Jiang Xuening slapped the person and turned to leave, but how could the beaten You Yue swallow this insult? She knew that just now, in front of everyone’s eyes, Jiang Xuening, a refined young lady from a prominent family, had actually struck her over a man. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so she seized the moment to wipe away tears and begin crying. While crying, she complained aggrievedly, continuously using her words to slander Jiang Xuening and Zhang Zhe—

Even though she actually knew nothing about the situation.

The people in Shuxiang Inn hadn’t expected that in the span of just a few sips of tea, such a dramatic scene would unfold, and involving official families from the capital no less. For a moment, they couldn’t help but exchange glances and whisper among themselves.

Xiao Dingfei had actually known quite early on that the relationship between Jiang Xuening and Zhang Zhe was unusual.

After all, when they broke out of the capital’s prison to go to Tongzhou, these two had ridden together on one horse.

But he still hadn’t figured out their relationship.

Sometimes he felt these two were kindred spirits, each harboring feelings for the other; other times he felt they were mutually restrained and forbearing toward each other, as if something separated them, with neither daring to be open and uninhibited.

Listening to You Yue’s pretentious crying in the hall, with her words insinuating that Jiang Xuening and Zhang Zhe had an illicit affair, and that if not for Jiang Xuening’s seductive manipulation, how could the eldest daughter of Minister Yao’s household, Yao Xi, have broken off her engagement with Zhang Zhe, and so on, Xiao Dingfei felt the urge to tear apart this woman’s foul mouth.

But on second thought, he held back.

He inexplicably laughed once, then quite leisurely lifted the hem of his robe and sat down at a table in the hall, only wondering in his heart when Jiang Xuening would return.

He just hadn’t expected that after sitting for a full two quarters of an hour, waiting until he was becoming somewhat impatient, he still hadn’t seen Jiang Xuening return. Instead, the sound of a horse being reined in fell outside the Shuxiang Inn’s entrance.

The man on the horse hadn’t even entered the inn when his hoarse voice, parched and inflamed from days of rushing about, transmitted inside.

Exhaustion filled with wild joy.

He actually shouted: “News from Ren Family Salt Field! The best news, great fortune—”

You Yue’s face still bore the slightly swollen handprint from the slap. She was using a handkerchief dipped in water to apply to it, thinking viciously in her heart that once she gained power in the future she would definitely make Jiang Xuening pay. On the other hand, she was also anxiously wondering why the news from Ren Family Salt Field still hadn’t arrived.

Hearing the voice outside at this moment, she suddenly stood up.

She was actually the first one who couldn’t help but ask: “What good news?”

In an instant, almost everyone in Shuxiang Inn surged forward, with inquiring voices rising one after another, immediately covering You Yue’s voice, so it didn’t attract too much attention.

That man had long been travel-worn and weary.

His cotton jacket was covered in dust, his face sallow and dark, his hair disheveled, his lips already cracked and peeling, yet his eyes were bright and shining, containing excitement that no one could suppress. He called out loudly: “Everyone please quiet down, everyone please quiet down, listen to me first! Our master, Young Master Ren, has already worked together with his wife to resolve the crisis currently facing the salt field! Rebuilding the salt field is just a matter of within one month.”

Everyone was immediately shocked: “There’s actually such capability?”

The innkeeper quickly squeezed into the crowd to hand him a bowl of water.

That man hastily thanked him and accepted it, first gulping down a large bowl, then briefly explained the latest situation to everyone: “After the salt field incident, many people were injured, even the government got involved in the matter, and many families of the long-term workers also came to the salt field demanding an explanation…”

At that time it could truly be called “stretched to the limit.”

The salt field caught fire and had an incident, and it was caused by people sent by You Fangying’s maternal family, which ultimately stirred up some public anger. Some able-bodied long-term workers relied entirely on their physical strength to support their families. The fire caused them varying degrees of injury—short cases half a month, long cases half a year unable to work in the fields or do any labor. Naturally they wanted to seek compensation from the employers who hired them.

Ren Weizhi and You Fangying both had benevolent and kind hearts.

On the very day of the incident, they invited many doctors to examine people and used what little money they had left to compensate and appease them.

This was originally a great act of kindness, a wonderful thing, and the long-term workers had no more complaints.

But in this world there are always more who kick people when they’re down than who send charcoal in snowy weather.

