For a moment, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Lin Yuchan’s mind went blank for an instant.

Because the combed-up women were “her people” that she had brought and were women, everyone in the teahouse was relatively relaxed and hadn’t specifically guarded against them.

Sure enough, Murphy’s law had been realized. The one rare time they relaxed, things went wrong!

She rushed over and covered Aunt Hong’s mouth just as she was about to scream.

“Sister, this, I…”

Aunt Hong’s eyes bulged wide with alarm. Not daring to look at those weapons, she tremblingly turned around and stammered: “Little sister, I… I helped you hide from the soldiers after all, we ate together for several months. Please do me a favor and let me go back to the wharf to sell labor…”

Lin Yuchan was on the verge of tears.

All of Yixing Boat Company’s persistent lawbreaking was being blamed on her!

Last time, she nearly scared Rong Hong into the street. This time, it was fortunate that Aunt Hong was young and strong; otherwise, she might have had a heart attack on the spot, thinking she’d fallen into a trap.

She quickly closed the private room door, her mind racing as she consoled: “What’s the big deal? In the Shanghai Bund foreign settlements, which business relies on being refined and reasonable? You ask why Minguan can make money—if he didn’t prepare some precautionary things, I’m afraid he’d be eaten clean the second day after opening. Stay calm, stay calm.”

Aunt Hong clutched her chest, half-believing: “Is this a legitimate business?”

Little sister had such an innocent appearance, she didn’t seem like an accomplice to bandit kings.

Lin Yuchan smiled and led her out to the main hall, pointing to a pile of official documents and tax payment certificates on the wall.

Only then did Aunt Hong feel relieved, though she sighed.

“Minguan has learned bad habits.” She complained quietly, “But when people grow up, they have to become a bit bad to live well.”

Lin Yuchan chewed on the philosophy in these words, finding it rather amusing.

As if Su Minguan had been very law-abiding when he was in Guangzhou.

Aunt Hong gave her another warning look: “Little sister, you’re still a child. It’s fine to follow Minguan, but don’t learn bad habits. Listen to your sister’s advice—as a woman, you should still be proper.”

Lin Yuchan smiled and nodded, then lifted her garment to reveal the wooden handle of her Derringer 1858.

She asked quietly: “Is this what you mean by proper?”

Aunt Hong: “…”

Shanghai was too terrifying. It turned people into ghosts.

Lin Yuchan laughed heartily and gathered the combed-up women sisters, saying: “Tonight, everyone doesn’t need to spend money finding lodging either. I’m currently renting a stone gate house nearby, though it’s piled with some miscellaneous items. If you don’t mind the distance, I also rent a courtyard in Hongkou. I’ll have someone clean it up later. Since you sisters don’t have luggage, you can move in tonight—no one is allowed to be polite with me! This is what I owe you. If you refuse again, I won’t feel at ease.”

The group knew they had boarded a pirate ship, but fortunately, this ship was sturdy and comfortable, providing food and lodging—why rush to jump off?

Since everyone was already penniless, they had no right to be particular, so they thanked her immediately.

Aunt Hong asked again: “Is Minguan busy in the back kitchen? Would it be convenient for us to visit him? We haven’t seen him for so long, we miss him.”

Lin Yuchan: “…”

He was probably riding the waves somewhere with his new steamship.

Recently, she’d been busy keeping Boya Trading House alive, dealing with a pile of matters from dawn to dusk every day, and hadn’t had much time to think about him.

After all, from New Year until now, she’d only seen him for a few hours total. Looking back on those few hours, they seemed like a crazy dream.

Today, hearing old friends mention him repeatedly, her heart suddenly stirred with waves, remembering his smile, even finding herself rather nostalgic for his sharp-tongued arguing and scheming for money.

A trace of a smile formed at the corner of her mouth as she answered: “He’s away on a long trip, but should return in the next day or two. Let me go ask.”

She stood up and pushed open a door in the wall, directly entering the adjacent boat company.

The combed-up woman beamed: “Young Master Minguan has such good relationships—even people from the neighboring shop know where he is.”

Coming to the Yixing storefront, after waiting briefly, Shi Peng mysteriously invited her to a small tea room and handed her an open letter.

“Miss Lin, the shopkeeper from Xuhui Tea Shop you work with—his surname is Mau, right? His daughter-in-law happens to be a secretary in the county government. We followed this connection and found the relationship, and they brought this letter.”

Lin Yuchan opened the letter in surprise.

She hadn’t expected that Mau Shunniang’s betrothed in-law… she had indeed mentioned that he worked as a secretary in Shanghai County!

When she was trying to pull strings and build connections, she had only focused on visiting important people, completely forgetting this connection!

Fortunately, the Yixing brothers were experienced in business and helped her pick up this thread.

China had always been a society of personal relationships, especially so in the Qing Dynasty. In terms of building connections and networking, Lin Yuchan inevitably lacked some sensitivity, unable to match the ease and familiarity of native gang leaders.

The in-law secretary’s letter said that the Longevity Festival had passed, and several important figures had successively sent letters inquiring about Rong Hong’s situation. The county magistrate, afraid of causing trouble, could only temporarily refrain from taking action against Rong Hong, pretending to forget him in prison. Yesterday, orders suddenly came from above to elevate and report Rong Hong’s case, removing it from Shanghai County’s jurisdiction.

So early this morning, a small boat left the city, and Rong Hong was no longer in Shanghai at this time.

Lin Yuchan was bewildered: “Is this good news or bad news?”

