Qin Yunuan was born with fine features, which made her easy to gain others’ trust. In addition, her faint smile and words that were as gentle as spring winds led the draper’s manager to be more rampant.
“Humph! I don’t care about your family background. Small as this draper is, it belongs to the Prince Ning’s Mansion. Madam, you won’t want to offend the Prince Ning’s Mansion, will you?”
Qin Yunuan nodded and gave a hint to Maner with a glance. Then Maner raised her head and exclaimed, “Open your eye wide! This is the Third Young Madam who was married to Prince Ning’s Mansion recently. Princess Ning already arranged her to take charge of the three shops. That is to say….”
“That is to say,” Qin Yunuan completed Maner’s words, “Manager, I won’t be afraid of offending Prince Ning’s Mansion.”
Finding the manager still suspicious, Maner took out the token of Prince Ning’s Mansion and put it right in front of the manager’s eyes so that he could see every detail of it, “Have you seen it clearly? Are you still doubting? Remember, Third Young Madam is not only the daughter-in-law in the Prince Ning’s Mansion, but she is also Infanta Ping in the fifth-grade of rank. According to your words and behavior, she has enough reasons to punish you.” Of course, Maner was only talking about it without action. She knew that Qin Yunuan didn’t want to worsen the problem. However, since Qin Yunuan, as one single woman, had to take over the shops from three wily old birds, it’s necessary for her to give them a head-on blow at the first encounter by making trouble. Otherwise, she wouldn’t gain their obedience.
The manager of the draper immediately understood the hidden meaning between her lines. The reason why Qin Yunuan wouldn’t be afraid of offending Qin Yunuan was that she belonged to it. He, on the other side, was nothing compared to her. He was no doubt looking for trouble by showing off right in front of his boss.
The manager was a man of affairs after all. When the shop assistant beside him pulled his sleeves, he soon came to sense from his hesitation. He showed a sincere and flattering smile, making a pretense of slapping himself, “It’s my fault! I fail to recognize you! I’m too arrogant!”
Just when the manager was saying, he tipped the shop assistant at the entrance a wink. Since the three shops were really close, the interests of the three managers were also closely tied to each other. If something happened to one of them, they would send information secretly to others, planning together.
However, Qin Yunuan also thought of it.
“Don’t hurry to send information to the jewelry store next door,” Qin Yunuan acted as a host, choosing the most comfortable seat to sit and pouring a cup of warm tea for herself, and raised her eyes with a smile, “Right now, the managers of the two shops next door won’t be in a situation as good as the one you’re in. Manager Qian, you should not worry about them.”
Startled, Manager Qian asked, “Third Young Madam, are you coming here for inspection? Oh, recently I purchased two batches of good material, which I was reluctant to sell. Third Young Madam, are you going to have a look?”
“I’m not here for material,” Qin Yunuan made herself clear, “I only want to check the account books.”
“Well…,” Manager Qian showed an embarrassed look. He glanced at only a few customers who came to view goods in the shop at noon, and saluted Qin Yunuan, “Third Young Madam, if you are convenient, please come into the cella.”
Of course, she was convenient, Qin Yunuan straightened her body, giving a hint that Maner and Ting Xue should guard outside, while Leng Shuang was left inside.
The cella was extremely tidy with decoration much more gorgeous than the one outside. There were golden tumblebugs carved in relief in the winding corridor. The place was as luxurious as the mansion of Grand Commandant. Even a place for the manager and fixer to rest temporarily could be so splendid. Qin Yunuan winked. It seemed that there were lots of profits in the three shops.
“Third Young Madam, please go this way,” Manager Qian led the way in the front. Across two winding corridors, they finally reached a quiet and quaint house. Only with a glance, Qin Yunuan inferred that it must be the core of the satin shop by the two precious pine and cypress outside the house. However, the aim of Manager Qian to take her here remained unclear. She didn’t believe that the business veteran would take out the account books tamely, or, the real one.
“Third Young Madam, please come in,” Manager Qian took out a complicated series of keys around his waist. He bustled about opening the door of the house for a long time. The moment it was opened, there came a faint, sweet smell inside.
Leading Qin Yunuan into the house, Manager Qian introduced, “This batch is called ‘Viburnums With Rain And Dew’. There are only two batches of it produced every year. It touches cool and is as soft as clouds. That’s why it is praised as the best. And this batch is called ‘Fireflies In the Night Rain’. This is because it can glow softly as fireflies do in the darkness, which is really beautiful! Also, this batch…”
“Manager Qian,” Qin Yunuan interrupted Manager Qian’s endless introduction decisively and mercilessly, “I don’t know your meaning. I only want to check the account books.” Actually, what Manager Qian meant was quite obvious, but Qin Yunuan must show a determined attitude at the beginning. There would be a long way to go, so she didn’t want to make any possible mistake.
