TLN: I’ve updated the title “Assistant Magistrate” to “Chief Clerk” for historical accuracy. The character’s official title is 主簿 (zhǔ bù), a clerical officer rather than a governing deputy. I previously translated the title 主簿 (zhǔ bù) as “Assistant Magistrate” because it felt like the most fitting option based on the context at the time. However, after further research, I found that “Chief Clerk” is more accurate since it doesn’t seem like they have any judicial role. (And it’s easier for me to type Chief Clerk hehe) I’ll be updating the title to “Chief Clerk” going forward and will also revise the earlier chapters accordingly. Thanks for your understanding!
“This Chen Jing is really ridiculous,” Lu Lin couldn’t help saying.
The Huaxia shop was actually his and Chen Xiaomi’s. Chen Xiaocai could be considered the young master of the shop. This way, which meant Chen Jing’s attempt to steal from the store could, in a way, be dismissed as a family matter.
However, Chen Xiaocai himself didn’t even know that he was the young master of the shop, so Chen Jing definitely shouldn’t know either.
Since when does having a relative working in a shop give someone the right to take things for free? What kind of logic is that? And to think Chen Jing was supposed to be a scholar who studied the classics of the sages.
After Chen Jing got beaten up by Chen Xiaomi, he slunk back home and hid for several days, too embarrassed to show his face.
Chen Xiaomi scoffed. Chen Jing had taken the exam for so many years and only managed to pass as a Tongsheng. In his opinion, his cousin was was nothing but a waste of food, but their grandmother doted on him and was convinced this fool was talented. “Still, Chen Jing wouldn’t have caused trouble without Lu Chengyu egging him on from behind.”
Lu Lin thought, Compared to Chen Jing, Lu Chengyu was more scheming, but neither of them was any good.
Lu Chengyu originally didn’t know where Lu Lin worked. It was only by chance that he discovered Lu Lin was working at the Huaxia Trading Company in town, and Lu Lin had even brought Grandma Shen and Shen Chi over to work there.
Huaxia Trading Company had become extremely well-known at the academy recently. Knowing that Lu Lin was working as a manager at a shop he had once visited made Lu Chengyu very uncomfortable.
When he learned that Chen Jing was going to cause trouble for Chen Xiaocai, he stirred things up from behind.
When Grandma Chen learned that Chen Jing had been beaten, she was indignant at first. But even she, despite her usual stubbornness, knew better than to provoke someone capable of running a shop in town.
Since ancient times, the common people don’t fight with officials, and the poor don’t compete with the rich.
To the villagers, those who could live in town must have some ability, and perhaps some connections behind them. It was better not to provoke them if possible.
Besides, although the old woman was somewhat unreasonable, she still had some sense and knew her grandson was in the wrong this time.
Plus, Chen Shouren said that constables had gone there at the time, but they didn’t scold the people from the shop. Instead, they gave his grandson a good scolding. In her eyes, this shop was even more untouchable.
After Chen Jing caused that scene, he didn’t show his face for several days. A few days later, Lu Lin had completely forgotten about him.
After all, Lu Lin had many things to keep busy with every day.
Tang was in a good mood knowing that Chen Jing had been beaten by Chen Xiaomi. She felt that everything had been going wrong lately, but when she saw others having bad luck, she could always find a subtle psychological balance.
“Son, Chen Xiaocai is working at Huaxia Trading Company?”
Lu Chengyu nodded and said, “Yes.”
Tang frowned. “I didn’t expect Chen Xiaocai would have such an opportunity.”
To her, Chen Xiaocai was just a little brat. For such a kid to hold an important position in a shop, that boss must be too trusting.
Lu Chengyu was also somewhat unconvinced. He found out that all the affairs of the shop were managed by Lu Lin, and all the embroiderers in the shop followed his lead. Whoever Lu Lin said to hire, they hired. He seemed to be doing quite well for himself.
