Chapter 46: Trouble Caused by the Hand Cream

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Trouble Caused by the Hand Cream

Steward Gu was not one to give up easily. After returning, he had someone investigate Ji Huan and quickly learned all about the bad blood between her and the Bai Family.

He couldn’t help but feel a certain disdain. ’Women are all the same,’ he thought, ’short-sighted and temperamental. Holding a grudge over some petty squabble instead of taking the money—what is that if not foolish?’

He assumed Ji Huan refused to sell the formula to the silk workshop because she held a grudge against the Bai Family.

Since enticement had failed, and hearing she was close to Widow Xie, he decided to simply fire the widow. He would use this to coerce Ji Huan, certain she would be forced to submit.

And so, Steward Gu waited for Ji Huan and Widow Xie to show up at his door to apologize and hand over the hand cream formula on a silver platter.

Meanwhile, Wang De of Jishi Hall also received the news.

He summoned his nephew, Wang Shun, and immediately tore into him.

"That girl selling the hand cream came to our hall twice! You swore you remembered her. I told you to find her, and how long has it been? Where is she?! How did you let that old bastard Gu Yutian get the jump on us!"

Wang Shun did indeed remember Ji Huan. He had even found out that she lived in Dafeng Village. But as soon as he heard his uncle wanted to partner with her and was planning to give her a large sum of money, Wang Shun became disgruntled.

’A country girl he looked down on was now going to negotiate business with his uncle on equal footing?’

Wang Shun was resentful. He had not only humiliated her but had also sent her packing to Yide Hall when she came seeking medical help. He figured he had already made an enemy of Ji Huan, so there was no way he would personally hand such a golden opportunity to get rich right to her.

So he procrastinated. Every time his uncle pressed him about it, he’d put on a troubled expression and sigh that finding her was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

He just hadn’t expected his uncle’s archrival to notice her too. ’Is that country girl really that capable?’

Seeing his nephew’s guilty expression, Wang De understood everything. His hands trembled with anger. "You... What am I supposed to say to you? You’re more trouble than you’re worth!"

He paced back and forth in the room a few times before slamming his palm on the table. "What are you standing there gawking for? Prepare the gifts! We’re going to Dafeng Village now!"

Gu Yutian waited in vain for several days. When Ji Huan didn’t show up, he was seething with frustration. Then, he suddenly heard that Wang De had gone to Dafeng Village bearing extravagant gifts.

How could Gu Yutian possibly sit still? "Get some men! We’re going too!"

’That thieving bastard Wang De has a nose keener than a dog’s,’ he thought. ’I can’t let him get the upper hand.’

A subordinate couldn’t understand. "Is that hand cream really so important that it’s worth you running back and forth, Master? Don’t give those villagers so much credit. In my humble opinion, they’re just playing hard to get, trying to drive up the price!"

"What do you know!"

Gu Yutian knew exactly how important the hand cream was. It wasn’t just for the silk workshop; in the freezing cold, countless other industries could use it.

Once he had the formula, a little maneuvering would open up a whole new world for him. Managers from every trade would have to come begging. Wouldn’t fame and fortune be his for the taking?

And now, with Wang De sticking his nose in, he was more determined than ever to get his hands on it!

Both men were based in Juyong Town and often ran into each other when they went to Yeyang to give their reports. A rivalry had thus unconsciously sprouted between them. Both wanted to pull off something big to win favor with Old Sir Bai and secure their own advancement.

And so, the two parties soon met on the dirt road leading to Dafeng Village.

Wang De leaned out of his carriage and cupped his hands in a mock salute. "Brother Gu, you look quite aggressive. Off to settle a score with someone?"

Gu Yutian couldn’t be bothered with pleasantries. "Don’t you know perfectly well where I’m going? Wang De, let me be blunt. I discovered the hand cream first. You can watch the fun from the sidelines, but don’t even think about competing with me for it!"

