Chapter 168: Each Enjoys Themselves

Episode 2: The Pool of Hidden Strife

"Fengbo...?" Su Chonghua smiled as he glanced at the paper by the small lawn in the outer courtyard of Yushan Academy, then his brow furrowed slightly. At that moment, Xiao Qi had already run over. "Uncle Headmaster," she greeted.

"Hmm."

"That's mine, Uncle Headmaster." Xiao Qi bowed respectfully to Su Chonghua, then looked at the rice paper manuscript and said with a smile. Su Chonghua looked at the adorable little girl and handed the manuscript back. After Xiao Qi carefully folded it, preparing to put it in her pocket, Su Chonghua's smile showed a hint of hesitation.

He had only read the beginning of the poem, but he recognized the handwriting. "Ding Feng Bo"... The name of the poetic form made him somewhat curious, so he asked, "Xiao Qi, could you... let Uncle take a look at that?"

"Oh?" Xiao Qi stopped, blinked, and then with an "Oh," handed the manuscript over with both hands, watching him with pursed lips. She seemed to want to remind Uncle Headmaster not to damage the paper, but then thought it would be impolite, so she remained silent. Su Chonghua smiled, took the manuscript, carefully unfolded it, and read it softly. His brow furrowed. He read it again from the beginning, and after a long moment, he sighed with a complex expression. Looking at Xiao Qi, he smiled again. "Xiao Qi, this poem..."

"It's mine."

"Haha, I know. Did Mr. Liheng write it for you?"

"Yes," Xiao Qi nodded. "Yi... uh, Sir exchanged it with Xiao Qi. He said it's Xiao Qi's now and told me to keep it safe."

"Oh," Su Chonghua thought for a moment, nodded, and then handed the paper back to Xiao Qi. "You must take good care of it."

Xiao Qi tucked the poem into her pocket and left. Su Chonghua watched the little girl's retreating figure for a long time before shaking his head and smiling. Liheng certainly had talent, but to write a "Ding Feng Bo" at this point, and just for a little girl, indeed, he must know that if he were to reveal it, he would be laughed at, despite his self-admiration and comfort.

Ning Yi was no longer a priority. Su Chonghua had other matters to attend to that afternoon and a poetry gathering to socialize at that evening. He put the matter out of his mind and began to deal with his other tasks.

That seemingly peaceful and quiet afternoon, the tension in the textile industry had not reached the common people of Jiangning. Pedestrians bustled through the streets and alleys, and music drifted lightly from restaurants and tea houses. Occasionally, people would chat about interesting recent events in Jiangning, sometimes touching upon the Su and Wu cloth businesses. It was also that afternoon, in a secluded tea house, that Su Tan'er, accompanied by a few carefully selected and trusted shopkeepers and three maids, met with several people from the Wu family, led by Wu Chenghou.

"Ning Yi... why isn't he here?" Without much preamble, after a quick look around, Wu Chenghou's first question was direct.

"My husband has always disliked the trivialities of business. After he wrote that poem to advise you, Uncle, he hasn't inquired about this matter again. It wouldn't be right for me to bother him further with it."

Su Tan'er normally handled business affairs with great poise, yet her underlying assertiveness was evident to all; though a woman, she never wished to be subservient. However, at this moment, her seemingly frail words, as if she were sheltered under her husband's wing, only further infuriated Wu Chenghou. Especially when she mentioned "writing a poem to advise you, Uncle," it was as if she was repeating the "Laughing at the noble and powerful who bow and scrape" from that day: "My husband finished the task and reminded you, yet you still haven't reacted, so we can't be bothered to intervene anymore. What's a major affair for you is merely a minor trifle for my husband."

"Heh, so, it seems your esteemed husband doesn't give a fig about what my Wu family and all these people are doing."

Su Tan'er smiled, a hint of naturalness in her expression. "It has nothing to do with you, Uncle. It's just that your niece is too stubborn and takes success and failure too seriously. Had it not been for his pity that Tan'er was ill that day, my husband would probably not have bothered himself with such a small matter. As for today's affairs, my husband foresaw them two months ago, and every development since then, every single detail, he arranged clearly. Your niece will explain it to you shortly. My husband's talent, insight, and strategic planning far surpass mine, Uncle, so there's no need for you to be angry about this..."

