The moonlight of Mid-Autumn Festival is like silver, coating Tianjin with a soft and clear glow. The lanterns under the eaves of Zheng's house sway gently in the evening breeze, casting mottled light and shadows. In the main hall, the silver plate on the long table glows golden under the reflection of the crystal chandelier. The fresh aroma of steamed hairy crabs on the plate and the rich fragrance of osmanthus wine interweave in the air, weaving a rich and attractive festive atmosphere.

Ye Qiulan straightened the magnolia hairpin on her temples. She turned her eyes and saw her daughter Zheng Wanqing holding Xie Yun's arm affectionately and stepping through the hanging flower gate. Ye Qiulan's eyebrows were suddenly full of smiles, and she immediately stood up from the quaint rosewood armchair. She was wearing an indigo brocade cheongsam, and the fine stitches and exquisite textures showed her extraordinary craftsmanship. The pearl brooch on her lapel swayed gently with her tassels as she walked, making her look more dignified and gentle, showing the style of a matriarch.

"Finally you're here." Ye Qiulan took her daughter's hand and patted it gently, her eyes full of love. "The crab meat dumplings have just been steamed in the kitchen. They won't get cold any more." When she turned to look at Xie Yun, her eyes were full of respect. "Young Marshal has been busy with military affairs recently. He looks a little thinner than last time."

Third Aunt Zhang stood quietly at the side, with a frivolous smile in her phoenix eyes. "Qingyi, why don't you greet your brother-in-law?" She tugged at her daughter's wide sleeves embroidered with winding branches.

Zheng Qingyi's makeup for the day was particularly elaborate, and her lips were as juicy as ripe pomegranate seeds. She took a half step forward, with just the right amount of cuteness between her eyebrows. When her eyes met Xie Yun's, a hint of shyness and expectation flashed in her eyes, and her cheeks flushed slightly. The hem of her pink cheongsam swept across the blue brick floor, making a slight rustling sound.

Four months ago, Zheng Qingyi first met Xie Yun at her elder sister Zheng Wanqing's wedding. At that time, Xie Yun was wearing a neat military uniform, standing tall in the middle of the auditorium, and his shiny boots were like a mirror, reflecting his figure clearly. At that time, she could only see his resolute profile that looked like it was carved by a knife and an axe, across the full room of guests, but it was enough to make her, who was just beginning to fall in love, admire him.

At this moment, Xie Yun had changed out of his military uniform and was wearing a dark grey Hangzhou silk gown. His oiled hair fell down from his forehead, adding a bit of bookish air to him. He lost the fierce aura he had on the battlefield and looked more gentle and elegant.

"Brother-in-law is fine." Zheng Qingyi bowed slightly, her voice as clear as a bell.

She clearly remembered her mother whispering to her in the inner room last night: "Qingyi, you are almost 15 years old, and it is time to make plans for your life. Do you still expect your aunt to find you a good marriage? As the governor of Tianjin, Xie Shaoshuai is a favored son of heaven, the ideal husband that many girls dream of. In the whole Tianjin Guard, which young man can be compared with him?"

Afterwards, Zheng Qingyi unconsciously put all her thoughts on her brother-in-law. At this moment, she looked at Xie Yun boldly, and saw that his black hair fell loosely between his eyebrows. This appearance made her admiration surge like a tide.

Zheng Shaoqi sat upright in a seat, wearing a dark brown satin gown, with a solemn expression, a newspaper tightly clenched in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

The third aunt sat beside Zheng Shaoqi, her eyes constantly moving between Xie Yun and Zheng Qingyi, and from time to time she would wink at Zheng Qingyi, signaling her to add more wine for Xie Yun. Zheng Qingyi's carefully manicured nails were dyed with bright balsam juice. When pouring the wine, she raised her wrist slightly, and her sleeves slowly slid down, revealing a wrist as white as snow.

Xie Yun took the wine glass calmly, but just put it aside. He turned to Zheng Wanqing and whispered, "I'll take you to the night market later. I heard that the lantern festival at the Pear Inn this year is particularly lively."

Zheng Wanqing raised the corners of her lips and was about to respond, but Zheng Shaoqi suddenly put the newspaper down heavily, and a long sigh broke the brief warmth.

"Young Marshal, this time it's all thanks to you." Zheng Shaoqi raised his glass solemnly, his eyes full of gratitude, "If you hadn't informed me in advance, I'm afraid this batch of goods would have suffered heavy losses."

Zheng Wanqing keenly caught the pause in her father's words and followed his gaze, only to see her second brother Zheng Yuming's eyes evading and his face panicking. Seeing this, the second concubine hurriedly tried to smooth things over, secretly exerting force with her nail-painted hands, pinching her son's arm tightly: "Yuming, why don't you thank the young commander?"

Zheng Wanqing was startled, looked at her father, and asked with concern: "Dad, what happened?"

Zheng Shaoqi shook his head helplessly and smiled bitterly, "The British are going to impose an additional tax on cotton imports in early October, which is a three-fold increase! Yuheng's friends at the customs leaked the news in advance, but the news has not been officially announced yet."

Zheng Wanqing understood instantly that the Zheng family's cotton yarn factory was also exported to the UK. If the tariffs rose suddenly, the orders would definitely decrease significantly, which would undoubtedly be a heavy blow to the Zheng family's business.

The second concubine knew that her son Zheng Yuming, as the person in charge of cargo at the dock, neglected his duties, threw the cargo to his subordinates, and ran to the casino to have fun. Zheng Shaoqi glanced at Zheng Yuming, and after this, he did not dare to hand over the entire business to him.