Second lady’s request

Alas, it seems this little girl knows everything. Lin Wanrong said, "Since you are already aware, why ask me?"

"Lin San, you are such a wicked person. How could you go to such a place?" The young girl looked at him, sternly and with a sense of righteousness.

This question was indeed hard to answer. Should he tell her he went there to satisfy physical needs? That would be corrupting a child.

"Hehe, well, you also know it was Miss Qin Xian'er who kindly invited us. She appreciates the talents of the young master, so I had no choice but to accompany the young master."

"Hmph, I heard my sister telling Mother. But you can deceive my sister, not me. That Miss Qin is definitely not appreciating my cousin. She appreciates you. Don't think I'm unaware," Xiao Yusuang said, somewhat indignant.

Ah, unexpectedly, the one who understands me the most in this large Xiao family courtyard is this little girl, Lin Wanrong sighed in his heart. Besides Guo Wuchang, he interacted the most with Xiao Yusuang here. Although this girl was sometimes too willful, overall, through his guidance, she had changed a lot, at least not so capricious in front of him.

"Lin San, is that Miss Qin Xian'er really beautiful?" Xiao Yusuang couldn't help but ask when Lin Wanrong remained silent for a long time.

"Yes, she is very beautiful," Lin Wanrong nodded honestly.

"Is she more beautiful than me?" Xiao Yusuang proudly lifted her chest and asked.

This Xiao Yusuang was indeed an extremely beautiful woman. Given some time, she could even surpass Miss Xiao. However, she was still too young now, with a bit of youthfulness. Considering Lin Wanrong's age and experience, this girl was still too young. It would take a few more years for her to fully mature.

"No, you are still young, and it's not comparable right now. In a few years, when you grow up a bit more, you will definitely be more beautiful than her," Lin Wanrong said.

A smile blossomed on Xiao Yusuang's face, "Really?"

Seeing this cute expression on Xiao Yusuang's face, Lin Wanrong also felt a bit delighted and nodded, "Certainly, absolutely, and definitely."

Xiao Yusuang snorted, "I knew it. How can a woman from the mortal world compare to me?"

Lin Wanrong frowned, "Second Miss, everyone has their own experiences. Don't easily look down on others. Although Miss Qin Xian'er may have experienced some worldly affairs, she has maintained her purity. Just based on this, she is better than many others." This little girl, born into a wealthy family, naturally had a sense of superiority; otherwise, she wouldn't play around with others like this.

"Understood," Xiao Yusuang stuck out her tongue, "I listen to what you say."

"Why do you listen to everything I say?" Lin Wanrong asked strangely.

"Because you are good to me," Xiao Yusuang said matter-of-factly, "You're different from others, you don't cater to me, you dare to contradict me, and even dare to hit me there—" her face turned slightly red, and she continued, "you can compose poetry, paint, sing, tell stories; I really like it."

Oh, if only a comedian were here, you'd like him even more, Lin Wanrong thought wryly.

"Lin San, you promised to help me with the portrait yesterday. When can you start?" Xiao Yusuang asked with interest.

"Well, I need to prepare the materials," Lin Wanrong said. In fact, there wasn't much preparation involved; it was just that the makeshift pencil was still with Qiaoqiao and needed to be retrieved.

Xiao Yusuang, not knowing how he painted, assumed he would need a lot of materials like other painters. She nodded obediently.

"Lin San, you are so capable. I wonder if you could help my family?" Xiao Yusuang sighed suddenly.

"Help? What kind of help? Second Miss, you're joking. I'm just a humble servant. What abilities do I have?" Lin Wanrong smiled.

Xiao Yusuang said softly, "I don't know why, Lin San, but I always feel you have the ability. You have many ideas, a nimble mind, and broad knowledge—"

"Alright, alright, don't make me blush," Lin Wanrong smiled, "What exactly is the matter? Why is our Miss Xiao so worried?"

"I don't know very clearly. I've only heard Mother and Sister talk about it. But they treat me like a child and don't want me involved. I occasionally overheard a little bit; it seems someone wants to cooperate with our Xiao family," Xiao Yusuang pouted, clearly dissatisfied with her mother and sister underestimating her.

"Cooperate?" Lin Wanrong was surprised. Was there such a concept as cooperation these days?

"Did you see that Mister Tao last night? It was he who suggested a cooperation among three families. In addition to our family, there is another family surnamed He. I don't know the specifics; I only heard Mother and Sister talk about it."

Lin Wanrong frowned. He knew that the Xiao family's main business was trading cloth and silk. Although there was a certain profit in this business, it was a common trade that wealthy people could engage in. In recent years, more and more people had entered this business, and in Jinling City alone, there were several families with comparable scales to the Xiao family. Business was becoming increasingly difficult.

"Who is this Mister Tao? What about the family surnamed He?" Lin Wanrong asked. Cooperation was a double-edged sword. If done well, everyone would profit, but if not, it would be a game of mergers and acquisitions.

