Chapter 118: The Wager Between Yunzhu and Jin'er

"Liheng, are you... are you alright?"

"Hmm?"

The city gates had already been closed for the afternoon, and it was well past lunchtime. The main store of Bamboo House was sparsely occupied. As Nie Yunzhu asked this question on the second floor, Ning Yi paused. The woman sat down before him, reached up to smooth her hair, and gave a faint smile. "A few days ago, I heard about the Su family... that the elder of the Su family was assassinated. I heard that the young mistress and her husband were there too, so I’ve been worried these past few days, wondering if you were alright..."

Jiangning was full of wealthy merchants, and every trade was quite well-developed. Although the Su family held a prominent position in the textile industry, the atmosphere had been tense lately. After the assassination, outsiders had no real opportunity to hear much, as it didn't concern them. Even in the millennium-later era with its advanced information, news of a random merchant being robbed wasn't something ordinary people would hear about at any moment. Nie Yunzhu had already taken an interest in the Su family, which was why she had heard of the incident through conversation. Not seeing Ning Yi for these few days, she had felt anxious, fearing he might have been caught up in the fallout.

After listening to her, Ning Yi nodded. "Oh, I'm fine. However, things have been quite tense at home, so I've been pulled into the mess these past few days and have been busy."

Hearing his confirmation that he was fine, the concern on Nie Yunzhu's face eased, and she smiled again. "The elder of the Su family... is he alright?"

"He just survived the critical period, but he's paralyzed. He won't be able to walk anymore. If he’s to truly recover, I’m afraid it will take several months." Ning Yi ate a bite of his food and shook his head, though his tone remained casual. "It's still being kept a secret; no one dares to let it out."

"Hmm? Why is that?"

"The assassin was caught and is now at the magistrate’s office, insisting that the Su family ruined his life first... There's someone pulling strings behind the scenes. After all, whether the victim lives or dies will ultimately affect the verdict, so the case is being dragged out here for a few days. How long it can be delayed, it's hard to say..."

"Is someone trying to frame the Su family?" Nie Yunzhu widened her eyes.

Ning Yi smiled and casually explained the situation. Apart from a sigh regarding his father-in-law's injury, his description was entirely indifferent. In their past chats, this had generally been the atmosphere, but this time, Nie Yunzhu felt worried again. She then wondered to herself if such matters would affect him, a live-in son-in-law. After a moment, she asked casually, "Then... can that Tan'er girl in your house handle this?"

"She happened to catch a cold and fell ill," Ning Yi sighed. "So, I've been helping to hold the fort lately."

"Oh." Nie Yunzhu had asked casually, but she was stunned, unsure what expression to show. In the end, she repeated, "Is she alright?" It was unclear if she was asking about Su Tan'er or Ning Yi.

"She's fine. She just needs some rest. It’s partly due to too much pressure; in any case, she'll recover after resting for a while."

After a few more words of inquiry, Nie Yunzhu smiled. "So, does that mean Liheng is the one overseeing the Su family's business lately?" She had always felt that Ning Yi possessed talent that simply hadn't had the chance to shine, and even Bamboo House had operated well under his guidance. Having this opportunity at last, she felt happy for him as a friend.

Ning Yi laughed and shook his head. "Uh, not quite. It's just that the Su family's business requires someone in this role right now. I don't know much about the specific projects, so I've just been fumbling around these past few days to make it look like I’m doing something. By the way, something happened two days ago—I mistook the incense and camphor used for storing fabrics for dyeing materials and told them not to waste it, so they collected it all... Haha, I was almost laughed to death..."

Ning Yi spoke of his own blunder while eating. Nie Yunzhu listened halfway, unsure how to react, and laughed exasperatedly. "Liheng, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Pfft, of course! I'm so brilliant, how could I make such a small mistake, right?" Ning Yi blinked. "I was just teasing them; they didn't know. Hmm, don't tell anyone about this..."

"Now that you say that, I don't believe you anymore." Nie Yunzhu smiled and frowned slightly. "But, since Liheng has stepped up, there definitely won't be any problems, right?"

"Haha, perhaps. Regardless, I’ll likely be wandering around outside for the next few days. I’ll check on the shops in the morning—well, I’m looking after several shops now, larger in scale than yours. I might come by for a meal at noon or in the afternoon. There isn't much real work; those shopkeepers are all seasoned veterans, so I don't need to teach them what to do. In a couple of days, I'll find some time to accompany you to see Elder Qin. I had already promised, but I didn't have the time these past few days. I actually wanted to come by today to apologize."

Nie Yunzhu looked at him and pursed her lips. "If Liheng is very busy right now, there's no need to rush to make time for this..."

