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Cheng Mutian also put down his chopsticks and said, "Now that your third sister-in-law is close to you, you finally have someone to talk to at your parents' home. If she's unhappy, we should help her out. But it's been a natural thing for men to take concubines since ancient times. What can you do? At most, you can advise her to leave her home and go to Quanzhou to stay with her and have a son soon."

Xiao Yuan had the same idea, but she was very unhappy to hear this. She insisted on him explaining the "it is only natural for a man to take a concubine" and asked him if he also intended to take one. Since she became pregnant, she had been making a lot of trouble like this. Cheng Mutian was very familiar with it and swore an oath to the heavens. He was busy with this.

The next day, Xiao Yuan sent someone to invite Li Wu Niang and persuaded her to give up her power as the head of the household and go to Quanzhou to find He Yao Hong. Li Wu Niang had already raised 100,000 strings of cash for her dowry, so what was there to give up? She immediately thanked Xiao Yuan, went home and packed her luggage. A few days later, she indeed took a boat to Quanzhou.

Chapter Seventy-One: Erlang vs. Sanitary Napkins (Part 1)

Before Li Wuniang went to Quanzhou, she handed over the management of the household. The head of the He family changed, and the Li family started to refuse to cooperate again. Madam Jiang was busy with business all day long and had no time to pay attention to anything else. He Laoda, on the other hand, had failed to break up his sister and brother-in-law last time and was beaten and lost money. He obediently stayed at home to recuperate. The troublemakers in his maternal family did not show their faces, so Xiaoyuan's life became comfortable. She spent her days at home reading books, strolling around, and teasing her husband. She was very carefree.

That day, after lunch and a nap, she was lying on the couch asking Cheng Mutian to listen to the movements in her belly when she suddenly heard someone calling her from outside. She was about to get up to go out and see what was going on when Cheng Mutian stopped her, saying, "You'll give birth in about ten days. Why are you moving around? I'll go and take a look." She felt heavy and didn't want to move, so she did as he said and lay back down, calling a maid to come in and fan her.

When Cheng Mutian pushed open the door, he saw that it was Ren Wu's son, Ren Qingsong.

Ren Qingsong had been helping the head steward, Ren Wu, manage Xiao Yuan's two dowry shops for half a year, and was now considered a junior steward. But it wasn't the end of the month or the end of the year, so what was he doing here? Cheng Mutian was also a businessman, and guessed that something had probably happened in the shops. He was afraid that Xiao Yuan would find out and cause her trouble, so he quickly took him next door to ask what was wrong.

Ren Qingsong said he had something to do, but he hesitated and refused to say a complete sentence. Cheng Mutian said with a dark face, "I know you are loyal and only recognize Madam as your master, but she is pregnant at the moment. Do you expect her to worry about this while she is pregnant?"

It turned out that the rumors outside that the young master put his wife first in everything were true. Ren Qingsong shrank back and said, "Young master, it's not that I don't want to say it, but it's not something we men can handle. Why don't you call Cailian over?" Cheng Mutian asked curiously, "Why would you call a maid? Isn't there something wrong at the shop?" Ren Qingsong said, "Young master is right, something has happened at the cotton bag shop."

The cotton bales were something the maids in the household made every month. Upon hearing this, Cheng Mutian blushed immediately, not daring to ask what exactly had happened at the shop. He hurriedly went to find Cailian: "Manager Ren wants to see you." Cailian was busy preparing things for Xiaoyuan's delivery with several midwives and couldn't leave her post for the moment, so she asked first: "Young Master, Manager Ren is in charge of the shop. What could he possibly want with me?" Cheng Mutian blushed, but still pretended to be nonchalant: "Who knows? Those were Madam's dowry. I shouldn't ask too much."

Cailian had no choice but to put down what she was doing and went to ask Ren Qingsong, looking completely bewildered. Although Ren Qingsong was not yet twenty years old, he had been managing the shop for more than half a year and had long been skilled at talking about various cotton bales without batting an eye: "Miss Cailian, something has happened to our cotton bale shop. We didn't want to bother you, but we men don't really understand women's matters, so we've come to ask you for advice." When Cailian heard the word "cotton bale" being spoken so casually by a man, her face immediately turned as red as Cheng Mutian's. However, she always knew the importance and urgency of things, so although she was too embarrassed to look up, she didn't move an inch.

