Su Baiwan was furious, his round, red face flushing and turning green.
Steward Su trembled below.
The atmosphere in Wan Jin Pavilion became extremely tense.
Just then, a graceful and delicate figure swept in, walking in the soft sunset glow:
"Father, your daughter has brought you lotus root powder from the prefectural city. It's already prepared. Please have a taste."
Su Yurou said as she stepped over the high threshold, followed by a young maid carrying a red lacquer tray.
Seeing Su Baiwan's furious expression, Su Yurou naturally asked what had happened.
Although Su Baiwan was in a bad mood, he doted on this daughter immensely and patiently explained the matter to her.
In fact, Su Yurou had already asked Ye Cao to inquire at the outer courtyard before she arrived.
She had always been concerned about the family's business.
Furthermore, since returning from Yizhou Prefecture, she had been thinking about dealing with Su Xiaoqi, and was therefore very concerned about her affairs.
As a result, she heard about it the moment it happened.
Knowing that her father was reprimanding Steward Su, she specifically came to find him.
"Father, she's just a small shop. Our family's grain business has already expanded across the country, and we even have several Su Ji Grain Shops in the capital. Why bother with them?"
Su Baiwan's heart gave a jolt. That was right, what was the scale of his business, and what was the significance of the grain shop opened by Su Xiaoqi?
Why couldn't he see it clearly?
Perhaps it was because his family's business had been too smooth sailing in recent years that he was affected by this minor matter.
However, the most important thing was that Steward Su constantly complained about Su Xiaoqi in front of him.
Coupled with her involvement with the Shen family, and recalling the events of over twenty years ago, as well as the whereabouts of the missing jade pendant, Su Baiwan's heart became restless.
Originally, as his daughter said, it was just a small grain shop. No matter how good the business was, it would only have a negligible impact on him.
But he just couldn't let it go, always feeling that if he didn't suppress her now, he would be constrained by her in the future.
"Father, why don't you let your daughter handle this?" Su Yurou said with a smile, offering to take charge.
She could see her father's determination to deal with the "Tianxia Liangcang" (天下粮仓).
Coincidentally, she had just cut off her fish supply business and was looking for an opportunity to suppress her.
Su Baiwan agreed after a brief consideration. He gestured for Su Yurou to serve the lotus root powder, somewhat surprised that this lotus root powder was now sold in their Bashu region.
In the past, it could only be bought in the capital.
Its price was as precious as gold.
"Alas, let's not talk about that disheartening grain shop. That Chen Jin Ji is quite good, they've even opened a branch in the prefectural city."
Su Yurou changed the subject, not wanting her father to get too angry because of the rice shop opened by Su Xiaoqi, which would be detrimental to his health.
Eating the lotus root powder and being comforted by his obedient daughter, Su Baiwan's mood improved somewhat.
Su Yurou then brought up the matter of the jade pendant: "Father, has there been any news of the jade pendant?"
Su Baiwan shook his head, saying he didn't know. The house had been turned upside down, and his study had even been renovated.
Digging three feet deep would be an understatement.
But it was as if it had grown legs and run away, leaving no trace.
Su Yurou stated her suspicion.
She insisted that Su Xiaoqi had taken it.
Su Baiwan said to send people to keep a close eye on her, and if it was truly her, to retrieve it at all costs.
Su Yurou said she would take charge, and she meant it.
She immediately summoned Steward Su to understand Su Xiaoqi in detail.
She was very curious how the former nameless street beggar had grown into the person she was today.
She had once suspected that her father had secretly given her some benefits.
But thinking about her father's stingy nature, she felt it was impossible.
The only explanation was that Su Xiaoqi had indeed taken their family's heirloom treasure.
Her father had said that whoever possessed that precious jade pendant could become as wealthy as a nation.
However, according to Steward Su's investigation, Su Xiaoqi's rise to prominence did not seem to have much to do with the jade pendant.
After all, she hadn't become rich overnight, but had progressed step by step.
First, she sold fish, then grain seeds, and then opened a grain shop.
"Where does her supply come from? Where did she get the capital? Also, investigate who she has offended?" Su Yurou, born into a merchant family, was naturally sensitive to these matters.
She immediately posed three questions, and Steward Su knew nothing about them.
He had looked down on Su Xiaoqi from the beginning.
After all, he had brought her back from the beggars' den.
Although she was ruthless at the time, she was actually quite foolish. A little instigation and her stance would shift.
She had no loyalty, even betraying the people she lived with without any bottom line.
Yet, such a person was now making him look foolish repeatedly.
This time, he was determined to cooperate fully with his young lady to deal with her.
While the Su family was making arrangements in full swing, Su Xiaoqi's side was not idle either.
She saw Steward Su and, considering the repeated targeting of her, she knew this must be the Su family's doing.
She walked into Tianxia Liangcang and looked at the sky. Dusk had arrived, so she asked Xiao Yi to have the shopkeepers put up the shutters.
She had something to say.
As the shop shutters were put up, the light in the front dimmed. Su Xiaoqi opened the back door and windows and said to Xiao Yi, "You handled today's matter very well."
"Sister Xiaoqi, I, without you, I would probably..." Xiao Yi lowered his head, feeling a little flustered.
He felt that the situation today showed he had not performed well.
If it weren't for the timely arrival of Sister Xiaoqi and Brother Shen, he might not have been so successful.
Not only did it not affect the reputation of the shop, but it also served as an unspoken promotion.
Su Xiaoqi smiled and said, "You've already done very well." She told Xiao Yi that she had arrived from the beginning, and because she saw him acting steadily, she hadn't intervened.
She told him not to be self-deprecating, and that his excellent execution of her proposal last time showed his infinite potential.
So, he should be more confident.
Xiao Yi nodded. Su Xiaoqi's expression was very serious when she spoke, which made him feel comforted.
Su Xiaoqi then asked, "What do you think of today's matter?"
Xiao Yi pondered for a moment and said, "These people were definitely sent by our competitor, Su Ji Grain Shop."
In Mianzhou City, the grain shops were basically monopolized by the Su family.
There used to be a few other grain shops, but after the recent disaster, they all closed down due to supply disruptions.
Now, their Tianxia Liangcang was the only shop operating right under the noses of Su Ji Grain Shop.
Furthermore, because they sold good quality grains at fair prices, their business was booming.
It was therefore normal for the Su family to resent them and send people to cause trouble.
Xiao Yi expressed his thoughts, and Su Xiaoqi blinked her eyes, not expecting his understanding to be so profound. She smiled approvingly again.
Xiao Yi became a little embarrassed by her smile.
Su Xiaoqi asked him what his next plan was.
The Su family had attacked her repeatedly, and she was not a person with a good temper. It was time to show them some color.
To let the Su family know that she, Su Xiaoqi, was not a soft persimmon to be kneaded at their will.
Xiao Yi felt the fighting spirit on her face and was eager to act. He raised his head and said, "We open our doors and do business normally. There's no reason to fear them.
As the teacher said, 'When soldiers come, we block them; when water comes, we build dams.'" Xiao Yi was well-read, and his speech was different from before.
Indeed, reading could make a person mature and broaden their horizons.
Su Xiaoqi was very pleased. She then looked at Shen Yun, who had been silent since he sat down:
"Husband, what do you think?"
Shen Yun chuckled, "How else can I look? With my eyes."
His words were nonchalant, but Su Xiaoqi immediately understood his meaning.
He was giving her free rein to do as she pleased.