Chapter 199

Chen Guanlou returned home, and Sister Chunxiang invited him to drink dumpling soup. He politely declined twice, then picked up the bowl and started drinking. Politeness stayed only on his lips.

He gave a string of coins to Dawang and told him to buy a pound of braised beef at the alley entrance.

Sister Chunxiang was uneasy—not worried about Dawang's safety, but that the boy would waste money: "Buy the braised beef and come right back, you hear me?"

Dawang answered promptly and dashed off at top speed, as if riding the Wind and Fire Wheels.

"Has Brother Qian left again?" Chen Guanlou asked casually.

Brother Qian's husband, Qian Youli, worked at a escort agency and often traveled to guard cargo.

"He left early this morning, headed west. This trip will take over a month round-trip," Sister Chunxiang said, slapping dust off her body with a towel.

For over ten days, the sun had blazed relentlessly; the yellow earth streets grew scorching hot, with people and carts passing constantly, kicking up clouds of dust. Every day out meant returning home covered in dirt.

"The escort agency's business is good, then."

"The war in Jinzhou ended, and more merchants are now shipping goods. Worried about bandits on the roads, the escort agency's business has been booming lately. This trip, ten merchants pooled together for a convoy—assuming it goes smoothly, they'll make some profit."

Chen Guanlou sipped his dumpling soup. "So Jinzhou is recovering quickly?"

"I don't know. I'm just a woman—I wouldn't even know which direction Jinzhou is unless it had been at war. Sister Chunxiang chuckled.

Jinzhou urgently needed to restore production. With the war over and trade resuming, if the court continued tax exemptions, it would regain its vitality within a few years.

Dawang returned with the braised beef wrapped in oiled paper and rewarded himself with a lollipop. Sister Chunxiang saw this, grabbed a broom, and swung at him.

"You good-for-nothing brat—that money belongs to Brother Lou! How dare you waste it?"

Dawang tossed the beef aside and ran circles around the courtyard, licking his lollipop while taunting: "Can't catch me, can't catch me!"

So damn annoying! So damn deserving of a beating!

Chen Guanlou: …

He sat on the bamboo chair, grinning, refusing to intervene or defend Dawang.

He told Erwang to set the plate, poured the braised beef onto it, then called Sister Chunxiang to eat.

Sister Chunxiang ran several laps around the courtyard but couldn't even touch Dawang's backside, panting heavily: "You little brat, I'll settle accounts with you one day. If you've got guts, don't come back! Brother Lou, Dawang's just a child—those coins…"

"It's fine. The extra money was meant as Dawang's errand fee."

"Errand fee? It's just a few steps! The brat's getting bigger—I can't control him anymore. When his father's home, he's better. When he's away, the boy's like a runaway horse. I'm not worried about anything else, just that he'll pick up bad habits from street hoodlums."

"Then get him to learn a trade."

"He can't focus. Anything he tries, he works three days, then skips two."

"How about I ask him tomorrow what he actually wants to do?"

"That'd be wonderful! He won't listen to his father. I'm growing more and more annoyed with him—he's so unreliable. I don't know who he takes after."

Chen Guanlou laughed heartily.

In truth, Dawang's restless nature suited him for the yamen—as a helper or constable. He knew every alley and could gather information easily.

After Miss Pan left, Chen Ergou's courtyard stood empty for a while, then was rented to a cloth merchant. Chen Guanlou bought several bolts of cloth and made himself a few outfits.

The cloth merchant's prices were fair—slightly cheaper than other cloth shops. Neighbors, drawn by the savings, gladly supported his business.

The merchant didn't mind small sales; whenever someone came to buy cloth, his clerk would greet them.

Clearly, the merchant understood the importance of good neighborhood relations.

When Hou Fu hosted a banquet and needed high-quality cloth, someone recommended him.

With his sharp mind and skillful networking, the merchant successfully connected with Hou Fu and was overjoyed. He never imagined renting a house in Hou Fu's back alley would bring such fortune—it was like heaven dropping a pie into his lap.

Sister Chunxiang was envious: "People in business are so shrewd."

But Chen Guanlou said: "Opportunities come to those prepared. Cultivating good relations with neighbors, building goodwill—that's how he earned Hou Fu's trust."

"I wonder how much he made this time," Sister Chunxiang muttered.

"Whether he made much or little—it's his skill," Chen Guanlou smiled.

"Seeing others make money, you're surprisingly calm."

"Why should I be upset? Master Qu is a good man. With such big business, he never looked down on neighbors. He rents Chen Ergou's courtyard—clearly thrifty. But he's not stingy: when people buy cloth, he gives discounts, rounds down prices. He deserves his profit."

Sister Chunxiang paused, as if realizing something, then nodded in agreement: "You're right. Master Qu may be many things, but he's generous. The other day I went for scraps—he didn't charge me."

"Exactly! He makes money for good reasons. Hou Fu chooses to do business with him—that's his ability. There are countless cloth shops in Jingcheng. Why did Hou Fu pick this newcomer? Surely not just because a clerk recommended him. Second Young Mistress isn't easily fooled."

"Master Qu must've given Second Young Mistress plenty of benefits," Sister Chunxiang declared confidently.

Chen Guanlou smiled. "Whether he gave Second Young Mistress benefits or not—I heard from Chen Guanqing that the Second Lady's nephew, the girl who was raped last year, was taken into Jin Wang Fu. Is that true?"

He asked, curious.

He'd heard this on the way back, from Chen Guanqing.

It was said the Second Lady lost great face over her nephew. She leveraged Elder Master's status to get her nephew into Jin Wang Fu.

Clearly, Jin Wang Fu had no intention of acknowledging her. Not smearing the girl's reputation was already mercy. To think she could enter Jin Wang Fu—was it a brothel? One man sleeps with a woman, and she walks in? If that were true, Jin Wang Fu would be overflowing with women.

The matter was deeply embarrassing.

A virgin was violated, yet the man walked away without taking responsibility. The issue dragged on, and the Second Lady lost face—every social outing drew mockery. People laughed at her family's poor morals, at her nephew being unwanted, at her family's decline. Twenty years ago, Jin Wang Fu would never have acted this way.

Only after Elder Master returned to Jingcheng did the Second Lady rally, using his authority to regain strength.

Leveraging Elder Master's influence, she forced Jin Wang Fu to take the girl back—finally, the matter had a resolution.

Sister Chunxiang often worked odd jobs in Hou Fu's inner quarters and knew much of its inner affairs.

"Who told you? I thought no one outside knew. The Second Lady issued a gag order—no one was to mention it. Her nephew's entry into Jin Wang Fu was handled in secret, without alerting anyone. Only Madam Wei let it slip—I only learned then. I didn't expect word had spread outside."

"Hou Fu has no secrets. Such a big matter couldn't possibly be hidden. The Second Lady is naive."