Ren Qingsong saw that she was very sensible and secretly praised her. He continued, "Our cotton bag shop has been open for more than two years and has always had an excellent reputation. There are at least a hundred shops in Lin'an Prefecture that have followed suit and sold this kind of cotton, but only our shop has medicinal cotton. And only our cotton is boiled in boiling water."

Cailian nodded gently. Speaking of which, she and Caimei had also contributed to the development of this cotton-based cotton product. She knew the formula for the medicated cotton.

Ren Qingsong coughed lightly, finally getting to the point. He even seemed a little embarrassed: "I've heard that the maids and wives of the Cheng family have all used medicated cotton swabs. I'd like to ask, has anyone experienced any allergic reactions after using them?"

Cailian had assumed he was going to ask about the shop's business, which was why she had been holding back her embarrassment. Unexpectedly, he spoke of such a private matter. Her face flushed uncontrollably. With a mixture of shyness and anger, she said, "How could someone tell me such a trivial thing? You should go home and ask your wife."

Ren Qingsong said matter-of-factly, "If I had a wife, why would I be asking you? I'm more ashamed than you about such a woman's matter. But something has happened to the shop, so someone has to take care of it. If you're not willing to inquire, then find a few maids and wives, and I'll ask them one by one myself."

Cailian blushed and spat. She turned and walked out, leaving him behind. Back in her room, she couldn't sit still or stand straight. Finally, she moved to the next room and whispered, "Do you think everyone is as shameless as you? Let me ask them for you."

The household had a maidservant's quarters readily available. She first asked the maidservant in charge, and then asked around among her close female friends. When she returned, she told Ren Qingsong, "There's nothing like what you're saying."

Ren Qingsong frowned and paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back: "I knew it was mostly a scam, but who can really explain something like this?"

Cailian stood by the door and stared at him for a while. She brought him a cup of tea and said, "Don't worry too much about what happened to the shop. Tell us and we'll give you some ideas. Three heads are better than one."

I was very pleased that she took the initiative to ask, so I quickly told her the whole story. A lady called Lady Ge had bought cotton wool and cloth from a cotton bag shop a few months ago and sewed cotton bags herself at home. This month, she sent someone to cause trouble, saying that she had been suffering from unbearable itching in her genitals after using the cotton bags and that she had taken medicine for many days without getting better.

Cailian was even more embarrassed after hearing this, and turned her back to him, not daring to look at him, and said, "Although we boiled the cotton and cloth, who knows if she washed her hands before sewing it."

Ren Qingsong sighed, "That's exactly right. Our cotton and cloth are sealed in boxes before being sold. The seals are easily torn off, so there's no way they could have been soiled beforehand. But Madam Ge insists that she washed her hands with bath soap before sewing, and we can't do anything about it."

Cailian said worriedly, "If we can't find out what's wrong with her, we'll probably either have to pay compensation or go to court."

Ren Qingsong smiled bitterly: "Paying money and going to court is nothing, but if this matter isn't resolved, who will dare to buy cotton wool from our shop in the future?"

Both were preoccupied with the shop and forgot that this was a shameful matter, so they sat down at the table to discuss it. After a while, Xiao Yuan needed to speak with Cai Lian, so Cheng Mutian came to fetch her personally. Seeing her sitting with Ren Qingsong, he assumed that Ren Qingsong was using the excuse of having business at the shop to secretly meet with the maid, and his face lit up. He said, "If you two get along well, go and ask Madam for a marriage proposal. What kind of decorum is this, sneaking around like this?"

Upon hearing this, Cailian covered her face and ran outside. Ren Qingsong said anxiously, "Young Master, there really is something wrong at the shop. We only sat down to discuss it because of the urgency."

