qin Xiang added, but suddenly asked in concern, “Will this commercial house affect Robes Square’s business in any way?”

Lan Zhihui raised her head slightly as she dipped the ink on the paper and answered softly, “It won’t.”

“You’re sure of that, my lady?” Qin Xiang asked.

“We’re an imperial supplier. The business from the royal family isn’t something that someone else can snatch from us. Furthermore, our regular customers comprise the wives and daughters of prominent and prestigious families. They will never lower themselves to shop at the same places as the commoners.” Lan Zhihui replied casually.

She had been in charge of Robes Square for a decade. Naturally, she was confident about this!

Qin Xiang nodded her head in admiration. “You’re right, my lady!”

Every new business model came with its own set of drawbacks. Given Su Jiu’s lack of business experience, the crowd at the commercial house soon dwindled.

On opening day, people had visited the place out of curiosity and had subsequently bought many things. However, on the second day, the crowd halved.

Following that, the number of customers declined to a trickle, and Chang Huan began to panic. He requested some input from the mentors from the Ji family business and made the changes accordingly but to no avail.

Naturally, Su Jiu began to panic as well. She met up with Qiao An and the rest to discuss the business strategy, but they were unable to come up with anything effective.

The porcelain, calligraphy, and stationery all had relatively long shelf lives, but the fruits that they had shipped back from afar were perishable and couldn’t be kept for long. If they remained unsold, they would soon turn bad.

Su Jiu went to Qingyu Commercial House and watched as a few random people picked at the fruits in the bargain section. As she observed the listless sales assistants, she felt as if she had been doused by a pail of ice water from above.

She made her way to the second floor and found the counters empty of customers. She saw two assistants packing up, taking the fabric down, and moving the goods out of the place.

Su Jiu frowned, and asked coldly, “What’s going on here?”

Chang Huan rushed over and glanced at the two workers before replying, “Boss, these are the two counters that were allocated to the Su family. They sent someone over with the message that they won’t be selling their goods here any longer!”

Su Jiu understood immediately. Su Yuejiu’s two uncles had observed that business at the commercial house wasn’t going well and decided that it wasn’t worth the extra expense of hiring someone to mend the counters. Hence, they had decided to pack up.

An errand boy stepped forward. “Master Huan, I’m sorry! My master gave the instructions, and we have no choice but to carry them out!”

The worker from Su Xing sidestepped forward as well. “Master Huan, the tea leaves will go bad if they’re left here for too long. I’ll be moving them back first!”

Chang Huan laughed humorlessly. “Cut the crap, and just move out! But don’t you dare come begging for me to take you back!”

“Don’t worry, that won’t happen!” the workers laughed dryly and quickly moved the rest of the goods down.

Chang Huan looked at the two empty booths, and muttered resentfully, “What a bunch of shortsighted fools!”

The expression in Su Jiu’s eyes darkened, and she replied as-a-matter-of-factly, “They’re not to blame. They’re merchants after all. They’ll go where the money goes. If there’s no money to be made, naturally, they’ll leave!”

“What are you going to do, Boss?” Chang Huan asked.

Over this period, business at the commercial house had been bad, and many of the stewards and sales assistants were beginning to become resentful. They were worried that if this venture went bust, they would be laid off without their salaries paid. Fortunately, Chang Huan was able to cough out the required amount and hence, managed to placate them.

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Su Jiu shook her head. At that moment, she didn’t have a clue either.

Perhaps her previous successes with the taverns and the bodyguard agency had made her arrogant and complacent, leading her to recklessly start something like that without any experience. Was that the reason for this outcome?

Right now in the city, Zhu Hecheng wasn’t the only merchant gleefully anticipating the downfall of Qingyu Commercial House. All the other merchants were watching and waiting too.

Was starting this trading business an erroneous decision?