Chapter 149: Deception
The carriage turned into a small alley and finally arrived at Baishan Lane.
Bailing got off the car and asked a neighbor.
"Do you know how to get to Ou's house?"
The man shook his head.
“I’ve never heard of the European family.”
Bai Ling was a little confused.
"Then do you know a girl named Wan Yi?"
"Wan Yi? I don't know her."
Bailing thought that with so many people on this street, it was normal to have some strangers.
She then asked a few more people, and they all said they didn't know and didn't know him.
Bailing felt that things had gotten out of hand.
She quickly got into the carriage.
"Sister, I asked many families who have lived here for many years, but none of them knew Wan Yi, nor did they know what the Ou family was."
When Chen Shiyi heard this, he was very surprised.
"How could this happen?"
"Yeah, if they don't know each other, then who is Wan Yi next to Xu Wen?"
Chen Shiyi thought about it.
"Perhaps Xu Wen encountered a scam that was carefully designed for him."
The lark was so frightened that its voice changed pitch.
"You mean, that Wan Yi is a liar?"
She suddenly remembered.
"By the way, she spends money so lavishly. I thought how could a good girl spend so much money? Xu Wen's savings were long ago swindled away by her."
Chen Shiyi hurriedly stopped Bailing's idea.
"Don't jump to conclusions. Let's go to the tea house first and let Jingran look into Wanyi's past."
Bailing nodded cautiously.
"Xu Wen is also a smart person. He often goes out and sees all kinds of people. How can he not recognize people?"
Fu Da, who had been sitting next to him and had not spoken for a long time, spoke again.
"He is willing to do so. Even if there is something wrong, he is unwilling to think deeply about it. The vanity brought by women's admiration for him makes him intoxicated and lose his way."
At Yuming Tea House, when Chen Shiyi stepped through the threshold, several people were arguing.
"These are the rules I set, and you must follow them."
Jing Ran remained neither humble nor arrogant in the face of Xu Wen's accusations.
"The big boss sent me here to take over the affairs of the second boss, but I will do things according to the big boss's rules. If the second boss has any questions, you can report directly to the big boss. As long as the big boss speaks, Jing Ran will obey."
"I personally instructed the storekeeper on the accounting methods and the collection of final payments here. Now is not the day for checking the accounts. Why did you check my accounts and open the warehouse to inspect the goods and check the cash again? My sister taught you to do this. Why does she not trust me?"
"Xu Wen..."
Fu Xuwen, Jing Ran, and the anxious shopkeeper hurriedly saluted respectfully when they saw Chen Shiyi coming.
Chen Shiyi took off his cloak, walked to the main seat and sat down, holding the armrests of the mahogany chair with both hands, and glanced at the three people sharply.
"What's going on? Xuwen, you speak first."
Fu Xuwen bowed, looking somewhat unwilling.
"Sister, Jing Ran was sent by you to deal with me, but he is very aggressive. Before the New Year, we had already checked the accounts and sealed the warehouses, and now we have to check them again. In this way, we have to close the shop for another three days, and a lot of people will be busy. Yuming Tea House is making money every day. How much money have we lost in three days..."
Chen Shiyi took a sip of tea and placed the tea bowl on the table beside him.
"I heard you yell at Jing Ran just now, saying that I don't trust you that much. Is that true?"
Fu Xuwen's face looked a little pale.
"Sister, Xuwen didn't mean that."
Chen Shiyi leaned back.
"Xu Wen, you travel all year round and have met all kinds of people. Don't you know that checking accounts is the most important thing when dealing with people? This is a common thing in business. You actually scolded Jing Ran for this and complained about me..."
Fu Xuwen's eyes were in a panic.
"Sister, I just want to make more money for the tea house..."
Chen Shiyi was silent for a while.
The whole house was so quiet that even the sound of a mosquito could be heard.
"Xu Wen, I know your intentions towards the tea house, and I also know how hard you work. You are getting married soon, so you must be nervous. Don't worry, I have prepared land, shops, and betrothal gifts for you. You can save your own money for your own use after you marry Wan Yi."
Chen Shiyi then spoke to Jing Ran who was standing aside.
"Jingran, you are right. No matter when, the accounts must be checked after the transfer of personnel. This is a rule and a regulation. Without rules, there will be no order. Starting tomorrow, the storekeeper will check the accounts with you. Check carefully. After the check, I want to see the account book."
Jing Ran bowed respectfully.
"yes."
Chen Shiyi raised his eyes and glanced at Bailing. Bailing understood and hurriedly took Jingran out.
She walked up to Fu Xuwen.
"Xu Wen, go find Wan Yi, and let's go to the restaurant for a drink."
Xu Wen raised his eyes with a dim and unclear expression.
"Okay, sis."
They sat in a private room in the Baiweizhai restaurant next to the teahouse.
Xuwen found Wanyi from somewhere. When she walked in, Chen Shiyi was almost blinded by her bright outfit.
This is not the simple and innocent little girl from before, but a decoration in a jewelry store!
The golden hairpin in her hair made her jet-black hair look like a straw target.
The earrings are also made of gold, with exquisite workmanship, and you can't buy them without a hundred taels of silver.
She had a pair of jade bracelets of extremely fine color on her hands, and the satin she was wearing was made by the most famous embroidery workshop in Kyoto, and the whole set cost more than a hundred taels.
Her outfit alone cost nearly a thousand taels of silver, not to mention the spare clothes and jewelry to match.
No wonder Xuwen has no money.
Xuwen looked at Chen Shiyi silently, feeling frightened.
"Sister, Wanyi has always been poor. When she first came into contact with these jewellery, she loved them very much."
Wan Yi didn't care.
She shook the golden hairpins on her head as if to show off.
Bailing couldn't help but laugh.
"Wanyi, sister is going to discuss your marriage with your family. Where do you live..."
Wan Yi lifted up her sleeve to show off the jade bracelet.
"Yes, it's on Baishan Lane, in the western suburbs. Don't get the wrong one."
Bai Ling glanced at Chen Shiyi without saying a word, and finding that Chen Shiyi's expression had not changed much, he smiled and said.
"Then when will Wan Yi's parents be free, so that my sister won't have to go there empty-handed."
Wan Yi looked carefully at the jade bracelet on her wrist and said casually.
"Tomorrow, then."
Seeing Wan Yi being so disrespectful to Chen Shiyi, Fu Xuwen knew from Chen Shiyi's calm eyes that she was holding back her temper, and he quickly reprimanded Wan Yi.
"Why are you like this? Everyone is watching your expression."
Wan Yi saw that Fu Xuwen was angry and quickly put her thoughts aside.
"What's so fierce about it!"
Chen Shiyi stirred the fish porridge in the porcelain bowl and asked with deep eyes.
"What does Wanyi want to get from me by doing this?"