"Just tell me how much money you need. Our family is well-off now. It's just that I haven't seen your third aunt for a while, so there are some things I don't know. When did you open a workshop in Jiangning?"
Song Xiaoyu had been busy with his business in Xiaoye City and rarely inquired about Song He'er's affairs, so it was understandable that he didn't know about it now.
"That happened a long time ago. Originally, this workshop was bought by Young Master Jiang. I just got lucky and helped him a few times, so I got a little benefit. My third aunt is in charge there. You can go and visit her when you have time!"
Song Xiaoyu seemed somewhat incredulous upon hearing this.
"Your third aunt? Does she know how? She can cook, but if it's business, I'm really afraid she'll mess it up for you!"
"It's just silk. You'll understand if you learn more. Third Uncle, I can't stay here any longer. I'm very pressed for time. Since you have no problem with the money, I need to go back to Jiangning to find a good place!"
Seeing Song He'er leaving in such a hurry, Song Xiaoyu quickly went behind the table, took out a few silver notes, and handed them to Song He'er. "This is the money you wanted. Also, have we paid back all of Young Master Jiang's money? After the steamed bun shop was sold, a house was built. As far as I know, the money for building the house is probably not enough. We can't rob Peter to pay Paul!"
Song Xiaoyu's worries were normal. After all, how much money could a steamed bun shop get from being sold? The house that Song He'er had someone build in Jiangning cost far more than that.
"We've paid back all the money we owed him. And the strategies I devised for him helped the workshop earn so much silver. These are priceless, so you don't need to worry about these things anymore..."
"Okay, did you bring a car? Do you need me to send you home?"
"No, there are people waiting outside! I really have to go!"
Song He'er put away the silver notes, turned around and ran outside.
"By the way, last time you asked someone to send me a message, asking the shop assistants to look for someone named Aqing and Alu. Now there's some progress. They said they're being held captive in the capital and you need to use your connections to ransom them!"
Upon hearing this news, Song He'er immediately stopped and turned back to Song Xiaoyu, anxiously asking, "Detained over there? What does that mean? Why are they detaining people for no reason?"
"I don't know. They say they came to the capital sneakily to gather information, and were spotted by the patrol battalion there, so they were immediately imprisoned!"
"Did our men leave any trace?" Song He'er was afraid that the men who went to search for them might accidentally reveal their whereabouts, which would cause trouble for the authorities.
"Of course not. Our shop assistants are all very reliable. When they go, they just say they are from out of town looking for relatives. They get the information in the time it takes to have a cup of tea. Those people will just think they are poor refugees and won't be suspicious at all!" Song Xiaoyu explained patiently.
Song He'er breathed a sigh of relief and turned to leave.
"Don't act rashly. If there are any problems, be sure to contact me first!"
"I see!"
After saying that, Song He'er jumped onto the carriage without even turning her head.
Before long, half a day had been wasted. When Song He'er returned to the Lotus Garden, Jiang Huaifu was resting on a rattan chair in the courtyard, holding a booklet. A warm smile was on his lips, as if he had thought of something happy.
"What's so beautiful about you?"
The words interrupted Jiang Huaifu, who was engrossed in reading. He stood up, paused for a moment, and then carefully put away the booklet in his hand.
"You rushed out so early this morning, is something urgent? Didn't we agree to work on the restaurant together after I recovered?"
Song He'er walked dejectedly into the pavilion and whispered, "I'm afraid you won't be able to recover properly."
"What's wrong?"
"Aqing and Alu are in trouble. They've been detained in the Imperial City's patrol camp, and we need to use our connections to ransom them!"
Jiang Huaifu frowned slightly. "I really can't understand. These two have been with me for so many years and have never been so reckless. Who told them to go to Jindu so rashly?"
Song He'er originally didn't want to talk about those dirty things, but now she had no choice but to tell him.
"It's all because of Zhao Ru's niece, Zhao Zhu'er. She took a liking to you and acted like she got a great deal when she saw you were sick. She insisted on taking care of you herself and wouldn't let anyone tell me. That's why she sent A Qing and A Lu away. Who knew that these two honest people would actually go to the foot of the capital to find a doctor in order to save you! It's really like they're trying to hide something!"
While complaining, Song He'er walked over and sat down next to the stone pier.
Jiang Huaifu was completely bewildered and even found it unbelievable. Throughout history, people have always called women "femme fatales," but they have never talked about any troubles caused by men. But now... the person who caused all these troubles has actually become him, a dignified seven-foot-tall man!
"You should have told me sooner! Get that girl away! I never want to see her again."
"They were driven away a long time ago, but what about Aqing and Alu?"
Jiang Huaifu pondered for a while, then replied calmly, "I will send someone to deliver a message to my grandmother. You don't need to worry about this matter!"
Perhaps due to excessive agitation, Jiang Huaifu said a few words and then returned to his room to rest.
Song He'er was bored being alone, so she called Chun Di and prepared to go to the market in Jiangning to buy some things.
The bustling scene of Jiangning filled Chundi with admiration for this unfamiliar place, leading her to make a wish while strolling through the market, saying how she would do business in the future.
“He’er, everyone says that scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants are ranked last, but I think the most talented people in the world are merchants! Those officials who criticize others are just self-righteous, but in the end they still take advantage of these merchants. Clothing and travel all require money. I think they are just stepping on the fruits of others’ labor to show off their own power!”
Song He'er almost choked on her words and quickly covered her mouth, "I said, Fourth Aunt, you shouldn't talk about politics outside. There are palace nobles disguised all over Jiangning. Don't say the wrong thing and ruin our whole family!"
Chun Di nodded sheepishly, "Yes, I understand!"
The two walked side by side, and when they reached a pastry shop, they were stopped by a waiter.
"Ladies, our fruit tea cakes are the best. Would you like to come in and have some?"
Song He'er glanced around the room and, seeing that there was no one there, immediately became displeased. "Who are you trying to fool? There isn't a single guest in this room, and you still have the nerve to say that your fruit is good?"
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