"...Hmph!"

The wind swept through the alley corner near the tea house, thinning out the rather unenthusiastic conversation into the air. Nearby, people moved along the street. The afternoon gradually passed amidst such pedestrian activity. By evening, Su Tan'er and her three maids were riding home in a carriage, followed by the vehicles of several other shopkeepers. Inside the carriage were thick ledgers and books. Su Tan'er pulled back the curtain, looked at the twilight sky outside, and then smiled.

"Chan'er," Su Tan'er asked, "Do you think what I said to the Wu family earlier was powerful?"

"Huh?" Unprepared for such a question from her mistress, Xiao Chan paused, bewildered. "What? Uh, pow... powerful, yes..."

"Hmm, I think so too," Su Tan'er mused, nodding to herself. Her mistress was a little strange today, but fundamentally unchanged, negotiating calmly with the Wu family. However, the initial words about her husband seemed a bit exaggerated, making the three maids blush slightly. Later, the Wu family, suspecting she was joking around, stopped bringing up Ning Yi.

"But, Mistress," Xiao Chan continued, "after you told the Wu family about Young Master Ning, Shopkeeper Cao and the others were really startled, hehe. They still don't know why the Wu family secretly gave us so much. During the break, I heard them discussing, 'Ah, so Young Master Ning is really that capable?' For the past two months, this is the happiest they've been."

The managers and shopkeepers following behind were not particularly important figures in the Su family, but they were mostly middle-level staff jointly vetted by Ning Yi and Su Tan'er, unrelated to the core of the matter. Even if the Wu family had genuinely presented their entire business for the Su family to choose from, the negotiation work itself would have been quite complex. While Chan'er, Juan'er, and Xing'er could assist, they alone wouldn't have been able to handle so many details. Therefore, the help of these people would still be needed for the next few days.

When Su Tan'er ordered them to come and work, requesting secrecy, she hadn't explained much to them. Thus, Shopkeeper Cao and the others were naturally unclear about the reasons. However, being in the Su family, they understood the situation over the past two and a half months. Seeing the dust about to settle, then this sudden turn of events, hearing Su Tan'er speak with the Wu family, and observing the Wu family's expressions of bitter resentment as they were forced to swallow their defeat, how could they not realize that the Wu family had suffered a massive loss in this situation, allowing Su Tan'er to turn the tide?

The turn of events was so significant and secretive that it appeared to have been masterminded by Young Master Ning. Over the past two months, no one knew how much Ning Yi and Su Tan'er had accomplished in secret. They had originally seen the main branch heading for trouble, harboring unspoken criticisms of Ning Yi and occasionally shaking their heads in casual conversation. They felt even more that Su Tan'er deserved better. Only now, during breaks in their work, could they shake their heads in wonder, marveling at the profound strategic planning of this couple.

If, as Su Tan'er had suggested, they would take as much as they could, then the entire Wu family would likely never recover after this.

At this point, only a handful of people in the carriages following behind were aware of these exhilarating developments. On their way home, they encountered Ning Yi. Su Tan'er stopped the carriage and invited him in. The shopkeepers in the carriages behind looked at him with vastly changed expressions; a mixture of awe, sighs, admiration, and speculation was present in their complex, inscrutable gazes. Su Tan'er also alighted to give them some instructions, and then the two parties temporarily parted ways.

Upon returning to the Su residence, Su Tan'er learned that her cousin had arrived today. Ning Yi had met this cousin, Su Danhong, before and understood the relationship between her and Su Tan'er, so he accompanied Su Tan'er to see her. However, the subsequent meeting seemed far from pleasant. Su Danhong harbored some dissatisfaction towards him, behaving indifferently. Ning Yi likely understood the reasons. After dinner, he went for a walk alone. As he neared the courtyard gate, Su Tan'er caught up to him, apologizing on her cousin's behalf.