"I'm not busy, there's nothing much going on." Ning Yi regained his composure and shook his head as he ate his rice. "The Su family's problem isn't major, and it won't be hard to solve. Someone has one foot in a trap, and I'm just responsible for digging the trap a bit deeper and waiting to see who falls in."

His mood was relaxed, no different from their usual times of jogging or chatting. He then smiled and talked about some trivial things he had seen at the textile shop over the past few days. Yunzhu rested her chin on her hand and listened from across the table. When Ning Yi asked, she shared the situation in the city since the gates had been closed. Although the atmosphere was tense and a few incidents of varying sizes had occurred within the city, they, on the whole, had not encountered any safety issues.

***

Ning Yi spoke lightly of the Su family's affairs without revealing too much, and naturally, Yunzhu did not press him. However, after Ning Yi left, she couldn't help but wonder about his style and performance when officially managing the Su family’s business. To her, once Ning Yi took action, it would certainly be something to behold. In any case, as a friend, she liked hearing these things, just as she felt a sense of pride whenever Elder Qin praised him. By evening, Yuan Jin'er, who had been teaching dance at Yancui Pavilion, came over. Hearing that Ning Yi had visited, she giggled and teased.

"Oh, he finally came. Sister Yunzhu doesn't have to worry all day now."

When Nie Yunzhu mentioned the Su family's crisis, Jin'er’s eyes widened. "His wife is quite capable, and even she has fallen ill... How could Ning Yi possibly manage..."

"I don't know, he didn't say much. But since Liheng has stepped in, there certainly won't be any problems. Besides, he just said that the issue isn't major and he will solve it."

"Those are just comforting words." Jin'er gave an unimpressed look. "There's a specialty for every trade, Sister Yunzhu. I know this. That Ning Yi... he is very brilliant, but he can't possibly know everything. In business, I bet he definitely won't be as good as his wife!"

Jin'er made a valid point, and Yunzhu considered it, a look of hesitation appearing on her face. Yuan Jin'er looked at her and sat down nearby. "Anyway, it's not our business. We can't help this time. There are so many people in the Su family; it's not like he’s the only one stepping up, he just needs to be the one to hold the fort. Don't worry... Hmm, how about this: tomorrow I'll ask some sisters who are familiar with the Su family to see what exactly happened..."

Although Yuan Jin'er had redeemed herself, these connections hadn't been severed, and she always wanted to use them to solicit business. The next afternoon, Ning Yi came to Bamboo House for a meal again, chatted with Yunzhu for a while, and left. That evening, Jin'er was in bed with Yunzhu, sharing the intelligence she had gathered.

"Tsk, it turns out the Su family wants to become a royal merchant; it's been the talk of the town lately. Now, the Xue family, the Wu family, and some others like the Chen and Lu families all treat them as rivals. Oh, and the Su family is having internal strife too. But if they really succeed, these problems will all be resolved... Your Ning Liheng... in this regard, he is doing everything according to the methods of a bookworm..."

"What do you mean 'my' Ning Liheng..."

"Fine, someone else's Ning Liheng then, alright? For the past two days, he’s been trying to see Official He Fang. He didn't even look for connections—though connections wouldn't be useful anyway. But he just went directly to request an audience. Yesterday and today, he annoyed the man’s doorman for over an hour before leaving. He is truly persistent. I heard he’s going again tomorrow. It’s only been two days, and people in the textile market are already talking about it... I guess he plans to go annoy him for an hour every day until that Official He sees him. How stupid. Doesn't he have that connection with the Prince Consort? If he just said something..."

"Using someone else's connections when you can do it yourself will only lead to being looked down upon later."

"Pfft, anyway, he's such a fool. You couldn't tell he was this dense when he was arguing..."

The two of them lay in bed wearing their undergarments. Nie Yunzhu smiled. "This is called having principles, not being stupid. That Official He will have to see him sooner or later. You just keep thinking about finding connections."

"Hmph, if he weren't Ning Liheng, you would say he was stupid too, Sister Yunzhu! And even if he gets to see him, if the man isn't happy, you can't possibly persuade him. In the end, you still need connections to be useful. Otherwise, let's make a bet!"

"I'm not betting on this. I bet that Liheng will definitely resolve this."

"Fine, then I—I bet he can't solve it!" Jin'er thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled mischievously. "What’s the stake? I've thought of one: if he can't solve it and I win, Sister Yunzhu, you have to confess to Ning Yi that you like him!"

"I—I don't, that..." In the dim light, Yunzhu's face suddenly burned. She turned her head away from Yuan Jin'er. Jin'er tilted her chin slightly, blinking provocatively. They stared at each other for a moment. Yunzhu frowned in shame and annoyance; she actually didn't like Jin'er teasing her with this. She took a deep breath. "And what about you? What if Liheng solves the problem?"