Now that Cheng Mutian was convinced that the cotton bale was a hoax, he was no longer shy and snorted, "I'm in business too. Tell me what's going on. I want to see what other stories you can come up with."

Ren Qingsong had spent half a day observing Cailian and had developed a slight liking for her. He was somewhat annoyed by Cheng Mutian's old-fashioned ways, even interfering when the servants sat together. So, he deliberately recounted in detail how Ge Niangzi had contracted a gynecological illness after using medicated cotton, continuing until Cheng Mutian's face turned from white to red, then from red to purple, before finally stopping. He then asked, "Young Master, if this matter isn't handled properly, the shop might have to close down. If Madam finds out that her year's hard work has gone to waste, I'm afraid she'll..."

"Shut up." Cheng Mutian glared at him. "Don't think you can get away with seducing my girl by testing me with a tricky question."

Ren Qingsong was also somewhat stubborn, and said with his neck stiff, "If you can smooth things over with the cotton swabs, I will bring a stick and let you beat me; if you can't, then give Cailian to me."

Cheng Mutian really wanted to say that she was his wife's maid and he couldn't decide whether she married or not, but he was too embarrassed to say such a degrading thing. His face turned even redder. Fortunately, he was very confident in his abilities and flicked his sleeve: "Go back and prepare a stick."

For the sake of his pride as a man, he agreed to the task, but he knew almost nothing about cotton swabs. He only knew that they were items used by women when they had their periods, but he had no idea why they were made with medicine.

He frowned, racking his brains for a solution but couldn't find one. He wanted to ask his wife for advice, but since there were servants in the room, he lied and said he needed to take a nap, so he sent them all out, leaving not even one to fan him.

Xiao Yuan smiled at him, pursing her lips, "What time is it? Still taking a nap? I'm so hot and lonely without anyone to fan me." When no one else was around, Cheng Mutian was never in a bad mood. Without a word, he picked up the fan, sat down on the stool the little girl had been sitting on, and started fanning his wife. Xiao Yuan had known him for so many years, so she naturally knew that he had something on his mind, but she deliberately didn't ask him. She just complained of backache and leg pain.

Cheng Mutian needed her help, so he reluctantly massaged her back and legs while trying to figure out how to ask her questions without letting her know what had happened at the shop. Xiao Yuan, feeling comfortable, smiled and asked, "What's troubling you that makes our young master Cheng frown?" Finally, she took the initiative to ask, so Cheng Mutian leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Wife, have you used a cotton swab?"

Xiao Yuan was quite surprised that he asked this, and seeing his handsome face flushed red, she found it quite adorable, so she teased him, "What would I use that for?" Cheng Mutian lowered his head further and further, wishing he could bury his entire face in her neck: "If you don't use that, what's the point of having a chastity box?" Xiao Yuan felt the heat on his face and knew he was extremely embarrassed, so she quickly patted his back and said, "I do use it, I do use it, it's just that I haven't had my period for the past few months while I was pregnant, so I haven't gone to get it for a while. These days you've only been concerned about the baby's diapers, why did you suddenly think of asking this? This is a woman's matter, haven't you always been someone who disdains to ask about it?"

Chapter 72: Erlang vs. Sanitary Napkins (Part 2)

Cheng Mutian suddenly raised his head: "Nonsense, when did I ask about the baby's diapers? That's a woman's business." Xiaoyuan slowly moved off the soft couch to find her shoes and smiled: "Yes, it's all a woman's business. You just focus on doing business and making money. I'm going to take a walk in the garden now. The midwife and my aunt both said that walking around more before giving birth will help the baby be born more easily." Cheng Mutian consciously helped her put on her shoes, but he couldn't bring himself to take her hand and lead her outside. He just told the maids to serve her while he followed along.

When Xiao Yuan went out, a group of maids and servants followed. With so many people around, Cheng Mutian reverted to his introverted ways, reverting to the perpetually stern and taciturn Cheng Erlang.

