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墨書 Inktalez
"How did you get here? Are you here to restock or to discuss business?"
From the look in his eyes, Xia Muxin could tell that he had come specifically to find her. Coupled with the conversations she had overheard from the employees at the tavern earlier, it only deepened her suspicion that his intentions were far from benign.
However, Xia Muxin despised deceit, and even more so, she loathed concealment and greed.
Thus, in their limited past interactions, Ouyang Xuan had already been categorized in her mind as such a person. It was likely that Shen Muhan had seen through him long ago and preferred that they have no dealings whatsoever, not even a simple greeting, because in this era, there was no such thing as friendship between men and women.
"I..." Ouyang Xuan looked awkward, rubbing his palms together. The words he had intended to say were swallowed back under Shen Muhan's cold gaze. After hesitating for a while, he finally stammered, "I came to find you!"
"Find me?"
Xia Muxin should have guessed what he was about to say, but at that moment, she feigned ignorance and pointed at her own nose in confusion.
Realizing that her behavior was quite impolite, she gestured towards the tea house nearby.
"This isn't a suitable place for conversation. If you don't mind, let's go sit at the tea house across the street."
Ouyang Xuan nodded politely but felt intimidated by Shen Muhan; he had witnessed his ruthlessness before.
Xia Muxin affectionately took hold of Shen Muhan's arm and smiled up at him as she said, "Let's go." Shen Muhan looked down at her with a doting expression before ruffling her hair and leading her across the street.
Seeing this scene, Ouyang Xuan's lips twitched. He had thought it would just be him and Xia Muxin; he hadn't anticipated Shen Muhan's presence. Suddenly, every step felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.
Upon arriving at their destination, Shen Muhan expertly reserved a private room. As soon as the three of them entered, Ouyang Xuan felt an overwhelming sense of pressure and even regretted agreeing to come here.
Soon after, the Tea Server brought in tea. The teapot and cups were exquisite like pieces of art—truly deserving of the title "Tea County."
Shen Muhan casually picked up a book titled "The Way of Tea" from a shelf and began flipping through it. It seemed he had come solely to keep an eye on his wife, not sparing a glance at Ouyang Xuan, which made Ouyang Xuan feel increasingly uneasy and sullen.
The Tea Server filled three cups with tea and politely closed the door as he left.
Moments later, the room was filled with the fragrance of tea, and white steam rose into the air.
Of course, this steam came from the scalding hot tea in the cups, and with the weather being so hot, Ouyang Xuan felt a fire burning in his chest, making him restless and uncomfortable.
Xia Muxin, on the other hand, appeared relaxed. She lowered her head and took a sip of the steaming tea, smacking her lips as if she were truly enjoying it.
"Aren't you here to discuss something? Why are you silent now?"
Noticing that Ouyang Xuan remained quiet for too long, she glanced outside at the sky, seeming to urge him to speak.
"I... I... I want to place an order with you," Ouyang Xuan finally stammered after a long pause. He then lifted his cup and tilted it back, pouring the hot tea down his throat. Perhaps he had forgotten that the tea was freshly brewed; in an instant, his face contorted from the heat. The scalding liquid was stuck in his mouth—swallowing was painful, but spitting it out was not an option either. With Xia Muxin looking at him with admiration, he felt anxious and gulped down the boiling water that could have burned off a layer of skin.
The fiery sensation traveled down his throat to his stomach, eventually causing pain in his heart.
His mouth burned painfully, yet he found it hard to express his discomfort.
"Are you... alright? When did you learn to drink tea like that?"
Xia Muxin asked in astonishment, feeling a bit sorry for him. However, she noticed Shen Muhan staring coldly at her. Sticking out her tongue at him, she returned to their previous topic:
"What kind of goods do you need? Is it a large quantity?"
"It's... cooler than... Deer Hibiscus Mushroom. Just like... someone will send over the payment list for the goods..."
Ouyang Xuan, probably having burned his mouth, was speaking so unclearly that Xia Muxin took a while to decipher his words. Once she understood, she nodded to show she got it. Ouyang Xuan, not wanting to linger any longer, leaned toward her apologetically before hurriedly leaving.
Watching the flustered figure rush out, Xia Muxin propped her chin on her hand and began to ponder. Was he planning to steal technology again?
Hmph... Ouyang Family, is there nothing of high value to showcase besides this petty skill?
Or perhaps their wealth was acquired through such despicable means.
"Husband, why do you dislike Ouyang Xuan so much?"
Suddenly recalling Shen Muhan's consistently lukewarm attitude toward Ouyang Xuan, she blurted out the question.
