When Matthew heard her say that, he didn't understand what she was planning.
But his mind is in a mess right now, his thoughts are unclear, and he can't think clearly.
But he was worried about Xiaoyu, and felt uneasy and restless.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a five-hundred-tael silver note, and placed it in front of He Youyou.
"Mrs. Han, if you see her, please give her this money for me."
He paused, then added, "Don't say it was from me. You're quick-witted, think of another excuse, anything will do, as long as you can convince her to accept the money."
He Youyou glanced down at the silver note but didn't take it.
She raised her eyelids again to look at Ma Xiuyuan, a half-smile on her face: "Mr. Ma, are you planning to keep secretly supporting her like this? Until how long? For the rest of your life?"
Matthew Yuan heard this and his eyes darted away.
"Sigh, I can only help her for a while, I can't bear to see her suffer."
He Youyou smiled.
She pushed the banknotes back to Matthew: "If she's the kind of person who has to rely on others to survive her whole life, I really look down on her. You keep the banknotes, I'll go see her first, maybe she doesn't need anyone's help."
After much deliberation, Matthew decided he still wanted to go with her.
He Youyou rolled her eyes at him: "You shouldn't go. What if she sees you and doesn't want to talk to me? Wouldn't that ruin my plans for nothing?"
"I...I'll just wait in the carriage, I won't go in with you."
Sigh, look at how pathetic he is.
Helpless, He Youyou had no choice but to take him along.
After all, Ma Xiuyuan had spent half a month staking out the Shen family's door, so he knew the place well.
The carriage stopped at the alley entrance, and Ma Xiuyuan pointed to a door: "That one, the one with carved decorations on the gate tower, that's it."
"Okay, I understand. You wait here."
He Youyou got off the carriage and walked into the alley.
The gate tower is decorated with exquisite brick carvings, with four auspicious fruits carved on top, many children and many blessings carved below, and two lions carved on both sides.
At the bottom of the gate tower, there is a meander pattern and a scroll pattern carved on it.
The saying goes, "A house cannot be built without carvings, and the presence of carvings makes it valuable."
The magnificent gate alone is enough to tell you about the Shen family's former glory.
He Youyou raised her hand, gently grasped the door knocker, and knocked three times.
She spends a lot of time in the business world.
For those in the business world, the first thing to learn is etiquette and taboos.
Especially older businessmen have many taboos and customs, and they are very particular about traditional etiquette. Dealing with them requires a lot of knowledge.
For example, there are specific rules about how many times to knock on a door.
There's an old saying: "Three for a person, four for a ghost."
When a normal person visits, they should knock three times.
If you don't understand and knock four times, you'll be breaking a taboo.
If there is a door knocker, knock lightly on it; if there is no door knocker, bend your fingers and tap with your knuckles.
Only those who come to deliver a death message will bang on the door with great force.
He Youyou knocked twice before she heard a woman's voice coming from the courtyard.
Who is it?
He Youyou called out loudly, "Guest."
A moment later, the door opened a crack.
Xiaoyu's face peeked out from inside.
Several tear tracks still clung to her face, and she looked haggard.
She was taken aback when she saw He Youyou.
The woman in front of her was someone she had seen that day; she was the one who had dined with Ma Xiuyuan at the restaurant.
She pursed her lips, and asked hesitantly, "This lady is here for Master Ma?"
He Youyou smiled and said, "It has nothing to do with him. I came for myself. I came this time to discuss a business deal with you, young lady."
"Talk business?" Xiaoyu asked in surprise.
She's all alone now, with nothing to her name. What business could she possibly be interested in?
He Youyou noticed her confusion: "Does Miss Xiaoyu have the dye recipes from your family's dye shop?"
"Does Madam wish to purchase a son?"
He Youyou looked around and asked, "It's not convenient here. Can I go inside and talk in detail?"
Xiaoyu hesitated for a moment, but finally opened the door and stepped aside, saying, "Please come in, Madam."
The courtyard had clearly been abandoned for a long time, with weeds growing in the cracks between the blue bricks on the ground.
Last year's grass has withered and turned yellow, while this year's new grass sprouts have only just emerged.
It has a rather desolate and bleak feel to it.
Xiaoyu knew her yard was overgrown and looked embarrassed. She said, "Please forgive me, Madam. I just got back and haven't had time to clean it yet."
"It's alright."
He Youyou was invited into the main hall.
The furniture in the main hall looked quite old; the paint on the tables and desks had peeled off, revealing the mottled wood color.
"Please have some water, Madam. We have no tea at home; please forgive us for this inconvenience."
"No need to be polite, I'll leave after I finish speaking."
He Youyou sat in the chair at the head of the table and straightened her sleeves.
"Miss Xiaoyu, do you know all the techniques used in your family's dyeing workshop?"
Xiaoyu nodded, a look of sorrow suddenly appearing on her face.
"I can, but the artisans, apprentices and workers in the dyehouse have all left. I'm short of money, I don't have any to buy cloth or raw materials. I'm just sitting here in the dyehouse, with no way to do anything."
“If you want to reopen the dye shop, I can invest in you.”
Xiaoyu looked at her in surprise: "Why?"
If it weren't for Matthew Yuan, why would this lady help her?
"Because I've got my eye on your family's unique recipe. I'm not here out of pity, nor to do charity, but to make money. A businessman won't get up early for nothing; I wouldn't come if there was no profit to be made."
Xiaoyu was in a dilemma: "But my family's ancestral recipe is not allowed to be sold to outsiders. This is a rule set by our ancestors, and I dare not disobey it. Otherwise, how can I face my ancestors after I die?"
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