Chapter 167 -

Chapter 167: Chapter

Before Yimei could turn back to her unwilling cleaning crew, the soft sound of wooden wheels crunching over packed snow caught her attention.

Liu Feng was pushing Zhengyu out into the main courtyard. Zhengyu was wrapped in a thick, dark fur coat, looking like a grumpy prince who had been dragged out of bed against his will.

Yimei’s lips twitched upward into a small smile. She stepped away from Xinying and walked over to Zhengyu, stopping right beside his wheelchair.

"Going somewhere, husband?" Yimei asked, adjusting the heavy blanket resting over his knees. "Make sure you take care of yourself out in this cold."

Zhengyu rolled his eyes, letting out a soft scoff. "Stop talking to me like I am a helpless child. I am going over to Grandmaster Zhang’s side to discuss a few matters. There is nothing useful for me to do here while you play boss over the yard."

"Is that so?" Yimei murmured, leaning down slightly so her voice only reached his ears. "Well, don’t stay out too long. Remember, I will see you tonight for your treatment."

Zhengyu’s dark eyes flicked over to her face. A subtle, sharp spark lit up in his gaze before he quickly looked away, resting his hands flat on his wheelchair. "I haven’t forgotten," he muttered quietly.

Yimei patted his shoulder gently, giving Liu Feng a quick nod. "Take good care of him."

"Yes, Young Madame!" Liu Feng replied respectfully, turning the wheelchair around and pushing Zhengyu toward the side gate.

Watching them leave, Yimei turned back to face the miserable members of the second branch. Second Uncle Chengbang was still trying to look proud and unbroken, Madame Liu was practically vibrating with anger, Ruizhe looked completely defeated, and Xinying stood holding her scrubbing brush like it was a deadly weapon.

"Alright, everyone," Yimei called out cheerfully, her voice cutting through the freezing morning air. "Stop staring and move your feet. Time is money, and we have a long walk ahead of us."

With Yimei and Qinqin leading the way, the little squad set out toward the commercial district where Yimei’s newly acquired shop was located.

The heavy snowfall from the night before had finally stopped, leaving behind a thick, fluffy white blanket over every rooftop, fence, and street in the city. The cold wind bit sharply at their cheeks. All around them, local shopkeepers and townspeople were already out on the streets, shivering as they swept the snow away from their own wooden storefronts.

After nearly twenty minutes of trudging through the cold snow, Yimei finally paused in front of a double-story wooden building.

The shop sat right at a busy four-way street junction, making it an absolute prime location for business. However, because it had been abandoned for months, the front porch was buried under thick drifts of snow, the wooden sign above was covered in gray dust, and the dark window panels were thick with grime.

Madame Liu looked at the rundown exterior, crossed her arms over her chest, and let out a loud, contemptuous snort.

"Hmph!" Madame Liu sneered loudly, twisting her nose in disgust. "Look at this wretched place! It looks like an abandoned shack for rats! Is this the grand business you bragged about, Yimei? Calling this an ’inn shop’ is an insult to real inns! It’s nothing more than a broken dump!"

Before Yimei could even open her mouth, Qinqin stepped forward, her hands resting firmly on her hips as she glared at Madame Liu without a shred of fear.

"Madame Liu, please fix your eyes before speaking!" Qinqin corrected her sharply, her clear voice ringing across the street. "This is not a dump! This shop is in the absolute best trading district in the entire town! Once we sweep out the dirt and polish the wood, it will be ten times grander than whatever little house you used to own! Calling it a dump just shows you don’t know the value of good property!"

Madame Liu’s face turned bright red with shock. "You—you rude little servant girl! How dare you talk back to an elder like me?!"

"Qinqin is only stating facts, Second Aunt," Yimei said smoothly, stepping between them with a cold smile. "Now, stop wasting your breath complaining. The shovels and buckets are right here. Pick them up and get to work!"

Yimei didn’t give Madame Liu another second to argue. She reached into Qinqin’s wooden basket, pulled out two heavy scrub brushes and a box of washing powder, and dropped them straight into Madame Liu’s hands.

"You and Xinying are cleaning the floor," Yimei said, her voice calm and firm. "Every wooden board on this ground floor must be scrubbed clean. If I see any dirt left when I check later, no one gets lunch."