"Mister Tao's family does the same business as ours. In recent years, their scale has been expanding, and now they have surpassed our family. The family surnamed He is slightly smaller than ours. Our Xiao, Tao, and He three families are the largest cloth merchants in Jinling City and even in Jiangsu and the entire country."

Tao Dongcheng, what's your background? Lin Wanrong wondered. How did a young man like you manage to surpass the Xiao family in business in just a few years? It was clear that his background had a lot to do with it. His uncle was a current official in the Ministry of Personnel, and his father was in charge of Suzhou weaving.

Suzhou weaving? That explained it. Lin Wanrong understood that with such power, the Tao family could expand their business, making it unsurprising for them to overtake the Xiao family.

Jiangnan was the most prosperous place in China, and there was a saying that Jiangnan was wealthy enough to support the entire country. Besides agriculture, the most famous aspect of Jiangnan was the three trades: Yangzhou salt trade, Jinling tea trade, and Suzhou weaving. Tao Dongcheng's father was in charge of Suzhou weaving, the source of all cloth supplies. With such a powerful background, it was no wonder they could expand their business.

Having figured out the ins and outs, Lin Wanrong understood what Tao Dongcheng meant by merging soon.

 With Suzhou weaving as a backing, this cooperation would indeed be feasible. However, there were many hidden pitfalls in such cooperations, such as profit distribution and resource scheduling. In essence, it was a double-edged sword that, if handled well, could bring benefits to all parties, but if not, it could turn into a ruthless game of mergers and acquisitions.

"How about Mister Tao's background? What about the family surnamed He?" Lin Wanrong inquired.

Although Xiao Yusuang was young, she had grown up in a distinguished family and knew quite a bit. She nodded and said, "Mister Tao's uncle is the current Minister of Personnel, and he was once a student of my grandfather. His father is in charge of Suzhou weaving."

Suzhou weaving? No wonder, Lin Wanrong thought. The Tao family had such power, so it wasn't strange for them to surpass the Xiao family in business.

Having grasped the situation, Lin Wanrong understood what Tao Dongcheng meant by the three families soon becoming one. With Suzhou weaving as their support, this cooperation was indeed feasible. However, such collaborations were fraught with potential problems, such as profit-sharing and resource allocation. Essentially, it was a double-edged sword that, if handled well, could be mutually beneficial, but if not, it could devolve into a ruthless game of mergers and acquisitions.

The intricate relationships were something Lin Wanrong couldn't easily explain to Xiao Yusuang. He simply said, "These matters should be handled by Miss and Madam. There's no use worrying too much about it now."

Xiao Yusuang wrinkled her brow, "But I see Mother and Sister are both worried. It seems they haven't made up their minds about whether to cooperate. As their family, of course, I want to share their worries. But I can't help at all. Am I useless?"

Lin Wanrong listened to this young girl pouring her heart out and felt a bit moved. He smiled and comforted her, "Second Miss, I understand your feelings. But you are still young, and for now, you don't have the capability to help them. What you should do at the moment is to make yourself happy, so they won't have to worry about you."

Xiao Yusuang softly hummed in agreement and pouted, "But I'm not completely useless. At the very least, I can introduce talented individuals. Lin San, you're so capable. Can you help my mother and sister, please?"

Lin Wanrong sighed, "Second Miss, you are overestimating me. I'm just a servant, how can I intervene in such significant matters?"

Xiao Yusuang shook her head, "Lin San, in my eyes, you are the most capable person. Even Sister praised you last night."

"Sister praised me?" Lin Wanrong was surprised, "If she didn't kill me, that's already considered lucky."

Xiao Yusuang, feeling a bit embarrassed, explained, "Last night, Sister came to my room and talked to me. When she saw that little booklet, she looked at the portrait you drew for her, and she was in a daze for a long time. She even said that your painting style is something she has never seen before, claiming that you have the talent of a master."

"Really?" Lin Wanrong said, "Didn't you promise to keep it a secret?"

Xiao Yusuang hurriedly explained, "Don't worry, I remember what you said. I just told her that I found the booklet and didn't know who painted the portrait. Later, Sister took the booklet away."

Seeing Xiao Yusuang looking wronged, Lin Wanrong knew it was difficult for her to lie in front of her sister. He didn't blame her and said, "Don't worry, I'm not blaming you." He just wondered what kind of ripples the booklet would cause in the hands of the Miss.

"Lin San, please help my sister. Please, I'm begging you," Xiao Yusuang held onto Lin Wanrong's arm, pleading with a sweet voice.

She had said this many times already, and Lin Wanrong helplessly said, "Alright, let me think about it. I'll tell you if I come up with a solution."

Xiao Yusuang, tearing up, smiled, "Lin San, I knew you were the best. Come to my room tonight!"

"What?" Lin Wanrong was greatly surprised, almost dropping his jaw.