Chapter 49

“Miss, if you’re really interested in buying, I’ll go talk to the boss for you and try to get him to lower the price a bit. What do you think?”

The boss, seeing that Xia Qingqing was still dissatisfied, quickly patted his chest in assurance.

“Go ahead and talk to him! If he doesn’t drop the price by a few thousand taels, I’ll go look at other stores. There are plenty of other agencies on this street!”

Xia Qingqing shrugged her shoulders, stood up, and started walking out.

The boss, anxious, hurried to try and keep her there. “Miss, could you leave your name and address? If we reach an agreement, I can come find you!”

“No need. I might come back tomorrow,” Xia Qingqing said dismissively as she walked away.

As she exited the shop, she noticed someone hurrying away in a rush.

“Hey? Isn’t that that annoying guy? He must have overheard our conversation inside! No way, I have to warn him so he doesn’t blab about it!”

Xia Qingqing immediately picked up speed and chased after him.

“Bang!”

She kicked off her boot and threw it at him.

“Ouch! That hurts!”

The man stopped and rubbed his back.

“Third brother, why are you running?” Xia Qingqing hopped over and picked up her boot.

“I haven’t been home in a few days, so I thought you came to find me!” the third young master answered, his tone guilty.

“Oh! Let’s go! It’s already afternoon, so let me treat you to some food at the nearby restaurant!”

Xia Qingqing put her boot back on and pulled Xia Tiance’s sleeve.

“Xia Qingqing, were you buying a house earlier? Where did you get all that money?” Xia Tiance asked, puzzled.

“My father gave it to me! He said he’s been owing me and my mother for so many years, so he gave me more silver. I thought I’d buy a house so I could have a place to live in the future,” Xia Qingqing explained with a helpless shrug.

Xia Tiance nodded, understanding her situation.

“Xia Qingqing, you were really fierce in that fight. If you were a man, you’d definitely have no rival on this street!” he said, touching his red forehead.

Xia Qingqing and he arrived at a nearby restaurant, Taibai Tavern. They took a window-side seat, ordered some food and drinks, and while waiting, snacked on melon seeds and sipped tea as they chatted.

“Third brother, you got hit on the forehead, didn’t you?” Xia Qingqing asked as she noticed his injury.

Xia Tiance awkwardly laughed and touched his forehead. “I… I wasn’t paying attention, and I bumped into something!”

Xia Qingqing sighed lightly. “I was planning to help you, but since you don’t want to talk, I’ll mind my own business!”

She picked up her teacup and slowly sipped from it.

“Xia Qingqing, you know, even though I’m the third young master of the Summer household, and the grandson of the esteemed Prime Minister Yan, I should have a good life. But I don’t want to study or be disciplined by my parents, I just want to live freely! So I end up running around with a bunch of other young masters, causing trouble.”

Xia Tiance lowered his head in embarrassment, taking a sip of his tea.

“Oh! A fight, huh? You couldn’t beat them, so you just ran off, leaving your brothers behind! You really are a coward! Who’d want to follow you after this?” Xia Qingqing said, throwing the melon seed shell with a face full of disdain.

When it comes to fighting, who could possibly compete with someone like me, trained like a special forces soldier?

Looks like I need to train a bunch of men. Xia Tiance would be a perfect candidate.

“Do you want to get back at them?” Xia Qingqing leaned in, lowering her voice.

“I do! I’ve been dreaming of slapping that Ji Haiyang across the face! But Xia Qingqing, you don’t know, he’s got a group of really skilled fighters under him, and they belong to the Blue Gang in the northern district! Unlike my guys, who are just a ragtag bunch! How could we possibly be their match?”

Xia Tiance’s excitement faded as he thought about the power imbalance.

“Sigh! Since they’re in a gang, you could always build your own gang!” Xia Qingqing encouraged him.

“My own gang?” Xia Tiance looked doubtful, unsure if he had what it took.

“You know where your family’s valuable items are hidden, right? You can take them, pawn them off, and then find a few strong, fearless, desperate-for-money guys. Promise them big rewards, just to follow you. You can monopolize the gambling houses, brothels, and money shops in the northern district—places that make the most money. Give them a share of the profits! Who wouldn’t want to be a boss and make money?”

Xia Qingqing carefully laid out her plan, working on convincing him.

“Plus, I could train your guys. Teach them organization, discipline, and fighting skills. Only the ones who listen to us get a share of the profits.”

“You’ll learn to leverage your connections, especially your grandpa’s influence! He’s out in the open, and you can work behind the scenes to help him. I’m sure that’ll get you more support from him in the future.”

Xia Tiance was stunned. How did his Xia Qingqing, who had spent so many years in the inner courtyard, know so much about the world outside? No wonder she was fiercer than the Blue Gang’s people when she fought him!

“Xia Qingqing, you make a lot of sense. After dinner, I’ll find some people. Once I’ve got them, where should we meet? You’re more capable than me; you should be the one to handle them!”

“Where’s a discreet place around here, somewhere hidden and not easily noticed?”

“I’ll think about it!”

Xia Tiance scratched his head, then his eyes brightened. “Ah! There’s the City God Temple, it’s in ruins, but I often bring my guys there to meet!”

“Alright! Tomorrow evening, take your men there and wait for me. I’ll disguise myself as a man and pretend to be one of your brothers. Just call me Sixth Brother!”

Xia Qingqing smiled as she looked at him. She hadn’t expected that her arrival in Da Hua would mean she was already starting to build her own team!

“Alright!”

“Your dishes, madam!”

The waiter brought over a tray of steaming hot dishes, placing them on the table.

Xia Qingqing and Xia Tiance quickly finished their meal, then went their separate ways, each with their own tasks.

Xia Qingqing sneaked back to Cui Zhuxuan by climbing over the wall at the back.

She handed over the silver notes and headgear to the maid, asking her to keep them safe.

Tomorrow, she would continue looking for a house.

“Miss, after Second Miss woke up, she became very quiet, not like before when she was so loud!” the maid reported on Xia Jinlan’s condition.

“However, I heard that the lady’s house was robbed, and a few hundred thousand taels of silver were stolen, along with many jewels. The jewelry was found in the eldest young master’s room, but the silver hasn’t been recovered. The lady hasn’t said anything about the eldest young master, but she’s already starting to suspect him!”

Xia Qingqing was also surprised. She hadn’t expected Yan Meili to have so much money! If only she had known, she could have set the place on fire and looted it during the chaos! What a missed opportunity!