75. Arrival at Leqing Harbor

In the sweltering heat, a cold sweat broke out on Shang Quan's back. He felt a chill seep from the marrow of his bones, crawling straight into his heart.

"Manager Shang," Gu Fei leisurely sipped her tea, casting a sidelong glance, a smile lingering on her lips, "Why are your hands trembling? Or do you see me as a bloodthirsty fiend?"

"No," Shang Quan managed to utter with difficulty. He looked up at Gu Fei for a brief moment before quickly lowering his head, wiping his brow where no sweat had formed. "Miss, please tell me directly how you wish to deal with me. I understand well—you must have reservations about the old staff under the former master. I’m fully aware."

Yes, he had long known this day would come. From the moment Gu Fei stepped into the Gu family's shop, when he first laid eyes on her, he realized that this young woman was no ordinary figure. As expected, Master Gu Zhong no longer visited the shop.

Gu Fei chuckled, handing her teacup to You Hu behind her, signaling him to set it aside. She smoothed the hem of her skirt and said, "Manager Shang, you are indeed one of the shop’s old hands, but you possess quite the capability—at the last auction, I saw it clearly. Therefore..."

She paused, lowering her voice to a bewitching tone. "Not only will I not hesitate to use you, I intend to promote you—double your monthly wages. Providing for a family is no easy matter. I understand that well."

Shang Quan looked up abruptly, disbelief written across his face.

Gu Fei gave You Hu a meaningful glance. He pulled a pouch of silver from his robes and pressed it into Shang Quan’s hands.

"This is to make up for this year. September is nearly upon us. The previous months’ wages—all are in there," Gu Fei said, her fingertip gently tracing the armrest of her wheelchair.

The weight of the silver felt heavy in Shang Quan’s palm. He found himself unable to decide whether to take it or not, the pouch burning in his hand like a hot potato.

Gu Fei was well aware of his inner turmoil. She smiled unconcernedly. "No need for concern, Manager Shang. I will seldom come to the shop in future; my mind is still set on ink-making. The shop will be managed by my father, Gu Jiang. If he errs, I hope you’ll guide him accordingly."

Hearing that the Gu family would remain in charge, all of Shang Quan’s unease vanished at once. He accepted the silver with relief, bowing. "Rest assured, miss. When Second Master arrives, I’ll serve with the utmost diligence."

Gu Fei nodded, clearly pleased with his understanding. "My father was indeed a bit despondent before, but now he’s willing to regain his spirit. My uncle wishes to see what he’s capable of, thus..."

She broke off, lightly coughing into a fist, as if unwilling to air family matters.

Shang Quan, practiced in reading faces and situations, immediately assured her, "No need to say more, miss. I’ll give my all to assist Second Master."

Gu Fei’s expression finally eased. She continued, "I’ve heard there are several in the shop, especially those who rely on their positions, who gossip about the family. Such people must not be kept. Manager Shang, how do you think they should be dealt with?"

Shang Quan’s heart skipped a beat; the ruthlessness in her words was unmistakable. He pondered how best to respond.

You Hu spoke up then, chuckling. "The sages say, never discuss others behind their backs. These people are all hypocrites. Today they slander the family; tomorrow, who’s to say they won’t sell the ink pellet formula? Small things reveal great character, as the saying goes."

With that, Shang Quan understood. Gu Fei meant to dismiss all those petty managers with crooked intentions. He sighed inwardly, and replied solemnly, "Rest assured, miss. I’ll drive them all out, lest they cause greater trouble in the future."

Unexpectedly, Gu Fei showed a troubled expression. "If all are dismissed, the shop will lack managers—what then?"

Shang Quan patted his chest, promising, "Don’t worry, miss. I know just what to do. Several of the staff are clever and should have been promoted long ago. I’ll use this opportunity to teach them, and they’ll be able to handle the duties."

The smile at Gu Fei’s lips deepened. She was very satisfied with Shang Quan’s astuteness; just a hint was enough for him to know what to do.

Such people, Gu Fei could not help but favor. "Then I leave it in your hands, Manager Shang."

"It’s only my duty, only my duty..." Shang Quan waved his hands repeatedly.

With everything said, Gu Fei called out behind her, "Father, come meet Manager Shang."

Shang Quan started in surprise. Though he knew the second floor’s hall had a screen that could conceal someone, he hadn’t expected Second Master Gu Jiang to be there.

Gu Jiang, dressed in an indigo robe with slanted lapels, stepped from behind the screen. Today, he had not touched a drop of wine; his appearance was neat, though his face was pale and his eyes swollen.

He sat down without a word, giving Shang Quan a cold glance.

Shang Quan stepped forward, bowed, and announced, "I am Shang Quan, manager of the shop, greetings to Second Master."

Gu Jiang nodded, acknowledging him, then realized this was too curt, and with a frown, dryly muttered, "Understood."