"It's nothing," Ning Yi said. "She's just worried about you, and she's under a lot of pressure. I won't take it to heart. Go back and stay with her."

"Okay," Su Tan'er said, pursing her lips. Then she added, "Let Xiao Chan accompany you." She called Xiao Chan over and asked her to go for a walk with Ning Yi.

As close confidantes, Su Danhong, after observing Su Tan'er's expressions, realized her emotions were largely unwarranted and had made Su Tan'er uncomfortable. So she apologized. "But... if it weren't for him, you wouldn't have lost the imperial merchant business like this, would you? You've been preparing for so many years; I feel it's a great pity..."

"Sister Hong, you don't know..."

"You haven't consummated your marriage with him yet, have you?" Since Su Danhong had come to stay, she would likely sleep with Su Tan'er that night. Looking at the bedroom's arrangement, she probably understood the situation. "Actually... just take it as a joke, but if you had married Shopkeeper Xi back then, things... might have been different."

Su Tan'er frowned slightly. "Sister Hong, please don't make that joke again."

"Hmm?" Su Danhong frowned, looking at her quizzically. "What exactly are your feelings for your husband?"

"I... I don't know either..." Su Tan'er shook her head, her face flushing slightly.

She truly couldn't articulate her feelings for Ning Yi. Indeed, as Su Danhong pointed out, they had been married for so long yet had not consummated their marriage, which to Su Danhong seemed quite distant. In Su Tan'er's heart, had her husband remained the bookworm she once imagined, after more than a year, almost two, of living together, she would probably have accepted her fate and consummated the marriage. But by coincidence, at this very moment, she still needed a bit more time.

In terms of affection, if it were only about "accepting her fate," perhaps it would have been enough by the end of last year. However, her interactions with her husband were, after all, very strange to her. A thousand years later, such a thing might be called "dating," but in this era, which young woman had such an opportunity? Being in this situation, she was curious and nervous, unable to categorize her feelings. It was only after she fell ill previously that she had the chance to speak of consummating the marriage. But since then, she had been bedridden, and after her recovery, she had been continuously dealing with these matters, striving to stabilize the current situation with the Wu family. She was truly very busy and had no choice but to properly arrange this matter once everything else had settled.

By this point, she viewed the matter as significant and didn't want to simply go through with it carelessly, as if "accepting her fate." It needed to have symbolic meaning, and she didn't want outsiders to know that she and her husband had only just begun to share a room, which might lead to gossip about him. All in all, it was quite distressing, and the time was almost right... That night, sleeping with her cousin, she tugged on Su Danhong's sleeve and whispered, "Sister Hong, tell me... when a husband and wife live together... how does it actually work...?"

Despite her usual dominance in business, her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum at that moment. To Su Danhong, given her current mood, there seemed to be a hint of desolation in the question. "You... why are you asking this now...?"

"Well... during the wedding... I ran off, and I didn't hear... didn't hear Mother and the other aunts talk about this..."

After all, it wasn't appropriate to ask Chan'er or Juan'er about such things. Su Danhong felt a wave of sadness, recalling the words her father and Xi Junyu had spoken. Her cousin had always been strong-willed, but this time, circumstances were stronger than her. Her cousin probably wanted to shed her identity as a powerful businesswoman after this and quietly accept her fate, becoming a wife who stayed at home. Coincidentally, her husband still bore some responsibility for this situation, and she feared her mood would not be very good in the days to come.

Thus, in the following days, her impression of Ning Yi did not improve. Each time she saw him, she was rather indifferent, but since she was indifferent, Ning Yi was equally indifferent towards her, so neither had the upper hand. Whenever Su Danhong saw Ning Yi walking with Tan'er, remembering Tan'er's "acceptance of fate," she would sigh, feeling as if a beautiful flower was stuck in cow dung, or a good cabbage was about to be devoured by a pig. It was as if Ning Yi had become a pig, busily "nosing" at Tan'er, the cabbage. Naturally, she didn't know that Tan'er, the "cabbage," was currently contemplating tying a red silk scarf around herself to make the "nosing" process more meaningful, and was not as bothered or resigned as Su Danhong imagined.