Wang De laughed. "If we’re talking about who was first, Brother Gu, I’m afraid you can’t beat me. You see, Miss Ji came to Jishi Hall herself some time ago, wanting to sell the formula to us. It’s just a pity... I was in Yeyang at the time and missed the opportunity."

"If you missed it, then it wasn’t meant to be." Gu Yutian could see he wasn’t lying and didn’t want to argue about who was first. "In any case, I have already spoken with Miss Ji once. Isn’t it a bit improper for you to jump in halfway through?"

"But from what I hear, that talk didn’t go very pleasantly, and Miss Ji didn’t agree to sell you the formula. Since no deal was made, then naturally everyone has a chance to compete. We’re both businessmen. Surely you understand that principle, don’t you, Brother Gu?" Wang De said with a look of feigned disbelief.

It was clear he was determined to be shameless. Gu Yutian wasted no more words and immediately ordered his driver to speed up.

Not to be outdone, Wang Shun cracked his whip hard against the horse’s rump. "Uncle, do you think that old fool’s got rocks in his head? Coming to negotiate a deal without even bringing gifts is one thing, but he brought thugs with him?"

Unfortunately for him, the wind carried his words right to Gu Yutian’s ears. He turned and spat. "What the hell do you know! You don’t know a thing, yet you dare to compete with me! If you knew about the relationship between Miss Ji and our Bai Family, you’d understand that bringing mountains of gold and silver would be useless. This is a time for clubs and fists!"

’Since she won’t do this the easy way, she’ll have to do it the hard way.’

’Ji Huan is just an orphan girl with a bad reputation in the village. She has no one to back her up. When she sees this display of force, she’ll be scared half to death. How could she dare refuse to hand over the formula?’

’It’s laughable that Wang De is putting on such a hypocritical act, thinking he can win her over with courtesy.’

Wang De had a bad feeling, but they had already come this far. There was no sense in turning back to investigate further now. He would go and see the situation for himself first.

When Ji Huan arrived at the Hu Family’s home, a cloud of gloom hung over them.

Aside from the meager harvest from their few acres of land, the Hu Family relied almost entirely on the money Widow Xie earned at the silk workshop to make ends meet. Now that this support was suddenly gone, how could they not worry, with several growing children and a paralyzed mother in bed?

When Widow Xie saw her arrive, there was no trace of resentment in her expression.

"How could I blame you? You meant well, worrying that my hands would get ruined. It’s those shameless people who get wicked ideas the moment they see something good! Even if they hadn’t fired me, I wouldn’t care to go back to a filthy place like that!"

Good intentions were one thing, but the fact remained that her actions had caused harm. Ji Huan had gotten Widow Xie fired, and a few words of comfort weren’t enough to dispel her guilt.

"If I had only considered your situation, Aunt Xie, and been a little more polite to that Steward Gu..."

"This isn’t something you could have avoided by being polite. He’s used to getting his way. When he wants something, he won’t stop until he gets it. You could burn incense for him every day and it wouldn’t make a difference."

Ji Huan knew this, of course. From her brief conversation with Gu Yutian, it was clear he was the type who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. The only way not to offend him was to give him what he wanted; there was no other option.

She was surprised that Widow Xie wasn’t muddled at all; she had seen the man for who he truly was.

"Don’t take it to heart. Aunt Xie supports what you did. Since you already sold the formula to someone else, how could you go back on your word? A person has to have a conscience. Money earned that way wouldn’t bring you any peace."

Widow Xie pulled her down to sit. "Besides, even without this mess, I wouldn’t have lasted there much longer. Ever since the children’s grandmother had her accident, I’ve been taking leave every other day. Especially after I just brought her home, I was afraid the kids couldn’t look after her properly, so I missed many days in a row. The foreman was already unhappy with me. Getting fired was just a matter of time."

She wasn’t lying, but she was saying it now mainly to ease Ji Huan’s mind.

How could Ji Huan not understand? It was precisely because she understood that she felt even more guilty.