Chapter 136: Cloud Bamboo and Jin'er’s Bet

"Li Heng, are you... are you alright?"

"Hmm?"

The city gates were already closed. It was past lunchtime in the afternoon, and there were few customers at the main store of Bamboo Rhyme. Upstairs, when Nie Yunzhu asked that question, Ning Yi was startled. The woman sat down in front of him, smoothed her hair, and smiled slightly: "A few days ago, I heard about the Su family. They said... Master Su was assassinated. I also heard that the Su family's young lady and her husband were there, so I've been wondering these past few days if you were alright..."

Jiangning had many wealthy merchants, and all industries were quite developed. Although the Su family held a prominent position in the textile business, the atmosphere had been tense these past few days. When the assassination occurred, outsiders didn't have much opportunity to hear details, as it didn't concern them directly. Even a thousand years later, with advanced information, an ordinary person wouldn't necessarily hear about a merchant being robbed instantly. Nie Yunzhu had already been paying close attention to the Su family, which was how she came to hear about the incident during a conversation. Not seeing Ning Yi for several days, she felt uneasy, fearing he might have been affected and something had happened.

Ning Yi nodded after she finished speaking. "Yes, I'm fine," he said. "But things at home have been quite tense, so I've been caught up in it these past few days, constantly busy."

After he confirmed he was alright, Yunzhu's worried expression relaxed, and she smiled again. "Master Su... is he alright?"

"He just passed the critical stage," Ning Yi said, taking a bite of food and shaking his head. His tone was casual. "He's paralyzed and won't be able to walk again. To truly recover, it might take several months. It's still being kept secret; we haven't dared to spread the word."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"The assassin was caught and is now at the yamen. He's insisting that the Su family was responsible for ruining his family first... There's someone manipulating things behind the scenes. After all, whether the victim lives or dies ultimately affects the judgment, so we're delaying it for a few days. How long we can drag it out is hard to say..."

"Someone wants to frame the Su family?" Nie Yunzhu's eyes widened.

Ning Yi smiled and casually explained the situation. Apart from a sigh regarding his father-in-law's injuries, his other descriptions were indifferent. Conversations with Nie Yunzhu usually had this relaxed atmosphere. This time, however, Nie Yunzhu grew worried again, then reconsidered, realizing that such matters wouldn't affect him, a son-in-law living with the family. A moment later, she asked casually, "Then... your Tan'er sister at home, can she handle this situation?"

"She happened to catch a cold and fell ill," Ning Yi sighed. "So, I've been helping to hold the fort recently."

"Oh," Nie Yunzhu had asked casually, but now she paused, unsure how to react. Finally, she repeated, "Are you alright?" It was unclear if she was asking about Su Tan'er's condition or Ning Yi's.

"She's fine, just needs some rest," he replied. "It's also partly due to too much pressure. In short, she'll be well after a period of recuperation."

After a brief exchange, Nie Yunzhu smiled. "So, you're saying Li Heng is looking after the Su family's business recently?" She had always felt that Ning Yi was talented but hadn't had the chance to demonstrate it. Bamboo Rhyme itself had only flourished under his guidance. Now that he finally had such an opportunity, as a friend, she was naturally happy for him.

Ning Yi shook his head, chuckling. "Well, not exactly. It's just that the Su family's business needs someone to step up right now. I don't know much about the specific projects; I've just been fumbling around to make it look like I'm doing something these past few days. Oh, something funny happened the other day: I mistook the incense and camphor used for storing fabrics as dyeing materials and told them not to waste them, but to collect them all. Haha, I nearly died of embarrassment..."

Ning Yi continued to eat and recount his amusing blunders. Nie Yunzhu listened for a while, unsure how to react, then burst into a good-natured laugh. "You did that on purpose, didn't you, Li Heng?"

"Tsk, of course! How could someone as brilliant as me make such a small mistake, right?" Ning Yi winked. "I was just messing with them, and they had no idea. Shhh, don't tell anyone about this..."

"Now that you say that, I don't believe you," Nie Yunzhu said, frowning with a smile. "But since you've stepped in, there certainly won't be any problems, will there?"

"Ha, maybe. Anyway, I'll probably be wandering around for the next few days. In the mornings, I'll go check on the shops. Yes, I'm managing several shops now, much larger than yours, by the way. I might come over for lunch or dinner. There isn't much actual work; the shopkeepers are all veterans and don't need my instruction. So, in a couple of days, I'll find some time to accompany you to see Elder Qin. I had already promised, but I didn't have time the past few days. I actually came today to apologize."

Nie Yunzhu looked at him, then pursed her lips. "If you're very busy right now, Li Heng, there's no need to rush to make time for this..."

