An Mu was among them, standing with An Feng and An Rui. His clothes and attire were not much different from theirs!
This is so strange! Xiao Mu is here, but where is Xiao tide?
On the day she left, neither Xiao Mu nor Xiao tide came; it seemed they had been forgotten. An Ran didn't feel comfortable making demands, but she was thinking of finding an opportunity to bring them over.
An Ran suddenly had a bad feeling.
However, she couldn't show it on her face at this moment. Yun Shen smiled and introduced Lu Mingxiu: "Eldest brother An Feng, second brother An Rui, cousin An Mu." He then looked at An Yu in his arms and smiled, "And little brother Yu-ge'er."
Four people came up and bowed, saying they had met their brother-in-law.
Not only An Ran, but Lu Mingxiu also felt a little strange.
He was very familiar with the situation of the Marquis of Nan'an's residence, and Lu Mingxiu had known about An tide and An Mu's relationship with An Ran for a long time. The two siblings were the children of servants serving the Grand Madam, and although they shared the same surname, An, they had no kinship with the Marquis of Nan'an's residence.
An Ran had watched An Mu grow up since he was a child, and knew him very well. Although he was smiling at this moment, he could not hide the worry in his eyes.
The group quickly entered the mansion.
When they arrived at Rong'an Hall, the maids were already smiling as they lifted the curtain and announced, "Ninth Aunt and Ninth Master have arrived!"
As soon as An Ran entered the room, she quietly went to find An tide.
Sure enough, An tide was there too! She was dressed almost exactly like Seventh Sister and Tenth Sister, and sat to the left of Tenth Sister. Although she was very excited to see An Ran, An Ran could still sense her unease.
An Ran quickly looked away.
When San Niang saw Lu Mingxiu and An Ran arrive hand in hand, a hint of satisfaction appeared in her eyes.
The old lady looked at them with a smile.
An Ran and Lu Mingxiu kowtowed to the Grand Madam and offered her tea. The Grand Madam smiled and said "good" several times.
Then they kowtowed and offered tea to An Yuanliang and Zhao Shi.
An Ran didn't really like her adoptive father, even though he was all smiles, his smile didn't seem as genuine as Zhao's.
An Yuanliang took the opportunity to put on airs as an elder.
However, it wasn't directed at her son-in-law, Marquis Pingyuan, but rather at her daughter, Jiu Niang.
"Ninth Sister, now that you've married into the family, you must uphold the virtues of a wife, diligently manage the household affairs, and fulfill your duties as a wife..."
So all you've said so far is to lecture her?
An Ran sneered inwardly, but she was too lazy to pay him any attention, and only gave a respectful reply on the surface.
"Ninth Sister is doing well." Lu Mingxiu glanced at An Yuanliang and said calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Father-in-law."
It was obvious that Marquis Pingyuan was very satisfied with his wife and didn't want anyone to say anything. Even though this man was Anran's biological father, Lu Mingxiu couldn't muster any respect for him after recalling his past behavior.
Moreover, the Marquis of Nan'an's family had previously fled when the Marquis of Pingyuan's family was in trouble, thus breaking off the engagement. Even though Lu Mingxiu had no feelings for Third Sister, he really couldn't stand this behavior of being arrogant at first and then obsequious later.
"It's good that Ninth Sister didn't cause you any trouble!" An Yuanliang chuckled, being extremely polite to Lu Mingxiu.
The old lady looked at her son with a sense of disappointment and frustration.
She hurriedly beckoned An Ran and her husband to her side.
Chapter 112
“My private businesses, the one in the west of the city, have run into some problems.” Rong Zhen’s tone was indifferent, but Ming Wei could easily discern the subtle annoyance in it.
Even if Rong Zhen is mature for his age, he is only sixteen years old and is still a child.
Mingwei's heart softened immediately, and she asked softly, "Is it that silk shop? The one that's famous for its Shu brocade, it's one of the best in the capital."
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Before she could finish speaking, Rong Zhen's expression revealed a hint of surprise and delight. Ming Wei remembered so clearly—did this mean she truly cared about him? Did he hold a place in her heart as well?
Upon realizing this, Rong Zhen's previous displeasure vanished instantly. He said cheerfully, "Exactly."
Mingwei had no idea about Rong Zhen's complicated thoughts. However, she was somewhat relieved to hear that although his voice was not loud, it had returned to its usual clear and bright tone.
“The reason why the Shu brocade from the silk shop is somewhat famous is because they have someone in Shu Prefecture who is in charge of purchasing it. They select the best regardless of cost, yet the price is not high.” Rong Zhen’s eyes flickered slightly as he spoke softly. “In Shu Prefecture… they also do some other businesses on the side.”
These two seemingly disjointed sentences immediately put Mingwei on alert.
Buying Shu brocade at a high price but selling it at a low price might be understandable for a newly opened silk shop trying to build its reputation. However, in the long run, it would be a losing proposition. As far as Mingwei knew, the silk shop in the west of the city had been open for over three years and couldn't possibly still be operating at a loss.
Rong Zhen just mentioned that there are other deals...
Mingwei racked her brains trying to recall the local products of Shuzhou, trying to figure out which ones were valuable and worth doing business with. Suddenly, an idea flashed into her mind.
"Your Highness, is the salt they're dealing in smuggled salt?" Mingwei stared intently at Rong Zhen, her eyes wide.
Rong Zhen was stunned.
He knew Mingwei was intelligent, but he didn't expect her to grasp the key points so quickly and keenly.
“That’s right.” Rong Zhen didn’t know whether to be happy or worried. His eyes were complicated as he said softly, “This is the main source of profit for the silk shop.”
That makes sense, Mingwei nodded to herself. Since ancient times, the profits from smuggled salt have been enormous, and salt is a necessity for everyone from farmers to wealthy families. Getting involved in this trade is a sure-fire way to make money. However, the risks are also extremely high; being discovered is no laughing matter.
Wait a minute, Mingwei's heart skipped a beat, and she had a bad feeling.