Chapter 117: An Inscrutable Scholarly Air

Once the master of the Su family’s main branch and the second young miss, who was being groomed to take over the family business, had both arrived, the son-in-law who had married into the family began to take charge of the Su family’s business affairs.

This had recently become major news within the Su family circle. Given Su Boyong’s assassination and Su Tan’er falling ill, it would have been impossible for the other two branches of the family not to feel a sense of schadenfreude.

The news of Su Tan’er’s illness had not yet spread outside, but everyone in the household was already aware. Public opinion was mostly speculating on how the main branch, already considered lacking in strong leadership, would handle the current situation. Others remarked that no matter how capable Su Tan’er had appeared in the past, she was still just a woman and could not carry the weight of the family business. In any case, while everyone was watching from the sidelines, Ning Yi was pushed forward to act as the temporary head, immediately sparking a flurry of discussion.

Had he been a normal son-in-law, sneers and insults would have likely followed immediately. But this son-in-law was somewhat different. Since entering the household, he had repeatedly shattered everyone’s perceptions. Initially thought to be a simple bookworm, he had proven himself to be exceptionally talented—both in poetry and in his role as a tutor—over the past year. Whenever the family discussed him, they could only marvel at the old patriarch’s foresight, assuming the old man must have known this bookworm was no ordinary person.

Now that he had finally been pushed to the forefront by the main branch, the rest of the family adopted a wait-and-see attitude. Whether it was Wenxing and Wenji of the second and third branches, or the relatives who were closer to the main branch, everyone was watching quietly to see if he was equally capable of hiding his talents in this arena. They wondered if the old patriarch was truly as brilliant and biased as they thought, having found Su Tan’er a husband who was gifted in both literature and commerce—even if it was through a matrilocal marriage.

This quiet observation lasted about two days before turning into a chorus of laughter.

Despite his stunning poetic talent, Ning Yi was ultimately an outsider when it came to business—and an outsider with a scholarly air at that.

It was clear he genuinely wanted to get things done, but his methods were truly clumsy. For several consecutive days, he would sit in a carriage each morning, making a show of inspecting the various shops and warehouses in the city—likely having inquired about what Su Tan’er did daily and then mimicking her.

In reality, given the foundation of the Su family, the shops were all managed by trusted individuals; the boss did not need to run around every day. Su Tan’er did so only to prepare for taking over the entire family, hence her strict self-discipline. If any issues arose in the shops, Su Tan’er could resolve them on the spot, but after Ning Yi kept up this routine for several days—doing little more than watching and trying not to speak—a few carelessly posed questions made it clear to others that he was merely putting on an act.

There was a vast gap between an insider and an outsider. When it came to professional matters, Ning Yi’s questions were sometimes so simplistic they became laughable. For instance, while Wenxing and Wenji might not have been great at managing shops, they were familiar with the textile trade. They spent two days laughing their heads off over an incident at the cloth shop, where Ning Yi had mistaken some medicinal herbs used for scenting stored fabric for raw dyeing materials. During his inspection, he had kindly asked an employee to sweep up the "spilled dye" so it wouldn't go to waste. The employee had been mortified, and the story had spread throughout the Su residence in less than a day.

Later, what Ning Yi said to the shopkeepers that morning also leaked out. The strategy of focusing on becoming a supplier for the imperial household was likely Su Tan’er’s idea, and it was the right one. But when the words came from Ning Yi, they sounded impassioned and high-minded, yet were filled with an idealistic, scholarly tone. Even the shopkeepers of the main branch would shake their heads when repeating them; they weren't entirely wrong, but to suggest that having a good product was everything—it could only be described as naive.

It was now certain that this son-in-law did not understand business. Those who had originally thought he "might understand" were few, and a few days were all it took to confirm their doubts.