The Cheng family's back garden was vast, with a clear lake in the center, where hundreds of colorful koi carp swam freely among the lotus flowers and leaves, captivating all who looked at them. Cheng Mutian had a stern face, and the servants dared not speak. The group stood silently by the lake for a while, watching the fish, and then silently climbed to the bright pavilion in the center of the lake. Xiao Yuan praised, "What a nice breeze!" Immediately, someone brought over a reclining chair covered with jade pieces and served various fresh fruits.

Cailian had just been reprimanded by Cheng Mutian today and was quite afraid of him. She was just about to find an excuse to slip away when she glanced at Xiaoyuan's expression and saw that she seemed to have something to say to Cheng Mutian. So she stepped forward and asked in a low voice, then led all the servants away and waited at a distance on the other side of the bridge.

In the blink of an eye, only the couple remained in the pavilion. Xiao Yuan slowly leaned against Cheng Mutian, who hurriedly looked up at the servants in the distance and reached out to straighten her up: "There are people watching over there, be serious."

Xiao Yuan had been coaxed and pampered by him for so long that she really thought he had changed his ways. But now that she saw him still acting so stubbornly, she got angry, lay down on the chair, and said, "I'm not going to tell you about the cotton bag. I'll make you worry to death."

"Playing childish again." Cheng Mutian frowned, then suddenly became alert: "Who wants to ask about that thing? I was just mentioning it casually."

Xiao Yuan closed her eyes and ignored him, gently stroking her stomach with one hand and patting the small table with the other. Cheng Mutian, unable to do anything else, could only pretend to stroll slowly over, glancing repeatedly at the other side of the bridge. Seeing that the servants were indeed all bowing their heads, he quickly plucked a grape from the plate and popped it into her mouth. Xiao Yuan felt the cool, sour fruit in her mouth and immediately opened her eyes, only managing to see Cheng Mutian's back as he walked back to the railing, looking down at the fish. A sudden thought struck her: even a martial artist with superhuman agility probably couldn't move that fast.

Cheng Mutian had his back to her, but his ears were perked up. Hearing a soft laugh behind him, he quickly turned around: "Are you satisfied now? Tell me quickly." He then made up a story: "A few business associates heard that our cotton bales are selling well and want to buy some to please their wives, but they don't know which kind to buy, so they came to ask me. But how would I know the details about women's items? I can only ask you first and then deal with them another day."

The lie was so well-crafted that Xiao Yuan believed it completely. She got up and went to his side, explaining in detail the difference between the ordinary cotton swab and the medicated cotton swab. "It's all very exaggerated outside. Actually, it's just some blood-activating herbs and a few spices. But it really does relieve stomach pain."

"Having your period can cause stomach cramps? It's not like you're giving birth." Cheng Mutian was hearing this for the first time and was very curious. He'd completely gone off-topic.

Xiao Yuan stared at him for a long time, but finally couldn't help but laugh: "You didn't see me before. I was rolling around in bed in pain. It was only after using medicated cotton swabs that I felt better."

So menstruation can be painful. Itching isn't impossible either. Cheng Mutian seemed thoughtful, but dared not voice such concerns. He only hinted, "It's medicine after all. They say every medicine has some toxicity. Won't using too much cause harm?" Xiao Yuan smiled at him, "That medicine isn't swallowed. What harm could it cause? Everyone in our family uses it. Have you seen anyone get sick from it? You've inquired so thoroughly. Are you trying to steal the technique? No, that's impossible. It's a family tradition—passed down to daughters, not sons."

Cheng Mutian was preoccupied with his own thoughts. He had no desire to argue with her about how a family secret recipe could be passed down only to women. However, as a businessman, he was extremely sensitive to accusations that he harbored any intention of stealing the recipe. He immediately shut his mouth and concealed all his emotions.

He was full of questions, but his wife was in high spirits. After swimming in the lake, she wanted to admire the flowers, and after admiring the flowers, she wanted to look at the stones. Finally, when she got tired, he accompanied her back to have tea before he could leave to find Cheng Fu.