“Hey,” Manager Qian showed a flattering smile, “Everyone loves beauty. Those batches of material are not available even in the palace. Third Young Madam, I want to offer them to you. Therefore, could you give me more time before giving the account books to you? After all….”
“Leng Shuang,” Qin Yunuan interrupted the sweet talk of Manager Qian. She asked Leng Shuang waiting outside the door to come in, pointed at those batches of gorgeous material in the house, and smiled to Manager Qian, “Sorry that I don’t quite get your meaning, Manager Qian. Are you saying that you will give them to me?”
By only talking about giving material, Qin Yunuan covered Manager Qian’s hint of not seeing the account books secretly. Manager Qian couldn’t make himself clear, so he nodded, “Of course, yes! Third Young Madam, if you like any of them, just take it away. It’s my shop’s honor to offer something you like.”
“Well, I like all of them,” Qin Yunuan nodded with a smile. Manager Qian thought that this Third Young Madam was really as greedy as a lioness. When he was negotiating with Grand Young Madam, he detested her voracity. Now he regretted refusing her invitation of making money together.
Although Manager Qian had such a thought, he still said reverently, “Now that you like all of them, Third Young Madam, just take them with you.”
“Can I do whatever I want to them?”
“They are already given to you, so they are yours now. Of course, you can do whatever you want to them.”
“Good,” Qin Yunuan nodded. She asked Leng Shuang to come close to her and whispered something. Poker-faced, Leng Shuang answered and walked directly to those batches of material which were in the worth of a city. She used her power skillfully, spreading one batch of material and splitting it into pieces with the sword around her waist. She was like a goddess scattering blossoms. Her sword was moving like a silver snake. The pieces of the white silk material fell to the ground like heavy and expensive snow, cooling Manager Qian’s heart as well.
Then, there was the second batch, the third batch…
Qin Yunuan watched the stunned Manager Qian calmly with a smile. It was not true that Manager Qian didn’t love those treasures in the worth of a city, but he was too shocked to act. Besides, even if he could act, he wouldn’t dare to oppose Third Young Madam in public.
It was not until Leng Shuang finished handling with the last batch of material that Qin Yunuan said to Manager Qian, “Manager Qian, I’ve already accepted the gift you give to me and finished dealing with them. Now, it’s time for me to check the account books.”
“Third Young Madam, I…,” Manager Qian was already speechless.
“What?” Qin Yunuan raise her tone a little with some doubt, “Do you still have any question? Or, Manager Qian, do you have another gift to me? Just take it out,” as she was saying, she pointed at Leng Shuang, “This maid of mine doesn’t have other advantages, but she is a great helper when I receive gifts.”
Having seen Leng Shuang’s skill just now, Manager Qian knew that he could not be tough. His servants might be beaten by the heroine before they could enter the yard. Nevertheless, he didn’t dare to be tough to the Third Young Madam of Prince Ning’s Mansion, which was his old boss.
“Third Young Madam, please show mercy,” Manager Qian abandoned the last chance of struggling. He kneeled down suddenly, appearing quite cowardly and timid with his 7-chi-tall body in front of Qin Yunuan, who was a newly married woman at the age of 15. Manager Qian said seriously and regretfully, “It’s my fault! I’m too greedy! However, I have parents and children…”
Qin Yunuan had already heard such words for countless times.
“Leng Shuang,” Qin Yunuan only spoke out a name, and Manager Qian was dragged away, lifted up, and thrown to the floor by great strength.
Leng Shuang stopped and glanced at Manager Qian coldly. Her eyes were filled with the intention to kill.
“If you really worry about your family, you shouldn’t cooperate with the managers of the other two shops to cook the books and cheat my mother-in-law at the beginning. If you have overstated the cost and squeezed on profit once, you will do it twice. You cannot stay in the draper anymore.”
Her words were determined.
Manager Qian gritted his teeth, seeming to make a very strong decision, “Then I would like to exchange a chance to stay with a secret about Grand Young Madam.”
Obviously, he was trying to make mischief between Qin Yunuan and Ruan Ruyi. They could not be count as allies, but…
Before Qin Yunuan could nod, Manager Qian couldn’t wait to say, “In fact, Grand Young Madam and Concubine Tang know that the three shops were hiding the profits during these years. What’s more, they also get money from it. They both say that since Princess Ning doesn’t take charge, they can ask her to get the shops and make money together with us.”
