Chapter 112 Stealing Spices
"Ying'er!"
Song Haochu was terrified and hurriedly tried to step forward to stop him.
Seeing that the situation was about to get out of control, Song Sangyu glared at Song Yiqiu, who was standing calmly at the door, suppressed her anger, and quickly got up to smooth things over.
She quickly walked to Ying'er's side, gently took her hand reassuringly, and explained urgently:
"Miss Ying'er, please don't misunderstand, please don't do anything foolish... It really was just an accident!"
Her gaze swept over the several exquisite spice boxes on the table, and a sudden idea struck her.
"We're here today because Feizhi Pavilion has just received a batch of extremely rare perfume powder. Knowing that Third Brother is quite knowledgeable about perfumery, we specially asked him to come and help us evaluate it. We were thinking that if it's good, we'd buy some to give you, Miss Ying'er, a surprise!"
As she spoke, she secretly pinched Song Haochu hard.
Song Haochu received the signal. Although he felt the excuse was lame, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go along with it in order to appease Ying'er:
"Yes, yes, Ying'er, Sangyu is right! We've come to pick out spices for you. Look, these are all very rare, and I'm just thinking about which one would suit you best."
Ruan Jiawen stood aside, watching this sudden farce and Song Haochu's anxious and concerned look towards Ying'er. Her face was already extremely ugly.
She couldn't help but move closer to Song Sangyu:
"Sang Yu! What exactly is going on? Didn't your family say they had already dealt with this wretched servant? Why did they let her come here to cause trouble?"
Song Sangyu cursed Ruan Jiawen as an idiot in her heart, but on the surface she could only maintain a stiff smile and gritted her teeth as she replied:
"She's carrying an illegitimate child, how can she be so easily dealt with? Who knows how she ended up here today?"
Seeing that the situation was somewhat under control, Song Yiqiu leisurely stepped forward:
"Alright, it turns out it was all a misunderstanding. I believe that Third Brother and Miss Ruan came here today because of that batch of newly arrived rare spices."
Her gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Ying'er as she offered her advice.
"I heard that Feizhi Pavilion did indeed receive a top-grade incense called Soul-Capturing Incense today. It is said to be priceless and unavailable. Most of the customers who came to the store today came for it. The rule is first come, first served, and there is probably already a long queue outside."
"I suppose Third Brother went out of his way to ask Miss Ruan for a favor so that he could buy this incense for you first? Ying'er, don't misunderstand Third Brother's good intentions."
Bai Mei and Qing Zhu immediately understood and chimed in:
"Yes, Miss Ying'er, you don't know, but the Soul-Capturing Incense is said to originate from the legendary Penglai Immortal Island. Only a few ounces are produced each year. Not only is its fragrance unique and far-reaching, but it is also said to have the miraculous effect of calming the mind and beautifying the skin."
"That's right. Such a rare item, if it weren't for Miss Ruan being the owner, how could the Third Young Master have such an easy opportunity to acquire it? It's all for your sake."
Song Sangyu was just looking for a suitable way to back down when she heard this, and quickly chimed in with agreement:
"Yes, yes, yes! Sister Yiqiu is right. We came here for this Soul-Capturing Incense. Third Brother is thinking of you, Miss Ying'er."
Ruan Jiawen was caught in a dilemma by these words, and secretly tugged at Song Sangyu's sleeve:
“Sang Yu… I’ve never managed the family business; it’s all been handled by that girl Ruan Tianxin. If there really were such a fine item, it would have been reserved by those noble families long ago. How could we possibly give it away as a gift?”
She was anxious, feeling that the lie was getting bigger and bigger.
Song Sangyu's face burned as she watched the crowd gradually gathering to watch the commotion. She glared at Ruan Jiawen and whispered angrily:
"Face? Ruan Jiawen, you still care about face? If this gets out in public, do you still want to marry into the Song family in style? Don't just think about these things in front of you, think about the bigger picture."
Ruan Jiawen was speechless, and seeing the growing crowd and Song Sangyu's warning look, she could only grit her teeth, put on a brave face, and forcefully agree:
"Yes...yes, it's all for that Soul-Capturing Incense."
Ying'er had only been using this as an excuse and wasn't really seeking death. But when she heard that the spices were so precious and rare that even nobles outside were lining up to fight for them, and that Song Haochu had come to ask Ruan Jiawen for her sake, her vanity was instantly satisfied.
She immediately wiped away her tears, nestled into Song Haochu's arms, looked up at him tenderly, and spoke in a soft voice:
"Haochu...really? You're so good to me..."
When Song Hao saw that she had stopped threatening suicide, he breathed a sigh of relief and, taking advantage of the situation, hugged her tightly.
"Of course it's true, you and the child are the only ones in my heart."
Seeing this, Song Yiqiu smiled and clapped her hands lightly, drawing everyone's attention:
“Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, that’s all the better. I checked the time, and the batch of spices should be arriving soon. Why don’t we go downstairs together and wait? It would be good for us to see this rare delicacy that is the most unique in the capital.”
She glanced at Ying'er, her tone tinged with envy.
"Ying'er, your third brother treats you exceptionally well."
Ying'er nestled in Song Haochu's arms, her face flushed with embarrassment. She felt that the trip had been well worth it, as she had not only consolidated her position but also gained an unexpected windfall.
Ruan Jiawen's face was ashen, and he felt extremely frustrated, but he couldn't vent his anger.
She was able to slap Ying'er last time because of her future mother-in-law's influence. She never expected that this wretched maid would hold such a grudge. Today, she was clearly prepared to cause trouble. She is really cunning.
The group, each with their own thoughts, arrived at the lobby downstairs.
As soon as I stood still, I saw several servants carrying in a tightly sealed sandalwood box.
Ruan Tianxin and Song Yiqiu exchanged a knowing glance.
Eager to save face, Ruan Jiawen disregarded Ruan Tianxin's presence and arrogantly ordered:
"Ruan Tianxin! What are you waiting for? Quickly take out that Soul-Capturing Incense and wrap it up for Young Master Song. The bill... the bill will be on my name for now. Anyway, the profits from Feizhi Pavilion will ultimately go to me."
Ruan Tianxin immediately feigned a troubled expression, stamped her foot, and said urgently:
"Sister! This...this won't do! This batch of Soul-Capturing Incense has already been reserved by a noble person. We can't break our promise."
Ruan Jiawen was already angry, and with everyone watching, she felt utterly humiliated.
"Reserved? Reserved by some important person? Can't we just tell him to come back another time? Does Feizhi Pavilion have to depend on others to decide whether or not to sell anything?"
“If he tries to steal it, our Feizhi Pavilion will never do business with him again. I don’t believe anyone in the capital would dare to compete with the Ruan family.”
Ruan Tianxin's eyes were red and swollen with tears, and she said in a sobbing voice:
“It really won’t work, sister! The person who ordered this batch of spices… is the younger brother of Consort Shu in the palace, Young Master Shen Yan. He said that Consort Shu’s birthday is coming soon, and he specially sought them out as a birthday gift for her.”
“Young Master Shen made a reservation three months ago and has already paid the deposit. Our Feizhi Pavilion has always prioritized reservations and is honest and fair to all. If we give it to Young Master Song this time, it would be unreasonable and would damage the shop's reputation. People would gossip about it, and how would our business continue?”
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