Gu Fei said nothing more. Many things required only an opportunity. Whether Gu Jiang was dragon or worm, she did not know; she merely set the stage to let him unleash his ambition. The rest was up to him.

If he could rise, all the better. Gu Fei had no fear of Gu Jiang one day turning against her; after all, she held all the formulas and silver in her own hands. Without those, he could make no great waves.

If he turned out to be useless, she could simply pull strings from behind, controlling a puppet as needed.

She was clear-eyed, knowing the Gu family’s modest business was best left in the hands of insiders. There was still a legitimate eldest son yet to return. If she took over openly, no doubt others would seize on it as an excuse to attack her.

She understood well the wisdom of not letting the hen crow at dawn.

Gu Fei boldly handed the management of the shop to Gu Jiang and You Hu, dedicating herself to fulfilling the previous order for scented ink pellets.

It was no small order; the quantity was considerable. Gu Fei brought You Er into the ink room, and after preparing the ink ingredients, taught him how to pound them. You Er, simple-minded as he was, had great strength, and did as he was told.

With his help, Gu Fei’s ink-making pace quickened dramatically. In less than five days, she finished all the scented ink and instructed it to be sent to the shop, then immersed herself in refining the formula, nearly to the point of forsaking sleep and food.

During this time, she casually mentioned to You Hu her desire to create poisonous ink—one that gave off a pleasant aroma but gradually poisoned those who inhaled it, lamenting her lack of knowledge in medicine and toxins.

The next day, You Hu brought her two thick volumes: "The Hua Family’s Fragrance Manual" and "The Book of Poisons."

Gu Fei was startled; she had not expected the gentle scholar You Hu to procure something like the "Book of Poisons." But she cared little for the source, and buried herself in study.

Several times, You Hu came to report on the shop’s affairs, only to be brusquely dismissed and told to make decisions himself.

While Gu Fei was nearly obsessed in her research, she was unaware that the Gu family's shop was causing a storm in Yizhou.

All the scented ink sold by the shop was coveted by the nobility and literati. She had even sent a set to one of the five ink masters at the Ink Merchants’ Guild. With You Hu’s careful arrangements, praise for the scented ink was heard everywhere.

Soon, the shop’s other ink varieties sold out as well. Gu Fei, too absorbed to make more, left customers with money unable to buy any.

With no alternative, You Hu sought out Gu Fei again. To his surprise, she quickly scribbled out the formula and tossed it to him, telling him to find someone else to produce it, utterly unconcerned about the risk of the recipe leaking.

She was careless, but You Hu could not afford to be. He memorized the formula and burned it, then gathered all the master ink makers. Dividing the recipe, he had one grind the ink materials, another prepare the glue, and enlisted You Er for the pounding.

Thus, no one knew the complete formula for the scented ink. After a few attempts, they managed to reproduce it.

Once the scented ink was back on the shelves, it sold out within a day. You Hu immediately set a daily purchasing limit.

After Gu Fei finished studying the two books, she began revising the formula, using the medicinal ink base and constantly adjusting, personally preparing and mixing the ingredients.

This process was far more challenging than making scented ink; after several days, she saw no trace of the poisonous ink’s emergence.

Her failed ink pellets, by habit, would have been discarded, but You Hu quickly collected them. Somehow, he managed to extract new varieties of scented ink from the failed batches, producing sets with different fragrances for wealthy collectors.

The shop's profits visibly soared, with a month’s income matching what Gu Zhong had earned in three. Gu Jiang, transformed by this newfound success, not only quit drinking but spent nearly all his time at the shop, diligently striving to become a qualified merchant.

One day, a carriage without any insignia entered Yizhou. It was unusually large and plain, drawn by four horses. The middle-aged coachman, whip in hand, was clearly a martial man.

Four horses ran faster than one; even at a reduced speed, chaos ensued on the main street.

Suddenly, a frail woman failed to dodge and was pushed into the street. She froze, unable to react as the carriage raced toward her.

The coachman snapped his whip, yanked the reins, and called out. The four horses reared and neighed—

Just as the hooves were about to trample the woman, the carriage stopped. From inside came a deep, resonant voice like jade clinking, "Ah Da, what’s happening?"

The coachman, Ah Da, replied calmly, "Young master, nothing. A pedestrian failed to dodge."

A moment of silence, then a pair of slender, well-proportioned hands parted the curtain. "In that case, I’ll walk."

With that, the curtain lifted. All on the street saw a young gentleman step out, his hair crowned with jade, silver tassels draping from his chin. He wore a long robe painted with landscapes in pale moonlight hues, a wide jade belt at his waist, a jade brush resting against his robe.

He looked up—heroic brows like swords, eyes bright as stars, nose straight and bold, lips slightly full. His features were strikingly masculine and handsome, the sort that made hearts race.

His lips curved upward as he glanced at Yizhou city. "Yizhou, what a bustling place."

ps:
Second update tonight at 11 p.m. Starting tomorrow, updates will follow the new schedule.
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