Chapter 80 Thoughts
Yun Zheng gave a thumbs-up and waved it three times: "You are despicable, you are shameless, you are vulgar."
Thank you for the compliment.
Xie Qi casually stacked the ledgers on top of the other ledgers and said, "Actually, I came here today because I have some things to discuss."
"What's up?"
After recounting the story of the faded red silk, Xie Qi said, "Let's go to the shop and see if there's any clue."
Yun Zheng said, "How about this, I will represent Jixia Manor to buy this batch of goods. It will only cost some money, and it won't go to Xie's public account. It will all be in your own pocket anyway."
Xie Qi shook his head: "Jixia Manor bought a lot of faded red silk for no reason, which will inevitably be remembered by some people with ulterior motives. I don't want the Xie family to know about my relationship with Jixia Manor."
"I know you've always wanted to take over Xie's textile business, and I've remembered that."
Xie Qi had always wanted to take over the entire Xie family. He enjoyed the day he appeared as the master of Jixia Manor and saw the Xie family's shocked expressions.
This is Xie Qi's unresolved issue, and Yun Zheng is aware of it.
"Not only that."
A shadow fell over Xie Qi's eyes: "I will use this batch of red silk to make a name for myself in Suzhou Prefecture. I will make Xie San Niang regret every day why she so easily gave me the opportunity to rise to the top."
Yun Zheng exclaimed, "It's really difficult to make a name for yourself with a batch of faded fabric."
"otherwise……"
Yun Zheng said, "Why don't you go ask Eunuch Yuan? He's been in the Textile and Dyeing Bureau for a long time; he might have a solution."
"He's listening to music at Zuichunlou today; you can just go find him there."
"That works too."
Xie Qi asked Yun Zheng to prepare two jars of fine wine for him, and then took them to Zui Chun Lou.
Inside the Drunken Spring Pavilion, Yuan Xu sat reclining on a chaise lounge, surrounded by beautiful women of all shapes and sizes, accompanied by melodious songs and graceful dances, thoroughly enjoying himself.
When Xie Qi pushed open the door, the beautiful woman beside Yuan Xu was pouring him wine.
Golden wine dripped down Yuan Xu's neck, seeping into his collar. The songstress giggled and reached out to wipe it away for him.
Inside the house, the dancers performed enchanting dances, creating a lively atmosphere.
Xie Qi didn't understand singing and dancing, but he felt that a group of beautiful women were constantly flirting and making him dizzy.
But he was not a spoilsport, nor did he disturb Yuan Xu. He went inside and found a place to sit down.
The singers and dancers in Zuichunlou were already the most beautiful in the entire Suzhou Prefecture. Seeing Yuan Xu's eyes full of admiration, Xie Qi also glanced at them a few times.
In just a few glances, he noticed some problems.
The dancers' costumes were mostly bright red and green, but because the finest red cloth was expensive, they were inevitably flawed upon closer inspection.
Xie Qi looked her up and down and found that the dancers' costumes were not new. This was probably because they were of low status and could not change into new clothes every day. Therefore, many parts of their costumes, like the batch of red silk in his hand, were slightly faded.
However, these dancers would choose to wear jewelry on places that are prone to fading, such as the neckline, cuffs, waist, and ankles, so that people could overlook the flaws and it would also enhance the woman's charm.
When the song ended, Yuan Xu came to his senses and saw a dozen girls smiling charmingly.
One of them, a girl with bright almond-shaped eyes and a spring-like smile, walked over.
"Young master, you seemed quite engrossed in looking at one of the ladies. Did you take a fancy to any of them?"
She stared at Xie Qi, looking him up and down, and the more she looked, the happier she became.
In all her years at Zuichunlou, she had never seen such a dashing and handsome man.
With a single thought, a captivating charm unfolded in her eyes and brows.
Xie Qi saw her walk up to him, and looked up at the person's dance costume thoughtfully.
Yuan Xu said, "If you like, let them keep you company."
"No need."
Xie Qi waved for the person in front of him to leave, but the girl refused to give up and sat down next to him. Just as she was about to lean on him, Xie Qi suddenly stood up, causing the girl to miss her target.
The girl looked mournful, but Yuan Xu burst out laughing.
"Speak, what do you want? Didn't you just get married yesterday?"
Xie Qi pointed to the wine he had brought: "Please have a drink of our wedding wine."
"Wedding wine? I'd like to try it."
Yuan Xu waved his hand, dismissing everyone in the room.
The two changed to brand-new wine glasses and began to drink.
As the wine flowed freely, Xie Qi brought up the matter of the faded red silk.
"No wonder you were staring at those dancers so intently just now. Have you thought of any ideas?"
"I have some ideas, but I haven't figured them out yet."
Yuan Xu nodded, and then Xie Qi said, "By the way, rumors about the Songjiang shroud are flying everywhere. If the Weaving and Dyeing Bureau doesn't step in to quell it, everyone in the city will be on edge, which may affect the dyeing competition six months from now."
"It's alright. I'll have the Court of Justice issue a clarification document today, and the rumors will naturally fall apart."
"Thank you, Eunuch."
"There's no need for thanks. Once you settle the bill at Zuichunlou today, we'll be even."
Xie Qi clicked his tongue: "You can pay for it yourself. I'm short of money and can't bear to see the bustling city..."
“You clearly looked at it many times just now.”
“Father-in-law is mistaken. I couldn’t even tell whether those dancers were round or flat.”
"..."
Xie Qi was always like this, so stingy that Yuan Xu was first surprised, then annoyed, and actually laughed.
"You're short of money? I clearly remember you buying that batch of goods from Xie Cui Fang, and I didn't take a single penny of the commission."
Xie Qi said, "I'll use the father-in-law's share to buy a hairpin for my wife."
Even though Yuan Xu knew his temperament well, he couldn't help but sneer at his self-righteous demeanor.
Strangely enough, Yuan Xu found Xie Qi's personality rather interesting.
If you were to grovel and fawn over him, he would find it tiresome.
Yuan Xu waved his hand, indicating that he would let him go.
"But judging from your appearance, what do you think of the new wife?"
Thinking of Shen Yuanzhu, Xie Qi clenched his fingertips, pondering for a long time: "I wouldn't say, but I'm not annoyed by it either..."
"It must be good to have won your favor."
Yuan Xu continued, "What is it?"
Xie Qi frowned slightly, looked at Yuan Xu for a long time, and then sighed softly: "I only met her once on our wedding day. To say we were strangers is an understatement; we are already husband and wife."
"But to say we are intimately familiar with each other would be a stretch."
Xie Qi lowered his eyes: "Her identity is special. I thought she would feel uncomfortable marrying me, especially after meeting Xie Xuchuan."
"But it seems... she never did that."
"On her wedding day, she..."
He pictured Shen Yuanzhu looking up at him and asking if he wanted to consummate their marriage.
The room was filled with a dazzling contrast of bright red and lustrous white. Xie Qi pinched his fingertips until he drew fine bloodstains on them before calmly stopping.
"Quite proactive."
"Are you puzzled by this, or are you afraid that if you get close to her, you'll find that she still has feelings for Xie Xuchuan?"
Xie Qi's expression turned cold when he asked the question.
If he were to say he minded something, it would definitely be the latter. But he was indeed puzzled by Shen Yuanzhu's actions.
Seeing his expression, Yuan Xu couldn't help but laugh and said, "This is the downside of not knowing the bustling city. If you had seen more of the 'beautiful scenery in the tower' in the past, you wouldn't be so clueless about the thoughts of young ladies."
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