Cheng Fu, now content with his son, was playing with him in his room with A Xiu when he heard Cheng Mutian calling him from outside. He quickly brought his son, Xige, out and taught him to greet people. Xige was almost a year old, a chubby, robust boy. Cheng Mutian, himself soon to be a father, was no longer indifferent to the child as before. He took a jade pendant from his waist and gave it to him. Cheng Fu quickly thanked him for the gift on behalf of his son, then had A Zhu take him inside. Only then did he quietly ask Cheng Mutian, "Young Master, is there a troublesome matter?"

It was indeed the servant who had served me since childhood who understood my thoughts. Cheng Mutian coughed twice, making a fist, and said, "Your son is now a good man, and he still needs a proper name." Cheng Fu thought to himself, it seems that the young master is not only facing a difficult situation, but also one that is hard to talk about. He is always good at relieving his master's worries, so he quickly said, "Young master, although I have learned a few words from you, I don't know how to name a child. Why don't you give me a task to do? If I do it well, I can reward Xi Ge with a name?"

Cheng Mutian nodded in satisfaction, beckoned him closer, and whispered back what Ren Qingsong had said and the information he had gleaned from Xiao Yuan. Cheng Fu immediately regretted his actions, realizing he shouldn't have fallen for Cheng Mutian's trick and agreed so hastily. How could a grown man like him possibly handle such a woman's matter?

“Young Master, doesn’t Madam’s shop have managers? They are all capable people. Why should we waste our brains?” Cheng Fuxin was anxious and his mind worked even faster as he began to search for reasons to shirk this awkward task.

Cheng Mutian was unwilling to tell him that he had only agreed to the matter because he couldn't save face. Just as he was hesitating, he looked up and saw Axiu sitting by the window. He had a sudden idea and raised his voice, saying, "Their manager made a bet with me. If I resolve this matter, he will marry one of the maids in my household to him. You said you were unwilling to do this for me, but that's exactly what I wanted. The maid in my household is sensible and can read. It would be better to give one to you and not let an outsider benefit from it."

Before he could finish speaking, Ah Zhu rushed out carrying her son, shouting, "Young Master, since he's your servant, how can he not do things for you? Watch me beat him up!"

Cheng Mutian wanted to add fuel to the fire, and Cheng Fu was so anxious that he was almost in tears. He clasped his hands and begged for mercy, saying, "My good young master, I'll take care of it. Please don't say anything more. My wife is really good with a stick."

After seeing off the smug Cheng Mutian, he turned to scold Axiu: "You've been with Madam for so many years, yet you're still so impatient. Young Master asked me to inquire about the cotton bale shop. How could I possibly ask?"

Ah Xiu chuckled: "No wonder the young master wanted to coax you to do it. He's more sensitive than a woman; he probably wouldn't even dare to step into a cotton bag shop. But you're too stubborn. There's a teacher right in front of you, and instead of asking for advice, you're just sighing and complaining here."

Cheng Fu's eyes lit up: "How could I have forgotten you? My dear wife, why don't you go to that Ge Niangzi's house and ask her what's going on?"

Ah Xiu shook her head: "If you ask me about cotton bales, I can answer that, but when it comes to dealing with people, it's better to ask someone else. You don't know my fiery temper. I'm afraid I'll end up arguing with someone before I even find out the details."

Cheng Fu grabbed his son's hand and said to her, "You do know your place. Why don't you go find someone sensible? After all, you're a respected lady in the Cheng family now, and everyone has to give you some face."

Ah Zhu glanced at the stick standing in the corner and laughed, "Stop flattering me. Even if I were to go, it would only be because I'm afraid you'd be the one who couldn't do the job and had no choice but to accept the young master's reward, and then you'd get a beating from me."

Cheng Fu, a man who frequently traveled, would visit teahouses several times a month. Unlike Cheng Mutian, who was fiercely jealous of his concubines, he had occasionally entertained the idea of taking on a few concubines, relying on his master's favor. However, he could never overcome A-Zhu's stubbornness, and thus gradually gave up his philandering thoughts. He glanced at the corner of the wall with lingering fear, and volunteered to stay home to take care of the children, promising not to leave the house until his wife returned. He respectfully saw A-Zhu off as she went to ask around for information.

