Chapter 102 Eating the Demise of the Heir

Ruan Tianxin was deeply moved, her previous idea of ​​holding on to the bitter end completely overturned:

“I understand, Sister Yiqiu. It’s like… I left them the obvious targets while secretly taking away the real treasure. But…”

She quickly calmed down again.

"This operation requires extremely reliable people and channels. Liquidation, mortgaging, investment—every step must be flawless, and the Ruan family must remain vigilant. Such people..."

Song Yiqiu looked at her, knowing that she had grasped the core idea, and then smoothly introduced the topic:

“I know someone who might be able to help you. He is the owner of Dousheng Pavilion, surnamed Zhang. He used to be my adjutant. He is absolutely reliable, resourceful, and has connections in all walks of life in the capital. Handling this kind of asset transfer and investment is his forte.”

Ruan Tianxin's eyes lit up:

"Dousheng Pavilion? Is that the gambling... I mean, entertainment venue that's been all the rage lately, with such powerful backing?"

"It's him."

Song Yiqiu nodded.

"If you agree, I can introduce you to someone. He will help you assess which assets are most suitable for the operation, contact reliable buyers and money changers, and safely launder the subsequent funds, placing them in the name of someone you trust."

"Of course, all of this is on the premise that you are willing to take this step and completely trust his professional judgment."

Without hesitation, Ruan Tianxin took a deep breath and regained her usual cheerfulness:

"Of course I'm willing! It would be truly foolish to sit around starving while guarding a mountain of gold. Rather than waiting to be slowly devoured by them, it's better to take the initiative and seize control. As for worldly opinions and one's reputation..."

She scoffed.

"When I have enough money and can speak with my head held high, who will care about those things? Sister Yiqiu, please introduce me to Lieutenant Zhang!"

The thought of the Ruan family basking in the glory of their empty shell of a business while she herself left with real wealth was exhilarating!

Having made up her mind, Ruan Tianxin was in a great mood. Looking at the darkening sky outside the window, she stood up and said:

"It's getting late today, and Sister Yiqiu must be tired, so I won't bother you any longer. I'll come to see you again tomorrow when we set off back to Beijing. We can travel together and discuss the specifics of our plan in more detail, shall we?"

Song Yiqiu nodded:

"Okay, we'll talk about it on the way."

Ruan Tianxin then happily said goodbye and left, her steps much lighter.

After seeing Ruan Tianxin off, Song Yiqiu's gentle expression gradually faded, and she turned to Qingzhu:

"Qingzhu, have you made any progress on the matter I asked you to inquire about this afternoon?"

Qingzhu stepped forward and whispered:

“Miss, I haven’t been idle this afternoon. I did find out some things about Miss Ruan’s birth mother, Madam Su Yunning.”

She rested her hand on her forehead, gathered her thoughts, and continued.

"The general situation is consistent with what Miss Ruan herself said. Madam Su was originally the only daughter of Su Shang, the richest merchant in the capital, and her family was extremely wealthy. The current Master Ruan, Ruan Songxing, actually married into the Su family back then."

Bai Mei, listening from the side, widened her eyes and couldn't help but interject:

"Marrying into another family? Isn't that... taking advantage of someone who will never inherit their family fortune?"

Song Yiqiu nodded thoughtfully. Although Bai Mei was straightforward, she had indeed hit the nail on the head.

Qingzhu sighed and continued:

"That's fair to say. Madam Su's health had never been very good. She passed away in the first year after you went to the frontier, Miss. Shortly after, the old lady and master of the Su family, heartbroken over the loss of their daughter, also passed away one after another. The vast Su family business naturally fell into Ruan Songxing's hands."

Her tone was indignant, and her voice unconsciously rose.

"What is most chilling is that less than a year after Madam Su passed away, that Liu was brought into the mansion, along with a daughter who was even older than Miss Ruan. That same year, she was elevated to the status of a secondary wife. Miss Ruan's status as the legitimate daughter became merely nominal at that time."

Song Yiqiu listened silently, her fingertips tapping irregularly on the table.

As if remembering something, Qingzhu added:

“Speaking of Madam Su Yunning, Miss, you should have met her a few times. On the summer solstice of the year when the old lady encountered bandits, the old lady invited Madam Su to the mansion for a drink.”

“You were young then, still holding the infant Miss Ruan Er, and you were making a fuss about wanting Madam Su to give Miss Tianxin to you as your younger sister.”

After Qingzhu's reminder, Song Yiqiu suddenly remembered.

On summer afternoons in the past, a woman dressed in simple clothes would often sit under the wisteria trellis in her grandmother's yard, smiling as she watched her grandmother play with the baby in her arms.

When she was younger, she occasionally stayed at her grandmother's house and seemed to see this Mrs. Su often.

She would always bring sheet music or some books to see her grandmother. The two of them would dismiss everyone else and stay in the study for a long time, occasionally hearing faint music.

"It was...her?"

Song Yiqiu blurted out, feeling extremely surprised.

She tried hard to recall what Su Yunning looked like; in her memory, that face was always extremely pale.

At the time, I thought it was just a case of physical weakness, but now, connecting Qingzhu's words and thinking about those symptoms... it doesn't seem like ordinary physical weakness at all; it's more like chronic poisoning.

This thought made her heart sink.

Seeing Song Yiqiu's serious expression, Qingzhu asked in confusion:

"Young Miss, why are you suddenly investigating Miss Ruan's birth mother in such detail?"

Song Yiqiu snapped out of her reverie:

"Since we've decided to help her, we naturally need to know who we're helping and what's behind her, lest we... raise a tiger only to suffer the consequences."

Bai Mei, being straightforward, exclaimed in surprise:

"Miss, don't you trust Miss Ruan Er? She seems quite sincere to me!"

Song Yiqiu nodded and then shook her head, her gaze resolute:

"Those who deliberately approach you mostly have their own motives. These motives may be beneficial to you or not. What you need to do is not to trust or deny everything, but to figure out the nature of these motives."

"If it is beneficial, we can cooperate for mutual benefit. If it is not beneficial, we must detect it early and nip it in the bud. Only in this way can we remain invincible."

Bai Mei seemed to understand but not quite, and couldn't help but tease:

"Young Miss, if you put it that way, do you not even believe us?"

Qingzhu immediately tugged at her sleeve reproachfully:

"Bai Mei, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Upon hearing this, Song Yiqiu smiled slightly but did not answer directly.

"It's always better to be cautious than to be stabbed in the back in the future."

The next day, on the carriage returning to the capital.

As soon as Ruan Tianxin climbed into Song Yiqiu's carriage, she started chattering away, arms crossed and pouting:

"Sister Yiqiu, you have no idea, my dear sister Ruan Jiawen and that Miss Song Er got into that big carriage in front of us very early this morning."

"They said they didn't see my eldest and third brothers during the autumn hunt, so they wanted to quickly bring her home to strengthen their relationship. Humph, I think my good mother is just too anxious, afraid that this meeting will lead to the marriage being arranged between the two families."

"Honestly, it's as if my sister is some rare and precious treasure, and you're afraid that if you're a step too late, you won't get a good price."

She imitated Liu's tone of voice so vividly that Bai Mei covered her mouth and laughed.

Song Yiqiu waited until she finished complaining before speaking calmly:

"Sweetheart, did you take notes of the ideas I shared with you yesterday regarding the restructuring and transfer of your family businesses?"