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墨書 Inktalez
"That is the Ouyang Family, the largest merchant family in the Tianli Kingdom, and the richest merchant in the world."
Is there a connection between the Ouyang Family and Su Xiuning?
Upon hearing the old lady's words, Xia Muxin immediately thought of Su Xiuning.
If there is indeed a connection, then do the people of the Ouyang Family know about Su Xiuning's existence...
"Are there many people with the surname Ouyang in the Tianli Kingdom?"
At that moment, Xia Muxin turned to Shen Muhan and asked, as she had never heard of any.
"Only one family."
The old lady answered on behalf of Shen Muhan.
"......"
Then, the grandmother introduced herself; her surname was Jiang. She was not originally from the Tianli Kingdom but had fled here due to a family misfortune. Afterward, she settled in the Tianli Kingdom and started a business.
As the sky gradually darkened, Xia Muxin decided it was time to head back.
She circled around Grandma Jiang and had just stepped out when she saw Ye Feng rushing over with an anxious expression. Upon seeing Grandma Jiang, he seemed to have found reassurance:
"Grandma, you have no idea how worried I was!"
"Miss Muxin..." he said, looking at Xia Muxin in surprise.
"You are Grandma Jiang's grandson??"
Xia Muxin's eyes widened in astonishment, finding the situation oddly amusing.
"Alright, it's getting late. Muxin, you two should head back quickly. Be careful on the way; don't let any petty people set their sights on you."
Seeing that the two were familiar with each other, Grandma Jiang's eyes crinkled into crescent moons, making Shen Muhan's heart race. He felt an unsettling sense that Grandma Jiang was taking an interest in Muxin. Throughout her stories of the past, her gaze had remained calm and unfeeling, lacking any sense of authenticity. Now, he felt as if a vast net was ensnaring Muxin—restricting her freedom while simultaneously trapping her within it. Moreover, Grandma Jiang's last remark seemed to have been made after glancing at the shop across the street.
She concealed many things they were unaware of, yet her warmth towards Muxin was anything but ordinary. If it weren't for their first meeting, one might think she was her granddaughter-in-law.
Upon hearing Grandma Jiang's words, Xia Muxin's brow twitched, and she cast a sidelong glance at the shop across the street before nodding in farewell.
"Grandma, she is..."
"Shh..."
Ye Feng held one of Grandma Jiang's hands, watching the retreating figures with wide eyes, unable to believe what he had just heard. But as soon as he spoke, his grandmother silenced him.
*
"Uncle, why do I feel like Grandma Jiang is acting strangely? Especially the way she looks at me—it feels both indulgent and comforting. What do you think? What is the Ouyang Family all about? I feel like I've been caught in an invisible web where everything ahead is dark and everything behind is also dark. This feeling is quite unsettling."
On the way back, Xia Muxin supported her head with one hand, replaying everything that had happened today in her mind. She sensed something was off and frowned as she noticed Shen Muhan deep in thought. "What do you think?" she asked him.
Shen Muhan sighed, reaching out with a large hand to pull her into his embrace. He leaned close to her ear and said,
"Whether in light or darkness, I will be with you and won't let you suffer even the slightest harm."
Perhaps the days ahead would no longer be peaceful, but for now, the first thing to do was to uncover Grandma Jiang's true identity. Of course, it was best not to let Muxin know about any of this.
Listening to Shen Muhan's words, Xia Muxin's expression finally brightened a bit. She wrapped her arms around his neck and playfully said,
"Uncle, you must live a long life, okay?"
Hearing her nonsensical remark, Shen Muhan frowned and playfully flicked her forehead.
"Silly girl, what are you talking about?"
Yet Xia Muxin snuggled closer to his neck, holding on tighter without saying another word.
Shen Muhan sighed again, gently patting her back. It turned out that this girl could also feel scared at times...
The next day.
Xia Muxin arrived back in Town. Xia Tieshu was still busy renovating the shop according to Xia Muxin's designs with Er Dan and others, while Xia Muxin headed to the Tang Family Medical Hall.
"Miss Muxin, have you run out of those materials?"
A few young people at the medical hall were surprised to see Xia Muxin arrive, their eyes wide in astonishment.
Several large question marks appeared on Xia Muxin's forehead.
What did they mean her materials were used up? She had bought those materials six months ago, and even if she had been cooking, they should have lasted longer. Seeing their astonished expressions, she couldn't help but tease, "Surely a big medical clinic like this can't be out of such a small amount of herbs."
With that, she dashed over to the counter, peering inside as if to verify her suspicions.
"No, Miss Muxin, didn't you have someone buy two hundred pounds of herbs half a month ago? We were all stunned at the time, but Master said since it was you who bought them, we should give them to you. He even asked that person to pass on a message: if you make something fresh and delicious, don't forget to save a portion for him," a young man explained. Then he glanced behind Xia Muxin and noticed her empty hands, looking somewhat disappointed. "You didn't bring anything? We thought we might get to enjoy some good food today..."
Xia Muxin was momentarily stunned by this revelation. After a long pause, she finally erupted in anger.
"What did you say? I had someone buy two hundred pounds of herbs back!"
The others had never seen Xia Muxin so furious. With her hands on her hips and a fierce expression on her face, her eyes wide open in disbelief, they instinctively took a few steps back and swallowed hard.
"What's wrong, Muxin?"
Shen Muhan had been waiting outside for her. Hearing her shout, he rushed in immediately. Upon seeing her flushed face and slightly labored breathing, he asked with concern.
At that moment, Sister Tang also finished attending to a patient and stepped out from the inner room. She looked surprised upon seeing Shen Muhan.
"Young Master..."
Shen Muhan, despite being appointed as Regent, had no interest in managing court affairs. However, he would always sense any issues at the border immediately. Sister Tang still couldn't change her way of addressing him; in her eyes, he remained the same Young Master as before.
