Lu Huaihai also cast a calm glance at Xie Miao’er.
Upon seeing this, Xie Miao’er gave a faint smile.
It seemed that she had experienced too many absurd things, causing her thoughts to become increasingly fanciful. Just now, for a brief moment, she had wondered if Zhang Duan’s death could have been Lu Huaihai avenging her.
How could that be possible? They had only known each other for just over a month.
She shook her head, discarding the unrealistic thought, and said to Wen Ying with resentment, “That kind of scoundrel must have offended someone and gotten targeted.”
Wen Ying initially didn’t intend to tell this neighboring little sister the rumors circulating in the neighborhood. In her impression, Xie Miao’er was still the little girl who used to trail behind her, calling her “Second Sister.” But after a moment of consideration, she remembered that Xie Miao’er was now married, so she lowered her voice even more, grabbed her by the arm, and said, “I heard people say that the man surnamed Zhang died of Ma Shang Feng1.”
Xie Miao’er asked with an innocent tone, “What is Ma Shang Feng?”
Her tone was so naive that she openly and clearly articulated the three syllables of “Ma Shang Feng” without any reservation.
Wen Ying immediately reached out to cover her mouth, glancing nervously around. After making sure no one was looking at them, she let out a sigh of relief.
Behind them, Lu Huaihai, who had been standing silently, nearly choked on his own saliva.
“Lower your voice!” Wen Ying hastily scolded.
Xie Miao’er, not understanding what she had said wrong, broke free from Wen Ying’s hand and asked in confusion, “Is it falling off a horse and dying?”
Lu Huaihai coughed lightly, helping them escape the awkwardness of the topic by reminding them in a calm voice, “It’s getting late.”
Remembering her original purpose of coming out, which was to inspect the Xie family’s textile workshop, Xie Miao’er turned to Wen Ying and asked, “Second Sister, do you have anything else to do?”
“I don’t have anything to do, but a few days ago, your stepmother sent a letter from the countryside. Since I ran into you, I won’t need to go to the Lu residence to pass the message and can just tell you directly.”
“What did she say?”
“Nothing much, just that she wants you to bring them back to the city,” Wen Ying said.
Before Xie Miao’er could respond, Lu Huaihai suddenly took two steps forward and firmly answered on her behalf, “Not for now. We’ll talk about it later.”
Wen Ying, already intimidated by the presence of an official’s son, became even more fearful in the face of his imposing demeanor. She didn’t dare to say much and only stammered, “Alright, then I’ll tell them that. Miao’er, you two go about your business. You… take care of yourself.”
After bidding farewell to Wen Ying, Xie Miao’er asked Lu Huaihai, “Why?”
She didn’t believe that Lu Huaihai would harm her. If he was against her family returning to the city, there must be another reason.
She had a persistent personality and had to get to the bottom of things, so Lu Huaihai explained, “Zhang Duan is dead. His family is domineering and will definitely not let it go easily. Since your family has had conflicts with him, it’s best to lay low for now.”
Zhang Duan’s death had been unexpected for Lu Huaihai. According to his original plan, dealing with him in one go would have been too straightforward—both letting him off easy and drawing unnecessary attention to himself. However, since the man was now dead, this was the best way to handle it.
Moreover, delaying her family’s return to the city aligned with the Old Madam’s advice for her to avoid encountering her family for the time being.
Hearing Lu Huaihai’s explanation, Xie Miao’er found it very reasonable. She nodded and sincerely said, “I didn’t think that far ahead just now. Young Master, you’re much more thorough.”
Despite the compliment, Lu Huaihai’s expression remained indifferent.
Xie Miao’er, as if unintentionally, casually asked, “Where did the deed to the textile workshop come from?”
Without looking at her, Lu Huaihai, who was currently renting a carriage from the clerk at the stable, casually replied, “I bought it. Zhang Duan was a gambler. He lost and sold it.”
So that’s how it was… Xie Miao’er didn’t say anything more and quietly followed behind him.
The stable boy eagerly prepared the horse, and only then did Xie Miao’er realize that Lu Huaihai hadn’t hired a coachman—he was taking on the role himself.
She hesitated for a moment before climbing into the carriage. The curtain was left undrawn, allowing her to see Lu Huaihai seated on the driver’s seat.
He held the reins in his hands, one leg propped up casually.
—Lu Huaihai didn’t like riding in carriages, finding them stifling. If it weren’t for accompanying Xie Miao’er, he much preferred horseback. This was his first time driving a carriage for someone, and the thought made him chuckle softly.
The scenery sped past on either side of him, and for a fleeting moment, his figure seemed to merge entirely with the era, moving ever forward in Xie Miao’er’s eyes.
She clenched her fists tightly.
—
The western city was full of winding alleys, branching out like tree limbs. The Xie family’s cloth workshop was nestled in one such alley.
This area was home to many weaving and dyeing workshops, and among them, the Xie family’s workshop was considered relatively large.
The workshop’s manager was a middle-aged man with a lean build, named Cheng Yuandao. In the past, Xie Miao’er’s father had handled the accounts and managed the supply and sales of fabrics, leaving the day-to-day operations to Cheng Yuandao.
When Cheng Yuandao saw Xie Miao’er arrive with a young man, he froze briefly before stepping forward to greet them.
He acknowledged Xie Miao’er with a polite nod and then squinted slightly, casting a sharp glance at Lu Huaihai. “Young Master Lu.”
Being recognized didn’t surprise Lu Huaihai. He simply nodded as an acknowledgment but refrained from speaking before Xie Miao’er had her say.