Although Cheng Fu didn't remind her, A Xiu knew she couldn't upset Xiao Yuan. After thinking it over, besides the Madam, Cai Lian was the person she knew best in the Cheng family, and they both came from Aunt Chen's house. She made up her mind to go find Cai Lian, so she went to the courtyard to inquire first. Just then, Xiao Yuan was resting in the garden after walking around, so she sent a maid to call Cai Lian out and told her about the cotton bag shop. She also asked her to go to Madam Ge's house to find out more details.

Cailian had known Axiu for many years and envied her for living well after getting married. So she confided in her: "Sister Xiu, it's not that I don't want to help you, but today I helped Steward Ren come up with a few ideas and the young master misunderstood me for not following the rules. If I go to Madam Ge's house for him again, I don't know what kind of misunderstanding I will be given."

Ah Xiu laughed and gently patted her, "Which 'him'? I was the one asking you for a favor, how did it get involved with Manager Ren?"

Cailian, who was always as meticulous as Xiaoyuan, let slip this time and blushed with embarrassment. She turned to leave, but Azhu quickly grabbed her and said, "Cailian, listen to your sister. No matter what others say, just pretend you don't know anything. Marriage is a serious matter, and your wife will make the decisions for you. If you don't act openly and honestly, others will really think you two are having an affair."

Chapter Seventy-Three: Erlang vs. Sanitary Napkins (Part 2)

Cailian initially dismissed these words, but upon reflection, she found them all to be true. She curtsied and thanked Azhu, agreeing to go to Lady Ge's house on her behalf. Being clever, she went back to her room, changed out of her maid's clothes, and prepared some jewelry and silk flowers. Carrying them in a double-layered box, she didn't take the family sedan chair but instead hired a sedan chair outside. Disguised as a woman selling beads in the streets, she visited Lady Ge's neighbors and learned most of the details. It turned out that Lady Ge was not the fool Ren Qingsong had imagined, but a pure and honest widow. Although her family was poor, she had never committed any dishonest or illicit acts.

Cailian, carrying a box, went into Ge Niangzi's house under the pretense of selling beads. The house was clean and tidy, with no cobwebs on the ceiling and no dust on the table. Looking at Ge Niangzi, her hair was neatly combed and her fingernails were clean.

She went back and told Azhu what she had seen and heard, and asked in surprise, "I don't think Madam Ge is a slovenly person. She must have washed her hands before sewing the cotton pouch. Since the pouch is clean, how could she get sick after using it?" She couldn't understand, and Axiu couldn't figure it out either. She passed the question on to Cheng Fu, who said, "You women don't understand. How would I know the details? I'd better return it to the young master."

So this bundle, after going through several people and going around in circles, was placed in front of Cheng Erlang again. He looked at Cheng Fu, who had a hint of expectation in his eyes, and couldn't help but laugh and cry: "Are you deliberately not doing the job, and want to take someone back?" Cheng Fu quickly shook his head: "It's no use thinking about it. A Xiu's stick is scary. She is the madam's maid. I can't afford to offend her."

He's the young master's man, yet he's afraid of the madam's maid. Is this a veiled insult, implying that the young master is inferior to the madam? Cheng Mutian glared at him fiercely: "If you want to take a concubine, then take one, but don't drag the madam into it." Cheng Fu shrank back and quickly focused on offering advice: "Young master, if you can't find out, then don't investigate. Just secretly give Madam Ge some money and have her admit it herself; or you can take it to the authorities and bribe the officials."

Cheng Mutian glared at him again: "The things you mentioned are either things you can't figure out, or things you're doing to deal with unreasonable people. What about Madam Ge?"

Cheng Fu stammered, unable to speak for a long time, before tentatively asking, "Can't you find a clue?" Cheng Mutian kicked him, saying, "I think you really need a beating. Come with me to the shop and take a look. If we really can't find a clue, the people from our Cheng family shop can forget about ever holding their heads high in front of the dowry shop again." The kick wasn't very strong, and Cheng Fu chuckled, quickly following after him, lest his young master be too afraid to enter the cotton bale shop.