However, despite the minor blunders Ning Yi made during his first few days of taking over, which became the talk of the town, one thing had been set in motion. The shopkeepers of the main branch had begun to aggressively promote the preparations they had made over the past few years for the imperial supply contract. Regardless of Ning Yi’s shortcomings, these shopkeepers were professional and capable. In just three or four days, news about the Su family’s new fabrics and their years of preparation for the imperial contract had spread throughout Jiangning’s textile industry. Combined with the high-profile nature of the previous days, everyone in the trade now knew that because of the attempt on Su Boyong’s life, the Su family—or at least Su Tan’er—was prepared to fully reveal her ambition and gamble everything.

If she won, she would use those years of preparation to resolve the imperial contract issue perfectly, master the main branch of the Su family, and solidify her status as the next head of the family, even as a woman. If she lost, well, she would have lost, but since Su Boyong had already been attacked, there wasn't much left to lose anyway.

"To have such spirit while ill; she truly lives up to her reputation as a heroine. If I have to face this Sister Tan’er as a competitor in the future, the pressure will be immense," Xue Yan said, setting down his cup in the teahouse and shaking his head with a smile. "A-Jin, if I had known this, perhaps letting you marry into the Su family back then would have been a fine match."

Xue Yan was at the teahouse with Xue Jin and several other clansmen to chat. As they were all in the textile business, the recent changes in the Su family inevitably came up. Xue Jin shook his head helplessly and laughed, "I’ve seen it clearly now. I couldn't suppress her. If she married into our Xue family, I would treat her well, but if I married into theirs, I would never be able to hold my head up again." Xue Jin, who had always been a proud man, had become surprisingly humble today. His cousins laughed and teased him, naturally turning the topic back to Su Tan’er’s current husband.

"It’s a pity. Even with such amazing poetic talent, he’s just a decorative vase. With the family in such a state, what use is his poetry when he lacks any official standing?"

"As for business, looking at Ning Liheng’s performance over the past few days, I suspect it’s Su Tan’er behind the scenes, offering advice and strategy."

"I think even his past achievements might have been orchestrated by Su Tan’er. I've seen plenty of bookworms with talent; it likely took Su Tan’er’s hand to get his name out there. That’s how I see it—Su Tan’er is just building a reputation for her husband..."

Hearing them speak this way, Xue Jin hesitated, then finally shook his head. "Don't just assume things. That Ning Liheng is not simple. He’s no fool."

Xue Jin had almost become a stepping stone when Ning Yi first rose to fame, so he had learned to be humble, which was a sign of growth. Xue Yan patted him on the shoulder. "Humility is a good thing, but you’re being overly cautious, little brother. That Ning Liheng is certainly no idiot, but his talent is limited to poetry. Such scholars are often eccentric—that’s understandable. But if he really had extraordinary talent and a knack for business, ha! Then why would he marry into the Su family? Has his life really become some kind of ironic twist from a legend?"

He paused slightly. "As for this Ning Yi, I think he has average ability in business, perhaps a bit of natural talent. He’s a smart man, but in any case, he’s new to this field, so it’s normal for him to make some mistakes. However, regardless of the laughter, everyone must understand one thing: no matter what Ning Yi does, Su Tan’er is the one pulling the strings. That woman is not simple. No matter how many jokes Ning Yi makes, as long as they secure the imperial contract, all of this will be blown away like the wind. Su Tan’er is likely using her husband’s blunders as part of her calculations while she aggressively pursues the contract. We need a share of that imperial business, so don't be so busy laughing that you let them take all the benefits."

Hearing Xue Yan say this, the others’ expressions turned serious. The Xue, Su, and Wu families all had designs on the imperial contract. Everyone had their own connections and advantages, but overall, the Su family’s preparations were indeed the most extensive. Xue Jin shook his head, looking at his cousins. "I told you so." Before he could finish, his gaze shifted toward the street below. "Huh?"

Xue Yan also looked down and saw Ning Yi walking along the roadside, clutching a box. He had no entourage or maids with him; he was all alone. Whether he was wandering aimlessly or on a specific errand, he stopped to ask a few street vendors some questions, then headed toward a gate not far away.

"That place is..."

"The Textile Bureau's... Official He Fang's residence."

"You’re kidding. He just walked over there all by himself?"

