The journey to Hongdu Prefecture was mostly spent on the boat, with the view consisting mainly of the river and water. However, listening to Lu Xun and the others chat, and occasionally hearing Liu Yanping and Lu Chengxiao share stories of their trading experiences, made the trip quite novel for Liu Yu and Lu Shuang, who were not used to traveling far. The few days on the river were far from boring or tedious.
Returning to Hongdu Prefecture after two months, both Lu Xun, Lu Chengzong, and Liu Yu were no longer as anxious and uncertain as they had been on their previous visit. The purchasing process went very smoothly this time. In particular, the fabrics Liu Yu needed for the Joyful Jiangnan series, combined with the large quantities required by Lu Feng, made Lu Xun, who was once an unremarkable customer, now garner the attention of the fabric store manager, and the staff treated him with noticeably more enthusiasm.
Liu Yu and Lu Shuang took the lead in selecting the fabrics, while Lu Xun, Lu Chengxiao, and Liu Yanping focused on bargaining.
Aside from the honest and straightforward Lu Chengzong, everyone from the Lu family was quite shrewd. They didn’t accept the original price for the large order of fabrics needed for the Joyful Jiangnan series. Even though the staff insisted that the pricing was fixed, Liu Yanping managed to find the manager. The three of them showcased their bargaining skills and painted a promising picture for the manager, eventually negotiating a five percent discount on the main fabrics for the Joyful Jiangnan collection.
After settling the bill and as they were about to head to the next fabric store, the manager came out to see them off with a smile.
By coincidence, just as they stepped outside, they ran into Qian Hong, who was also there to purchase goods.
Of the group, apart from Liu Yanping and Lu Shuang, the Lu family trio and Liu Yu all recognized Qian Hong. He was such a notable figure that, if they hadn’t run into him face-to-face, Liu Yu might have almost forgotten about him.
Qian Hong was with a friend and looked extremely embarrassed at the moment. If, during their last encounter, he had managed to come up with a flimsy excuse about a lost letter, giving Lu Xun some plausible deniability, this time he had no such cover.
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Ckyd Tsdt bye psxl kely sq obyv bye byrrldle okvb bkp casvbla-kd-zyo’p qyxkzu, yde vbkdtp bye tsvvld ps cye vbyv kv oyp nzlya vbl Nw qyxkzu jdlo obyv bl bye esdl. Ckyd Tsdt qlzv wvvlazu ypbyxle, blpkvyvkdt plhlayz vkxlp clqsal yojoyaezu nwrrkdt bkp qkpvp vsoyae Nw Dwd kd y tlpvwal sq alprlnv, vbswtb bl nswzed’v cakdt bkxplzq vs nyzz bkx “Jasvbla Nw.”
Nw Dwd eked’v pyu xwnb; bl fwpv dseele yv Ckyd Tsdt, vbld vwadle yoyu okvbswv zssjkdt yv bkx ytykd. Rdpvlye, bl prsjl vs vbl xydytla sq vbl qycakn pvsal, “Yydytla Nkw, rzlypl ralryal vbl tssep ol saelale vseyu. El’zz nsxl cu kd vbl yqvladssd vs rknj vblx wr, yde kq usw nswze blzr wp byhl vblx elzkhlale vs vbl csyv, vbyv oswze cl talyv.”
Mbl xydytla alprsdele okvb y pxkzl, nwrrkdt bkp bydep kd y tlpvwal sq alprlnv. “Xq nswapl, sq nswapl. Fyql vayhlzp, Yydytla Nw.”
Ckyd Tsdt yde bkp qaklde olal zlqv clokzelale, vbkdjkdt, “Ebyv’p tskdt sd blal?”
Kwpv vbld, y qyxkzkya pbsr yppkpvydv dsvknle Ckyd Tsdt yde bkp nsxrydksd yde nyxl swv vs tallv vblx. “Yydytla Ckyd, blal vs pvsnj wr vseyu? Vzlypl, nsxl sd kd.”
Ckyd Tsdt tzydnle cynj yv Nw Dwd yde bkp taswr, obs olal oyzjkdt yoyu, clqsal vwadkdt vs vbl pbsr yppkpvydv yde iwklvzu kdiwkakdt, “Ebu oyp Yydytla Nw valyvle okvb pwnb ldvbwpkypx cu uswa xydytla?”
Mbl pbsr yppkpvydv, obs bye plahle Nw Dwd’p taswr lyazkla, alnstdkgle Ckyd Tsdt yde alxlxclale vbyv Nw Dwd wple vs nsxl okvb bkx vs cwu tssep. Tl vbswtbv kv shla clqsal alrzukdt, “Elzz, Yydytla Nw rwanbyple y zsv sq tssep vseyu, ps bl’p dso nsdpkelale y ckt nzkldv, obknb kp obu swa xydytla vssj shla bkp plahknl.”
