Chapter 141: The Beauty of Women

Chapter 141: The Beauty of Women

Tian Dong felt an even stronger sense of unease.

When did the Eldest Young Master start addressing the owner of Chaofu Grain Shop by her given name?

According to etiquette, even if he didn’t want to call her the owner, he should at least address her as Xie Lu Shi.

"Miss Lu wasn’t confrontational today; she quietly observed Magistrate Xu’s ruling."

"The evidence only proves that Miss Cheng lost her chastity long ago, but it is not enough to prove that Lu Dalang did not engage in deception or coercion. Eldest Young Master, perhaps if Miss Cheng firmly accuses Lu Dalang, this case will not be easily concluded."

"Public opinion and sentiment are entirely on Lu Mingchao’s side." Sun Zhiye rubbed his jade ring, shook his head, and his heart sank like an unfathomable deep sea. "It’s like a prostitute from the red-light district claiming a respectable young man deceived her. Those who hear it will only scoff and burst into laughter."

Now he had to worry if Cheng Zhi would turn on him and drag him down.

At that moment, an exclamation came from the study, "Sixty thousand taels of silver?"

Sun Zhiye looked up and lowered his eyebrows, his expression revealing a faint satisfaction.

He knew that in terms of tacit understanding, Chuanbo would not let him down.

In the study, Zhang Cheng's mind seemed to be filled with a roaring sound.

He felt as if a thunderbolt had struck him, leaving him completely stunned.

The Sun family’s loss due to the damp grain was so severe, with a deficit of sixty thousand taels!

It was truly unimaginable.

The Zhang family was merely a wealthy household in Lotus Town, with the usual amount of silver available for circulation being at most a few thousand taels.

A few thousand taels compared to sixty thousand was just a fraction.

At that moment, Zhang Cheng didn’t know whether to sigh or feel regret.

"Chuanbo, how could it be this much!" Zhang Cheng's voice sounded unusually dry, each word seemingly squeezed out of his throat with great difficulty.

To raise sixty thousand taels, the Zhang family would have to go bankrupt.

Their home, fertile land, shops, and ancestral property would all have to be sold.

By then, the Zhang family would risk becoming homeless.

Those without a home or land are drifters, and those without a job or residence are vagrants.

But Brother Sun had saved his life and supported the Sun family. It would be hard to stand by and do nothing.

Chuanbo looked grave, sighed softly, and said in a slightly somber voice, "The deceased should be respected and left in peace; such things shouldn’t be mentioned lightly. However, considering your close relationship with the Eldest Young Master, I will no longer hide it and tell you directly."

"You’ve likely heard about the Sun family’s recent troubles. First, the scandal of the Second Young Master’s abuse of power caused an uproar, damaging the reputation of Sun's and causing a decline in business."

"Then, at the plum blossom banquet hosted by the magistrate’s wife, the cousin actually pushed the owner of Chaofu Grain Shop into the icy lake. To resolve the matter and protect the family’s reputation, the Eldest Young Master reluctantly gave up two lucrative shops as compensation."

"After that, petty people spread rumors of ghosts haunting the Sun mansion out of spite, terrifying the old lady, who had to invite Taoist priests to exorcise the evil. However, this move, in the eyes of outsiders, only added credibility to the rumors. As a result, merchants who had partnered with the Sun family canceled their contracts, leading to the breakdown of partnerships. The Eldest Young Master worked tirelessly to salvage the situation and partially succeeded."

"No one expected the Second Young Master to commit suicide in prison, leaving a letter of remorse. Following his last wish, the Eldest Young Master sold all the Second Young Master’s shops to compensate."

"With all these incidents mounting, the Eldest Young Master was overwhelmed and neglected the grain in the warehouse, leading to this disaster."

"Those loose ends have been tied up. Once we get past this rough patch, the Eldest Young Master Sun can focus wholeheartedly and continue to shine in the business world, making a killing."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng thought it over and found it reasonable.

But sixty thousand taels were indeed too much, feeling like a ton of bricks on his shoulders.

"Does it really have to be sixty thousand taels?" Zhang Cheng pursed his lips, hesitantly asked.

Could it be less?

Chuanbo's eyes lit up, full of hope, "The more, the merrier."

Zhang Cheng: ...

Zhang Cheng stumbled out of the Sun's residence, shell-shocked.

"Eldest Young Master," Chuanbo bowed his head meekly.

Sun Zhiye shot Chuanbo a sideways glance, "Zhang Cheng is green and clueless about how the world works, but Old Master Zhang is no pushover."

"Aren’t you worried you’ll scare Zhang Cheng off and ruin our relationship with the Sun family?"

Chuanbo replied, "Young Master Zhang will stick up for the Eldest Young Master."

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Sun Zhiye's lips.

"With this sixty thousand taels, the Eldest Young Master won’t have to leave home and can take the leap of faith he needs," Chuanbo spoke in a very low voice, yet with unmistakable joy.

His entire family had lived in Changhe County for generations. If there were another choice, he would never wish to be uprooted.

"Chuanbo, you’ve come a long way," Sun Zhiye's eyes showed appreciation.

Chuanbo wasn’t as bold as Du Zhong but made up for it with his attention to detail and dependability.

Some are naturally suited to be pioneers, cutting through the underbrush.

Others are naturally suited to keep things steady without rocking the boat.

"Cook the books to look more believable. Old Master Zhang will surely find a reason to inspect them."

After throwing out this order, Sun Zhiye left the residence with Tian Dong and made his way to the teahouse closest to the county office.

Whether on purpose or by chance, he chose the same seat by the window that Xie Yan had once occupied.

From afar, he could catch a distant glimpse of the scenery of the county office.

In his ears, he heard the common folk's gasps, sighs, jealousy, or snide remarks and laughter.

He was the talk of the town.

So was Lu Mingchao.

In this world governed by the three cardinal guides and five constant virtues, where yin and yang are orderly, Lu Mingchao's sharpness and aggressiveness were inherently unacceptable to most men, and even the majority of women would deeply feel ashamed.

"Eldest Young Master, the owner of Chaofu Grain Shop, Lu Mingchao, seems to truly lack the soft, obedient beauty people expect from a woman," Tian Dong, influenced by the teahouse patrons, murmured seriously.

Sun Zhiye gently blew on the floating tea leaves and took a sip, "Gentleness and submissiveness are indeed manifestations of a woman's beauty, but they are not the only forms of beauty."

"Balancing strength and gentleness, with strength as the backbone and gentleness as the body, and wisdom and resilience as the core of the spirit. Only in this way can one grow stronger when faced with adversity, always remaining vibrant and powerful."

Tian Dong frowned, looking utterly bewildered.

Was Eldest Young Master Sun showering Mr. Lu with all these compliments?

He found himself increasingly unable to grasp Eldest Young Master Sun's thoughts.

Softness?

Was Mr. Lu even remotely associated with that word?

Tian Dong couldn't bring himself to look Sun Zhiye in the eye, let alone argue or question him. So he just stared out the window, pretending to enjoy the view.

As he looked, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Mr. Lu?"

Still beaming with a charm and warmth that outshone the winter sun.

This side of Mr. Lu was truly a rare sight.

He'd seen Mr. Lu's tough and decisive side,

and had also experienced his calm and composed demeanor.

However, he had never seen Mr. Lu show such a delicate, girlish side before.

Maybe this was Eldest Young Master Sun's idea of balancing strength and gentleness.

Like a moldy grape, all rotten inside.