Chapter 248: Some Families Celebrate, Some Families Grieve

Su Yuqing sees her hopping, a flash of smugness in her eyes; she straightens her posture, fingers lightly caressing her delicate face, looks at Meng Qinghe with contempt: "I advise you, find a man who matches you and marry, don't covet what's not yours, otherwise Miss will make you lose terribly."

"You!"

At that moment, Yu Zhu comes over holding a ledger.

"Miss Meng, I just checked and found that the second miss of the Meng Family is a junior member of Yunxiang Pavilion, but the silver inside can only be used by the second miss herself."

"Second miss? Meng Qingrong?"

"Yes."

Meng Qingrong? How could she…

Impossible!

Even the legitimate daughter of the Minister's Residence hasn't, she's just a lowly concubine daughter, yet dares to ride on my head!

People around burst into snickering.

"I see now, even the legitimate daughter of the Minister's Residence isn't favored! She's even worse than the second miss of the residence."

"The second miss is of concubine birth! A legitimate daughter can't even compare to a concubine…"

The successive remarks turn Meng Qinghe's complexion from flushed red to a dark greenish black. Su Yuqing listens to the gossip, feeling extremely satisfied.

She extends a finger, taps the jade‑faced ointment on the table: "Buy more? Ouch, I just remembered, you don't need to buy, you can go ask your half‑sister for a jar."

A legitimate daughter taking advantage of a concubine's benefit—how is that different from publicly slapping?

"Su Yuqing, wait for me!" Meng Qinghe glared at her fiercely, then turned and left.

Su Yuqing, like a victorious rooster, lifts her chin, sneers, and walks toward the second floor.

Chi Nan Yi withdraws her gaze, and at that moment, Yu Zhu hurries into the elegant room, looking a bit flustered.

"Miss, the Meng family's miss seems to have recognized the servant."

"Hmm." Chi Nan Yi nods slowly: "No problem, I foresaw this day long ago."

Now the lifeline of the Meng family is already in her palm; even if they learn her identity, it doesn't matter.

Having watched enough rookie squabbles, Chi Nan Yi directly returns to the Chi Family.

"Miss." As soon as she entered the main gate she bumped into Ji Bai: "Your subordinate is about to go find you."

"What happened?"

"It's not a big matter, Qing Shan wants to see you."

"No." Chi Nan Yi glances at the wall corner, her eyes sweep over a stray hem of clothing there, and says lightly: "I want to sleep, no time to see him."

"Miss, Qing Shan knows he's wrong."

"He knows he's wrong, why have you come to tell me? Is he mute?" Before Ji Bai could explain, she continued: "He hasn't done anything wrong to me; even if he admits fault, he shouldn't come before me."

As the words finish, she looks again at the corner; the person there had left at some point.

Ji Bai follows her gaze, smiles and says: "So you've discovered me."

"Can't you be any dumber?"

"By the way, Miss, the Dark Pavilion's news has arrived."

Ji Bai pulls out a list: "All the medicinal herbs you released have been successfully auctioned; besides Daqi participants, foreign nations also took part."

Chi Nan Yi looks at the list where the buyers of each herb are clearly recorded, nods: "Someone wants his leg restored, naturally someone else doesn't; they all know, if the herbs aren't complete, Mo Junyan's leg can't be healed, they'll do everything to block it." Chi Nan Yi folds the sheet, a smile appears: "Just wait! With this list alone, we can tell friend from foe."

Those who didn't submit the herbs must be on the opposite side of Mo Junyan.

Nevertheless, the auction was fruitful; the silver earned was considerable. At that moment, a guard arrives panting, carrying a large box.

"Presenting to Miss."

Chi Nan Yi looks at the familiar box in his hands, eyebrows twitch.

This… can't be what I think!

Chi Nan Yi carefully flips through the list; on the last page, last line clearly reads: Chi Family — Hundred-Year Rehmannia Root.

So…

She's selling to herself, selling to her own people?

Carrying the medicine case to old master Chi's courtyard.

"Yi'er, quick, come see how Grandfather's calligraphy looks."

Chi Nan Yi approaches, places the box on the table.

"This… what is it?"

"I thought you knew!" Chi Nan Yi says with a half‑smile: "You know Mo Junyan's leg is fine, why buy this Hundred-Year Rehmannia Root? Got money nowhere to spend?"

"Who says I'm buying it for him?"

"Then what do you intend to do with it? Soak in water? Soak feet?"

"You brat!" Old Master Chi glowers: "Asking knowingly."

"Aren't you disliking Mo Junyan?"

"Who said that?" Chi Zhongshan whispers: "The lad is decent, but he's far from becoming my grandson‑in‑law! I had it bought for you and for the Chi Family; now the Chi Family just returned to Jingcheng, wanting a pivotal influence there, we can't break faces with the court."

"Grandfather means first extend an olive branch to the court?"

"The court spares no effort to search for Divine Doctor's famous medicines for him, showing the emperor's regard for Prince Li; if one day you truly marry that stinky kid, Grandfather is already paving the way; the emperor, seeing this Hundred-Year Rehmannia Root, can't let you become a secondary consort."

Chi Nan Yi watches the old man's self‑satisfied cleverness, chuckles and shakes her head.

"Heard your newly opened shop is doing well, how's the daily income?"

Chi Nan Yi nods: "Fine."

Chi Zhongshan, hearing this, thought the profit was small, about to comfort, when Chi Nan Yi said lightly: "Just ten‑plus thousand taels of silver a day."

"Pfft…"

Startled, Chi Zhongshan, who was drinking tea, spurted out far away.

"How… how much? Over a hundred thousand taels of silver… per day?"

"Hmm."

"So that's what you call 'still okay'?"

Their graying beard bristled, and their eyes were filled with incredulous shock.

Having overseen the Chi Family for decades, they thought they had seen all kinds of large sums, but a daily income of over a hundred thousand taels was unheard of—a tale from a thousand‑and‑one nights!

It took them a long time to digest the matter.

My own granddaughter truly is something else.

As the saying goes, the moon curves over the nine provinces, some families rejoice while others lament.

The Chi Family celebrated joyously, but the Jiang Family, whose business was snatched by Chi Nan Yi, could not feel any happiness.

The Jiang Family owned several rouge and powder shops in Jingcheng, with very lucrative profits; customers came in a steady stream each day. Now that Yunxiang Pavilion has opened, those shops have not even a single silhouette to be seen.

How could they not be anxious?

Jiang Wan Yue furrowed their brows, looked at the bleak ledger on the table, and said coldly, "What is the background of this Yunxiang Pavilion?"

"Miss Hui, the Miss Meng of the Meng Family sent someone to say that Yunxiang Pavilion belongs to the Chi Family, and that the proprietor should be the lady of the Chi Family."