Shen Muhan didn't mind this; it was just a title after all.
"Sister Tang, do you know anything about the Ouyang Family?"
Xia Muxin took a long time to suppress the anger rising in her chest. Remembering how close Sister Tang had been with Su Rong, she decided to ask directly.
Upon hearing this, Sister Tang's eyes widened in surprise, and she hesitated before responding, "I'm just a doctor running a clinic. How would I know about the wealthiest merchant in the world?"
Her words were laced with tension and unease, so much so that she didn't even realize she had revealed her own slip.
Xia Muxin smirked slightly but chose not to press further.
While many might be aware of the wealthiest merchant, Sister Tang's reaction was too intense and her words too hurried, which only fueled Xia Muxin's suspicions.
Afterward, Xia Muxin bought nothing and simply pulled Shen Muhan out of the clinic.
"Weren't you going to buy some materials? What's wrong?"
Noticing her gloomy demeanor, Shen Muhan straightened her up, making her meet his gaze as he asked in a low voice.
"Uncle, my skills have been stolen. The people at the clinic said that someone bought around two hundred pounds of herbs in my name half a month ago. Perhaps because they were familiar with me, Sister Tang didn't suspect anything and ended up buying the same herbs for that person. As a result, that shop across the street has opened."
Xia Muxin felt a bit wronged, but it wasn't enough to make her heart ache. After all, in her view, this was the business world, and since it was business, it relied on tactics. She just thought that this person's actions were too despicable, using her name without permission.
“Ugh, what is this? How can it taste so different from the Orchid Bean I had before? Is your grandmother taking advantage of my lack of education?”
Xia Muxin gritted her teeth in anger, wishing she could immediately drag out the person impersonating her and let them know that her name was not something to be taken lightly. Suddenly, a curse caught her attention, and she looked over to see the shop surrounded by people, all pointing and expressing their outrage.
Seeing the brewing conflict, Xia Muxin shot a suspicious glance at Shen Muhan. Noticing the playful smile in his eyes, she said, “Uncle, you...”
This was the first time Shen Muhan smiled so broadly, his lips curving slightly as he grabbed Xia Muxin's hand that was pointing at him and said charmingly, “It's nothing; I just went to deliver a greeting gift.”
In his heart, however, he thought: Who gave that guy the right to bully you? Just taking over the shop wasn't enough; he had to resort to theft as well. Does he not know that the thing I hate most in this life is deceit?
Xia Muxin couldn't help but chuckle. She then pulled Shen Muhan's hand and walked forward with a slight smirk on her lips. “Come on, let's go watch the fun.”
When they reached the front of the shop, they found it impossible to squeeze in because it was packed tightly with people. The ground was littered with Orchid Beans. Xia Muxin looked down and curled her lip disdainfully. There should be some skill involved in stealing; as Uncle Bingzi said, her beans were all blooming beautifully. But these flowers looked too bizarre; they seemed like they had been bitten out.
“What’s going on? What’s going on? Just yesterday everyone was praising it, and now after one night they've changed their tune?”
Suddenly, a man resembling a steward emerged from the shop. He appeared to be around fifty years old, sporting a handlebar mustache and a short stature, wearing a fake smile that contrasted sharply with his cold words.
Suddenly, Shen Muhan pulled Xia Muxin to one side and turned into a corner.
At that moment, a woman stepped out from behind the butler. Dressed in a pink gown that accentuated her curvaceous figure, she wore a hood that obscured her face, veiled by a light gauze. Her slender, delicate hands were as pale as tofu, leaving the men around her mesmerized, each straining their necks to catch a glimpse of her true appearance through the veil.
"Uncle, what's wrong?"
Xia Muxin asked with a frown as Shen Muhan led her into a corner.
Shen Muhan smiled at her and said, "Zhao Yangwu and Zhao Yangwei are inside."
"......"
*
Three days later, Xia Muxin arrived at Town with Yan Zhouwan. Her shop was nearly renovated, but today the workers were not from the village; they were professional personnel she had hired.
Xia Muxin was dressed in brown men's clothing, with a scar about an inch long on her face. Behind her stood Yan Zhouwan, clad in gray and white men's attire. His face was tattooed, covered by a layer of human skin mask, giving him an ordinary appearance. The two were of similar height and occasionally whispered to each other while observing the nearly finished shop.
"They're out. Take a look; do you recognize them?"
At that moment, Xia Muxin glanced at the shop across the street and spoke to Yan Zhouwan.
"It's them. I would recognize them even if they turned to ash."
Yan Zhouwan trembled all over. If it weren't for Xia Muxin tightly gripping her arm, she would have charged in.
"Calm down, calm down. If you go in now, aren't you just walking into a slaughter? To deal with the enemy, you need to play it slowly and watch them suffer. Only then will you feel satisfied."
Xia Muxin held her back, pressing a hand on her shoulder to keep her from getting too agitated, lest they reveal their intentions.
She was seeking justice for her father, so she needed to stay composed and gather sufficient evidence instead of acting recklessly and shouting for blood.
After a long moment, Yan Zhouwan took several deep breaths and gradually calmed herself down. She nodded to Xia Muxin and said, "Thank you."
Xia Muxin patted her shoulder before stepping into the shop.
"Muxin, should we open a window over there?"
Shen Muhan had also changed his appearance today, dressing unusually plainly. Of course, this was all due to Xia Muxin insisting he do so to avoid alarming anyone and to ensure their safety; he had no choice but to comply.
At that moment, seeing Xia Muxin enter and noticing her mustache, the scar on her face, and her furrowed brows, he pointed to the wall on the east side.
The spot he indicated aligned perfectly with a window on the second floor; in fact, it was the same location.
- End of Chapter -
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