Chapter 32 Conditions
Unaware that Xie Qi had already set his sights on Shen Yuanzhu, Xie Xuchuan was at a loss for what to do.
He hadn't expected Ye Yunyi to be so greedy, wanting not only the "Xie Family Farming and Weaving Chart" and the "Shen Family Dyeing Manual," but also to covet the Xie family's shops on Wanbao Street.
Five days have passed, and Ye Yunyi is still adamant about not seeing the shop deed and has not yet entered the Xie family's door.
Xie Xuchuan sat in Tiqi Courtyard, anxiously wondering what to do.
He clutched the mandarin duck pendant in his hand, stroking the jade beads on the tassel again and again.
After Zitang delivered the mandarin duck pendant to him, Jiang Wansu never appeared again, nor did she send him any messages.
Although Xie Xuchuan was worried, he had to admit that he felt less pressure these past few days and was not as tense as before.
"Sir, I have asked the kitchen to make you an Eight Treasures Soup with ginseng, angelica, atractylodes and other ingredients."
Caihuan brought in a stew pot, looking at Xie Xuchuan with eyes full of heartache: "You haven't been eating or sleeping for the past few days, how can your body take it?"
"Even if something extremely serious happens, you shouldn't abuse your body like this."
Looking at Xie Xuchuan's thin and taut jaw, Caihuan felt a pang of heartache.
"Just leave it there."
Without Jiang Wansu constantly pressuring him from behind, Xie Xuchuan's appetite has improved considerably in the past two days.
He lifted the lid of the stew pot, picked up a spoon and took a spoonful, when he heard Caihuan say again, "By the way, Master, Steward Cui came to the manor today and said he wanted to see you. He is waiting outside the courtyard now."
Cui Cheng is Cui Yulin's father and also the manager of the Xie family's loom workshop.
Cui's mother died early, and Cui's father raised Cui Yulin alone. When Xie Boyu saw that Cui Yulin had no one to take care of him, he asked him to send the child to the Xie family to keep Xie Xuchuan company.
They started their education together and entered the same academy, becoming as close as brothers.
Xie Xuchuan was very familiar with Cui Chengyi, as he had practically grown up in Cui Chengyi's arms.
But upon hearing that Cui Cheng wanted to see him, Xie Xuchuan was so startled that he dropped the spoon in his hand.
"Uncle Cui... how long has he been waiting?"
"It hasn't been long, should I call Steward Cui?"
"Don't……"
Xie Xuchuan was a little flustered: "I still have to go to the Shen family. Ask Uncle Cui if there's anything wrong. If not, let him go back first. I'll go find him after I'm done with my work."
Caihuan nodded blankly, feeling that her husband had been acting very strangely these past few days.
Xie Xuchuan had no time to care what Caihuan was thinking. The tension that had eased because Jiang Wansu wasn't pressing him from behind was tightened again after he heard that Cui Cheng had come to find him.
He didn't know why Cui Cheng had suddenly come to find him.
Not daring to think about it further, Xie Xuchuan got up and left in a disheveled state through the side gate of Tiqi Courtyard.
Knowing that Jiang Wansu's belly couldn't wait, Ye Yunyi had been acting very arrogantly these past two days.
Xie Xuchuan had originally planned to waste a few days with her, but seeing Cui Cheng come to find him today, he couldn't sit still any longer.
Knowing that he could avoid Cui Cheng, but couldn't possibly stay away from the loom room forever, Xie Xuchuan gritted his teeth and went to the Shen family.
Just as he arrived at the gate of the Shen family, a servant rushed out in a panic and bumped into him.
"Hey, who's blind as to this?"
The servant looked up and saw that it was Xie Xuchuan, and hurriedly said, "I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you, Young Master Xie."
"What are you rushing off to?"
"Sir, isn't this a coincidence? My grandmother just asked me to put it up for you."
"Give me?"
Xie Xuchuan raised his eyebrows slightly, thinking to himself that Ye Yunyi had reached her limit and was losing her composure.