Ckyd Tsdt’p xkde oyp aynkdt. Tl alnstdkgle Nw Ubldtgsdt yde Nw Ubldtmkys yde bye plld Nkw Zw clqsal, cwv vbl svbla xyd yde osxyd olal wdqyxkzkya vs bkx. Fs, bl ypjle vbl yppkpvydv, “Gal vblu cwukdt kd y taswr?”
The assistant smiled and replied, “Not exactly. From the way they addressed each other, they seem to be a family, all related.”
Qian Hong was puzzled. He wondered how the Lu family suddenly had relatives running a fabric shop. Why would they have needed his help before if they had such connections?
This wasn’t entirely his fault. Li Cunyi was upset with the Qian family and was on cold terms with his wife. Neither he nor Li Zhongjue wanted to discuss the Lu family, so even though it wasn’t planned, neither had mentioned to Mrs. Qian that the Lu family had opened a new branch or that Liu Yu had started her own embroidery shop.
With Mrs. Qian in the dark, how could Qian Hong have known? Hearing that Lu Xun had become a major client at the fabric store left him perplexed. He asked, “So how much did they order this time?”
The shop assistant looked around to ensure no one was paying attention and then whispered, “It was a huge order. Just for the Joyful Jiangnan series, they took over fifty bolts of each color.”
Yes, over fifty bolts of each color. Besides the orders already placed, Liu Yu had reserved extra in case of additional orders and had accounted for the new distributors Liu Yanan had secured. Plus, with Lu Feng’s fabric shops expanding into over a dozen towns, the two businesses together ordered over fifty bolts of each color for more than a dozen fabric types.
Ordering over fifty bolts of each color, and not just for one type but for several, made them a significant customer at the fabric store. The Joyful Jiangnan fabrics weren’t expensive, but the fabric store wasn’t concerned with the price per yard. The sheer quantity ordered indicated both the Lu family’s current strength and potential, which naturally earned them special treatment from the manager.
Qian Hong was dumbfounded—fifty bolts of each color???
In disbelief, he turned to look in the direction where Lu Xun and his group had disappeared. But they had already gone into another fabric store, and there was no sign of them on the street.
Fifty bolts…
Even Qian Hong’s friend, who had come with him to buy fabrics, couldn’t help but ask, “Weren’t they tagging along with you to buy goods just two months ago? How could they be making such large orders now?”
Yes, just two months ago, how could they suddenly be making such massive purchases?
Fifty bolts… The number kept echoing in Qian Hong’s mind.
For the next few days on the boat, this thought kept circling in Qian Hong’s head. As soon as he returned to Yuanzhou and delivered the fabrics to his shop, he couldn’t sit still and immediately went to the Li family.
He explained how he had run into the Lu family in Hongdu and asked Qian Shi, “Do you know what’s going on?”
Qian Shi had no idea. She had been troubled by the Lu family ever since the incident. Never in her life had she experienced such a setback.
She didn’t want to talk about the Lu family, but Qian Hong couldn’t help but want to find out more. He had tricked Lu Xun once, and now seeing the Lu family seemingly thriving made him uneasy. He insisted that Mrs. Qian ask around, “Isn’t Zhongjue still in contact with the Lu family? Ask him about it, or I’ll keep worrying about this.”
Madam Qian knew that her brother had offended the Lu family on her behalf. Though she thought her brother might be overthinking things—after all, it was just a small fabric shop, and how could it grow so quickly in just two months—she felt responsible for the situation she had created. So, she agreed, saying, “You don’t need to worry too much. It’s just that they’re not working with us anymore. Do you really think they would seek revenge?”
Qian Hong shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’m just a bit curious.”
Madam Qian nodded weakly. “Alright, I’ll ask Zhongjue later and let you know if I find anything out.”
~
After Qian Hong left, Qian Shi waited until the evening when Li Zhongjue returned home. When he came to the main room to greet her, she asked him about the situation.
Li Zhongjue wasn’t too surprised when she brought it up. He replied, “Didn’t you know, Mother? Uncle Lu’s family now has three fabric shops, and Chengxiao’s wife’s embroidery business is also doing quite well.”
“But no matter how well it’s doing, could they really be ordering fifty bolts of a single color?”
This was the specific detail Qian Hong had asked Madam Qian to investigate.
