Chapter 26: Turning Clouds with a Flick of the Hand

"When I was about to arrive in Jiangning, I had already heard people talking about how impressive you are. They also said, Tan'er, that you effortlessly took control of the He family recently, wielding immense power as if by supernatural means. Father said that while the He family's supply chain wasn't originally the most crucial, they had become firmly aligned with the Xue family over the past two years, a situation no one seemed able to change. Now that you've taken them over, Tan'er, the logistics for supplies in several nearby regions next spring will be more than twice as flexible."

As they walked, the cousin discussed these matters with Su Tan'er. Being the daughter of a merchant family and with her husband now serving as a manager in the Su manor, she was already familiar with such affairs; in an emergency, she could probably handle the work of half a manager. Hearing her speak of this, Su Tan'er smiled.

"Hong-jie, please don't mention that. We still don't fully understand why the He family suddenly changed their minds. Besides, their affairs have been under negotiation these past few days, and I wasn't sure if everything was completely settled."

"It's settled," her cousin replied. "When I saw Xi Junyu and Manager Luo just now, they came to report the good news."

After a few more exchanges, the two women entered the courtyard ahead. This was not the courtyard where Su Tan'er and Ning Yi usually resided, but it was only separated by a wall. It was generally used to receive external guests connected to Su Tan'er, and occasionally, for more urgent matters, several stewards would be summoned here to gather and discuss strategies. As Su Tan'er and Su Danhong walked in, Chan'er was in the living room, holding a tea tray and smilingly talking with two managers. Seeing Su Tan'er arrive, she quickly ran out.

The two managers who had arrived were an older man and a younger one. The elder, Manager Luo, was considered a venerable figure of the Su family. He had been an apprentice at the Su firm when Old Master Su was young, later followed Su Boyong, and was then assigned to assist Su Tan'er. Experienced and steady in his dealings, he was one of Su Tan'er's most reliable assistants. The younger man beside him appeared to be only a few years older than Su Tan'er, scholarly, handsome, and with a quiet confidence. His name was Xi Junyu, and he was extremely capable in business. Since becoming a manager in the Su manor, he had helped Su Tan'er conclude several major deals. It was rumored that the Wu family had tried to recruit him, but he had declined. He was Su Tan'er's most outstanding aide, and few doubted that once Su Tan'er established herself, Xi Junyu would immediately become a prominent head manager in his own right.

The cousin was also well acquainted with these two and had already greeted them. At this point, the group settled comfortably in the living room. Xi Junyu took out a contract from his bosom and, smiling, first informed Su Tan'er of the main reason for their visit.

"The deal with the He family has been settled. To be honest, I didn't expect it to go so smoothly; the He family was quite forthcoming. The pricing largely follows this year's old precedent, but next year's raw silk prices are expected to rise. Calculated this way, it means we've effectively gained a half-percent advantage. The contract is signed, so it's settled."

"That's excellent, Manager Xi, Manager Luo, you've worked hard," Su Tan'er replied.

Xi Junyu smiled and shook his head, looking broad-minded. "I wouldn't dare take credit for this; the deal was primarily secured by Miss. However, it's worth noting that even if Miss hadn't paid them a visit that day, the He family might have sought us out anyway. It turns out they had already been suspecting that the Xue family was planning something. Perhaps because of something Miss said that day, they became so straightforward this time."

The young woman, dressed in a silver-white fox fur coat, looked at the contract. She then shook her head and smiled, "I had already guessed as much, but why they suddenly made up their minds is quite strange."

Xi Junyu laughed happily, waving his hand as he continued, "Actually, we've been analyzing the Xue family's movements these past few days and have reached a conclusion. The news that the Xue family is abandoning Luzhou and shifting its focus to Shouzou... haha, it's ninety percent false. They have indeed made some adjustments recently, which makes it look similar, but because it's not actually happening, they haven't informed the He family. And He Jun, from the He family, is famously cautious and sensitive in business. I don't know much about these matters, but Old Luo should be very clear on them."

Manager Luo nodded. "That's right. In earlier years, the He family struggled. Once, out of fear of risk, they declined a deal worth nearly fifty thousand guan. Others criticized them for their lack of boldness. Yet, half a year later, several merchants who took on that deal were implicated, and had the He family accepted it then, they would likely have gone bankrupt long ago. He Jun has precisely this character: he would rather earn less than not minimize risk. That's why, although the He family isn't the wealthiest today, they are indeed the most stable."

The old man smiled as he spoke, "However, this time, they were overly sensitive. If we had delayed talking to him for a few days, they might have clarified things, and this contract would have fallen through again."

Xi Junyu chimed in, "That's also why, during the negotiations, I pretended not to know, just acting eager to finalize the deal. I imagine He Jun thought he was taking advantage of us, secretly delighted. Haha, in a few days, the Xue family will probably be furious."

The situation was inherently amusing: a deal where everyone thought they had gained an advantage. Thinking of the expressions the Xue family might have once they learned the full story, the people in the room laughed heartily. However, the true cause of the situation remained a mystery.

After a few more lighthearted remarks, Manager Luo seemed lost in thought, his smile fading the quickest. Su Tan'er noticed the change and asked with a smile. Manager Luo looked at Xi Junyu, then at Su Tan'er, hesitating as if to speak. After a moment, he smiled and finally spoke: "Regarding this deal, I heard something yesterday."

"Oh?" Su Tan'er prompted.

"Yesterday, at the wine shop in the East Market, I ran into Manager Liu from Jisu Workshop. We chatted for a bit, and he also brought up the He family's matter."