He was overthinking it. The cotton bag shop didn't sell cotton bags at all. Various absorbent and waterproof fabrics, as well as ordinary cotton and medicinal cotton, were sold separately and packaged in small boxes of different grades. There were only fabrics and cotton here, no "cotton bags." If you didn't know the details, you wouldn't be able to tell that this was a shop selling women's products.

Cheng Mutian smiled as he stood in front of the counter. His wife was indeed clever; if it were truly just finished cotton bales for sale, probably no woman would dare to come and buy them. But with this arrangement, even he, a man, dared to stand openly in the shop and watch. Seeing his young master smile, Cheng Fu straightened up and called a shop assistant to fetch the manager.

Ren Qingsong had been waiting in the shop for Cheng Mutian. Smiling, he bowed and greeted him, ushering him to the back: "Young Master, have you found a clue?" Cheng Mutian had blushed countless times today, and this time his face changed color again. But he still stood steadily in front of the counter, pointing to the fabrics and cotton, and asked, "If Manager Ren doesn't explain clearly, even if I were the most upright official, I couldn't solve this case."

Ren Qingsong was quite impressed that Cheng Mutian dared to ask for details in public. He immediately explained the various cotton swabs in great detail, from their effects to their usage. Countless young women who had been browsing the counter were blushing with embarrassment. Cheng Mutian listened attentively, then went to the back and sat down. Ren Qingsong, eager to see his skills, personally placed a box on the table.

Cheng Fu had been by Cheng Mutian's side since childhood and knew his thoughts best. Seeing that he wanted a cotton swab, he quickly found a pair of scissors and cut a small piece each of cotton and cloth, placing them beside him. Cheng Mutian took the cloth, rubbed it between two fingers, shook his head, then picked up the cotton swab and smelled it carefully. He said, "Artemisia argyi, angelica sinensis, motherwort, houttuynia cordata, cyperus rotundus, and mint. Was this cotton boiled in medicinal water?"

Ren Qingsong listened as he recited the names of the herbs without missing a single one. A thin layer of sweat beaded on his forehead. He forced himself to remain calm and said, "It's boiled herbs. But I forgot to mention a few ingredients."

Cheng Mutian's skill in identifying medicinal herbs was honed through years of handling goods and smelling spices at the docks. He had never made a mistake. He smiled slightly and didn't argue. He said, "Even if these medicines are taken orally, they won't cause any serious harm. Besides, it's just boiled cotton. Madam Ge's symptoms certainly don't stem from that. Cheng Fu, go and fetch the doctor who examined Madam Ge."

Ren Qingsong said, "She was unwilling to have a doctor examine her for that kind of illness. It was only after we accused her of extortion that we allowed an old doctor's daughter to examine her. She said that she got sick because she used unclean cotton."

Cheng Mutian and Cheng Fu exchanged a glance. This was strange; the man was clean, and the cotton bales were clean. What was the problem? Ren Qingsong saw Cheng Mutian's brow furrow and felt a little pleased. He advised him, "This matter isn't urgent. It's getting dark. If you don't go, young master, we can think of a solution tomorrow." Cheng Mutian was very displeased at being looked down upon. Over the years, he had developed some habits and routines, so he ordered the account books to be brought over for inspection.

Ren Qingsong also became displeased. He had asked Ren to help resolve the dispute, not to audit the accounts. How could he let Ren know such confidential information as the account books? Seeing that Ren was unwilling, Cheng Mutian understood that this was a sign of his loyalty and said, "Fine, you don't have to see them. Just tell me when and how much of the cloth and cotton Madam Ge bought." Ren Qingsong calmed down and called the accountant to check the account books. The accountant replied, "Madam Ge bought the cloth and cotton three months ago. She bought one box of each, a total of six pieces of cloth and six pieces of cotton."

Cheng Fu blurted out, "Six isn't enough." Seeing the men staring at him with curiosity, he blushed deeply and pulled Ren Qingsong aside, saying, "It's one thing if my young master doesn't know the details, but you're in charge of the shop, don't you know cotton bales are used and then thrown away? My family—" He wanted to say that his wife uses at least ten every month, but realizing the inappropriate situation, he swallowed the rest of his words.