On this side, the salt field’s aftermath wasn’t yet arranged, when on that side, other salt field owners and managers came seeking them out. First they hypocritically expressed sympathy for Ren Family Salt Field and even presented some meager gifts. Ren Weizhi and You Fangying thought they had come with good intentions, but who could have predicted that this group of people would suddenly change their tune, shamelessly demanding they hand over the method for making the “percussion drilling well,” saying something like since Ren Family Salt Field had collapsed anyway, since they held such a good thing, they might as well teach it to others, as keeping it in their hands was useless.

The percussion drilling well technology was the important reason why Ren Weizhi could rebuild Ren Family Salt Field. How could he hand it over at such a critical moment?

He barely managed not to lose his temper and had them shown out.

He originally thought these people would give up after failing once, since after all people need face and trees need bark—they shouldn’t press relentlessly. But unexpectedly, this group of salt field owners in Sichuan had long found Ren Weizhi an eyesore and were determined to take advantage of his misfortune. When demanding the percussion drilling well technology failed, they secretly united with the salt merchants who purchased salt, even gathered a gang of thugs, and warned all the working long-term laborers, making people afraid to work for Ren Family Salt Field anymore.

Thus, Ren Family Salt Field was isolated.

By this point, how could Ren Weizhi and You Fangying not see clearly? This group of people absolutely would not give up easily.

Although people had already heard this man say there was good news and that rebuilding Ren Family Salt Field had begun, when they heard this point they still couldn’t help but feel their hearts tighten.

Someone cursed: “This is too damn shameless!”

Someone laughed: “All under heaven hustle for profit, all under heaven bustle for gain—there’s really nothing unusual about it! From ancient times to now, have we seen too little of this?”

Someone impatiently asked: “What happened after? How was this resolved?”

A server brought out two plates of small dishes just made in the kitchen along with several steamed buns and placed them on the table.

That man had traveled all the way from Sichuan, either rushing on the road or sleeping along the way, eating little. After speaking a few sentences his vision was spinning. Seeing the server bring things out, he quickly expressed thanks.

He first gnawed two bites of steamed bun, then washed it down with a mouthful of hot soup before continuing.

It could be said that by this time, Ren Family Salt Field had reached the end of its resources, pressed from all sides.

Ren Weizhi had almost wanted to give up.

But their wife who had only recently married into Sichuan, who came from the capital, appeared gentle and mild yet faced this matter with extreme determination, unwilling to yield even half a step. No one knew what method she used, but she actually invited the magistrate to the salt field, saying she wanted him to serve as a witness. Then she sent out invitations widely, inviting together the salt field owners from Sichuan, especially from the Ziliujing area where well salt extraction was the main business, to attend a banquet.

Among the well salt production in Zigong, Sichuan, though the quantity couldn’t compare with sea salt produced along the coast, there were still over a hundred salt fields of various sizes.

When the banquet was set, good wine and good food were served.

The magistrate sat in the middle, while the other salt field owners all sat accompanying him on the sides.

After three rounds of wine, no one spoke first.

Until the largest salt merchant in the seats asked very directly: “Boss Ren said he would invite us all to discuss sharing the percussion drilling well together. Now we’ve eaten the food and drunk the wine, so why not speak frankly about the main business…”

Ren Weizhi exchanged a glance with You Fangying, then stood up.

Everyone else looked toward the couple, but the couple called for the steward to bring in a thick stack of rice paper that had already been written on and stamped with seals, and actually distributed one sheet to each salt field owner present.

This greatly exceeded everyone’s expectations.

When they lowered their heads to look at what was written on the paper, they frowned even more, looked at each other in dismay, and some even laughed coldly and asked: “What is Boss Ren’s meaning?!”

Now even Xiao Dingfei became curious: “What was written on that paper?”

The man picked up another chopstick full of vegetables and stuffed it in his mouth, chewed a few times and swallowed, then grinned with a bit of rural earthiness.

Everyone surrounded him in the middle, all anxious—

Clearly, it was what was written on this paper that turned the tide!

Actually it wasn’t complicated.

It could even be called simple.

Nothing more than three points: First, Ren Family Salt Field was willing to share the percussion drilling well manufacturing techniques with others; Second, sharing had conditions—any salt field using percussion drilling wells must pay half a percent of their profits as dividends to Ren Family Salt Field for the next five years; Third, anyone who could accept the above two conditions could sign the contract on the spot, witnessed by the magistrate, effective immediately.

