Chapter 60 Spying on Shu Tang, I Will Help You

At noon, only six of the thirteen shopkeepers in the courtyard showed up, less than half the usual number.

Chang Geng looked dejected. He had invited them several times, but they either said they were unwell or too busy at the shop to get away.

In short, there was absolutely no time for him to see Lin Shutang.

Compared to Chang Gung's indignant expression, Lin Shu-tang had actually anticipated this.

The Lin family did not originate in Yizhou. Although it was not far from Yancheng, these people ultimately did not live under the Lin family's nose.

Now, amidst the chaos of war, these people, accustomed to ruling their own territory, are naturally unwilling to readily acknowledge Lin Shutang, the young master who has come to Yizhou to seek refuge.

Not to mention, she was just a little girl.

These people, relying on their seniority and connections, naturally don't take Lin Shutang seriously.

These people who came weren't necessarily loyal; they were just there to see what Lin Bainian's daughter was up to and what she was capable of.

Just treat it as a joke.

Fortunately, Lin Shutang wasn't entirely a hands-off manager or completely inflexible when he was in Yancheng.

When he instructed Chang Geng to find these people, he told them to bring the shop's account books from the past few months.

These people didn't take Lin Shutang seriously at all. They thought she was just a pretty face with no substance, nothing more than a pretty but useless woman.

If the visitor were Song Ying, Lin Bainian's eldest disciple, they might be willing to give him some face.

Therefore, they made little attempt to embellish the accounts, but unexpectedly, Lin Shutang seized the opportunity and quickly discovered the flaws in this short period of time, and immediately reprimanded several people.

Lin Shutang spoke clearly and logically, leaving the others speechless.

After several reprimands, with clear rewards and punishments, and a combination of firmness and leniency, the situation was immediately brought under control.

These people fell silent, no longer daring to make a sound, fearing they would be the next ones to be operated on.

They all sat up straight, their expressions becoming quite serious.

Upon seeing this, Lin Shutang gave instructions on important matters, asking them to compile and present a list of the current woodworking businesses in Yizhou City.

For example, which businesses in Yizhou are currently dominant, and which are rising stars? Which woodworking businesses are listed, and what percentage of the businesses are woodworking merchants?

These people dared not delay, and after receiving the order, they quickly withdrew to carry it out.

Lin Shutang came out of the study and saw Shen Yun sitting under the crabapple tree. The bright early summer sun shone through the gaps and fell on him, casting a hazy and clear light and shadow.

A long, flowing white robe trailed on the ground. The young man had a handsome face, dignified and aloof. Just sitting there quietly, he was a sight to behold.

Lin Shutang recalled the first time she saw him outside Yizhou City. He was covered in blood, his dark eyes were devoid of warmth, and he looked like a demon from hell when he was wielding a sword to hurt people.

He is a completely different person from how he is now.

She walked towards him. "The doctor said you should get some sun. Why didn't you ask Chang Geng to help you?"

Shen Yun looked up at the sound, a faint smile on her face, "Is everything taken care of?"

He didn't answer, but instead became concerned about Lin Shutang's affairs.

Lin Shutang recalled that he was very vigilant when he was seriously injured, and after he woke up, he did not let her get close to change his dressings. She thought that he probably did not like to have too much contact with others, so she did not insist.

She nodded. "I need to go to the shops in the city myself tomorrow. Would it be alright if Chang Geng stayed to take care of you?"

“No need,” Shen Yun said gently. “You should have someone with you, so those people won’t look down on you.”

"good."

Lin Shutang nodded and agreed.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Shutang and Chang Geng left the small courtyard.

The movements were very gentle, presumably because they didn't want to wake Shen Yun.

Shen Yun stood behind the window, watching the two figures disappear.

"Go," he ordered.

A dark shadow suddenly flashed across the silent room and disappeared.

...

Lin Shutang entered the woodworking shops and realized that several of them were already on the verge of closing down.

The shopkeeper had already absconded with the money, leaving Lin Shutang with a huge mess.

The man guarded this empty shell every day, merely using it as a shelter. After all, in chaotic times, having a thatched hut to keep out the rain was a blessing.

Just as I was pondering how to manage it, the shop door behind me was suddenly kicked open, and a rabble of people quickly rushed in, filling the already small shop to the brim.

Surrounded in the middle, Lin Shutang saw the menacing looks of the group but showed no fear, quietly watching the newcomers.

Influenced by this, Chang Geng straightened his back as he stood behind Lin Shutang.

"We've been waiting for so many days, and finally someone has arrived." The leader was a middle-aged man with a long beard, about six feet tall.

