Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C055

In the Su family's residence, located in the east of the city, Su Cheng finally awaited the arrival of Su Qihuai.

"You've finally come; I thought you weren't planning to show your face," Su Cheng said, a hint of resentment in his tone.

Su Qihuai, in his forties, possessed a rather dignified appearance, though perhaps due to a more comfortable life in recent years, he had developed a somewhat portly figure. Upon hearing this, he did not become angry, but his smile was somewhat forced.

"What are you saying? I simply went on a long trip."

Upon hearing about the long trip, Su Cheng's face showed a hint of mockery, as if he hadn't gone to Suzhou before, but had remained in the capital. The old shopkeeper had used the excuse of a long trip to cover for him. Su Qihuai was likely in the same situation; when there was trouble, he would go on a long trip, and when there was none, he would stay in the capital.

Previously, Su Cheng had gone to Su Qihuai's home twice to look for him, but Su Qihuai had not appeared. It was not until later, when he turned hostile and sent people to deliver harsh words to Su Qihuai, essentially saying that if he tried to run, he wouldn't escape, and that since they had done things together, they would naturally bear the consequences together.

The reasons for this were rather complex.

Su Cheng was originally a dowry attendant specifically chosen by Su Wang shi for the Su family. The fact that Su Wang shi had chosen him before her death clearly indicated her great trust in him, and he himself possessed exceptional abilities.

In fact, Su Cheng was initially just a family slave of the Su family. Because he had been working by the master's side for many years, he had demonstrated exceptional business talent. Su Wang shi's husband, Master Su, had promoted him to the position of third shopkeeper of a store. Later, after Master Su passed away due to an accident, Su Cheng had always remained by Su Wang shi's side.

After Su Wang shi fell ill and passed away, and until Miss Su married, when the Su family's cloth shop moved to the capital, Su Cheng had always been dutiful and conscientious.

The unexpected event occurred after Mei Zhan and Miss Su both died. Su Cheng had helped the great aunt with two matters, and it was clear that the second branch of the family had lost power. The old great aunt had moved to the estate, and the young miss had fallen into the hands of the Mei family's main branch.

By chance, Su Cheng encountered Su Qihuai, who had come from Suzhou. This Su Qihuai was also a member of the Su clan and was related to Miss Su's grandfather. If calculated by kinship, Su Qihuai was Wushuang's uncle on the paternal line.

Su Cheng met Su Qihuai when Su Qihuai was in a very sorry state, claiming to be in the capital to seek opportunities, but in reality, he could no longer stay in Suzhou. However, Su Cheng did not know this at the time. One was intentional, and the other was unintentional, and their friendship deepened. Gradually, Su Qihuai learned from Su Cheng about the recent situation of Su Wang shi's lineage.

Back then, the Su clan had devoured the Su family's inheritance, and Su Qihuai had witnessed it all. Unfortunately, his lineage did not have any elders in the clan who could speak up, and he had not received anything. Now that such a good opportunity was before him, how could Su Qihuai bear to let it go?

Even though Su Cheng was initially unwilling, he could not withstand Su Qihuai's persistent efforts. Day after day, he would tell him that the Hongsheng Cloth Shop's current success was entirely due to Su Cheng. He also mentioned that when Su Wang shi had established her own business as a widow, if it hadn't been for old partners like them, the Su family would not have its current wealth.

Moreover, Su Cheng was not without his own thoughts. After all, the young miss was no longer present, and the little miss was still young. The great aunt, to put it bluntly, was an outsider. He had to report accounts to her every year. What kind of accounts were those?

If Su Cheng's initial dissatisfaction stemmed from an outsider interfering with the affairs of the Hongsheng Cloth Shop, then the fact that the silver given to him gradually decreased, and that she gradually stopped showing her face, already indicated a change of heart.

However, Su Cheng did not dare to be blatant. He was still testing the waters. After testing once or twice, and the great aunt pretended to be deaf and mute, he understood what was going on. Therefore, he became increasingly bold. Coupled with Su Qihuai's constant instigation, the two of them simply hit it off.

However, Su Cheng had left himself a way out. The reason he had brought Su Qihuai into the partnership was that he anticipated that if someone came looking for them one day, he could use Su Qihuai's identity as a paternal uncle to explain things.

As for Su Qihuai, he was already down on his luck. Even a small amount of money that slipped through Su Cheng's fingers was enough for him to live a life of luxury.

