In the following days, Miss seemed to forget about the incident by Xuanwu Lake, reverting to her strong and independent persona. She spent her days discussing the takeover of the Tao family's storefronts with the stewards. Due to the concerns brought by Prince Ning, any impact had completely vanished.
Lin Wanrong initially intended to be lazy, but Miss kept a close eye on him, involving him in every matter, explaining the business processes in detail. It appeared she genuinely wanted to groom Lin San into a pillar of the Xiao family.
Could it be that she wants me to be the third in command? Lin Wanrong thought to himself. He chuckled inwardly, finding these simple business theories extremely familiar; there was no need for Miss to teach him. He could as well be the one teaching her. However, since Miss took care of him so much, he decided to play the role of a receptive learner, satisfying Miss's vanity.
These days were indeed busy. The soap workshop had been in operation for several days, and when Lin Wanrong finally took the time to visit, he found the entire production aligned with his ideas and strategies. He felt relieved. The craftsmanship of soap was much simpler than perfume, making large-scale production exceptionally convenient. It didn't take long before the soap was massively available in the market.
Soap turned out to be a miraculous product, quickly becoming the target of the ladies. Learning from past experiences, Miss Xiao set the price reasonably high, yet the demand still exceeded supply. Xiao's family successively introduced underwear, perfume, and soap, causing a tremendous sensation in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. When people spoke of the Xiao family, they immediately associated it with perfume and soap, forgetting their main business of fabric and silk. Xiao's family had subtly become synonymous with cosmetics and women's fashion.
During the feast at Old Luo's residence that day, Xiao's family showcased talents and entertained, bringing great honor to Southern scholars. The fame spread widely in Jinling, coupled with the incident at Hangzhou's Qingyulou. From then on, nobody dared to underestimate Xiao's family in Jinling. Miss Xiao's prestige greatly increased. Miss Xiao, with growing confidence, contemplated transforming the acquired Tao family store into a specialty shop for perfumes, soaps, and women's undergarments. As a result, the business of Xiao's family thrived, reaching its peak.
Although life was comfortable, Lin Wanrong was well aware that the better Xiao's family business prospered, the closer it meant the day of heading to the capital. There was less than a month left until the New Year. After the New Year, he would go north to the capital to find Qingxuan, and Yuxuan would also go to the capital for further studies. The only concern was Qiuci. This obedient and lovely girl, leaving her alone was truly hard to bear. Although there were Qingshan and Luoyuan taking care of her, Luo Min in Jiangsu wasn't omnipotent, and there was still Chengde eyeing her. Qingshan and Luoyuan's conflicts with the Black Dragon Society, supported by Chengde, posed a risk. Even though there were arrangements from Luo Min to protect her, in situations where the old fox himself couldn't guarantee safety, how could they take care of Qiuci?
The more Lin Wanrong thought about it, the more worried he became. This girl Qiuci was his heart and soul, and he wouldn't allow any harm to befall her. It would be best to bring down Chengde, ensuring that in Jinling, no one dared to provoke Qingshan. Qiuci would be safe. Lin Wanrong could then leave without any worries. But bringing down someone like Chengde was not that easy, especially when he had Prince Ning backing him.
As he contemplated, Lin Wanrong missed Qiuci more and more. Unable to stay at Xiao's house any longer, he hurriedly went to the tavern.
Upon reaching the tavern's entrance, he saw Qingshan rushing out in a hurry. Seeing him, Dong Qingshan was stunned and said, "Big brother, why are you here?" Lin Wanrong had been busy at Xiao's house for the past few days and hadn't been to the tavern, so he didn't know what Qingshan and Luoyuan were up to.
Lin Wanrong, seeing him with a fierce expression and a murderous aura, smiled and said, "Qingshan, what are you up to? Going to fight?"
Dong Qingshan pulled him aside and whispered, "Big brother, you came at the right time. Little Yuan and I were just discussing going to find you."
"What's the matter?" Lin Wanrong asked.
"Wu Zhenghu and his henchmen seem to be unable to endure it. These days, they have been mobilizing forces, seemingly wanting to take action against us," Qingshan said in a low voice.
Lin Wanrong nodded. It was the end of the year, and the activities of the underworld were rampant, trying to make some money. This had been the case throughout history. After glancing at Qingshan, he asked, "What's your plan with Little Luoyuan?"
Dong Qingshan raised his wrist fiercely and chopped down, saying, "Beat them up." Seeing Lin Wanrong smiling, Qingshan quickly added, "Big brother, we are not reckless this time. It's the result of our discussion with Little Yuan. Recently, Hongxing has developed rapidly and has the strength to compete with Wu Zhenghu and his gang. Even if we can't win, we can make sure he doesn't live well. Luoyuan also agrees with my opinion."
One was an old gangster, and the other was an up-and-coming force in the Jianghu. A collision between them was inevitable, but what Lin Wanrong cared about was what was hidden behind this. Was Wu Zhenghu so eager to eliminate dissidents, directed by Chengde? If so, did it mean Chengde had some big moves? Especially with Prince Ning coincidentally arriving in Jinling a few days ago, what had they discussed?
Lin Wanrong had long handed over Hongxing's affairs to Luoyuan and Qingshan. With Luoyuan's guidance, Lin Wanrong was not worried. Nodding, he said, "Qingshan, if you have decided, go ahead. I will always support you. But remember, once you move forward, take a step, never regret it. Be ruthless, eradicate the roots, and show no mercy. Deliver this message to Little Luoyuan; she must remember."
Dong Qingshan grinned happily and said, "Big brother, I understand. Previously, I was worried about being scolded by my sister. Now, with you backing us, I'm not afraid of anything. Tomorrow, I'll take some brothers to collect protection fees."
Lin Wanrong, amused and annoyed, patted his head and said, "You kid, how come you don't have any insight? How can you collect protection fees from your own business?"
"Big brother, I don't quite understand," Qingshan said straightforwardly.
Damn, this kid has eaten a lot, why isn't he wiser? Lin Wanrong, feeling both amused and exasperated, said, "Qiuci has already signed the contract, and that tavern belongs to us. Why would you go to collect protection fees from yourself?"
Dong Q
ingshan slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, why didn't I think of that? Big brother, I understand now. Tomorrow, I'll bring some brothers over, throw that bastard out, and see how arrogant he can be."
Lin Wanrong nodded and said, "That's more like a gangster. When you go tomorrow, you're returning to your own home; what are you afraid of? Bring the contract with you. If he dares to resist, throw him out directly. Even if the officials come, you won't be afraid. Damn, he's really lawless, encroaching on the territory of the underworld."
Qingshan joyfully accepted the order and left. Lin Wanrong went upstairs and saw Qiuci, the little girl, sitting by the window, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, writing something with small characters.
Walking over, Lin Wanrong saw that she was doing the accounts, with graceful and neat handwriting, making it a pleasant sight. Seeing her in distress, Lin Wanrong shook his head with a wry smile. This girl was too kind.
He chuckled softly in Qiuci's ear, "Little darling, thinking of your big brother?"
Qiuci's ears turned warm. Hearing a familiar voice speaking behind her, she felt joy and turned her head, saying, "Big brother..."
Lin Wanrong, with a smile, took her hand and said, "Silly girl, when there's something difficult, why don't you tell your big brother? Next time, if you don't tell me when you have problems, I'll have to spank you." Speaking of being together, his demonic hand had already gently caressed Qiuci's slender waist, gently caressing.