He slowly stroked his long beard and walked towards Lin Shutang, followed by a burly man who was probably a thug.

"What brings you here?" Lin Shutang met his ill-intentioned gaze with a calm and steady voice, which immediately made the old man's eyes light up.

"Are you the new manager of this shop, young lady?" he said, pulling a contract from his pocket. "This is a contract personally signed by your manager. Now that the deadline has passed, your manager has absconded with the money. Can you possibly pay this debt, young lady?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the others echoed his words and pulled out their deeds.

Lin Shutang had never heard of this matter before, and even the shopkeepers yesterday had not mentioned it.

The thirteen woodworking shops were scattered across various counties in Yizhou City. With the fall of Yancheng and the precarious existence of the border region, these people would no longer work together as one.

Lin Shutang thought they might embezzle the money, but he never expected that they would dare to use Jing Mutang's name to swindle and run away with the money.

Lin Shutang is now in dire straits himself and has come to Yizhou from Yancheng to seek refuge. If his father hadn't bought a small courtyard in Yizhou back then, he probably wouldn't even have a place to live right now.

Where would there be any extra silver to pay off this debt?

The man seemed to notice the troubled look on Lin Shutang's face. He put away the contract, tucked it into his pocket, and snorted coldly, "Since you can't pay it back, then use something valuable to settle it!"

The man waved his hand dismissively, "Move it for me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the people in the store started smashing and destroying things, clutching all the valuables to their chests.

The first floor wasn't enough; they had to rush up to the second floor.

The shop was instantly turned into a mess, and all the staff hid behind the counter, not daring to show their heads.

Lin Shutang stood still, looked around, and said in a clear but firm voice, "Chang Geng, make a record of everything they moved out of Jingmu Hall and smashed. Then come with me to the government office to report this!"

Upon hearing this, everyone paused in their actions.

Even Chang Geng was stunned for a moment, and then hurriedly ran to the front desk to find a pen and ink to write down his thoughts.

"What do you mean?" The middle-aged man was the first to react, glaring at Lin Shutang. The man behind him also looked eager and ready to fight.

Lin Shutang glanced indifferently at the two of them, then at the valuables carried by everyone in the shop. "I, Lin Shutang, am willing to acknowledge this IOU and will repay it in the future. But if you intend to commit robbery now, don't blame me for breaking ties with you all."

After she finished speaking, a smile appeared on her face that made it difficult to discern her emotions. "Although my Jingmutang may not be a well-known name in Yizhou, my father and brothers have traveled all over the country for many years, formed alliances with various businesses in Shengchao, and have friends all over the world. They have also built up a good reputation. Are you all sure you want to ruin your harmony and break off relationships because of this?"

The shop fell silent instantly. Everyone looked at each other, their previous arrogance dissipating considerably.

Lin Shutang caught a glimpse of the man's name in the contract he had just pulled out.

Seeing that he seemed hesitant, she pressed her advantage, "Boss Wang probably knows that these things can't pay off the debt, otherwise he would have already emptied the place. Why would he wait until I came to him in person to come? He's just doing this to give me a hard time."

She had just visited the managers of Jingmutang yesterday, and these people came looking for her today.

It must have been those people who leaked the information.

Therefore, they would absolutely not pay off the debt for this shop.

"But what if you run away too?" Boss Wang was still a little worried.

“Even if I run away, there are still twelve Jingmutang stores open in Yizhou,” Lin Shutang said calmly, regaining his composure.

As the saying goes, you can run away from the monk but you can't run away from the temple.

Lin Shutang's words were undoubtedly a reassurance. The shopkeepers could leave, but she was Lin Bainian's daughter. Where could she go?

The crowd looked at each other, and though they didn't speak, they slowly put down what they were holding.

Outside the gate, a large crowd of onlookers had gathered, all craning their necks to peer inside.

Across the street, in a low-key wooden carriage, Shen Yun withdrew her gaze from the woman inside the house, drew the curtain, and her eyes were indifferent.

"Young Master, should we continue to send people to cause trouble..." Yingxiao asked for instructions.

"Have them withdraw," Shen Yun interrupted him, her words concise and to the point.

Yingxiao looked up, a look of surprise crossing her face. Meeting Shen Yun's heavy gaze, she immediately realized her overstepping her bounds and quickly lowered her head, accepting the order and saying, "Yes."

He vanished in a flash.

Shen Yun casually sipped her tea, recalling the two people she had seen at Zhangtai Ferry earlier. She lightly tapped the tea bowl with her fingertips, making a clear, tinkling sound.