Ren Qingsong just laughed, but Cheng Mutian immediately asked, "How long can six last?" He had finally grasped some clues and asked the question without blushing. Cheng Fu, on the other hand, became embarrassed and said hesitantly, "They can only... maybe... I'm afraid even a month won't be enough."

Cheng Mutian smiled slightly and decisively instructed Ren Qingsong: "Send someone to ask Madam Ge why the things she bought three months ago are only now causing problems?" Cheng Fu curiously interjected: "Young Master, what if she has a strange skin disease and bought it and hid it until now before using it?" Ren Qingsong said: "The medicine's effects haven't even lasted a month. We make and sell everything fresh. If she used expired stuff, we won't be responsible." He was eager to find out the situation, and despite the fact that it was already dark outside, he still sent several female shop assistants from the counter to Madam Ge's house to inquire.

Half an hour later, news came that when the woman, Lady Ge, saw people coming to ask, she was so embarrassed that she didn't even dare to open the door. It turned out that she thought the cotton swabs were too expensive and couldn't bear to throw them away after using them. So she took them apart, sewed them up, washed and scrubbed them, and used six cotton swabs for three months. Such things should not be exposed to sunlight. Cotton dried in the shade is more prone to bacteria growth than wood ash. It would be strange if she didn't get sick after using it.

Cheng Mutian blushed too many times today. Seeing that the truth had come out, he didn't want to stay a minute longer. He left the follow-up to Ren Qingsong and hurried home.

It was late at night, but the room was still lit. When Ayun and Acai saw him return, one lifted the embroidered curtain, and the other hurriedly ran in to report the news. Xiaoyuan, supporting her back, came out to greet him, saying with concern, "Why are you so busy? Come and eat quickly." Cheng Mutian glanced at the table; two pairs of bowls and chopsticks, the food untouched, said angrily, "You don't care about yourself and go hungry. What's the point of all my hard work?" Xiaoyuan had already sent someone to investigate the details when she saw him inquiring about the cotton bales, but she didn't want to disappoint him, so she pretended not to know. Hearing Cheng Mutian's anger, she thought the matter hadn't been resolved and wanted to comfort him, but didn't want to reveal her true feelings and embarrass him, so she could only force a smile and coax him, "I've already eaten. My stomach is big, so I'll eat some more with you."

Cheng Mutian finally smiled, but he was naturally averse to making a fuss. Even though the matter in the shop had been resolved satisfactorily, he didn't mention it at all, which made Xiaoyuan worry all night. It wasn't until early the next morning, when Ren Qingsong came to apologize, that she learned the truth.

Ren Qingsong knelt in the room, carrying a stick on his back. He spoke highly of Cheng Mutian's meticulousness yesterday, saying, "Young Master is very capable, it's a pity I didn't have the fortune to train with him for a few years." Xiao Yuan laughed, "You're really bold, you didn't have to say it to my face about betraying him." Ren Qingsong quickly said he wouldn't dare, "I made a bet with Young Master, if he resolves this matter, I'm willing to accept the punishment." Xiao Yuan looked at the stick he was carrying and laughed again, "Since it's a bet, there's no such thing as only considering the loser and not the winner. If you win, what will Young Master promise you?" Ren Qingsong glanced at Cai Lian, but shook his head and said, "I was just deliberately provoking Young Master, I wouldn't promise so much."

Xiao Yuan knew there must be a reason for this, so she didn't ask any more questions. She just asked him about the follow-up treatment of Madam Ge. Ren Qingsong said, "Madam Ge was just being frugal. She didn't do it on purpose. Besides, this matter didn't cause a big fuss. So I just had someone send her a few more boxes and teach her how to use them."

Even Cheng Mutian, who was hiding in the inner room, nodded in agreement upon hearing these words. In doing business, one must be tolerant in order to prosper. He knew how to cover up someone's embarrassment. As long as Madam Ge had money in hand, she would definitely come to the shop to buy things again.