The salt field owners present didn’t need much time at all to finish reading. Half a percent wasn’t much, but there were over a hundred people present!

Simply absurd and ridiculous, a pipe dream!

Almost the moment they finished reading, some wanted to throw the contract away directly, but turning to look at the expressions of those around them and thinking carefully, they couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat!

The large salt field owners were stingy with their own profits, holding vast wealth and occupying those salt wells with the most abundant brine that had been newly opened. But more of those present were small salt field owners. Their operations were already struggling, squeezed by large salt fields in the market. Their annual income was meager, barely covering expenses. The salt wells they occupied had mostly already been exhausted.

What well salt called “exhausted” didn’t actually mean the salt well produced no brine, but rather that existing extraction methods couldn’t draw out the brine from deeper layers underground, which is why they became “waste wells.”

But Ren Weizhi’s researched “percussion drilling well” could reach deep into the earth’s layers!

Original waste wells could produce brine again, just like the Ren Family Salt Field he himself operated. How could this not make those small salt fields that had reached dead ends envious and tempted? A mere half percent profit could exchange waste wells for new wells, transform nothing into something!

You Yue listened with eyes shining.

Xiao Dingfei was even more stunned, not expecting there could be such a method of pulling the rug out from under them.

Most people in the inn were merchants—how could they not hear the stakes involved?

Immediately someone slapped the table in admiration: “This is truly a brilliant move snatching victory from the jaws of defeat! Those large salt field owners may not be willing to give up half a percent of profits, but for small salt field owners this is a no-cost deal. They only pay Ren Family Salt Field after having profits—why not sign! Thus, the large salt field owners would inevitably fall into a passive position. Once the percussion drilling well’s method of drawing brine from small openings spreads outward, originally abandoned salt fields could flourish again, and prices would definitely be lower, enough to squeeze the large salt fields’ market share and pose a threat to them! If they sign, Boss Ren can not only successfully overcome the crisis but also bring continuous dividend income to Ren Family Salt Field, equivalent to taking half a percent of the profits from all salt fields in Sichuan for the next five years! If the large salt field owners don’t sign, they’ll inevitably be besieged by small salt fields in the future and might not surprisingly fall under their encirclement. A sure-win situation with no losses, brilliant, brilliant!”

That man was delighted to hear him praise his master, laughing happily and burping: “This isn’t even the end of it! Our lady, seeing their faces weren’t good, added another line on the side, saying that this opportunity wouldn’t wait—those who signed on the spot only needed to give half a percent profit, but if they waited three months to sign again, they’d have to give one full percent profit. Oh my, you didn’t see that scene—that very night, sixty or seventy people signed. Boss Ren simply set aside our salt field matters first and began going to various salt fields to supervise work and build percussion drilling wells. It’s very lively in Sichuan now!”

Everyone praised profusely, saying both Boss Ren and his wife were formidable people.

Ren Family Salt Field had been forcibly revived—who could have imagined?

Originally everyone thought the salt field was beyond saving, and the silver stock price had already dropped to rock bottom, but if this was the case, tomorrow it would probably skyrocket!

Immediately some people’s expressions became strange, saying quietly: “Then, the ten thousand silver stocks that Boss Lu sold a few days ago, wouldn’t that be…”

“A loss, a huge loss!”

“Thrown out at four hundred coins per stock, and who could have thought good news would arrive today…”

Xiao Dingfei didn’t know about business matters, but he heard the name “Lu Xian” mentioned often. Hearing people say this person had suffered a huge loss this time, he was delighted in his heart and almost laughed out loud.

But beside him someone actually did laugh out loud.

You Yue’s appearance had already become much haggard these days, but at this moment she was radiant with joy. Her great happiness was expressed outwardly, and she actually burst into laughter, repeatedly saying “good” three times: “I just knew, I just knew it would definitely rise! Hahaha, hahahaha…”

Everyone was startled and alarmed.

But she couldn’t care about others’ gazes. Thinking of the pressure she had endured these days opposing her parents, refusing to sell the silver stocks no matter what, her whole body surged with a vindictive satisfaction. She couldn’t wait to return to the manor to take out her silver stock certificates and properly show her shortsighted parents and siblings—

Who was the smartest and most correct one!

This time Ren Family Salt Field not only salvaged the situation but even fought a beautiful comeback battle!

If the plan went smoothly, it could definitely become the premier salt field in all of Sichuan!

