After the meal, Zheng Ruqian became busy. He had hauled two carts of lychees in total, giving one cart to the Jiang family and needing to sell the other cart today.
Jiang Sheng eagerly volunteered to go along too.
Wen Zhiyun took Wang Xiaozhu to give free medical consultations to patients, while Chang Yan continued looking through the carpenter's secret records.
Only Xu Mo quietly stood in front of the writing desk, staring at the four treasures of the study, seemingly struggling to decide.
Jiang Sheng belatedly realized that her elder brother seemed to not have gone out these past two days.
Wen Zhiyun could come and go from his self-opened clinic as he wished.
But the lectures at the Imperial College changed every day.
"Elder brother," the little girl asked curiously, "Aren't you going to attend class?"
Having fought to regain the chance to retake the exam next year where he could only win and not lose, someone of Xu Mo's temperament would surely work even harder instead of avoiding his studies.
So it could only be...
"I don't plan on attending class anymore," Xu Mo said heavily. "Too many people lead to too much trouble at the Imperial College. It'd be better to have peace and quiet at home."
The Fang family would not let matters rest. Trouble could only grow.
With his abilities, he could resolve any difficulties encountered, but resolving them also took up time.
As an intelligent person, Xu Mo had to repeatedly contemplate - was it better to waste time or hide away to avoid things altogether?
At present, he leaned more towards the latter.
"But elder brother, spending time resolving troubles can also be a type of growth, can't it?" Jiang Sheng raised her round little face. "Each time we resolve an issue, we grow a bit older and learn a lesson, many taught by you yourself."
One would encounter many troubles in this lifetime.
Stepping in dog crap, slipping on the ground, getting hit by a carriage or even possibly being struck by a rock.
If one hid away for fear of trouble, then buildings could still collapse and beds could still break.
One should not fear trouble, but possess the courage and ability to handle it.
By turning all the setbacks and frustrations encountered into life experience and motivation, that would be the intelligent course of action.
"And most importantly," Jiang Sheng blinked. "Elder brother, you still have us."
The busy Zheng Ruqian spared a moment to toss an utterly nauseating flirtatious glance.
Wen Zhiyun who had just boarded the carriage stuck his head out, waving shyly.
Even Chang Yan was smiling while holding his carving knife, warm and full of strength.
Xu Mo suddenly laughed. He truly hadn't expected that his elder brother who had always been a role model would have a day where his younger siblings lectured him. But he had to admit, he had been thinking incorrectly before.
While resolving troubles did waste time, the growth gained in the process was something no books could impart.
Most importantly, everyone was still here.
The joy of working together heart and soul was something nothing could compare to.
A soul that would never be lonely was the spiritual pillar that no difficulty could topple.
Xu Mo heaved a breath and swiftly gathered the four treasures of the study, hurrying to get on the carriage before Wen Zhiyun left. "Let's go, to the Imperial College."
"Let's go, busy we go!" Jiang Sheng also cheered up.
The two carriages carried four children towards the three way intersection, leaving one person behind at home.
Chang Yan blew away the wood shavings. His five fingers covered in knife marks shifted aside, revealing six neat little blocks of wood that vaguely resembled human shapes.
A gust of wind blew one piece over.
That tiny trace of a human form vanished again.
He helplessly shook his head and resumed wielding his carving knife, carving earnestly.
...
At the entrance of the Nine Treasures Store.
Two whole basins of lychees were iced to preserve freshness. The remaining one basin was displayed openly, glistening red and tempting, yet no one asked about them.
Jiang Sheng jumped down from the carriage, terribly distressed. "If they can't be sold, the color will change by tomorrow."
Zheng Ruqian waved his fan without speaking, gradually taking on the bearing of a great merchant.
The two had just entered the Nine Treasures Store when Miao Zhaoying's loud voice rang out, "Master has arrived, you've finally come! So many families came to reserve these lychees and I don't know who to sell them to."
The housekeeper hesitantly added from behind, "There's the Yao family, the Qi family, the Fang family, the Zhao family, the He family, the Zhu family - all top families in the capital with influence."
