Chapter 132: Growing Suspicion

The Marquis held his wife’s hand, guiding her to sit down. Casually, he placed the letter on the desk.

Lady Leng noticed a character resembling “Yun” on the letter and asked casually, “Is this a letter from Yun Tong County? It’s been a while since we last heard from them. How is the Ye family doing these days?”

The Marquis froze momentarily, but quickly masked his reaction. He nonchalantly slipped the letter beneath a stack of papers and replied, “It’s a letter from the shopkeeper there. He says Yun Tong County has been hit by a drought recently, and business isn’t doing too well.”

“There have been so many natural disasters in recent years. Business is tough everywhere. If the Ye family is in trouble, we should help them out,” Lady Leng said.

The Marquis lowered his gaze and replied, “After all these years, you still think about the Ye family.”

“When I was giving birth, if it hadn’t been for the Ye family’s help, the children and I might not have survived. They saved our lives.

Moreover, both Chang Qing and Zhi Yi were nursed by Madam Ye. Helping them is no more than a small gesture of gratitude.”

“I understand,” the Marquis nodded.

“You’re too kind-hearted, my lady. While it’s true that the Ye family helped us back then, over the years, they’ve prospered under the Lu family’s business connections. They’ve earned more than they could in several lifetimes. I’d say we’ve repaid their kindness in full.”

“Oh, by the way,” Lady Leng said, as if something had just crossed her mind. “What happened with the engagement between the Ye family’s child and the Qiao family? Magistrate Qiao agreed to the match out of respect for you. By now, they should be married, shouldn’t they?”

The Marquis hesitated before replying, “Qiao Zheng Shan did mention it to me. Apparently, the Ye family suddenly backed out of the agreement and replaced the bride with another daughter. The Qiao family refused, and the engagement was called off.”

“How could that happen?” Lady Leng asked, puzzled.

“Did Qiao Zheng Shan mention why the Ye family wanted to switch brides?”

“He didn’t go into details.”

The Marquis immediately regretted revealing the truth.

To dispel his wife’s suspicions, he added, “So many years have passed, and who knows what might have happened in between? Besides, we can’t even fully control our own children’s marriages. It’s best not to meddle in others’ affairs.”

Lady Leng found the Marquis’ reasoning sound but couldn’t suppress a sigh. “For some reason, I can’t stop thinking about that Ye family child. Maybe it’s because she’s the same age as Zhi Yi. Every time I see Zhi Yi, I can’t help but think of her.”

“That’s enough!”

The Marquis suddenly lost his temper.

“It’s been years! You should let it go.

Your daughter is with you every day, yet you say things like this. How do you think that makes her feel?”

Lady Leng blushed with embarrassment. “You’re right. It was my mistake. I’ll try not to dwell on it anymore.”

The Marquis softened his tone, taking her hand again.

“I overreacted just now. Your health isn’t the best, so don’t burden yourself with unnecessary worries over other people’s children.”

Lady Leng nodded in agreement.

“Mother!”

The awkward atmosphere was broken as Lu Zhi Yi walked in from outside.

“Mother, I’ve finished checking the accounts for the fabric shop, but I’m not confident in my calculations. Could you double-check them for me?”

Lady Leng smiled at the sight of her daughter.

“Bring the accounts to my room, and we’ll review them together.”

“All right, Mother,” Lu Zhi Yi said cheerfully, linking arms with Lady Leng and escorting her out of the study.

Before leaving, she turned back and saw her father nodding at her approvingly.

Seeing how thoughtful her daughter was, Lady Leng realized her mistake.

She should focus more on her daughter and not dwell on others.

Lady Leng reviewed the accounts, marking the errors, and then said:

“The fabric shop’s business is managed by Uncle Wang. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can always ask him.

Once you’re fully familiar with everything, I’ll transfer the shop to your name. No matter whom you marry in the future, having the fabric shop will give you confidence and independence.”

Lu Zhi Yi was taken aback and said, “Mother, the fabric shop is the largest business in our family. Are you really comfortable entrusting it to me? If Chang Qing finds out, will he throw another tantrum?”

Leng Qing Yu patted Lu Zhi Yi’s hand gently. “What tantrum would he throw?

Your father is right, with his health, Chang Qing is not suited to manage business affairs. I’ll set aside a sum of money for him to ensure he’ll always have enough for a comfortable life.”

“You’ve thought of everything, Mother.”

Lu Zhi Yi rested her head on Leng Qing Yu’s shoulder and added, “If my brother ever needs help, I won’t stand by and do nothing.”

“I’m lucky to have you,” Lady Leng said, feeling reassured.

She had always thought Zhi Yi was too sensible, never acting spoiled or willful. But now, she realized that Zhi Yi’s maturity allowed her to rest easy.

Even so, she couldn’t help but remain concerned about the situation in Yun Tong County.

After Lu Zhi Yi left, Lady Leng went to the study to search for the letter from Yun Tong County.

To her surprise, she couldn’t find it, no matter where she looked.

Could the Marquis have put it away separately?

But why would he do that?

Suspicion crept into Leng Qing Yu’s heart.

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Yun Tong County.

The business at Yong Le Hall was thriving and gaining more recognition.

However, it still couldn’t surpass Shun Yi Tang.

Though the previous incident had tarnished Shun Yi Tang’s reputation, its long-standing foundation ensured it wouldn’t collapse overnight.

Recently, they announced a half-price sale of “Twin Star Tea” as a good will gesture for the residents of Yun Tong County, regaining public favor.

“Owner, do you think the proposal Miss Ye mentioned a few days ago will work?”

Li Qiao, having just finished calculating the accounts, couldn’t help but ask Li Mo.

“Are you talking about the ‘Cool Tea’ idea?” Li Mo took a sip of tea, looking relaxed.

Li Qiao nodded.

Li Mo set down his teacup. “I think it’s doable.

You’ve tried it too, haven’t you? The taste of Cool Tea is no different from Twin Star Tea. It also quenches thirst and aids digestion. But selling it freshly brewed makes me a bit uneasy.”

Li Qiao said, “I’ve done the math. Based on Miss Ye’s method, the cost of one batch of Cool Tea is 300 coins. After brewing, one pot can produce 200 servings. At 10 coins per serving, that’s 2 taels of silver in revenue. The profit margin is promising, the only question is how many we can sell in a day.”

“Stop overthinking. Thinking alone won’t solve anything. Since sister-in-law believes it will work, let’s give it a shot.

Even if it doesn’t succeed, the losses won’t be significant.”

Having reached a consensus, the two men felt more at ease.

---

The next morning, Ye Xin Ran arrived early at Yong Le Hall.

Not only did she show up in person, but she also brought along a cart full of bamboo cups.

“Sister-in-law, are these the bamboo cups you mentioned?” Li Mo picked one up to examine it closely.

The bamboo cups were crafted from bamboo stalks of roughly the same thickness, sawed into uniform lengths to form cups.

The interesting detail was that each cup came with a lid.

Next, Ye Xin Ran had her helpers unload a basket of pre-cut reed straws from the cart.