She dared not imagine—in the past, Ren Family Salt Field silver stock prices could soar to the high price of fifteen or sixteen hundred coins. Now that news had returned, how many people wanted to purchase silver stocks? How many times would the stock price multiply?

That was all gleaming white silver!

The carriage was originally outside the inn. You Yue directly cursed at the driver and rushed excitedly into the Earl’s manor.

Passing through the covered corridor, she again saw that young man she had seen when leaving the manor.

Perhaps he was someone who came to visit her father?

When leaving the manor she was preoccupied with the silver stock matter, and when returning she was full of wild joy wanting to show off to her family, so both times she saw this person she didn’t ask more questions as she usually would, but went straight toward the courtyard where she and her sister lived.

But she hadn’t expected that just as she entered the moon gate, she would actually see the Earl and his wife sitting in her room, furrowing their brows as if discussing something.

You Yue thought they were waiting here for her.

Immediately an air of arrogance returned to her body. She laughed rather haughtily and said loudly: “I told you long ago, that silver stock of Ren Family Salt Field—”

As her voice emerged, a servant boy carrying an iron hammer came out of her room, just colliding with her coming in from outside. He was frightened and quickly lowered his head, hurrying away as if he had just done something unspeakable.

You Yue’s heart suddenly gave birth to an ominous premonition.

Her voice came to an abrupt halt. She walked in from outside, then immediately saw the situation inside the room—

The box she used to lock away her silver stock certificates and contracts when she left was placed on the table in the middle.

But the originally sturdy brass lock had actually been smashed crooked by something!

The box was wide open outward, completely empty inside!

In that instant, You Yue felt like she had been struck by a thunderbolt from a clear sky. She paused, then rushed over to pick up the box, frantically searching through it but couldn’t find those several silver stock certificates: “Silver stocks, certificates, contracts! Where are my things? Where did my things go? What have you all done?!!!”

Reason had completely vanished. Her eyes were red.

The Earl of Qingyuan had long known she would throw a fit when she returned. These days he had long tired of her thoughtless behavior and coldly snorted: “Today, surprisingly, the Xiao family actually sent someone to deliver things to us. I think you don’t necessarily have to be selected as Prince Linzi’s consort. If you could become the heir apparent’s wife of the Duke’s manor, that wouldn’t be bad either. They’re such good people. While chatting, they happened to mention Ren Family Salt Field, and Young Master Dingfei’s subordinates took out silver notes without a word, actually willing to pay three hundred thirty coins per stock to buy your worthless silver stocks! Your mother and I made the decision and already sold them all clean for you! I think you should…”

“The Xiao family’s people? Three hundred thirty coins, three hundred thirty coins!” You Yue’s heart was bleeding. She simply couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her eyes almost immediately turned crimson red, and she went mad, grabbing the empty box and throwing it at her parents: “Who told you to sell them? My things—by what right do you dispose of them?! Do you know, do you know how much Ren Family Salt Field’s stock price will actually be worth?! Where are the certificates? The contracts?! I don’t care about any Xiao family—all of you get them back for me!!!”

The Earl of Qingyuan and his wife were both stunned.

A page of paper and two thin bank notes were still pressed under the corner of the desk.

In her madness You Yue saw them, immediately grasping them like a drowning person grabbing a life-saving straw, and opened them to look. She saw the contract clearly written in black and white—at a price of one thousand three hundred twenty taels, her four thousand silver stocks had been bought completely clean.

And the seal stamped at the signature—

Was clearly: Xiao Dingfei’s seal!

The Earl of Qingyuan and his wife had no idea what had happened outside. They only vaguely gathered that the salt field had risen from the dead, and kept asking questions.

But You Yue’s mind was completely blank.

She clutched that contract, trembling once, then trembling again. All the recent details, everything from before and after, all surfaced in her mind, connecting into a line: “It wasn’t Xiao Dingfei, it wasn’t Xiao Dingfei! It was her, she was scheming against me! It was her—”

This sound that came from her throat seemed to contain blood, gnashing teeth, filled with venomous hatred!

Clutching this page, she finally couldn’t withstand the stimulation of great joy turning to great sorrow, hope igniting then instantly extinguishing. Her vision went black and with a thud she collapsed to the ground.

Those around her hadn’t anticipated this situation?

For a moment they couldn’t reach her in time, and actually watched helplessly as her head struck the threshold, directly losing consciousness and fainting. Her fingers still desperately clawed at that contract.