Unexpectedly, the commotion of the crowd outside quickly drowned him out. The wind blew the carriage curtain, and through the gap, he seemed to sense something and looked up.

Among the large crowd emerging from the shop, the girl's sky-blue dress stood out; she had fair skin and silky black hair.

He recalled her composed demeanor in the shop earlier, standing amidst the mess, surrounded by wolves yet showing no fear.

When she came to her senses, her two gazes seemed to meet. Shen Yun was stunned for a moment, but then she saw that the gaze swept over her lightly, as if it were just a casual glance.

In an instant, the crowd dispersed, and the car was completely silent...

Lin Shutang returned to the courtyard, looking rather listless.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't afraid of what had just happened; she had to bear the consequences for Jingmutang's reputation.

Otherwise, if his reputation is ruined, all of his father's years of hard work will also be ruined.

"I had hoped to manage the shop in Yizhou well. Only by making a name for myself could I be included in the business. But I never expected that Jingmutang would suffer such heavy losses and owe so much money."

Lin Shutang sighed. The people of Xiyue would not only place their bets on the Lin family, and Yancheng would not be their only target. Since they had found their father and brother, Xiyue would probably extend an olive branch to any timber merchant with a reputation in the border town.

Her plan was simply to make Jingmutang famous in Yizhou and get him into the business. Even if the people of Xiyue looked down on her, they could still find someone connected to Xiyue by following the clues.

At that time, she won't have to worry about not being able to find out news from Shuocheng.

But now, she is faced with a multitude of trivial matters.

If these matters are to be handled properly, my father and brothers probably won't be able to wait any longer.

However, if this is not addressed, Jingmutang will be unable to stand up, let alone use this as leverage to fight against Xiyue.

Chang Geng followed behind, unable to understand Lin Shutang's meaning. Seeing his young lady looking so worried, he couldn't muster any enthusiasm either.

The master and servant entered the courtyard dejectedly.

Shen Yun was still sitting under the crabapple tree. The crisp green leaves of the tree rustled in the breeze. The setting sun cast a brilliant crimson glow on the horizon, making the whole courtyard look like it was covered with rosy clouds.

He looked over at the sound, a faint, gentle smile on his face. He paused slightly when he saw Lin Shutang's pale expression. "What's wrong?"

Lin Shutang responded sullenly, walked over and sat down opposite Shen Yun, and briefly recounted the events of the day.

Shen Yun poured tea and pushed it in front of her. She finished speaking, raised her hand, and drank it down in one gulp, as if she were using the tea to drown her sorrows.

Perhaps it was because Shen Jun was the only person she could confide in now, and there were some things she didn't need to explain much for Shen Jun to understand.

Or perhaps it was because they now shared a common goal; in any case, Lin Shutang opened up and poured out all her frustrations like beans spilling out.

Shen Yun stared at her silently, watching her occasionally furrow her brows, occasionally let sadness flash through her eyes, and occasionally bite her lower lip in resentment.

Her lips, moistened by the tea, were a rosy red, with a single tooth mark standing out prominently.

Shen Yun's gaze fell on her lips, her small, lilac-colored tongue peeking out from between her clean teeth, and her sweet, soft voice emanated from her throat.

"Shen Yun." She was calling his name.

He slightly raised his eyelids and looked over.

Seeing her indignant expression, as if she were accusing someone, she said, "Do you know how many people there were today..."

The wind whistled in her ears, and her voice was lost in the sound. The setting sun lost its splendor, and the courtyard quickly darkened.

The swaying shadows of the trees fell on the boy's face, making half of his expression obscure and difficult to discern.

He slowly stroked the rim of the cup with his fingertips, his slightly drooping gaze sweeping over her eyes, her red lips, and across her throat. A few prominent bones protruded slightly from her slender, fair neck with each breath.

So delicate it seems you could hold it in your hand and it would break with the slightest twist...

Lin Shutang continued rambling on, completely oblivious to the way the person opposite him was scrutinizing him.

When she let out a long breath and felt much lighter in her chest, she realized that she had probably talked a bit too much.

She looked up at the person opposite her. The boy seemed a little cold and tired. She felt embarrassed and quickly wanted to apologize, afraid that she had disturbed him.

But the person opposite him smiled faintly, his voice like jade beads falling on a plate, "Actually, this is not necessarily a bad thing."

Lin Shutang exclaimed "Huh?", somewhat confused about Shen Yun's meaning.

Shen Yun simply looked at her, his dark eyebrows curving slightly. His eyes, like obsidian that had been washed in the night, spoke in a long, ambiguous tone, “Shu Tang, I will help you.”

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Author's Note: [Watching the drama unfold]