Initially, Su Cheng only dared to embezzle funds from the goods. As time passed, he gradually forgot that the cloth shop had an owner, and even felt that the cloth shop was his own, until Wushuang personally came to his door this time.

Su Cheng was not stupid. He realized that his little miss was being controlled by the Mei family's main branch, and that the great aunt was a sick old woman. That was why he had dared to be so unscrupulous. Now that she had come to his door, there must be something amiss.

Upon inquiring, he discovered that his little miss had been betrothed to Prince Wei, which meant that she would soon become a Princess Consort.

The common people never contended with officials, let alone the imperial family.

The night he received the news, Su Cheng did not sleep a wink. He had considered all the possibilities, but he was afraid of Prince Wei's reputation and did not dare to try anything. Su Cheng had not forgotten one thing: he was still a family slave of the Su family.

Back then, Su Wang shi had offered to return his indenture, but at the time, he was competing with another shopkeeper for the position of head shopkeeper, so he had refused. It was also for this reason that Su Wang shi had ultimately chosen him to be the head shopkeeper.

For a long time, Su Wang shi had not treated him as a family servant, and Miss Su was even more so, giving him great authority. Therefore, Su Cheng had forgotten about this matter until that day when Wushuang had said those meaningful words, and he remembered his identity.

***

"I won't waste any more words. Although you haven't shown your face, you must be clearer about the situation than anyone else. Over the years, you've used the Hongsheng Cloth Shop to do a lot of business and accumulated a fortune. Now, return the silver you took from me before, and I'll take it to report to the little miss."

As soon as Su Qihuai heard that he had to return the silver, his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

He was not surprised that Su Cheng would do this. This old fellow, despite being good at business, was actually a coward. If it were him, he would have already emptied the Hongsheng Cloth Shop and taken all the business to his own shop. Unfortunately, this old fellow was too timid and had always kept a backup plan.

"What silver do I have now? You know business has been bad lately, and all the silver I had is tied up in cloth."

Su Cheng sneered, "Su Qihuai, don't try to lie to me. If you can't produce silver, then bring out cloth. Bring all the best cloth you have, and I'll count it as silver."

Su Qihuai, somewhat annoyed by the pressure, forced a smile and said, "Su Cheng, why must you push me so hard? These past years, Hongsheng Cloth Shop has more than filled your belly. Why bother about these few scraps of mine and demand them back?"

Su Cheng said irritably, "I'll spit out everything I've eaten, and you'll do the same!"

Seeing his resolute tone, Su Qihuai looked at him with suspicion, "It seems you really intend to honestly go and confess your sins?"

"If I don't confess, can you bear the blame for me? Do you know who that is? That's the Princess Consort! A flick of her little finger is enough to crush us! I'm asking you to return the silver and cloth, and don't think I'm forcing you. I'm in the same boat. One should be content, but I was not, and now I've fallen into this predicament."

Su Cheng's face was ashen, and he seemed to have aged decades in an instant, "I don't know if we'll survive this ordeal. The ancients said that when a person is different, there must be a great change. The young miss was originally weak and timid, but her sudden turnaround must mean a great change in temperament. If she uses you and me as examples to warn others, don't forget that you and I both have families."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, these past few days, there have been strangers loitering outside the cloth shop and my residence. They must be here to watch us. Since you've entered my residence, you probably can't escape either. I advise you to be honest."

Upon hearing this, Su Qihuai's face immediately changed, "Su Cheng, you've set me up!"

"You haven't set me up any less. If you hadn't set me up—forget it, let's not talk about these idle matters. Return the silver you took from me, and I'll gather some more to go and confess my sins to the young miss."

For a moment, Su Qihuai's expression shifted, clearly weighing his options. After a long while, he asked, "If I don't have silver, is returning cloth acceptable?"

"It has to be good cloth and good material. Don't try to pass off shoddy goods."

"It definitely won't be shoddy goods."

Su Qihuai had already made up his mind. In the past few years, he had bought a lot of high-quality silk fabrics from the Jiangnan region because of greed. Unfortunately, his shop was not a large cloth shop, and few people could afford them, so they had been sitting in his hands unsold. It would be better to take them out to make up the amount.

How could Su Cheng not know what he was planning?