"No, I'm not busy at all," Ning Yi replied, his expression serious again. He shook his head and ate his rice. "The Su family's problems aren't major, and they won't be troublesome to solve. Someone has one foot in a pit; I'm just responsible for digging that pit a little deeper and waiting to see who falls in."

He was in a relaxed mood, just like when he usually went for runs or chatted. He then laughed and talked about some trivial things he had encountered in the textile shops over the past few days. Yunzhu listened from across the table, resting her chin on her hand. When Ning Yi asked, she recounted the situation in the city since the gates had been closed. Although the atmosphere was tense and there had been several incidents, big and small, overall, they hadn't encountered any safety issues.

Ning Yi had downplayed the Su family's affairs, not mentioning much, and Yunzhu naturally didn't press for details. However, after Ning Yi left, she couldn't help but ponder Ning Yi's style and performance when he formally managed the Su family's business. To her, once Ning Yi took action, he was bound to impress. As a friend, she enjoyed hearing about these things, just as she often felt a sense of pride when Elder Qin praised Ning Yi. In the evening, Yuan Jin'er, who taught dance at Yan Cui Lou, arrived. Hearing that Ning Yi had been there, she playfully teased Yunzhu with a grin.

"Oh, he finally came," she said. "Sister Yunzhu, you don't have to worry all day now, do you?"

When Nie Yunzhu mentioned the Su family's crisis, Jin'er's eyes widened. "His wife at home is incredibly capable, and she's fallen ill... How could Ning Yi possibly handle it..."

"I don't know either; he didn't say much," Yunzhu replied. "But since Li Heng has stepped in, there certainly won't be a problem. And he just said it's not a big issue, and he'll solve it."

Jin'er gave her an unconvinced look. "Specialization is key, Sister Yunzhu, I know that. That Ning Yi... he's very capable, but he can't possibly know everything. When it comes to business, I bet he's definitely no match for his wife!"

Jin'er had a point, and Yunzhu thought for a moment, showing a hint of hesitation. Yuan Jin'er looked at her, then sat down beside her. "Anyway, it's not our business, and we can't help with this. The Su family has so many people; he's not the only one stepping up, just someone who can be in charge. Don't worry... How about this: tomorrow, I'll go ask some of the sisters familiar with the Su family and see what exactly happened with them..."

Although Yuan Jin'er had bought her freedom, her old connections hadn't been severed, and she always sought to use them to drum up business. The next afternoon, Ning Yi had another meal at Bamboo Rhyme, chatted with Yunzhu for a while, and then left. It wasn't until that night that Jin'er and Yunzhu spoke on the bed, sharing the information she had gathered.

"Tsk, so the Su family wants to become imperial merchants, which has caused quite a stir recently. Now the Xue family, the Wu family, and also the Chen family and Lu family, all consider them rivals. Oh, and the Su family itself is having internal conflicts. But if they truly succeed, all these problems will be easily resolved... As for your Ning Li Heng, he's approaching this entirely like a bookworm..."

"What do you mean, 'your Ning Li Heng'..."

"Alright, then someone else's Ning Li Heng. He's been trying to see Lord He Fang these past two days. He's not really looking for connections, though connections might not even be useful. But anyway, he just went directly to request an audience. Yesterday and today, he bothered the gatekeeper for over an hour before leaving. He's really persistent! I heard he's going again tomorrow. In just two days, everyone in the textile shops is already talking about it... I guess he plans to bother him for an hour every day until Lord He sees him. How stupid! Doesn't he have a connection to the Consort? If he just mentioned it..."

"If he can do something himself, and he just casually uses someone else's connections, he'll be looked down upon later."

"Tsk, anyway, what a dim-witted person! You wouldn't guess he was this dense when arguing..."

Lying in her nightclothes on the bed, Nie Yunzhu laughed. "That's called having principles, not being stupid. Lord He will have to see him eventually. You're always thinking about connections." "Hmph, if he weren't Ning Li Heng, Sister Yunzhu, you'd call him stupid too!" Jin'er retorted. "And even if he does get to see him, if Lord He is displeased, he won't be able to convince him. In the end, connections are still useful. Let's make a bet!"

"I won't bet on that. I bet Li Heng will definitely solve this matter."

"Fine, then I... I bet he won't be able to solve it!" Jin'er thought for a moment, then suddenly chuckled slyly. "What's the wager? I've got it: if he can't solve it, and I win, Sister Yunzhu, you have to confess to Ning Yi that you like him!"

"I... I don't, that—" In the dim light, Yunzhu's face suddenly flushed hot. She turned her head towards Yuan Jin'er, who slightly tilted her chin up, blinking provocatively. The two looked at each other for a moment. Yunzhu frowned, somewhat embarrassed and annoyed; she actually disliked Jin'er constantly teasing her about this. At that moment, she took a deep breath. "What about you then? If Li Heng solves the problem?"

