Chapter 26: Compete with Her? Lose Money?
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Du Zi Heng felt a twinge of discomfort as he observed Yu Zhi Yi’s indifferent demeanor.
As the only son of the Chancellor, he’d grown up with few friends, most of whom maintained polite but distant ties with him. Genuine companions who could share his thoughts were rare.
Before he fell in love, You Bing Yue had been one of them.
Later, Yu Zhi Yi became another.
She had helped him, yet he’d hastily blamed her without understanding the full picture last time.
And it had been when You Bing Yue had deliberately caused trouble in the first place!
The guilt gnawed at him, and he resolved to make amends for the hurt he had caused.
When Madam Yao received the account book and her brows shot up in astonishment, an idea struck him.
“Mother,” he ventured, “Zhi Yi has only recently taken over the household’s management. The stewards under her are all cunning; it’s normal for some errors to occur.”
As the son of the Chancellor, Du Zi Heng was not only well-versed in the classics and arts required of a gentleman but also trained in the art of leadership.
He understood that when the water is too clear, no fish can survive. Without benefits, stewards wouldn’t work diligently for the Du Family’s interests.
A bit of self-interest among them was inevitable.
As long as it wasn’t excessive, even Chancellor Du wouldn’t pursue the matter.
He believed Yu Zhi Yi might have suffered due to her unfamiliarity with these nuances, and so he pleaded on her behalf.
In doing so, he temporarily forgot his original purpose for coming here.
Madam Yao gave her son a dry look. “You should worry about your own business first.”
Yu Zhi Yi nodded. “Mother is right. There’s an order to everything. Let’s address the Young Master’s matters first; mine can wait.”
They could wait until he left.
She didn’t want to hear any more nonsense from him.
Du Zi Heng choked.
He was only trying to help her, yet she didn’t appreciate it.
He pressed on, “I’d like to hand over the South Wind Bookstore to Zhi Yi for management.”
Since the age of thirteen, Du Zi Heng had been learning to independently manage properties. The South Wind Bookstore was one of his favorite businesses because it exuded the scholarly air and spirit of literary excellence, a stark contrast to the others.
Although he had full autonomy over it, he knew his mother disliked You Bing Yue. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he sought her approval first.
He believed in You Bing Yue’s abilities and was confident she would soon turn a profit.
Once his mother saw her competence, her opinion would change, and future decisions wouldn’t require constant reporting.
Madam Yao turned to Yu Zhi Yi. “What do you think, Zhi Yi?”
Yu Zhi Yi deftly passed the decision back. “Whatever Mother decides is best.”
She had no intention of getting involved between these two, lest she end up like Yu Jiao Jiao, another pawn in their relationship.
She even considered advising Madam Yao to stay out of it, though she knew it was a futile effort.
Ultimately, Madam Yao relented, unwilling to see her son troubled. Moreover, You Bing Yue had behaved well lately. “Let’s try it for a month. If she doesn’t bring in higher profits by then, don’t tell me she’s capable anymore.”
“Three months?” Du Zi Heng suggested. “Implementing new policies takes time.”
Madam Yao sighed. “… Fine, three months.”
With his mother’s agreement secured, Du Zi Heng had no intention of leaving just yet. Instead, he shifted the topic back to Yu Zhi Yi. “Mother, collecting accounts might sound simple, but it involves a lot of intricacies…”
Yu Zhi Yi cut him off. “Young Master needn’t worry. I find it quite straightforward. I didn’t even handle it personally—I left it to Zi Yuan. The stewards were very cooperative. Except for one who, overwhelmed by guilt, sent himself to prison, the others were all quite obedient.”
Du Zi Heng was speechless.
Did she even realize what she was saying?
Those stewards were as sly as foxes. Even he, the young master, had to play mind games with them. And she claimed they were obedient?
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that she had been duped. His gaze grew complex.
He hesitated to point it out, worried it might hurt her feelings.
“You haven’t dealt with them before. They might seem respectful, but they all have their schemes. I’m afraid you’ve been tricked.”
“Good advice is hard to hear,” he added gently. “I know this might be hard for you to accept, but it’s the truth.”
Yu Zhi Yi’s mother tongue in that moment was silence.
“Would the Young Master care to look at the account book before making such claims?”
Madam Yao, torn between amusement and exasperation, handed the account book to her son.
Du Zi Heng’s eyes widened in astonishment. “This…”
He had helped collect accounts before and was familiar with the earnings of the shops. While there were fluctuations, the total typically hovered around ten thousand taels.
But Yu Zhi Yi had collected fifty percent more!
His first instinct was disbelief—it had to be a mistake.
Yu Zhi Yi interjected, “The silver has already been sent to the treasury. If the Young Master doubts it, feel free to verify it yourself.”
Du Zi Heng fell silent.
Faced with her clear, cold gaze, he awkwardly dismissed his far-fetched suspicions but remained puzzled. “I haven’t heard of any shop doing particularly well lately. How did you manage to collect so much more?”
Yu Zhi Yi smiled faintly. “Simple. They spit out what they’d swallowed.”
“I imagine they’ll keep spitting for a few more months.”
Madam Yao chuckled. “Zhi Yi, you’re brilliant. One move to scare the pests, and they’re terrified out of their wits.”
Du Zi Heng’s curiosity was piqued, but neither his mother nor Yu Zhi Yi seemed inclined to elaborate.
Yu Zhi Yi offered a parting remark. “Thank you for your kind intentions, Young Master. Let me offer you some advice: Don’t splurge in the next few months. If the bookstore loses money, I won’t be using the household funds to cover the deficit.”
Du Zi Heng frowned at her pointed words but restrained his temper. “Don’t worry. Bing Yue is clever and full of ideas. She won’t lose money.”
Yu Zhi Yi didn’t argue. “In that case, congratulations in advance on your profits. Surely, you’ll make so much you can spoil Madam Yao with gifts.”
Her seemingly sincere smile made him feel oddly irked.
With no retort, he left, returning to the Moon Gazing Pavilion in low spirits.
You Bing Yue, suppressing her pain, greeted him eagerly. “How did it go?”
Seeing her lifted his mood. “Mother agreed. I’ll have Du Lin take you to retrieve the official seal shortly. You’ll have full authority.”
Overjoyed, You Bing Yue planted a kiss on his lips, oblivious to the awkward glances of the attendants.
Her heart burned with determination. She’d prove her worth. She’d make Yu Zhi Yi eat her words!
Meanwhile, in Breeze Pavilion, Zi Yuan was practically bursting with excitement. “Miss, let’s come up with a plan to crush her!”
Yu Zhi Yi remained indifferent. “Why bother? Compete with her? Over losing money?”