Because he also intended to do the same. The silver that had been spent could not be recovered, but he wanted to make the accounts look better, so he would have to make up for it. He had once been instructed by Su shi to collect a dowry for her daughter. The batch of good fabrics that Su shi had hidden was sold off by the great aunt. Now, replenishing a batch was a perfect excuse.

Wushuang did not know these little schemes of Su Cheng, nor did she know that Su Cheng's household was in utter chaos because of trying to make up the accounts.

Su Cheng's old wife was one thing. This old wife of his was matched to him by Su Wang shi. Women were timid, and his old wife had not agreed with his association with Su Qihuai. Although Su Cheng had been hiding it, his old wife had noticed some anomalies. However, her words carried no weight, and she was used to obeying her husband. Over the years, she had privately complained that Su Cheng had let down their employer. Now that she heard that Su Cheng was going to mend his ways, she naturally supported him.

But Su Cheng's son and daughter-in-law were unwilling. For them, they had never felt the intimidation of Su Wang shi. Originally, the shop was their own, but now they had to return it. Would they still be the young master and young mistress?

Anyway, there were several quarrels, but in the end, it was useless because Su Cheng always had the final say in the family.

***

On the last day of the half-month deadline, Su Cheng personally came to the Marquis Changyang's mansion, seeking an audience with Wushuang.

Wushuang met him in Ruyi Pavilion.

Seeing that Wushuang's appearance only resembled Su shi by three or four parts, and more resembled Su Wang shi, the extraordinary woman who had once single-handedly supported the entire Su family's business and even expanded the Su shi Cloth Shop's business throughout Jiangnan, Su Cheng could not help but kneel down, crying with tears streaming down his old face.

Wushuang thought to herself, she hadn't said anything, so why was he crying like this? Was this repentance, or was he putting on an act?

She didn't say anything, just let Su Cheng cry, until he wiped the tears from his old face and said, "This old servant has come to confess his sins to the young miss."

"What sins do you have?"

Before coming, Su Cheng had concocted a bellyful of words. He had even thought about how to say it, that he was worried about the great aunt. Although he had not come to submit the accounts these past years, the accounts were clear and understandable. The annual income was also in his hands, just waiting for the young miss to come in person, and he would return everything intact.

This reason was completely plausible.

After all, Su Cheng was a family servant of the Su family. There was no reason for him to listen to someone with a different surname, especially a mother-in-law who had always been at odds with her daughter-in-law. It was only natural to be wary. As for why he hadn't come to find Wushuang these past years, there was also a reason. Because the great aunt had instructed them not to go to the Marquis Changyang's mansion. Even if they had gone, the main branch, in order to control Wushuang, would not have allowed them to meet.

But all these words disappeared without a trace after Su Cheng saw this face. He suddenly changed his mind and chose to tell the truth.

It wasn't for anything else, but for the sake of his surname, Su.

Su Cheng suddenly recalled how he had been a mere beggar, beaten black and blue in a food snatching, when the young master Su, who was not yet Master Su at that time, had saved him. Later, he followed the young master, serving as a page, and then as a follower when he grew older. The young master had people teach him accounting, took him everywhere to discuss business, and even gave him the name Su Cheng…

How could he, in his old age, have failed to maintain his integrity?

Su Cheng also couldn't understand why he had been so blinded by greed before. He recounted everything, little by little, not omitting a single word about Su Qihuai's affairs.

Wushuang listened silently, her heart filled with complex emotions.

She believed that Su Cheng was telling the truth and that his repentance was sincere, but that did not mean she was willing to forgive him.

Because Wushuang was preoccupied with one thing—

In her previous life, when Meifang infiltrated the Marquis's mansion and came to her side, Meifang was only a stutterer, not mute. Given the great aunt's character, even if she had handed over everything, she would have certainly kept a backup plan. Under those circumstances, the backup plan would have been with Meifang, and also at Hongsheng Cloth Shop.

But Meifang, after coming to her side, never mentioned or said anything about it.

Perhaps the great aunt had instructed her not to, as her granddaughter was in a difficult situation, and she couldn't bear to put pressure on her. The great aunt had said these words before her death in the previous life, and likely had said them in this life as well. But the most likely possibility was that Meifang had gone to find Su Cheng, but Su Cheng, seeing that she was just a stuttering maid, didn't recognize her at all, and even drove her away. That was why Meifang later infiltrated the Marquis's mansion to serve her, yet never mentioned this matter.