The men from the Xue family looked at each other in bewilderment. Competing for the imperial contract required connections. As far as they knew, the Su family had already smoothed over many paths in the Textile Bureau and were in close contact with several officials. However, regarding the imperial contract, the three officials with the most influence—Official He Fang, Official Han Chaoying, and the bureau head Dong Decheng—only Han Chaoying had truly been won over by the Su family.

Dong Decheng, as the head, had always remained ambiguous and would not easily declare his stance. This year, the situation had changed, and He Fang had yet to show his hand. He was likely still favoring the medium-sized merchants who had traditionally held the contract. All the families were trying to win him over, but the situation had become so sensitive that He Fang had simply stopped receiving visitors regarding the matter. The Xue family had been turned away just two days ago and were still looking for ways to gain access. They hadn't expected Ning Yi to just show up like that.

He was alone, and it looked like a whim, as he stood at the gate for a long time thinking before knocking. Then he disappeared under the eaves. The men upstairs began to discuss it again, some mocking him.

"Impossible."

"How could he possibly get an audience..."

"A son-in-law just showing up like this to represent the Su family in such business—does he really think he’s been tasked with a critical mission?"

"Probably wants to achieve something."

No one believed Ning Yi would be able to see He Fang. But after some time passed and he didn't come out, they grew suspicious. Someone went down to investigate and couldn't help but laugh when they returned.

"He’s talking to the gatekeeper. Ning Yi has incredible patience; the gatekeeper is about to be driven crazy by him..."

Hearing this, everyone felt a sudden realization.

"Haha, typical scholarly stubbornness. He doesn't think grinding away like this will open a path to He Fang, does he?"

"It’s not unheard of." Xue Yan frowned, then laughed and shook his head. "But it sounds like a story..."

After another while, Ning Yi still hadn't emerged. Someone went to look again and returned, laughing that Ning Yi was still pestering the gatekeeper. They were impressed by his temperament; he wasn't being a nuisance, he just kept talking and talking. The gatekeeper was likely out of patience and ignoring him, letting him ramble on.

It was truly amusing to witness such a strange event while out for tea. They discussed, laughed, and watched from upstairs for about an hour. Some secretly wondered if he might actually grind his way to a solution. But then, Ning Yi finally walked out, holding the box. He looked back at the gate, shook his head, and left. Someone went to inquire and returned, looking both amused and impressed.

"He talked to the gatekeeper for over an hour, until the guy was exhausted... He said he’d be back to visit tomorrow..."

Xue Yan was stunned for a long moment. "This bookworm..."

Xue Jin was silent for a while. "It seems he intends to achieve something in business to show everyone... with this kind of clumsy method..."

"If he keeps grinding like this, Official He will have to see him eventually..."

"But what would be the point?"

Despite saying this, the mockery had faded from their faces. This kind of "fool's method" was a story their fathers had told them in their youth. Business wasn't just about cleverness; it required persistence and patience. Of course, few who tried it actually succeeded, but seeing Ning Yi’s demeanor today, they couldn't help but murmur to themselves.

If someone wasn't home, waiting was fine, but when someone clearly refused to see you, and this guy—without even fully researching the situation—spent an hour torturing the gatekeeper... the stubbornness of a scholar was truly terrifying.

The chances were slim; whether he would succeed remained to be seen. It was afternoon now. At the same moment they were whispering in the teahouse, Ning Yi was walking down a nearby street, having put the matter behind him. He turned a corner and reached the main store of "Bamboo House." He went inside and headed to the second floor. Having gone to pester the gatekeeper on a whim and missing lunch, he was there to refuel. After his two small dishes arrived, the person who brought the final bowl of egg soup was a woman in a pale green dress. Ning Yi nodded at her.

Before the city gates closed, he had mentioned that he would accompany Nie Yunzhu to apologize to Elder Qin after some time. But due to Su Boyong’s incident, this was the first time they had seen each other since then. Ning Yi thought for a moment, preparing to apologize. Nie Yunzhu, however, showed no signs of blame. From the moment she arrived, she simply looked him up and down, her gaze filled with concern. Then, she spoke first, asking softly, "Liheng, are you... are you alright?"

"Hmm?"