Chapter 26: What to Compete With Her About? Losing Money?
This novel is translated and hosted only on Bcatranslation
Seeing Yu Zhi Yi’s indifferent expression, Du Zi Heng felt a twinge of discomfort in his heart.
As the only son of the Chancellor, he hadn’t had many friends growing up. Most of his friendships were more like polite associations, and there were only a few people he could genuinely confide in.
You Bing Yue, before they fell in love, was one of them.
Later, Yu Zhi Yi became another.
She had helped him, yet last time, without knowing the full story, he had unjustly blamed her.
And all of it happened because You Bing Yue had gone looking for trouble on her own!
He felt guilty and wanted to do something to make up for the harm he’d caused.
When he saw Madam Yao take the account books and her brows quickly arch upward, an idea formed in his mind. He said, “Mother, Zhi Yi just recently took over managing the household. The stewards are all sly old foxes; it’s natural for a few mistakes to happen.”
As the young master of the Chancellor’s estate, not only did he have to master the Four Books and Five Classics along with the refined arts expected of nobles, but he also needed to learn how to manage people.
Water that’s too clear has no fish. Without some incentives, the stewards wouldn’t be motivated to serve the Du family diligently.
So it was normal for some of them to have small, selfish thoughts. As long as it wasn’t excessive, even Chancellor Du wouldn’t hold them accountable.
He thought Yu Zhi Yi might have suffered a loss simply because she didn’t understand this, so he tried to speak up on her behalf. He even forgot the main reason he had come.
Madam Yao gave her son an exasperated look. “You should worry about your own shop first.”
Yu Zhi Yi nodded in agreement. “Mother is right. Everything has an order. Let’s handle the young master’s matters first. Mine can wait.”
Wait until he leaves.
She had no interest in hearing him ramble.
Du Zi Heng was taken aback.
He was trying to help her, but she wasn’t appreciating it at all.
He could only continue, “I’d like to hand over the management of South Wind Bookstore to Zhi Yi.”
Since he was thirteen, he’d started learning how to independently manage properties. South Wind Bookstore was one of his properties and his favorite, because among all his businesses, only the bookstore had an air of scholarship, representing the spirit and integrity of scholars.
He technically had full autonomy over it, but he knew his mother disliked Bing Yue. To avoid more problems, he decided to seek her approval first.
He believed that with Bing Yue’s abilities, she could soon make it profitable.
And as long as his mother saw her abilities, she’d change her opinion of her. Then there wouldn’t be a need to report everything to her anymore.
Madam Yao turned to Yu Zhi Yi. “Yiyi, what do you think?”
Yu Zhi Yi pushed the decision back to her. “Mother can decide.”
She wanted no part in whatever was going on between those two. She didn’t want to become entangled, like Yu Jiao Jiao, as just another player in their complicated relationship.
She even considered advising Madam Yao to stay out of it too, but she knew that was impossible.
In the end, Madam Yao couldn’t bear to see her son troubled. Besides, You Bing Yue hadn’t caused any trouble recently, so she relented. “Alright, we’ll try it for a month. If, after a month, she can’t make more profit, don’t come telling me again how capable she is.”
“Three months, perhaps? Implementing new policies takes time,” Du Zi Heng suggested.
Madam Yao sighed. “Fine, three months.”
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Du Zi Heng still didn’t leave. Instead, he turned the conversation back to Yu Zhi Yi. “Mother, handling accounts may sound simple, but there are many intricacies involved—”
Yu Zhi Yi cut him off. “You worry too much, young master. 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 turned himself in for his wrongdoings, the others behaved quite well.”
Du Zi Heng blinked, confused. “What?”
Did she even hear what she was saying?
Those stewards were all as cunning as foxes. Even as the young master, he often had to outwit them. And here she was, saying they were well-behaved?
He became more convinced that Yu Zhi Yi had been deceived. His gaze turned complicated.
He wanted to speak more bluntly but feared hurting her feelings.
She had quite a strong sense of pride; he wasn’t sure if she could take it. “You’ve never dealt with those people before. They might all seem respectful on the surface, but they have their own agendas. I’m afraid you’ve been tricked.