Li Zhongjue had just been to Anyi County at the end of September, so he knew that the Lu family’s fabric shop in the county had long since been converted into an fabric emporium. However, knowing that his uncle had asked his mother to inquire about this, he instinctively didn’t go into detail. He simply said, “Chengxiao and his brother-in-law often travel to Zhejiang and Jiangsu, doing business in fabrics. Maybe they’re buying fabric from the stores and selling it along the way. There’s nothing unusual about that.”
Qian Shi’s thoughts were actually elsewhere. She was only asking to give her brother an answer. However, upon hearing that the Lu family had expanded their business so quickly, she didn’t know how to feel. This was entirely different from what she had expected.
She had thought the Lu family would struggle with the autumn fabric sales and that their next round of stocking up would be even more difficult. But now? They had become major clients of the fabric stores.
What had she been doing all this time? Had she not been playing the villain for nothing, and even ended up hurting herself in the process?
She thought about how Li Cunyi, after recovering from his illness, had packed up and left again for business trips, not even moving back into the main house before he left. Qian Shi felt a sharp pain in her chest.
She no longer had the energy to talk to her son, so she waved him away. After a long while, she called in her maid and gave her a few simple instructions, asking her to pass the message on to Qian Hong.
~
Meanwhile, the Lu family, who Qian Hong was so preoccupied with, were still on the waterway between Hongdu and Yuanzhou. Liu Yu was particularly focused on selecting fabrics, making rounds of all the major fabric stores. Since the embroidery shop also needed to stock up on embroidery threads and silk cotton, they were slower than Qian Hong on the return journey. As a result, Qian Hong arrived in Yuanzhou by mid-afternoon, while they didn’t arrive until the evening.
Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping still needed to find intermediaries in Yuanzhou and the surrounding counties to help them find shop locations, but Liu Yu was in a hurry to return to Anyi County to fulfill an order for 240 items.
So, when the boat docked briefly at Yuanzhou, Lu Chengxiao disembarked. As for Liu Yanping, Lu Chengxiao was uneasy about leaving Liu Yu and the others alone, so he had Liu Yanping stay with the boat to accompany them back to Anyi County. He himself went to seek help from Yang Cunxu.
Finding a shop in Yuanzhou would be much easier with Yang Cunxu, who lived there, rather than relying solely on intermediaries.
Liu Yanping was also concerned about his sister and the large shipment of goods. Although Lu Xun and Lu Chengzong were men, they would be helpless if they encountered bandits. Moreover, Liu Yanping was preoccupied with thoughts about the weaving and dyeing workshops. This trip to Hongdu was not just a simple business trip for him and Lu Chengxiao.
From the moment they entered the fabric market in Hongdu, their eyes had been constantly observing. They carefully estimated how the fabric stores operated, what their daily sales might be, how many customers each store had, and what the average transaction amount could be. Nothing escaped their notice.
The more they observed, the more determined they became to start a weaving and dyeing workshop. If they could get it up and running, there was no doubt that one day they could establish their own fabric store in such a bustling marketplace.
On their return journey, their eyes lit up as they discussed the possibilities, but now Liu Yanping was focused on checking out the plot of land his elder brother had mentioned. Even Liu Yu, despite the brief separation, was deeply engrossed in the work ahead. She and Lu Shuang had taken out their brushes and ink during the trip to sketch dress designs. With three collections to manage, the burden was heavy, and they needed to make the most of every available moment.
After sending Lu Chengxiao off the boat and giving him a few instructions, Liu Yu was ready to return and join Lu Shuang in finalizing the designs.
However, Lu Chengxiao noticed her indifference as she prepared to leave without a hint of reluctance. For a moment, he felt a pang of disappointment.
Ignoring the fact that Lu Xun and the others were on the boat nearby, he grabbed Liu Yu’s hand, not letting go.
Liu Yu looked at him in confusion.
Lu Chengxiao sighed, “You’re really that carefree? Not even a bit of hesitation?”
He was envious of those embroidery sketches and dresses.
Liu Yu burst into laughter. It was early evening at the dock—there weren’t many people around, but they weren’t alone either. She looked around and then glanced back at the boat, where Lu Xun and the others had already returned to the cabin. Liu Yu motioned for Lu Chengxiao to lean in.
He obliged, thinking she had something to whisper. He leaned closer, expecting her to say something, but instead, her soft lips brushed against the side of his face near his ear.
Lu Chengxiao’s throat tightened, his heart racing. He instinctively looked around, relieved to see that no one had noticed anything unusual. A smile broke out on his face, and the small disappointment he had felt earlier vanished in an instant.
He watched Liu Yu board the boat and waved as it sailed away, his ears still tingling with her words: “Wait for me to come home.”
Touching the right side of his face, where the warmth still lingered, Lu Chengxiao couldn’t help but smile. He stood there until the boat became a tiny speck in the distance before turning back toward Yuanzhou City.
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