Of course, Meifang was also highly suspicious, but Meifang had no relatives, was alone, and had gone to her side after leaving the great aunt. Later, she died saving her, so Wushuang could never suspect Meifang.

So it could only be Su Cheng.

***

Wushuang suddenly thought of a sentence Mei Wuxia had said: “...They only value your power and influence. If you didn't have your current status, do you think they would pay you any attention? When you were suffering, no one came to care for you. Now they come to coax you with a few words, and you're as easily fooled as a fool…”

In fact, Wushuang understood this principle, just as she had once thought: when you are doing well, everyone around you is good, and even those who you once thought were hateful and vicious can put on a smiling face.

It was just that she wasn't as extreme as Mei Wuxia, calculating every penny and not leaving any room for maneuver.

At this moment, she suddenly missed Ji Yang intensely. Although she had just seen him last night, she missed him desperately.

She decided to do something. After thinking it over, she decided to make some food with her own hands.

With this thought, she felt very busy and had no time for sentimentality. She handed over the matter of checking and auditing accounts with Su Cheng to Granny Gong, while she herself went to the small kitchen in Ruyi Pavilion.

Seeing the young miss like this, what could Su Cheng not understand? The young miss probably hadn't forgiven him. And seeing that granny said that any matters could be discussed after the accounts were settled, he understood the meaning behind it.

Su Cheng had people bring in the account books from all these years. They added up to three large boxes. Even Granny Gong felt a headache looking at so many account books. After thinking about it, she decided to follow the old rule and seek help from Prince Wei's mansion.

Granny Wang, who was watching from the side, privately spoke to Granny Gong.

"The Princess Consort should also learn to manage the household. These things are perfect for her to practice with."

Granny Gong smiled, "The Princess Consort is still like a child. She's in the kitchen right now, saying she wants to make some snacks for His Highness."

Upon hearing this, Granny Wang immediately fell silent. During her time at Ruyi Pavilion, she had come to realize that this future Princess Consort was very much in Prince Wei's favor. Although Prince Wei rarely showed his face, and Granny Gong handled most matters, could Granny Gong alone have found a skilled and fast master craftsman to make furniture for the Princess Consort? Could she have had the energy to purchase all those trivial dowry items? It was all thanks to the help from Prince Wei's mansion.

They really wished they could handle the entire dowry themselves!

Although Granny Wang had previously been in the palace, she had clearly been brought out by Granny Gong to be by Wushuang's side, meaning she had no ulterior motives. For an old granny in the palace to be able to leave the palace and work in the Prince's mansion, that was the best prospect, so naturally, she hoped that the Princess Consort and His Highness would live harmoniously.

Not to mention these things, Wushuang quickly made a steamer of osmanthus cakes. It was just that she hadn't made them in a long time, so her skills were rusty. The taste was acceptable, but the finished product didn't look very good.

While she was still pondering whether to make another batch, the people below misunderstood that she was shy and quickly took the initiative to pack the cakes into a food box while they were still hot, saying they would send them to Prince Wei's mansion.

Uh, she had just casually said she was making them for His Highness, but this His Highness referred to Ji Yang, who would come in the evening, not Prince Wei, who was currently in Prince Wei's mansion.

Could she even explain this misunderstanding clearly?

Seeing that the things had already been sent away, Wushuang could only abandon her explanation, preparing to make another basket, keeping it for herself and Ji Yang to eat together in the evening.

At Prince Wei's mansion, upon hearing that the things were sent by the Princess Consort, Fusheng dared not be negligent, and with a smile, he delivered the items to Prince Wei.

Prince Wei was in the midst of discussing matters with someone, and seeing Fusheng's strange smile, he dismissed the others, calling him forward.

Fusheng opened the food box, saying, "This was sent by the Princess Consort specifically, and it's still warm." The underlying meaning of his words was, Your Highness, see how attentive the Princess Consort is to you, having specially made pastries to send over.

She made this?

Prince Wei looked at the somewhat strangely shaped pastries on the plate, hesitated for a moment, and picked up a piece to eat. It was a bit too sweet, but the taste was acceptable, just that the appearance was not very pleasing.

Seeing that Prince Wei, who never ate sweets, had actually eaten two pieces, Fusheng thought: Indeed, His Highness is pleased.