However, Huaxia Trading Company’s good days should be coming to an end soon. As far as he knew, a fabric shop owner in town was also planning to open a bag shop recently, and several embroiderers from Huaxia Trading Company had probably already switched sides.
“Has Lu Lin really made a lot of silver? This guy should have made quite a bit recently,” Tang said.
Lu Chengyu frowned. Asking the second branch for money had always been done by his grandparents, and he never needed to speak up.
Lu Chengyu was a scholar. Many scholars liked money in their bones but were proud and aloof on the surface, afraid that talking about money would taint them with the vulgar smell of merchant families. Lu Chengyu was the same.
Seeing the displeasure on Lu Chengyu’s face, Tang didn’t mention this matter again, but she still had her own calculations in mind.
Chen Xiaomi looked at the account books, glanced at Lu Lin, and said with puffed cheeks, “The shop’s business has declined recently.” The decline was quite fast too.
“There’s another store selling the same things now.” It wasn’t just making some similar inferior products. The other shop had basically completely copied their shop’s bags, and even some of the higher-end styles used better materials than theirs, with cheaper prices too.
Lu Lin originally didn’t want Chen Xiaomi to know, but since he checked the accounts every day, it was impossible for him not to know.
Chen Xiaomi sighed. “So soon?”
Lu Lin shook his head. “There’s nothing we can do about it.”
Although he had tried his best to prevent the bag-making methods from leaking out, there were many skilled craftsmen here. If they bought one and studied it carefully, they could quickly figure out how to make it. Not to mention, two of the dozen or so embroiderers he hired had been poached.
Even though he had kept the workers separated, there was still communication between them. Over time, it was impossible to keep it completely secret.
In his previous life, even with protection laws, there were still counterfeit goods everywhere. Here, imitation couldn’t even be considered illegal.
Chen Xiaomi sighed, a hint of melancholy in his voice. “Making money is really not easy.”
Lu Lin smiled. “Don’t worry, you won’t go hungry…” Besides selling bags, there were many other things they could sell. Business was never smooth sailing, after all.
Chen Xiaomi snorted lightly, his face flushing slightly.
He felt his appetite was getting bigger and bigger. Before, he thought it would be good enough to live like ordinary people, but now he wanted to eat well and dress well every single day.
Lu Lin even said before that when they became very rich, they could consider buying an official position. Chen Xiaomi used to think Lu Lin was bragging, but now he felt it might actually be possible. Maybe Lu Chengyu wouldn’t become an official, but he and Lu Lin would.
Lu Lin walked out the door and unexpectedly ran into Tang.
Since marrying into the family, he rarely saw her. Running into her so suddenly made him uneasy.
“Ah Lin,” Tang greeted him with a warm smile.
Lu Lin didn’t expect her to have the nerve to approach him after everything that had happened. And now she was acting all friendly? His eyes flickered. So the old tactics didn’t work, and now she was switching to playing the family card? Unbelievable.
“Aunt, you flatter me too much,” Lu Lin replied smoothly. “I’m just trying to make a living. How can you call that promising? If we’re talking about being promising, it’s still my eldest cousin who’s promising. He even married a young lady. This is the first such honor in the village.”
Tang smiled awkwardly. After knowing about Li Fangyue’s sister’s situation. Tang rarely bragged about her daughter-in-law lately.
“Ah Lin, I heard you’re making two taels of silver a month now. That’s so much money. Chen Xiaomi must be keeping it all, right? You’re a man after all. You should establish your authority as the head of the family. You need to be more careful about everything. Chen Xiaomi doesn’t look like a Shuang’er at all. He probably can’t even have children. You’re working so hard, but in the end, it’ll all benefit outsiders.”
Lu Lin shot her a look. “Outsiders? Aunt, you’re joking.”
He suppressed an eye roll. Chen Xiaomi’s pregnancy wasn’t something they’d announced, but they also didn’t hide it either. Maybe news traveled slowly between the town and the village, or maybe Tang was so convinced Chen Xiaomi was infertile that she hadn’t even considered the possibility.
