Kang Xiucai remained silent, waiting for Lu Baichuan's next words.
Actually, he had some premonition, but he wasn't sure.
Furthermore, he didn't feel he was qualified.
Seeing his expression, Lu Baichuan continued, "Mr. Kang knows that I am a man of Prince Chen, and my family has close ties with you. It's unlikely you'll be able to support another prince in the future. Right now, I'm merely helping His Highness recruit talented individuals. Once you pass the imperial examinations, the benefits His Highness will bestow upon me will be far greater than what I'm giving you now. Therefore, please rest assured and focus on your duties."
When Lu Baichuan talks about serious matters, he becomes very serious and earnest, making it difficult for anyone to give a proper answer.
Kang Xiucai was stunned, not expecting Lu Baichuan to speak so bluntly about such a matter.
It sounds as if Lu Baichuan has forcibly bound the two of them together, not allowing him to refuse or object.
But only Kang Xiucai knew in his heart that Lu Baichuan said this only to make him feel more at ease accepting the money.
Looking across the entire court, the only truly reliable person is Prince Chen. Moreover, he dreams of becoming Prince Chen's strategist. If it weren't for the Lu family's connections, he doesn't know how many years he would have to work hard to catch Prince Chen's eye. But now, he has gotten there first.
They even created a reason for him that would force him to board the ship.
As I said before, meeting the Lu family in this lifetime is like being blessed for eight lifetimes!
Kang Xiucai's voice trembled: "Third Master Lu, I...I..."
Lu Baichuan raised his hand to interrupt: "Mr. Kang, there's no need to say more. I'm doing this for personal gain. I only hope that you won't forget to help me out when you become successful in the future."
These words completely overwhelmed Kang Xiucai, who bowed solemnly to Lu Baichuan and He Jiuniang, saying, "I will remember the great kindness of Third Master Lu!"
Saying too much would seem pretentious; everything is understood without words.
They gave him a lot of face, so he naturally couldn't let them down!
He will go back to the county town tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow he will set off for the capital to find an academy to study hard for the exam, so as to live up to his years of hard work and the kindness of the Lu family!
He accepted the silver note and turned to leave.
Watching his retreating figure, He Jiuniang said to Lu Baichuan, "You're really something!"
Last night, when they were discussing giving Kang Xiucai a gift of money, He Jiuniang was still worried about how to tell him. After all, scholars care a lot about their reputation. If they didn't want to make him feel embarrassed, and they wanted to accept the gift with a clear conscience, then they really needed to use their speaking skills.
At the time, Lu Baichuan told her not to worry, that he knew what he was doing, so she really didn't care. She even thought that at worst, she could just wait until the day he left, put it in his bag, and by the time he found it, it would already be on his way, and even if he didn't want it, it would be too late.
Unexpectedly, Lu Baichuan used this method to get Kang Xiucai to accept it. He truly managed to save Kang Xiucai's face while accepting it with a clear conscience. This is something that deserves admiration.
Lu Baichuan smiled and said, "That's true. Mr. Kang is talented, so I will naturally keep an eye out for His Highness."
He Jiuniang nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, well done! By the way, what did that guy surnamed Zou say?"
"They've all been arrested, along with everyone else in the shop who was involved. After hearing the news, Boss Cheng personally went to the Fire Cloud Division and apologized profusely. This wasn't her intention, so I didn't pursue the matter. She was originally going to come to my house, but knowing we were going out to eat, she said she'd come tomorrow."
Lu Baichuan briefly explained the situation to her, and the two walked towards their own courtyard while talking. As for the food and drinks they had just eaten and drunk, the restaurant staff would come to collect them, so they didn't need to worry about them.
"Well, although this matter may not be Sister Cheng's intention, those shopkeepers and the female workers inside are all her people. There is no doubt that she has not managed them well. If something really happens to Lotus today, even if she is unaware of it, I will no longer cooperate with her."
He Jiuniang let out a breath. Seeing the shopkeeper's ugly face, she really considered canceling her cooperation with Cheng Xuewei.
Since it's a business partnership, she needs to handle her own side properly, especially since this involves Lotus. She doesn't want this matter to be swept under the rug.
It wasn't that she was inconsiderate, but these incidents showed that Cheng Xuewei was not strict in disciplining her subordinates. If something like this could happen today, similar or even worse things could happen in the future. If it wasn't dealt with properly, it would have endless consequences.
Especially since Lu Baichuan is in such a position, many people are watching him. Not only Lu Baichuan, but also his wife. Her business success is also the envy of many, and she has to keep her subordinates in check to prevent any mistakes.
He Jiuniang always made the decisions about business matters on her own, without needing to consult Lu Baichuan. So when she said that, Lu Baichuan didn't offer any opinion; he felt that what his wife said and the decisions she made were correct.
They had originally planned to return to the county town with Kang Xiucai tomorrow, and the children had all asked for leave. However, He Jiuniang wouldn't feel comfortable until she had dealt with this matter properly, so she decided to handle it tomorrow and return the day after tomorrow.
Aside from not being able to travel with Kang Xiucai, there wasn't much of a loss. The Yu family's restaurant was opening in three days, so there was still time.
The situation at Xishuiyuan was relatively calm, but it was a different story for Cheng Xuewei. From the moment she learned of what had happened, she was devastated. She rushed to Huoyun Division to meet with the offenders and immediately gave their indentures to Lu Baichuan, indicating that Lu Baichuan would decide whether they lived or died, and that she, as their master, would not make any decisions.
Then she kept apologizing to Lu Baichuan. She knew that it was useless to say that she was unaware of the situation at this time. She could only promise to reprimand the others and make sure that such a thing would not happen again.
The person was found by He Jiuniang. She actually wanted to see He Jiuniang the most, but she felt ashamed to face her. In addition, they had an appointment tonight, so she decided to postpone it and go tomorrow morning.
Throughout the night, she was not idle. She summoned everyone to her courtyard and interrogated them one by one, making them tell her what they knew about the problems that existed in the shop, such as who was cheating or who was dishonest and would take things from the shop.
Record everything they say, then verify it one by one. Once it is confirmed, beat them half to death and sell them off.
It's not safe for outsiders to work on one's own property, so Cheng Xuewei bought indentures for all of them, which makes things easier to manage.
Cheng Xuewei knew there would definitely be problems, but she didn't expect that so many people would be found to have issues.
Several of them were people she usually trusted and had high hopes for, but unexpectedly, they all crossed her bottom line.
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