Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 96

Bai Chuyu gave a slight nod, his fingers twitched, and Bai Wu’s figure vanished from the room.

An ordinary background, nothing suspicious. But with such ability, is she truly just a countryside woman? Bai Chuyu looked out into the night, his thoughts complicated.

The next morning, before Ying Su even got out of bed, their door was pounded on loudly. The little bun rolled up quickly from his mat.

“Mommy, you dress and wash up first, I’ll go see who it is!”

Ying Su nodded. As she quickly put on her clothes and shoes, she heard Liu Chuncao’s anxious voice outside the courtyard, “Huzi, where’s your mother?”

Ying Su stepped into the courtyard. Liu Chuncao hurried over, her brows furrowed tightly, her face full of worry.

“Cuihua, there’s trouble at the shop again! That batch of new furniture we just finished, Li’s shop across the street already has identical pieces, and they’re selling them right now!”

Ying Su calmly nodded, then walked over to the water jar to wash her face.

Seeing her so unhurried, as if she didn’t care at all about the shop, Liu Chuncao grew irritated. “Cuihua, at least say something!”

Wiping her face with a cloth, Ying Su replied evenly, “After breakfast, I’ll go with you into town. You don’t need to worry, I’ll handle this.”

Though Liu Chuncao was still uneasy, she recalled the last few incidents and felt somewhat reassured.

After breakfast, the little bun went to school, and Ying Su left with Liu Chuncao for town.

On Southeast Street, the doors of their Weixuan textile shop were still tightly shut. Across the street, however, Manager Li’s shop was bustling, the voices of clerks calling out to customers loud and clear.

“Look at them, so smug, clearly they stole our designs!” Liu Chuncao fumed, spitting angrily on the ground.

Ying Su withdrew her gaze, the corner of her lips curling into a mischievous smile, and stepped into her own shop.

Not long after, two rough-looking men came knocking. Li Dalang opened the door. Seeing the strangers’ ruffian air, he said quickly, “Our shop isn’t open yet. If you want furniture, come back another day!” He moved to shut the door.

But the two hurriedly said, “We’re here to see Miss Shen.”

Li Dalang froze. Cuihua knows people like this? Suspicious and unwilling, he hesitated to let them in.

At that moment, Ying Su appeared. The two men called out at once, “Miss Shen! Miss Shen!”

Her eyes flashed. “Brother-in-law, let them in,” she said.

Though puzzled, Li Dalang opened the door. The men rushed toward Ying Su, about to speak, but she raised a hand to stop them and led them into the back courtyard.

A widow alone with two strange men? Li Dalang quickly signaled Liu Chuncao with his eyes, who followed in haste.

Inside, Ying Su suddenly turned to Liu Chuncao. “Bring everyone in. Let’s all hear this.”

“Everyone? You mean Dalang too?” Liu Chuncao asked, confused.

“All of them,” Ying Su affirmed.

Though she didn’t understand, Liu Chuncao obeyed, soon returning with Li Dalang, Wang Guaizi, Shi Fei, and Shi Yuan.

When everyone had gathered, Ying Su told the two men, “Speak.”

Li Dalang and the others looked baffled, but the ruffians began clearly and steadily.

“Miss Shen, the two of us have been watching the people in your shop, just as you instructed. Sure enough, we found something suspicious. You hadn’t been around these past few days, but since we saw you come to the shop today, we rushed here.”

The room fell into uneasy silence as everyone exchanged glances full of doubt.

Li Dalang and Liu Chuncao, however, both exhaled in relief. They had thought she wasn’t taking the shop seriously, turns out she had already laid her plans.

The second man continued, “During this time, we discovered two people in your shop who had contact with Manager Li across the street…”

Faces in the room shifted. Shi Fei frowned deeply, his lips twitching as if he wanted to speak.

“One of them is this lad. I followed from afar, so I didn’t hear what he said with Manager Li, but it looked like an argument.”

Shi Fei was about to speak, but the man went on, “And him as well, he’s met with Manager Li too, sneaking around together.”

Shi Yuan’s face flushed with anger at being pointed out. “Nonsense!”

Ignoring him, the man pressed on. “After their meetings with Manager Li, within six or seven days, the same new furniture designs appeared in his shop.”

Li Dalang’s face turned red with rage. He jabbed a finger at Shi Fei and Shi Yuan. “So it was you! Since the day we opened, we’ve treated you well. Yet you betray us? I’ll take you to the magistrate!”

The Daqing laws were strict, leaking trade secrets was a punishable crime.

At the mention of being taken to officials, Shi Yuan panicked. “Master, I’ll tell the truth, I’ll confess!”

Shi Fei’s gaze darkened, unreadable.

“It was Brother Shi Fei who secretly had dealings with Manager Li. I stumbled upon it by accident…”

His words struck directly at Shi Fei. Shock spread over Shi Fei’s face, his pupils widening in disbelief as he stared at Shi Yuan.

“You, don’t make things up! When did I ever, It was you I saw—”

Shi Yuan quickly cut him off, looking aggrieved. “It was you, meeting Manager Li in secret. When I caught you, you begged me not to tell the master, afraid of losing this good job. For the sake of our being from the same village, I kept quiet. When I went to Manager Li myself, it was to try and retrieve the master’s blueprints!”

Shi Fei flushed crimson with fury, pointing at him, speechless. “You… you—”

“Shi Fei, is it really you?” Liu Chuncao exclaimed. She had always thought of Shi Fei as steady and honest despite his youth, and because he was acquainted with Li Dalang from before, she had trusted him more. She hadn’t expected such betrayal.

“It’s you, Shi Yuan! You’re twisting the truth!” Shi Fei roared, his face dark as iron.

Shi Yuan shrank his neck, looking timid, as if cowed by Shi Fei.

“Brother Shi Fei, I know you brought me into this shop, but I can’t take the blame for you. Even if Auntie’s illness needs money, you can’t betray the master like this!”

Li Dalang’s expression clouded. He knew Shi Fei’s mother was sick and needed medicine often, which required money. That was why he had given Shi Fei this job, which paid more than most.

His face grew grim. “Shi Fei, I know your mother’s illness is costly. But our wages here are already higher than elsewhere. How could you still do such a thing?”