Xie Miao’er had met this uncle before, but she skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point: “The Xie family experienced some misfortunes recently, but I’ve reclaimed the deed to the workshop. I’ll still need to trouble you in the future, Uncle Cheng.”
Cheng Yuandao was no fool. He grasped the situation within a few sentences. Internally, he thought to himself that the Xie family’s young mistress marrying into the Lu family as a concubine might not have been a bad thing after all—at least…
He stole another glance at Lu Huaihai. At least now, the workshop had a solid backing.
Cheng Yuandao sighed and said, “Ah, about your father’s passing—I only found out afterward. I’m just a worker and couldn’t do much. Thinking back, I regret not being able to help.”
Xie Miao’er wasn’t worldly, but she wasn’t naive either. She could discern how much of this was genuine and how much was polite lip service. She simply smiled faintly and said, “It’s kind of you to say so. If my father knows this in the afterlife, he would feel comforted.”
After a brief exchange, Cheng Yuandao noticed that Xie Miao’er didn’t seem as immature as he had remembered. Relieved, he brought up a concern.
“Previously, due to Zhang Duan’s interference, the workshop’s operations were disrupted. We couldn’t complete the summer fabrics in time, and our supply chain was obstructed. What do you think, Little Manager?”
In the past, Cheng Yuandao had referred to Xie Miao’er’s father as the manager. Now that his daughter was taking over, he addressed her as “Little Manager.”
Bringing up this issue, Cheng Yuandao was subtly testing her abilities.
Lu Huaihai caught onto this but remained silent, waiting to see how Xie Miao’er would respond.
Xie Miao’er had already planned her approach beforehand, and her smile didn’t waver in the slightest.
She spoke candidly: “Uncle Cheng, to be honest, my father never discussed the workshop’s affairs with me while he was alive. I don’t know anything about procurement or sales. Even if I’d overheard bits and pieces, I could never compare to someone like you, who has been managing this place for years.”
Cheng Yuandao frowned. “Little Manager, are you saying…?”
“What I mean is, moving forward, the workshop’s operations will depend on your hard work,” Xie Miao’er said steadily. “I’m not suited for frequent trips to the marketplace. I’ll handle the accounts, but the rest will be in your hands.”
Her frank admission of her lack of knowledge actually put Cheng Yuandao more at ease.
Seizing the moment, Xie Miao’er continued, “This season’s loss is unfortunate, but we’ll need time to get the workshop back on track anyway. Apart from your usual monthly wages, I propose a profit-sharing system—going forward, you’ll receive three percent of the workshop’s earnings. How does that sound?”
Lu Huaihai quietly listened to the exchange.
First, showing weakness to the other party, then using incentives to win them over—it felt like she had read quite a few military strategy texts, didn’t it?
Xie Miao’er didn’t realize that Lu Huaihai was observing her—she was fully focused on watching Cheng Yuandao’s reaction.
To be honest, she was a little afraid of revealing her inexperience.
Finally, Cheng Yuandao responded, “Since the Little Manager trusts me, I’ll give it a try. However, the earnings this season are thin, and maintaining the workshop’s operations…”
There was no need to play guessing games with a clever person. Xie Miao’er replied directly, “Then let’s start from the next season. As for how to run the workshop, I believe you, Uncle Cheng, know better than I do.”
She understood that Cheng Yuandao certainly knew how to manage procurement and sales. It was just that when her father was in charge, there was no need for him to take on those responsibilities. When Zhang Duan took over, he didn’t manage things properly. As someone just earning a salary, Cheng Yuandao wouldn’t have taken the risk of handling business on his own and risking losses.
Thus, the matter was settled. The two of them also finalized some smaller details and specifics about handing over the accounts. That concluded their business for the day.
Stroking his goatee, Cheng Yuandao watched Xie Miao’er and Lu Huaihai as they left.
Having dealt with the matters of the workshop successfully, Xie Miao’er’s eyes and brows were full of joy. Seeing her expression, Lu Huaihai couldn’t help but comment, “You’re quite clever.”
Xie Miao’er’s smile deepened, her brows arching as she looked at him. “Of course! Besides, I spent the entire night thinking about it.”
But more importantly, her mother had taught her a valuable principle:
To manage an enterprise, you don’t need to know everything; you just need to employ people who understand it. Otherwise, with all the industries under the Xie family, would Madam Xie need to know how to weave fabric or farm?
Hearing her sigh, Lu Huaihai recalled how she had tossed and turned late into the night, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. “It truly was the entire night.”
After speaking, Xie Miao’er also realized something was off. She awkwardly rubbed the tip of her nose and said, “I’m sorry about that. I promise I’ll behave tonight.”
At this point, she suddenly remembered her “great achievement” of talking in her sleep and disturbing him in the middle of the night. Her head drooped even lower.
She asked Lu Huaihai, “Shaoye, have I been talking in my sleep recently?”
Lu Huaihai had planned to answer directly and tell her no, but seeing how her head was practically hanging to the ground, he felt a mischievous urge and lied, “Yes, you have.”
Xie Miao’er was startled and quickly raised her head to look at him. “What did I say?”
Lu Huaihai wasn’t good at lying.
Back in the day, even when his father broke sticks over his back, he still wouldn’t utter a single agreeable lie.
But her expression was just too vivid and amusing.
Lu Huaihai paused mid-step and countered, “Why don’t you guess?”
After saying that, he leisurely waited to see her reaction.
—
Footnotes:
- Ma Shang Feng(马上风): Literally translates to “wind on horseback.” It is a euphemism for sudden death due to physical overexertion, often during intimate activities.