Madame Liu stared at the brush in her hand like it was a snake. "Scrub the floors?! On my hands and knees in this cold?! Yimei, I am your elder! My knees hurt!"

"Then scrub faster so your knees don’t freeze," Yimei replied with a sweet smile.

Xinying snatched a brush from her mother’s hand, her teeth grinding together. Her hands shook with anger around the handle. "Don’t beg her, Mother," Xinying spat, glaring at Yimei. "She just wants to make us look bad. Fine! I’ll scrub the floors, Yimei. But don’t think you are better than me!"

"I don’t need to think it, Cousin," Yimei said smoothly. "You’re holding the brush while I sit here giving orders. That already shows who is in charge. Now get to work."

[PFFFFT! HOST! YOU ARE SAVAGE!] Nine laughed loudly inside Yimei’s head. [Look at her face! She looks so mad!]

Yimei then looked at Ruizhe, who was standing behind his mother, trying to hide.

"Ruizhe," Yimei called out.

Ruizhe flinched and stepped forward with his head down. "Y-Yes, Sister-in-law?"

"We need water to scrub away all this dirt," Yimei said, pointing down the street. "There is a well two streets away. You are on water duty. Take those two wooden buckets, fill them up, bring them back, pour out the dirty water, and get more. If the buckets are empty when your mother needs them, you will clean the snow off the roof next."

Ruizhe looked at the big, heavy buckets by the door. Carrying water in this freezing weather was going to be painful, and his hands would turn numb fast. But looking at Yimei’s cold face, he knew he couldn’t complain.

"I’ll go now," Ruizhe said quickly. He grabbed the bucket handles and hurried out into the cold street.

Finally, Yimei turned to Second Uncle Chengbang, who was standing by the door trying to look important with his hands inside his sleeves.

"Second Uncle," Yimei said, her voice serious. "You said you were strong earlier. The snow outside is thick, and the heavy tables and shelves inside are messy. Shovel the snow away from the entrance, carry the broken furniture out to the back, and move the big front counter so it faces the main road properly."

Second Uncle Chengbang’s face turned red, then pale. "Move heavy tables?! Shovel snow?! Yimei, I am an educated man! You want me to do hard labor like a poor worker?!"

"An educated man who relies on his nephew’s wife for food is just a beggar with high pride," Yimei said flatly. "Either move the furniture or stand outside in the snow without a coat. Pick one."

Second Uncle Chengbang choked on his anger. He opened his mouth to shout, but Qinqin stepped forward and held out a rusty shovel toward him.

With a mad huff, Second Uncle Chengbang grabbed the shovel and stomped toward the front door, cursing under his breath as he started digging into the snow.

Within fifteen minutes, the shop was filled with the noisy sounds of hard work.

Scrub! Scrub! Scrub!

Madame Liu and Xinying were down on their knees on the freezing floor. The cold water splashed on their hands, making their skin red and sore. Madame Liu cried quietly as she scrubbed, muttering complaints, while Xinying scrubbed with angry force, putting all her hatred into the wood.

Splash! Clang!

Ruizhe stumbled back into the shop, breathing hard, his pants wet from sloshing bucket water. His face was bright red from the wind, and his hands trembled as he put the heavy pails down near his mother.

"Water... here is the water," Ruizhe panted, wiping sweat and melted snow from his forehead.

"Pour out the dirty water and go get more!" Yimei ordered from where she sat comfortably on a stool, drinking hot tea that Qinqin had just made.

Ruizhe groaned, picked up the empty buckets, and walked back out into the cold.

Outside, Second Uncle Chengbang was sweating through his thick clothes despite the cold. He groaned loudly as he lifted heavy wooden benches, dragging them across the room. Every time he paused to rest, Qinqin’s sharp voice rang out from the doorway:

"Second Uncle! You missed some snow by the left post! Young Madame said the entrance must be completely clean!"

"I am moving as fast as I can!" Second Uncle Chengbang yelled back, rubbing his sore back as he lifted a heavy table corner.

Yimei sat peacefully by the small stove, sipping her tea while watching her arrogant relatives work hard.

[Host! This is great!] Nine cheered in her head. [Look at Second Uncle! His back is going to hurt for days!]

Yimei smirked behind her tea cup. They wanted my help, so they have to work for it. This is just the beginning.