"If he's that brilliant, I'll like him with you, Sister Yunzhu, and stop speaking ill of him." This was clearly Jin'er's mischievous side acting up; she looked a bit smug, still tilting her chin at Yunzhu. Yunzhu glared at her, then turned to look at the top of the mosquito net. After a long while, she said word by word, "Deal!"

"Pfft..." Jin'er's momentum faded. The bed was quiet for a moment. She leaned toward Yunzhu, and Yunzhu moved outward, but she leaned in again. Yunzhu finally laughed but sighed. "It's impossible anyway. Go away! You're annoying," she said, pushing the shameless Jin'er away. "Always stirring up trouble!"

"I'm just joking with you, how could you really bet, Sister Yunzhu?" Jin'er curled up into a ball, chuckling. "Regardless of whether I win or lose, wouldn't that Ning Yi be the one taking advantage? I don't want to get myself involved..."

"Regardless of winning or losing, how could I possibly say it? If I did, how would we get along in the future? What would people think of Liheng?"

"Men are always liked. And I really think you like him, Sister Yunzhu. Watching this sometimes makes me anxious..."

"I..." Yunzhu thought for a while, then looked at the mosquito net and sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I..."

"..."

"...I do like him."

After a long time, Yunzhu said this with mixed feelings. Jin'er watched silently from the side, then held up her hands to make an 'X'. "Fine, it was a joke, it's void." Yunzhu also held up her hands to cross them in the air, then brushed Jin'er's nose with one hand. Jin'er leaned in, laughing, and the room fell quiet. After a while, the rustling sound started again. Jin'er shamelessly leaned in once more and hugged one of Yunzhu's arms. "Sister Yunzhu, I was letting you win just now..."

"Hmm?"

"Although I think it's unlikely, I also hope Ning Yi can actually do it, because he's someone we know. But I know you want to stand on his side, so I had to stand on the opposite side. Hmm, Jin'er let you win, you know..."

"I know."

"But I still think he can't do it..."

"..."

The atmosphere dimmed. In the bedroom, there was a slight silence...

Just as Nie Yunzhu and Yuan Jin'er were watching Ning Yi's actions, many others were also observing the situation. Ning Yi was not the true key point; no one believed he was actually useful. However, with Su Tan'er receding behind the scenes, any clues regarding the Su family's decisions had to be found through Ning Yi.

The blunders he made in the textile shops were unimportant—at most, they provided some amusement. But behind this amusement, the shopkeepers were meticulously building momentum for the royal merchant bid; this, naturally, was Su Tan'er's true intent. And when Ning Yi suddenly went to visit Official He Fang of the Textile Bureau, although it seemed nonsensical and he was met with a cold shoulder, people like Xue Yan and Xue Jin became alert, watching to see if he could make any progress, or observing the Su family's subsequent moves to find Su Tan'er's true intention.

It wasn't just rivals like the Xue family; even within the Su family's system, many shopkeepers like Xi Junyu couldn't quite understand the situation. They didn't understand if Ning Yi's sudden focus on He Fang was due to a flare-up of scholarly arrogance—genuinely believing he could persuade the other party just by seeing them—or if he was acting under Su Tan'er's instructions, with a deeper intent.

"What exactly is he trying to do..." On the night Ning Yi was turned away from the He residence for the second time, Xi Junyu and a familiar shopkeeper were drinking and chatting in his courtyard. While they shook their heads and laughed at Ning Yi's actions, they really couldn't guess Su Tan'er's intent with Ning Yi acting as a disruptor.

"What the young master is doing might just be a smokescreen. For instance, using incense as dye is harmless, but going to Official He's residence is truly reckless. It wouldn't matter if there was no progress, but I'm afraid of offending Official He; that would be troublesome..."

"Sigh, let's just assume it's under the Second Miss's instruction and strategy. As for you and me... let's just focus on this royal merchant matter for now. Anyway... he’s acting on scholarly impulse, and since he’s made a decision, it's not our place to interfere..."

Meanwhile, on the other side of Jiangning, there were some who were simply observing Ning Yi's own actions, while people like Su Tan'er and Su Yu were not even in their consideration.

"He's been turned away for two days. He says he's going again tomorrow?" In the pavilion of the Prince Consort's residence, Kang Xian listened to Lu Agui's report and laughed. "This kid, what exactly does he want to do? Does he really think he can persuade He Fang if he manages to see him?"

Nearby, a young brother and sister who had inadvertently overheard these things and become interested exchanged a look and ran off to whisper to each other.