Shi Peng said, “Hard to say. This is no longer about trying a case—it’s purely that some high official has taken an interest and wants to see who has such a great face that so many prominent Chinese and foreign figures are pleading for him, so it depends on Mr. Rong’s fortune. For example, if that high official happens to take a liking to him, he might directly pardon him as innocent—that’s possible; maybe that high official just hasn’t seen a foreign-educated person before, called him over for a look, then will judge as he would anyway; or if that high official dislikes Guangdong people, after hearing him speak one sentence, he might directly chop his head off—that’s also possible…”

Lin Yuchan was so frightened she got goosebumps, hurriedly saying: “He doesn’t speak Cantonese fluently! He usually speaks Mandarin!”

This Qing Dynasty justice system was too casual! What did it mean for human life to be like grass—if TV dramas dared to portray it this way, they’d be criticized into trending topics.

Shi Peng laughed: “I’m just giving an example.”

But regardless, now money was useless. Lin Yuchan could only secretly hope that Rong Hong had been eating and sleeping well recently, maintaining good mental state, so that whether meeting gods or ghosts, he could use his profound knowledge and perfect demeanor to convince them.

She calculated in her mind—in another month, at most two months, when the last batch of tea for the customs was finished processing, if she had no new orders and if Rong Hong still had no news by then, she would have no choice but to close Boya Hongkou.

And… she could almost certainly predict that by then, Boya Hongkou would be in a state of expenditures exceeding income.

Her first business venture as a partner investor was about to end in loss.

Life couldn’t always be smooth sailing.

There were more times of shipwreck…

Lin Yuchan put away the letter, trying to think positive thoughts. Following Shi Peng out of the tea room, she arranged a pleasant smile on her face and asked: “Let’s not talk about these things. When will Minguan return?”

Shi Peng was startled, then showed a troubled expression, turning back to glance at her quietly.

Her attitude was pure and natural—not affected, not shy, not like a resentful woman worrying about gains and losses, purely asking out of concern.

…This made him feel even more sorry for her.

“The boss, well, he…” Shi Peng hesitated for a long time, finally deciding to tell the truth. “He returned yesterday.”

Lin Yuchan exclaimed, “Ah!” and immediately became furious.

Hiding things from her again?

The girl’s small eyebrows shot up, her face clearly showing displeasure. Shi Peng sighed inwardly.

It seemed it wasn’t just “purely asking out of concern” after all.

He quickly said, “He told us not to make it known, returning quietly. Inside and outside the industry, except for close business partners, no one else knows.”

Lin Yuchan was puzzled: “Why?”

Shi Peng smiled bitterly: “Miss, please settle the sisters you brought first, then I’ll send someone to take you to see him. You’ll understand when you see him.”

The Shandong Road section of the International Settlement, about twenty minutes’ walk from Yixing. Following the clerk’s directions, Lin Yuchan stopped in front of a small western-style building.

She looked up at the plaque above the door, her heart sinking.

“Renji Hospital?”

The nameplate below read “Established 1844″—one of the earliest western hospitals since Shanghai’s opening as a port.

The hospital was established by the church, with crosses and religious propaganda paintings everywhere, specifically targeting Chinese people, with relatively affordable consultation fees.

But Chinese people at this time didn’t trust Western medicine much. Looking around the outpatient department, it was full of poor people with various serious illnesses, lying askew and turning, reading the Bible collectively as required by the hospital, like a devout slum.

Several nurses covered their mouths and noses with gauze, hurrying back and forth.

Lin Yuchan couldn’t help but feel angry again, breaking into a run.

How sick was he not to tell her a word!

Fortunately, hospitals at this time didn’t care about patient privacy protection. She gave Su Minguan’s name, and the duty nurse led her to the third floor.

Seeing her worried expression, the nurse even smiled and comforted her: “It’s fine, just a minor surgery, nothing serious.”

Lin Yuchan: “…”

Surgery?

Surgery?!

She had never had surgery in two lifetimes!

In the third-floor corridor, she could hear a foreigner speaking Chinese from afar, speaking very urgently, with every tone and intonation incorrect, precisely avoiding the correct tone for every word.

“…You must know that Chinese physicians are powerless against your injury, which is why they recommended you come here. You must trust our capabilities… I won’t ask how you got this injury, but if you don’t undergo western surgical treatment, I’m afraid it will worsen to a very serious degree… I, Richard Owen, am a doctor who saves lives. I won’t harm you…”

Lin Yuchan left the nurse and rushed over.

“If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t be here today, Dr. Owen.” It was Su Minguan’s voice, calm and clear as always, with cold, smiling indifference. “But I don’t understand why a Western physician also dabbles in the opium business. Isn’t your hospital salary enough?”

“Because… because…” Dr. Owen’s tongue obviously couldn’t keep up with his brain. Getting anxious, he burst into English: “Ether! Diethyl ether! Anesthetics! We’re out! Opium can also relieve pain—this is for your good. If you don’t comply, I can’t guarantee…”

“Thank you for your concern. I’ll go back and find ‘Bone-setter Cai.'”

Su Minguan supported himself on the chair armrest, slowly standing up. He nodded coldly to Dr. Owen and turned around.

He saw a rapidly running figure appear directly in his field of vision. Black braids flew beside her cheeks.

This step was thus not taken.

His pupils contracted slightly as he called softly: “A’Mei?”

Like summer flowers first blooming, he suddenly smiled—with some difficulty—reaching out his hand toward her.

As if he had just parted from her yesterday, and happened to meet her today, saying hello.