Liu Yang lived up to his mission, completing all the matters Jiang Xuening had entrusted to him. He emerged from the Earl of Qingyuan’s manor without mishap, and on the road happened to run into Xiao Dingfei. He quickly took out all the seals, contracts, and certificates from his chest and handed them to him.

Xiao Dingfei only knew she was borrowing his name to handle matters, but didn’t know what matters.

Only now did he suddenly understand, stroking his chin and laughing once: “So that’s it. Really don’t know what grudge, what resentment. Hmm, this woman—can’t afford to provoke her, can’t afford to provoke her!”

He waved his hand telling Liu Yang to go first, then went to find Jiang Xuening.

Only right now he still didn’t know where she was.

After leaving Shuxiang Inn, he followed the direction she went to search. He walked the whole way without seeing anyone. Only when he reached a rain shelter pavilion ahead did he finally see a quietly sitting figure.

There were already few pedestrians outside. Jiang Xuening sat alone on the steps beneath the pavilion, her eyes staring blankly ahead as if she were looking, but Xiao Dingfei felt she wasn’t looking at anything.

The expression on her face seemed to be in a great dream.

He walked over and called out once. Only then did she lift her head toward him as if waking from a dream, looking at him quite as usual, only asking: “Did you get it?”

Xiao Dingfei transferred those things to her, but his gaze held several parts scrutiny. He only felt her appearance just now was absolutely not normal. Thinking she had chased after Zhang Zhe, his heart couldn’t help but sink heavily with some worry.

He hesitated for a moment before asking: “Are you all right?”

Jiang Xuening blinked, only thinking, how did she forget to ask Zhang Zhe who that girl was? But the words had already been said clearly. Asking more would make her seem unable to let go, pestering endlessly.

“I’m fine.”

She answered Xiao Dingfei this way, lowering her head to count those contracts and certificates.

Xiao Dingfei stood before her but clearly saw tears falling drop by drop, soaking those several contracts. Yet her voice remained calm and waveless: “Wait a couple days for the stock price to rise, then sell it and flip it. The money won’t be lacking.”

“What did you say?!”

In Xie Wei’s residence in Zhuoqin Hall, Lu Xian’s hand shook and he splashed hot tea all over his leg. The scalding made him jump up immediately, his voice becoming distorted, yet he only grabbed the young boy before him, asking in disbelief.

“Ren Family Salt Field rose from the dead?!”

That young boy knew when he heard this news that his master would explode, after all they had just sold ten thousand stocks at a low price not long ago, and within days it rose back up—it was as thrilling as jumping off a cliff to ascend to heaven!

Even though Lu Xian was an old fox who had long weathered the business world, at this moment he still found it difficult to accept.

He sat down dejectedly, almost stupefied: “How is this possible, how is this possible…”

That was ten thousand stocks!

Ten thousand stocks!

Lu Xian felt that even if his own flesh were cut it wouldn’t hurt this much. He clutched his head and paced back and forth in Zhuoqin Hall: “Where in the world is there such a coincidence? Someone must be scheming behind the scenes! It can’t be such a coincidence! Xie Ju’an, Xie Ju’an! This is a huge sum of money! Quickly send someone—Jianshu, no, Daoqin will do! Help me investigate deeply. This old man will definitely see which turtle bastard with a bear’s heart and leopard’s gall dares to swallow this old man’s money! Investigate, I want to investigate!!”

Xie Wei had found suitable wood from Youhuang Pavilion and begun making instruments again. At this moment, hearing Lu Xian’s furious voice, he only folded the snow-white sleeve that had slid down back onto his arm, his voice not carrying half a trace of mortal air as he said: “Jianshu, did you hear? Help Lü Zhaoyin investigate.”

Jianshu: “…”

He still remembered not long ago when learning Second Miss Ning had moved silver stocks, his master had said “Business matters are for Lü Zhaoyin to handle himself, do you need to interfere?” Now raising his head to look at Xie Wei’s detached and transcendent face, then glancing at Lu Xian beside him who was nearly biting through his steel teeth, furious to the point of ascending to heaven, he silently ranked this Boss Lu one position lower in his heart.

Xie Wei didn’t hear his response and turned his eyes toward him, saying lightly: “Investigate. Understood?”

Jianshu’s forehead immediately broke out in cold sweat. He had already comprehended, bowing and saying: “Yes, this subordinate will investigate immediately.”

But if I actually investigate and find anything, count it as my loss!