"I dislike people who are two-faced," Shen Muhan replied, closing the book in his hands and elegantly sipping his tea before answering leisurely.
Oh... is that so?
But that wasn't what she had observed.
Could it be that the Ouyang Family had offended him in some way?
"If his family really comes to purchase goods, will you sell to them or not?"
Shen Muhan shifted the topic back to her with a serious question.
Xia Muxin had already been considering this and speculating about it. After all, the Ouyang Family had a precedent for such actions, and she was quite unfamiliar with their family. The matter of selling goods required careful thought. After a moment's pause, her eyes lit up:
"I can sell to them, but we must sign an agreement."
Moreover, she was providing the goods without charging a single penny in costs, but the profits were to be split eighty-twenty—she would take eighty, while the other party would take twenty. After all, they weren't the ones investing any capital. This arrangement was not unreasonable; it also helped eliminate the possibility of the Ouyang Family driving down prices after a large shipment. She had stocked up on goods, waiting for this season to sell out, and by winter, she would need to switch to selling different items.
If the Ouyang Family continued with such tactics, her goods would end up unsold. If they resorted to stealing her ideas, she would suffer significant losses. It was better to be ruthless and kill two birds with one stone: not only cutting off their greed but also firmly stepping on them, showing them that she was not just a woman they could easily bully.
"Well, that's a good idea. It seems you've been sharpening your wits lately," Shen Muhan remarked, looking at her smug expression and smiling lightly.
Xia Muxin shot him an annoyed glance. She was naturally beautiful and had a solid foundation; if she weren't worried about shocking the world, she could easily pull off a thousand jaw-dropping feats.
After leaving the teahouse, Xia Muxin took a stroll around the supermarket, calculated her accounts, and deposited half a day's earnings. With Shen Muhan's help, she opened a pawnshop near the supermarket called Xia's Pawnshop. At that time, she had asked why he didn't name it Shen's Pawnshop. He replied straightforwardly that if it were named Shen's Pawnshop, it wouldn't be three days before officials from the court would come and seize it for themselves.
Xia Muxin shook her head and sighed repeatedly.
Vampires in broad daylight...
Even as commoners, they wouldn't let go.
"Why haven't I seen Yan Zhouwan and Shen Erlengzi today?"
After depositing her money, Xia Muxin suddenly remembered to ask. Usually, Yan Zhouwan was the most diligent one, waking up earliest, yet today there was no sign of her.
"You forgot that she injured her foot," Shen Muhan replied.
Upon hearing this, Xia Muxin slapped her forehead in realization and cursed herself for being forgetful. She should go check on her.
"And why did that little rascal from the tavern come to your house?"
Feeling frustrated, she recalled a question. When she stayed at the inn before, it was this same fellow who waited in the stairwell every morning. But now they were at Shen Manor, and yet he still appeared, serving the same breakfast.
Ming Qi was waiting outside, ready to speak.
"Yes, I bought that inn in your name. The people inside haven't changed; the Innkeeper is still the Innkeeper, and the errand boy is still the errand boy."
A merchant of annihilation—this was definitely a merchant of annihilation...
Xia Muxin shivered inexplicably, suddenly realizing that her skills in this area were far inferior to Shen Muhan's cunning.
"In about ten days, everything here will be completely stable. I will arrange for someone to keep watch here, and we can return to Daimiao Village sooner."
Upon hearing this, Xia Muxin immediately nodded without hesitation; she missed her seedlings dearly...
Sure enough, Shen Muhan was indeed prophetic. Ten days later, everything was settled here. Of course, it was all managed by Shen Muhan. Xia Muxin slept until late every day and had someone to pick her up and drop her off. Life was incredibly carefree for her. Yan Zhouwan began to tease her, saying she had married a golden turtle son-in-law who doted on his wife.
Every time this happened, Xia Muxin would steer the conversation toward Shen Muqing, effectively silencing Yan Zhouwan.
Today was the day they would set off back to Daimiao Village. After Ouyang Xuan left that day, he hadn't sent any order forms over. It was heard that the Ouyang Family was restructuring their business; not only had they reopened the shops that had been closed before, but they were also selling at prices lower than before. They seemed determined to engage in a price war with Xia Muxin.
However, even so, it wouldn't matter much. Xia Muxin's products were genuine domestic goods, which meant her prices were significantly lower compared to those of the Ouyang Family's foreign goods. The cost price for them would undoubtedly be higher due to transportation fees and other expenses. So in this competition, Xia Muxin wouldn't suffer any losses.
- End of Chapter -
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