Tang sighed, shaking her head. “You child, you’re too honest. Xiaocai might seem good now, but once he marries a wife and has children, he’ll naturally have other thoughts. Then you’ll be making wedding clothes for others. In the end, it’s still family you can rely on.”
Lu Lin smiled coldly, stunned by her shamelessness. He had literally been carried out of that house on a door plank, and now she had the gall to talk about family being reliable?
Seeing Lu Lin’s expression, Tang forced another smile. “Ah Lin, back when we arranged your marriage to Chen Xiaomi, the family had no choice. He isn’t a good match. You’re being suppressed by him and not living well, right? When your big brother passes the exam, we’ll find a way to get you divorced and find you a proper wife.”
Lu Lin gave her a sidelong glance. “This is my business. I don’t need you to worry about it, First Aunt.”
Tang grabbed his arm. “Ah Lin, don’t leave. You and Chengyu are still family after all. Blood is thicker than water. If your big brother passes the exam, you can benefit from it too.”
“First Aunt, what exactly do you want to say?”
Tang looked at Lu Lin and finally revealed her true purpose. “You’ve been earning quite a bit lately, haven’t you? Your big brother needs some money to build connections. We’re still short a few taels of silver.”
Lu Lin laughed dryly. Tang vaguely felt his smile was somewhat piercing, but she continued, “If your big brother becomes an official, then you’ll be a relative of a high-ranking official.”
With a sigh, Lu Lin said, “Aunt, I don’t have money. Xiaomi manages all the money. If Big Brother needs money, the family can sell some land. Anyway, if Big Brother asks, Grandma will always agree.”
Tang’s face darkened as she snapped, “How can you, a grown man, let Chen Xiaomi manage the money?”
“Didn’t I marry into his family?”
Seeing that the family affection card wasn’t working, Tang stopped coaxing Lu Lin. “Lu Lin, your job isn’t very stable, is it? I heard someone from the Chen family came to cause trouble. Your big brother’s brother-in-law is the Chief Clerk. A casual word from him could secure your position. Of course, one word could also ruin it.”
Lu Lin looked at her and smiled calmly.
Before, when Tang kept saying nice things to him, Lu Lin really wasn’t used to it. Now that she showed her true colors, Lu Lin felt more at ease.
“The Chief Clerk is a respected figure favored by the Magistrate. But there’s something strange I wonder if you could clarify for me, First Aunt.”
Tang frowned and felt somewhat uncomfortable. “What’s there to clarify?”
“I heard that the Chief Clerk’s wife is a great beauty, but strangely, this lady’s surname is Ji. That’s odd. Big brother married someone with the surname Li, didn’t he? How is it Ji? Could it be that the Li family’s young lady originally took her mother’s surname?”
Tang glared at Lu Lin and said defensively, “You must have gotten it wrong.”
Lu Lin smiled and said, “Maybe so. After all, rumors can be so unreliable, and no one can say for sure.”
With a venomous look, Tang spat a few curses before storming off.
Lu Lin watched Tang’s embarrassed retreating figure and shook his head.
There were always some people in this world who could be shameless to this extent, never satisfied with taking advantage.
When Chen Xiaomi saw Lu Lin return, he looked up. “Where did you go? Why are you just getting back?”
“I ran into Tang and was delayed for a bit,” Lu Lin said casually.
“What did she want with you?” Chen Xiaomi asked.
Lu Lin shrugged. “Probably heard I made some money, so she couldn’t stand it anymore. She said a bunch of nonsense.” Fortunately, Tang only thought he made two taels of silver a month. If she knew he made dozens, or hundreds, of taels a month, wouldn’t she go crazy?
Chen Xiaomi rolled his eyes and said helplessly, “Shameless.”
Lu Lin thought wryly, Aren’t they just?
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