There was no response from the room.
The shopkeeper, sensing his master’s disappointment, dropped to his knees. A long moment passed before a cold voice drifted out:
"Oh? That was the one who gave the warning about the fire? Her nose is certainly keen."
The shopkeeper puzzled over his master’s words, unsure if it were a compliment or something else entirely.
"Ahem... it is thanks to that young lady’s timely discovery of the fire, otherwise the shop would have suffered significant losses... This time, it was my negligence. I beg my master to punish me."
Who could have guessed that someone would bribe a shop hand to wait until no one was around, tip over an oil lamp to start a fire, and then deliberately douse it in osmanthus oil to mask the smell of burning?
If that young girl hadn’t been sharp, the shop would likely have been burned to the ground.
Moreover, his master had been inside the shop today. If the fire had truly taken hold and harmed him, the shopkeeper wouldn't have enough lives to pay for the transgression.
"Go accept your punishment. If there is a next time..."
The shopkeeper turned pale and knocked his head repeatedly against the floor. "Yes... yes, I shall be extra cautious. There will never be a next time!"
After the shopkeeper retreated, the curtains were drawn, revealing a pale, handsome face. He drummed his fingers against the desk, pondering for a moment before saying in a low voice:
"A coincidence? I have never believed in coincidences. Tingnan, go investigate."
***
As Lin Jingyue and her maid returned to the carriage, they were met with a barbed, mocking lecture from Steward Wang.
Bochun thought it was because she had spoken too sharply earlier, causing the steward's dissatisfaction.
Lin Jingyue, however, saw through him instantly. This Steward Wang had been trouble from the start; he was likely sent by the formidable step-matron of the Chengyuan Marquis Manor.
"Steward Wang, if you are in such a rush to return, pray do so yourself. You are, after all, from the Marquis Manor; your return will not be questioned. However, as I am a newcomer and have never met my relatives at the manor, how could I possibly arrive empty-handed to greet my elders? That would be far too discourteous."
The steward’s face stiffened. Shedding his mocking tone, he forced a smile. "Miss, the Master and Mistress will be overjoyed at your return; they would never mind such trifles. Of course, I did not mean to rush you. It is just that before we left, the Mistress instructed me to bring you back in time for lunch."
The more urgently he pressed her, the more certain Lin Jingyue became that something was amiss.
She remembered clearly that in her previous life, Lin Jingyan had not left the Lin family until an hour past noon, and had arrived at the Marquis Manor roughly another hour later, where she "coincidentally" ran into the Old Madame returning from her prayers, thus gaining entry into the manor without a hitch.
Lin Jingyue gazed at the sky and arched a brow. "I should obey my mother’s words, but I cannot abandon etiquette. Turn the carriage around; we are going to Ming'an Ward. Since my mother misses me so dearly, I must present her with a fitting gift."
Steward Wang tried to dissuade her several times, but failed to change her mind. He was countered by her insistence on filial piety and decorum. Since his entire purpose was to bring her to the manor, he could not simply abandon her halfway. He was forced to sullenly direct the coachman toward Ming'an Ward.
Inside the carriage, Lin Jingyue closed her eyes, replaying the tearful complaints Lin Jingyan had made in her past life. Her thoughts suddenly locked onto one phrase:
*"Don't think I don't know that the step-matron's children call me a jinx behind my back! Just because the Old Madame was startled by an accidental collision while returning from her prayers, they have to blame it on me. There isn't a single reasonable person in that Marquis Manor..."*
The Old Madame was startled by a collision?
Because of Lin Jingyan, Lin Jingyue had avoided the Chengyuan Marquis Manor in her previous life, but she had still gathered some information. Mining her memory for the details of the Old Madame’s fright, she quickly formed a plan.
***
Meanwhile, at the Lin family home, Lady Jiang was still feeling uneasy. Taking advantage of the fact that her husband was taking Yan'er to the shop, she squeezed into the carriage and nervously rubbed the two contracts in her hands.
"Are these two small shops really more profitable than that sugar shop? Lin Jingyue has never stepped out of the house, nor has she learned the trade at your father’s side. Could the shops she took a fancy to possibly be better than the one your father spent a fortune to acquire?"
Lin Jingyan took the two contracts, looking confident. "Mother, just rest easy. I truly dreamt it. Lin Jingyue relied on these two shops to make a huge sum of silver. A girl who has never done business and was always confined to the back courtyard was able to turn her life around with these two shops. I’ve been learning accounting and shop management from Father since I was a child; surely I cannot be worse than her?"
Lady Jiang thought this over and felt slightly relieved.
Lin Hengan, however, remained skeptical of the dream Yan'er spoke of. He said in a low voice:
"What could possibly go wrong with that sugar shop? I checked it thoroughly before buying. The previous owner hadn't stirred up any trouble, and the shop hands were all clean. There shouldn't be any mistakes."
Lin Jingyan’s eyes shifted.
In her previous life, Lin Jingyue’s ability to expand those two shops had been inseparable from the help of her parents. Moreover, her parents had always doted on her; they were trustworthy.
She stopped being coy, though she didn't reveal everything, simply hinting, "The river shipping trade is controlled by the Cao Gang, and Jiangnan has chambers of commerce coordinating their trade. But Shengjing is under the Emperor's feet; it is even more prosperous than Jiangnan."
Lin Hengan’s pupils contracted. He understood exactly what Yan'er meant.
Shengjing had its own Sugar and Liquor Chamber of Commerce. For a sugar shop to establish a foothold in Shengjing, there must be a powerful patron behind it, and it would inevitably integrate countless merchants dealing in sugar and alcohol.
By taking over the sugar shop, the Lin family was biting a piece of meat out of these people's mouths. How could the Chamber of Commerce tolerate them?
Seeing her father’s face change, Lin Jingyan whispered to soothe him:
"Father, the shop belongs to Lin Jingyue now, and she has been driven out of the Lin family. Let her worry about this on her own. You must not help her, lest you fail and end up tainted by the mess."
Lin Hengan nodded. "Don't worry."
The severance papers had been signed; why would he ever get involved with Lin Jingyue again and invite unnecessary trouble?
The carriage soon stopped in front of a shop.
Lin Jingyan stepped out, swept a glance over the unremarkable accountant's office in the shop, and walked toward it with a smile of impending victory.
*Lin Jingyue, one of your most useful confidants from your previous life will now belong to me.*
***
Ming'an Ward.
Lin Jingyue, unaware of Lin Jingyan’s plans, took Bochun out for a meal at noon. She had tried asking Steward Wang what her never-before-seen, non-blood-related mother liked, but when he provided no useful information, she didn't mind.
She wandered through Ming'an Ward twice with Bochun, who was carrying a few books they had picked up for free, using the excuse of finding a gift for her elder.
They hadn't bought many gifts, but they had bought several novel snacks, and both were quite happy.
Steward Wang had tried both soft words and hard, but to no avail! He was so angry he held a grudge against Lin Jingyue, determined to twist the truth before the Mistress so that Lin Jingyue would face a catastrophe upon returning.
Just as Steward Wang was fuming, he saw the young lady, missing for fifteen years, turn a corner into the next street.
Not long after, the maid named Bochun let out a shrill scream.
Steward Wang walked over leisurely to look, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.
*Disaster.*
*Why is the Old Madame back at this hour?!*
*Not only had she been run into by someone on horseback, but she was saved by none other than Lin Jingyue herself!*