"If he's that capable," Jin'er said, clearly in a mischievous mood, slightly pleased and still looking at Yunzhu with her chin tilted, "then I'll like him along with Sister Yunzhu, and I'll never speak ill of him again." Yunzhu's eyes widened, then she turned her head to stare at the top of the mosquito net. After a long moment, she said, word by word, "It's a bet!"

"Tsk..."

Jin'er's bravado faded. The bed was quiet for a moment. She leaned closer to Yunzhu, who shifted away. Jin'er leaned closer again, and Yunzhu finally laughed, though she also sighed. "That's impossible, go away! You're annoying," she said, reaching out to push the clingy Jin'er. "Always stirring up trouble!"

"I was just joking with you, Sister Yunzhu! How could you actually bet?" Jin'er huddled up, grumbling. "Whether we win or lose, wouldn't Ning Yi be the one to benefit? I don't want to get involved..."

"Regardless of winning or losing, how could I possibly say it? How would we face each other afterward? What kind of person would that make Li Heng seem?"

"Men like that, and I really do think you like him, Sister Yunzhu. Watching you, I sometimes get anxious..."

"I..." Yunzhu thought for a while, then sighed as she looked at the mosquito net.

"What's wrong?"

"I..."

"...I do like him."

After a long pause, Yunzhu spoke these words, her emotions complex. Jin'er silently watched her, then made an 'X' gesture with her hands. "Alright, it was a joke, null and void." Yunzhu also crossed her hands in the air, then gently flicked Jin'er's nose. Jin'er leaned closer, smiling, and the room fell silent. After a moment, a rustling sound began again as Jin'er shamelessly leaned in once more, reaching out to hold Yunzhu's hand. "Sister Yunzhu, I let you win just now..."

"Hmm?"

"Even though I think it's unlikely, I do hope Ning Yi can actually pull it off, since he's someone we know. But I knew you wanted to side with him, Sister Yunzhu, so I had to take the opposite stance. Yes, Jin'er let you win..."

"I know."

"But I still don't think he can do it..."

The atmosphere became somber, and the bedroom fell into a slight silence.

While Nie Yunzhu and Yuan Jin'er observed Ning Yi's actions, many others were also watching the situation. Ning Yi wasn't the real focal point; no one truly believed he would be of much use. However, with Su Tan'er receding behind the scenes of the incident, any clues regarding the Su family's decisions had to be sought through Ning Yi.

His blunders in the textile shops were irrelevant, at most providing some amusement. But behind those blunders, the shopkeepers meticulously built momentum for the imperial merchant bid—that was clearly Su Tan'er's true intention. And when Ning Yi suddenly went to visit Lord He Fang of the Textile Bureau, though it seemed absurd and he was turned away, people like Xue Yan and Xue Jin became more alert, watching to see if he would make any progress, or observing the Su family's subsequent movements to uncover Su Tan'er's real purpose.

It wasn't just rivals like the Xue family; even within the Su household's own system, many shopkeepers, like Xi Junyu, couldn't quite grasp the current situation. They didn't understand whether Ning Yi's sudden focus on Lord He Fang was due to a scholarly fit, genuinely believing he could persuade the official simply by meeting him, or if Su Tan'er was secretly manipulating things with a deeper intention.

"What exactly is he trying to do...?" On the evening Ning Yi was turned away from Lord He's residence for the second time, Xi Junyu and a familiar shopkeeper were drinking and discussing these matters in their courtyard. While they shook their heads and chuckled at Ning Yi's actions, Ning Yi's interference this time made Su Tan'er's true intentions truly inscrutable to him.

"Perhaps what Master did was just a smokescreen. For instance, mistaking incense for dye was harmless. But going to Lord He's mansion this time was truly reckless. No progress isn't a problem; my fear is offending Lord He, which would be troublesome..."

"Ah, let's just assume it's Second Miss's instruction and idea behind it. As for you and me... for now, we just need to concern ourselves with this imperial merchant business, and that's enough. Anyway... he's a scholar, full of resolve, and has made his decision, so it's not our place to comment..."

Meanwhile, on another side of Jiangning, there were also some people who were simply observing Ning Yi's actions, largely disregarding figures like Su Tan'er or Su Yu.

"He's been turned away for two days now; is he going again tomorrow?" In the pavilion of the Consort's Residence, Kang Xian listened to Lu Agui's report and laughed. "What on earth does that young man intend to do? Does he really think he can persuade He Fang just by meeting him?"

Nearby, a young lady and her brother, who had inadvertently overheard these matters and subsequently became interested, exchanged glances and hurried aside to whisper to each other.