Only by staying within the Su family could she truly experience the pressure currently bearing down on the main branch of the Su family. With the clan assembly counting down day by day, the second and third branches busied themselves cheerfully. Everything seemed decided. The main branch, already isolated and outnumbered, now appeared to be thoroughly abandoned by its own people. Every gaze seemed to convey, "You're about to lose your influence in a few days," and she herself had to concede to this view. Su Zhongkan, Su Yunfang, Xi Anzhi, Yu Daxian... one after another, they were all speaking voluminously like victors.

Under these circumstances, Su Tan'er left early and returned late every day, her fatigue evident. Her occasional moments of cheerfulness seemed like the acceptance of an irreversible fate, like a sunset after realizing nothing could be salvaged. Her heart ached for her. In such a situation, Ning Yi, who appeared idle and unburdened all day, was naturally an even greater eyesore. Sometimes, she couldn't help but make a few sarcastic remarks, only for Ning Yi to look at her strangely, without a hint of shame. One time, Su Danhong taunted him, and he suddenly spoke, "I was just thinking..."

"About what...?"

"Why isn't my nephew-in-law's name Su Huaji (Surfactant)?"

"Uh..." Su Danhong was stunned for a moment, not understanding why he said that. "My husband's family name isn't Su... Is there something wrong with that name? I think it's pretty good. If you like it, Tan'er's eldest son could be named that..." Ning Yi was hit hard for the first time. He sighed and slunk away, leaving Su Danhong pondering for a long time, unable to figure out why.

In fact, Ning Yi had previously joked that since he was a matrilocal son-in-law, he could consider naming a daughter Su Danhong and a son Su Huaji (Surfactant). This time, Su Danhong's boredom led him to make an offhand sarcastic remark. It was so casual that only after he said it did he realize that her husband was not a matrilocal son-in-law. Su Danhong's accidental remark struck a nerve, and Ning Yi was momentarily dejected by his own jest.

Five days, four days, three days, two days... Time passed day by day within the Su family's atmosphere, leading up to the clan assembly. This day, the twenty-fourth of the tenth lunar month, was one day before the Wu family's first delivery deadline for the Brilliant Gold Brocade. The morning light was beautiful as mist diffused through the milky white glow.

Within the Su residence, the atmosphere that morning was extraordinarily unusual. A sense of new beginnings permeated the estate—a turning point, hope, a milestone. For many people, even the act of pushing open a door felt different. When Su Yunfang opened his door, he took a deep breath. In the courtyard next to him, the shopkeeper named Yu Daxian cast his gaze towards the east. Su Zhongkan had been sitting in his courtyard since dawn, watching the mist drift and the morning light rise. Xi Anzhi walked past the courtyard gate and bowed to him, "Good morning, Second Master."

Today, there would be a battle—a battle they had already won. Or rather, tonight, they would proudly confirm something and reap their rewards.

Outside the Su family, many others were also discreetly observing the situation. At the Xue residence, several brothers gathered early in the morning. Xue Yanzheng stood under the eaves, looking in that direction. He smiled at everyone and patted his younger brother's shoulder.

"Tonight, I'm hosting dinner at the newly opened Yuexiang Restaurant on Persimmon Street," he said. Persimmon Street was not far from the Su residence. "The Su family's matter will conclude tonight." Similar conversations were taking place in many families that operated cloth businesses.

Ning Yi was not in the Su family compound. Maintaining his morning exercise habit, he ran through the mist, already far from the Su residence. He had just passed the small building by the river and greeted the beautiful, serene woman at its entrance. He still had to run for a while longer before returning to sit in the small building.

For him, today was no different.

"It must be a busy day for you?" the woman asked, smiling as she served him tea shortly after he entered the small building. "Liheng, your family is having a big meeting."

"It's a clan assembly, and since I married into the family, I can't attend," Ning Yi said shamelessly. "So it has nothing to do with me."

Those fools were having a meeting, and he didn't have to attend... How joyful!