“Honest words may be hard to hear, but it’s the truth.”
Yu Zhi Yi felt at a loss for words.
“Young master, perhaps you should look at the account books before speaking?”
Madam Yao, exasperated by her son’s foolishness, handed him the account books.
Du Zi Heng widened his eyes in shock. “This…”
He had helped with collections before and knew the usual earnings of these shops. Though there were fluctuations, the total was typically around ten thousand taels.
Yet Yu Zhi Yi had collected half as much again!
He didn’t want to overthink it but couldn’t help suspecting—had there been a mistake in the bookkeeping?
Yu Zhi Yi calmly said, “The silver has already been sent to the treasury. If the young master doesn’t believe it, he can go check.”
Du Zi Heng was left speechless.
Looking at Yu Zhi Yi’s composed gaze, he sheepishly dismissed his ridiculous doubts but still couldn’t help asking, “I haven’t heard of any shop recently being particularly profitable or popular. How did you collect so much more money?”
Yu Zhi Yi chuckled. “Naturally, it’s because they returned what they had swallowed.”
“I estimate they’ll keep returning it for the next few months.”
Madam Yao laughed. “Yiyi, you truly are remarkable. One decisive move, and you’ve scared those leeches out of their wits.”
Du Zi Heng was incredibly curious, but neither his mother nor Yu Zhi Yi seemed inclined to explain. He could only stay puzzled.
“Thank you for your kind intentions, young master. Let me give you some advice in return: for the next few months, don’t spend lavishly. If the bookstore loses money, I won’t be using estate funds to cover your losses.”
Du Zi Heng had only two properties—a bookstore and a clothing shop.
He considered the clothing shop tainted by vulgarity, even though it earned a lot. He didn’t like it.
He only liked the bookstore, despite its profits being merely a third of the clothing shop’s.
Honest words, it seemed, were indeed hard to take. Du Zi Heng frowned slightly, clearly displeased.
But recalling that he had just said the same thing to her, he held back his anger. “Don’t worry, Bing Yue is very clever and full of ideas. She certainly won’t lose money.”
Yu Zhi Yi didn’t argue. “In that case, I congratulate you in advance on your success. I’m sure you’ll be making plenty of profit. Don’t forget to buy some nice gifts for Mother.”
Du Zi Heng felt there was something sarcastic in her words.
But with Yu Zhi Yi smiling so sincerely, he couldn’t get angry and could only respond before returning sullenly to the Moon Gazing Pavilion.
You Bing Yue came out, enduring the pain in her chest. “How did it go?”
Seeing his beloved, Du Zi Heng felt slightly better. “Mother agreed. I’ll have Du Lin take you to get the official seal later. You can make all the decisions yourself.”
Overjoyed, You Bing Yue didn’t care if there were people watching and pressed a kiss on his lips.
The servants in the Moon Gazing Pavilion were used to the way the young master and Miss You interacted, but it still made them feel shy.
Du Lin also quietly looked away, feeling awkward.
You Bing Yue didn’t care about their reactions.
A bunch of old-fashioned folks who simply didn’t understand modern love.
While her lips were warm, her gaze was cold.
That gold-digging woman said she only relied on men?
Ha, she would show her exactly what she was capable of!
Feeling his beloved’s joy, Du Zi Heng immediately forgot Yu Zhi Yi’s warning. Naturally, he also didn’t remind You Bing Yue.
Though, even if he had, it probably wouldn’t have mattered.
At Wind Facing Pavilion.
“Miss, let’s also come up with some money-making plan. We have to crush her!”
Since learning that You Bing Yue was taking over South Wind Bookstore, Zi Yuan had been in an excited state.
She didn’t care if her young lady was favored or not—after all, Miss herself didn’t care. But she absolutely couldn’t let that woman surpass her lady in any way.
Especially not in making money!
Yu Zhi Yi couldn’t understand her excitement. “Maintaining things as they are now is perfectly fine. Why compete with her?”
Compete about what?
About losing money?