So the lychees weren't being ignored after all. There were simply too many buyers that they didn't know who to sell to.
Jiang Sheng's eyeballs nearly fell out. Had the Nine Treasures Store taken flight and prospered in the few days she hadn't been here?
"Silly girl, they all followed the Jiang family here," Zheng Ruqian rapped her head lightly with his fan. "I transported the first batch of lychees, only a day slower than the Liao family."
For something so precious, being the first to obtain it proved financial power and status.
The Jiang family had taken three basins upfront. The remaining families didn't wish to concede either.
But who to sell the remaining three basins to required careful consideration, after all.
"We definitely have to keep a share for the Yao family," Jiang Sheng recalled the delicate and cheerful Sister Yao.
"We should also give some to the Qi family," Zheng Ruqian tallied. "Can't forget the Zhao family either, or the Dou family - they've helped elder brother out at the Golden Hall."
As for the Fang and Zhu families, directly ignored.
This was when the importance of connections showed. Even as a businessman, priority for selling goods still went to families with better relations. Allocating more or less still depended on closeness of ties.
Finally, they decided five catties for the Yao family, five catties for the Qi family, five catties for the Dou family, five catties for the Zhao family, two catties for the He family and one catty each for the rest of the smaller families.
The siblings distributed the goods neatly. Zheng Ruqian lazily stretched and got to his feet, casually grabbing two lychees to stuff to the housekeeper when he noticed her swallowing saliva. "Eat up."
No matter how expensive, things were for people to eat in the end.
He breezily portioned and weighed the goods, preparing to deliver them household by household.
The overjoyed housekeeper split one with her mother and clutched the rest in her palm, sniffing repeatedly but unwilling to eat them.
That afternoon, Jiang Sheng accompanied Zheng Ruqian on his endless bustling about, dashing around with the carriages.
Undoubtedly tiring, but her mood kept buoyant and cheerful throughout.
Especially upon receiving the heavy silver ingots. Jiang Sheng could barely restrain her smile, insisting on carrying five catties worth of lychees to personally knock on the Yao family's door ring herself.
Behind her was the passing carriage bearing the Jiang family emblem.
The wasted youth within seemed to receive some premonition as he lifted the curtain and glimpsed a half-familiar silhouette midway.
He nearly jolted in shock before settling back silently, thinking his sister should be at the Jiang house.
"Elder brother, please say something. If it's really impossible we can go drink, little brother will bring you to drown a thousand sorrows in wine. Can you do that?" Inside, Jiang Chengfeng earnestly tried to persuade Jiang Chengyuan.
Jiang Chengyuan silently shook his head.
The Jiang house rules forbid descendants from drowning sorrows in liquor.
"Then at least say something. What on earth happened that you haven't uttered a word in three days?" Jiang Chengfeng was nearly in tears. "When encountering difficulties we should resolve them, not torture ourselves by shrinking back all the time!"
With Jiang Chenghua depressed and wasting away at the front.
And Jiang Chengyuan silent and taciturn at the back, unwilling to speak.
Could the main wing's fengshui be problematic?
"Why don't I invite a fengshui master to take a look?" Jiang Chengfeng hesitantly suggested.
Jiang Chengyuan pressed his lips tightly. The words he'd overheard that day repeated endlessly in his mind, tormenting him day after day.
Although his mother hadn't admitted it, Jiang Sheng being switched was fact. What everyone assumed an accident was actually malicious plotting.
He didn't know how to face both sisters, didn't know how to face Jiang Chenghua, even less so Lady Liao and the entire Liao family.
Attempting to remain neutral now seemed so laughable and mocking.
However much he now owed Jiang Sheng, his feelings towards Jiang Chenghua were equally complex.
He could no longer self-righteously proclaim, "Chenghua is also innocent and unaware of anything."
He could only try his utmost to compensate Jiang Sheng and give his sister what she deserved.
Yes, he had to make amends.
Jiang Chengyuan abruptly raised his head. Under Jiang Chengfeng's eager gaze he slowly enunciated three words - "Return to Jiang house."
