Chapter 197: Good Reputation

Zhang Zhaodi saw the situation, turned anger into laughter, and said with her arms akimbo, "With that foul mouth of yours, even the gods will punish you."

"What’s going on?" Su Yaoguang asked, not knowing what had happened.

But Zhang Zhaodi is usually calm. It would take something significant to make her so angry. Who knows what that old woman said to infuriate her like this?

"Yaoguang, that old woman was trying to arrange a marriage for us, and when we refused, she said your mother cursed your father to death. Her words are infuriating!"

Upon hearing this, Su Yaoguang rolled up her sleeves and ran towards the door.

Matchmaker Li had just gotten up and was rubbing her back. Upon hearing the commotion behind her and turning to look, she was so scared that she immediately fled.

In her haste, she fell again. This time, she didn’t even have time to scream in pain and ran off at lightning speed.

"If you’ve got the guts, don’t run! See if I don’t beat you to death." Su Yaoguang shouted angrily in the direction of Matchmaker Li.

"Boss Su, what’s happened?" passersby asked.

With reddened eyes, Su Yaoguang said indignantly, "That old woman said my mother was a curse to my father, and that she caused his death. Everyone knows my father went to the battlefield as a hero. Anyone who goes to the battlefield knows they are risking their life for the country. If they die in battle, does that mean the wife at home is to be blamed as a curse? Can those loyal souls ever rest in peace?"

"That Matchmaker Li is really crossing the line. How can she utter such nonsense? I won’t let her arrange a marriage for my daughter anymore."

"I won’t let her handle my son’s marriage either."

"The Su family has always been kind; how could she say something like that?"

"Ladies, don’t fall out with Matchmaker Li over Yaoguang. Matchmakers have a way of twisting the truth. If you fall out with her, it might be hard to arrange marriages for eligible children in your households."

"It’s not like she’s the only matchmaker around here. If we don’t choose her, others will be willing. We won’t tolerate someone as toxic as her."

"Right, we won’t go to her for marriages from now on."

Su Yaoguang thanked the ladies for speaking up for her and returned to the shop.

Zhou Wangshu gave her a thumbs up.

Su Yaoguang slightly raised her head, appearing rather proud.

"Those two old crooks are up to no good, plotting against us sisters. They’re definitely after our shop." Zhang Zhaodi said.

Zhang Pandi was a bit puzzled, "You’re the boss here. Marrying you means getting the shop, sure. But why would they want to marry me?"

"Because you know the recipe," Su Yaoguang said from the side, "If they’re targeting the recipe, you’re the easiest to manipulate. You’re too gentle, easy to handle."

"This is a trivial matter. It’s not worth getting upset over people like them." Su Yaoguang soothed, "Come, I’ll give mom and Second Aunt a back massage, help you relax a bit."

The next day, Matchmaker Li brought Mr. Wang and Mr. Zhang to personally propose a marriage. They came with numerous gifts. But before they even got inside, their gifts were thrown out.

Jiang Jing and Jia Chunni stood at the door.

Jiang Jing said coldly, "I made it clear yesterday. Coming here today to humiliate yourselves again, aren’t you thick-skinned?"

"Exactly," Jia Chunni agreed, her little face puffed with anger but lacking any intimidation.

"Doctor Jiang, I was quite rude yesterday, I misspoke in a moment of dizziness. Please, let me see Lady Zhang and Second Lady Zhang, I beg for their forgiveness, won’t you?"

Matchmaker Li now regretted it deeply.

She shouldn’t have spitefully said that provocative remark to Zhang Zhaodi yesterday. Because of that, as soon as she got home, those families she had arranged marriages for came to tell her they no longer needed her services, nor would they in future. This scared her terribly. Her family relied on her matchmaking to earn a living. If no one came to her, how would her entire family survive?

Her status at home had been low, only rising due to her matchmaking business. She didn’t want to return to those old days of daily beatings by her husband.

"Dear young ladies, I greet you," Mr. Wang bowed deeply and smiled warmly. "I genuinely wish to marry Lady Zhang; please pass on my message and let me meet Lady Zhang. I want to personally express my feelings to her, so she can really understand my sincerity."

"No need, my godmother doesn’t want to see you. Besides, she has no intention of remarrying. This Mr. Zhang, right? My Second Aunt isn’t interested in remarrying either."

"Your situation is quite interesting. A widow, a woman who was cast off, and another married to an invalid, and now when we’re willing to take them over, you still don’t accept?" Boss Zhang’s tone changed quickly when he couldn’t get in, revealing his ugly crudeness.

Jiang Jing and Jia Chunni exchanged a glance, then turned aside slightly, at which point several male workers rushed out from inside.

The workers were holding long sticks, angrily charging towards them.

Matchmaker Li and the two old masters, Zhang and Wang, seeing this, fled quickly. However, being old, they couldn’t run fast, and were soon caught up and beaten by the workers.

"Hit them hard, keep hitting..." Jia Chunni waved her arms.

"Shameless old codgers, your grandsons are already running everywhere, and you still think about my godmother," Jiang Jing snorted coldly, "I really want to jab him a few times, make him half-paralyzed."

Su Yaoguang came out from the flower market.

She had just agreed on a partnership with the market owner to send another batch of goods to the workshop.

Ever since the workshop opened, their production had increased significantly, which also meant their demand for raw materials was growing. They had to find several suppliers to meet the demand.

Su Yaoguang passed by the gambling house gate and saw Xiao Yanci leaving with Jiang Yihuan and her mother.

Xiao Yanci and the others also noticed her.

At this time, Su Yaoguang was dressed exquisitely, her skin well-maintained and fair, appearing every bit like a young lady from a wealthy family. In contrast, Jiang Yihuan wasn’t as finely dressed as before. Her current clothes, although stylish, were of coarse material. Her hair was tied up with no silver accessories. But she knew men’s minds well enough to style her hair in an innocent manner, not at all like a proper lady.

Dark circles under her eyes suggested she hadn’t been sleeping well recently. Her once snow-white skin now looked dull, like she’d been drained of vitality.

As for Xiao Yanci, apart from looking thinner, nothing seemed much changed.

This was to be expected, given Xiao Yanci’s usual demeanor. He was surely still studying hard as he always did, focused on his studies, uninterested in anything else.

Fenghua Pavilion was gone, and Jiang Yihui had left behind a pile of debts. He could ignore them, but the gambling house and brothel would certainly go after Zhong Lanhua and her mother for those debts, though no one knew how they were handling it.

Xiao Yanci felt complex emotions upon seeing Su Yaoguang again.

He led Jiang Yihuan and her mother as they walked past her.