Hearing him mention Manager Liu from Jisu Workshop, Su Tan'er nodded. "Yes, that's right, he was also at the He manor that day, though he left a step ahead with the manager of Xingqing Workshop. Does he know anything about this matter?"

"This matter is strange, and I'm not sure if it's truly so," Manager Luo began. "Manager Liu said yesterday that Miss went there with the young master that day. After Miss went to the garden to admire the snow, He Tingguang was quite disrespectful to the young master, with many provocative remarks..."

At this, Su Tan'er frowned. "I hadn't noticed that..."

"Haha, He Tingguang naturally wouldn't dare act rashly in front of Miss," Manager Luo continued. "But the young master has a good temper, speaks appropriately, and acts with composure. Even with just a few simple sentences, He Tingguang couldn't find an opening. He Tingguang, however, kept chattering noisily later on. The young master then casually mentioned something, asking if the He family's business was in Shouzou..."

"Ah..." Su Tan'er paused, exchanging a puzzled glance with her cousin. Xi Junyu, who had been smiling and listening nearby, narrowed his eyes, then subtly adjusted his posture.

"Regarding the exact words, it's said that the young master merely mentioned the Xue family and asked about Shouzou. He Tingguang then scoffed at him, saying he knew nothing about the silk and textile industry, and that their family business was in Luzhou, not Shouzou. Afterward, the young master appeared to realize his mistake, admitting he hadn't known these things before and had simply spoken carelessly. According to Manager Liu, the young master's words and expression truly didn't seem feigned; it was likely a casual remark. However, after he mentioned Shouzou and the Xue family, He Jun's expression became very complex, and he then spoke with his steward about something... If this is true, I believe the young master's accidental hit on the mark might be the reason the deal was successful..."

A silence fell over the room, broken only by the serene expression on little Chan'er's face as she stood holding the tray. After a moment, Xi Junyu slowly spoke: "Could it be... that the young master saw all this clearly... and did it intentionally?" He observed everyone's expressions as he spoke.

Su Tan'er's brow furrowed even deeper, and she looked at Manager Luo. After all, she, her cousin, and Xi Junyu were all young people in their twenties; no matter how brilliant, they couldn't compare to Manager Luo's decades of insight. But Manager Luo shook his head.

"I think... that's unlikely," Manager Luo said. "As Junyu just said, the news about the Xue family replacing Luzhou with Shouzou is itself false, which rules out the possibility of the information coming from an outside source. Moreover, even if it were true, the whole matter was extremely secretive. We didn't detect anything amiss because the He family was directly involved, making them more sensitive to the situation, and combined with He Jun's inherent caution, they would have treated it as a real development. I hear the young master isn't interested in business to begin with. These days, when he accompanies Miss out, he merely listens to fragmented remarks from others. To say that someone could grasp this situation from outside, simply by hearing scattered remarks, then perceive He Jun's thoughts at the He manor, and then just happen to say that exact phrase... that person would truly be..."

He thought about it, then shook his head. "That truly is unbelievable."

The group, being familiar with the business world, naturally knew how far-fetched such a possibility was. If everything truly had been intentional, the person capable of it would hardly be human. They naturally couldn't imagine that, in that situation, Ning Yi had merely spoken a careless, offhand remark. After pondering for a moment longer, Su Tan'er laughed. "If only such coincidences could happen more often, that would be wonderful."

Everyone joined in the laughter. After thinking about it, they agreed that this understanding was indeed the most plausible. They chatted for a while longer, discussing other details like year-end consolidated accounts and auditing. Old Luo also inquired about Su Yunsong's situation, and after some more casual conversation, they prepared to take their leave. It was then that Juan'er ran breathlessly into the courtyard, kicking up snow, and almost tripped when she got close.

It seemed there was an urgent matter. Juan'er had run so fast that she clung to the pillar by the door, panting heavily. She didn't even have time to bow, though a smile was on her face. She glanced around at everyone inside, a hint of disappointment in her voice: "M-Miss... Little Chan, where's the young master... the young master..."

Su Tan'er, dressed in silver-white, had already stepped out of the room with a smile. Seeing how hard she had run, Su Tan'er even reached out to pat her back, helping her calm her breathing. Only after hearing her question did Su Tan'er chuckle: "What's wrong? As for the young master... he's probably at the library building up front now, isn't he? Didn't Governor Song and the others say they were testing essays? He should be there."

"N-No..." Juan'er shook her head. "Juan'er just came from there. The Great Master, the Great Master said he wanted the young master to go over..."

"Uh..." Su Tan'er's expression stiffened. "What's wrong?"

"Perhaps he's really going to get scolded now..."

Her cousin followed, chuckling softly from behind. Earlier, on the way, she had heard Su Tan'er describe Ning Yi's teaching method: spending half the time chatting and telling stories. This was clearly an attempt to win the children's affection. Since ancient times, strict teachers produced skilled students, and stern discipline fostered filial children. How could such teaching yield any results?

Beside them, Juan'er vigorously shook her head, her chest heaving beneath her lake-green jacket. "No, no! Governor Song said—said Xiao Heizi and the others are quite discerning, Miss, Miss, no!"

Some possibilities had already run through Su Tan'er's mind many times. At this moment, she hadn't quite registered what the little maid was saying. Frowning, she was pondering whether she should do something, or perhaps just say he wasn't present. After a long moment, some information finally registered. The little maid was pulling her forward, shaking her head vigorously.

"Uh... what?"