Chapter 246 Good boy

"Why?"

Xie Qi was puzzled, raised an eyebrow and said, "Do you think I'm embarrassing? Or did you think my entrance was undignified?"

As he spoke, Xie Qi thought of the man who looked like a pancake that he had seen earlier.

It smelled sour and astringent.

“We are husband and wife, what is there that cannot be said? Why should we hide it? Besides, Eunuch Yuan clearly knows, otherwise he wouldn’t have said that he would see you when he arrived in the capital.”

“Your father-in-law knows, but what's the point of keeping it a secret from those merchants outside? You…”

Xie Qi's voice was laced with sarcasm, his dark eyes glazing over: "Who don't you want to know we're husband and wife?"

The more he talked, the more anxious he became.

Unable to sit still any longer, Xie Qi stood up and headed out.

Where are you going?

"Go and announce that you are my wife."

"sit down."

Xie Qi paused upon hearing this, turned back with a mournful expression, and looked at her with a pitiful expression.

Do you know what our relationship is with those people outside?

Xie Qi nodded.

Shen Yuanzhu asked, "Since we are husband and wife, are Jixia Manor and Xiecui Workshop considered one shop or two shops?"

"this……"

Shen Yuanzhu lowered her eyes: "Most people look down on women in their boudoirs and never believe that women can hold official positions or engage in commerce. Once word gets out that you and I are husband and wife, Xiecui Workshop..."

"It will then be assumed that it is your business."

She stood up and looked at Xie Qi: "Since my mother handed over Xie Cui Fang to me, I have devoted a lot of energy to it."

"But even so, once people know that we are husband and wife, they will only think that this property belongs to my husband."

Even an iron lady like Xie San Niang, who single-handedly supported the vast Xie family, was not immune to the common fate. In the Suzhou Chamber of Commerce, Xie Shan was always the one who received the most praise.

In the marketplace, what right do women have to call their names?

Her eyes held a mocking glint, her intention to ridicule clear.

Xie Qi suddenly felt a pang of heartache.

He said solemnly, "That's because people are shallow. They only know how to talk about whether kings and generals are born with a special destiny, but they don't know the Dao of Yin and Yang."

"Yang alone cannot produce life, and Yin alone cannot grow; when Yin and Yang are out of balance, it is a disease."

“Yuanzhu, I have never thought that women cannot do business, nor have I ever thought that women are inferior to men in business.”

He looked at Shen Yuanzhu and suddenly realized how difficult it must have been for her to run Xiecuifang incognito all these years.

For some reason, Xie Qi's eyes showed a hint of pride: "Yuanzhu, do you know how surprised I was by your methods when I dealt with Xiecuifang?"

"You were bold and decisive. In just over ten days, you wiped out an old shop on the spot. When I saw your skills, I was impressed by your abilities."

Shen Yuanzhu gritted her teeth, her eyes wide open.

She stuck out a finger and poked Xie Qi's shoulder hard: "So you just copied them and used those methods on Xie Cui Fang?"

This was also what angered her the most back then.

In the business world, things are unpredictable and unconventional, and unusual methods are commonplace.

She was not afraid of losing, but the battle with Jixia Manor made her feel uncomfortable for quite some time.

At this moment, Shen Yuanzhu couldn't help but poke it hard again.

Xie Qi held her wrist and gently blew on her reddened fingertips.

Then he whispered, "Your methods are impressive; I was just learning..."

Seeing her puffed-out cheeks, Xie Qi happily leaned over and gave her a kiss: "Yuanzhu, you're amazing..."

"..."

He genuinely admired her and never thought anything of women doing business.

After thinking for a while, he said, "Yuanzhu, I despise Xie Sanniang, but I also admire her. Now, I admire you too."

"As you can see, it is not easy for a woman to go about her business, like rowing against the current. But it is precisely because of this that once she stands out, she proves that a woman who has emerged from a group of men is stronger than thousands of men."

"Those people refuse to acknowledge the woman's success not because they look down on her, but because they are afraid of her."

"When they can't win in the business world, they resort to dirty rumors and gossip to suppress any promising young women..."

"But these things prove nothing other than that those people are stupid, naive and incompetent."

Xie Qi held Shen Yuanzhu's hand and said affectionately, "I'm different. I think my wife is very capable."

He was so powerful that he was always afraid that Yuanzhu would abandon him, which made him anxious and insecure.

“Yuanzhu, sometimes I think, if only I were as stupid and dull as Xie Xuchuan, I would have your unwavering belief that you would never leave me.”

Xie Qi was already very afraid even before he knew she was the manager of Xiecuifang.

Now that he knows that his Yuanzhu has such methods and abilities, he is even more afraid.

Hearing that she didn't want to acknowledge their relationship, Xie Qi felt as if his heart was being twisted by something, and he felt so sour he was practically bubbling with jealousy.

The sour smell was impossible to hide; it gushed out as soon as he opened his mouth.

"So, if you don't want to call us husband and wife, then so be it. There's no reason for you to endure the spittle of fools just to give me a title..."

"I'm not afraid of what they'll say."

Xie Qi's eyes lit up: "What's that?"

Shen Yuanzhu looked at Xie Qi, and for some reason, she suddenly smiled sweetly.

She believed Xie Qi's words today.

Although he suffered from a head ailment, he truly did, as he said, never consider how women should be born or how they should be.

This is probably why she repeatedly succumbed to him and compromised for him.

Looking at Xie Qi's adoring eyes, Shen Yuanzhu suddenly felt at ease.

She belatedly realized that after becoming husband and wife, she had never been afraid that he might have any negative thoughts about her once he found out she was the manager of Xiecuifang.

Such remarks include those about greed, denigration, and the belief that women should not appear in public to do business.

Even a disapproving glance was enough for her to be convinced that Xie Qi would never show that expression.

She didn't know when she had come to trust Xie Qi so much.

Shen Yuanzhu looked at him and softened her voice: "Xie Cui Fang and Ji Xia Zhuang, one has the Scale Pattern Dyeing, and the other has the Crown of Heroes. These are the two honors that the two of us can obtain."

"As two families, we can advance or retreat as we wish. As long as my father-in-law doesn't spread rumors, we can find multiple ways out."

“Since the Imperial Wardrobe has already taken a liking to the scale-patterned dye, it’s impossible for it to appear in large quantities in the market. If the officials are unreasonable and ban the sale of all the good things in my shop, your Jixia Manor will be my way out.”

"If Linwenran fails to win the favor of the noble ladies in the palace, Guan Qunying will not be affected and can continue to compete for the imperial merchant position."

Shen Yuanzhu said, "I've thought about it. Since Eunuch Yuan hasn't brought it up himself, we two shouldn't bring it up ourselves."

"Moreover, Shen Yanhuai is my elder brother. All the people from Suzhou Prefecture are bound together as one family, which could easily lead to a situation where everyone prospers or suffers together."

She stroked her chin and blinked, saying, "So, we have to prevent others from using these things as a pretext."

"What if someone suggests that the three of us should be considered one, and whoever loses should be eliminated? That would be such a loss..."

Xie Qi saw Shen Yuanzhu's mouth open and close, her lips red and teeth white with a hint of glistening, looking very approachable.

He stared intently at her, and finally couldn't resist kissing her.

"Yuanzhu, as long as you promise not to leave me, I will agree to anything you say, and I will obediently agree to everything."