Chapter 234 Surprise
Yuan Xu put down the note and looked back and forth between Xie Qi and Shen Yuanzhu.
The two of them were unaware that someone had been eliminated, and were still whispering among themselves about who had been eliminated.
Shen Yuanzhu pointed at one of the people who was leaving in tears and said, "It's hard for a small business owner like this to survive. I just heard Lord Liang say that he came from Songjiang Prefecture. I suppose his round-trip travel expenses must have been enough to make him suffer."
Although his colleague from Songjiang Prefecture was in the weaving and dyeing business, he was only wearing ordinary cotton cloth.
The lack of embroidery and hidden patterns indicates the business is in dire straits.
He only brought his own ordinary cotton cloth to the dyeing competition, which shows that he had already anticipated that he would not win.
Shen Yuanzhu sighed, "He was eliminated too early, so he couldn't make a name for himself, and I doubt he'll be able to secure any additional collaborations."
Seeing the pity in her eyes, Xie Qi couldn't help but say, "I'll go ask the eunuch to see if we can subsidize the travel expenses for these eliminated merchants?"
Shen Yuanzhu said, "This is such a small matter, there's no need to trouble you, Father-in-law. How about this?"
She pointed to Luo Qing's location, then thought for a moment and pointed at Shen Yanhuai from a distance.
"It is said that the manager of Xiecuifang is kind-hearted and always helps his fellow businessmen. And my brother, too, has never been stingy when his fellow businessmen are in trouble."
"Why don't you go and ask them if they are willing to contribute some money to help those small businesses that are struggling to survive?"
"Many businesses may be small, but they may have good products or services. They just may lack specialization or be unlucky and poorly managed."
"Since we have the opportunity to meet here today, why not have them contribute some money to keep our fellow travelers in Suzhou for a couple more days, so that we can all discuss our respective strengths?"
"If there are good products, then it's a win-win situation."
Shen Yuanzhu intended to let Xie Qi have more contact with Luo Qing, and also wanted to give Xie Qi some pointers on the smallest details.
Upon hearing this, Xie Qi immediately said, "Your idea is good. It can not only make a name for yourself in the industry, but also bring in some good quality goods at low prices to the shop."
"With industry experts gathering, they've brought out their best skills; who knows, we might unearth some hidden gems..."
After Xie Qi finished speaking, he got up and went to find someone.
Shen Yuanzhu sat in the same spot, waiting for his return.
The initial screening had just concluded, and everyone was resting, preparing to move on to the second screening stage.
Shen Yuanzhu saw Xie Qi walk into the arena, first say a few words to Yun Zheng of Jixia Manor, and then take Yun Zheng to Luo Qing.
Upon seeing this, Shen Yuanzhu frowned slightly, surprised that Xie Qi and Yun Zheng had become so close.
It's likely that since both of them worked for Yuan Xu, they developed some affection for each other over time.
However, she disliked Yun Zheng's actions and couldn't help but worry that he would lead Xie Qi astray.
But watching Xie Qi speak eloquently among the crowd, Shen Yuanzhu sighed softly.
This is for the best. It will let Xie Qi know the wickedness of people's hearts, so that he will gain something when he sees through Yun Zheng and will no longer judge people by their appearance.
Otherwise, she would have felt displeased when Xie Qi mentioned Jixia Manor several times, always with words of praise.
She tapped her knee with her fingertips, and when she saw Shen Yanhuai looking at her, she smiled and nodded.
After Xie Qi said something, several other shopkeepers from Suzhou Prefecture also gathered around.
Before long, Yun Zheng went to find Lord Liang.
Shen Yuanzhu then saw Lord Liang walk to Yuan Xu's side, point at Xie Qi, and bow his head to report something to Yuan Xu.
"That's not bad."
Yuan Xu squinted at Xie Qi, then raised his hand to beckon someone forward.
"Did your father-in-law want to see me about something?"
Yuan Xu looked Xie Qi up and down, a half-smile on his face.
Xie Qi raised an eyebrow and said bluntly, "Your gaze is unsettling. You'd better speak your mind."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Xu chuckled.
He showed no dissatisfaction on his face and had always appreciated Xie Qi's directness.
But today's events were just too interesting, which made Yuan Xu want to tease him a little.
He propped his face up with his hand and looked at Shen Yuanzhu, saying, "Is that Miss Shen, your wife?"
Xie Qi nodded, his expression gentle: "She is my wife."
Yuan Xu smiled and asked, "What do you do?"
Xie Qi looked puzzled, while Yuan Xu's interest grew even stronger.
He rested his chin on his hand, looked up at Xie Qi who was bending over and standing beside him, and suddenly said, "Did you tell her that Jixia Manor is all your business?"
"not yet."
Xie Qi's sharp expression faded, and his eyebrows and eyes softened.
Yuan Xu couldn't help but grimace at his appearance.
He then carefully examined Xie Qi's complexion and found that it was completely different from what he had seen last time, as if it were shrouded in a layer of black mist.
It seems that moving away from the Xie family has improved Xie Qi's health considerably.
His wife, who is known for her "unassuming" nature, must have played a significant role in this.
Inevitably, Yuan Xu became somewhat interested: "Why not tell her? Are you afraid she'll covet the money you have?"
Xie Qi rolled his eyes: "Of course not. Although my wife loves money, she likes and loves me the same whether I have money or not."
"I'm not telling her because I plan to tell her after I win this championship. At that time, I'll let her see that her husband is not a useless person."
I like him, I love him...
Yuan Xu felt a surge of acid gushing from his stomach and rushing to his throat.
He was speechless for a moment, only staring at Xie Qi with a forced smile. After a long while, he snorted coldly, "Fine, fine, you go and win the championship first. This time I won't be lenient and let you succeed."
Xie Qi said, "Father-in-law, there is no need to worry. Jixia Manor will surely win this time through its own strength. We cannot rely on you forever and make you lose face."
Xie Qi's temperament had always suited Yuan Xu's taste, so when Yuan Xu saw him like this, he just smiled and waved his hand, signaling him to leave quickly so as not to annoy him.
Just as Ke Ren turned around, Yuan Xu said again, "Your idea of taking the lead and contributing is good. I'll have someone take care of it in a bit."
Xie Qi said, "It was not my idea. My wife is kind-hearted, beautiful and compassionate."
"She saw that those poor merchants had come from afar but had gained nothing, and she didn't want them to make a wasted trip, so she asked me to act as a go-between."
"My wife is the most beautiful woman in the world..."
"Get out of here."
Yuan Xu laughed out of anger and couldn't help but kick Xie Qi.
Xie Qi patted the hem of his clothes without fear and said with dissatisfaction, "These clothes were bought for me by my wife herself."
He kept calling her "Madam," and Yuan Xu said, "You're so arrogant, but you won't be arrogant for long. In a few days, I'll give you a big surprise."
"What big surprise?"
Yuan Xu glanced at him sideways: "Just wait and see."
"Alright, then I'll wait for my father-in-law's surprise."
"I hope you can handle it."
Xie Qi looked at the bewildered Yuan Xu, his mind racing with various guesses, but seeing that the other's expression was more sarcastic, he didn't take it to heart.
At this moment, the second gong sounded, and Lord Liang stepped forward and announced loudly, "Gentlemen, I have something to announce..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