Normally, he would have turned around and left, dragging Ye Yunyi out for a few more days to completely panic her.
But now...
Xie Xuchuan sighed, "I know, I'll go find your great-grandmother."
The servant bowed and led Xie Xuchuan into the Shen family home. Before they even reached the main hall, they heard Ye Yunyi's furious voice.
"I don't know which damned bastard spread such a vicious rumor, saying that the cotton cloth sold by the Ye family was made from shrouds. In just a few days, 90% of the goods ordered for the whole year were returned."
Ye Yunyi was so angry that her vision blurred and she kept cursing.
Shen Yuanqiong also looked surprised, with a hint of worry in her eyes.
"The Ye family..."
Just as she opened her mouth, Xie Xuchuan walked in from outside. Shen Yuanqiong blushed slightly and walked gracefully behind Ye Yunyi.
Upon seeing Xie Xuchuan, Ye Yunyi frowned and asked, "Young Master Xie, why did you arrive so quickly?"
"I was going to pay a visit, but I ran into the servant delivering the invitation at the door."
After saying that, Xie Xuchuan added, "I just heard that the Ye family's business is in trouble..."
"Speaking of which, I'd also like to ask Young Master Xie, was it you who did what happened in Songjiang?"
Ye Yunyi narrowed her eyes and looked at Xie Xuchuan with hostility.
"Why do you say that, Sister-in-law Shen? Although I have something to ask of you, I am not the kind of person who would overturn the table if we couldn't reach an agreement on a business deal."
Shen Yuanqiong said, "Young Master Xie is a man of upright character and is related to the Shen family by marriage. He would not do anything to damage the Ye family's reputation, nor would it benefit the Xie family."
"My second sister is reasonable."
Praised by Xie Xuchuan, Shen Yuanqiong smiled faintly, exuding a virtuous and serene demeanor.
Ye Yunyi knew that Shen Yuanqiong was right. Over the years, the Xie family had used a lot of Ye family cotton cloth, and the rumors had caused them considerable harm.
"I wonder what happened to the Ye family. Is there anything I can do to help?"
After the words rolled on her tongue, Ye Yunyi shook her head and said, "No, but I have other matters to discuss with Young Master Xie."
After dismissing Shen Yuanqiong, Ye Yunyi put away her previous anger and said peacefully, "The Ye family's affairs are minor; Miss Jiang's pregnancy is the most important matter."
Xie Xuchuan sneered.
He hadn't heard clearly, only vaguely hearing that the Ye family's business was in trouble.
I was hoping to lend a hand so that I could talk about Jiang Wansu's matter again.
But Ye Yunyi didn't want to accept the Xie family's favor, probably because she wanted the Xie family to contribute money and effort, and didn't want to owe them this favor.
Xie Xuchuan lowered his eyes, feeling eight parts annoyance once again.
Seeing his silence, Ye Yunyi said calmly, "Xu Chuan, after you left last time, I felt that I was being too harsh on myself."
"Don't those scholars always say that a gentleman should help others achieve their goals? I've thought about it, and I think that's true."
"Our Xie and Chen families will eventually become in-laws, regardless of whether there are others. If you like the Jiang family girl, then it must be the Jiang family girl. She has better qualities than Yuanzhu, which is why you have fallen for her."
Xie Xuchuan did not want to hear others belittle Yuanzhu, so he remained silent.
Seeing that he was unyielding, Ye Yunyi lost her patience.
"Let me be frank, something did happen in Songjiang."
"I won't talk to you about the shops on Wanbao Street anymore. I want 10,000 bolts of this year's new cotton cloth, to be delivered to Songjiang in ten days. In addition, I also want a dye house in Songjiang for my younger brother Dan Gezhong."
"Secondly, I want a thousand taels of gold. Five hundred taels of that is your compensation to my Shen family, and the other five hundred taels is to add to Yuanzhu's betrothal gifts."
"Now that things have come to this, I won't beat around the bush with you. If you agree to these conditions, I will immediately agree to let the Xie family register Jiang Wansu's child under Yuanzhu's name."
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